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4. Grow your own garden. Growing your own vegetables—especially without using synthetic pesticides or fertilizers— is another way to go green. From a tiny paper packet of seeds you can grow a month’s worth of tomatoes, peppers, or cucumbers. By growing them yourself, you’re eliminating the need for fuel and all the other waste that goes into transporting and selling them. Plus gardening burns up to 230 calories an hour. The amount of money you’ll save on your grocery bill will be tremendous, and nothing beats the taste and nutrition of food from your own garden. 5. Clean house. Chemicals in most household cleaning supplies might smell like a fresh breeze, but usually they're anything but natural. Using non-toxic cleaning supplies may protect your health by reducing the chemicals you inhale while cleaning and by preventing chemicals from polluting our waterways. You’ll also save money if you make them yourself since most cleaners use a combination of a few cheap ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and soap. Spending three hours deep cleaning your abode burns an average of 390 to 675 calories. And the same goes for your lawn. 6. Go flexitarian. Flexitarians don’t give up meat completely but do cut back a little or a lot. It’s a green thing to do because it takes a lot less energy and land to produce fruits, vegetables and grains than it does to produce meat. Eating less meat also results in less pollution. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the meat sector of the global economy is responsible for 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Cutting back on your meat consumption reduces this environmental burden. Most people who reduce their meat consumption lose weight and get healthier since plant-based diets are often lower in calories and unhealthy fats. As the price of food (particularly corn, which feeds animals used for meat) and gas (which transports meat across the country and to your plate) continues to rise, so do the costs of meat. Plant-based proteins like beans and legumes are more affordable, and arguably, healthier. Even if you give up just one meat-based meal per week, you'd be making a difference for your health, your wallet and the planet. Learn more about the benefits of meatless meals. |
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Fitness Articles › Family & Lifestyle6 Ways to Get Lean by Going GreenEco-Friendly Choices Can Slim Your Waist and Fatten Your Wallet-- By Liza Barnes, Health EducatorSparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
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Liza Barnes
Liza has two bachelor's degrees: one in health promotion and education and a second in nursing. A registered nurse and mother, regular exercise and cooking are top priorities for her. See all of Liza's articles. |
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A reverse grip adds challenge to this exercise.
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Member Comments
And the idea that buying from the farmer is economical because the transaction eliminates the middleman has not happened in my experience. Farmers' market foods tend to be kind of pricey compared to the nearby big markets in the city. - 3/13/2013 9:29:04 AM
Another area to go green is in your skincare. Choose products without harsh chemicals, petroleum, or animal bi-products and you will be helping both the environment and your body in BIG ways
While quality, organic products may have a higher sticker price, the value is far better than those with cheap fillers and expensive packaging.
Healthy lifestyle - 3/12/2013 12:18:57 AM
In America and Australia (where I live) car culture rules supreme. I am active and vocal in being part of the solution for people and animal friendly neighborhoods.
Get involved in your community: when we live in unpolluted, sustainable living spaces we naturally move our bodies more & connect with our communities. - 4/22/2011 10:29:45 PM
p.s. Most people eat way more protein than they actually need to. - 4/22/2011 9:06:51 PM
Make the comparison with an electric bicycle or a scooter, and things just got skewed for the worse.
Just making a point that you don't always save as much as you think. So unless you eliminate a car form the household, or need that commute as a from of exercise, it won't save you as much money as you think. Gaoline is still a very cheap form of energy. - 4/22/2011 4:30:53 PM
I won't cut back on my meat. As it is I rarely get enough protein. Much of the meat we eat is grass fed cattle raised locally or wild meat that has been hunted.
But, as with many things, we do what we can and what works for one doesn't mean it works for all.
- 4/22/2011 2:13:27 PM
I must be doing something wrong in the "grow your own food" department. With a tiny yard, I plant tomatoes in a container. The cherry tomatoes do just fine, but I'm lucky if I get two decent tomatoes per plant all summer long...off to the farmer's market I go. - 4/22/2011 10:56:33 AM