In Good Health

Time for a diet? Start the New Year with lifestyle changes that
are healthy for both you and the planet. Our fast-and-easy habits
are catching up with us; the way we consume creates waste and toxic
byproducts that clog both our own blood vessels and the waterways
of the earth; polluting our tissues and Earth’s soil. As the recent
energy conference in Copenhagen brought home, it’s time for
change.
But change doesn’t come easy. Like any diet, it’s wise to start
from where we are and to feel our way into sustainable changes.
Bill and I keep making little changes to our own lifestyle to try
to reduce, recycle and reuse. We do some things well and have a
long ways to go on others. Here is my year end reflection on where
I currently am and what I can do better in the coming year. I hope
it triggers your own reflection and resolutions.
We buy mostly local, seasonal food: we get a farm box (CSA
-community supported agriculture) and frequent the farmers market.
I love that our local stores carry and label a good selection of
locally grown foods. We take canvas bags to the grocery store, and
have dramatically decreased our use of plastic veggie bags through
recycling, use of homemade muslin bags and not putting every
vegetable in a bag. I could do better at taking my own bags to
other types of stores.
We also use many bulk products, from oatmeal and peanut butter
to shampoo and dish soap. This means we can reuse the containers.
But I’m horrible about paper. I still print things out to read them
and like to store information as hard copy. I’m resistant about
becoming paper-free, so I need to choose one thing to start with. I
could put my paper supply on a diet — tracking and decreasing my
usage.
We eat grass fed beef once or twice a month. Finding good local
sources has made me feel better about enjoying hamburgers in summer
— it has really been a treat. We buy wild fish and local organic
chicken — but I don’t really know as much about how the chickens
are raised as I’d like to. Chickens can be organic and “free range”
and still be confined and overcrowded. My inclination is to eat
less of any kind of animal protein — we’re eating a lot of beans
these days. Animals produce a lot of waste — both physically in the
form of manure, and as gasses, that when massed in factory farms
overwhelm the earth’s capacity to absorb it. Cows make a
significant contribution to greenhouse gases, and research links
red and processed meats to colon cancer: any way you look at it,
less is better.
We use toilet paper, paper towels and printer paper made from
recycled paper; and reusable cloth napkins and cleaning rags. We’ve
switched all the lights to fluorescent. We still have two cars,
although I work from home and cluster my errands when I need to
drive into town. Two years ago I fixed up my bike so I could ride
into town instead of driving, but I lapsed last year. That would be
a good goal for this year: to ride in at least 2-3 times a week.
The extra exercise would be good.
My worst waste-forming habit is overconsumption. I have too much
of everything. I could easily cut all I own in half and still have
plenty. This is the habit I’d most like to tackle and yet the one
that feels the hardest. I think the answer is to slow down. I move
too fast, take on too much, and all too easily get lost in the
whirlwind of activity. When I’m off balance like that, I’m much
more impulsive about buying things I don’t really need.
Of all the suggestions, slowing down — and getting adequate rest
and breaks — is the least obvious but may ultimately be one of the
most important points for any diet. When I slow down, I need less,
and I feel happier. Slowing down makes it easier to make conscious
choices. This makes for a healthier diet for us and Mother
Earth!
Wishing you a healthy and happy New Year!
Eat well! Share your comments and insights with Kathy Nichols,
the Healthy Habits Coach, at ka***@he****************.com
or 431-7524. Find more nutrition information on her website:
healthyhabitscoach.com
or blog healthyhabitscoach.wordpress.com.