We plan and strategize the best way to break up a workout in terms of utilizing our energy to achieve maximum success. Are you taking the same approach to live outside the box? Here are some tips to start considering if you're looking to implement a more sustainable lifestyle.
Grow your own food. We've said this before but we'll say it again. We could list the physical health benefits until we're blue in the fact but there's also something incredibly satisfactory about watching your garden grow. I, (Jill) recently joined this group on Facebook - these people are plant crazy and share some of the best advice for both beginner and novice growers.
Reduce your food waste. I get sad, angry and annoyed at how much food my family alone wastes. It starts with better meal planning to help reduce the amount of waste. Next comes creative use of left overs. For example, I freeze vegetable scraps and make my own vegetable broth, then I freeze the broth until I need it. Composting also helps along with yep you guessed it, growing your own food because it's far easier to pick only what you need from the garden rather than buy from the store what is often pre-packaged excess that goes bad before you have a chance to eat it.
Walk or ride a bike. Better for the environment, sure but also because gas prices suck, so not only will these modes of transportation save you money but they'll also burn extra calories. Boom.
Choose local. Support local economies every chance you get. This includes avoiding chains, even when you travel. For example, book a bed and breakfast over a hotel.
Reduce your use of toxins. One of the best apps I've ever downloaded is called, Think Dirty. It allows you to scan your cleaning products, personal care products, beauty products, etc. to see where they rank on a "dirty scale" of 0 -10 with zero being a low/no toxin product and ten being a high toxin product. It also provides information on how/why certain additives and chemicals in the products can be toxic. (SO many are hormone disruptors - yikes!)
Reuse. Yep I'm starting to sound like the old, "reduce, reuse, recycle" saying we all learned in grammar school. Reuse plastic bags, paper bags, reusable water bottles over plastic, you get the gist. You can even research creative ways to reuse household items, metal, wood and so on.
Choose eco friendly and zero waste products. This can include everything from pillows to dog toys. If you can dream it, they probably make not only an eco friendly version but a "zero waste" version as well. Again just a little bit of research will point you in the right direction.
If you can do any, a few, or all of these things you'll be well on your way towards conserving time and energy, better fueling your body and environment as well as reducing waste. Be sure to share your journey and what you are learning about with your community as well!
