Hindy, the Eco Nerd

I am amazed at the effort that Gippy and Hindy undergo to make sure they use environment friendly products.  Here is what Hindy shared with the family…and maybe many of us can learn and get some tips form her….

 

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actually i’ve always been kind of an eco-nerd since 1st year high school but then the green movement wasn’t really progressing here, then i got into other things like (clothes, boys — some boys!, movies, etc.), then we moved to the states and got caught up with school and work stuff naman.  my passion got re-ignited when we enrolled lucas at the Acacia Waldorf school.  couple that with anouck’s daignosis, and we had the most compelling reason. 

 

it is sad that most people need a reason — as if our general well-being and the environment’s health weren’t enough to get us started.  we have all just created a society of consumption and convenience — and worse for us filipinos, most of what we do depends on foreign products/ideas.  we need to get back to basics — in food, in education, in entertainment, in lifestyle.  every single person benefits from these changes — our children, ourselves, our community, our farmers, our artists, our scientists, our country, our entire world.  it is the responsible thing to do, the smart thing to do, the right thing to do.  but what stops us?  ignorance (is that really an excuse anymore? with all the available information out there?), fear maybe, discouragement perhaps?  i think for those who are below the poverty line, they have no choice — they think merely of survival.  but for the “educated” people, what stop us is a kind of laziness (for lack of a better word) or candid refusal to allow any “inconvenience” upon ourselves.  this is what we’re used to, what we know, what we are comfortable with and heck, it feels good and makes our lives “easier”.  but it is shortsighted.  we don’t see the damage it will do to our bodies, to our air, to our oceans, to each other.  it’s time we think as a communities, not just families; as one planet, not just as a country — where everyone is responsible , not just the government or doctors or ceo’s.

 

i am not claiming to know everything. the problem with being a proponent of these things is some people tend to challenge your ideals — maybe because they feel guilty or threatened.  but that’s not my intention. i only discuss it when asked.  and i’m far from being hardcore about it.  i mean. gosh, you should meet some of the parents at the school — they even make their own cooking oil!  and have no yayas and turn off the lights at home by 8PM.  ha ha!  i’m a long way from there.

 

We get our free-range native chicken, eggs, milk, yogurt at Salcedo Market — all local, even the yogurt. 

 

 

 

 

We just add raw honey or pure maple syrup and any fruit + nuts we want on the yogurt. 

 

Non-GMO Soy milk is from Rustan’s.

 

We make our own juice from organic fruits. ( Using a Matstone Juicer – this juicer keeps the nutrients of the fruits and vegetables – available at Rustan’s )

 

But there’s a great guy at Salcedo who has really good fresh juices and fresh green iced tea.

 

 

Rice, veggies and fruit we get from Rustan’s, Salcedo or at School. 

 

 

 

As for our cleaning products:  laundry detergent is Victoria soap (a local, award-winning detergent that is chemical-free and environmentally safe) made from coconuts.  

 

We no longer use bleach or fabric softener.  We only use baking soda and vinegar to clean most household surfaces. 

 

 

 

And also Bioneem, a safe and eco-friendly cleaning liquid made with citronella oil among other things — sold at Salcedo.

  

We also changed most of our toiletries to safer, chemical-free alternatives.  There’s this great new local company called Z.E.N. sold at Rustans Supermarket.  They make great soaps, body butters, insect repellants, shampoos, massage oils …super cheap!    This also helps Organic stuff be more accessible to more people, not just those with a lot of loot.

Salcedo promotes cloth bags.  And Rustan’s now has the “green” shopping bag. (Eco Trivia: the world uses up about 1 million plastic bags a day.  And these things don’t disintegrate.)

 

 

Sounds like a lot to deal with but it’s only the beginning that’s hard.  It’s like second nature to us already.  But I have to admit, there’s still more we can do — like save more water at home, make composte, wear clothes with organic fiber (ha ha!!)  and blah-blah-blah.  One step at a time.  No need to get overwhelmed.  We just kept reminding ourselves about the WHY’s and WHAT FOR’s.

Just keep in mind the following to get you going:

1) No preservatives or chemicals in your food, household cleaning products, toiletries.  Stay informed.  Be smart about the stuff you spend your money on.

2) Limit plastic and other non-biodegradables

3) Buy true organic items, not commercial organic.

4) Buy local products and produce that are in-season.

5) Avoid canned or packaged products (like if you love bacon, buy from your local butcher shop and marinate/cure it yourself, not the processed stuff from the supermarket)

6) Avoid refined sugar, table salt, hydrogenated oils. — to start.

 

 

7) Reduce dependence on pharmaceuticals

 

Other products being used…….. 

   Hindy makes their butter by boiling and melting regular butter until the fat and residue float to the surface.  Then strain it and the clear liquid that is left is what is frozen in a tupperware.  The end product is purified butter.

 Some small appliances they use: Food dehydrator- they make dried fruits ( as snacks )  with this  

 vita-mix hi-speed blender, moulinex steamer for fish, veggies, dumplings

yogurt maker using hormone-free/free-range milk 

For extra extra precaution  to avoid all sorts of metals in our system, they use Vision ( brown glassware).  According to Hindy, it is not the easiest thing to fry with, better for stews or soups.  For frying food, they use cast iron, or stainless. 

  Le Creuset cast iron cookware

  Vision glass cookware

  fruit and vegetable juice extractor, oxygenator to clean veggies, fish, poultry, meats 

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