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Earth Hugger
provides simple, practical tips for living a "greener" more
earth-friendly lifestyle.
When you hear the term green living, you may get an image in your
head of hippies living in communes making everything they use. Truth
is: the definition of green living has changed. The concept simply
includes doing things to help the environment be viable for future
generations. If you dont feel like shedding your worldly
possessions and living in a mud hut, here are a few steps you can
take you make your life a little greener.
Buy local organic products. Organic farmers not only use
little to no chemicals, they also take steps to reduce water and
soil degradation, along with other problems caused by traditional
agriculture. Veggies from groceries stores have usually been shipped
a long way, which causes environmental pollution. Buy your produce
from a local farmers market or co-op. If you cant find one, start
your own organic garden.
Use natural products. Household products that dont contain
chemicals are not only better for the environment; theyre safer for
your family as well. You can make various cleaning products from
stuff in your kitchen, like vinegar. If you dont have the time,
there are products you can buy. Just make sure theyre all natural
and dont just have a few natural ingredients.
Reduce. Weve all heard the spiel about reduce, reuse, recycle; however, most of us focus on recycling and completely ignore the reducing. Try to use products that dont end up in landfills like cloth diapers instead of disposables or regular towels instead of paper ones. Another great idea is to buy concentrated products because they come in smaller packages.
Reuse. Many people have gotten in the habit of sending their recyclables away in the bins, but theres more supply than demand in the recycling market. Thats why its also important to reuse items if you can. Before you throw something in the recycling bin, consider whether you could reuse it for something else.
Recycle. We should all have a recycle bin in our homes, but
you can do stuff to recycle on your own. Instead of using potting
soil in your garden, set up a compost pile and make your own rich
soils. You can also use products like shredded plastic bags to mulch
your garden. If you get creative, theres lots of recycling you can
do on your own.
Conserve Energy. There are so many things you can do to save
energy. The big plus on this is that it also saves you money. Get
low energy light bulbs for your fixtures. You could also take more
drastic renovation steps by getting new energy efficient windows or
installing solar panels. Even small steps like setting the
thermostat a degree higher or lower can make a big difference. A big
way to conserve energy is to get a more fuel efficient car, or get
rid of your car altogether. If you dont need a big SUV, then dont
get one. Youll be doing the environment a big favor.
Teach your children. You might not be able to change the
world on your own, but you can start a trend my teaching others to
be more environmentally friendly, starting with your kids. Make sure
your children know what steps you take to improve the environment
and why.
Articles:
Organic Living
Benefits of Consuming Raw Organic Food
One of the latest diet crazes is the raw food diet. It may seem like
an odd idea to eat all your food raw, but its really only natural.
All the animals on the planet eat raw food except for humans and
those raised by humans. And those that eat cooked food tend to have
a shorter lifespan and more widespread disease. Before you dismiss
raw food as the latest fad diet, take a look at the benefits it has
to offer.
Certified Organic Body Products
There are body products popping up on shelves everywhere marked as organic. They claim to be much more beneficial for you than other body products. Youre probably thinking what are organic body products and are they really better for me? Well, organic body products are actually a complicated issue; theres no simple answer, but heres some help for sorting it out.
Getting Started On Organic Foods The Basics
Organic foods and products are becoming more and more popular, but if you dont know a lot about organic food; you probably dont realize why theyre worth spending the extra money on. Heres some information that will hopefully help you make the healthy switch to organics.
Is Organic Food Really the Healthier Choice?
Since organic food started to gain popularity in the late 1990s, people have been skeptical about the superiority of organics. Many people claimed that the benefits of organic over traditional products could not be proven. The truth is that there had simply not been enough testing done to prove the benefits of organic products or the drawbacks of traditionally produced food.
Organic Food Delivery The Easy Way to Eat Right.
If you have kids, youve probably had some crazy grocery store experiences. You have to take the time to get each kid to stop what theyre doing, get ready, and get into the car. You then have to battle traffic on the streets and in parking lots while your kids are going wild and crazy in the back seat.
Why Every Parent Should Switch to Organic Baby Food
Many parents see organic baby food in health food stores or regular grocery aisles and simply pass it by. You probably think I grew up on regular baby food and Im fine. Think about it this way, do you baby proof your gardening chemicals, or is your baby allowed to eat and drink pesticides? Okay perhaps its not an equal comparison, after all there are only small amounts of toxic chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers in traditional baby food but do you really want to take the risk?
Buying organic produce has become an increasing trend in recent years. Many people buy it because its natural and dont even bother to research the benefits of these kinds of foods. By buying organic produce you are helping your family and the environment stay healthy and happy for years to come.
Eat Organic Food and Help the Planet
When most people hear the term organic, they think of decreased chemical use. In reality, organic agricultural production involves so much more than that. Organic agriculture is a fairly strict form of sustainable agriculture; a way of producing food products without harming the land. Its main goal is to work the land without preventing future generations from being able to use it as well. By buying organic products, youre not only feeding your family safer food and preventing hazardous chemicals from entering the environment; youre also protecting future generations.
How to Grow Your Own Organic Vegetable Garden
Wish you could have fresh, flavorful vegetables right at your fingertips all season long? Do you want to be confident that your vegetables are safe for your family to eat? Well, you can have all that and more. Growing your own organic vegetable garden not only assures fresh, safe, great tasting vegetables all season long; it also provides you with exercise, stress relief, and the knowledge that your hard work is accomplishing great things for your family. If this sounds like something youd love to try, here are a few tips you need to know before you get started.
Losing Weight by Eating Organic Foods
Right now, it seems like everyone is looking for the secret to losing weight. They take pills and go on the latest diet looking for a quick fix. The truth is, theres no miracle diet that will help you take off 20 pounds overnight, but there are things that can give you that extra boost to finally take the weight off once and for all. One great extra boost is organic food. These are foods grown without pesticides, hormones, preservatives, and other harmful chemicals. They are designed to work naturally with the environment around them and within the body of the person who eats them. Eating healthy with organics can help you finally take off those excess pounds naturally.
Is Organic Pet Food Worth the Extra Cash?
One of the latest health food crazes is organic food. It used to be only a handful of farmers produced organic products. Even when organics became widespread, only a few different food products were available. Now theres an organic alternative to almost every product on the market, snack foods, shampoo, and now even pet food. Youre probably thinking organic pet food, thats crazy, but consider this: when national dog shows are sponsored by a dog food company, the winner gets free dog food. Most winners then donate that food to local shelters instead of giving it to their dogs. Why? Because they know traditional dog foods are bad for dogs.
What is the Future of Organic Foods?
It seems the organic phenomenon has been sweeping markets all over the world. More and more people have been switching to healthier, pesticide free versions of their favorite fruits, vegetables, meats, and even snack food. But what about ten or twenty years from now? Will the organic food phenomena last or fade away?
Many people are taking advantage of more readily available sources of organic food such as supermarkets and big chain health food stores. While these are more convenient, there are other places to buy organic products. Knowing where organics are available means finding the best prices and quality. Here are some of the more common and uncommon places to buy organic produce.
No matter how much you wash them, pesticide residues wont come off of fruits and vegetables. But, if you want organic food without paying high prices, learn to grow your own. That way, you can happily say that you have contributed to making meals better for your family.
Weve all been told that organic food is better for us; it contains more minerals and less dangerous chemicals, but many people dont stop to think about the benefits organic food has on the environment and on its producers.
Organic health products were few and far between about twenty years ago. Some of the more earthy types bought into it, but the mainstream resisted. Now, the industry has made great strides mostly due to the mainstream.
7 Tips For Growing Organic Food
As everyday consumers, we can grow some of our own food without all the labor of the average farmer. Here are a few tips to help anyone grow their own food organically.
We have all seen the organic labels in stores and wondered about them.... is organic better? If a product is truly organic, nothing used to make it contained or came in contact with synthetic chemicals or pesticides. Without the added preservatives, the product is healthier.
Organic is More Than Just growing your own food. The world is buzzing with all this talk about organic lifestyles. Most think that if they eat produce marked with an organic sticker then they have done their job. Living in an organic way is more than just what you eat. It is a state of mind.
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
It used to be diapering was such a hassle; mothers had no choice but to use cloth diapers, clumsy pins, and annoying covers. Then they invented disposable diapers and most mothers thought it was a miracle. Now, about 80% of diapered babies use disposable diapers. But are plastic diapers really better? Before you go grab a pack of Pampers, catch up on some of the advantages of cloth diapering.
How to Choose the Right Cloth Diapers
When we were kids, our moms had one choice for cloth diapers. It involved folding, pins, plastic covers, and a lot of frustration. Many of us have simply switched to disposable diapers because theyre more convenient. Well, most cloth diapers today are not only convenient, theyre also more attractive and sometimes work better than disposable. The key to using and sticking with cloth diapers is choosing the one that works best for you. Here are some of the cloth diaper options on the market.
Recycling makes a difference not only for us today, but also for future generations. The fact about natural resources is that not all natural resources are renewable, meaning that when they are gone, they are gone for good. Through recycling, we can make the most of the natural resources we do have, without depleting reserves.
Most of us take water for granted until it doesn't rain for a month or two and the city asks you to stop watering your lawn and garden. One of the best ways to help guard against this is by recycling rainwater.
Waste Recycling Needs our Support
Over the centuries, increasing technology has caused increased industrial productions. Since products are made to be consumed, increasing consumerism has created a continuous problem with waste management. In the past, waste management primarily entailed the collection and disposal of waste materials.
Busy, busy, busy. Do you have time in your busy life to think about or do anything with recycling? Is it an income producing activity? Is the money you can make worth your while? If we don't, what will this world look like for our kids when they grow up?
As you prepare to clear out your flower bed, you may not want to throw away those leaves just yet. You can use them as compost. If youve never had to deal with compost, here is how to create a compost pile.
Natural Health & Fitness
Teething can be a horrible time for babies. Not only does a new tooth cause pain and discomfort for your little one, it also can be scary to have something new growing inside their mouth. While there are lots of products on the market, such as baby Tylenol and teething gels, these products can be dangerous for your child. Before you go shopping at the pharmacy aisle, try some of these natural remedies to stop teething pain.
Heartburn is not only painful, if you suffer regularly, it can disrupt your sleep and your life. If taking over the counter or prescription medicine all day long doesnt sound like the greatest idea, there are tons of natural remedies out there for you to try. They range from herbal pills and tea, to simple foods most people have in their house. Here are just a few ideas to cure your heartburn naturally.
Yoga is the perfect choice for senior fitness! Yoga may be popular with younger people today, but that doesnt mean its not a great workout for seniors. Its low impact workout that doesnt put excess stress on vulnerable bodies. It makes you feel better mentally and physically while it improves your health. Plus, there are poses for beginners, experts, and everyone in between; so youll never get bored. Here are just a few of the reasons yoga is a great workout for people of all ages, especially seniors.
Health Benefits of Pomegranate
Pomegranate has tons of wonderful benefits that you should know about. Once you know everything it can do for you, youll probably find yourself eating or drinking pomegranate every day.
Cucumber Juice For Blood Pressure
Reduce Your Blood Pressure with Cucumber Juice! When it comes to cucumber, most of us just throw a few on our salad at lunch or dinner and call it good. Some of us probably use them to reduce puffiness around the eyes fore often than we actually eat them. If you want the real benefit of cucumbers, take them off your eyes and pop them into the juicer (not the same ones!) Cucumber juice can help with your skin, just like slices, but its actually more beneficial in reducing your high blood pressure. So, before you go on a dangerous blood pressure medicine, or if your meds arent working as well as they should, try drinking a nice, tall glass of refreshing cucumber juice.
Garlic As A Cancer Fighting Tool
Garlic as a Cancer Fighting Tool? The more scientists study garlic, the more benefits they find come from eating it. For instance, did you know garlic can not only prevent cancer, but may also be able to help treat it? There are many benefits in this great little food.
Using Grape Juice to Battle Fatigue
Battling Fatigue? Try some Grape Juice! You work hard during the day; at night you deserve to take a break, relax, and get some rest. But how tired is too tired? If you come home so beat that you dont even want to get up and move, you shouldnt lie around waiting to feel better. You should get up and do something about your fatigue. Why not try a great natural energy booster? Grape juice.
Treating A Cold With Lemon Juice
Treat the Common Cold with Lemon Juice! The lemon has been used as a medicinal treatment since the days of ancient Rome. Lemon juice has been used in this country to treat the common cold for ages. Why does it work? Lets look at the origin of the lemon to find out.
It is becoming more common for people to skip potentially dangerous prescription and over the counter drugs for natural alternatives. The great thing about many of these natural products is that they can be beneficial for more than one problem. A great example is peppermint oil. It has been used to help with tons of various problems. Here are a few just 5 uses for peppermint oil you may just find yourself trying.
While green tea has been used in eastern cultures for over 4,000 years, only recently has it been recognized for its medicinal properties in western culture. Here are just 6 of the many health benefits that green tea can provide.
Natural Parenting
It seems todays society is becoming totally apathetic to the world around them. Many children in particular are more concerned with playing the latest video game and dont really pay much attention to the environment around them. It may seem hard to get your children to show an interest in the world around them, but you can get them to care if you start early and take small steps. You may not make a difference overnight, but you may just make a difference in the future of the planet.
Teething can be a horrible time for babies. Not only does a new tooth cause pain and discomfort for your little one, it also can be scary to have something new growing inside their mouth. While there are lots of products on the market, such as baby Tylenol and teething gels, these products can be dangerous for your child. Before you go shopping at the pharmacy aisle, try some of these natural remedies to stop teething pain.
One of the newest trends in parenting is baby sign language. People in the deaf community have known for years that babies could communicate through sign long before their vocal cords allow them to speak, but the trend didnt really catch on because of the false assumption that signing led to later verbal language development. We now know that not only does signing not keep a baby from talking; it actually helps them to start talking sooner and have better language skills.
It used to be diapering was such a hassle; mothers had no choice but to use cloth diapers, clumsy pins, and annoying covers. Then they invented disposable diapers and most mothers thought it was a miracle. Now, about 80% of diapered babies use disposable diapers. But are plastic diapers really better? Before you go grab a pack of Pampers, catch up on some of the advantages of cloth diapering.
How to Make Homemade Diaper Wipes
Like most disposable baby products, diaper wipes can be expensive. They also contain unnatural chemicals that may harm your baby. Instead of spending all that money, why not make your own, natural, safe homemade diaper wipes in just a few minutes?
How to Choose the Right Cloth Diapers
When we were kids, our moms had one choice for cloth diapers. It involved folding, pins, plastic covers, and a lot of frustration. Many of us have simply switched to disposable diapers because theyre more convenient. Well, most cloth diapers today are not only convenient, theyre also more attractive and sometimes work better than disposable. The key to using and sticking with cloth diapers is choosing the one that works best for you. Here are some of the cloth diaper options on the market.
Babies need a lot of attention and theres a great way you can have your baby with your all day, hands free. Imagine being able to cook, clean, shop, and play with your other children all while you baby is safely snuggled up against you. Well you can do that and more with the art of baby wearing.
Most mothers know that breastfeeding is the most natural and healthy option for their baby. The problem is that nowadays mothers need to work, shop, take their other children places, and do a thousand other things; its hard to always be in a private area when your baby is hungry. Social norms make many women feel wrong feeding their children in public areas, but dont let this stop you.
We live in a bottle feeding society. Many mothers not only find bottle feeding more convenient, they have also been led to believe that feeding formula is somehow better for them and their baby. This information is flat out wrong. The benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby generally far outweigh any risks or problems you may face.
Many parents who co-sleep with their infants worry about keeping them in a family bed too long. You probably have worries about your child becoming too attached or that a toddler will affect your marital relationship. Many families continue to co-sleep with their older children, who grow up to become healthy and well adjusted. Just as with infants, co-sleeping makes a child feel safe and loved.
In our modern culture, many people wouldnt even consider sleeping in the same bed as their baby, but the practice of co-sleeping has gone on for thousands of years in many parts of the world. Co-sleeping with your child helps you form better bonds and feel closer to them, helps them feel safer, and has even been shown to improve a childs self esteem and more satisfaction with life when they get older. While many organizations claim co-sleeping is unsafe, there are precautions you can take to sleep safely with your child.
While terribly painful, many times natural childbirth is the best option for having a healthy delivery. It also makes sure that you will be lucid and ready to see and hold you baby once they are born. While most women plan on having a natural birth, many tend to change their minds when the pain gets too bad. If you really want to have a natural childbirth, but arent sure youll stick with it; try these methods to help you prepare for your labor.
There are a lot of different philosophies out there about how to raise your children. One of more popular parenting philosophies thats been publicized in the past few years is attachment parenting. Many people dont understand exactly what it is. Attachment parenting is when the parents try to form a close, special bond with their children. This strong relationship with their parents is said to help a child develop strong, healthy, secure relationships in the future.
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