Today is Earth Day. At One Degree Health, we’re all about using small habit changes to create big results, so thought you might be interested in learning some micro-habits that are good for us and also good for the planet.
We hope this list inspires you to make some small changes to your current habits that also benefit our environment. And if you feel so inclined, comment below and let us know which habit you’re going to start tweaking.
Happy Earth Day, today, tomorrow & always!
In honor of Earth Day and the power of micro-habits, here are some small habit changes that can positively impact your health and the environment.
Small habit changes that are good for you and the environment:
Start Meatless Monday.
Pick one meal a day or one meal a week that is 100% plant-based. Need inspiration? All of our recipes on our blog are whole-food plant-based, and delicious.
Find a few to try for your next Meatless Monday dinner over here.
Shop local.
Food prices are primarily driven by transportation costs – getting that food from the grower to your plate. When you shop locally and buy from farms in your region, you get fresher food containing more nutrients because that food didn’t have to be picked months earlier to then travel across the world to you.
Choose organic.
Organic isn’t just a label. When you buy organic, you are 1) buying foods that are not sprayed with pesticides. So you’re helping prevent pesticides from entering our water system, which then affects our drinking water. And 2) organic foods contain more nutrients than conventional foods. So selecting organic is a win-win.
If the cost of organic is a concern for you, then skip the middle man of the grocery store and go directly to your farmer. Find local farms to support through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as well as nearby farmers’ markets at https://www.localharvest.org/csa.
Buy food in bulk.
Before buying a packaged food, see if that same food is available in the bulk bin section of your grocery store, e.g., nuts, granola, rice, peanut butter, and more. This will reduce your packaging use and is usually significantly cheaper.
Seek refillable options.
Look for larger-sized items that can be used to refill products you already own. Instead of buying a new bottle of hand soap every time it runs out, buy a large refill of soap to fill up the containers (I like this one from Puracy). This will save additional packaging from entering our landfills.
Multi-task your washing machine.
Do you ever do small laundry loads, like a few t-shirts, and another for pajamas, and maybe another for a delicate like a bra? Instead of running three small loads of laundry, use mesh laundry bags to separate these loads so they can be washed all in one cycle. This will save water and electricity and will also save you time.
Unplug uncommonly used devices.
When a device is plugged in and turned off, there is still a tiny amount of electricity being discharged from the electrical outlet. Save some energy by making it a habit to unplug non-commonly used devices. Even if you use an appliance every day, like a toaster or blender, make it a habit to unplug it between use.
Switch your energy to sustainable sources.
Last but not least, you can choose to have the energy to your home sourced primarily from sustainable sources. It involves a one-time contact with your energy company (either by completing a quick form in your online account or making a phone call), asking that your energy be sourced from sustainable sources.
In my area of Denver, Colorado, our local energy provider offers wind-sourced energy. The monthly cost is sometimes slightly higher, but I justify this cost knowing that this small change is helping conserve our planet’s natural resources.
Which habit change are you going to make? Comment below and let us know!
Summary
Track this new habit:
Check off this habit in your Healthy Habits Tracker (download yours for free here).
