Bethenny Frankel: It's Not Easy Being Green

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Bethenny Frankel: It's Not Easy Being Green: The Real Housewife of NYC shares her Green tips!

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It's not always easy being green. We drink enough water to fill up a pool, get plastic containers every time we order food in, and we leave the television on to entertain our pets and children. Well, the time is now to make your mark, make small changes and influence those around you. Starting with the morning, make coffee at home, or if you insist on Starbucks, don't opt for the extras. Leave off the coffee sleeve, paper napkins, and stirrers. Less is more. Refill the same water bottle or invest in a water purifier. I'm a club soda girl, so I invested in a machine called Mr. Soda that will make your own "bubble water." Children love it because it's fun to use. The plastic bottles are a massive problem, and we need to get our children on board. No more with plastic cups and bottles. Also, don't fall for the waiter's push making you feel like a loser if you want tap. I always get tap with lemon or order club soda from the gun. Then they say "Pellegrino" and I say "No, club soda from the gun at the bar."

It's not always easy being green.

Now onto those plastic containers. Keep them, wash them, and reuse them. I've now gotten to the point where I cringe when someone throws one out. As for bottles, buy pitchers and make soft drinks. It will save you a bundle. Even better, packaged drinks aren't good for you, so cutting back has a triple incentive -- your health, your wallet, and of course the environment.

Also, important is buying produce that is in season and local. It is definitely less expensive, and it is much better for your health. A mango in the winter that flew thousands of miles, ripened in a box isn't as healthy as a fresh-picked farm stand apple. The planet will thank you for not paying for the fuel for its flight. As for your home, keep things unplugged when not in use. Just being plugged in uses energy, so pull out the toaster, coffee maker and anything else you don't need.

Comments

6 Comments

: 09/08/2009 - 12:08am; Viewer; I search for information on and recipes for using green dates that are now on sale, and all I get is eco-friendly ways to go on a date, including stuff from Bravo. Why don't you all talk about green dating instead of green dates so there's less confusion. In the context of dating, a green date sounds like a date with a green person.

: 05/14/2009 - 5:05pm; Viewer; This post just goes to show, how little you know about health Bethany let alone about going green. Water bottles and most ovenable food trays--those trays that come with TV dinners or microwaveable foods--are made of PETE an number 1 plastic resin also knows as polyethylene terphthalate. These bottles are for SINGLE use ONLY and should not be reused AT ALL because of their risk of Leaching, BPA-- Bisphenol A into any food--when heated at high temperatures, or any liquid when heated or reused over and over again. BRAVO you really should make sure the people you are allowing to write these blogs know what they are talking about. CLEARLY Bethany doesn't know anything about being green, or health at all. I read your book Bethany, perhaps you should take a nutrition class or two, because what you are selling in that book is a first class ticket to an eating disorder.

04/25/2009 - 8:56am

Adrianne

I agree with you on most of these tips. However, refilling water bottles can be a danger to your health. Most have "Do not refill" on the bottle. I used to think it was just some way for them to make us spend more money, but I did some research for my Organic Chemistry class last semester. The plastic used to make those bottles is called Lexan and, when refilled, they leech BPA (bisphenol A) which has been linked to cancer, sterility, and other serious health problems.

In most health food stores, you can buy a bottle that is refillable up to 90 times. It's a great way to go green AND prevent any health issues later in life.

: 04/22/2009 - 7:50am; Ohio loves Bethenny!; As always Bethenny your awesome. Thanks for the tips!
Keep it real!
Ohio fan

: 04/22/2009 - 6:40am; francesca; Perhaps your greatest feat will be convincing your pals to " Go Green" ! Does Jill really need an SUV in NYC ? (hybrid or not) How about your air conditioning? Is it on all day while you're away? ( you all work, afterall) I am positive I could green your group in ways you never imagined, but you'd have to be on board, which I doubt will ever happen given your lifestyles. What's wrong with Pellegrino? Glass, afterall CAN be recycled and it's a great product. Try looking at your cosmetic packaging. You're on the right track, but it takes a lifestyle change to change the world. By the way, were the muffins you were selling in the park in those non-reusable plastic containers used by the grocery store bakeries or did you invistigate other forms of packaging? ....but you're on the right track !