The 2015 Great NEWS posts are dedicated to sharing easy to implement super Healthy Habits. Today’s post is dedicated to Earth Day and how we can create healthy habits that are great for us and great for the environment. One of the greatest health risks we face as a global community is degradation, demolition and destruction of our environment. Billions of people around the globe are facing severe health consequences due to contaminated and polluted air, food, land and waters. This post will offer healthy Earth Day habits and simple steps that we can all do to prevent further damage and even reclaim and reverse damage already done.

Landscape

Once we have the basics of clean air, clothing, food, housing, soil and water covered life is great.

Our creator gave us clean air, food, land, skies and water as our birth right. We all need clean air, food, land and water to be happy, healthy and in harmony with life. Anything less than that contributes to a reduction in our quality of life and a risk to our long term well being. Being exposed to contaminated air, clothing, food, land, products, structures and water poses a serious health hazard. Contamination and pollution of our basic necessities for life are major causes and contributors to many disabilities, diseases and health issues people are facing.

Once we have the basics of clean air, clothing, food, housing, soil and water covered life is great. Unfortunately the 20% population of developed countries are consuming way more than 80% of the world’s resources which means that the 80% population of developing countries is receiving way less than their fair share.

While we may have good intentions with efficiency, productivity and profitability while creating a better life and more prosperity somewhere we have lost touch with reality. We are so busy keeping up with the Jones that we have lost sight of our environmental responsibility and sanity. We are busy filling our closets, garages and storage facilities with stuff and still find ourselves sad, sick, stressed and sullen.

Who gave us the right to infringe, manipulate and steal from other people and deprive them the right to equal access to clean air, food, land, shelter and water? While we enjoy our fake, fast and junk refined foods and dozens of unhealthy beverages the majority of the world is experiencing a lack of adequate nutrition, clean water, safe shelter, peace and prosperity.

When you have the opportunity to travel to undeveloped and developing countries you quickly get an education and eye opener regarding the inequality of access and distribution of the world’s education, energy, natural resources, opportunity, technology and wealth. Over the years I have personally learned and observed the devastating effects this has for those countries where dehydration, desertification, destruction, disease, high mortality, hunger, malnutrition, pollution, poverty, soil erosion, sweat shops and wars have taken a devastating toll on the happiness and health of people.

We must make learn to make intelligent choices and think about the Seventh Generation consequences and impact from our decisions. The appliances, beverages, cars, clothes, electronics, foods, housing, power plants, technology, toys, utilities and weapons we build, buy, consume, use and dispose of will affect everyone on the planet over time. Each one of us has the responsibility to make safe and wise choices.

When we combine common sense and intelligent choices we set the stage for a healthy and vibrant life. Water is one of our most important and vital resources for us to preserve and protect because it is vital to the health and well being of all living things in the bubble we call earth.

Start Saving Water Stop Wasting Water

Water Leak

Clean and pure water is a precious commodity that is in extremely short supply.

Clean and pure water is a precious commodity that is in extremely short supply. Unfortunately our water resources are becoming so polluted with chemicals, pathogens, pollution and toxins it is extremely difficult to meet the needs of the billions of people on planet earth. Clean water is a vital component for our survival.

Excessive building, damming, destruction, drainage, erosion, farming, grazing, irrigation, pollution, pumping, soil depletion, sprinklers and  have greatly reduce the amount of clean air, food, soil and water we have available. Unwise agriculture, building, livestock and manufacturing practices have destroyed much of our land and water resources for us and future generations to come.

Our aquifers, lakes, rivers, streams and seas are in life threatening trouble due to the massive contamination, loss, pollution, sewage and water waste caused by humans.

Harmful amounts of synthetic antibiotics, chemicals, fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides and radioactive pollution are now in much of our drinking water.

Today’s earth is vastly different than from 100 years ago as companies and people have plundered the world in search of coal, food, forests, fuel, gems, metals, minerals, natural gas and oil. We have used more natural resources in the last 100 years than probably the previous 10,000 years combined. Today it is very difficult to find air, food, land and water that are not contaminated and polluted.

The US and other developed countries have burned, cut, destroyed, slashed and tilled the land for decades until now we face a polluted, scarred and unnatural world of asphalt, concrete, mono crops, steel and timber by products.

That blog is dedicated to protecting our air, food, land and water resources which will in turn help people be even happier, healthier and more in harmony with life and planet earth. Most of our health challenges are self created by poisoning our self and mother earth simultaneously. When we heal the planet we will heal ourselves.

Our goal, mission and passion is helping people become better educated and empowered for holistic health and well being. With a focused mastery action plan based on embracing Healthy Earth Day Habits every day all year long we can create magic moments and miracle milestones for all people and our planet.

Simple Steps to Protect the Earth and US

Cardboard Boxes

Products like cardboard boxes, diapers, fabric softener sheets, glass bottles, paper towels, plastic (cups, dishes and utensils), plastic bottles, styrofoam cups/ plates, swiffers and many others are filling our landfills.

Protecting our body and the planet at the same time requires a little common sense and intuitive thinking. When you apply the simple steps, smart strategies and social consciousness suggestions listed here each of us will start to make a big difference fast. These ideas are so easy to implement and offer a big return on investment (ROI) for our long term happiness, health and harmony.

  • Avoid the use once and throw away mentality. Products like cardboard boxes, diapers, fabric softener sheets, glass bottles, paper towels, plastic (cups, dishes and utensils), plastic bottles, styrofoam cups/ plates, swiffers and many others are filling our landfills. Focus on using products that you can recycle over and over.
  • Avoid dumping chemicals, cleaners or toxic products into our water resources. Use environmentally friendly products and the minimal amounts needed.
  • Ask questions and research the water distribution and waste water treatment in your community. Investigate what is being added to the water before and after use. You may be in for a big surprise if you can handle the truth and consequences. Promote ideas and investments that conserve, reduce and protect water resources.
  • Avoid consuming GE and GMO crops like (canola, corn, cotton, rapeseed, soy, and sugar beets. These are harmful to you and the environment. #Herbicides used on these crops like Roundup are very toxic
  • Avoid confined animal feeding operations (CAFO) and factory farm raised animals and fish that are fed antibiotics, GMO crops and unnatural ingredients. Buy locally grown nutrient dense organic whole foods.
  • Avoid drinking beverages like coffee, colas, energy drinks, fruit flavored drinks, juices and sports drinks that contain any artificial ingredients, chemicals, GMO’s or unhealthy products.
  • Ask for efficient and low volume packaging from your suppliers and vendors.
  • Ban the plastic bags and bottles. Avoid plastic bags, bottles and water bottles which are major environmental threats. Use recycled/reusable bags instead.
  • Buy local nutrient dense organic whole foods. Cook greens, plants and vegetables as efficiently and minimally as possible to reduce energy consumption and promote health.
  • Carry a glass or stainless steel water bottle to stay hydrated and avoid plastic water bottles.
  • Choose room temperature water over ice water. Making ice requires massive amounts of electricity which comes from power plants that pollute our air, land and waters.
  • Clean water may be one of the best resources we have to treat a wide variety of health challenges and issues that many people are plagued with. As our health care costs continue to soar we may be surprised to find something as simple as proper hydration reversing chronic health issues. Imagine how beneficial it would be to improve our level of health and wellness by simply drinking adequate amounts of clean water on a consistent basis. Read The Body’s Many Cries for Water by Dr. F Batman.
  • Help find ways for our cities, communities, companies and counties and countries to do everything within their power to preserve and protect our precious water resources.
  • Avoid electric exercise machines. They are typically an unnatural movement. Electricity is wasted for the air conditioning, lights and machines. Go outside instead for a hike, jog or walk. Try doing body weight exercise and high intensity interval training like: calisthenics, MovNat, Peak 8, Pilates, Primal Fitness, TRX and  Yoga.
  • Invest in energy savings by replacing old windows with new double pane tinted windows.
  • Use on demand hot water heaters and solar hot water heaters. Avoid the big old fashion 40 and 50 gallon hot water heaters that are running frequently and wasting fuel to heat water 24 hours a days even while you are not needing it. Put the heating units close to the end use to avoid wasting water waiting for the hot water.
  • Big bath tubs and long showers with large shower heads tend to waste a lot of water. Small showers and tubs are more eco friendly and efficient.
  • Add rain collection gutters and storage tanks to your buildings and home. Use this water for car washing, gardens, fruit trees and yards.
  • If you live in a cold winter zone look into #Rocket Mass Heaters and super efficient heating units for your home. They can be amazingly efficient and low cost. Find ways to maximize your heat holding ability and insulation. Learn to do zone AC or heating to regulate the temperature of people rather than the entire dwelling.
  • Build more energy and space efficient homes. Bigger is not better. Use green design, LEED standards, passive energy and solar/wind power for planning to both cool and heat your dwelling. LEED stands for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the U.S. Green Building Council.         
  • Have you heard about #Compressed Earth Block homes (CEB) or Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (CSEB) homes? Imagine a home that can be bug proof, energy efficient, fire proof, sound proof, water proof and last for hundreds of years. This would revolutionize the home building industry, residential communities and smart home ownership.
  • Replace grass and plants with native drought resistant versions. Better yet consider a garden, tower garden or vertical food plants. Instead of ornamental plants try planting food bearing bushes, plants, trees and vines.
  • Have your attic updated to be more energy efficient. We had insulation, radiant barrier paint, soffit vents and solar powered attic fans added and almost cut our electric bill in half. We even received an energy tax credit and now our house is rated as an efficient energy home.    
  • A chest freezer with a top door is more efficient that a stand up door model.
  • Make electronic shopping lists and combine your errands to be more efficient. Avoid the tendency to run out for one errand or one item.
  • Avoid the tendency to accelerate rapidly and drive aggressively. It has been shown that a heavy foot on the gas pedal can impact your miles per gallon (MPG) or kilometers per liter (KPL) by up to 40%.
  • Buy fuel efficient vehicles. In the US it is quite wasteful to see big pickups trucks or SUV’s with one person commuting to work. For some ridiculous reason they are exempt from fuel saving MPG standards and statistics that apply to passenger cars. All vehicles should be included in the average MPG ratings to see where we are progressing or regressing with fuel efficiency.
  • Learn to car pool or use mass transit when available and possible.
  • Install high efficiency water saving toilets and shower heads.
  • Mason jars are great for making cultured and fermented foods that are healthier for you and the environment. Buy extra foods in season when the price is lower and learn the process of canning, culturing, fermenting, pickling and storing foods like our ancestors did.
  • Modern thermostats can be programmed to adjust the home temperature to save large amounts of energy.
  • Try a crock pot and rice steamer for easy and efficient meals.
  • To minimize your ecological footprint learn to: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose, Recycle, Recycle and Recycle.
  • Seek alternate energy sources when available, feasible and practical.
  • Teach your boss, business, children, employees, family, friends and self to turn of the air conditioning (AC), appliances, heating and lights that are needlessly wasting energy.
  • Water keeps algae, plants and trees alive. This helps to protect the soil and shield the earth from excessive sunlight while keeping the cycles of life going. Do what you can to help maintain lots of natural water restoration and retention.
  • Turn off faucets while brushing teeth, cleaning dishes and shaving.
  • Find ways to recycle the water from the faucet lost when waiting for hot water. Read the book The Water – Wise Home by Laura Allen for helpful ideas.
  • Be sure business, industrial companies and others are not polluting our surface or underground water resources.
  • Use calcium bentonite clay to help neutralize chemicals, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides and other toxins on fruits and veggies. It can also be used to neutralize harmful substances in your home or yard.
  • Catch and save rainwater to water your plants and yards.

Healthy Habits

The Healthy Habits 2015 series offers simple suggestions to help create more happiness and harmony. Establishing year round Healthy Earth Day Habits is one of the most important decisions we can make. When you investigate the state of the union regarding our air, food, land and water you may be shocked by what you learn about how toxic our environment has become. We all deserve and desire to be happy, healthy and in harmony and to do this we must live in harmony with Mother Nature and planet earth.

This Great NEWS post on Healthy Habits shared some simple suggestions for developing common sense Earth Day healthy habits. We must each do our part to preserve and protect our planet for our very survival.

What is your current Gap?

What things are you doing that you know are harmful to the environment and your health? What can you do to eliminate some of those unhealthy habits and replace them with healthy ones instead?

Mastery Action Plan (MAP)

What daily mastery action plans and steps will you implement for Earth Day and every day to restore the people and planet to the Garden of Eden given to us by our creator? What are some simple steps to reduce our energy, food and water footprint? What research, resources and role models will help us find and implement green and sustainable success strategies? Will you use a glass or stainless steel bottles to reduce the use of plastic water bottles to stay healthy?

Call to Action

What comments, commitments or concerns come to mind regarding Earth Day and better choices and decision for our health and wellness? What other ideas and inspiration will help motivate us towards better behaviors, beliefs and biology for a great 2015 and beyond?

Next week the Great NEWS blog will share:

Safety Smart

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