Luv Green Freebies

Do you like free stuff?  Actual quality free stuff…

Hello!

My name is Charlene, merry meet.  If you have been browsing Eupterra’s pages for a while, you have probably discovered that I am a fan of organic, all-natural, raw/paleo food, medicine, and personal care orientated items. (I do hope you have enjoyed many of my articles)

What you may not know is, I am also a hunter and a sucker for freebies, too 🙂

Since I have been doing this for a while and apparently have gotten rather successful at it (from $20 Android Turbo smartphones to free Abercrombie sweaters), by popular demand I have put together a list of some hard-to-find, but really great quality freebie offers centered around something useful in the green/all-natural department and a couple of fan-favorite deals.  Let’s just say I have found this to be a way to try something out that is new, get something real cheap (if not free!) that I like for a while, or just buy gifts for people (you didn’t hear me say that). Check them out, and read below if you want to hear my thoughts on the “system”:

This one is popularly liked for clear reason; Disney movies have a tendency to be good, but expensive and over-priced.  But Disney is known as a leader in hospitality 🙂 If you click the picture above and its link, you can join the Disney Movie Club to get 4 movies for just $1! Simply pick your movies, join the club, and build your library.  That is all it takes, enjoy!

Kiwi.com is becoming a pretty big deal. It allows travelers to find and book the cheapest flights possible. With an extensive database of low-cost flights and traditional airlines, interactive maps, and guaranteed arrival, you can more easily fly with less stress. Due to its success and rapid growth, Kiwi has actually been featured by Business Insider, The New York Times, USA Today.  Want to see nature’s wonders?  Now, you might get to Hawaii on the cheap!  Just click above.

A good wrinkle reducing cream?  Yes, they are out there, and they do actually work to a certain extent.  Here is one good one that provides a free trial, and promotes natural cellular regeneration.  Called Naturacel, I find this great as a gift and as a product.

Grocery gift cards, aren’t they nice?  No matter how good you are at homesteading, urban gardening, or foraging through the woods, you inevitably have to go to the store, right?  Well, here is a chance to get some of those necessities covered.  Check it out, one of my faves!

Here is another one.  Upon taking a survey, you can potentially win a gift card for $1,500 for groceries.  Wouldn’t that be a lot!  Also, it is mobile friendly.

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The logic behind my success, and why consumerism is not a bad thing

To explain how I got to be so good at hunting for freebies, especially ones that are truly good quality, here are my thoughts on how I developed a mindset in what to look for and some thoughts on how our culture of consumerism isn’t as self-destructive as it appears made out to be:

Most of us live in a capitalist system, or are connected to it by respective countries.  After the advent of mass production technologies, the largest and pre-dominant corporations among us have as you may have noticed encouraged the development of a consumerism-centric culture to market and employ all sorts of snagging techniques to get you, the consumer, to buy something from them.  Let’s face it, you may have realized this by now, it’s rather hard to resist (Superbowl ads and their cult following, Amazon – how easy is Prime, Walmart – nuff said, Chipotle – gosh, I’m hungry, Coca-Cola – even 3rd world countries in Africa have billboards advertising Coke seriously, etc.).

Now some of this has been really good for us (let’s not forget Ford Motors and the Model T car making automobile ownership accessible to many Americans), but sometimes it kind of feels like we are being taken advantage of – being pressured to buy all the time!  Rather than debate ethically how “bad” this might be, I think it wise to point out the bright side of this bombardment of sell, sell, sell tactics…

These companies have deep-pockets.  Deep enough that they have no qualms about giving away a lot of “free samples” to get you to buy.  When I say a lot, I mean A LOT!

Think about this…how many times have you gone to the grocery store and purposely hit up all the “free sample” stations?  Uh-huh, you can be shameless here. The point is, even your local farmer, rancher, winery, deli counter, (insert producer here) is doing it.  And the reason why…Marketing.  They want to market new, or refresh your memory of their product.

So, to take advantage of this online, you can search for almost any high quality deal out there and get a sample of what they have to offer.  The question is knowing the best places to look, and that is the hard part; hence, my above compiled list.  Sometimes, it is a matter of timing – like AT&T stores will sometimes host big giveaways if you just know to keep tabs on when.  Most of the time, it just boils down to a huge amount of digging.

Know somebody who wants to lose weight in your family healthfully?

Or what about one who wants to travel?

How about Disney movies (The Lion King, WALL-E, Bambi, Jungle Book, Free Willy, Disneynature’s Oceans)? Check out this cool guide to Disney’s top eco-themed movies by Smithsonian.com.

All these and more can all be gotten for a heck of a deal, and you know what, you should not feel bad about it.  Not. One. Cent.

Why?

Because consumerism is built to take advantage of you, the consumer, by employing such a plethora of marketing and advertising techniques that somehow, someway you will eventually be convinced to buy from them.  It is just a matter of time and your specific individual desires and needs. Those companies/producers know eventually they will get a return for their samples and efforts – aka profit.

This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, nor does it mean that you can’t take control of yourself. In fact, this gives us, the consumer, a democratic voice.  Yes, that is right, capitalism and democracy go hand-in-hand on the free market for this one  – what you choose eventually determines the next course headed in by profit chasing corporations.  That is, we – together – can be the ultimate influence on our environment…

Ethical/Conscious Consumerism

Here me out on this one.  When one chooses to buy, let’s say a new flatscreen TV or a new grass-fed beef to grill, the “producer” or company earns a profit.  They want profits.  So, if they notice you buying only the cheapest, most likely to break item without care or concern for the sweat-shop labor that probably produced it, then they will respond as “the consumer wants more of these” and produce more of the same kind.  However, what if people chose something different?  What if you chose to buy quality, long-lasting, hand-made, sustainable/fair trade goods that inevitably had a positive impact on the world in terms of: jobs had, bio-degradable/less landfill space occupying, more effective medicines/less side-effects, healthier for you food, less disease causing pollution/pathogen methods, and more humane practices for animals.

Maybe even a boost to your local economy?

The companies would respond in kind, right?  They would respond by producing what you the consumer wants: a better world.

Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at some natural examples, as I am so fond to do, of this principle in action.  What did Darwin call it – survival of the fittest!

Ex. A – Bees & Flowers

Bees and a large variety of other insects select flowers to collect pollen and drink nectar on.  What flowers they choose end up propagating more seeds (plants can’t easily propagate themselves). Those plants go on to dominate the next generation in terms of numbers of offspring.  Thus, if one plant produces extra large amounts of nectar or really beautiful attractive flowers, the bees will come en masse to those ones and perhaps not pay as much attention to the rest.  A choice?  The bees have as consumers in essence directed what flowers the flowering plants will produce more of over time.

Perhaps this explains why we have such a wide-selection of wonderful flowers everywhere…they are all trying to advertise and market to us!

Ex. B – Seeds & Beaks

In one of Darwin’s famous examples of presenting evolution through natural selection, he provided the case study of the Galapagos Island finch.  Or should I say, finches.  Although the Galapagos Island bird population started as just one species, in order to get access to all the different kinds of seeds more easily across the islands, the bird’s beaks adapted to the shape best fit for each seed.  Thus, the birds became many different kinds of finches, albeit rather related to one another. Thus, the choice of specializing as consumers of seeds produced caused a change in the species itself.

What kind of conclusion may we be drawing from this?  Could we say that nature is…

*gasp!

…a consumerism-centric system?

Whoa!

Well, maybe nature is not consumerist in the sense that capitalism is, but there is definitely a relationship between consumers and producers.  The same relationship we see in human civilization today.  The difference is, unlike our animal counterparts, we are actually sentient.  We can make choices much more thought-out then our furry, feathered, scaly, slimy, buzzy brethren friends.

If we choose to make our world a better place today by employing conscientious consumerism that takes into account the ethics, methods, and long-lasting effects of the goods and services we desire on top of the quality of those same things that we need, can you imagine 7 billion people choosing for society to change for the healthier and more sustainable way?

We can do this everyday 🙂

Capitalism and consumerism need not be mankind’s destructive legacy.  We do not have to suffer in thought of a bleak future caused by our ignorant actions to rape our planet, drain our resources, pollute ourselves to disease and misery, and replace our jobs in every single way.  We can in fact use it to our greatest advantage, a weapon that would be our greatest strength.

The choice is yours, I only encourage you to choose sustainably~

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For more information on how to benefit your local economy, check out Northern Indiana’s Purple Porch Farming Co-ops message on how local farming co-opoeratives really help make a difference in your part of the world:

Visit Eupterra Foundation’s page for the video.

Also, if you want to learn more about Fair Trade or hand-made items, check out the info provided at Just Goods – South Bend, IN.

Want to teach your kids to be conscious consumers, check out The Huffington Post’s take on this!

As always, feel free to browse Eupterra, hit us up on social media, and sign-up to our seasonal newsletter for more tips, tricks, and all-natural fun!

Together, let us delve into the past for a healthier more sustainable future.

~Charlene A. Rountree

Founder of Eupterra Foundation

Is it possible that eating wild honey created from the pollen of certain types of flowers can make a person feel a bit “under the influence”?

In this article, we look into the effects of rhododendron pollen in the medicinal honey called “deli bal” frequently found in regions of the Black Sea.

Watch as a group quest to “hunt” mad honey with members of a tribe in Nepal to find out!

Hallucinogenic Honey

Learn more about hallucinogenic or “mad” honey by reading up on Rhododendron’s and their honey contributing properties.

Interested in trying rhododendron honey?  Although different than those produced in Turkey and Nepal, Fabrizio’s family in Italy collects honey from rhododendron flowers for those interested in a try!

Learn more about Hallucinogenic Honey

The story of “hallucinogenic honey” starts in Turkey. It is a dark, reddish honey, known as deli bal in Turkey.  It contains an ingredient from rhododendron nectar called grayanotoxin, which is a natural neurotoxin. In small quantities, it brings on light-headedness and sometimes, hallucinations.

In the 1700s, the Black Sea region traded this potent produce with Europe, where the honey was infused with drinks to give boozers a greater high than alcohol could deliver. Wow!

Remember Absinthe and its famous wormwood infused properties…

When over-imbibed, however, the honey can cause low blood pressure and irregularities in the heartbeat that bring on nausea, numbness, blurred vision, fainting, potent hallucinations, seizures, and even death, in rare cases.

Nowadays, cases of mad honey poisoning crop up every few years—oftentimes in travelers who have visited Turkey.

Check out this song inspired by “mad honey”

If there are rhododendrons everywhere, why is mad honey found only in Turkey?

Mad honey is most common in the region fringing the Black Sea — the biggest honey-producing region in Turkey. Yet, it is produced from rhododendrons, and these plants grow in vast areas, all over the world!

Because:
Though, there are more than 700 different species of rhododendron in the world, only two or three include grayanotoxin in their nectars. (says Dr. Süleyman Turedi, who studies deli bal’s effects, doctor at the Karadeniz Technical University School of Medicine in Trabzon, Turkey.): Rhododendron ponticum and Rhododendron luteum.

The mountains around the Black Sea provide the perfect habitat for these flowers to grow in monocrop-like swaths. Bees arrive in these fields, where there are no other flowers, so no other nectar gets mixed in. It results a pure, potent honey.

Why are the Turks producing it?

Because they are using it as medicine.
Hallucinogenic or “mad” honey is used in the indigenous Black Sea area to treat hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and some different stomach diseases. And, some people use deli bal to improve their sexual performance.”

The honey is taken in small amounts, sometimes boiled in milk, and consumed just before breakfast. This means it is considered medicine and taken likewise, not on toast or with tea.

Is it legal?

It is legal in Turkey. And we can also find it over the internet. Hallucinogenic honey is expensive and hard to be sure it’s the real thing. The beekeepers who produce it typically only sell it in a closed circle.

After how much mad honey are we poisoned?

If anybody eats more than 1 spoonful of hallucinogenic honey including grayanotoxin, is at risk of mad honey poisoning! And if we refer to fresh honey, than we should eat even less than 1 teaspoon.

Science facts:

“Many plants of the Ericaceae family, Rhododendron, Pieris, Agarista and Kalmia, contain diterpene grayanotoxins. Consuming the honey made from these plats may result in intoxication specifically characterized by dizziness, hypotension and atrial-ventricular block.
Symptoms are caused by an inability to inactivate neural sodium ion channels resulting in continuous increased vagal tone.

Grayanotoxin containing products are currently sold online, which may pose an increasing risk. In humans, intoxication is rarely lethal, in contrast to cattle and pet poisoning cases.
Scientific evidence for the medicinal properties of grayanotoxin containing preparations, such as honey or herbal preparation in use in folk medicine, is scarce, and such use may even be harmful.” (according to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

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Want to learn more about honey’s medicinal uses, check out Honey in Ayurveda.

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Ayurveda recommends foods for people according to their primary body type. The reason this is done is because it is believed foods can be both healing and the source of imbalance and difficulties. By eating foods according to our Ayurvedic body type, the belief is that we will accumulate less Ama, or waste, in the body.

In Ayurveda, people are classified according to three principles: vata, kapha, and pitta. It’s important to understand that although we may be dominant in one principle, we actually have all three present in our body. The others are in a smaller ration. Most people will actually be a combination of two of these principles, with the third only playing a minor role. But because we all contain the three, any of them can get out of balance.

So, let’s see what body type are you!

Pitta

Characteristics of Pitta dominant body types

• determination
• strong willed
• good digestion
• initiative
• energy
• passionate about many things

Ayurveda’s Pitta constitution is calmed by cooling foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables. Bitter green vegetables like watercress, parsley, collards, and most greens suit pitta. Fruits that suit pitta body types include sweet berries, sweet apples and apricots, coconut, figs, mango, sweet oranges and pineapples, plums, watermelon, pomegranates, and prunes.

Other cooling foods include most dairy products, though sour cream, hard cheeses, and yoghurt don’t really suit pitta due to their being too high in fat, salt, or sourness. But dairy that suits pitta includes milk, cottage cheese, soft cheeses, and ice cream.

Grains that suit pitta body types include barley, basmati rice, and wheat (unless you are allergic or gluten sensitive).

Pitta body types generally like a lot of protein, and they probably need a little more than the other Ayurvedic body types. Spices that are cooling in nature are also important. These include coriander, cumin, mint, parsley, dill, and fennel. Garlic should be avoided though as it is too heating.

In terms of sweets, Pitta body types should use maple syrup, barley malt, brown rice syrup, and honey that is 6 months or less old, preferably raw.

Things that can imbalance Pitta body types:

• excess heat, hot climates, and hot times of day
• humidity
• vacations and times when there is increased mobility
• excess oil in the diet
• too many hot foods, including spicy foods. But this can also mean too many cooked meals
• excess caffeine, salt, red meat and alcohol

Vata

Characteristics of people with a dominant Vata body type:

• flexibility
• quick mind
• creative
• always on the go – mentally and physically

Dietary choices that support vata aim at grounding this energy-in-motion. Routine is also very helpful, though not naturally something vata body type people will create. Vata people benefit from meditation, warmth, soothing music, taking breaks, and resting (again, not a natural vata inclination!).

With regards to food, vata body types should include warming spices, including ginger and cloves, anise, cayenne, cinnamon, garlic, horseradish, caraway, mint, mustard seeds, parsley, cooked onion, paprika, rose water, vanilla, tarragon, thyme, and rosemary.

People with the vata body type should minimize raw food, including salad, though salads should not be eliminated completely as they provide valuable nutrients. Vata should ground the salad with a dressing made from oil and vinegar, and be aware of the weather at the time of eating it. Being more sensitive to cold, vata’s should have salads on warmer days.

Icy cold drinks are not balancing for vata – in fact quite the opposite. Sugar also throws vata types off balance, though vata are lucky in that they can enjoy other sweets.

Vata generally love fruit, and it suits their ayurvedic constitution. The exceptions are apples, pears, cranberries, watermelon, and dried fruit. Vata types should go for sweet and moist fruit, like mangoes, nectarines, bananas, coconut, fresh figs, peaches, and strawberries.

Cooked grains like oatmeal, basmati rice, and brown rice, are very grounding for the vata ayurvedic constitution. Beans (legumes), on the other hand, are not! Beans are cold, dry, and heavy – not the attributes that support vata.

Things that can imbalance vata dominant body types include:

• a lot of travel, especially by plane
• loud noises
• constant stimulation
• drugs, sugar, and alcohol
• cold climates (especially extremely cold ones) and cold food
• frozen and dried food

Kapha

Characteristics of people with a kapha dominant body type:

• strength
• stamina
• endurance
• groundedness
• calm
• fluid

Kapha body types are not suited to a high protein diet like the Atkins diet. Not only should they avoid too much fat, but also, excessive heavy protein. The kapha quality is already heavy, and although this doesn’t sound great, it is what provides Kapha body types with a wonderful stability and strength.

Kapha should have light and low fat protein. Beans, with the exception of soy and soy products, are great for kapha. Soy milk is preferable to dairy though, for kapha. Beans help move kapha’s energy, and digestive system, a bit. Barley is also excellent. In terms of meat, chicken and turkey suit kapha.

Kapha body types should have plenty of vegetables, including bitter vegetables, peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, eggplant, lettuce, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, corn cobs, peas, beets, and celery.

Dairy is heavy and cooling, and it does not suit the Kapha ayurvedic body type. Light and crispy food, like corn tortillas and popcorn, suit kapha. Kapha people should make sure they have variety in their diet, as kapha body types have a danger of falling into a rut more than others.

Asian and Latin American style meals are great for kapha. They are spicy and light, free of dairy, and have plenty of vegetables in them.

Things that can imbalance Kapha body types:

• inertia
• too much fat in the diet, including oil we cook with!
• dairy products
• not enough stimulation and challenge
• not enough variety
• not enough exercise
• too much bread, iced foods and drinks, and sweets

Understanding one’s self can have a major impact on the quality of your health and life.

For more on body types and Ayurveda or Ayurveda cook books, click here.