The (Sun) Shining: Solar Powered Farmers Market

Coal powered energy terrify you? Don’t lock yourself in a hotel in the middle of nowhere – just go for solar power. Last week the Albuquerque’s Downtown Grower’s Market launched the first farmers’ market in the US to be powered solely by solar. The city partnered with CleanSwitch to get rolling panels to give energy to the whole place…we’re talking ATMs, espresso machines, and cash registers. There are four, 240 watt solar rollers totaling one kilowatt of power which is converted from dc to ac power – just like our normal outlets. It’s currently just a trial run but hopefully more markets will catch on so we don’t “redrum” the environment.

Greenista Cocktail Factoid: In just one hour, the earth receives more energy from the sun than the entire world uses during a whole year.

Written by Greenista Girl Brianne

Photos by Keetsa and Whole Foods USA

Holistic Week — Name That Tune: Music Makes You Healthy

Conventional meds playing games with your health? Get in tune with a holistic approach to staying in shape. That’s right, we have 7 ways that playing or listening to songs can keep you in good condition.

1. Singing choral music helps immunity. It increases s-IgA (an anti-body) that emits positive feelings and decreases negative ones.

2. Making music for fun also boosts immunity in younger and older adults by increasing your body’s fighter cells that protect your body.

3. Music protects against cancer by fighting the effects of chemotherapy, pain, and fatigue thanks to enhanced anti-tumor immunity.

4. Drumming increasing dehydroepiandrosterone-to-cortisol ratios meaning you have a boost of energy, heightened memory, and lower sensitivity to pain.

5. Music helps ICU patients in relation to brain-body injuries. Like above, it increases cortisol, growth hormones, and dopamine.

6. Piano practice increases nerve fiber tracts especially in children. It leads to greater integrity in these tracts which connect the brain with the spinal cord and are essential for movement.

7. Music lowers blood pressure when paired with tune-guided slow, regulated breathing.

Greenista Cocktail Factoid: In a survey begun in 1999, the United States Geological Survey surveyed 139 streams around the country and found that 80 percent of samples contained residues of drugs like painkillers, hormones, blood pressure medicines or antibiotics. By skipping drugs for a holistic approach, we are preventing excess drugs from ending up in waterways.

Written by Greenista Girl Brianne

Photos by Inmagine and Circle of Fire

The Exercist: Green Workouts

Working out inside make your head want to spin? Don’t call an exorcist, just become an exercist… er, exerciser. A recent UK study showed that just 5 minutes of exercise in a green space like a park can increase your mood and self-esteem. The analysis looked at biking, hiking, gardening, fishing, boating, horse-riding, and farming in parks, gardens, and nature trails and showed the most improvements were seen among young people, the depressed, and the mentally ill. Don’t stop at green spaces though, blue ones like oceans, lakes, and rivers count too. Plus by working out in nature, you’re not using energy produced by gyms and equipment. Now get outside and work it like a woman possessed.

Greenista Cocktail Factoid: The average treadmill uses around 3000 watts — the equivalent of 30 light bulbs — and pumps out about 4 pounds of CO2 per hour.

Written by Greenista Girl Brianne

Photo by flickr lululemon athletica and iStock Photo