Anna Getty: Green Lifestyle Guru
Anna Getty believes that green style isn’t an oxymoron—a girl can have her (organic) cake and eat it too. An actress, fashionista, chef, author, lifestyle guru, prenatal yoga goddess (find “Anna Getty’s Pre & Post Natal Workout” DVD at Pure Style Living), mother to four-year-old India and founding member of the EcoStiletto Advisory Board, Anna is our sounding board for all green lifestyle questions—from where to find our kundalini to how to whip up a wicked brown rice crème brulee. She’s got two books on deck for 2009: Anna Getty’s Easy Green Organic Kitchen (June) and I’m Dreaming Of A Green Christmas (October), both from Chronicle Books.
Anna recently helped us celebrate the launch of EcoStilettoKids, where we got her take on the importance of eco-minded parenting.
ES: How do you find time to be more green while managing the demands of motherhood?
AG: Motherhood and being green are not separate pieces of my life. I am green first and it affects all the other aspects of life, as a mother, wife, and as a citizen of this planet. I try to keep my life simple and so being green is actually quite simple. It’s not about finding the time so much as it is about looking at my values and then living from them. What is important to me is having a relationship to the planet, to nature, my friends, my family and myself. Not necessarily in that order.
ES: Any tips you can share?
AG: Again, keeping things simple is very helpful in motherhood. For example, having less stuff is a great way to be green. Only purchase things that you need rather than the wants. The wants will go on forever and at a certain point you’ll look around and there will be so much stuff. Ask yourself what your values are and live accordingly. Slow down and take your time, reconnect with nature, your friends, your family. It’s not necessarily about connecting to the current trend of “green” but in reconnecting to things that have meaning to you.
ES: What is your secret for staying centered and balanced while juggling work and motherhood?
AG: Yoga, walking, meditating, being in nature, reading meaningful books and spending time with my husband and daughter help keep me centered and balanced. I also need a little bit time alone every day to reconnect to my breath. I don’t get to do all of those things every day but if I can connect to my breath for a couple of minutes and remember who I am, it really helps.
ES: How did motherhood change your outlook on the environment?
AG: Motherhood changed my outlook on the environment completely. Before I had a baby I was not so concerned about much more than my immediate world. I was not as aware of how my actions effected the rest of the planet. As soon as I became pregnant I realized that everything is connected to everything else. That we are all connected to each other. My perspective expanded and I realized that I wanted to participate in making this planet a more harmonious place on all levels for my children and all future children.
ES: When did you first become aware of the green movement?
AG: I grew up with a vegetarian hippie mom from Germany where the Green movement has been quite prevalent since the Seventies. I lived in San Francisco, so it was lots of nature hikes, lentil soup and tofu and a vegetable garden grown without the use of pesticides. I went to the Waldorf School—cloth dolls, beeswax crayons and wood toys.
Being green has always kind of been in my awareness in some way or another. Years ago, when people starting recycling in the States it seemed like the obvious thing to do. In my early twenties I didn’t call myself green but I was studying yoga and eating a vegetarian diet and trying to live thoughtfully and responsibly. Of course I have also always been into fashion and luxury to a certain extent but I do feel that green and luxury are not mutually exclusive.
I’ve been eating organically as much as possible ever since I can remember but it was not until I was pregnant with my daughter when a major shift happened. That was almost four years ago. Now every day I’m educating myself and learning how to have less and less of a carbon footprint on the planet.
ES: What kinds of green changes have you made or do you plan to make in your life?
AG: I eliminated all toxic cleaning products and beauty products from my home. We sleep on organic sheets and mattresses and use organic towels. I bring cloth bags with me wherever I go shopping and not just to the supermarket—to shoe stores, department stores, everywhere. I grow an organic herb garden and we do not use pesticides in our garden. Most of my daughter’s clothing is organic and all of my underwear is organic. My dog eats organic dog food. I shop organically and at Farmer’s Markets supporting local growers. I have a point-of-entry water filter system for my home and try to buy glass bottled water only when I am out or carry a Sigg bottle with me with my home water. I carry bamboo eating utensils much of the time when eating take out. I try to purchase plastic minimally and do my best to have a cradle-to-cradle mentality about my purchases. I sit on the board of directors of Healthy Child, Healthy World where we are always educating ourselves as we educate others about getting toxins out of our environment.
ES: What are a few of your favorite green Beauty or Lifestyle products?
AG: For face and body I love Nude out of England products as well as Jurlique and Miessence, Aubrey Organics for hair, Avalon and Weleda for baby and Shaklee and Seventh Generation for home cleaning. Under the Canopy for sheets and Anna Sova for towels. Bamboo bowls and stainless steel bowls and cups for my daughter from Bambu.
ES: Green fashion designers or labels?
AG: I like Linda Loudermilk, Viridis Luxe, Loomstate and Loyale. Lululemon is using great fabrics like bamboo and seaweed in their yoga wear, believe it or not. I also like getting vintage and antiques at estate sales, flea markets and on eBay. You can’t get greener then buying used!
ES: What’s your favorite eco-friendly tip our readers should know about?
AG: Reuse plastic and paper bags over and over again. Better yet try not to use them at all; instead, buy canvas or other cloth bags. Take them with you everywhere.
ES: And, finally, what’s the best green advice you ever got and who gave it to you?
AG: My friend Zem Joaquin of EcoFabulous encourages me to make thoughtful purchases. Think about the energy it took to produce the item, how will it fit into your life and where will it go after it leaves your home or possession. I cannot tell you how much less I am buying since she told me this. It’s the cradle-to-cradle concept. If it is going to sit in a landfill for the next 500 years how badly do you need it?
Also, do the best you can. Try to live in harmony with nature and the planet the best you can. Try not to judge yourself and just do a little better every day. Your children and all children will thank you for it later. I take this advice from the various spiritual teachers and eco-mentors that I have come across in my life.
