Pure Green Podcast

I'm really excited about this episode for a bunch of reasons. First, this guest has been requested several times by our listeners, and second, this is an episode that I feel could make a big impact, and thus, a big difference. Our guest today has been called the Waste-Free Priestess by the New York Times, she has won green awards, has authored a book, and promotes and speaks about her lifestyle around the world. She is responsible for a global movement that has been called the way of the future, inspiring change nearly everywhere she goes. Her name is Bea Johnson, and she writes Zero Waste Home, a blog and now a bestselling book of the same name. Before we dive into the episode, consider this: The average American household produces about 1,600 pounds (726 kg) of garbage per year. ... which averages to 29 pounds per week, per person. I've read that those numbers are even higher in Canada. Bea, and her family of four, produces only a quart-sized mason jar of trash per year, yes, per year. And in this episode, she will explain how she does it (and what we don't cover, you can read in her book). Finally, unfortunately we experienced a few sound quality issues during recording unbeknownst to myself. Bea is a busy lady, so rather than rerecord we've done our best to clean it up. All the incredibly useful information Bea shares is there and ready for the taking, so enjoy and be ready to be inspired!

I have an exciting interview today with a guest I know you will all love to hear from. She is a tastemaker, stylist, photographer, blogger and advocate for slow living; her name is Beth Kirby, she's the authoress of Local Milk, a blog so many love and admire, and it's likely you also follow her swoon-worthy Instagram. I'm very pleased to be able to offer a conversation with the inspiring woman behind it all. In our interview, Beth speaks openly about her life's trials and triumphs, how she developed her talent and established her voice, and how she is able to earn a living doing work she truly loves and is passionate about. We talk about travel, photography, life and love as well as connecting to your community and supporting local and sustainable makers and goods. Enjoy!

One of the things I love best about the Pure Green podcast is that so often if just feels like a conversation between friends. This episode is no exception. I'm talking with Sasha Swerdloff, whose kind, calm demeanor invites you to settle in from the moment you start listening. Sasha is a blogger, writer, cook, recipe developer and yogi, and she pens a beautiful, heart-felt blog called Tending the Table. It's a regular favourite of mine, and I cook from her recipes regularly (especially her to-die-for avocado chocolate pudding, it's a staple at our house since she introduced me to it!). The days are getting a little cooler, so cue up the episode, grab a hot cup of tea and comfy seat, and settle in. Thanks for listening!

For ages on instagram we've followed and admired today's guest - her healthful recipes and photographic style focuses on the ingredients in a fabulous way that helps to emphasize how important it is to cook with in season ingredients. We asked her to be a summer community leader for the Pure Green In Season cookbook project and were thrilled when she agreed; in case you haven't guessed, today's guest is Sherrie Castellano of the blog With Food and Love, which is a gorgeous place to spend time, allowing yourself to get steeped in seasonal inspiration. Sherrie writes from a personal perspective, she's a health coach and aspiring plant-based chef, whose journey in healthy eating began with her discovery that she was intolerant to gluten. The journey back to health was full of ups and downs, but once she got things right, she was sold on her new approach to eating healthfully and now has made it her life's work to help others make similar changes through her virtual coaching business. We talk of all this and much more and the episode is one you're sure to thoroughly enjoy.

One of the things I love best about Pure Green is the larger community of creative people that we are a part of, and a shining star in that community is today's guest, Renee of the blog Will Frolic for Food. Renee is known for her beautiful, inspired writing, her excellent photography and styling, but what I love best about her blog is that it's joyful. Everything Renee writes about and creates feels decadent, like you're treating yourself, despite the fact that her recipes focus on super healthy, plant-based food. It's never about depriving yourself on Renee's blog and flavour takes the driver's seat. Renee is a well-balanced, beautiful person, and I was excited to talk to her about her creative life and passions. Renee reveals a lot about herself in the interview, and perhaps best of all she's very real, admitting fully that life wasn't always easy and providing lots of tools to help move through difficult times. We talk about her blog, her dedication to her yoga practice, and then chocolate too, as Renee is also a part of Frolic Chocolate, a bean to bar start-up chocolate company. Renee is also a contributor to Pure Green, and most notably she's a community leader for the summer phase of the Pure Green In Season cookbook, which, by the way, we're currently accepting submissions for, so if you're a food blogger or writer, go to puregreenmag.com/puregreeninseason for details. Ok, let's dive right in, it's a great episode!

In our home, life revolves around the kitchen. While I grew up in a home that valued good homemade food and my mom was a great cook, I really have Jonathan to thank for my adult enjoyment and love of food. Under his tutelage I've learned the basics, from how to properly hold a chef's knife, how to fry perfect sunny-side-up eggs, and that more is always better! But Jonathan has something that I could never have: the instincts that truly great chefs and cooks have that allow them to taste a symphony of flavours before they've even made the first chop. Jonathan is inspired simply by the sight and smell of good ingredients, and he can create exquisite meals from a seemingly empty fridge. He cooks by feel, and truly believes that food should be experienced and enjoyed. We speak of all this and more in this episode. He is also the food editor for Pure Green and has created over 50 recipes for the magazine. I'm delighted to have him on the podcast so you get to meet him! Enjoy! Please leave us a review over on iTunes if you enjoyed the show, it helps us grow and gain new listeners, and any Instagram, Facebook or other sharing is very, very appreciated! Thank you!

The idea of lifestyle design, this concept of being able to create the life of your dreams and be successful doing it, feels something like a modern fairy tale. It just doesn’t feel possible. But here’s the thing. In this day and age, with so many people finding ways to create a business online or, if employed, work from home, there is actually less stopping you from creating the freedom you crave then you might think. Today I’m excited to introduce Branden Peak, who has done just this – he designed the life of his dreams and has been living a very blessed life on the road for the past 2.5 years with his Airstream. In his words, home is where you park it, and he has been able to experience the most inspiring places and call them home until the desire to move on strikes again. His lifestyle is just incredible. We talk about how he did all of this and how you can do it too in this episode, and before you go thinking that you could never do this with kids, well, we talk about that too. It’s all possible if you want it, and even if you don’t think that life without a permanent address is for you, this episode is hugely inspiring just to listen to. Get show notes over at puregreenmag.com/branden, and leave your comments over on our Facebook page at facebook.com/puregreenmag. Thanks for listening!

In this episode we're digging into practical and actionable ideas. One of the things we all have to do is clean our homes. I love a clean, organized home, but actually cleaning is kind of the pits, especially if you're using toxic cleaning products. We touch all the surfaces in our home, and whatever chemicals we use to get that squeaky clean shine ends up on our skin and in our bodies. What's the big deal, you may ask? Well, many cleaners contain chemicals that can really mess you up - endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, neurotoxins - the list goes on and on. It's a difficult landscape to navigate, so today I'm talking with two women who wrote a whole entire book on it called Homemade Cleaners. Mandy Obrien and Dionna Ford are two busy moms who wanted to cut the toxins out of their cleaning regimen, without creating more work. The good news is that you can get that clean sparkle naturally, with products you likely already have in your kitchen. It's good for you, the environment, AND your pocketbook! Get the show notes at www.puregreenmag.com/podcast/homemadecleaners, and share your thoughts with us over on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/puregreenmag. Thanks for listening!

Part of the Pure Green lifestyle is slowing down, but a lot of us, me included, are finding that increasingly difficult to do with the constant availability of being online, and our compulsion to give into the temptation. The hard truth, however, is that while we cannot deny that the internet is an incredible and invaluable thing, it’s also having a lasting and serious impact on our relationships, our wellbeing, and on our kids. It’s a brave new world out there, and it’s up to us to conclude how much we participate in it, and what the meaning of our modern existence actually is.

I’m excited to introduce to you Christina Crook, author of a newly released book called the Joy of Missing Out, Finding Balance in a Wired World. Christina wrote her book based on her pursuit of a lifestyle that is balanced in a digital landscape. It led her to embark on a 30 day experiment where she fasted from the internet and wrote letters to a friend, on a typewriter, documenting her feelings and observations throughout. Christina has spoken at Ted X on the subject, and she has some fantastic observations that we all need to hear. But please understand that Christina and I BOTH are incredibly hopeful about our future with technology.. I run Pure Green online, and I have built countless relationships that I value very much online. In fact, Pure Green really nurtures the idea of online community and the power of sharing our ideas collectively. However, Christina helps us realize that we do need to draw a line somewhere and that total immersion rarely leads to a fulfilled life. She asks a lot of thought-provoking questions, and I hope that listening causes you to travel inwards and ask yourself a few of those difficult questions and see where it might lead you.

Get the show notes at www.puregreenmag.com/podcast/christina, and share your thoughts with us over on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/puregreenmag. Thanks for listening!

I use coconut oil for everything, in my cooking, on my body, as a supplement, and the other day as I was looking at the jar in my cupboard, reading words like "cold pressed", "organic" and "raw", I had an inkling there might be more to the story, and it turns out I was right. Serendipitously, I discovered Skinny & Co. Coconut oil right around that time and I'm so pleased to have co-founder and president of the company Matt Geddie on today. In the episode we talk about the misconception surrounding healthy fats, and why coconut oil is so great, but be forewarned, not all coconut oil is created equal, and there's a lot about the processing of coconut oil that actually affects many of its health benefits. Find out what those are, and what makes Skinny revolutionary, inside today's interview. Get shownotes over at puregreenmag.com/podcast/matt, and share you feedback over on our Facebook page at facebook.com/puregreenmag. Thanks for listening!