Angela Braden has researched and reported on wellness and lifestyle for a decade. She has been published hundreds of times in national and international magazines. Angela serves as a speaker for Alive! Expo (health convention) and as the Editor and Founder of www.angelicindulgence.com web magazine, where you’ll find more indulgent health tips and articles updated monthly.

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Green and Gorgeous

Remember when “environmentally-friendly” living meant hippie beads as accessories, potato sack-like clothing and no furniture? As Earth Day has come and gone, its all the rage to keep the green goodness flowing. Now more than ever, luxurious lifestyle offerings that do not sacrifice style, beauty, or the environment have taken center stage. Now, true to the Angelic Indulgence philosophy of having it both ways, we can indulge in plush products while respecting Mother Earth. Make every day Earth Day with these conscientious but decadent finds:

To say eco-friendly fashion has come a long way is an understatement. Clothing made from sustainable, organic or recycled fabrics can be gorgeous and stylish, as major design talent goes green . Some of the world’s hottest names in fashion, including Marc Jacobs, Versace, Jil Sander, Narciso Rodriguez, and Stella McCartney as well as younger labels like Saint Grace. Now we can look fashionable while feeling good about the choice to make a difference in small ways .

Bamboo an ingenious material for eco-clothing and home interiors alike. Especially perfect for babies’ delicate skin, bamboo is naturally hypo-allergenic and anti-bacterial. It prevents odor, allergies and other skin irritations. Bamboo is as “sustainable” as it gets— the fastest growing plant on the planet today. It can grow up to three feet in one day! Boutique baby clothing companies are spinning the cushiony weed into the softest loungewear imaginable with incredible comfort properties. According to BabyBam,because of its thermal regulating properties, Bamboo fabric will keep baby warmer than cotton in cool weather and two to three degrees cooler than cotton in hot weather. Bamboo also wicks moisture away and has double the absorbency of cotton. This hearty plant doesn't need help from pesticides or insecticides—no toxins on your skin.

Bamboo continues to be a hot trend in home interiors as well. If you are looking to update your floors, Bamboo scores high on the feel good scale: On which would you rather plant your feet: rich, smooth, glowing bamboo or plastic-feeling, synthetic flooring? It comes with a higher price tag, like many natural materials, but will last a lifetime. And when replaced generations later, it will not pollute the earth like synthetic materials.

For those ever popular kitchens and baths renovations, look for decadence with a conscience—Italy’s most beautiful kitchens and baths, for example, are now available directly from Milan at Pedini USA. Pedini is certified by the Italian Ecological Consortium Panel, which ensures it comes from100% recycled wood. If you don’t’ use natural materials, just look for cabinetry fabricated from 100% recycled material and the panels that do not emit detectable amounts of formaldehyde, a dangerous chemical commonly found in many synthetic materials. Pedini kitchen units are absolutely breathtaking and incredibly functional, with specialized compartments for cookware and utensils.

InterfaceFLOR is an environmentally-savvy choice that has caught on with the professional design crowd for its contemporary look. Since these floor coverings are like tile pieces, they are less wasteful; consumers can replace individual tiles when they become stained or worn and ship them back to the company for recycling, instead of throwing away an entire room full of carpet.

With style and heart, you can have it both ways –Angelically good to the Earth and stunningly stylish in home and apparel. Indulgence does not have to be sinful and health (for us or our planet) does not require deprivation. For more ways to be angelically indulgent, please visit www.angelicindulgence.com.

Stay well,

Angela

*Opinions expressed are solely those of the writer