Let me say up front, this is a tricky one. In order to get to the heart of this organic question, let’s take a look at the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) rules and regulations and their definitions around organic foods. First off, the USDA uses the term organic to indicate that a food... Continue Reading →
What is Clean Eating Anyway?
I have often heard this term of clean eating and wonder if I am eating that way, and if not, does that mean I am eating dirty? After all, who wants to say that they eat dirty?! What does this clean eating really mean and is it something that I should be concerned about? Well,... Continue Reading →
The Enneagram. Have you heard of it? What is it? What’s your type?
If you know someone, like me, who is obsessed with the Enneagram, you may have heard these questions. The Enneagram is a personality test that's slowly starting to sweep the nation. The Enneagram is a compelling tool for individual and combined transformation. Stemming from the Greek words ennea (nine) and grammos (a written symbol), the... Continue Reading →
A Mass Shooting in My Hometown and Mental Health
If you were to google "Mass Shooting Aurora, IL", my hometown will pop up on the screen. This isn't just another mass shooting, it happened in my hometown. Five people were killed during the incident -- six if you include the gunman, and five officers who were injured during this tragic and horrific event that... Continue Reading →
Child Labor, Chocolate, and Coffee: Part 2
One of These Things is Not Like the Other In my previous installment of "Child Labor, Chocolate, and Coffee", we learned about how children get involved in the child labor industry and the dangers of harvesting and manufacturing chocolate. In this blog, we'll explore the coffee industry and the dangerous, and often, brutal work... Continue Reading →
Child Labor, Chocolate, and Coffee: Part 1
One of These Things is Not Like the Other Drinking a Starbucks coffee or treating yourself to a bit of chocolate after a long day of work are normal concepts to us, here in America. We don’t give a second thought to these delicious items, or where they come from. All we see is the... Continue Reading →
Fair trade features: caffeination station
How do you start your day? For me, mornings are not complete without a cup of coffee. How I take that coffee depends on the day. Sometimes I'll drink it black. Other times, something sweet and creamy sounds much more satisfying (especially in the sub-zero temps or freezing rain we've been having here in Chicago... Continue Reading →
The Truth About Carbon Footprints and You
For the vast majority of people in the world, we go about our daily lives without thinking about our individual impact on the earth. We don’t necessarily think about how the steak dinner we are eating or the trash we are throwing out can have a big impact over time especially when billions of... Continue Reading →
Promoting Peace by Supporting Fair Trade
Walking into Olive Branch Counseling Associates for the first time, my eyes were automatically drawn to a handful of brightly-colored textile weavings adorning the soft blue walls. Curiosity piqued, I followed my supervisor, and a trail of the technicolored hangings, through the door and down the hallway. I stepped into her office, and I... Continue Reading →
