I try not to got holier than thou with environmental footprint prescriptives. I try. (Although, when it comes to bottled water, I’m rather unforgiving.) Mostly I prefer to advocate making better choices. And mostly there is a better choice. And small, everyday, mindful things we can all do.

Image via We Heart It

Problem is, there is so much misinformation out there. How about we spend today clearing a few up? Below is a mix of my own tips and some “dilemmas: sorted” courtesy of one of my favourite magazines, Green Lifestyle Magazine.

What’s better: dishwashers v hand washing?

Based on Green Lifestyle Mag’s research, dishwashers work out better. But here’s some tips for both:

• Dishwashers come out on top – they use less water and are usually better on the electrical energy – when stacked properly and you do a full load.
• If washing by hand, use two sinks – one full of hot, sudsy water for washing, and another for rinsing.
• Clean a dishwasher filter regularly for increased efficiency, and, if you can, bypass the drying phase – simply open the door to let out air while the dishes are hot – you’ll be surprised how quickly they dry.
• If you’re in the market for a new dishwasher, shop by the stars.

Tip I want to share: boil only as much water as you need in your kettle.

Kettles and jugs are one of the BIGGEST suck holes of energy in your kitchen. So many people fill the jug unnecessarily to make one cup of tea. Don’t be one of them!

What’s better: print books versus ebooks?

The e-book appears to be greener (when you weigh up the eco-cost of paper v the energy and tech infrastructure used to make an eReader), according to Green Lifestyle Mag‘s research. Here’s a few notes to help you if you’re new to

* This post has been updated.

I’ll be quick. I don’t want to take up your time. So. This:  the print edition (hard copy) of my I Quit Sugar book hits bookstores from January 24. And because of the huge demand, and because many of you don’t have access to Australian bookstores, I decided to sell the hard copy through my site as well, and I made it available as a pre-order for  two weeks.

But I wasn’t quite ready for the response …

Sadly, we sold out of our initial order that ships on the 24th of Jan (the publication date).  The book has gone to reprint before it’s even come out, due to the high demand from bookstores. And as of this afternoon (Tuesday) your order will be shipped from the reprint which is due to arrive mid February.

Postage is fixed at $7 for Australia, and $17 to anywhere else in the world. Just click below.

If you’re super keen to get started on quitting sugar NOW, you can pre-order the print edition, and I’ll send you my two ebooks (I Quit Sugar: an 8-week program, and I Quit Sugar Cookbook) for an extra $10 (save $20). Just click below.

* This post has been updated.

You can read more about this below… Meantime, over this New Year shutdown period, I’ve come across a few reads and things that you might be interested in if you’re thinking of quitting sugar. Momentum is building, more and more people are working out that sugar is the missing link in their weightloss woes, and more and more scientists – reluctantly! – are confirming that sugar is toxic and causes many of our health issues.

US sugar consumption…Australia is much the same.

This UK study finds giving up sugar can take 20 years off your looks…”results in weeks”. Take a look at it.

For the first time, a direct link has been established between the amount of sugar circulating in the blood and how old a person looks….They found that those with higher blood sugar looked older than those with lower blood sugar. In fact for every 1mm/litre increase in blood sugar, the perceived age of that person rose by five months.

I found it interesting the study was done in conjunction with a cosmetic company, given this quote from one of the scientists:

There is no point in spending lots of money on expensive skin creams if you are eating a diet high in sugar,’ says Dr Aamer Khan, a cosmetic dermatologist who is also medical director of the Harley Street Skin Clinic. ‘Yes, you can protect and moisturise your skin from the outside with creams, but you need to feed and stimulate the growth of good strong skin cells from inside too and sugar will sabotage that.’

This review of Dr Lustig’s new book (stay tuned for mine!) shares news that should come as a relief to many: sugar tricks our brains to overeat and get fat. It’s not about weakness of will.

It is, he says, a hormonal issue, triggered by eating too much sugar.

He points the finger of blame at the hormone leptin, which acts like an appetite thermostat.