Each year, Americans purchase a whopping 600 million pounds of candy to celebrate Halloween. What does this look like? Imagine 16 billion Snickers or 158 trillion pieces of Candy Corn. It has been reported that the average American eats 25 pounds of candy a year, much of which is likely consumed right around this time of year. But while sugar-laden candy sales continue strong, a growing population of heath-conscious individuals and concerned parents are seeking alternative options. Now, thanks to Green America and Brainard’s Natural Remedies All Natural Antacid®, Halloween can be celebrated as fun and healthy with Green Halloween® –a movement for healthier, more eco-friendly traditions.

This Halloween, Brainard’s Natural Remedies is teaming up with Green America as the proud sponsor of their Green Halloween® event. Green America has reached across the U.S.; in 2011 they hosted approximately 30 official public celebrations, where they replaced over 1 million pieces of conventional candy with healthier options. “It is an honor to team-up with Green America in this endeavor that aims to promote good health in celebrating the holidays,” says Elliott Brainard, Founder and President of Brainard’s Natural Remedies.

“Children often experience upset stomach, heartburn and indigestion from eating so much Halloween candy,” explains Brainard. “Fortunately, Brainard’s Natural Remedies All Natural Antacid, tastes good as well as provides the power and health benefits of blueberries. By incorporating the blueberry fiber and along with other essential berry extracts into the antacid, it becomes almost just as easy to eat as candy while providing much needed relief from occasional indigestion, naturally!”

Known for their anti-inflammatory abilities within the digestive tract, blueberries help to reduce the leading symptoms of indigestion, including stomach discomfort. Not only do blueberries aid in anti-inflammatory processes within the stomach, but the high amount of fiber that they contain creates a multitude of benefits for the lower gastrointestinal tract. Along with blueberries, Brainard’s All Natural Antacid is also powered by a unique blend of pomegranate, bilberry, and elderberry extracts. This antioxidant combination aids in the removal of free radicals from the body.

“Being aware of what we eat this holiday season can substantially effect how we feel,” adds Brainard. “Children as well as parents can benefit from this product because it helps with indigestion from the sugary sweets we are adding into our diets.”

About Brainard’s Natural Remedies®

Established in 2010, Brainard’s Natural Remedies All Natural Antacid is the result of a berry fruitful discovery. Founder and President, Elliott Brainard discovered the benefit of using blueberries to relieve stomach discomfort in his own personal life. Upon this discovery, Brainard researched the power of blueberries and other natural ingredients that promote good digestion. His findings led to the production of Brainard’s Natural Remedies, a healthy alternative to help relieve indigestion for everyone.

Currently, Brainard’s Natural Remedies All Natural Antacid comes in a chewable tablet form and is available in a 4 tablet pouch, 10 tablet refillable tube, 30 tablet bottle and 90 tablet bottle. Brainard’s Natural Remedies can be found in health food stores throughout the United States. For a complete list of retail stores, visit www.brainardsnaturalremedies.com.

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For more information on Brainard’s Natural Remedies, including request for samples and to schedule an interview with Founder and President Elliott Brainard, please contact Rajan De Los Santos at Christie Communications at (805) 969-3744 or rajan@christiecomm.com. ###

by Corey

We are thrilled and honored to partner with Non-GMO Project again this year to present the 2012 Guide to a non-GMO Halloween!

Offered to parents as a toolkit, the 2012 Guide (pdf) contains a list of Non-GMO Project Verified Halloween treats, such as Endangered Species Chocolates, fun ideas for “treasures” (non-food goodies) and even a healthy recipe from our very own food blogger, Kia Robertson.

Get the facts about “Frankenfoods” and learn more about what actions you can take (throughout the year) to protect your family and planet at NonGMOProject.org. Then, if you live in California, vote yes of Prop 37!

Get the Guide here.

Learn more about GMOs and what you can do to fight “Frankenfoods”! Visit:

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Looking for more ways to green your holidays, celebrations and every-day? Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®. Connect with Lynn and Corey on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: “Cocoa Beans” credit Rainforest Alliance

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to stock up on chocolates and sweet treats for the inevitable rush of trick-or-treaters. Ensure your holiday is scary in spirit, but easy on the environment with the Rainforest Alliance’s five tips to green your Halloween.

1)      Choose Rainforest Alliance Certified™ chocolate, such as by Endangered Species, for Halloween treats. Farmed on over 18 million acres of tropical land, some five million farmers rely on cocoa for their livelihoods. Unfortunately, many of these clear forests to expand their cocoa-growing lands. By choosing chocolate that features the green frog seal, you’re rewarding farmers that protect tropical forests and support the well-being of workers and local communities.

2)      Make terrifyingly tasty treats with Rainforest Alliance Certified chocolate, bananas and coffee. Check out our “Haunted Halloween Recipes” and visit our Shop the Frog page to find certified products near you.

3)      Teach your kids where their favorite chocolate treats come from and how they impact people, wildlife and the planet. Visit the Rainforest Alliance’s Kids’ Corner and play the online game Track it Back, to learn where chocolate comes from, where cocoa is grown and how it is harvested! Also visit our virtual rainforest, “Living in the Chocó Forests of Ecuador: The Chachi Cocoa Farmers.” (Brush up on your own knowledge about cocoa farming here.)

4)      Ensure your little trick-or-treater collects candy with a reusable bag.

5)      Instead of driving, walk your tick-or-treater around your local neighborhood. By walking, you are helping to save emissions, while also saving on your gas bill! It will also help to burn off the extra candy calories!

Keep it up! Supporting an eco-friendly lifestyle should be a daily event, not an occasional act. With a little thought, and some guidance from the Rainforest Alliance, you can easily apply these green Halloween tips to your everyday life.

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The Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, businesses and consumers worldwide are involved in the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

Halloween. It’s all about the candy, right? Well not long ago, kids in costume had just as much fun procuring pennies for a worthy cause as they did grabbing fistfuls of treats. Why? Because doing good deeds is fun and meaningful, even for the youngest of the bunch. So this year, consider trick-or-treating-for-good in lieu of (or in addition to) trick-or-treating-for-goodies and see what all the excitement is about.

• Change for Children
• Reverse trick-or-treating
• Trick-or-treat for UNICEF
• Trick-or-Treat for Food Allergy
• Sight Night
• Books For Treats
• The Halloween Candy Buy-Back Program
• Treats for Our Troops

How does your family put the “meaning in the greening” on Halloween? Do share the good!

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Looking for more ways to green your holidays, celebrations and every-day? Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®. Connect with Lynn and Corey on Facebook and Twitter.

My family loves avocados. I mean looooooooves them.

We eat the fabulous fruit for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. They’re the perfect compliment to just about any gluten-free meal. You can mash ‘em, cube ‘em, wrap ‘em and slice ‘em (in a moment you’ll discover that you can even dress ‘em up!). Sometimes we even drink ‘em in our smoothies.

Avocados are also nutrient-filled powerhouses:

Avocados provide nearly 20 essential vitamins and minerals: potassium, folic acid and other B-vitamins, as well as vitamins E and K. They also contain phytonutrients, believed to help prevent many chronic diseases.

Avocados act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein and vitamins A, D, K and E in foods that are eaten with avocados.

They’re also a good source of lutein, an antioxidant which has been shown to be concentrated in the macula of the eye. Research suggests that it may help maintain healthy eyesight as we age. An ounce of avocado contains 81 micrograms of lutein.

Of course, for Halloween, they’re also one of the easiest (and yummiest!) foods to turn just about any gluten-free recipe ghoulishly green. Here are a few of my faves:

Deviled Eyeballs

Peel eggs; cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to medium bowl; arrange whites on serving platter. To bowl with yolks, add avocados and lemon juice; mash until smooth, mixing well. Stir in horseradish, salt and peppers. Fill egg white halves with heaping tablespoon of mixture, piling high; sprinkle with herbs, if desired.

To make devilish eyes: Thinly slice roasted red peppers to create veins on eyeballs. Top with sliced black olives.

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Witches Fingers

Ingredients (choose organic whenever possible):
4 Avocados from Mexico
peeled, pitted and halved
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
2 ounces goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 ounce Applegate natural prosciutto slices

Cut each avocado half into 4-6 slices. Place in medium bowl and gently toss in lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine goat cheese, salt and pepper. Fill the center of each avocado slice with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon goat cheese mixture. Wrap each avocado “finger” with 1/3 slice of prosciutto until the goat cheese is secured to the avocado. Make sure to leave the tip of the avocado exposed, to resemble a finger nail. Arrange the avocados in the shape of a hand on the plate to add extra spookiness. Serve and Enjoy!

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Spookamary

Ingredients (choose organic whenever possible):
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1/2 cup lime juice, divided
2 cups peeled, cubed cucumber
1 fully ripened avocado from Mexico, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
1 cup raw cubed tomatillos
1 cup halved seedless green grapes
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 whole seeded fresh Serrano pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt
6 dashes green hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/3 cups unsweetened coconut water
Tequila or vodka, optional (may not be gluten free)
Avocado slices, grape tomatoes and pickled onions, optional garnish

On a small flat plate, stir together 3 tablespoons salt and the lime rind; set aside. Pour 1/4 cup of the lime juice into a shallow bowl and set aside. In a blender, combine cucumber, avocado, tomatillos, grapes, cilantro, Serrano pepper, remaining 1/4 cup lime juice, celery salt, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, the hot sauce and black pepper; whirl until smooth; mixture will be slightly thick. Transfer to a 2-quart pitcher; stir in coconut water. Add tequila or vodka to taste, if desired. To serve, dip glass rim in reserved lime juice, then into salt and lime rind mixture. Add ice and fill with “Spookamary”. Thread avocado, grape tomatoes and pickled onions onto toothpick or skewer for garnish, if desired.

For more Halloween recipes from Avocados from Mexico, visit: www.avocadosfrommexico.com/Halloween/Recipes.aspx

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What are some of your ghoulishly green Halloween recipes and ideas? Do share the YUM!

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.