First, let me say I’m not an expert in this. We all have room for improvement, and yes — I still use some single use items, and I’m sure you will too. The idea isn’t perfection. The goal is just improvement. Any eco friendly swap here and there makes a difference.
3 of the easiest things I do to minimize how much waste my family and I produce are:
1. Use reusable water bottles (glass & stainless steel are my preferences) that you refill at home instead of using plastic bottled water from the store
- Not only is drinking out of glass or stainless steel much better for your health than the plastic bottles, but this produces much less waste!
- If for some reason you need to use plastic bottled water, at least do your very best to recycle the bottle when you’re done!
2. Store food in glass containers (mason jars, pyrex dishes) rather than ziploc bags
- Food tastes better being stored in glass anyway!
- I’ll admit I still use ziploc bags for certain things. I definitely prefer to store food in glass, but sometimes I run out of containers or what I’m trying to store is just too big for the container I have available, etc. Also when packing a lunch, weight is taken into account.
- Using glass containers where you can is better than using plastic bags all the time! Remember, any reduction of waste is worth it!
3. Bring your own reusable grocery bags to the store
- We all have the infamous plastic grocery bag of plastic grocery bags - am I right?? Do we really need more? Bringing your own grocery bags into the store with you eliminates the accumulation of extra plastic bags that we don’t need.
- I do like to keep some plastic grocery bags on hand for household use! I line the bathroom trash cans with them and use them for other “waste” type purposes - without getting graphic :)
- When I don’t have my reusable bags with me, I choose paper over plastic when I have the choice. I’ll reuse paper grocery bags too, and I actually prefer them over plastic most of the time. Not to mention the paper bags are biodegradable where the plastic bags are not.
Remember, this isn’t an all or nothing kind of thing, and there are so many other things you can do to love the earth! What are some things you do to reduce the amount of waste you and your family produce? Tell me in the comments below!
If you loved this blog post, there's more where that came from in my free Facebook group here. You'll want to get in there now because that's where I'll be launching a 5 Day Eczema Relief Training very soon!
Want to get a head start? You can also grab my new guide on 5 Steps to Taming an Eczema Flare Up here!
Nature, Earth, the Universe, God's creation -- whatever you call it, it is so amazing.
Honestly, I really couldn't say I appreciated it until I got into the world of essential oils. That's what made me realize Mother Nature really knows what she’s doing.
Fresh air is like medicine. Not only can you feel a difference in your lungs - and really, your entire body - versus being cooped up inside all day, but have you ever let something “air out” outside?
Nature is like a natural deodorizer.
This is my latest “Nature is Amazing” encounter:
For probably a year (maybe more) I had clothes that smelled like fabric softener sitting in my laundry room in a designated basket. (Yes, a designated “I cannot get the smell out of these clothes” basket.) If you know me you know I cannot stand when clothes smell like fabric softener (P.S. did you know that dryer sheets are considered toxic waste?).
I tried washing the smell out several times but it must have been so engrained in the fabric that that just wasn’t going to do it. (I guess that’s what happens when you wash clothes in synthetic fragrance for years and years. They just cling onto that smell. I’m so grateful I know better now - know better, do better! No fabric softener or dryer sheets in this house!)
I definitely wasn’t going to wear them while they smelled like that. So in the basket in the laundry room they sat, until I could figure out how to get the smell out.
It finally occurred to me - “what if I let them air out outside?”
I could not believe it. After a few days of airing out in the backyard, the smell was gone. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?!? I then put in a formal request that my husband install a clothes line in our backyard.
Is it just me, or is this a testimony to how powerful nature really is?
Nature provides for us in so many ways, the least we can do is love the earth like every day is Earth Day. Next week we’ll talk about some really easy ways to do that!
If you loved this blog post, there's more where that came from in my free Facebook group here. You'll want to get in there now because that's where I'll be launching a 5 Day Eczema Relief Training very soon!
Want to get a head start? You can also grab my new guide on 5 Steps to Taming an Eczema Flare Up here!
I was so discouraged but I knew what had happened. I was eating too much of my trigger foods.
Overindulgence seems to be a conversation around every holiday. Well, in this case it’s not so much overindulging in too many sweets or too much food in general.
For me, this past weekend was overindulgence in my trigger foods. Again.
The thing with this is that it’s okay to do every so often, because sometimes just having a nice time with loved ones and eating the dishes that were brought to share overshadows the obsession with avoiding all the foods you’re “not supposed to have.”
So I ate foods with garlic and onions and my hands (my eczema trigger point) LET ME KNOW IT.
Was I uncomfortable? Yes. I’ll be honest about that. As I’ve said in the past, my eczema burns and is quite uncomfortable. It can even get to the point of my hands bleeding.
And then of course I was at someone else’s house who doesn’t use the fragrance free soap I do, so that was making it worse with every hand wash.
In hindsight, I truly should have thought further ahead about what I was going to eat and I should have brought a dish that I knew I could eat with no problems.
Even health coaches can drop the ball with this!
Moral of the story is overindulgence is inevitable at times. (Or maybe moral of the story is bring your own dish, always. LOL) So damage control was the next step for me. When I got home the first thing I did was apply my favorite soothing ointment filled with skin-loving essential oils. Drinking plenty of water, taking digestive enzymes, taking a probiotic (sometimes I’ll double or triple up), drinking a warm cup of herbal tea & getting a good night’s rest are next on the list.
And of course, going back to avoiding my trigger foods again :)
Do you know which foods trigger your eczema? How do you handle flare ups? Tell me in the comments!
If you loved this blog post, there's more where that came from in my free Facebook group here. You'll want to get in there now because that's where I'll be launching a 5 Day Eczema Relief Training very soon!
Want to get a head start? You can also grab my new guide on 5 Steps to Taming an Eczema Flare Up here!
My favorite way to store fruits and veggies is in large glass mason jars. They are space-efficient, sustainable, chemical-free & aesthetically pleasing. You really can’t go wrong!
It also reminds you that you have fruits and veggies in the fridge to eat because they’re staring at you right in the face!
When it comes to things that take up more space like lettuce, you could still stick with the mason jar method (chop it up and toss it in there), but you’ll end up using several mason jars.
This might be a good thing for you because you already have pre-portioned salads at your fingertips! You could also just use a big glass bowl and store it all in one container.
If I’m crunched for time, I’ll admit I will just wash the lettuce leaves and throw them whole in a plastic storage bag with a paper towel (if it’s too wet in there, it will go bad more easily). I’ve tried the reusable storage bags, but they just didn’t work for me.
While it’s best to buy produce that is in season, I do have my favorites that I like to keep in the house.
- Lemon slices for my morning water (or fish dishes - yum!)
- Pineapple chunks for my morning smoothie and to put in my yogurt for a yummy snack!
- Celery to eat plain, dip into nut butter or veggie dip
- Carrots to eat plain, dip into veggie dip (or hummus, if you’re into that)
- Slices of cucumber I’ll sometimes eat like a cracker with cheese! (But also, sliced cucumber is a really easy veggie to add into a meal)
- Raw green beans that I always eat plain because they’re so yummy on their own!
- Honeydew melon or cantaloupe when I crave a sweet treat!
Unfortunately, sometimes these fruits/veggies just look plain sad (because they’re not in season) BUT the good thing about this is that variety is the spice of life (and a variety in diet makes for a healthier gut) so this forces me to find something else to hold me over for the week (or sometimes the season).
I am so glad farmers market season is coming up soon because that’s always where you’ll find the yummiest IN-SEASON fruits and veggies. If you can find an organic stand, that a double win.
Also, if you’re like me and get a little overzealous at the farmers market sometimes by overestimating how much you’ll actually eat during the week - throw your produce in the freezer instead of watching it go bad. That way you can either toss it in your smoothie, or throw it in the skillet while you cook dinner!
If you loved this blog post, there's more where that came from in my free Facebook group here. You'll want to get in there now because that's where I'll be launching a 5 Day Eczema Relief Training very soon!
Want to get a head start? You can also grab my new guide on 5 Steps to Taming an Eczema Flare Up here!
When I became a health coach I became the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life. For me, this also meant weighing less than I did in high school. I always struggled with my weight. In my very first blog post, I talked about how the biggest difference for me was simply that I was eating more vegetables.
When I wanted a snack, instead of going for chips, I’d go for raw green beans. At dinner, I made sure half my plate at dinner was filled with vegetables.
Nowadays if I go a meal without vegetables I truly feel like I’m doing something wrong. My house is filled with produce and a grocery trip isn’t complete without some fruits and veggies.
BUYING the fruits and veggies is the easy part. PREPPING them for eating is the time consuming part, but also the most important part! You’re certainly not going to go into your fridge and choose celery to snack on if it’s unwashed, uncut & still in the plastic it came in from the store.
Pro tip: if time does not allow for you to wash and cut the produce yourself — buy pre-washed, pre-cut produce.
I prefer to wash it myself. I use a fruit and veggie soak that’s infused with essential oils that gets the yuck off. I fill my kitchen sink with water (after I’ve scrubbed it clean with my plant based cleaner), pour a bit of the fruit and veggie soak in, let it sit for at least 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
Not only does this make sure everything is clean, but it actually makes the produce last longer because of the essential oils!
This definitely doesn’t mean I choose this option all the time. Sometimes life is just THAT busy. Don’t be afraid to spend a little extra on the pre-washed, pre-cut fruits and veggies. If you know you’re not going to wash and cut your produce yourself, nip that problem in the bud, spend the extra money and keep yourself from reaching for the unhealthy foods! Every cell in your body will thank you!
Next week! How I store my produce, and my favorites to keep on hand.
If you loved this blog post, there's more where that came from in my free Facebook group here. You'll want to get in there now because that's where I'll be launching a 5 Day Eczema Relief Training very soon!
Want to get a head start? You can also grab my new guide on 5 Steps to Taming an Eczema Flare Up here!
