I can’t claim to be objective about this rousing endorsement for the brand new book Whole Green Catalog, which makes its debut in bookstores September 1. But even if I hadn’t written WGC’s chapter on natural healing, I’d still praise it profusely.

Going green is a buzz phrase that’s totally become mainstream. I know this because just the other day, while shopping at my local Waldbaum’s supermarket, I discovered their store brand, Green Way. These natural, USDA-certified organic products (some 150 different ones, according to the Waldbaum’s website) sell for about the same price as their nonorganic counterparts.

Clearly, Waldbaum’s listened to their customers and responded to their demand for more earth-friendly stuff. I used to travel to the other side of town to seek out natural and organic products. Now I’m happy to find the basics right at my neighborhood grocery.

Going green: Keeping it real
Normally, the gulf between having the desire to go green and making it an actual lifestyle commitment is harder to cross. There are so many questions: Which is greener, organic strawberries from across the country or nonorganic ones grown upstate? What about eco-friendly cleaning products? Should you buy them even if they’re made by a company that makes products containing toxins? You know you’re supposed to recycle, but what should you do with your light bulbs, your old paint cans, or your dead car battery?

That’s where the Whole Green Catalog becomes indispensable. Its 20 chapters tell you everything you need to know about how to green-clean your house, eat well, choose eco-friendly clothing, garden organically, travel with a smaller carbon footprint, and much more.

The natural healing chapter profiles 50 supplements, mostly herbal, which can figure significantly into a wellness program that might help you use fewer pharmaceuticals. What’s more, all are made by companies who make a significant effort to do right by our planet.

I particularly love the eco-technology chapter, which helps you buy a greener PC, hooks you up with a more earth-friendly printer, and plugs you into a product that lets you track the amount of energy various household machines are consuming.

Fitness freaks will love the sports and recreation chapter, with its variety of green gear—including sustainably produced skate and snowboards, a carbon-neutral air mattress, and even biodegradable sneakers. How cool is that?

Meet the authors!
If you’re in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill neighborhood on September 11 at 7 p.m., you’re invited to a book-signing event at the venerable Court Books, 163 Court Street. I’ll look forward to meeting you there, as will many of the book’s author-experts. Not near New York City? Order the book.

Previous posts by Sara Altshul: