The 2011 Green Brands Survey recently found that consumer interest in green products continues to increase and has expanded across categories – from personal care, food and household products to automotive, energy and technology goods. Companies across all sectors are rolling out new and or improved products touting eco-friendly attributes. With such a varied selection of products making green claims, how does one make an educated decision on the best products for their family and lifestyle? Seri McClendon, chief executive officer of CLEAN Agency, shares insight on this issue.

What are businesses doing to meet consumer demand for eco-friendly products and services?

Sustainability has become a key business issue for consumer product companies. They recognize that in order to remain competitive they must shift to meet the changing demands of consumers and of the environment. To do this, businesses are taking a critical look at their supply chains and determining how they can produce better products that have a reduced impact on the environment and can still deliver on their brand promise. Some of the ways this is being done include responsible raw material sourcing, more efficient manufacturing processes and reduced, reusable or recyclable packaging materials to cut waste to landfills. Companies are also beginning to highlight such innovations on their product packaging to promote their commitment to environmental stewardship and gain loyalty from like-minded consumers.

When shopping for green products, what should consumers know about “greenwashing” and how can they evaluate eco-friendly product claims?

Greenwashing has received a lot of attention lately as more and more businesses try to capitalize on the growing consumer interest in green products. Greenwashing refers to deceptive marketing used to promote a misleading statement or perception about a product, policy or service.  The first step in making smart purchase decisions is to educate yourself before heading to the store. GreenerChoices.org is an excellent resource for consumers that want to learn more about specific product claims and their meaning. The site provides independently researched, unbiased information on product safety, health and nutrition, updated label claims and other related topics.

Certification labels from reputable environmental organizations can also help consumers choose sustainable products. The Environmental Protection Agency, for example, provides Energy Star certification for energy efficient home appliances and the Design for the Environment label for high performance, cost effective and environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Responsible consumer product companies like Seventh Generation, Patagonia and Aveda also document and substantiate product claims on their web site.

How can consumers further drive sustainability efforts of their favorite brands?

Be vocal! Let the brands you patronize know how you feel about their products and their efforts towards becoming more sustainable. Share feedback on a company’s web site, comment on news stories written about sustainable innovations of your favorite brands and leverage the power of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to let companies know what you want from their products and services.

ABOUT SERI MCCLENDON

Seri McClendon is the CEO of CLEAN Agency. She is an industry veteran with more than 22 years of marketing experience. Seri formed CLEAN, an integrated agency serving the sustainable business sector, from her passion for environmental studies, policy and science. She holds a Masters degree in Geography with an emphasis in Industrial Ecology and a BA in marketing. Seri is a member of The USC Center for Sustainable Cities Advisory Board and was recently recognized as an Outstanding Woman in Environment and Energy Efficiency by the 2011 Women in Business Awards. 

For the majority of insured people, illnesses are diagnosed, codified, and approved for treatment through standard medical interventions and insurance protocols.  Since specific illnesses are typically required to qualify most expenses for eligible traditional care benefits, conscious consumers hoping to improve health before illness strikes are often left with few options.

As interest in health living tips employee interest toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), the research also suggests that integrative medicine has the potential to improve employee health and meet employee interest. 

Currently, integrative medicine is often paid out of pocket, despite consistent increases in interest and available research to support its effectiveness in preventing and managing whole health.  Surprisingly, even though smoking habits and obesity are linked to the top chronic ailments in the US, only about 9% of employers offer smoking cessation plans and a meager 6% offer weight loss programs within coverage.  To enhance social accountability a trend toward investing in preventive medicine and CAM  is predicted, and already more than 37% of hospitals have some CAM  therapies available.  LOHAS companies, in particular, may start looking for holistic alternatives and seeking socially responsible Investing options that improve employee health and preventive care through CAM  benefit programs.

Since these substances may interact in unpredictable ways with each other or water additives like chlorine, the LOHAS community may have some legitimate concerns about the trends for increased US prescription drug use.  This connects personal health choices and commitments to sustainability and environmental health to what happens when a patient enters a doctor’s office, especially among people looking for options to improve health through non-invasive, natural, and lifestyle oriented solutions.  Yet for those who inquire about stress management with the majority of conventional doctors, they may be more likely to receive advice about anti-anxiety prescription options than a suggestion about exercise or styles of yoga to try.  Though pharmaceuticals play a key role for some conditions, many people would prefer making lifestyle changes to improve their health when possible.  

The result of an exclusively traditional benefit plan may leave people opting for a lack of follow-up or no care at all if they prefer holistic alternatives.  For LOHAS companies, ideas are brewing over how to connect cost-effective benefit planning to corporate values by offering benefit plans that provide options to include types of care that employees want and need: care that focuses on preventive medicine and whole person health, like holistic or integrative medicine.  Investing in integrative medicine has the potential to capture the best of both fiscal and value-driven goals. 

The Latest LOHAS Consumer Trends

The below article is brought to you as part of elephant journal’s ongoing coverage of LOHAS Forum. For our complete coverage, be sure to follow elephant on Twitter and Facebook.

I walked into the main ballroom at the St. Julien and scanned the dimly lit room for a seat while Steve French, dressed in a large paper bag, and Gwynne Rogers, covered in plastic bags, began speaking on stage. I knew right then this wasn’t going to be just any presentation.

Not knowing much about LOHAS until two weeks ago I was excited to learn more about who the LOHAS consumer is – and who they’re growing to be. French and Rogers took us through various statistics, facts and opinions with humor as well as knowedge.

The first topic on deck was the green movement. French gave the first point stating that green is as strong as ever and the recession has been a good thing in regards the green market.

He gave a number of great points including, that sustainability itself is not sustainable. Businesses must look at why consumers are buying in the first place. Even though he acknowledged it was “an oxymoronic statement,” French insisted we were shopping our way to sustainability.

The greenest product you can buy is the one you don’t buy.

On the opposing side, Rogers stated it was naïve to think that the recession hasn’t had an effect on the green marketplace. Showing that consumption of organic food and natural cleaning products, for example, have fallen at an average of 10%.

Most consumers are taking into account the price of the products and not acknowledging their carbon footprint. 70% of consumers base their purchase decisions on price.

It was great to discuss both positive and negative views, especially when it comes to the green movement. So much information and opinions can be extremely one-sided. And to get the info in costume made it that much better.

Some interesting facts about the LOHAS consumer:

• – Different segments: naturalites, drifters, conventionals, and unconcerned – but we didn’t talk     much about the unconcerned since, as French said, “we don’t like them.”
• – Generally the first ones that try new eco-friendly products
• – High interest and active in social media and gorilla marketing
• – Used to predict upcoming trends
• – Always looking for the “deeper green” – greener versions of existing products

French and Rogers also ran through the positive and negatives of operations for your business.

Is it better to have a green product or to run your operations in a green way?

On one side, the view was that the product itself doesn’t have enough impact and therefor how you make the product should be ethical and green. On the opposing side, the product should be green because that’s what consumers are paying for.

Rogers took both approaches – go big or go home, stating that if you’re going to make the effort to create a green product for consumers, you might as well go all the way in your production as well.

In the realm of how to market to LOHAS consumers, “Keep it simple, stupid.”

There has been an information overload when it comes to the green movement, but some still don’t even know what sustainability means – 15% haven’t even heard of it. Yes, you read that correctly.

The most important things to take away from French and Roger’s presentation:

• – It doesn’t have to be paper or plastic, we have to integrate new products, sources, etc., without alienating others – and people
• – Needs to practical and sustainable
• – Work towards producing green products and operations
• – Think beyond your current geography

Overall, find a balance.

elephant journal is proud to be the official new media partner with LOHAS Forum. Click here for our ongoing LOHAS coverage, and be sure to follow our live coverage on Twitter. [Our editor Waylon Lewis is honored to serve on two panels during this event.]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDkT3fPRn3U[/youtube]

elephant journal:  Tell me about your experience with LOHAS.

Marc Barasch:  I’ve been around since almost the beginning.  New age business had been bifurcated, and suddenly people were beginning to figure out how to put their spiritual ideas into business.  It started with good ol’ tofu companies, small granola businesses just beginning to advertise and act like real businesses.

elej: How have you seen it change over the years?

MB: It’s been a mixed blessing. You lose some of the authenticity of the core intent as companies sell to larger conglomerates.  It’s wonderful thatit propagates the meme and distributes the products at a scale that a small company never could have done.  There are tremendous benefits to that.  But from my somewhat outside observation, you also lose some of the integrity. For example, if you look at Ben and Jerry’s, when they were acquired by Unilever, I believe they intended to keep a very progressive business model, including a fixed ratio of how much top executives were paid. However, that model was not kept.

So the LOHAS community needs to ask:  how can LOHAS not replicate some of the disparities and discontinuities of the prevailing system that are collectively driving us off a cliff?  I think it’s time for companies to not just look at the sustainability and humanity of their organizational development, not just as a CSR add-on or a laudable afterthought, but something that’s included in the raison d’être of the company itself?  I think that’s the question that we need to be asking. What does the company do?  What is the product?  How can we ensure that it’s not increasing consumerism?

How does this push forward a new emergent model, without pushing forward the parameters of a dysfunctional system?  How does it value and push forward what needs to be done in the world?  And quickly?  We need to step out of the matrix and look at this from some zero point and reverse engineer it.  What does the world need, and how do these entities—businesses and corporations—directly serve that need?

In an era where money is de-realized into nothing but bits and bites, a fictive system based on number magic, the priests of the numerate have always worked abstract magic on the masses, and become the elite through magical hand gestures—in this case, tapping on keyboards.

I’m very personally interested in complementary currencies.  Look at Switzerland, for example.  One reason that they’ve been so stable economically is not just because they are neutral, but because they have some very sophisticated complementary currencies to meet social needs, as well.

elej: What do you think we need now?

MB: I think it’s time for radical experimentation, we need hybrid or fusion companies, with nonprofits using the profit system and businesses founded with a social mission first, such as Patagonia.

How do we take on the really large social mission of true transformation, and not just nibble around the edges of real change?  I think that’s not just grandiosity.  It’s necessity.

How do we model as organizations that meet emergent civilization?

elej:  How are you modeling an organization that meets the emergent civilization?

MB: This might sound pretentious, but I really took a cue from something Thomas Keating once said, something to the effect of, “I get up every morning, and I decide what will do the most good.  This simplifies things tremendously.”

6 years ago, when Field Notes on the Compassionate Life came out, I thought, “If I’m talking about compassion, I need to enact it.”  So I stopped my entire career trajectory from that point forward, and asked how I could do the most good and accept whatever answer I was given.  I asked myself, "what does the universe want?" And I’ve followed that question pretty loyally for these last 5 years.

That lead to a lot of coincidences, that eventually led me to planting trees in Ethiopia, to start.  I started the Green World Campaign, and watched it grow into a mostly volunteer-driven organization that’s now operating in 5 countries (Kenya, Ethiopia, Mexico, Philippines, India).  We’ve planted close to 500,000 trees.  We’re involved in regenerating communities.  We’re restoring the economy and ecology of the world’s poorest places, doing work that serves people and planet.  In the model of agroforestry that humans and nature have been co-creating since the beginning.

The idea that our relationship to the natural world is to avoid keeping our own destructive hands off it, is inadequate, completely. We’re supposed to work in an integral way together. Renew communities as we renew the environment.

How do we take the holistic model that we all ascribe to philosophically and apply it in the real world, particularly at the bottom of the pyramid, with the people and places that our collective fate is inextricably entwined?  Collective enactment of the global village.

As a critique, we’re very good at created “enlightened, green-gated communities”.  But how does this affect the poorest of the poor?  Trickle down economics.  Everything is connected.  Everything should be seen as interactive parts of a whole.

Reforestation is a quantifiable healing strategy.  We are using interactive new media and new technologies.  It’s part of the DNA of GWC.  We have an alliance with Digital Globe, the largest satellite imaging company, to be able to show donors over time degraded areas turning green.

A tree is a deeply embedded meme in the human psyche.  We’re a tree-planting species.  We always have been.

We’re operating in many domains, whether it’s carbon credits for eco-stoves, creating social enterprises by sourcing commodities like herbs and teas, non-timber forest products, how to partner with indigenous communities in a way that empowers them and also introduces appropriate technology and new agronomic strategies that are harmonious with their traditional agricultural practices.

We are not only providing environmental education, but also working on linking that up with schools in the US, so kids can get a sense of the global village.  I’m big on creating positive feedback loops in a way that empowers global citizens. Doing good doesn’t have to be only through large corporations and large environmental groups.  How do we self-aggregate and do something that we can see that benefits all of us?

How do we all learn from each other?  I’m taking pains to pick and search partners that are mission-aligned and have a real global citizen mindset.  Some sort of understanding of the spiritual underpinnings of human existence, if you will. We’re not aiming to be USAID.  We want to work with the LOHAS community.  We’re propagating ideals in the context of the developing world that are really building global community that includes the poorest of the poor.

Our model is infinitely scalable.  With proper funding, we could scale this up almost immediately.

I call this work Green Compassion.  And the movie “I Am” also relates to this.

elej: Tell me about I Am.

MB: I got a call from Tom Shadyac, who wanted to make a film about the book.  A large part of the film is based on the book.  Here’s a guy who had earned about $2.1B dollars gross for the studios thru his Jim Carey and Eddie Murphy movies.  As much as possible, I want Green World Campaign to be congruent with the ideals presented in the movie and the book. Everything I do is informed by my own healing work and experience, and my background in Buddhism.  It all stems out from that.

Interviewer's note:  And that's what it's all about.

If you know me you are well aware that I have a bit of a hectic travel schedule and go to a variety of conferences oriented around green business, social enterprises, health and wellness and everything in between. Yes I am an admitted conference junkie. But there is a reason for my addiction and I will try to explain them rationally as any junkie in denial will do. For me, my reasons are to keep on the edge of what is happening in the various spaces that comprise LOHAS. I enjoy attending conferences not so much to hear about what someone is saying on stage but rather what is being said in the hallways. I feel that getting into the candid conversations at dinners or over drinks really gives me an up close and personal view point into various market sectors with various market leaders. The presentations on stage are an added bonus and if I am lucky they are indeed worth listening to. But I am a critique on a variety of levels. My preference is someone who not only provides a picture of the problem but also presents a vision and solutions to it. If I want gloom and doom I can just watch the news. No need to tell me more about it. I think we are all aware that we are all in deep s#!@ and in it for a long while. I want inspiration and something that speaks to me at a deeper level. I also don’t want a sales pitch. I know that corporate presentations tend to have specific parameters on what they can and cannot say. But getting those people off the stage and into a conversation in the hall is great. That is when you can get to the heart of burning questions and have them give you more in depth answers that they can’t when in front of an audience. I also need imagery. I’m a visual person and a visual learner. If someone presents something with multiple bullet points and is reading them off – that immediately sends me to checking my email on my smartphone. Yawn! But is someone has a well thought out presentation and integrates examples and lead ins using images it is magic. Presenters don’t always need to have images behind them on a large screen. They can take the audience on a wild ride just with a compelling story that has colorful detail and elements that the audience can relate to. After all we are a society of storytellers. They also must have that connection with the audience that a few have and others do not. Hard one to teach but when it is there you can feel it. I also run into some of the most interesting people I would not expect and allow myself to do so by being open to whomever or whatever manifests in front of me. By attending various conferences and hearing different thoughts and ideas both on stage and off I begin to weave together trends and similarities I hear repeated in various LOHAS sectors. I also try to integrate new ideas and concepts that may be fresh to LOHAS. This process constantly reminds me of the fable of Stone Soup. The fable goes like this:
Some travellers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty cooking pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry travellers. The travellers fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travellers answer that they are making "stone soup", which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they are missing. The villager does not mind parting with just a little bit of carrot to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travellers again mention their stone soup which has not reached its full potential yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoning to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by all.
This is in essence how the core content of the LOHAS Forum is developed. We then add additional speaker applications into it from those who submit presentations and we adjust a bit here and there but that is how it is contrived. It may not be perfect but the mix is a work in progress and I hope that you are able to enjoy some of the nourishment that the LOHAS soup provides by attending the LOHAS Forum, attending LOHAS regional events, subscribing to our e-newsletter or our various social media groups such as Facebook, Twiiter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

There is nothing more certain and unchanging than uncertainty and change. -- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Did you ever notice how in one moment you can be ecstatically happy and then suddenly depressed? How you can be friends with someone and then they become an enemy? How something is good and then turns sour, like a delicious mango that becomes rotten?

The world around us is not the same as it was just a moment ago. Babies have been born, people have died, clouds have passed overhead, waves have risen and fallen. Who we are now is not who we were last year, last week, yesterday, even a few minutes ago. Already we have changed, some of our cells have died while others have been created, while our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, ideas, even our relationships are as changeable as the weather or the seasons.

The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next. -- Ursula K. LeGuin

Change happens in the flash of a moment but the ego mind – our self-obsessiveness – needs to make everything appear solid and permanent. We even push death away like an unwanted object, no one actually believes they are going to die.

But just imagine if everything was permanent! Imagine how boring it would be if we were always the same: there would be no butterflies, no full moon, no cherry blossoms and no cherries. Change is the reality of life so if we resist it then we are resisting the meaning of being here, which is to be always becoming something different, other than what we were before.

Without change in ourselves we become stifled and stagnant. Being with what is as it is, and integrating the reality of change is wonderfully liberating, the opportunity to clear away layers of dust and cobwebs and to start anew in each moment. Just as palm trees transform muddy water into sweet coconut milk, so we can transform fear into courage, selfishness into kindness, and loss into a new beginning. Spring is here with new life bursting forth, and in the same way we can create a new life for ourselves in every moment.

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. -- Maria Robinson

Here are 10 ways to make change your best friend:

    1-     Accept what is! If you can change something, then do; if you can't change anything, then release resistance and simply be with what is.

    2-     Take risks. Life is about not having answers, taking chances and risks, and making the most of every moment, all without knowing what is going to happen next.

    3-     Be your own best friend. It is easy to blame and shame yourself, but now is the time you deserve the most love and kindness of all.

    4-     Every day is a new beginning. Each time you take a step forward you have no idea what might happen. But nothing will happen if you continue to stay where you are.

    5-     Keep falling as long as you keep picking yourself up! Making mistakes is not the problem, but not learning from them and moving on is.

    6-     Nothing lasts forever, so appreciate every moment fully and completely, as it will never happen again.

    7-     Think with your heart instead of your head. When you come from your heart you come to your senses!

    8-     Meditate. Take time to just stop and breathe, to remember why you are here, and to find what is of real meaning to you.

    9-     Don't take yourself too seriously. A good sense of humour prevents a hardening of your attitudes, and stops your opinions from getting too rigid!

    10-     Do something for someone else and make giving to others a part of your life, especially if it is a smile and a hug.

See more on Ed and Deb

As forms of integrative and alternative medicine become more widely available within mainstream health care, many people may find themselves confused about what the options are and who should be providing them.  If you're looking into finding new options to explore healthy living, you may also be wondering about how to ensure your health care is in appropriate hands.

Training and background varies among health care professionals, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners.  As with any health care, it's important for patients to remember that qualifications matter very much.  You  wouldn't want your neighbor pulling your tooth just because he has a comfortable chair and a set of pliers, and conscious consumers like you probably wouldn't want to entrust the recommendation of herbs or supplements to just anyone either.  

A common misconception about holistic alternative medicine is that because it’s naturally based, it’s without risk.  With any medicinal products there can be interactions with prescriptions, side effects, and contraindications.  Only providers well versed in current research who have in depth education in CAM possess the credible knowledge to offer safe and effective treatments to patients. 

Licensure remains the gold standard for health care professions, even as holistic alternative medicine practitioner licensing varies from state to state.  Licensure ensures  that providers attended accredited education programs and qualifications are in sync with industry standards.  In the U.S., currently, 17 states and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands license Naturopathic Doctors (NDs), and the vast majority of states have regulations in place for Acupuncturists and Dieticians.  

Whether you are seeking lifestyle counsel, homeopathy, dietary advice, acupuncture, or another service, it is advisable to select licensed providers to help you accomplish your healthy lifestyle goals.  If you hope to garner more than healthy living tips, although unlicensed providers may be appealing (and sometimes more affordable), it’s worth investing a little time into credential checking to ensure the best results.   

As an avid tea drinker, I’ve been called a ‘tea addict,’ ‘tea-aholic’ and ‘tea obsessed.’ My friends know that when they come to my house, they will be offered a cup of tea, then a choice of tea from my cupboard full of various types and brands of teas. From locally made loose leaf, to the tried and true Celestial Seasonings, I’ve accumulated a good size collection, which I am constantly adding to. That being said, I enjoy tea, and even more, I love to try new teas and learn about different companies and their unique ‘tea practices.’ When I had the opportunity to try Denver based Teatulía, how could I say no? I’m glad that I didn’t.

Teatulía is named for the region where the tea is grown in Northern Bangladesh. Grown from a single garden in an organic cooperative, Teatulía plants are cultivated by hand, and nurtured by Mother Nature. The garden is located in a pristine environment, nestled against the Himalayas to the North and the Brahmaputra and Ganges Rivers to the South, which offers the perfect climate and location for the plants to thrive. Teatulía is grown 100% organically without the use of pesticides or artificial fertilizers, and the taste of the tea reflects the love and care given to the gardens.

Teatulía offers a line of 9 organic teas, each unique and delicately tasting in its own way. From the smooth, subtle flavor of Black Tea, refreshing White Tea, Spicy Ginger, floral Earl of Bengal, herbal infused Tulsi, energizing Peppermint, earthy Green Tea and more, Teatulía teas are exceptionally high quality, and outshine any of the other teas in my personal collection. Although I enjoyed trying all of Teatulía’s flavors, I have to say that my two favorite were the White Tea and Green Tea, both offering a subtle, smooth flavor that lasts and lasts.

As a self-proclaimed green tea addict, I was naturally drawn to Teatulía’s Green Tea, which has a pure, delicate taste. The green tea world is vast, and within it are many different types of green tea, but from my experience trying various green teas, I’d say that Teatulía’s falls at the perfect medium of ‘not too grassy’ and ‘not strong enough.’ It’s subtle, yet very flavorful, and the tea bag lasts for at least 2 full cups of tea. I will definitely be buying this one!

Teatulía’s White Tea is equally delicious in its own right, and offers a very distinct white tea flavor. Some white teas have the tendency to be weak, or have a more floral taste, but Teatulía’s White Tea is very smooth, yet crisp tasting. At first glance, it doesn’t look so much like a white tea, and is almost brown. However, once you get a taste of its magic, you won’t want any other!

In addition to the company’s delicious, organically grown teas, there’s more. As a company, Teatulía is dedicated to sustainable business practices, and social responsibility is engrained in their DNA. When it comes to environmental integrity, all of Teatulía’s packages are handcrafted and made from biodegradable materials, and each Teatulía tea bag is made from corn silk, which is also biodegradable. In addition, the Teatulía Cooperative creates sustainable prosperity for Bangladeshi women, men and children through education, entrepreneurship, health and cattle-lending programs. Who knew that one tea company could make such a difference in the world?

Whether you are a tea connoisseur, or tea novice, I highly recommend trying Teatulía. In my opinion, there are only a few others out there that can even compare to the high quality offered by this company, in addition to the environmental integrity and social responsibility they stand for. On that note, I’m going to pour myself another cup! Cheers, and as Teatulía says, “To Health. To Life. To Tea.”

If there is one yoga that that leads to Self-Realization it is non-injury or ahimsa. Yoga Master Swami Satchidananda

 Imagine, as John Lennon said, what a world it would be if there were no wars and no suffering. How cool it would be if we could set just one day aside each year when we all stop causing pain and focus on harmlessness. A day when peace is more important than all our differences.

‘Make love not war’ may be the key to a better life but if we look around that isn’t what’s happening in today’s world. Yet there is nothing that could be more significant, helpful, or honoring of human existence and decency than non-injury, called ahimsa in yoga. If we were to practice this we would be aware not to think ill of others, not to use words that are hurtful or aggressive, or commit actions that can be destructive and cause pain.

This may sound so simple, but ahimsa actually requires a complete shift in attitude. Few of us get through life without causing harm, whether by ignoring someone’s feelings, by using more of the earth’s resources than we need, or by buying products made by underage and underpaid workers. What to do when insects invade the kitchen or slugs eat away at the vegetable garden, yet we don’t want to harm them? And how often do we do things that are hurtful or harmful to ourselves?

How many times a day, consciously or otherwise, do we put ourselves down, reaffirm our hopelessness, dislike our appearance, or see ourselves as incompetent or unworthy? How much resentment, guilt, or shame do we hold on to, thus perpetuating negativity? 

In a world where selfishness and self-interest are the norm, it takes great courage not to react with greed or anger, which can so easily lead to violence. Yoga teaches us to be honest, respectful, to take care of ourselves and others. Ahimsa is integral to these fundamental yoga teachings. Simply through the intent to cause less pain each of us can bring greater dignity to our world, so that harm is replaced with harmlessness and disrespect with respect.

Gandhi, one of India’s greatest yogis, was the champion of ahimsa. He changed the course of history in India by showing how harmlessness is more powerful than violence, inspiring millions of others to follow his lead. Both Nobel Peace Prize winners, the Dalai Lama and Ang San Suu Kyi, are long-term meditation practitioners and activists devoted to peacefully reclaiming the freedom of their countries. All three have used the power of meditation and harmlessness to show that human dignity through non-injury is the essence of human decency.

For instance, while the Dalai Lama is known for his pacifist attitude toward the Chinese, it is less well known that he rises at four a.m. each day to meditate for at least two hours – he is a true yogi!

Nelson Mandela, Bishop Tutu, and Martin Luther King, Jr., have all being fearlessly dedicated to non-violence, often in the face of tremendous opposition, as have numerous other lesser-known figures who, motivated by their meditation, faith, and belief in non-injury, have added their voices and sometimes even their lives. President Clinton asked Nelson Mandela if he was angry at his imprisonment and he answered, “If I were I would be still in prison.”

By developing a sense of respect for others and a concern for their welfare we reduce our own selfishness, which is the source of all problems, and enhance our sense of kindness, which is a natural source of goodness. The Dalai Lama

Practicing mindful yoga, sitting in quiet reflection, meditation or prayer has an immediately calming and peaceful effect. When we get off the cushion that peace stays with us, highlighting any tendency to cause harm and making such behavior far less likely. It becomes even more improbable as we deepen in awareness of our fundamental interconnectedness, for then violence toward another is the same as causing harm to ourselves.

Try this: Throughout the day, whether practicing yoga or meditation or wherever you are, silently repeat: “May I be well, May others be well, May I practice harmlessness to myself and to all others.”

Ed and Deb Shapiro are featured bloggers at Oprah.com and HuffingtonPost.com. See their award-winning book: BE THE CHANGE, How Meditation Can Transform You and the World, with forewords by the Dalai Lama and Robert Thurman, with contributors Jack Kornfield, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jane Fonda, Ram Dass, Byron Katie, and many others. They also have 3 meditation CD's: Metta—Loving kindness and Forgiveness; Samadhi–Breath Awareness and Insight; and Yoga Nidra–Inner Conscious Relaxation; which are available at: EdandDebShapiro.com

Childhood obesity is nearly 20% among all children, and it's reached 44% among children living below the poverty line, advancing the national attention on this health epidemic.   Nutrition debates are heating up around the nation as some school administrations try to take hold of the gap between knowledge and action by regulating packed lunches and snacks.  Bans on soft drinks, limits on sweet snacks, and other regulations are popping up in places like Arizona, Alabama,  New York, and Chicago, but some people claim such a regulated approach to healthy living tips the scale too far against parental choice.

Yet others see it as surprising that this is the first time the U.S. is raising standards in cafeteria food, since more than 30 million kids eat those prepared meals every day.  The programs, designed to be socially responsible investments in health promotion, are gathering wide attention.  Supporters and resisters typically agree that the increase of obesity among children requires rethinking some basic assumptions about nutrition. 

The adage we are what we eat, though simple, may prompt plenty of conscious consumers toward more mindful eating habits in response to the growing awareness of childhood obesity.  Integrative Medicine use is also quickly growing for children as parents look for alternatives to growing health concerns among younger populations.  In addition to childhood obesity rates, childhood pharmaceutical use for conditions like anxiety, depression, and other conditions is also on the rise, and these in part can be influenced by diet as well as other factors.  Many holistic alternative medicine practitioners recognize the deep need to move toward healthy and organic living to respond to these health concerns with more natural, preventive approaches.  

Similarly, employers may seek more integrative medicine based options by investing in programs that make integrative alternative medicine providers available to employees.  Moving beyond packaged wellness programs and into health plans that make credentialed integrative medicine providers available, like the options available with CAM PPO of America, Inc., can improve nutrition and general wellness, and help families make lasting healthy lifestyle changes. 

For companies seeking green business solutions, investing in health care that connects the dots between personal and environmental health embodies ecofriendly consciousness.  To overlook one of the major investments companies make in employees by relying on "default" health care options, a major opportunity to promote healthy living is missed. Like processed foods, health care options are usually pre-packaged and offered "as-is" with conventional medicine industries taking the lead in credentialing and other mainstream practices.
     

     Credentialing is an administrative process that involves reviewing qualifications, training, and practice requirements, with the significant goals of promoting patient safety and establishing consistent standards within a group of providers.  In conventional medicine, the complexity of the credentialing practice is generally offset by the consistent scope of practice and licensure standards in the dominant health care system. Credentialing relies on those industry practice standards to ensure that users of a specific network are seeking care from appropriately qualified providers.    

To some, credentialing in the CAM sector may seem cumbersome or unrealistic, since many CAM providers maintain medical practices outside of standard medical institutions.  CAM PPO of America, Inc., however, offers a unique solution with a proprietary credentialing process that exclusively focuses on integrative and alternative medicine.  Because state licensure varies so widely for CAM fields, the process sets CAM PPO apart from simple lists and online groups that may use the right catch phrases but lack medical expertise and qualifications. 

     Seeking a CAM provider can be confusing for conscious consumers, and few patients may have the time or resources to investigate practitioner qualifications and backgrounds.  Yet, it's an essential ingredient to seeking appropriate care interventions.  CAM PPO credentialing impacts the caliber of every network practitioner, and communicates our commitment to quality to members, prospective providers, and employers.  Integrative alternative medicine providers often offer comprehensive approaches that encourage healthy lifestyle management and naturally based therapies.

     Few would argue with the claim that choosing healthy and organic living is an important step toward empowered personal health that promotes an ecofriendly awareness.  Similarly, for companies seeking a socially responsible investment in health, choosing a credentialed network of integrative medicine providers offers an effective option for improving employee health. 

Since the recent passing of the Affordable Care Act, many patients, providers, and health care organizations are wondering what will change as a result.  In particular, the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) community may look with hope, concern, or mindful optimism at several sections of the bill.  

 The utilization of CAM services has grown substantially since the 1980’s in conjunction with the ecofriendly movement toward exploring natural health options.  So it’s no surprise that the new bill makes some notable attempts at the inclusion of holistic alternative medicine, though few without careful caveats. 

Attention to CAM can be found throughout the bill, most notably in the inclusive language that identifies licensed CAM providers within several specific sections of legislation.  Arguably the most significant among these is Sec. 2706, which establishes a non-discrimination provision to include licensed health care providers acting within their scope of practice in group health plans.  Though reimbursement limits and exclusions may apply, this legislation establishes a starting point that at least in theory attempts to increase access to CAM services and level the playing field for CAM and conventional providers.  

Additional sections also reference CAM, such as Sec. 3502, which describes community based  interdisciplinary professional teams delivering patient-centered medicine that "may" include doctors of chiropractic and other licensed CAM providers.  Other Sections that address integrative medicine include Sec. 4206, which discusses individual wellness program pilots that will focus on helping participants establish healthy lifestyles through preventive medicine; and Sec. 5101, which establishes a National Healthcare Workforce Commission that may include CAM providers to help analyze information and make policy recommendations; and a few others that reference integrative medicine explicitly.

Since state scopes among CAM providers vary widely, the expertise of the credentialed network of CAM providers offered through CAM PPO of America, Inc. remains a socially responsible investment for employers seeking to invest in employee health and preventive medicine rather than relying on "add on" approaches to integrative medicine benefit planning.