About 6 months ago, I stumbled upon the book "Fresh Living" by Sara Snow. I quickly read through the entertaining and informative book and have since kept it close by as a great reference for green living.
Sara is a pioneer in the green living movement. She is getting the word out on green living through her TV shows and book and she comes from many years of experience! I asked Sara if she would share a bit of her herself with us here and I was honored that she was excited to do so.
Suzy: Sara, I am so happy to have you here today. I read your book, Fresh Living, last year and found it very inspiring. Can you tell us a little bit about how you grew up and how this has influenced the way you live today?
Sara: I grew up pretty differently from most people. I was born at home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. When I was about two we moved to a sustainable, eco home that we built out in the woods, about 20 minutes outside of Ann Arbor. We didn't have a furnace; instead we heated with passive solar heat and a wood stove. We grew a good deal of the food that we ate. We composted, made our food from scratch, and tried to live in harmony with the natural world around us.My dad was an early pioneer of the natural and organics food movement. He co-founded Eden Foods (now an extremely large international distributor of organic and natural foods), American Soy Products (through which he helped introduce soymilk to the American public), and Blue Horizon Organic.
So I grew up with this intense focus on natural living and organic eating. It has, in every sense, made me who I am today.
Suzy: What inspired you to start your TV show and start spreading the word about green living?
Sara: I had been working in television as a producer and a TV news anchor and reporter for quite a few years when I decided that if I was going to go on TV everyday I wanted to talk about something that was important to me and, increasingly, to other people as well. So I created the concept for what became the first green-lifestyle TV series to air in the United States. That show was called "Living Fresh" for Discovery Home, and I followed that up with "Get Fresh with Sara Snow" for Discovery Health. Last year I co-hosted "Big Green Lies" for the Fine Living Channel and also released my first book, "Sara Snow's Fresh Living".
It has been the perfect blending of my personal past and upbringing and my professional experience in television. And I feel every day like I'm doing what I was born to help: helping to bring a message of simple, attainable natural living to people everywhere.
Sara: I had been working in television as a producer and a TV news anchor and reporter for quite a few years when I decided that if I was going to go on TV everyday I wanted to talk about something that was important to me and, increasingly, to other people as well. So I created the concept for what became the first green-lifestyle TV series to air in the United States. That show was called "Living Fresh" for Discovery Home, and I followed that up with "Get Fresh with Sara Snow" for Discovery Health. Last year I co-hosted "Big Green Lies" for the Fine Living Channel and also released my first book, "Sara Snow's Fresh Living".
It has been the perfect blending of my personal past and upbringing and my professional experience in television. And I feel every day like I'm doing what I was born to help: helping to bring a message of simple, attainable natural living to people everywhere.
Suzy: I have been craving the slower and simpler lifestyle and am in the process of making some changes for my family to achieve this. Why do you think it is important for people to slow down and simplify in this day in age?Sara: Because we're all, simply put, moving too quickly. Life didn't use to be like this. We didn't used to be "plugged in" every minute of the day. We took walks, we sang to the birds, we ran barefoot and sat in silence. All of this is so important for our brains, our muscles, our digestion, and our spirits.
I will always remember one particular day during college. I was stressed and over-worked and worried and I called my mom to cry to her a bit. And she told me that I needed to find a park bench and to sit and watch the squirrels for a while. That's it. Just watch the squirrels.
It's still what I do today when I'm overly stressed. I call a time-out and I just sit and watch the birds or the squirrels.
A fantastic practice to get into is a short meditation session in the morning or evening every single day. The simple act of emptying your mind and breathing deep, cleansing breaths can be so incredibly healing.
Suzy: Most of my readers are busy moms who find it overwhelming to make changes in their lives. Can you give us a few ideas on easy changes we can make that will have a positive impact on our environment?
Sara: There are so many simple things that we can all do everyday and it is never more important than when you're a mom. This is for two reasons - first because the foods you buy and products you use have a direct impact on the health of your children. And, second, because, you are teaching impressionable minds.
Here are a few examples of simple things you can do: recycling, cleaning with natural products, using less disposables (less ziplock bags, paper towels, and other single use items), using goods made from recycled plastic, recycled paper and recycled glass, buying more organic foods, shopping local farmers markets and food co-ops, composting, practicing green lawn care, and growing a garden. In fact, this last one might be one of the best things you can do with your children. Help them to understand that a tomato comes from a vine, not from a can on a grocery store shelf. And let them share in the wonderment of how nature provides the things we most need to survive.
Suzy: Thank you so much Sara for taking the time out of your busy life to share with us today!
Sara: It has been my pleasure, Suzy. I wish you great success in your efforts to simplify!
Sara: There are so many simple things that we can all do everyday and it is never more important than when you're a mom. This is for two reasons - first because the foods you buy and products you use have a direct impact on the health of your children. And, second, because, you are teaching impressionable minds.
Here are a few examples of simple things you can do: recycling, cleaning with natural products, using less disposables (less ziplock bags, paper towels, and other single use items), using goods made from recycled plastic, recycled paper and recycled glass, buying more organic foods, shopping local farmers markets and food co-ops, composting, practicing green lawn care, and growing a garden. In fact, this last one might be one of the best things you can do with your children. Help them to understand that a tomato comes from a vine, not from a can on a grocery store shelf. And let them share in the wonderment of how nature provides the things we most need to survive.
Suzy: Thank you so much Sara for taking the time out of your busy life to share with us today!
Sara: It has been my pleasure, Suzy. I wish you great success in your efforts to simplify!
To learn more about Sara, please visit her website here.
This interview was conducted by Suzy for her Inspiring Mama Series on the Hip Mountain Mama Blog in February 2010. To read the original interview, and other interviews with inspirational women please visit the Hip Mountain Mama Blog.
We use a stainless steel indoor collection pail. It sits right on our counter where it is easy and convenient to toss in a apple core, banana peel, or other vegetable and fruit scrapes. The most important part about your indoor collection pail is that it needs a lid. The food will begin decomposing immediately and you won't want that smell or the fruit flies in your kitchen.
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