Tips for Talking about Safe Sex with your Partner

November 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment

STDs or sexually transmitted diseases have turned into a big issue since these health issues became common. There are severe consequences when you don’t have protected sex. AIDS, teen pregnancies and other issues could affect you and your loved ones for the rest of your lives just because of a brief moment of pleasure. Practicing safe sex and making sure that your partner also does the same should be a main responsibility once you become sexually active. Here are some tips to help encourage others to do it as well.

Talking about Safe Sex with your Partner
Know about STDs and their symptoms

Know these illnesses by reading about them or talk to your doctor about signs and symptoms. People can just easily deny that they don’t have an STD, so if you end up having sex with someone infected, you might also get sick as well. It’s not a shock to hear stories about people having more than one sexual partner at the same time. These people have a higher risk of getting infected since they can’t really tell if their partners are safe or not. Once you have the basic knowledge of how to know if the person is ill or not, you can avoid an infection.

Be open and honest

It’s important to know that you and your partner are honest with each other about sexual experiences and past infections. The best way to keep safe it to only have sex with one partner and telling everything they need to know about your sexual health. If your partner had experienced being infected with STD before, ask them if they’ve had it cured or treated before you had your first sexual encounter. You can also ask them to get regular check-ups and STD testing with you.

Use a condom

Protecting yourself and you’re partner is as simple as putting on a condom. There are hundreds of types of condoms available in the market, ranging from different materials to sizes and even flavors. Condoms will not only help you protect yourself from STDs, it can also prevent an unplanned pregnancy. There are condoms, like organic condoms, that are no able to protect you from STDs. These are made from special material from lamb intestines which have tiny pores that viruses and bacteria can still pass though. Use organic condoms if you know your partner is safe and if you only want to prevent a pregnancy.

Stay safe

All in all, keep safety in mind when having sex. You may be having fun right now, but you might just regret it at the end of the day. Attend seminars, read about new STDs and illnesses and their cures, and keep updated on news about sexual health.

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Simple Diets That Are Eco-Friendly

November 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It is the season of the year where sumptuous treats are best shared with family and friends. Christmas is a wonderful time to gather highlighted by delectable foods and sweets to die for. Holidays give great tidings but no doubt, it also adds on extra holiday pounds. Year in and year out, it is always the same scenario. When can you actually make a resolution to be healthy despite Christmas celebrations and holidays?

This year, decide to go healthy. Do not just resolve to diet for the time-being and cut down a few calories, make things happen and adapt to a diet that’s healthier and safer…and eco-friendly. Yes, you heard it right. Eco-friendly diets are the simple diets that have been there all the time but often neglected. You can lose weight, become healthy and help promote a greener planet as well!

Simple Diets That Are Eco-Friendly
Say No To Processed Foods and Opt For the Real Diet

Almost all foods found in the supermarkets have ingredients that are not safe. Preservatives and all are mixed into those canned goods to make it appear palatable for months. This is not a real diet, a fake one at that. The real diet makes it possible for you to enjoy farm fresh foods, fruits in season, variety of organic meats, dairy products that have lesser fats. All these will lead to a healthier lifestyle and a natural support to ‘greenliness’.

Go For Homegrown Produce and Have the Fresh Diet

Most of the foods these days had been processed and manufactured from factories that are thousands of miles away from us. Why don’t you settle for fresh fruits, meat and vegetables that are produced just within your reach? Try to search for farmers markets, family farms, nearby bakeshops and agricultural stores that offer fresh garden produce. These are the best suppliers of fresh foods that can not only reduce the carbon footprint but also trim those inches off your waist.

Choose the BPA-Free Diet

Bisphenol- A (BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. The main reason it contaminates humans is through the foods and beverages taken. It can seep through the protective internal epoxy resin coverings of most canned foods, bottle containers, baby-bottles and other kitchen utensils and containers. This chemical is specifically one of the culprits to a couple of life threatening diseases like type-2 diabetes, cancer and even obesity. If you cut the canned goods without the metal lids and containers and you go fresh, there is no way BPA can affect you.

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Do You Know there are Eco Friendly Phones?

November 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Just about everyone have cellphones. In fact, statistics show, 75% of the world’s population has mobile phones. According to a new study from the World Bank in their July 2012 issue, “Around three-quarters of the world’s inhabitants now have access to a mobile phone and the mobile communications story is moving to a new level, which is not so much about the phone but how it is used. The number of mobile subscriptions in use worldwide, both pre-paid and post-paid has grown from fewer than 1 billion in 2000 to over 6 billion now, of which nearly 5 billion in developing countries. Ownership of multiple subscriptions is becoming increasingly common, suggesting that their number will soon exceed that of the human population.”

This is not a blog regarding cellphones per se but the reinforcement of making this mighty electronic material into a wonderful tool that can help keep and save the planet. An irony it may seem to be, but despite its framework and make-up and considerations of some hazardous materials to create it, there are in fact eco-friendly phones that are already out in the market today. By 2017, green cellphones will be up in full-swing with an estimated 400 million green cellphones as target.

Eco Friendly Phones
Well, despite this progress, where can we possibly find green cellphones and how can we decipher one from the other? Right now, it would be a daunting task to know one by one, however, here are some bits and pieces of information to help you get the eco-friendly phone that is great for the environment:

Buy Used Phones – In the United Stated alone, over 140 million cellphone users have upgraded their phones and have resulted to a surplus of hardly-used cellphone that could have been used. If you love the planet, do not buy new phones, opt for the used ones. The green and eco-friendly cellphone we are talking about here is definitely the used one. Check out Ebay and other sites that offer great deals on used cellphones. With this, you can help minimize the heaping pile in the landfill.

Buy an iPhone – If you cannot really help it, then buy the iPhone. It is a functional phone that can be a camera, a phone, an iPod, a GPS, calculator, e-reader, electronic planner and even a karaoke. With its many apps you can be environment friendly and consolidating your gadgets into one piece of equipment is a great green move. This saves you a lot from buying all these gadgets separately so having one smartphone makes you buy less and less electronics which is beneficial to the environment as a whole.

Try the Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate – Of the many trusted manufacturers, Samsung is said to be the “king” of green cellphones production. It produces new models each year and this time, the Galaxy Exhilarate, is made out of 80-percent consumer waste material and also has a more efficient charger. It is also made more affordable for people to buy.

Introducing the Micromax – This is one solar powered cellphone with a camera, a dual SIM set-up and Bluetooth connectivity. A maximum of 3 hours of sun is required to fire it up with over 90 minutes of talk time. Great savings on electricity, isn’t it?

Recycle Your Phone – Why buy when you can refurbish your own phone. Not only will it save you a lot of money but also help the earth to be a better place to live in.

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New York Fashion Goes Green

November 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The New York Fashion is always the epitome of glitz and glamour. As the most recent trends of fashion is constantly changing, more and more famous New York fashion designers are lobbying for a greener cause. Fashion industry experts are becoming eco-friendly and are introducing more eco-friendly fashion wears and styles.

The most recent New York Fashion week features the full support of fashion experts to maintaining the ethics of environment. Seen on the ramp are green designs that are relevant to keeping and preserving our planet – an entirely new line of creations that were all based on environmentalism and eco-friendliness.

New York Fashion Goes Green
The designers who participated in the Fashion Week all shared a common interest in their use of the most natural resources in producing the fabric, which they have utilized in making creative designs. They have signified the fact that not only are these materials eco-friendly, these are much cheaper too, highly affordable and its production is simple and easy.

In an article from Ecofriend, it highlighted on the creation of a famous designer. “Some of the renowned fashion designers like Nina Skarra designed cloths, which were biodegradable and made of fabric, which were naturally obtained like bamboo, silk, wool and eco leather. Nina stated that, she had even taken use of organic cotton and soya for making her collections. Along with Nina, Kimberly Ovitz presented the natural and eco- friendly collection for men. Ovitz stated that, he had taken use of durable tencel fabric for making his creation.”

What was impressive during the affair was also the display of clothes by a famous Brazilian designer, Oskar Metsavaht, made from raw materials made out of fish leather, waste milk with recycled vegetable dye.

These fashion designers have made a difference and if given much thought, it can be cascaded down to the rest of the fashion gurus making greener options, perhaps the best thing that can happen in the fashion industry in general.

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Planning Eco-Friendly Holidays

November 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Everyone looks forward to holidays. It is a great time to bond with the family or perhaps a perfect opportunity to have an “alone” time for reflection purposes. Christmas is a much anticipated holiday wherein friends and family are able to reconnect and spend some quality time together. Holidays restore meaning to life – taking time out to pause and appreciate blessings amidst the daily pressures of school and work. It is also the best time to rejuvenate and relinquish, equipping yourself for the next few months of toiling. With it comes a more noble way to plan and celebrate holidays. You can still have all the fun you want and at the same time choose to plan on eco-friendly holidays rather than the usual. Why not? Yes! You can have a greener holiday if you opt to. Not only are you guaranteed a restful and rejuvenating holiday, but also you are doing a helpful one for the environment as well. Who said you cannot mix and match both?

Eco-Friendly Holidays
Here are some workable ways to plan on an eco-friendly holiday:

Do you know that almost 3 percent of the total greenhouse emissions are caused by constant air travels? You can have a memorable and pleasant holiday without having to ride a plane. This is much more economical. You can plan a holiday at a nearby area, a destination that is in close proximity to you.

Wherever you go, always think of the place you are at and take care of it. Even if you are just a visitor, learn to throw garbage in its proper place and segregate if you can. This can help that local area as well as lessen the piles of garbage in that locality’s landfill.

Choose the hotels that adapt to green methods. There are many hotels all over the world who take part in preserving the environment like water-efficient shower heads, energy saving lights and many more. Support their cause rather than check in a hotel that does nothing to go green.

You better choose public transportation instead of using your own. You can save on gas and it will definitely be a whole lot of fun riding with many people.

You see, no matter how simple, you can make a difference. Go ahead and plan your holidays ahead and remember to inject a tinge of eco-friendliness in it. Mother Earth needs people who, in their own special and meaningful way take time out to participate in saving the environment.

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Practical Tips to Go Green

November 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Most often, going green and opting to be eco-friendly comes with a price. Price, in the literal sense because almost all organic products are expensive. Perhaps, this is the reason why many are still oblivious to the green movement primarily because of the price tag it connotes.

How can one live and go green on planet Earth and not spend so much money? It seems that both are equally identified – go green and spending to go green. With all these, one can still go green without having to spend hundreds of dollars on eco-friendly products and other equipment that are environment friendly.

Practical Tips to Go Green
You can actually find ways to improve our planet’s condition with these practical tips from the World Watch Organization. Living a healthier, safer and most of all, happier life can be achieved in a variety of ways minus too much spending:

•Eat healthy and smart – If it is not too much to ask, take out meat in at least one meal in a week. No matter how minimal, it is the thought of giving up meat that matters most. Meat is a bit expensive compared to having vegetables. In buying meat, always try to buy the organic meat. The same goes with the eggs and the vegetables. Another way is purchasing vegetable from local farmers to help them stabilize and help keep money around in the local community.

• Save energy and water – You can always choose to save energy and water if you will to. Simple practices like unplugging and turning off fluorescent lamps when not in use will go a long way. Another one is, instead of using the dryer to dry the laundry you can choose to have a drying rack or clothesline to save energy. Instead of washing clothes using warm water, try washing with the use cold water. The use of water can be minimized by taking shorter showers. This can help much because it will eventually lower your water and heating bills, thus letting you save some money on bills payment. If you love plants, choose the ones that do not require much watering so as to save some water.

• Use less gas – The lesser you use gas, the more money you can save. You can ride the bike or just walk to work if your office is just nearby. You can take the bus or train instead of bringing your own car.

• Avoid impulsive buying – You can always have a good buy if you think first before buying. You can browse online and check out promos and good deals. This act can save you more money and still buy the things you need or even want.

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History of the Condom

November 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Every time you have sex, it’s always best to put on a condom to make sure you and your partner are safe from any infections. These little rubber strips are always being under estimated and don’t really get the recognition they deserve.  Most of the time, condoms are just taken for granted, and the person using it doesn’t even realize that it saved him or her from a possible STD infection or an unwanted pregnancy. Here’s a little history about condoms and how they’ve been saving us for the past hundreds of years.

History of the Condom

1000 B.C.

Condoms have actually been around for thousands of years. Images and documents from scrolls have shown people, specifically in ancient Egypt, wearing thin linen sheathes when having sexual activities. It is still being debated over if theselinen sheathes were worn from ritual sake or protection, and if people during that time had any idea about safe sex.

100-200 A.D.

Cave paintings found in France showed scenes of people using condoms.

1500s

People in Italy, one of the major countries during the era, showed that men used a linen sheath to prevent infection and unwanted pregnancies. The famous Casanova himself even noted on his letters that he used these when sleeping with women.

1700s

During this time, people started to give a name to the condom. Although there have been many debates over who named it or what it’s named after for, most believe that the condom was names after “Dr. Condom” who provided England’s King Charles a supply of organic condoms or condoms that were made of animal tissue. Others also say that the name came from “condom” which is Latin for “receptacle”.

1800s

Organic condomsgot replaced with the first rubber condoms produced by Hancock and Goodyear. These were more elastic and stronger than other material. The main use for these was to prevent pregnancies. During the late 1880’s, Latex condoms became available and were mass produced. However, it only become more popular in the 1930s

1990s

The highest rise of STD rates, over 70%, was recorded. Social and medical hygienists promoted the use of condoms to prevent infections and other diseases from spreading through sex. By the 1950’s, people became more responsible about using contraceptives and condoms for protection. By the 1990’s condoms became a common item amongst people’s wallets. Sex education also became a standard and most high schools offered classes on sex and health.

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Dog Leash Goes Eco-Friendly

November 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Nowadays, eco- friendly products are not just limited to health, beauty, fashion and more but taking care of pets is also starting to go green. The dog leash is useful in many ways. These items come in a variety based on the activity of the dog. There are walking dog leashes, training dog leashes, tracking dog leashes, show dog leases and many more. However, an eco-friendly dog leash is starting to make waves because of its making good use for the environment.

Traditional leashes have their wear and tear and mostly made of nylon which is the stronger type and most commonly preferred by most dog owners because of its durability and functionality. Simple metal chains are also popular dog leashes that tarnish and discolor after constant use. Braided leather leashes are also utilized but usually snaps after some time.

Dog Leash Goes Eco-Friendly

On the other hand, the eco-friendly dog leash is an innovation in itself which offers better service and options than the traditional leashes. The Power Generating Dog Leash works perfectly well especially if your prefer walking your dogs at night. Brought to you by Fido Fashions, this Power Generating Dog Leash is sustained by the coil and recoil of the leash which produces a special lubricant or juice that is mainly needed for the LEDs that light-up brightly.

This one comes with three LED for night walks, making ease of walk at night more manageable and safer. It is useful and functional, working completely on its own with its powerful LED lights. The good news is that the Power Generating Dog Leash charges without battery and charging the energy for the LEDs is super simple.

Another great feature that comes with this wonderful eco-friendly innovation is a storage space that can keep your dog’s poop bags. When your doggy feels like it, the convenience of a well-kept poop bag saves you from undue stress.

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Making sex more interesting with condoms

November 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you need a little spark in your sex life, changing condoms might just do the trick for you and your partner. Some people underestimate the power of this little piece of rubber that can save you from a life threatening illness and an unplanned pregnancy.

Interestingly enough, some condoms are actually designed to make your sexual experience a bit more interesting. There are hundreds of types of condoms out there, from organic condoms to super thin condoms that you don’t even feel that you’re wearing. Here are a few tips on using them for fun.

organic condoms

Shapes and textures

A condom doesn’t have to be a lifeless, boring piece of rubber that you put on. There are condoms that have interesting textures and shapes that add a different feeling when you’re having sex. You can be adventurous and use the ones that have small spikes on the tip or the ones that have small dots on the outside surface. Some textured condoms also have texture on the inside of the condom to give a different feel to it.

Flavors

Condoms also come in different flavors. Everything from mocha frapachino to strawberry cheesecake, you can find a variety of condom flavors. Some flavored condoms actually do have flavors and are a bit sweet while others just have the scent to it. Flavored condoms help make oral sex interesting and some of them actually do taste good.

Thickness

If you want to feel more and experience a lighter condom, then try out an extra thin condom. Most condom brands have a line of extra of super thin condoms that still provide the same protection, but are thinner than most condoms are. This means that putting them on and using them feels like nothing at all.

Different materials

Although latex is the most common material use to make condoms, there are other types of condoms made from natural rubber and even organic condoms which are made from sheep intestine. These have a different sensation to them compared to latex condoms, and organic condoms are only good as a form of contraceptive and don’t really give you much protection against STDs, but they feel different when being used so try them out.

Toys

Some condoms also come with little sex toys like vibrating rings that you can use. Some people might freak out and find this strange but don’t knock it till you try it. You might just find your sex life more enjoyable.

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Gearing Towards Zero Waste

November 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Just when there are tons of garbage from all over the world combined, the ambitious plight of having ZERO waste may become a far-fetched goal. Yes, it may be large-scale or go-getting, but suffice it to say, it is not impossible. The goal of Zero waste can be achieved but it has to start somewhere. It is reassuring to know that there are small towns and cities, both from rich and poor areas alike, from the global North and South, there are a select few that are making efforts in gearing towards Zero Waste.

It is important to know that before gearing towards zero waste, there should be an awakening on how people do with their waste. What should be done? What should be the new way of thinking? Once, there is a repositioning on how people view their garbage and waste, it could be a brand new start.

Gearing Towards Zero Waste
How do we go about gearing towards Zero waste? Aside from protecting and recovering natural resources by disposing of waste through dumps and landfills and employing recycling, reducing and reusing techniques, the main target of gearing towards Zero waste is through producing materials that can all be reused, reduced, recycled and composted. After all, what good can a ZERO waste plan of action is when products cannot be recycled nor reused in the first place?

Practicing and realizing Zero waste means it should start from the production process, meaning all raw materials are maximized to its full potential while taking into account ecological limitations and the rights and health of workers and communities involved.

According to an article from the Huffington Post, “Zero waste strategies help societies to produce and consume goods while respecting ecological limits and the rights of communities. The strategies ensure that all discarded materials are safely and sustainably returned to nature or to manufacturing in place of raw materials. In a zero waste approach, waste management is not left only to politicians and technical experts; rather, everyone impacted — from residents of wealthy neighborhoods to the public, private, and informal sector workers who handle waste — has a voice.”

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