National Ethical Investment Week

National Ethical Investment Week takes place next week (8-14 November). NEIW is a campaign which aims to raise awareness of green and ethical finance and investment choices.

There are a large number of people who are concerned about the green and ethical credentials of the purchases they make and yet they never stop and consider what their money may be financing in terms of where they bank and where they invest there savings. There are a wide and constantly expanding range of options available for people concerned about what their investments are financing.

Visit www.neiw.org for some more information about the campaign and green and ethical investing in general.

3 of the best.....natural cold and flu relievers

In keeping with the general illness theme which I established last week, I thought I would highlight ‘3 of the best’ natural cold and flu relievers (I say relievers because I can’t really vouch for these as remedies….during my own recent germ-struggles I have found the following quite helpful although not cures…the best cure for flu is most often time and rest).

Ginger, honey and lemon tea – ginger is a natural antiviral plant and has long been used to treat asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems as well as assisting with digestion and easing nausea. One of the easiest ways to take it is as a tea by steeping shavings of fresh ginger in hot water and adding honey and lemon to taste.

Tomato Soup – ok so this may be more psychosomatic than anything else as a warm bowl of soup is essentially comforting but tomatoes contain high levels of vitamin c and are generally a good source of vitamins. Soup is easily digested which is helpful for someone who is generally worn down. Heavy meals require energy to digest and for someone ill, this energy can be best utilised by the body for getting better.

Steam – steam moisturises and soothes your nasal passages which can be a huge relief when suffering from a cold or flu. The easiest way to get a dose of steam is obviously to have a hot shower. Steam can also help ease congestion and help you expel phlegm.

Ok, I am going to stop going on about being ill now......I promise!

Lurgy, laziness and London Borough Market

I have been a very neglectful blogger of late. The past few weeks have flown by in a haze of fuzzy-headedness and a desire to do as little as possible brought on by an indeterminate illness. So I a) haven’t actually done anything worth sharing and b) have spent any time while not at work sleeping, in the bath or lying on the sofa feeling vaguely sorry for myself.

The one thing I did do before the rot set in was visit London Borough Market. Now is not the best time for a first visit as construction is well under way on one of the market’s main sections….so it is even more crowded than usual and rather difficult to navigate without getting stuck in bottle necks but for anyone who likes food (and I find it hard to imagine how anyone could not) it is still worth a visit.

While there I feasted on raclette, numerous bits of cheese and bread with various olive oils, and fresh cranberry and apple juice. I went home with toffee-pecan cheesecake (oh my word, this is amazing, trust me on this one), Spanish hot sauce (the exact name of which escapes me), chipotle paste, sausages, dry-cure bacon and various herbs and vegetables. Whenever I buy food from Borough I am always amazed at how well dishes turn out and what a difference it makes buying things that are fresh and in season rather than from the supermarket. It’s not possible, unfortunately, for me to do day-to-day shopping at a market but I think it really is worth doing as often as possible.

Psst....

Ok, so I am not sure why either, but online ethical retailer and brand Adili have changed their name to Ascension. Go figure. But what is actually kind of cool is…. they are launching a flagship London store. It will be opening in central London (exact location tbc) in early November. Let’s hope it is the first of many!

3 of the best....ethical shoes

Although I have had a strong word with myself and have vowed (to try my very best) to go easy on the shopping....it doesn't hurt to look! And share with others. So here are 3 of my favourite ethical shoes available at the moment:

Boots: Terra Plana Birch Chocolate Waxed Leather (£170 at Terra Plana)

Heels: Beyond Skin Ruby Shoes (£97 at Equa)

Trainers: Veja Women's (£72 at Ascension)

Food news....

Although I actually love general grocery shopping (which may sound very odd to some people), I also like looking at and buying unusual ingredients and online food shopping opens up a whole new avenue for this. Online food shopping doesn't, in my mind, compare to having a wonder around an actual market (especially Borough market which may just be one of my favourite places in London) but sometimes when that isn't possible online browsing can be the next best thing.

A great site I came across recently is Goodness Direct. The site has all sorts of information, an interesting blog (which recently featured a post about ethical food) and a number of different food categories such as fairtrade and raw foods and they only use biodegradable and/or recyclable packaging.

In other foodie news, it is currently Organic Fortnight so visit the Soil Association's website, http://www.soilassociation.org/ for some more information about the campaign to promote awareness about organic products.

Sign up to 10:10 today....

10:10 is a new initiative (the launch event of which is today actually, so if you can, get down to the Tate Modern from 4pm) which calls on individuals, companies and other organisations to cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

There is plenty of information on the website, www.1010uk.org. about why this is a good thing and how we can all go about achieving this target (in our homes and in the workplace) so I am not going to go on about it here. I just suggest you support the campaign by signing up on the website as soon as you can.....