“We like our bike.
It is made for three.
Our Mike sits up in back, you see.
We like our Mike and this is why:
Mike does all the work when the hills get high.”
- Dr Seuss


Image: Sanyo Eneloop

Most trips we take are less than 3 miles from our home. With our cities and streets becoming more bike-friendly, and bikes becoming more pedal-friendly, you may want to give bikes another look. While they may not include Dr. Seuss’ “Mike”, the new wave of electric bikes (ebikes) includes some impressive battery power.

At the Consumer Electronic show last week, Sanyo unveiled their new Eneloop Electric Bike which looks like your typical bike, but will take over for the hard stuff (or if you just aren’t in the mood to pedal) . With the battery neatly tucked away and weighing only a few pounds, you can ride the Sanyo as you would any other bike whether you’re in the city or the suburbs. And when the going gets tough, the battery gets going.

…read more of Not in the Mood to Pedal? That’s OK here

While it’s freezing outside, don’t freeze your workout routine.  Staying active in the winter can be a feat of willpower when it is tempting to hibernate.  Here are a few suggestions to keep your heart pumping and muscles flexing despite the ice and snow.

In addition to helping you stay healthy, the following ideas are also eco-friendly—in many cases reducing oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.  Be inspired, change your routine, find something you enjoy, and get your family involved.  Don’t let the cold get you down. …read more of Simple Activities to Help You Stay Fit This Winter here

Life isn’t simple but your choice of shoes should be.

Simple Shoes ecoSneaks are the coolest thing that’s happened in athletic shoes in ages. The lines of sneaker for men and women are made entirely of eco-friendly materials, like hemp and organic cotton. I tested the Women’s Satire in silk and the Men’s Tuba in hemp and have fallen madly in love.

The Satire is a silk sneaker with certified organic cotton laces and a fun organic cotton lining. Silk sneaker? That’s what I thought but as it turns out, silk is a natural protein fiber that keeps your feet cool when it’s warm and warm when it’s cool. I love the red, which has super cute pink piping.



The Tuba is a 100 percent vegan shoe, which is made using no animal byproducts. The exterior is certified organic hemp, which is grown quickly without the use of pesticides. The sneaks come with Recycled PET Laces. PET is made of recycled soda bottles

The shoe bed on both styles is made of super soft and squishy polyurethane and recycled car tire, and these babies have some bounce. They are super comfortable for cruising around town or even for jobs which require standing for long periods of time.

Even Simple Shoes’ boxes are earth friendly; they are made of post-consumer recycled paper, soy based printing ink, natural latex and starch-based glue.

The company is moving towards 100 percent sustainability with its Green Toe initiative. Progress in Green Toe is measured with a scale called “good, better, best.” The best category represents our most sustainable shoes and bags and sets the bar for the rest of the line. Moving forward these same innovative materials and constructions will be found in the good and better categories, raising the bar for the best products.

Simple Shoes is a company whose products you can purchase and wear with pride, and that is no simple feat.

New Balance is sneaking into the green scene with its New Balance 070, a thrilling bit of news to me since NB is the only brand of sneaker I wear.

The collection uses eco-friendly materials, construction and manufacturing processes. According to the company’s PR person, 75 percent of the upper components are made of “environmentally preferred materials.”

The laces, webbing, rand, quarter, tongue and saddle incorporate recycled polyester, while the foxing and the tip of the shoe are constructed of synthetics made with fewer solvents than traditional materials. …read more of A Step in the Right Direction here

Sometimes when I think about what it takes to “get healthy” I am overwhelmed by the emphasis on all the big life changes to my diet, to my exercise regime, and to my stress levels.

I’ve realized, however, that getting healthy does not require a paradigmatic shift in my approach to life; it only requires a few simple modifications to my daily routines.

In celebration of Healthy Heart month, I’ve put together my top 5 tips for easily integrating exercise, healthy eating, and stress reducing activities into my everyday life.

1. Walk Wherever Possible- I’ll use any excuse to get outside, get some fresh air, and stretch my legs a little. …read more of 5 Tips for a Healthy Heart here