Go All-Natural this 2020

It is mid-February, so how is those New Year’s Resolutions coming?

First, did you make your New Year Resolutions this year? If you haven’t, that’s okay. If you did and already dropped them, we won’t judge you either! We all know resolutions work perfectly for some people, and for others, it just doesn’t. We usually tend to get upset and give up on them when we don’t see the result we desired.

Some resolutions are harder than others. The real key to success when setting resolutions is not to set the bar too high. We can push RESTART now! Give yourself a little wiggle room and a bit of a break if that’s what helps you obtain a successful resolution. Start by setting goals that you will be able to maintain, and ones that will be guaranteed to give you a positive outcome.

If living a natural lifestyle is something you are interested in, keep reading to find some good ideas that you can add to your list of resolutions this year. These ideas are super simple, and the outcomes are positive; they will be great for your family and the planet!

This is a whole list, but you can pick and choose what works best for you. Who knows, you may already be doing some of them, if not all, which is incredible! Now for all you beginners in this natural lifestyle, let’s start a fresh new year by choosing two or three habits out of the following list and implementing them throughout the whole year.

Start slow, just two or three. We believe in you!

New Year Resolutions (all-natural edition) 

1. Switch to Reusable Shopping Bags (if you haven’t already)

We are more aware than ever before how harmful plastic grocery bags can be on our environment. It is easy to forget that plastic bags are made of petroleum-based products, that alone should be a good enough reason not to bring them into our homes. Plastic isn’t biodegradable by design, and it harms many animals, especially sea creatures.

This year, let’s be mindful and reduce plastic bag use. Reusable shopping totes are readily available and super affordable. Let’s make it a habit to have them in our cars, purses, homes, and anywhere in between where we can see them and use them.

2. Whenever you can, cook at home. 

We live in a busy world, and we all have families to feed; so, it might be much more convenient to eat out more than once a week. The mess and the work that cooking at home entails isn’t something that may be the most attractive idea, but there are so many benefits, so it’s worth it.

Starting by being able to control what goes into your food, and helping you maintain a healthier diet. Think about it this way, when you are grocery shopping, it can be easy to avoid buying unhealthy foods. But when you’re out and about, it’s easy to order french fries and have them in your hand in a matter of minutes. When you compare the cost, cooking at home can be a lot less expensive than eating out, even at the cheapest restaurants. By making meal plans, you can save even more time and money

3. Glass or stainless steel (ditch the plastic)

As mentioned before, plastic is made of harmful chemicals that are not good for you. Although we are more aware of this, it is helpful to set a friendly reminder. Yes, there is BPA free plastic, but even then, it is not 100% perfect. Who wants endocrine disruptors in their meal?

When using a microwave, try to use the least amount of plastic when warming up your food. The best way you can protect yourself from harmful chemicals in your kitchen is to have glass plates, glass storage containers, and glass tumblers! It is more reliable than plastic and not as fragile as stainless steel. However, it is not a good idea to send your kid to school with a glass lunch box, that is just trouble waiting to happen!

4. Keep it local and organic.

Supporting organic farming methods is very important because they are kinder to the earth and more sustainable. But as I mentioned, these resolutions are meant to be ones you will set and maintain, so we are not saying switch to organic altogether. Although that would be great, realistically speaking, it would be a little too impractical and honestly quite expensive. The idea is to buy organic whenever there is a chance.

Buying local is also great because their foods have not been shipped from various locations, which is better for the environment. Think about a few things before purchasing an item, where it came from, and how it was grown. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for farmer markets in your community!