Personal accountability is essential to achieving a healthy weight. The same goes for protecting and sustaining a healthy environment. You may not realize it, but your food choices and the way you shop for, prepare, and serve food can negatively impact the environment. So in honour of Earth Day this year, make small, meaningful and "greener" changes to your eating habits. Here are some great "eating green" tips to help you get started.
Make a Shopping List– Take inventory of everything you need for preparing healthy meals at home before you head out the door. This will prevent the need to make multiple trips back and forth to the store. You’ll not only save on fuel, but reduce the wear and tear on your car and your nervous system.
Got Canvas?– Neither paper nor plastic bags are a very good choice for the environment. It takes gallons of crude oil to make plastic bags, and many trees are sacrificed to make paper bags. Instead of using paper or plastic bags, invest in reusable canvas shopping bags. Most stores make them available for purchase near the checkout stand.
Say Goodbye to Plastic Water Bottles – North Americans buy billions of plastic water bottles every year, and every year those same billions of empty bottles get thrown in the garbage. Break the habit and use a neoprene bottle instead. If you think your tap water tastes "yucky" use a water-filtering system.
Buy Local and Organic– Buying locally grown food at a farmer’s market cuts down on the environmental costs associated with transporting produce to your community from great distances. Eating organically grown fruit and vegetables is also a good way to not only reduce your exposure to pesticides but help reduce the runoff and pollutants from "toxic" farming that can contaminate our water, soil, and air.
Eat Less Meat– The resources needed to raise livestock (e.g. feed, water, land, and fossil fuels) is significantly greater than those required for growing vegetables and grains. Try swapping out at least one meat dish a week for a vegetarian plate. If you do eat meat, buy free range, organically raised meat and poultry. It’s also the healthier choice!
Start a Veggie Garden–It doesn’t take much to start your own vegetable garden. If space is limited, start small with a planter box, nutrient rich soil, and a few seeds of your favourite veggies. Another benefit to gardening is that it will also make you appreciate the hard day to day work of farmers.
Cook and Clean Up Efficiently– Save energy and speed up cooking times by covering pots. The lid will keep the heat in and bring what you’re cooking to the right temperature faster. When it’s time to clean up, make sure the dishwasher is "full" before you run it. If you have a small number of dirty dishes, think about doing them the old-fashioned way: by hand, using a full basin of water (no running water) and a biodegradable dish detergent.
So make the small changes to be personally accountable to yourself and to your environment this Earth Month and every month going forward!
My colleagues, friends and family are involved in many events this month to celebrate Earth Day.
Two of these events are open to anyone and admission if FREE!
Earth Day Extravaganza at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ontario on April 15th, 7:30 p.m. Join us in the Lyra room at the International Centre, 6900 Airport Road and learn about the problem and the pollution solution. Admission is FREE but you have an opportunity to make a $2 donation toward the planting of trees through “LEAF” - an incorporated non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and improvement of urban forests in the Toronto area. For each LEAF donation ticket purchased, your name will be entered in a DRAW for door prizes including an EXCITING GETAWAY!
Tree Planting Earth Day Weekend in Downsview Park on April 25th, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The goal is to plant 2000 trees from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Downsview Park, 35 Carl Hall Road, Toronto, Ontario. Lots of other activities available for the kids, starting at 9 a.m. For more information, call 416-952-2222 or email info@downsviewpark.ca
Hope to see you there!
To your health,
Nadia
Your weight loss partner
1-877-405-4471
healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com
www.healthyweightdancingfeet.blogspot.com
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