Baby Steps

In light of my first blog-post comment from Orlando, I've decided to write a list of ten ways to get started on this Eco-friendly organic journey to healthier living. Again, this is a journey. You have to start somewhere, and I think this might be a good place:

1. Drink more water. Invest in a quality water-filter and cut out the water bottles. Water bottles are a huge source of container waste.(Additionally, cut out the soda. If you're going to drink juice, drink fresh-squeezed...not Tropicana. I don't want to be a hypocrite so I'll openly admit that I need at least one cup of coffee a day. You probably do too! So, try to find organic fair-trade coffee and drink it in a re-usable travel cup.)

2. Cut out ALL fast-food. Yes, that means the McDonald's salads (does anyone really eat those?)!!

3. Wash your clothes in cold water. (Did you know that 85% of the energy used in washing clothes goes to heating the water?)

4. If you eat meat, make one meatless meal each week. (There are plenty of studies, facts/figures, and documentaries on the impact that "meat" has on our environment and our health. I don't expect that everyone will convert to vegetarianism, but going without once a week doesn't seem like that big of a sacrifice.)

5.  Make your own cleaning supplies. This can save big on container waste and will greatly improve your indoor air quality. They are actually quite simple to make and there our plenty of recipes online. All you really need are a few simple ingredients such as: baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.

6.  Buy in bulk. This cuts down on packaging and can make a huge impact (positive) on our environment.

7. Stay away from pre-packaged food/drinks. For example: juice boxes, while convenient, are much more wasteful than fresh-squeezed (best option) and even a large jug of juice (baby steps...) which you can pour into re-usable drink ware. 

8. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle. There is even an iPhone app for this created by Earth911. It makes local recycling about as easy as it gets. It gives you info on what and where you can recycle. These resources are also available online.

9. Change out your light bulbs. Converting to CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs is one of the easiest ways to save energy and money. 

One of my favorite ways to reduce our environmental impact and to live a healthier, more organic lifestyle is to: 

10. Support local farmers. I'm probably a late bloomer as I only recently discovered http://www.localharvest.org/ -- This website is an amazing resource in supporting your local farmers. Not only can you find local farmers markets, you can also sign up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) program. The benefits are tremendous and when you compare with grocer costs, the CSA is extremely wallet-friendly. I highly recommend the documentary "Food Matters" which briefly touches on the journey of our food from farm to grocery store...did you know the average Safeway or other grocery-store tomato was picked while green and very unripe, then chemically ripened before making it to our stores. The average produce is 5 days old before it even reaches our store. Not to mention all of the chemicals and pesticides that are used to grow our grocery-store food. Local Harvest gives a list of consumer advantages on their site, which I have re-posted here for your benefit:


Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown 

Okay, so this list of ten could easily be a list of over 1,000, but I hope the ideas are simple enough to give you a head start on this journey. Even simple ideas, like these, can have a tremendous impact.

Eat.Live.Breathe.Organic