5 Sustainable Resolutions for 2011
Adding happiness to your home is not just about home decortaing and home decor products. Home accents are great but enjoying your home (and increased lifestyle happiness) is what we are all about. Simple changes to improve your health, increase your happiness, and reduce your impact on the earth- at home and at work are good for you and the world!
1. Use smaller plates.
When its time to dine, why not use your salad plates? Big plates usually equal Bigger than necessary portions! The researchers at Cornell University discovered that at an ice cream social held for nutritionists. The pros, when serving themselves ice cream consumed more calories than they realized due to the bigger bowl size. Want to learn to cut your calorie intake effortlessly… try eating on smaller plates and smaller bowls. Trust me, you won’t miss the added calories!
2. Creativity dates.
They are the way to go. Instead of waiting and waiting and waiting for artistic inspiration, schedule it yourself. Exercise some creativity, by attending a beginner sewing class, pottery class or a craft class with friends. Even spend a little time pursing a hobby. The goal isn’t to create a priceless piece of art, but to expand your mind in ways that helps it improve, literally. Activating those parts of the brain by learning and mastering new things over time helps to enhance memory and brain cell health.
3. Quick change to your cleaning routine.
How about switching to a nontoxic cleaner… you can even make your own. Vinegar is non-toxic and is a natural disinfectant and is also a natural stain buster due to the acid content. Here’s another easy recipe for a green housekeeping cleaner… mix ½ teaspoon of washing soda (the stronger cousin of baking soda) it’s usually available in the laundry aisle, a drop or two of dishwashing liquid, and 2 cups of hot water. Put the solution in a spray bottle and shake it up until it is mixed; use like any other spray cleaner.
4. Recycled toilet paper anyone?
Check out these alarming yet interesting statistics. If every person in America replaced only one four pack of regular toilet paper with just one four pack of recycled toilet paper, we could have saved 600 billion BTUs of energy, conserved 356 million gallons of water, and avoided the release of 37,000 tons of CO2 along with 60,600 pound other various pollutants made in the manufacture of toilet paper. If we all switched permanently, imagine the significant change we could make just by using recycled toilet paper.5. Drink water before each meal.
Drink just 2 -8 ounce cups of water before every meal and you’re more likely to consume significantly fewer calories during the meal. Researchers have found that people that regularly drink water before meals lost more weight and subsequently kept it off better over time than the non water drinkers. Additionally, being well hydrated has its benefits like increased energy and better digestion.
Take the challenge this year and do these small steps to a better happier, healthier lifestyle.
