Category: healthy

World Water Day

“Climate change will affect the availability, quality and quantity of water needed for basic human needs, thus undermining enjoyment of the basic rights to safe drinking water and sanitation for billions of people, warns the latest UN World Water Development Report.” United Nations

Today as we are all advised to wash our hands because of our world crisis, please take a moment to pause and think about our water. On World Water Day become mindful of your relationship to water on our planet. How do you use water? How many times during the day do you turn on the water faucet? Who keeps the water we drink and use safe? How does the water get to our houses? What can we do to conserve and keep our fresh water clean and safe?

The water we have on Earth is the only water we will ever have. It is used and reused as part of the water cycle. Please be mindful how you use it.

The largest fresh water lake
Lake Superior

Mindful March

Two weeks ago I wrote March Madness. I knew March 2020 was going to be unusual with the Coronavirus approaching and the United States presidential primaries in the process, but no one could have predicted we would become isolated and shut down. This is an extraordinary time in history, and we are all in this together. It is a world community event. Let’s all be mindful of our community, what needs to be done, and who might need help? It is an amazing time to work together, to work together to keep everyone safe.

After the events of the past two weeks we each need to pause, breath, relax, and be mindful of our health. The Action for Happiness group has a helpful calendar. As we wait out the virus, this calendar gives you a positive thing to do everyday to occupy your mind. I hope the actions in this calendar will make you feel better. Pause, breathe, relax.

Or maybe creative cooking can entertain your mind.

I hope these last two weeks of March bring you health and peace.

Judy Woodruff: This is a moment for us to all show our best

More from Action for Happiness. Stay home and flatten the curve!

My Plastic Free Day

reusable containers
With some planning you too can have a plastic-free day!

Join me for a plastic-free day. Reducing single-use plastic consumption is an important way we can make a positive difference for our earth. Start with one plastic-free day a week to change the way we live our lives. Join me for  a plastic-free day

With a little planning and organization the night before you can have a plastic free day.

First pack your lunch in a reusable plastic-free container, and bring your reusable cup and utensils.

bulk produce
Avoid plastic, purchase produce in bulk without plastic

Next bring your reusable shopping bags to shop for dinner. Making a sheet pan dinner is easier than take-out. Here is a list of sheet pan dinners to last you almost a month. Purchase produce items without plastic wrap and plastic bags. Choose a new grocery store if yours doesn’t offer bulk produce of carrots, onions, potatoes, apples and broccoli. For a protein source visit the meat counter to avoid plastic wrap and Styrofoam trays. Eggs can be purchased plastic-free.  Here is a sheet pan dinner using a can of garbanzo beans, and vegetarian sheet pan dinners here.

Why is it important we avoid plastic? Just a 9% of the single-use plastic in the United States is recycled. Plastic breaks into tiny particles, and is eaten by fish, turtles and other marine life. Plastic is made to last, and will stay on Earth hundred of years and maybe forever. I can’t imagine the future of our Earth if we don’t contain this harmful monster.

Less Waste, More Taste: 10 Mason Jar Recipes

Here are 10 plastic items you can easily give up.

 

Plastic bags are choking our Earth

Target Petition Urges Retailer To Ban Plastic Bags

Dear Target. Please ban plastic bags, or charge 25 cents per bag. Putting a cost on bags would make individuals value them, and hopefully reuse them, not just let them fly onto the streets and landscapes.

I get so tired of seeing plastic bags blowing on the street and fields, hanging from trees, left in bus shelters, and stuck in street gutters. These bags can last for hundreds of years, and then might only break into tiny pieces of plastic. They are made to last! It is time corporate America, Target and others, to step up and take leadership on our plastic problem. Also, each of us needs to take responsibility and always bring reusable bags shopping.

Retailers think they are doing enough by offering recycling of plastic bags. In fact only 5% of plastic bags are recycled, but according to my local recycler there isn’t much of a market for the recycling of plastic bags.

The best thing you can do is bring your own reusable bags!

health4earth
Bring your own reusable bags.

 

Some states and cities have banned single-use plastic. Read more here

 

Good News from 2019

And from Future Crunch 99 good news stories:

https://futurecrun.ch/99-good-news-2019

Good news gives me hope and I hope these stories give you hope for 2020!

The two stories from 2019 that give me most hope are the leadership of Greta Thunberg, climate activist, and Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand.