With Valentine's Day approaching, I knew I would want to eat chocolate, whether it was good for me or not. So I started researching and found not only are some chocolates actually good for your health, but there are many new chocolate products on the market.

Have you ever heard of cacao nibs? Neither had I. But they are delicious and have no sugar at all. They are just bits of roasted cacao beans. You would think they would be bitter, but they're not. They are kind of like eating chocolate nuts.

There are many more organic and fair trade chocolates than ever before--some going in wild new gourmet directions!

Be sure to read my article "Choosing Healthy Chocolate" to find out how and why certain chocolates can be good for your health, how to avoid hidden hazards in chocolates, new chocolates on the market, how to choose the healthiest and tastiest chocolates, how to really savor eating chocolate, and more...

And try my recipes for rich homemade fudge made with xylitol, a natural sweetener that doesn't cause a blood sugar rise, and luscious chocolate cake made with date sugar.

* Organic flowers, delivered to your sweetheart's door.

* Organic wines from all over the world.

* Green gift collections carefully chosen by experts who can help you find just the right eco-friendly gift, then wrap and deliver it.

Though your city's water quality report may claim low levels of lead, independent tests of water samples in individual homes done by Good Housekeeping Institute found otherwise. In their tests of drinking water in eight metropolitan areas, 12 percent of the homes sampled had lead levels exceeding the acceptable EPA standard.

Part of the problem lies in the acceptable standard for lead. "The EPA acknowledges that in terms of health there should be no lead in water," says the Good Housekeeping article. "But that isn't reflected in the standard the agency created, which is that water should contain no more than 15 parts of lead per billion. The EPA considered this a feasible target for utilities, based on what water-system technology could achieve and how much it would cost." Note the standard is not based on health, but on what is considered feasible. Even at levels below this standard, enough lead can accumulate in a child's bloodstream to affect their IQ.

Read portions of the article "Is Your Family's Water Safe?" online or read the full article in the February 2005 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, in libraries and on sale at newsstands now.

According to a recently-released study by the National Academy of Sciences, perchlorates, a common pollutant near military sites, have been found in the water in 35 states at levels of concern, as well as in 93% of lettuce and milk.

The government funded report shows perchlorates to be about ten times more toxic to humans than the Department of Defense has been claiming. Perchlorates can inhibit thyroid function, cause birth defects and lower IQs. They are considered particularly dangerous to children.

Vermont Soap
Organic soap-based cleaning products made from certified organic coconut, olive and jojoba oils, essential oils, and organic aloe vera, with rosemary extract as a preservative. Can be used for laundry, stain removal, woodwork and wood floors, dishwashing soap, bathrooms, vehicles, carpets, and general cleaning of all water-safe surfaces.

Yellow Branch Cheese
Organic farmstead cheeses made with milk from pasture-grazed cows.

Cosmetics Without Synthetics
Over 300 pure, organic and natural cosmetic products, You can purchase a sample of almost every product before you buy the regular size.

Berea College Student Crafts
Natural household products made made by students who work to earn their tuition and keep traditional Appalachian handcrafts alive.

Though the loss of human life was great in the December 26 earthquake and tsunami, National Geographic News reported that both wild and domestic animals fled to safety. Flamingos abandoned low-lying breeding areas, elephants broke their chains to flee inland before the waves hit, bats flew away from the water, and two dogs saved the life of their owner when they refused to go on their daily run on the beach.

It has been known for centuries that animals can sense impending natural disasters. Though some scientists are skeptical of using animal behavior as indicators of impending natural disasters, other scientists believe that animals can give us advance warnings of both natural disasters and the harmful effects of our own toxic pollution. Miners, remember, used to carry canaries to determine if the air inside the mine was safe to breathe.

It was reported in India that the indigenous, stone-age tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar islands escaped the tsunami because they paid attention to the warnings from birds and mammals.

Nature protects us from harm by using warning signals to alert us that danger is near, allowing us to remove ourselves from harm's way. Many poisonous mushrooms can be easily identified with bright colors, the heat of a fire makes us pull our hand away before the flames can burn our flesh, rotten meat that could cause illness smells bad, the sky grows dark soon enough before a thunderstorm to allow us to take shelter. Nature's warnings are all around us, we need only watch for them.

Dear Debra ~

I had always thought that glass cookware, bakeware, bowls, glasses, food storage, etc. were the healthiest choice, so I've been using them for years. But I just read that glass can contain lead. Is this true?

S.R.
Jupiter, Florida

Most glass does not contain lead. The only type of glass that contains lead is...

Dear Debra ~

I read this article: An Apple A Day Does Keep the Doctor Away...Like the apple info but noticed how the researchers used hydrogen peroxide to induce similar environmental challenge of exposure to free radical stress. Thought about my 15 year old daughter who uses hydrogen peroxide dabbed on her ear holes....

L. G.
Alameda CA

Interesting article.

Your question brings up an important concept regarding how to determine toxicity...

Dear Debra ~

I own a small janitorial company. My mother and my wife both experience symptoms of chemical sensitivity and over the past year I have been converting to all green products. I enjoyed your book on the non-toxic home and office. I liked the fact that instead of dwelling on negatives until the end of the book, you offer solutions right away to each issue.

In my business I have to strip and wax large floor areas, I have found some "green" products for this but many still contain up to 6% VOCs. Do you know of any truly natural alternatives for this?

Here are a couple of the companies I have found so far:
* Coastwide Labs
* National Chemical Labs

S. P.
Green Bay WI

I took a look at the products you mentioned and...

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