Kim Henderson

Kim Henderson is the author of 50 Simple Steps to Save the Worlds Rainforests (Freedom Press, 2012). As both a member of The Green Patriot Working Group and managing editor of Freedom Press, publisher of Healthy Living magazine and books on natural health and the environment, she is intimately involved in environmental, health and conservation issues. She resides in Thousand Oaks, California with her 9-year-old daughter and enjoys hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains several times a week.

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”
Albert Einstein

Happy New Year! I love the clean slate feeling of a new year and thinking about where I want to put my attention in the twelve months ahead. Not one for resolutions, I prefer to focus on simple, easy actions that enrich life. In that spirit, I’d like to share an action with you that has rainforest-saving, health-promoting positive juju all over it—simply spending time in nature. Feeding ourselves with fresh air and experiencing our natural world is easy and just as important to good health as eating well. (And it’s good for the rainforest—but more on that later.) Henry David Thoreau was on to something when he moved to Walden Pond to write his classic, Walden. And Ralph Waldo Emerson too. These two writers found endless inspiration by spending time in the great outdoors. They were among the first American environmentalists, and they happened to be abolitionists as well. (I believe their connection to nature and ability to act on their convictions was not unrelated.) Oftentimes when hiking, I’ll get a creative idea for a recipe or story, a helpful idea for a friend or family member or sometimes I find a solution to a problem. Nature is indeed food for the soul.   Read more

The Dalai Lama says,“We have a responsibility to look after our planet. It is our only home." How do we do that? Well, we can start by focusing on simple areas of our lives—something as simple as what sugar we use in our kitchen. Most holiday baking recipes call for sugar so this one is timely. Did you know that every time you purchase sugar you are either supporting a sustainable form of sugarcane farming or a more destructive one? With virtually all sugarcane production taking place in the tropics, choosing a "better" sugar can make a difference for the wellbeing of our rainforests.  Read more

The holiday gift-giving season is underway. The holidays provide a unique opportunity to give both a meaningful gift and one that will help rainforests at the same time. This month, I’ve put together great rainforest-saving ideas that will work for any number of holiday gift-giving situations. Happy Holidays!     Read more

As managing editor of Healthy Living magazine, I stay fairly informed about health and nutrition. As an author, while conducting research for 50 Simple Steps to Save the World’s Rainforests, I read many disturbing reports of negligent practices by governments and agribusiness around the world. Sadly, it has become as clear as day to me that the government, food manufacturers—especially the larger ones—and agribusiness do not place enough value on health, safety and the environment. Profit motives too often prevail. So it is largely up to us consumers to educate ourselves about the origin of our food and how its production affects workers, the planet and our health. And that’s why Proposition 37, the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, is incredibly important.   Read more

Opportunities to save rainforests are at our fingertips every day—and sometimes they are as simple as a cup of coffee. 

Modern farming techniques designed to maximize coffee yields have taken a toll on tropical rainforests over the past forty years. As coffee consumers, we can help reverse this trend by supporting the types of coffee cultivation that make a minimal impact on tropical ecosystems and provide a good income for workers. Each person’s coffee choice matters. In the U.S. alone, we drink approximately 400 million cups of coffee per day, or the equivalent to 146 billion cups of coffee per year. Think of the collective impact we could make if we all chose for the rainforest! We make a difference when we choose organic, shade-grown and fair trade brands of coffees.  Read more