Managing Arthritis

You may be surprised how much milk or cheese it actually takes to get 1000 mg of the calcium you need each day from diet alone.  It takes 3 ½ cups of milk or 3 yogurts to reach 1000 mg.  Here are some great ideas and tips for strong bones and teeth and to help prevent osteoporosis.

Ways to get more Calcium for bone health: (from eatsmart.org (Washington State Dairy Council)

These ideas will help you think about and plan ways to get enough calcium. Choose one or two changes that you can easily make for optimal bone health.


- Concerned about fat? Remember that lower-fat dairy products have all the calcium of regular dairy products.
- Select milk as a beverage when eating out.
- Stir-fry broccoli, kale or bok choy and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
- Use yogurt or tahini as a dip, garnish, spread or dressing.
- Stock up on canned salmon for use in sandwiches, salads and casseroles.
- Make soups with milk instead of water.
- Try tofu burgers or lasagna.
- Make your coffee choice a caffe latte.
- Add cheese or chickpeas to salads and sandwiches.
- Select milk desserts such as custards, puddings, yogurt and ice cream.
- Add skim milk powder to mashed potatoes, cooked cereals, casseroles, hamburger patties, omelettes, etc.
- Try some whole or refried beans in a wrap.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese on cooked broccoli.
- Try flavored milk if you don’t like plain.
- Snack on almonds once in a while.
- Try calcium-enriched milk or yogurt. Each portion has an extra 100 mg of calcium.
- Take a liquid calcium supplement with vitamin D such as Wellesse Calcium & Vitamin D Liquid.  Liquid supplements absorb better than pills and are easier to swallow.

Other tips to take for strong bones:
- Stop smoking
- Take a brisk walk every day. Walking is a good weight bearing exercise.
- Do muscle strengthening exercises.
- Eat five or more fruits and vegetables every day.  Good nutrition for healthy bones
- Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum.
- Cut back on salty foods, caffeine and soda.
- Do balance training exercises to help prevent falls.  Exercise for healthy bones
- Get a bone density test.


What You Need to Know about Osteoarthritis

• Thanksgiving shouldn’t be synonymous with “all you can eat Buffet.” Keep the primary focus on the company around you and the football games on TV.
• Remember that pumpkin pie, fat-backed greens, gravy and stuffing are available year-round in this country so you don’t need to stuff yourself in one day.
• Eat breakfast on Thanksgiving Day. If you skip out on eating in the morning to “save calories” for your evening meal, you are setting yourself up for a binge.
• Eat slowly and stop when you are full. Does another bite of pie really matter or did you already experience that taste and mouth-feel you were looking for?
• Drink water throughout the day especially if you are drinking alcoholic beverages, alternate them with water.
• Instead of cutting out certain foods or denying yourself dessert, concentrate on portion control. By allowing yourself to have small portions of your favorite holiday foods, you will not feel like you are being deprived (try using a smaller plate for your main meal – a salad plate for instance).
• Eat slowly and savor every bite. Really experience the flavors, textures and smell of each food you are eating.
• Skip the seconds or wait until others have gone up for seconds. By waiting, more of the fattening foods are likely to be finished already.

Managing arthritis can be difficult during the holidays.  As you start to decorate and do lots of shopping, make sure to not over exert yourself.  It can be easy to get caught up in the excitement and do too much.  Don't forget to take your nutritional supplements even when you go shopping at 4 am on Black Friday!

Have a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving!

Let's focus on the legs!

How are your treads holding up?  As you pick up the pace or mileage of your walking program you may find that your legs need a bit of a tune up.  It is not uncommon to feel some pain or discomfort in the muscles of your lower leg when you get more aggressive with your walking technique.  Let’s take a look at why this happens as well as how to prevent and recover from this potential performance barrier. 

In order to pick up your fitness walking pace it takes a more exaggerated ankle action and forward body lean. This technique creates a greater demand on the muscles of the lower leg.  The front of the lower leg or anterior tibialis muscle group must dorsi flex your ankle (which mean pulling the forefoot up closer to the shin) on the forward heel strike.  Then the back of your lower leg or gastrocnemius muscle group must plantar flex your ankle (which means pushing your forefoot away from your shin) to propel you forward and into the next step.  The greater the action the faster you walk.  This increase in ankle action can takes its toll on the lower leg muscles and their attachments, causing a general sense of pain in the shin, calf and ankle areas.  This is especially true when you first start a more aggressive walking program.  In most cases the muscle pain you sense is due to a condition know as DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness. 

DOMS is your muscles way of telling you that you have introduced it to something new and challenging.  It is nature’s way of slowing you down so that the muscle tissues can progressively get stronger without getting injured.  Keep in mind that any pain that results in swelling or bruising or lasts for more than a week, should be checked out by the appropriate medical professional. 

So what can you do to avoid or treat DOMS in the lower leg muscles? 

Let’s start with a list of ways to minimize or avoid DOMS:
1. Make sure you have proper, supportive footwear.
2. Progress into your program goals gradually.
3. Warm up properly before your walk, including lower leg movements that mimic the positions your ankle will travel through (i.e. walking on your toes then heels for approximately 30 seconds each).
4. Stretch the muscles of the ankle after the walk, holding each stretch for at least 20 seconds (i.e. ankle circles, and calf stretches).
5. Keep the muscles of your ankle strong by doing lower leg condition exercises (i.e. calf raises and dorsi flexion with foot resistance).

 

Now what can be done once you are feeling a bit of lower leg DOMS:
1. Take a few days off from your walk and if possible cross train by doing an activity that does not use the same foot pattern (i.e. swimming or cycling).
2. Massage and stretch the front and rear leg muscles daily.
3. Ice the affected areas.
4. Stay well hydrated and keep your joint lubrication up with the appropriate joint supportive nutritional supplements such as a glucosamine and chondroitin liquid supplement that's easy to take and fast absorbing.

Have a great Walking Challenge!
 

There are important steps you can take now to have a healthier heart.

Many Americans are weight focused so they can fit into their slim jeans or look good at their high school reunion.  But, there’s another, dare I say more important, reason we should take a close look at our weight and overall health.  Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death and disability in the U.S.  There are many things we can do to modify our risk factors. 

Some that you’ve probably heard before include:
• Maintain a normal weight
• Quit smoking
• Manage your blood cholesterol levels
• Manage your blood pressure within normal limits
• Get active – get out there and get some physical activity such as walking
• De-stress
• Curb your alcohol intake

Heart Healthy Nutrients
In addition to these ones, make sure you are meeting your vitamin D and magnesium needs – two micronutrients that many people are likely to be low in. Recent studies indicate that those with low vitamin D levels have increased rates of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, heart failure and ischemic heart disease. Hopefully future studies will examine if vitamin D supplementation in those with low levels will help reduce one’s risk factors for cardiovascular disease.  Find out if you are at risk for vitamin D deficiency by taking this quiz - http://vitamind.wellesse.com/info.asp 

Magnesium is another nutrient to be mindful of.  Low levels have been associated with increased inflammation, which is a risk factor for hardening of the arteries.

So be sure to eat healthy, exercise and take your vitamin D liquid supplements each day.  Your heart will appreciate it!
 

Stretching is a must especially if you are experiencing joint pain and for managing arthritis for better joint health.

Have you ever wondered how to get the most out of a stretch?  Well try a little self-PNF.

PNF stands for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and it simply means that our muscles receive messages from our nerves that can facilitate a better stretch reflexively.  Our muscles have sensor nerves (proprioceptive neurons) that pick up sensations like a strong contraction or a rapid bouncy movement and react by sending a message to the muscle to relax or contract in response.  When it comes to enhancing a stretch your goal is to get the muscle to relax as much as possible, thus you want to stimulate the sensor nerve with a 10 to 15 second held contraction (called and isometric contraction). 

Immediately following this contraction the muscle will reflexively respond by releasing and relaxing.  This reflex allows for an immediate gain in range of motion and extensibility.  Many physical therapists use a technique called the ‘contract/release method’ to rehab chronically tight muscles.  You can try it on your self with the help of a bath towel or stretch strap.  Lie down on your back and use the towel or strap (wrapped around your thigh) to pull your leg towards your chest.

Next press your leg away from your body into the towel, while holding the towel firmly in pace and forcing the back of the leg and hip to contract.  Hold that contraction for three deep breaths.  Release the pressing action and use the towel to pull your leg back towards your body into a deeper stretch position.  You should notice an immediate increase in range and flexibility. You can try to perform this same contract then release type stretching for various parts of your body.  Keep in mind that the contraction happens by moving and holding in the opposite direction of the stretch position. 

So for another example, if your target is your lower leg (calf muscle), stretch the muscle by wrapping a towel around the bottom of your forefoot and pulling your toes towards your shin; to contract, point your toe away from your shin while pressing into a towel, hold for 3 deep breaths, then repeat the stretch position. 

Here is a quick list of moves to stretch the major body parts:

• Chest- open arms outward and behind the body
• Upper back and neck – move head towards the opposite shoulder
• Front shoulder – open arm out or behind body 
• Rear shoulder: move arm across the chest
• Spine – round spine forward, side ways or rotate
• Buttocks – flex hip by moving the thigh forward towards torso or across the torso
• Front thigh – extend hip by moving the thigh back behind the body and bending the knee
• Rear thigh – hip flexes by moving forward towards torso and extending knee
• Low leg or calf – move forefoot towards shin

Remember to use the stretch/contract method, you need to move the body part in the opposite direction of the stretch and hold it in a static contraction for 3 deep breaths.

Try it ... to take your stretch routine to a new limit.  Stretching is a great treatment for joint pain and can help keep your joints on the move.  Be sure to take your liquid glucosamine and chondroitin supplement too for improved joint health and flexibility.

Vitamin D is mainly found in foods of animal origin, though typically in small amounts.  Some species of fish including salmon, mackerel, tuna fish and sardines contain a decent amount of vitamin D in just one 3.5 oz serving.  Fortified milk, margarine, fortified cereals and infant formulas also contain vitamin D.  See chart  http://vitamind.wellesse.com/servings.asp

According to What We Eat in America, NHANES 2005 – 2006* here are the percentage of people that meet the adequate intake (AI) for vitamin D:

As you can tell from this chart, females from 14 – 50 years old are less likely than males in the same age bracket to meet their vitamin D needs.  And, very few people over the age of 50 (regardless of whether they are male or female) meet their vitamin D needs, which is so important for bone health.

Can you meet your vitamin D needs through food?  Certainly.  But, to do so you better be very diligent about taking in foods rich in vitamin D several times a day.  That's why many experts suggest taking a Vitamin D3 supplement of at least 1,000 IU per day, especially during the winter months when its impossible to get any from the sun.  Liquid supplements make it easy for everyone to take, including children, who have difficulty swallowing pills.

*The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the U.S.
 

FERNDALE, Wash., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 64 percent of Americans surveyed are unaware sunscreen hinders the body's ability to produce vitamin D - a nutrient found to support the immune system, bone strength, colon health and more.* The survey was conducted by WELLESSE, manufacturers of a liquid vitamin D3 supplement.

"Vitamin D is important to overall health. People need to be aware that sunscreen, even at SPF15, blocks more than 90 percent of the sun's rays used to produce this vital vitamin," warns Dr. Michael Holick, MD, PhD of Boston University.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that the public obtain vitamin D from nutritional sources and dietary supplements, and not from unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or indoor tanning devises, as UV radiation is a known risk factor for the development of skin cancer. (1)

For optimal health, regular sunscreen users should consider nutritional vitamin D sources from their diet. But often dietary sources, including mackerel, sardines, salmon or fortified milk are not frequently consumed by Americans in the amounts needed to satisfy the daily allowance. An option is a liquid supplement such as Wellesse Liquid Vitamin D3 which is easy to swallow and provides flexible dosing for the whole family. The Recommended Daily Value for Vitamin D is 400 IU for adults. Holick notes, "Myself and other experts in vitamin D research recommend between 1000-2000 IU/day depending on your age and diet."

Vitamin D deficiency has garnered the attention of leading scientific and public health organizations. In April, The Archives of Internal Medicine reported that over 75 percent of Americans have vitamin D insufficiency.(2) Last fall, The American Public Health Association called Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency "a major public health concern for both children and adults in the United States." (3)

Populations who may need additional vitamin D, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements include breastfed infants, people ages 50 and older, those with limited sun exposure, with dark skin, with fat mal-absorption and the obese.

Liquid Vitamin D3 is convenient for the whole family. It is available at Walgreens, Costco, Vitacost.com, Drugstore.com, and Amazon.com. 

    * This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug
      Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure
      or prevent any disease.

    (1)  American Academy of Dermatology position statement 11/01/08 updated
         7/15/09.
    (2)  Archives of Internal Medicine 2009;169(6):626-632.
    (3)  http://www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/policysearch/default.htm?id=1367

Stop Worrying!  You can be in control.

Have you ever stopped to wonder how a 3 year old started bossing you around?  If you aren’t careful you may groom a child that only Super Nanny can help wean off of chicken fingers and fries.  Even if you have the pickiest eater in the world, there are ways you can get your child to eat good, nutritious food.  Try these steps to help your child eat better:

• Give them a few choices (two – three).  By giving your child choices you are empowering him/her so they feel like they have some control.  So for instance, you may want to offer them an apple or grapes as a snack.

• Do not make completely separate meals for your child.  If you are serving meatloaf and they do not like meatloaf, then they can eat the side dishes.  Don't worry if they don't eat at all, when they are hungry enough, they will eat.

• Continue to offer foods your child turns down.  Many kids will try a new food after it has been offered to them several times (it may take 10 or more tries).

• Have them help with food preparation.  Even very little children can do this.  Last year I had my then 2 year old niece help me make her birthday cake.  I gave her the ingredients and she would dump them into the Kitchen Aid (and then proceed to lick the butter wrapper after she dumped a stick of butter in).  By having children help with food preparation they take more ownership and pride in the food they are eating.

• Give your toddler vitamins and supplements to ensure they are getting the essential nutrients they need each day.  This way if they have a bad day and do not eat their servings of fruits and vegetables or drink enough milk, you can rest assured.  Liquid supplements are great for children since they are so easy to swallow.

Don’t let joint pain keep you from springing forward in life.

One great thing about spring is the weather.  Warmer weather can make life a lot easier on arthritic joints.  If you have arthritis (in particular the wear and tear related osteoarthritis) you will undoubtedly feel more like moving once your body and joint tissues have warmed up. 

So lets discuss a spring forward warm up plan that can reduce the twinges from your hinges during a workout. Your spring forward warm up for joint health includes
1) environmental, 2) temporal and 3) physical tips
  
1. Your joints will feel better when working out in warmer environments.  This can be accomplished by staying indoors or keeping the cooling system low, or by wearing workout gear that keeps your body well insulated (i.e. sweats and wraps).  You can also enhance your body temperature pre-activity by taking a hot shower or sitting in a Jacuzzi.

2. In terms of the best time to exercise, your joints will feel best around midday.  This will give your body a chance to naturally loosen up and warm up with your daily routine without feeling overtaxed by a full day of life tasks. 

3. Last but not least are some physical tips that can help prepare sensitive joints for various types of physical exercise. 
 
In terms of your cardio-vascular exercise, be sure to start off slowly with modest range of motion.  Gradually increase your movement range in both your upper body and lower body movements until you are working at near full range capacity.  This could take a good 10 to 15 minutes.  So for example, start your fitness walk with small steps and minimal arm swinging, as you warm up and loosen up try rolling the shoulders up, back and down while you walk.  Also add in some ball and heel walking.  By this I mean, walk on the balls of your fee for about 10 seconds followed by walking on your heels for 10 seconds.  Go back to a normal footfall and gently reach a bit further with each step.  Once you feel your overall body temperature has elevated (usually noted by a desire to take off your outer jacket) you can stop and hold a few hip and leg stretches, if those areas still feel restricted.  Keep those stretches light (8 to 10 seconds in length).  Then continue with your walk, using the best arm swing and leg stride that you can.  

Your muscle-conditioning workout should follow a similar warm up plan of action.  When performing strength training exercises always do the first set of any exercise with limited range and very light resistance.  Then for the second set you can gradually increase the range and/or resistance.  Keep in mind that strength training is important but so is joint sense.  Use resistance loads that you can safely handle for about 15 repetitions even if that means no resistance other than the weight of your body or body part. 

All stretches should start off light, never force or bounce. Once your muscles are warm they have better give therefore you get the best results from your stretches after you have completed more active exercises (i.e. walking or strength exercises).  These stretches should be held to a point of slight or mild discomfort for 10 to 30 seconds.

Progress slowly and always stay in the pain free range of motion.  If your joints are experiencing more pain or discomfort than typical two hours after a workout is over, you have probably worked too hard.  Back off a bit and don’t forget to take your joint healthy glucosamine and chondroitin supplements.     
 

Time for a bit of Arthritis Spring-Stretching.

The warmer weather creates a positive environment for many things, in particular joint mobility.  With that in mind it may be a great time for arthritis sufferers to re-evaluate their training program and get back on track with a few daily joint healthy exercises.  Daily stretching has been recommended in particular for those with compromised joints as a treatment for joint pain.  The Aerobic and Fitness Association of American lists flexibility as one of the first fitness components to be addressed when designing a functional fitness program for those with arthritic conditions  http://www.afaa.com .

The reason why is pretty simple.  If you can’t move with good range of motion it is pretty hard to do any exercise or daily activity with proper form and alignment.  Exercising with pore alignment is a major cause of joint stress and further joint damage, thus it is important to keep joints as mobile as possible, even when limitations exist.  Below are a few stretching guidelines to follow.
 

• Always increase your body core temperature prior to holding stretch position: performing a physical warm up including light cardio-vascular or rhythmic movement can do this.  A physical warm up can be enhanced by taking a hot shower or bath prior to your session, scheduling your session toward the later and/or warmer part of the day, performing your stretches in a warm environment and/or while wearing clothing that keeps the body well insulated.

•  Ease into your stretch positions: start at a point of very mild tension, take two or three deep breaths, then try to move into a deeper stretch position, increasing the stretching sensation to a higher degree of tension (or slight discomfort).

• Never stretch to the point of pain or high discomfort: your muscles will actually reject the stretch and try to protect themselves by tensing up.

• Breath fluidly throughout all your stretches: at least 5 deep breaths per stretch.

• Repeat each stretch 2 to 3 times over.

The following includes an upper and lower body stretch series that should be done at least once every day:

The Upper Body wall Stretch:

Stand facing a wall and gently position your hands a comfortable distance above your head. Work your arms up the wall, keep your abdominals tight and lean your torso towards the wall.  Next, turn around and place your backside to the wall with your arms in a ‘T’ position (elbows bent and upper arm parallel to the floor).  Try to press your head, spine and arms against the wall.  Hold both the front and back position for 3 to 5 deep breaths.

The Lower Body chair stretch: 

Start by standing behind a sturdy chair in a lunge position.  Gently work the back leg further away from the front leg until you feel a stretch down the hip, and then press the heel towards the floor until you feel a stretch in your lower leg/ calf muscle.  Follow this up by straightening the front leg and leaning forward with your torso until you feel a stretch down the back of the front leg (keep your spine straight as you lean forward).  Switch leg positions and repeat the series

In my next article I will give you some great ideas for following up your stretch session with bone and joint health strength routines... until next time keep taking your joint protective supplements with glucosamine and chondroitin and MSM. 

If you’ve looked into bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) or even gone ahead and had surgery, you know some the major benefit of having surgery – these surgeries are intended to limit the amount of food you are able to take in.  By doing this, you’ll lose weight, and may do so rapidly.  While it seems like a miracle cure for obesity, weight loss surgery doesn’t come without nutrition issues that you need to be aware of and account for.

There are several new eating habits you’ll have to adapt to in order to increase your chances of weight loss success while minimizing any potential complications.  These include:
 

• Eating very small meals (and progressing over time so you can eat about 1 to 1.5 cups of food at a time)
• Eat and drink slowly
• Chew food thoroughly
• Drink liquids between meals not at meals
• Try new foods one at a time
• Take vitamin and mineral supplements especially calcium and vitamin D

Let’s take a closer look at that last recommendation.  You will need to take certain vitamin and mineral supplements for the rest of your life because your body will have a tough time absorbing certain nutrients.  Doctors recommend that you take a multivitamin-mineral supplement and calcium, iron, vitamin B-12 and vitamin D.

Now, given the fact that you will have to progress from a liquid diet to a pureed diet to soft foods and onto more normal foods (all while chewing food thoroughly and not drinking liquids while eating), you can imagine what a task it would be to take a hard vitamin or mineral supplement.  And it may be a little more than your body can handle.

For example, when it comes to calcium and vitamin D supplements, these are typically quite big in pill form.  By opting for a liquid supplement, you can take them at any time during the day (just a few teaspoons worth at most).  Many physicians recommend liquid supplements for these reasons – they are convenient and much easier for your digestive tract to handle.

When choosing a calcium supplement, make sure it has calcium citrate and not calcium carbonate.  After weight loss surgery, the body cannot absorb calcium carbonate.  Calcium citrate is water soluble and can be easily absorbed, especially in liquid form.

Liquid supplements are easier to swallow and fast absorbing.  The stomach does not have to "dissolve" the tablet or pill, making it a perfect choice for anyone who has had weight loss surgery or who has trouble swallowing pills. 

The ASMBS Guidelines for Bariatric Nutrition recommends 1500-2000mg of calcium citrate supplement per day in addition to whatever calcium you get from food.  Here is a great liquid calcium supplement with 1000 mg of elemental calcium citrate and 1000 IU of vitamin D3.  It is best to split up the dosage into 500 each time.  The body can only absorb so much at one time.

Tell us about your weight loss journey and experience with weight loss surgery and what steps you have taken to stay healthy.

This is a great resource site as well - www.obesityhelp.com

References
Gastric bypass diet: What to eat after weight-loss surgery.  Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/gastric-bypass-diet/WT00007/METHOD=print

Schweitzer DH, Posthuma ED.  Prevention.  Prevention of vitamin and mineral deficiencies after bariatric surgery: evidence and algorithms.  Obesity Surgery 2008 18(11): 1485-1488.
 

Heart Health Month is over, but spring is a good time to start a heart healthy exercise program.

It seems to me that younger people are motivated to exercise so they look good and feel good.  Some older Americans also exercise for the same reasons but there is another set of people that are prescribed exercise.  That’s right, physicians don’t just prescribe medicine.  They also prescribe exercise, meditation and yoga for people who have cardiovascular disease.  Even those who have had heart attacks and bypass surgery start exercising soon after they recover.  And their exercise prescription progresses, as they get stronger.

According to joint guidelines between the American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine, all healthy adults 18-65 years of age should be getting at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity at least 5 days a week or vigorous physical activity for 20 minutes 3 days per week.  Those who are 65 years of age or older or have limitations to physical activity should still engage in physical activity as well.

It's vital to your heart health!
Exercise helps strengthen your heart and it can help prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, sarcopenia and obesity.  In addition to exercising, you can also benefit from increasing your activities of daily living.  You can do this by walking more (strap on a pedometer to keep track), working on your house, cleaning your car, raking your leaves vs. blowing them, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking around the airport vs. taking the people movers.

Regardless of what your favorite exercise is - spin class at the gym or walking your dog, just make sure you get out there and do something.  And take comfort in the fact that every step you take will help your heart!

Exercise is also an important step for managing arthritis for overall joint health and for bone health and osteoporosis.  The more you keep moving, the better your body will feel.  Make this spring a jump start to a healthier you!


 

My coworker, who is a member of our "green committee", provided this great information I thought I should pass along:

What does it mean to go green? 
In a world where “green” is the new word it can mean a variety of things to different people.  Anyway you look at it both individuals and corporations are exploring the word green.  They call it sustainable living, green living and reducing our footprint.  Green is here to stay and more and more people are thinking, “What can I do to do my part.” 

As a company we are addressing everything from how we make our products to how we recycle and dispose of waste in our employee break rooms.  We are committed to environmental responsibility that promotes the well-being of our customers, employees and the global community.  Our liquid supplements come in a bottle, with a label and cap that can be totally recycled in most communities. 

10 Tips for Beginning the Process of Going Green:

1. Think the three R’s:  Reduce, Reuse, or Recycle.  This thought process comes into play each and every time you have something in your hand to toss in the garbage.  Can it be used for something else or by someone else, or can it be recycled before you toss it in the garbage can to later sit in a landfill. 
2. Most communities now have expanded business and curbside residential recycling programs.  These include mixed paper, newspaper, plastics, glass, cans and in some cases even yard debris and food scraps as compost.  Recycling and reuse programs are also being set up for old cell phones, computer equipment, light bulbs, paint, batteries and the list goes on. 
3. Use a site like http://earth911.com to find out where in your community you can recycle a list of different items. 
4. Use a reusable mug for your morning coffee
5. Use a portable reusable water container and stop buying bottled water
6. Bring a bag to the store to reuse instead of taking home another disposable bag to toss in the trash
7. Wash out a used pasta jar and reuse it
8. Shop for products that can be recycled when their life span is over and items that can be purchased with less overall packaging
9. Think before you print out that email or document – “Does this really need to be printed?”
10. Turn off your computer, monitor, and lights when not in use
11. Start a kitchen compost bin
12. Wash your laundry in cold water