social.impact.products
Hi, I’m Wolfram Alderson and I’ve been working in social change since the late 1970s. All my life I have been hoping that some form of enlightened “conscious” capitalism would arrive and help humanity produce/buy its way out of the mess it is in. I haven’t seen such a system emerge yet, but there are a few good companies out there making a few good products that seem to be good for people and for the planet.
This page provides some highlights and endorsement of some of these products that I think are worth your attention and support…getting a green “thumbs up”. I won’t feature any products here that I haven’t purchased and used myself. I’m limiting the scope of my recommendations to food and beauty products – products that go in or on your body. I’m doing this in collaboration with a unique organization called perfact – to assure that my selections are science-based and that I have some objective rationales beneath them.
White Mountain Foods is a vegetarian health food manufacturer, owned, operated, and products made by the Murray family and team members in Austin, TX. In my opinion, their authentic Bulgarian Yogurt is the best on the market. It is fermented at least 24 hours using only two ingredients – milk and live, active culture – resulting in its delicious tart flavor and natural yogurt texture. Because they use a traditional process, their yogurt provides up to 90 billion probiotic units per cup and it is easily digested by many who are lactose-intolerant (of which I am). “Beware of “yogurt” currently marketed as a confectionary snack item with an implied health benefit simply because it’s labeled yogurt. The use of thickeners, stabilizers, preservatives, artificial colors, and added sweeteners has turned yogurt into a health-negative shadow of what it once was.” White Mountain Bulgarian Yogurt contains no thickeners, stabilizers, preservatives, or additives of any kind…only two ingredients: milk and culture. It is hard to explain, so I will just say it – when I consume this yogurt, it feels like the cells in my body and gut are saying thank you. Don’t take my word for it, they rank “Five Spoons” on the Cornucopia Institute Yogurt Scorecard! A recent study shows that yogurt (no sugar added!) improves insulin resistance and liver fat with people who have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome.
– Wolfram
Looking for a chocolate with no added sugar? Lily’s Sweets makes a Non-GMO and gluten-free product with Fair Trade practices, and sweetens their chocolate with no refined or processed sugars. Most of the chocolates out there that are sugar free use malitol which causes me intestinal distress. Lily’s does use Erythritol, Dextrin, and Inulin. I find other stevia sweetened chocolates I have tried to be awful. Lily’s get it right. -Wolfram
Looking for a delicious “gluten free” cracker? Mary’s Gone Crackers Super Seed Everything is my favorite. Gluten is a protein found in wheat (and its cousins spelt and kamut), barley, rye, and most oats. Processed grains containing gluten have become a major part of the American diet and, for many people, a major health issue. For people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease, ingesting gluten invites debilitating illnesses that significantly degrade the quality of life. Other people are gluten intolerant, often misdiagnosed as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). In both cases, gluten inhibits the body’s ability to process vitamins and minerals, which can cause serious health problems if not addressed. Mary Waldner, the founder of Mary’s Gone Crackers has celiac disease. I have tried so many wheat free and flourless crackers, and none of them come close to Mary’s. – Wolfram
I’m a hard core tea drinker and teetotaler, so I take my tea very seriously. I find great comfort drinking the Original Yogi Tea® recipe, created by Yogi Tea founder, Yogi Bhajan, to provide a delicious health benefit to his yoga students. Traditional Ayurvedic spices Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Clove and Black Pepper are blended for a richly spiced chai tea designed to warm the body and help stimulate digestion. I appreciate that Yogi Tea makes their teas with organic non-GMO ingredients. – Wolfram
Fiddyment Farms is a California based pistachio grower that has been around since the late 60s. They roast and package in small batches to ensure freshness and I always find their pistachios to be the freshest I can find. They have developed a line of healthy gourmet, naturally opened in-shell pistachios and pistachio kernels, available in different flavors including Barbeque, Garlic Onion, Sea Salt & Pepper, “FiddyFire” and more. I like them plain and salted.
Kicked the sugar and processed carbs but still looking for a healthy cereal when you fall off that keto or low-carb diet or… you just crave some cereal like the good ole’ days? I searched far and wide for a cereal with no added sugar, no flour, healthy grains, and no crap. The total sugar content has to be really low for me to event consider eating a cereal, so when I do have a craving, this is my go-to… Ezekiel 4:9. Not sure why they named the cereal after this bizarre section of the Bible, but they do make a great line of products. Here is their “Original”.
Kicked the sugar and processed carbs but still looking for a healthy cereal when you fall off that keto or low-carb diet or… you just crave some cereal like the good ole’ days? I searched far and wide for a cereal with no added sugar, no flour, healthy grains, and no crap. The total sugar content has to be really low for me to event consider eating a cereal, so when I do have a craving, this is my go-to… Ezekiel 4:9. Not sure why they named the cereal after this bizarre section of the Bible, but they do make a great line of products. Here is their “Golden Flax” version.
Kicking the carbs ain’t easy, so having a healthy supply of nuts on hand is essential when you get the craving for something crunchy and salty. I love these extra-large Virginia-type peanuts roasted with their skins and lightly salted – perfect!!! Roasted in pure peanut oil, maintaining the distinctive peanut flavor. Cholesterol free, 0 trans fats, gluten free, sugar free, all natural, lactose free, wheat free, OU Kosher Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified. Grown in the USA and produced by a family owned business since 1973.
Kicking the carbs ain’t easy, so having a healthy supply of nuts on hand is essential when you get the craving for something crunchy and salty. I love these extra-large Virginia-type peanuts roasted with no skins and lightly salted – perfect!!! Roasted in pure peanut oil, maintaining the distinctive peanut flavor. Cholesterol free, 0 trans fats, gluten free, sugar free, all natural, lactose free, wheat free, OU Kosher Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified. Grown in the USA and produced by a family owned business since 1973.
A mind-blowing taste-bud party of fresh garlic and dill with the flavor of homemade pickles. This is a delicious probiotic – gut healthy beverage.
True Made Foods, no added-sugar Vegetable Ketchup Squeeze is made in Virginia by a Veteran-owned company. Non-GMO, Vegan. Certified by the Paleo Foundation. Most ketchups are are ruined by high fructose corn syrup and other additives that make it taste like plastic. This stuff tastes like real ketchup and you can actually taste the vegetables.
True Made Foods Vegetable Sriracha (“Veracha”) is Whole 30 compliant, Paleo Certified, Non-GMO, sugar-free and nutrient dense with tomatoes, carrots, spinach, butternut squash, and jalapenos is 100% Sugar Free. True Made removed the sugar and added spinach, carrots and butternut squash. Not too spicy as some others, True Made add pureed jalapenos and a dash of cayenne to give their Veracha a kick, but the flavors of the vegetables really pop, versus the heat dominating.
stay.tuned.more.social.impact.products.coming.soon