EcoChi: Ideas for Green Nesting this Winter

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Was great to be back in the studio with a full crew and some extras! We got caught up a bit and talked about an article I’d written for our local daily newspaper about a few simple eco-resolutions we could consider for the New Year, which led to a discussion on strategies for succeeding with them! Check out Green Diva Lisa’s great and thorough post on ways to succeed with whatever intentions you have for the New Year. Here is an excerpt with just a FEW ideas in one of several categories – Food (yum):

Eating Healthier – that can range from eating less meat, eating more fruits and veggies, to getting off dairy or gluten, to losing weight. Whatever the case is for you, set reachable goals.

Prepare your alliances: Ask your friends and family to help you, especially in the beginning, by not questioning your choices or criticizing your efforts. It is never good to have someone, well intended as they might feel, say, “Should you be eating that?” Ask them not to sit down with a plate full of apple pie and ice cream while you are eating celery sticks. That’s just mean.
Next, prepare your environment: Open your cabinets, refrigerator and freezer, take out every inappropriate thing that could potentially derail your efforts. You may know someone who can use the food you shouldn’t be eating, so think about donating to a food bank or neighbor. Ask your family to bear with you, even if they are not dieting. Eating healthy is good for everyone, not just for loosing weight.
Replace those unhealthy items with healthier choices: Keep healthy snacks around like fresh veggies all cut and ready to eat, around so that when the urge strikes, you won’t lose out to poor impulse control. When choosing more fruits and veggies for your diet you might want to read the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Shopper’s Guide for pesticides in produce.
Want to eat less meat? Start slowly by trying the Meatless Monday plan. Remember we don’t need as much protein as the meat industry would like us to believe. Here is a resource to find out how to replace meat protein with vegetable protein.