LIST: Ten Healthy, Money-Saving Tips

Posted on | October 21, 2008 |

Bettering yourself. It’s something we all strive for, yet never really want to put in the effort to do.
To help you out, I’ve compiled ten easy ways to green your life while also improving your health, because if you’re going to do something positive, you might as well do it efficiently.

Five To Do’s You Probably Already Thought Of

1  Bike to work

…or the grocery store, or the nearest bar (yes you can get a DUI on your bike).

Green Benefits: Save on gas, reduce carbon emissions into the environment.
Health Benefits: Improve your endurance level, get a little cardio in, get some sunshine and fresh air (that’s for your sanity).

…Also, air pollution not only affects your heart and lungs, but there may also be a link to an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis.

2  Carpooling/Public Transportation

Green Benefits: Obviously, this will also reduce emissions.
Health Benefits: You might meet someone new. Humans are social creatures. Contact with other humans makes us happy, on a chemical level. Happy is a great step to healthy.

3  Buying Organic/Local Food

Green Benefits: Organic food reduces the amount of chemicals and hormones going into our food/earth/air. Local food reduces the amount of gas that is used to transport food across the country.
Health Benefits: I don’t know about you, but non-ingesting pesticides and hormones sounds like a pretty good idea as far as my health is concerned (psych!).

…for those of us who are strapped for cash – you don’t have to buy everything organic. Foods like bananas and other tropical fruits don’t need much protection and are generally encased in an inedible skin that protects the actual fruit from any sprays. Save your pennies for the meat.

4  Plant Your Own Garden

Green Benefits: plants are just a good idea. And who doesn’t like fresh herbs? (I’m not a gardener. I kill bamboo. Not on purpose. But herbs are really easy! And you can grow them in an apartment).
Health Benefits: Inspires the desire to cook a real meal, or at least put some basil on your frozen pizza for variety. Getting outside and in the sun also boosts your vitamin D levels (great for your skin).

5  Replace Light Bulbs With Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Green Benefits: Compact fluorescent bulbs use 75% less energy than a regular light bulb to emit the same amount of light. They also save about $30 on electricity bills over their lifetime.
Health Benefits: They emit less heat (I don’t notice any). So when you spend hours preening in front of the bathroom mirror you won’t work up a sweat. If you get 5000K lights you will constantly be surrounded by natural daylight. This ups your body’s intake of vitamin D, awful foundation matches won’t surprise you when you step outside, and this level of white has also been shown to increase productivity.

Five To Do’s You Probably Never Considered

1  Carry An Aluminum Water Bottle

Green Benefits: Reduces waste from disposable plastic bottles.
Health Benefits: There has recently been some concern that reusable Lexan plastic water bottles (Polycarbonate #7) may leak harmful chemicals into your water. Aluminum has no effect on your beverage of choice. Meaning your morning OJ won’t taste like plastic. And if you want to burn your fingers, it’ll hold your coffee, too.

…Oh! Oh! Oh! And you can customize it.

2  Walk to the Grocery Store
…I know I already put ride your bike there. This is for different reasons.

Green Benefits: See Riding Your Bike
Health Benefits: The idea with walking to the grocery store is that you would be walking home with groceries. Weight bearing activity helps strengthen bones, a vital health concern, especially for women. This reduces your risk of osteoporosis later in life.

3  Eat More Grains Less Meat

Green Benefits: “…about two to five times more grain is required to produce the same amount of calories through livestock as through direct grain consumption.” – NY Times
Health Benefits: Most Americans consume more protein than they really need. Meat is an easy option for protein because it contains all of the essential amino acids necessary for building muscle tissue. But matching up beans, peas, or lentils with rice, cous cous, or wheat will also get you all those amino acids. You don’t have to eat them at the same time either. Another easy fix: both soy and quinoa are non-meat full protein providers.

4  Brew Green Tea

Green Benefits: Brewing it yourself saves on coffee house waste (not to mention your cash!)
Health Benefits: High in antioxidants, increases metabolism with a light jolt of caffeine, and hydrates you (some say it’s better than water). But you have to brew it; bottled green tea doesn’t retain most of the benefits.

5  Collapsible Tupperware
…Wait. What?

Green Benefits: You can pack your own lunch easily (goodbye squished sandwiches and broken cookies!), saving you time and gas going out for lunch, No need for plastic bags.
Health Benefits: Again, it makes putting your own lunch together easy, opening up the possibilities of home cooked meals on-the-go. You can keep variety in your meals, even pack a salad that won’t get mushy.

…the best part: when you’re done it collapses to about an inch thick, slipping unnoticed into your briefcase.

So…hit why not hit several birds with one stone? (answer: because it’s mean). But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be efficient and productive (so you can go about your laziness without guilt).

Article by geo•gia massage

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