Gorgeously Green Commitment

Now that summer is almost here and the warm weather keeps teasing us, I find myself in the mood for fun, summery drinks…my favorite being the Starbucks Frappucino.

I am very particular in the way I prefer my Frap. I don’t like a lot of ice…I like it smooth and more liquidy. And I have, on occasion, been known to send it back if it’s not just the right consistency. The other problem that sometimes rears its head is when the cashier calls the order to the barista and says, “Frappucino, light on the ice.” If the barista is busy, he or she sometimes mistakes the light ice for the light frap, which is not a good thing. Aside from the icky chemicals that make it light, it has a horrible aftertaste.

Yesterday I was in Starbucks and, of course, mistakenly got the “light” version. I sent it back…straw, lid and cup…and watched them throw it out and make a completely new one…including straw, lid and cup. As this was happening, I asked them to just rinse out the old cup but the barista said, “That’s ok, we’ll give you a new one.”

And then it hit me. What have I been doing? Fraps almost every day. The chemicals. The calories. THE CUPS!!!

I finished my drink, felt guilty, threw it away, and headed over to Borders to meet John.

I browsed the books while waiting for him and stumbled across the perfect book for me. It was staring at me as if the green Gods were about to hit me over the head with it. The Gorgeously Green Diet by Sophie Uliano! I grabbed it and started to tear through the pages. I could diet AND save the Earth! Does it get any better than this?

I bought it, ran home and immediately started devouring (pun intended) the information.

I’ve already learned so much about the foods we eat, where they come from, the pesticides used and the packaging. It’s incredibly overwhelming and eye opening.

The author has a 30-day challenge so for the next 30 days, I am committing -- out loud -- to eating healthier, more Earth-friendly foods. This means for the next month I will become my own green barista, throwing out my old diet and making a completely new one.

I’ve decided to blog my journey through this process.

Next post...The Pledge!