Chicago philanthropists arrive for an evening out to benefit children battling pediatric cancer.

Philanthropy plays a big role in our lives here at FIJI Water, and the coming of September heralds the flagship event of one our favorite charities, Children”s Oncology Services, Inc. (COSI). Set in the magnificent Harold Washington Library Winter Garden, Toque: An Evening With Chicago”s Culinary Masters, is fast becoming a Chicago tradition and is proof that philanthropy can be not only rewarding, but delicious as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Successful grantees and foundation staff celebrate by blowing out the candles on the FIJI Water Foundation birthday cake.

FIJI Water Foundation celebrated its second birthday yesterday — two years of assisting in development projects in water, health, and education throughout Fiji. Supporters, friends, partners, and grantees joined to help us celebrate by officially launching our Foundation website and announcing the Foundation”s most recent group of successful grant applicants, one of who Read the rest of this entry »

This morning I took my girls into the backyard for a lesson about rain. This is a rare live demonstration living in Southern California. Both girls looked up and said, “Agua.” (Yes, they’re bilingual, but this isn”t about bragging!!!) My husband ran outside to remind me that Read the rest of this entry »

As May is National Bike Month, I thought this would be as good a time as any to tell you about my shiny red bike! Besides, I love my bike, and I love talking about it. Yes, it’s the beautiful bike you see above — a K2 T-Nine Breeze.

I bought my shiny red bike last November (prime cycling season, haha!) and haven’t been able to get enough of it since. I’m lucky enough to Read the rest of this entry »

FIJI Water comes from an artesian aquifer rich in silica.

One of the qualities that makes FIJI Water so special is its high silica content. FIJI Water starts as rain and is filtered through volcanic rock, which is rich in silica, for over a hundred years until it reaches the aquifer. FIJI Water”s incomparable taste — the soft mouth feel and silky texture — is a result of its unique mineral profile, with high silica and low calcium and magnesium content. (While calcium and magnesium are important to our diet, high levels in water can make it taste “hard” and unpleasant.)

And a recent study indicates that silica in water may reduce Alzheimer’s risk. Here’s more info, courtesy of Reuters Health.

Aluminum, silica in water affect Alzheimer’s risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Higher levels of aluminum in drinking water appear to increase people’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, whereas higher levels of silica appear to decrease the risk, according to French investigators.

“Alzheimer’s disease is a multifactorial disease, and aluminum concentrations in drinking water may have an effect on cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Virginie Rondeau told Reuters Health.

The results of some studies suggest that silica reduces the oral absorption of aluminum or increases the excretion of this metal.

Rondeau, at the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale in Bordeaux, and her colleagues examined associations between exposure to aluminum or silica from drinking water and the risk of cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease among elderly subjects followed for 15 years.

Daily aluminum intake of at least 0.1 milligram was associated with greater cognitive decline during the course of the study, the team reports in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Subjects with a high daily aluminum intake had a 2.26-fold increased risk of dementia, the researchers note. On the other hand, for every 10 milligram-per-day intake of silica, the odds of developing dementia dropped by 11 percent.

“Further studies are needed to settle the debate over the link between aluminum or silica in drinking water and neurologic disorders and cognitive impairment,” the investigators conclude.

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, February 15, 2009.

You would think some marketer at a technology company would have thought to include a voice recorder in the hospital goodie bag I received after my babies” delivery. I liked the free baby shampoos, diaper cr”me, and all thatÖbut I’d use a recorder more often and much longer! I would record the following: “Don”t touch,” “Careful,” and “Rocks are not food.” I”m sure battery companies would be grateful, but I digress…

In the spirit of this FIJI Water blog entry, it makes me think of our ad campaign “Untouched.” FIJI Water is untouched by man; I”ve been to Fiji and seen the factory. No one is yelling, “Don”t touch!” No one has to…FIJI Water”s state-of-the-art bottling facility is designed to protect the purity and quality of the water. It sits on top of an aquifer (which is like a huge, slow-moving, underground river), and the water is drawn into the factory straight into the bottle without human contact!

Now if I could only get my little ones to leave Mommie’s shoes and jewelry box “Untouched!”

FIJI Green Gal: This week, one of my colleagues is joining this blog to share her thoughts on FIJI Water. As she is the proud mother of twins – and therefore one of the toughest women I know! – we”ve dubbed her “FIJI”s Favorite Mom.”

Admittedly I am a Mommy who talks about her kids WAY TOO MUCH! And this blog just gives me another outletÖ

Fact: I love my kids. But having responsibility for them is already scary enough, and what I feed them is at the top of my anxiety list!

It started before they were born. I would travel as far as necessary to shop for groceries, paying double for a prenatal vitamin, organic waffles (they”re all I could keep down the first 4 months), other organics, pesticide/hormone/flavor-free everything…just so I knew my growing babies were getting the best nutrition available. Now add to that the fluid intake I needed. I”ve never been one for soda or highly caloric juices, so I relied on water. With most foods, I got heartburn. I tried all the water I could, whether based on a cute bottle, flavor, or price, but even water gave me heartburn! Then I tried FIJI Water and loved the taste. And I could drink more without getting heartburn. Other mommies-to-be told me it was the purest water I could drink and provided natural minerals both the babies and I could benefit from.

Fast forward a few years later, I”m now an employee at FIJI Water. A week into my job, they sent me to the island of Fiji to see where the water comes from. I have seen where the water comes from and gets put into the iconic square bottle. I am proud to work for a product that is as natural and untouched as the product claims. And I am proud to serve the best in my home – especially to my kids!

BTW: Since working here, I”ve learned about BPA, and the product has never had it!

Tanya Zuckerbrot included FIJI Water in her article, “A Healthy Eating Plan for President Obama,” on Fox News Health Blog recently. In the article, Zuckerbrot, MS, RD, nutritionist and creator of The F-Factor Diet, offers healthy snacking tips to combat stress, fatigue and hypoglycemia. She notes that FIJI Water is a smart choice for hydration since it contains naturally-occurring electrolytes without any added sugars or calories, and that President Obama can often be found sipping our water. (We saw him enjoying FIJI Water on Election Night, of course!)

What better time than the New Year to look for a healthy buzz? Here’s a message from our friends at POM Wonderful on how to get one…or two…or more. And keep reading to find out how to get a healthy buzz for FREE!

Glad we have your attention now…since you love FIJI Water, you might also be interested in an exclusive offer from its sister company, POM Wonderful. POM is now offering its newest product, POMx Iced Coffee, for delivery to your home or office at shopwww.fijiwater.com (you know, the same shop where you can get FIJI Water delivered for less than $1 a day!).

POMx Iced Coffee is an antioxidant rich coffee energy drink that is a blend of all-natural ingredients and the only iced coffee that will provide you with a Healthy Buzzô – a potent combination of polyphenol antioxidants and caffeine.

Click here and enter code POMX78 at checkout to receive a FREE CASE of coffee with the purchase of one case! POMx Iced Coffee comes in two delicious flavors – CafÈ au Lait and Chocolate – so this is a great chance to try each one!

You can also visit us on MySpace or Facebook.

Some months ago, I asked for advice on how best to adjust to the demise of my microwave, as I wasn’t doing such a good job of it on my own. People sent me some outstanding ideas, all of which have helped me eat more, sleep more, and reduce my carbon footprint. And when I can achieve all three goals, life is good!

I figure there’s no time better than the food-filled holiday season to update you on my progress. Some great ideas that readers shared with me included preparing food that tastes good as cold leftovers, going for raw foods, incorporating ingredients from the local farmers’ market, and just eating cereal sometimes (thanks to dropofkim, CatieB, and Betty!). (You know, I love eating cereal with fruit for dinner. It’s yummy and nutritious, and it reminds me of college! Can’t believe I’d forgotten that was an option, so thank you for the reminder.)

Especially during summertime, it was lovely to pull together simple but delicious salads, use the abundance of gorgeous produce to make vegetarian entrees that taste good without reheating the next day, and have more light and refreshing options in the warm weather. And of course, with my eating less meat and using less gas and electricity to heat food, my carbon footprint dropped too. One of my favorite dishes is a simple cannellini dip that takes five minutes to prepare, tastes amazing and flavorful, and is even better after a day in the refrigerator. With some pita bread for dipping and salad and fruit on the side, it makes at least a couple of easy and satisfying meals.

But with the colder weather settling in, I’m eager for warmer dinner options. Apart from substituting oatmeal for cereal, I now know how to reheat food properly on the stove, thanks to dropofkim: Add a little water and heat on low. And I’ve found doing this means the food heats up evenly and stays hot much longer than when warmed in a microwave. I’ll also visit favorite restaurants from time to time to enjoy a good meal. Especially with the economic downturn, I’m feeling keen to support neighborhood businesses where I can.

I haven’t given up entirely on getting a microwave. There’s still a lot to be said for the convenience! But I’m going to keep in mind jcwindsor’s suggestion to find an EnergyStar appliance and CatieB’s suggestion to find a kitchen cart made of recycled and/or repurposed materials. In the past, I’ve found some gorgeous furniture for great prices at consignment shops, garage sales, and the like – I love finding antiques and artisan pieces at bargain prices! Now, I suspect “antique microwave cart” is an oxymoron, but I still like the idea of finding a way to repurpose materials and keep them out of landfill. Another option could be to find a cart made of rapidly renewable resources like bamboo, which also looks beautiful.

Thanks again for all the great suggestions – I love the creativity, the variety, and most of all the delicious results!