The Positively Green Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Self-care, Wellness and Resiliency with Dr. Anna O'Malley Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Anna O'Malley, is an Integrative Family and Community Medicine physician and founder of Natura Institute of Ecology and Medicine, in the Commonweal Garden, who on a daily basis bears witness to the limiting challenges of the medical or "disease manage-ment" system. She has done a lot of research on anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, foods, how to most effectively cleanse and detoxify the body, and preparing foods for maximum nutrition.

In this episode we talk about:

The remarkable ability of human beings to heal, to be well, and feel vitality
Our capacity to recover from difficulties, to "spring back" and
The circumstances and self-care practices that are strongly supportive to well being

Farming while Black with Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

Leah Penniman, mother, farmer, ordained spiritual teacher, and author co-founded Soul Fire Farm, an 80-acre farm in New York, with the mission of reclaiming the inherent right to belong to the earth and have agency in the food system for Black and Brown people.

She has led thousands through farmer training, on her 80-acre farm in New York and internationally in Mexico, Haiti, and Ghana, building solidarity with different communities to strengthen local food systems. Leah's book "Farming While Black" is a love song for the earth and her peoples.

During this episode, we hear Leah's stories about:

How she first was called to become a farmer
Hope for the future of our planet
Her approach to planning and planting
How legislation has actively decreased land access to Black and Brown people
What land back practice can look like

You'll also learn about Suzette, and how growing up Haitian in the San Francisco Bay Area inspired her lifelong planting and cooking journey.

An honest and open conversation about the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

We are back on the Positively Green Podcast to talk all about everything you need to know for your 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy. This is a no-nonsense episode full of down-to-earth experience and insight for all our soon-to-be mamas out there. Suzette and I don't shy away from topics like sex while pregnant, circumcision, itchy breasts - and all the other glorious pregnancy symptoms mamas face as they finish out the last months of their pregnancy.

In this episode we discuss:

What has sex been like during the 2nd and 3rd trimester
To circumcise or not to circumcise with homebirth
Why the 20-week ultrasound is important for homebirth
What other gestational diabetes testing options are out there - Fresh Test or monitoring daily yourself with Precision Xtra
Alternative sources of care like chiropractic and cranial sacral therapy
What's it like to get Covid while pregnant?
Common symptoms during the 2nd and 3rd trimester and natural solutions
Great resources for your 2nd and 3rd trimester

Common 2nd and 3rd Trimester symptoms and natural solutions:

Leg Cramps - taking Liquid IV or Concentrace and Magnesium supplements

Heartburn - Tum's naturals because there's no food dye.

Fluid retention - wearing Compression socks and switching to a silicone wedding ring

Pelvic and low back discomfort - wearing a Maternity belt for support and always sitting on my birth ball. Get your body in the water if you can! Utilize walking and the Spinning Babies stretches (link below).

Scratchy skin (tummy and breasts) - Earth Mama's belly oil. Reduce your showering down to once every two days instead of every day (especially in a winter climate). Applying lotion at night before bed.

Breasts increasing in size - be sure to get comfortable bras that don't restrict your ribcage because your diaphragm will put unnecessary pressure on your pelvic floor if your ribs can't expand. I love True Body bras and Kindred Bravely's nursing bras for comfort even before the baby arrives.

Numbness and tingling in hands and arms - (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) this issue especially kept me up at night. I found what worked best to be regular chiropractic care, cranial-sacral therapy, and wearing a wrist brace.

The best resources for your 2nd and 3rd trimester:

Your birth team! Rely on your OB, midwife, and doula to help you navigate questions and knowledge, it's their job.

Books:

Nursing Your Baby by Karen Pryor
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
Nobody Told Me That: The First Six Weeks

Shop secondhand at Goodwill for maternity clothes as you get bigger. I simply sized up to a L with tops and leggings.

BabyList for your baby registry. Have your baby shower before 30 weeks if you can. You are generally more comfortable!!

Use Facebook marketplace for the higher-priced baby items and save on getting them secondhand.

Exercise:

Spinning Babies stretches
Walking
Prenatal yoga

Raising chickens naturally with Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

To kick off season 4 of the podcast we have on the queen of the coop herself - Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily. Lisa has been raising chickens naturally for over a decade on her Fresh Eggs Daily Blog and shares with us all about how you can get started with your first backyard flock. We love her down-to-earth advice on using herbs and natural means to care for your hens. Lisa was and continues to be incredibly generous with her knowledge and insight on chicken care so be sure to tune in!

With an audience of nearly a million followers that spans the globe, 5th generation chicken keeper and "eggspert" Lisa Steele is well-recognized as the creative force behind Fresh Eggs Daily®, the most popular destination for natural poultry-keeping advice on the internet, and one of the most influential players in the backyard chicken keeping community.

Carrying on her time-honored family tradition (she grew up across the street from her grandparents chicken farm in Massachusetts), Lisa is also a Maine Master Gardener, avid DIYer, and accomplished "coop to kitchen" cook using fresh eggs from her coop and fresh produce and herbs from her gardens on the farm in central Maine she shares with her husband, their corgi, tuxedo cat, and a mixed flock of nearly two dozen chickens, ducks, and geese.

With more than 130,000 copies of her six books in print, making her one of the most popular top-selling poultry authors of all time, Lisa is currently working on her seventh - an egg cookbook titled The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook which will be published by the Harper Horizon division of HarperCollins in February 2022. Preorder the cookbook at this link!

Episode topics:

How to process chicken manure for compost
What does raising chickens naturally mean? What does it look like in practice?
How to raise and maintain a healthy flock
Beginner chicken keeping tips
Winter chicken care tips
What to do with leftover plastic feed bags?
Lisa's favorite herbs she grows for her chickens
Lisa's favorite chicken breed
Lisa's Brewer's Yeast + Garlic Supplement for hens and ducks
To have or not to have roosters?
What to do with all those eggs?
Lisa's new cookbook The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook

Stay in touch with Lisa on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and her website.

Learn more about Green Willow Homestead's A-frame Mobile Chicken Tractor Build Plans

Sustainable and non-toxic home renovation and remodeling tips with Lisa Tharp and ECOS Paints Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

Today we are chatting about all things non-toxic and sustainable home renovation and remodeling. We have Lisa Tharp, an eco-minded award-winning designer, on the show. She founded Lisa Tharp Design, an international design firm known for its clean-lined artistic blend of the classic with the modern, a hand-crafted custom furniture line, and industry leadership in design practices that support the wellness of people and our planet.

Lisa is committed to the idea of a healthy house after her own health challenges were traced back to toxic building materials in previous work environments. She has spent over ten years incorporating healthy building principles into her own design work. She partnered with ECOS Paints because they are a leader in non-toxic, eco-friendly, VOC-free paints that are odor-free. ECOS has been trusted by The Louvre, The Harvard Office of Sustainability, Google Office, as well as Westminster Abbey.

In this episode we chat about:

Lisa's journey into sustainably-minded home remodeling
What chemicals consumers need to be concerned about when remodeling their homes
How to incorporate the elements of nature into home renovation
Top tips for listeners who want to tackle their next house project with a sustainable and non-toxic mindset
What sets ECOS Paints apart from others in the industry

Resources Mentioned:

Prescriptions for a Healthy House by Paula Baker-Laporte
A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander
Chairish.com - secondhand shopping
WELL Certified Homes
The Story of Stuff Video

Shop Kelsey's handcrafted cocktail bitters by clicking here

How to have a natural and empowered first trimester of your pregnancy Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

We've got some exciting news! The PGP family is growing. Kelsey's having a baby!

Getting through your first trimester can be such a challenge. From morning sickness to fatigue to sleeping issues - your body is going through so many changes as you grow a human. We are sharing tips and tricks on how to get through those first trimester symptoms. We also are going to share the go-to resources that helped us learn and understand the changes our bodies are going through.

Resources Mentioned:

SmartyPants Prenatal (the proper form of folate)
Cod Liver Oil with Butter Oil (wonderful source of DHA, Vitamin D, and Vitamin A)
Desiccated Liver (lots of vitamins and minerals)
Digestion GB (to help with protein and fat digestion)
Magnesium (to help with sleep issues)
Zetox
Collagen for smoothies
Morning Ease Ginger Lemon Drops from Traditional Medicinals
Ava bracelet
The Bump App
The Bloom Method
One Strong Mama Pelvic Floor Training

Books + Podcasts

Birth without Fear by January Harshe. She's had six babies with all different kinds of birth.
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care by Sally Fallon (take info with a grain of salt some anti-science stuff)
Montessori Baby by Simone Davies, Junnifa Uzodik
Mindful Birthing, by Nancy Bardacke
DIAH Podcast
Motherly Podcast
Maintenance Phase Podcast

Birthing Courses

Mindfulness-based Childbirth and Parenting
Mama Natural Birth Course

Shop our sponsor, The Earthling Co and get 15% off your first order here!

Putting convenience back into the sustainability conversation with Lauren Gropper of Repurpose Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

Wouldn't be great if we could give ourselves a bit of a break as we strive for sustainability in our everyday lives? That's why we had Lauren Gropper, the founder of Repurpose, on the Positively Green Podcast. Repurpose is one of the leading brands in compostable single-use tableware - meaning you can plan your next BBQ with a clean conscience!

Topics discussed:

Lauren's journey to founding Repurpose
How their compostable tableware is made
How Repurpose single-use tableware breaks down in landfills and backyard composting systems
Repurpose accessibility and price point compared to leading single-use brands
The most important aspects of founding a sustainable company.

Shop Repurpose here!

Shop our sponsor, The Earthling Co and get 15% off your first order here!

Turning food waste into compost right on your kitchen counter with Jeremy Lang of Lomi and Pela Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

The woes of composting your food waste are many. From the odor to messiness, trying to compost at home can be extremely challenging, especially if you don't have composting service or a backyard to finish your compost. That's why we had Jeremy Lang, the founder of Pela and Lomi, on the Positively Green Podcast. In this episode, we learn all about Lomi - the countertop composter that turns your food waste into compost in a matter of hours. No mess and no smell - just finished compost at the push of a button!

Jeremy Lang is the Founder and Vice President of Sustainability at Pela. Pela is best known for their biodegradable phone cases and more recently, their countertop composter - Lomi. Pela makes everyday products without everyday waste that educate and inspire a global community of people who are committed to making a positive impact on our planet. As a Certified B Corporation, Climate Neutral Certified, and a member of 1% For The Planet, Pela is on a mission to eliminate 1 billion pounds of waste from the global waste stream and continues to research and develop the most innovative products to create a waste-free future.

In this episode we discuss:

The story behind the Pela phone case and why Jeremy cares about waste
What makes Pela different from other biodegradable plastics?
What is Lomi and how does it turn food waste into compost on your kitchen counter?!
What does maintenance look like for Lomi?
What will it take to create a truly circular economy?

Want to preorder your own Lomi? For $50 you can reserve your Lomi at this link before they are sold out!

Shop our sponsor, The Earthling Co and get 15% off your first order here!

Eco-Friendly Back to School Shopping Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

It's that time of year again! Back to school shopping. In this episode, Suzette will share her eco-friendly back-to-school shopping tips, adapted from an article written by Jennifer Aiken.

In this episode you'll learn about:

Shopping for school supplies
Buying eco-friendly clothes
Packing a plastic-free lunch
Yummy alternatives to packaged snacks

Resources mentioned:

It's easy to get the classroom list and run to the store, but before heading out, take inventory of what you already have. You likely have some of the supplies already.

Get your kids involved and help them take part in this practice. Most kids are aware of climate change and want us adults to help them understand how they can be proactive. Back-to-school shopping is a great way to get started.

Spring Wellness Tips for Health and Vitality Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, we are sharing six wellness tips to slow your mind, strengthen your body, and tend to your spirit for the refreshing season of Spring.

We discuss: