Martis-Alma Duarte:  

This was published in Redbook 2009 and gives my latest updates. My name is Martis Duarte I live and work in Newport Ca., also known as the OC. I really wanted to take ahold of my life in this new decade that I have entered. Highlights of my journey are listed below: I decided to go green about 6 months ago. I started by Going Raw, meaning that I started eating and learning more about Raw food. The more I learned the more and the more I ate this way, I noticed I felt healthier and more in control of my body .I now eat RAW anywhere between 60% to 80% a day. This has been a HUGE commitment but totally worth it. I never thought that I would throw out my microwave!!! I still remember how excited I was when I was younger and purchased my first one, now here I was years later donating it in exchange for a dehydrator machine. EEK!! As I mentioned I feel healthier but I know this helps also helps the environment in many ways. Additionally, I now by organic produce from local growers so that my produce does not have to get hauled from other areas and country.What is great is that I just have to go to my local drop-off point and pick up all my goodies in one stop. This has also helped me save money on gas. Which as we know was through the roof last year. As a result, I was inspired to make a pretty big purchase in July of 2008. As a belated birthday gift (June 25), I bought myself a Blue SMART car which has lower emissions and gives me great mileage. I named her G. G. aka Girl going Green. Once I started my Green revolution it has just grown bigger every day. I decided to give my salon, Mars Studio, a Green Remodel Makeover. I worked closely with my client who is also a fabulous interior designer Dana Blower. I expressed the look and the idea of keeping the salon as echo-friendly as possible to her and stayed true to that as much as possible. I looked into getting the salon certified by L.E.A.D. At this time, they don't have a format for salons but I am hoping to work with someone in the near future and help create one based on my needs as a salon owner and those that I learned are available to us that stick pretty close to the L.E.A.D. requirements. Even tough it wasn't going to be official I decided to stay as close to some of the L.E.A.D. requirements and that resulted in the following: 1. I painted salon with Fresh-Aire echo-friendly interior paint. w/o Vocc"s 2.I recycled mirrors throughout salon and placed them and cut to fit other areas. 3. The furniture was bought from a company that certifies there wood. With( FSC) Forest Swerdship Council. 4.I recycled the chairs by reupholster them and shaving the wood handles and staining them. 5. I have replaced my old hair color with an ...Expand for more