Since many years, the world has known it’s of critical importance to save our lives, that of our friends and family, community, etc. Through marvelous inventions and discoveries, we have become a highly industrialized and technologized world. (Yes, technologized is a word – I checked – LOL!) But these more modern technologies, having brought convenience, ease, and other advantages, have also brought in larger, egregious problems.

Being eco-friendly is all about reduction of pollution, protecting our wildlife, conserving our natural resources, and other actions which will slow the rate that climate is changing.

So, developing habits to help bring about these healthy changes in our own lives also benefits our community and, eventually the rest of the world. By doing these things (suggestions below), our good deeds not only help us, but help to influence others in a very positive way.

Finding ways to being more eco-friendly can help bring out your creativity (and there’s everything right about that), and you may find yourself meeting others in your community. The United States is one of the countries that produces the most waste, and changing this begins with each individual. 

Sustainability is how we cut greenhouse gases, reduce waste, and educate ourselves and our young people. For example, carbon dioxide (CO2) is what we release through our activities (deforestation and burning fossil fuels), and there are some natural processes which release this waste product (to humans), such as volcanoes. 

We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. CO2 is a nutrient for our plants, so our waste product is feeding them! Similarly, plants emit oxygen as a waste product, which is why having plants around us is healthy for human beings.

There are now plants which capture and convert these CO2 waste emissions into urea, which is a nitrogen-based nutrient which helps create plentiful harvests…reaching net-zero emissions

Healthy living is a “must” for individuals and families, and communities if we want to reduce all the health-related suffering that is going on. And how would you like to grow old? With disease, pain, and suffering? Or do you want to remain healthy and vital until the day you leave this earth? I certainly know what I want – I’m sure all my readers know it, too.

Healthy living, or making excellent lifestyle choices, involves not only what you eat, and what supplements you take, it also means having a more calm, mindful existence. This means we look at all our daily lifestyle practices which involve not only what we ingest, but what habits are giving life to our planet versus the ones that are contributing to its destruction.

Tips for Getting and Staying Healthy – Individually and Collectively

Individually and Collectively

 

1. Eat organic and local food whenever possible. We use less energy to produce it! It also saves on transportation costs. 

2. Instead of throwing out foods, compost. This reduces how much ends up in a landfill. This will also make your soil healthier. 

3. Use as much water as you need, but nothing more. Make sure you have no leaky faucets.

4. Eat plenty of fresh produce – in the form of salads, lightly steamed veggies, and some fruit.

5. Eat plenty of healthy proteins – if you’re eating meat and fish, etc., choose grass-fed, free-range poultry, wild-caught or responsibly farmed fish, seafood, etc.

6. Eat whole grains – if you’re eating grains, try to consume them in whole form or minimally processed. Beware of wheat – even whole wheat – this can be a very deceptive label! You can also sprout grains – a very healthy way to eat them.

7. Eat healthy fats – such as extra virgin olive oil, real butter, other minimally, non-heat processed fats, etc. Remember – we need cholesterol to think and otherwise function, but make sure it’s from a healthy source (think coconut oil). We can benefit from all levels of fat, as long as they’re healthy choices (avoid margarine, vegetable oil, etc.).

8. Try to purchase vehicles which are more fuel-efficient, thus also saving the environment and your money. 

9. If you can safely ride a bike to a destination, you’re saving the environment and also getting some healthy exercise!

10. Always recycle – it conserves our natural resources, helps reduce pollution and saves energy. Think about glass, paper, metal, and plastic for recycling. Also, if you use aluminum foil, recycle that too; recycled aluminum is 92% more efficient than when creating it from raw materials. So, save those  aluminum can if you use them!

11. When shopping, take your own cloth-based bags with you; avoid using plastic bags, although I believe they are attempting to make them more eco-friendly. Plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose, and a vast number of marine mammals die annually trying to eat them as food. Many animals get tangled in plastic bags and end up suffocating, too.

12. Be more mindful of buying what you need; in other words, really ask yourself whether you need what you are buying (but yes, it’s okay to treat yourself). I used to buy exercise equipment but rarely used it, so I quit buying it. I just go to the gym if I want to exercise!

13. Recycle things in your home that you are not using; this can be clothing, furniture, etc. You can buy used and surely you can help others by recycling your used but still-good items through donations. Some companies even pick these items up from your home, and they also have drop-off points.

14. Avoid disposable products, like paper plates and plastic silverware. I actually love the convenience of these items, but rarely use them anymore. 

15. When you are finished using any electronic device, also known as e-waste, please consider recycling them instead of just throwing them away. You can give away usable items yourself or through nonprofits who charitably redistribute them and other companies that refurbish them. 

16. When purchasing electronics, look for ones with an Energy Star label – they save in energy consumption.

17. Most of us are already using LED lights, right?! They use far less energy in the delivery of light, and mostly last longer.

18. Remember to shut off lights and unplug electronics. Also, be careful with your heating and cooling. I decided to purchase a tower fan which I use when I’m sleeping in the summer in lieu of keeping my AC going at a high rate. Eco-Friendly, Sustainable, and Healthy Living for Your Family provides comprehensive guidance on integrating environmentally conscious choices into daily routines.

There are many, many more things you can do to become more eco-friendly, contribute to sustainability, and become healthier yourself – these are just a few! So, invest some time in learning about where you can start making a change to your lifestyle, start with the easier things, and build new habits over time. For more detailed information visit Health And Wellness

And as always, please have a happy, holistically healthy day

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