Please follow Urban Green Girl at her new address www.UrbanGreenGirl.com

Please note www.urbangreengirl.wordpress.com no longer exists.

The new address is www.urbangreengirl.com

Please bookmark my new URL www.urbangreengirl.com

If you are coming from a link on another site, please remove the “.wordpress” from the URL and you will be directed to the new link.

In the meantime, here are some of my top posts:

1. How to get rid of fruit flies naturally
2. How to recycle your TV
3. How to choose a healthy pet food
4. How to feel great and cure acne through a liver cleanse

See you on my new blog

Urban Green Girl

Dirty oven about to be cleaned with baking soda

But over my dead body would i use those toxic oven cleaning foams. Environmental toxicity and aerosol can aside, I’m fricking worried about the health side-effects.  I once borrowed a can from a neighbour and 24hrs later, I could still smell the toxic odour in my kitchen. I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be contaminating my food, or worse, could the leftover fumes explode with the heat in the oven?

I have read in the past that a simple baking soda paste (baking soda + water) could do the trick if you let it soak overnight.

So I decided to give it a try…

I took out a box of baking soda, poured it into a big bowl and added enough water until I got a consistency much like icing sugar.

Baking soda paste oven cleaner (Baking soda + water)

I spread it over the mess in the oven then went to bed.

Spreading the baking soda paste in the oven

Technically, one night is all it takes, but I have been so busy that I didn’t get to cleaning it until one week later.

Here it is. The baking soda hardened and it was super easy to break off. It absorbed the burnt food and turned it brown.  For the real hardened pieces, I scrubbed them off with an SOS pad.

Scrubbing the paste off the oven

 After all the dried paste bits were removed, I scrubbed the bottom with an SOS pad then rinsed with a cloth.

Voilà. A clean new oven. My oven won’t catch on fire again and the firemen will no longer be needed chez moi. Although, that wasn’t such a bad thing!

I’ll be honest, I didn’t actually think this would work. In the back of my mind, I was wondering what else I could try to complete this post. But low and behold, it did work. And it was easy.

And best of all, this was all done naturally with ingredients I already had in my house. 

Your turn – have you ever tried this? Have any other natural cleaning methods that worked on your oven?

The Diva Cup - Tampon alternatives

Welcome!

Urban Green Girl is no longer hosted on WordPress, learn about Reusable menstrual products and my Diva Cup review on my new URL www.urbangreengirl.com

Urban Green Girl feels great!

Hallelujah I feel great; I just completed a liver cleanse!

Let me tell you why. Being an Urban Green Girl is about dealing with issues before they become problems. I feel the same way about health and believe 100% in preventative measures to achieve optimum mental and physical health.

Unlike most adults, I was plagued with acne not as a teenager but as an adult.  After having my dermatologist put me on a wealth of dangerous drugs, namely Accutane (Isotretinoin) and Tetracycline I was put on Diane 35 (Cyproterone), a birth control praised for ridding acne in 99% of adults. And it did, brilliantly.

The Problem-

Ten years later, I decide to go off the pill because I don’t feel it’s right to have something synthetic controlling my body and I don’t entirely trust pharmaceutical products. Well guess what? All my acne came back. Diane 35 never cured it, it just suppressed it while I was taking the pill. So I decided once and for all to get rid of my acne naturally.

Naturopathy-

My naturopath has been advising me for months to take this liver cleanse on a week-end but I kept putting it off because of parties, dinner invites and drinks on a sunny terrace. Eight months later, disgusted with myself after waking up hungover on a workday, I decided to stop drinking. One week later I already found myself concentrating better and my skin was noticeably clearer. I hid myself in seclusion to have no social pressure to go out, and finally completed the liver cleanse.

Liver & gallbladder diagram

Liver cleanse -

I did the liver cleanse by Dr. Hulda Clark last night and I have to say I feel great. This is how it went.

Friday night – I laid low by renting a movie and staying in. No alcohol and I stopped all supplements and vitamins.

Saturday - I had a light, no fat breakfast (fruit with 2 hard boiled eggs) and lunch (organic vegetable & barley soup). It’s important that this be low in fat as the lower the fat, the more gallstones you’ll get out. At 2pm, I stopped eating and drinking. At 6pm I drank a glass of water with epsom salts. This prepares the organs to open up. At 8pm I drank the 2nd glass of epsom salt water. At 10pm I drank a mixture of olive oil with organic, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (no pulp). It actually wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. I guess after 8 hours of not eating, oil with grapefruit tastes pretty damn good.

I immediately put myself to bed because the quicker you lay down, the more stones you will get out. You are supposed to take Ornithine pills to help you sleep and get rid of any discomfort. They say you can feel the stones releasing from the liver. Honestly though, I couldn’t find the pills in the health food store and yet i had no trouble sleeping nor did I have any discomfort.

I will mention though I probably had diarrhea about 10 times that night before going to sleep. Just the bodies way of clearing everything out so that you can actually see the stones in the morning.

Sunday -I woke up at 10am and took the 3rd glass of epsom salt water. Two hours later I took the last one. This is when the magic happened. I started passing the liver and gallstones. This probably sounds gross but trust me, you feel so good getting these out.

Gallstones removed from liver cleanse

Close up of stones removed in cleanse- green from liver, yellow from gallbladder

Why detox gallstones from the liver?

Well think of it this way. The liver is our most important organ, it has over 500 jobs to do in our body, most namely, detoxifying poisonous chemicals and creating bile which aids in digestion. Now, think of a garden hose. If this hose is clogged full of marbles, what will happen, less water will get out, right? The same thing is true of our liver.

If our liver and gallbladder are chocked full of gallstones, then we develop allergies, acne, digestion problems and an increased level of cholesterol in the body because the gallbladder cannot expel it properly. The liver will then be unable to properly detoxify the body and will send bacteria though out the body since parasites harbour their nests inside these stones (thus decreasing our immune system and making us sick).

I have allergies and acne so my goal is to keep doing this cleanse until no more stones come out. I hopefully will only have to do this 2 or 3 more times. Mind you, I am a vegetarian so having not eaten animal fat in 10 years, I am probably in better shape than most.  A heavy meat & fast-food  eater and alcohol drinker may have to do this continually to get rid of thousands of stones. But better to prevent illness and get them out now, then need surgery to remove a quarter shaped, black stone that causes a life threatening obstruction.

Liver stones removed via surgery

But i eat a well-balanced diet, i don’t need to do a liver cleanse -

Everybody who lives in modern-day, western society has liver and gallstones, regardless of how well you eat. And let’s face it, even if we “eat” well, there are so many things we can’t control that get into our body [pesticides, herbicides, preservatives, sulphates (hey - wine drinkers?), cholesterol, mercury (hey tuna eaters?)] plus things we can control but eat anyways (alcohol, animal fat, trans fats,  illicit drugs, pain medication, antibiotics, refined sugars) and the list goes on. They say, stones are even present in children. My strict-vegan friend Evelina who soaks her own seeds and beans even has them.

My consensus -

This liver cleanse was so easy, I wish I didn’t put it off for so long. It cost me maybe $2 for the epsom salts and $1 for the grapefruit. It’s really only 24hrs that you have to sacrifice but the reality is, our health is so much more important than one week-end of binge drinking. Currently, I feel great and more energized. I am attempting to do this a few more times and I will report all results.

Warning –

1. Credibility is crucial when doing any kind of diet, cleanse or detox to our body. Please note that I followed strict instructions from my naturopath and the recipe she gave me is from Dr. Hulda Clark of whom she trusts. I would never randomly choose a recipe off the internet without reviewing it with a health professional.
2. If you have any kind of serious illness, you most definitely should do the liver cleanse, but PLEASE see a health professional first to assess your situation.
3. One last thing, you should do a parasite cleanse before attempting the liver cleanse. You want to kill the parasites first before you bring them out of their nests and into your body so to speak, otherwise you could make yourself sick. I completed two parasite cleanses before completing this cleanse.

Kayaking in the 1000 islands with many mosquitoes

Ah the summer! Finally we can shed our clothes and get out and play in the nature. The main hazard though, besides sunburns, is dealing with those damn mosquitoes. Whether you’re camping, horse back riding, hiking or canoeing, they’re everywhere.

I’ll be honest, I’ve yet to find a deterrent that works. And when it’s hot, the last thing I want to do is cover up. Plus, I hate the feel of mosquito repellents on my skin, especially on my hands.

Thus, here are (5) five natural remedies for mosquito bite itch relief:

1. Baking soda and water (paste)
2. Vinegar
3. Apple cider vinegar
4. Salt and water
5. Crushed aspirin with a few drops of water

Does anybody have any natural mosquito bite prevention tips?

Urban Green Girl on BIXI

So much for being excited by something you end up being screwed by.

$67 dollars later, I realise BIXI wasn’t exactly what I thought it was.

Not ideal for tourists.

Not ideal for ad-hoc bike rides.

Is good for bike taxi needs.

I guess this would have been clear had I read their press releases but silly me, excited by their presence everywhere, I wanted to ride one impatiently. I misread their confusing rental fee stickers on the machine, despite the fact I read them in detail.

What I thought was $5 max per day, ended up being the fee for using BIXI without a subscription plus there’s an additional $12/hr.

After reviewing my credit card statement, I called their customer service department and explained my point of view. My friend who rented it didn’t even understand and interpreted their fee system completely different then me,  and yet we’re both educated professionals.

BIXI was kind enough to remove half of the cost to $30, which is the average cost of a bike rental in Montreal. They also mentioned they would take this into consideration when reprinting the fee system labels on their bike docks.

They are, after all, new. It was just a year ago they were given the mandate by the government to develop BIXI. Factor in time for bike prototyping, it doesn’t leave much time for marketing and communication.

BIXI is meant to be an alternative to taxis and a complement to public transport, thus the price is reasonable when you use it for under 1 hour. It is not ideal for long rides, thus the higher price.

Use it if it makes sense for you.

If you’re after a bike rental for a day, go to a bike rental place, BIXI is not for you.

BIXI with Montreal skyline

Just over a month ago, the City of Montreal launched BIXI, North America’s first public bike system. It was part of the city’s overall object to improve public transport and reduce the amount of vehicles on the road.

BIXIwas positioned as an alternative to taxis (hence the name – BIke taXI). The system is ingenious. With over 300 BIXI spots throughout Montreal, BIXI stands can be found at approximately every 300 meters and you can pick up and drop off at any available dock.

BIXI- Stations across Montreal

Montrealers can get a subscription for $78/yr and a swipe a magnetic key to easily remove a bike 24hrs/day. The first 30 mins are free then every additional 30 min period is $1.50 billed to your account.  However, you don’t need a subscription to use them, you can use your credit card and for a maximum of $5, use it for 24hrs. It’s also a perfect way for tourists to sight see in Montreal along the many bike paths available.

So who do you think BIXI would interest? If your answer is David Suzuki wannabees, think again. BIXI has taken off like wildfire amongst the business community and urbanites everywhere. I can’t walk 5 mins anywhere without seeing people on them.

In fact, it was my friend Wayne, a big-shot finance guy who introduced me to them. He can’t stop talking about BIXI and waving his magnetic keyring around to everyone.  Not only is it convenient for him to get around town, but he has dramatically cut down on using his car for errands, thus decreasing his carbon footprint.

Wayne riding BIXI home after a (5 à 7) cocktail in Montreal

After a 5 à 7 one night (Montreal after-work cocktail) Wayne showed me and his friend Jason, a commercial lawyer, how it worked.  Apparently,  Jason texted him the next day to tell him he rode home on one and ended up getting a membership online  the next morning. He now uses it to get to work. Awesome!

As for me, I have to say I still wasn’t convinced about getting one for myself. I thought, if I’d want to bike somewhere, I would just buy a second-hand bike and not pay a subscription fee.

Urban Green Girl on BIXI at Parc Maisonneuve in Montreal

So this past weekend, I thought I would take advantage of the gorgeous sun and check it out with a friend of mine. We ended up biking 35km across Montreal’s famous bike-network and had a blast. The cool part is, whenever we would want to stop, we could always find a BIXI stand and drop them off. If we got to tired, we could always metro home.

Pictures taken along bike ride in Old Port of Montreal

And talk about convenience, BIXI’s website is easily accessible from smart phones, so we could log on from my iPhone and in real-time, find the nearest location of bike docks to drop them off.

Find BIXI from mobile

I have to say I’m impressed. Besides the sore ass after a 5hr ride, they do make sense. The beauty of BIXI compared to a personal bike is you don’t have to worry about it getting stolen, carrying it up your stairs or maintenance.

I’m also impressed with Montreal’s commitment to public transport - with BIXI, Communauto (car sharing) and the metro, one rarely needs a car here. Montreal is making a great effort at reducing its carbon footprint and in a fun and fashionable way!

By the way, the BIXIconcept is piloting  a project in Ottawa and Gatineau and is apparently showing them to the City of Vancouver. Let’s hope the West Coast gets hooked on this fabulous phenomenon too.

Happy urban biking.

Well, what if I told you you could have your cake and eat it too?

While waiting for my flight home from Reagan National Airport inses Washington DC a few weeks ago, I found the cutest purse in a gift shop that put the biggest smile on my face.

Meet Ecoist -

Ecoist fair-trade purses and clutches from magazine waste and candy-wrappers

Ecoist develops unique gifts and fashion accessories for the eco-minded individuals with recycled candy wrappers, food packages, billboards, and other materials that would otherwise end up in landfills.  In addition to being adorable, Ecoist plants one tree for every bag bought.

Not only is Ecoist environmentally sustainable, they also make their products with fair-trade suppliers in South America and India, ensuring these workers get a fair pay.

Look at this cool purse made from misprinted and waste bound Coke bottle labels which is part of their Coca-Cola collection.

Ecoist Coca-cola baguette purse

This sexy looking clutch is from the Ecoist Silver collection which is made from from repurposed candy wrappers. I can’t help but think that this purse smells like spearmint gum.

Ecoist Silver Diva Clutch

This subway collection is cool. It’s made from recycled  New York subway maps.

NY Subway ticket purse

I recently made a few trips south of the border to New York, Washington DC and Phoenix and was greatly disappointed by the lack of recycling bins in the downtown areas for glass and plastic bottles.

Absolutely unacceptable - Manhattan garbage

Let’s start off with New York City, an avant-garde city that starts positive trends. Yet, I was horrified by the amount of waste that was thrown out each night in front of boutiques and restaurants, not to mention, the lack of recycling bins throughout Manhattan. I remember asking an employee at Burger King (yes, I ate there but I had the veggie burger) where I could recycle my water bottle and the girl looked at me like I was crazy!

I stayed at an awesome boutique hotel called the Room Mate Grace right in the heart of Times Square. Everything was exceptional about this hotel except for 2 things, the amount of waste thrown out from their free-continental breakfast (plastic plates and cutlery) and the absence of recycling facilities for guests. First off, isn’t it more economical for a hotel to invest in non-disposable dishes? And second, why couldn’t they offer recycling services for their guests?  Recycling is available afterall in Manhattan for residences, why not hotels? After returning home, I emailed the hotel explaining my experience, starting off with the positive of course, but concluding with the fact that it’s now 2009 and that they need to get on board with a sustainable mission or they won’t succeed.

Phoenix cacti

Next up on my trip, Phoenix, Arizona. How I love this place; the desert, the pink soil, the cacti, the red mountains, the flowers – I find it so serene.

When I was 19, I had the opportunity  to do an exchange there for school. The complex where I lived didn’t have recycling facilities and this was very difficult for me considering I had already been recycling for 9 years. I would instinctively wash the tin cans out and lay them to dry only to realise, I had to throw them out. Frustrated, I told my host mom that I wanted to talk to the complex owner to get them to install recycling bins for all the residents. I was met with fierce criticism that I was risking my host mom’s reputation in the complex. It was clear that keeping the peace amongst the neighbours was more important then saving the environment.

Well, 10 years later I revisited Phoenix and guess what, that condo complex STILL does not recycle. My girlfriend Nicky also can’t recycle in her condo complex. She actually saves up her recycling then drops it off at her parents house in Scottsdale once a week where facilities are available. Talk about dedication, but what does it say about society when we have to drive 20km to recycle?

Lack of recycling in DC

Last but not least, Washington DC. The inspiration for this trip came after I saw Thievery Corporation perform live in Montreal; I just had to visit their Eighteenth Street Lounge to continue the experience. A friend was flying in for a conference and voilà, this trip was planned ad hoc.  I didn’t know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by the perfect weather, Cherry blossoms, flowers, friendly people and European charm. The Washington Monument reminded me so much of the Trocadero in Paris (Eiffel Tower). What I was not expecting, however, was the absence of public recycling bins in the nation’s capital city! All I saw were overflowing garbage cans filled with 100% recyclable water and juice bottles. Ugh! Even in front of the White House. I think I should tweet Obama about this!

*May 11th 2009- See update below

Public recycling bin in urban centres (Leslie Young/CBC)

Now I know where I live in Montreal, I won’t find recycling bins on every street corner either, but at least I can find them along the busy tourist streets. And the thing is, recycling can actually be lucrative for a city as advertising space can be sold on the side of them. This is a win-win solution!

So the next time you visit a city where you are disappointed by something you see, write to their tourism board. And if you’re really feeling powerful, send an email to the mayor’s office. Tourism is an extremely important industry and the tourism boards need to know if their city/state/province/country isn’t making the cut from international tourists.  Hotels are also desperate for customer feedback. With fierce competition and a recession in play, they need every competitive advantage they can get, so let them know what they can do to win your business. Use your wallet, so-to-speak, to spread positive environmental pressure.

And if a condo complex or apartment building doesn’t recycle, don’t do what I did 10 years ago and ignore the situation, go and see the owner and talk to them about it. If they don’t know what do to, offer to help them make the phone calls or whatever is necessary. And if that doesn’t work, talk to the city and see if they can help. Chances are, there are probably other residents who would like it as well, but just never got around to doing anything about it.

Remember, the environment can’t speak for itself; so speak up for it – one email/phone call at a time.

UPDATE MAY 11th:

Excellent news – A representative from DC Information (tourism bureau) responded to my email saying that the National Mall is getting a recycling program starting in October of 2009 thanks to a $1.1 million grant from Coca-cola. I wonder if this is so Coca-cola can get access to cheaper recycled raw materials to make their bottles? Apparently the National Mall gets 25 million visitors a year, more than Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon combined, and none of that trash is recycled.

Host a clothing exchange party with friends

Have you ever  heard the saying that if you haven’t worn something in the last year, you probably won’t wear it ever again? So why not spring clean your wardrobe?  Clear out those drawers of shirts that pinch under your arms and jeans that hug inappropriately tightly.  Empty the closets of scarves, gloves and jackets that looked great in the store but never worked right when you got them home.  Gather them all up and throw yourself a clothing exchange party.

Svetla with her newly found bikini

I recently went to one and it inspired me so much that I  couldn’t wait to share it with you.

It’s so simple! Call your friends, coworkers or family members. Everyone has to bring a suitcase or whatever bag you can muster up, full of unwanted clothes.  Spice it up by asking everyone to bring a bottle of wine.

Then, everyone takes a turn presenting the clothes they have to give away and you exchange.

I got a great bag, jean purse and cashmere scarf out of it!

Best of all, everyone benefits. You’re able to get cool new clothes for free, save the landfills, make your girlfriends happy and you get a “girls night” out of it.

Host a clothing exchange party this weekend!