“You should also consider growing some of your own food, too, be it in your back garden or an allotment if space proves to be an issue”
“Carrying your shopping and reaching for products in the aisles also helps to maintain mobility and flexibility, essential for muscle strength, joint health, and cardiovascular fitness”
“Being more energy efficient is also vital when it comes to being eco-friendly, starting with looking around your home to see how you can use less”
“Wherever possible, don’t use any car at all! Walking is one of the best ways to improve your health, as well as your pocket; as it’s free!”
Facts/stats
Research shows that adopting green habits reduce stress and improves your overall mood
(FG Conscious Fashion)
Walking for 2.5 hours a week—that’s just 21 minutes a day—can cut your risk of heart disease
(Harvard Health Publishing)
Here are just a few simple but effective ways you can make an impact – and just think how good you’ll feel knowing you’re doing your bit for both the planet and your health in the process.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The first area to think about when it comes to being more eco-friendly is the food you choose to buy and eat, especially when realising it’s linked to a third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Instead think wisely to help cut down this alarming statistic, starting with what you choose to actually consume. Avoid too much meat and dairy, which require more land, water and energy to produce, instead opting for a higher plant-based diet, as well as cereals and grains, all of which rank lower in greenhouse gas emissions. This is not only better for the planet but also better for your physical health, with research showing that people who eat red meat are at a higher risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes, while choosing more plant-based foods keeps your cells healthy and your body in better balance, so your immune system is able to function at its best. You should also consider growing some of your own food, too, be it in your back garden or an allotment if space proves to be an issue. It’s much better for the world around us, again reducing carbon emissions further by cutting down transportation from producers and also reducing single use plastic pollution in our oceans, much of which comes from food packaging. And what of the benefits to your body? Well there’s plenty! For a start the number of calories burnt from 30 minutes of gardening is comparable to playing badminton or volleyball. Then there’s the fact that vegetables that ripen in the garden have more nutrients that some bought in a supermarket are, as they’re often picked early. And then there’s the pesticides often used: when you grow your own you control exactly what you’re using on your own food; with pesticides linked to illness such as heart, respiratory and even neurological diseases.
SHOP ’TIL YOU DROP?
A trip to the supermarket may be more eco-friendly these days, taking along reusable shopping bags and seeing chains donate surplus food rather than it going to waste. However, there’s still much more you can do, shopping for local produce to reduce carbon emissions associated with food transportation. This also has benefits on your health, as by regularly shopping in the same independent stores you’ll get to know those that work there, with the benefits of such social connections enhancing your mood, and lowering your blood pressure. How else can a trip to the shops help? It relieves stress, with those indulging in a little retail therapy shown to be less sad than those that only browsed for items; thanks to it releasing mood-lifting endorphins while boosting your immune system. Needing some essentials while worrying you don’t have the time can also make it all-too tempting to do a spot of online shopping, but in fact getting deliveries to your home is again detrimental to the planet, especially when considering that three billion trees are pulped yearly to produce 241 million tons of shipping cartons. But it’s not only good for the planet to shop yourself, as you’re upping your steps without even realising, potentially to an impressive 4,000 additional in just an hour. Carrying your shopping and reaching for products in the aisles also helps to maintain mobility and flexibility, essential for muscle strength, joint health, and cardiovascular fitness.
WASTE OF ENERGY
Being more energy efficient is also vital when it comes to being eco-friendly, starting with looking around your home to see how you can use less. Overheating your house, especially when it’s cold outside, is something many of us are guilty of, but in doing so you’re harming the planet – as well as yourself. For a start overheating your home uses much more energy than is necessary while depleting natural resources unnecessarily. It also removes moisture from your home, with breathing dry air often leading to respiratory problems including dehydration while also drawing some moisture from your skin and eyes, which is proven to cause dryness and itchiness. Then there’s the environmental effects cooking at home can have (no, we certainly not suggesting you get a takeaway), with one study showing that methane produced from domestic cooking having a similar impact to the environment as 500,000 cars. Equally as worrying is that 3.2 million people die prematurely from illnesses attributed to household air pollution, which is caused by solid fuels and kerosene used for cooking. What can you do about it? Consider how you cook for a start, using pans to match the size of the food you want to eat, and be sure to pop lids on them to ensure your food cooks even quicker. Consider switching from gas to an electric stove if you’ve the funds to do so, as gas stoves produce carbon monoxide which can cause headaches, nausea and even breathing difficulties. Speaking of electric, if you’re able switch your car to an electric model, which produce 17 to 30 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional petrol and diesel cars. And, wherever possible, don’t use any car at all! Walking is one of the best ways to improve your health, as well as your pocket; as it’s free! It helps you to manage or lose weight, improves cholesterol, blood pressure and energy levels, and also boosts your immune system, with one study showing that people who walked at least 20 minutes a day, five days a week, had 43 per cent fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. Walking for better health as well as helping the planet and your bank balance to boot? Sounds pretty good to us!