This is the week that all the ice cream stores host a free scoop or cone day and when it’s free, ice cream is pretty hard to resist. But wouldn’t we all feel better if we indulged in a healthy ice cream treat today instead (even if it isn’t free)?

I just discovered Ruby Jewels handmade ice cream sandwiches. They’re made out of all-natural locally grown ingredients in the northwest including fresh mint, honey, pumpkin, espresso, lavender and you guessed it, hormone-free milk. The entire company is sustainable. They recycle and use everything so they’re nearly 100% waste free. And all technicalities aside, the flavors are the part I love most like Cinnamon Chocolate Cookie with Espresso, Dark Chocolate Cookie with Fresh Mint and Lemon Honey Cookie with Honey Lavender. Move over Skinny Cows!

I recently discovered a new brand of eco-friendly t-shirts and loungewear called Me to We Style. The line is produced in Canada sweatshop-free. And beyond being green, Me to We Style donates 50% of their profits to Free the Children to support developmental projects in rural and impoverished areas around the world.

I’m a fan of their Be the Change tee. You’re doing your part by wearing a tee made out of eco-friendly materials–certified organic cotton, bamboo, recycled polyester or a combo depending on the color you choose–and you’re showcasing an inspiring message all at the same time. I can also tell you that it’s super soft, fits perfectly and is now in frequent rotation in my gym wardrobe.

I know that going to the gym isn’t always a green choice. In fact, sometimes I feel like my sneakers are making big fat carbon footprints the second I walk in the door. I toss single-use razors and use up to three towels that have to be washed and dried, not to mention the fact that I’m running on electrically powered treadmills when I could hit the pavement.

But one new gym that I frequent was built to be more eco-friendly than your average fitness facility. The Equinox in Chelsea uses low-flow shower heads and low energy/high output lighting. For construction, the club used renewable cork and bamboo from sustainably managed forests as well as recycled materials like mosaic glass and ceramic tiles.

They also improved the indoor air quality with their green advances, which I think is a no-brainer for a place where everyone is huffing and puffing. Wood products are formaldehyde-free and the paints and sealants used were free of hazardous fumes. Equinox also installed high-performance air filters and my favorite part—a wall of live greenery, which cleans the air, creates a natural sound barrier and looks amazing.

How green is your gym? Do you do anything to make your work out more eco-friendly?

Sure, you can find just about any fruit or vegetable at any time of year these days, but here are three reasons to choose ones that are in season.

1. You’ll be able to purchase locally grown produce which can help both the farmers in your area and the environment. Buying locally, cuts down on carbon emissions due to shipping fruits and veggies from far away places.

2. Since your produce won’t be traveling long distances, it’ll get to your table when the flavors and nutrient levels are at their peak.

3. You might be inspired to try something that you wouldn’t normally buy like mangoes or artichokes in the springtime.

So what else is in season right now? Apricots, asparagus, avocado, carrots, chives, collards, fava beans, fennel, morels, mustard greens, new potatoes, pineapple, rhubarb, spinach, spring baby lettuce mixes, strawberries, sugar snap and snow peas, vidalia onions and watercress. Bon appetit!

In honor of Earth Day, try an activity that’ll help save the planet and burn calories all at the same time. These estimates are based on a 145 pound person.

Bike to and from work: If your round trip ride takes an hour, your commute is worth 526 calories.

Spend two hours tending to your organic garden: Bend, squat, dig, rake and water to burn off almost 600 calories.

Recycle: Spend 20 minutes sorting glass, cans, plastic and paper, then take it all to the curb or recycling center to zap 93 calories.

Walk to and from the farmer’s market: If your entire shopping excursion takes an hour, you’ll burn 205 calories thanks to your walk and toting around that big bag of fresh fruits and veggies.

Plant trees for an hour: Lift, squat and dig your way through 313 calories.

The Fit List offers tips on how to make your workout more eco-friendly from wearing organic cotton gym clothes to opting for outdoor trails instead of treadmills that require electricity.

Vital Juice Daily explains how to cure allergies, headaches and more using acupressure.

FitSugar reveals what you should know about exercise, air pollution and the conditions at the Beijing Olympic park.

The LA Times shows us how to improve our posture with one easy yoga move.

Positivity Blog lists 36 stress relieving tips to help you become a “relaxation ninja”.

Ecorazzi explains why the Olympic torch isn’t winning any medals for the environment as it travels the world in a jet-fueled private plane and burns propane to stay lit.

There’s a lot of things I don’t like about Wal-Mart, but even so the store does have the power to bring change–just look at what they did to halt the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray debate. So I’m happy to hear that Wal-Mart purchased over 12 million pounds of cotton from farmers that are making the switch to organic farming. Wal-Mart is increasing their organic offerings on store shelves so they want to encourage farmers to go organic too.

The big purchase will help those farmers sell their not-yet-organic crop until it can be labeled as certified organic (in three years). It may all be a bit of a publicity stunt since it’s happening during Wal-Mart’s “Earth Month,” but it’s a nice move nonetheless. And it’s important for farmers because overhead costs rise when they start changing their farming methods, but they can’t charge a premium for an organic product until they hit the three year mark.

I have a couple Envirosax and use them for groceries (most of the time), but despite my efforts the pile of plastic bags under my sink continues to grow out of control. And since plastic bag recycling still isn’t widespread, I know the fate of my pile is to sit in a landfill for years upon years, clog up our water system or worst of all hurt a wild animal.

That’s why I love the new jewelry line from New York designer Stephanie Huffaker. She’s found a way to reuse plastic bags to create chunky bracelets. She gets her supply of upcycled bags from friends, family and members of the Brooklyn Freecycle network. You can wear one of her bangles (which also come in bright colors) knowing you’re saving a bag from an awful fate and you can use it to start discussions about the big plastic bag problem.

Usually when I think about eco-friendly beauty, I immediately think of all the natural and organic products. And while they certainly have their advantages for both you and the environment, I thought of a few other ways to make your morning routine a little more green.

Reuse: Stop using cotton balls to remove your makeup. Instead, designate one face cloth to live with mascara stains forever.

If you drop your blush, bronzer or eye shadow on the floor and it crumbles to pieces in the container, never fear—you can finish the crush job, put it in a little reusable pot and keep it in your makeup bag.

Reduce: Buy and use fewer products—do you really need eye shadow in every color of the rainbow and doesn’t that complex cocktail of hair products just weigh down your hair?

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