I was Green before Green was cool

That's right. Way before the "green" movement, before we recycled and drove hybrids, I was green. Or at least my last name was- Green, that is. Now that my last name has changed and I'm a "grown up" I'm starting to feel the need to pay attention to how my actions affect my environment and my body. I thought I might share a few tips about how I've made our life a little bit more environmentally friendly, and how you can do the same.

- One day I was cleaning the shower with a certain Tilex product and started coughing and wheezing so bad it made me think- can it really be okay to breathe in all of these chemicals? Not long after we began using Shaklee all natural cleaning products. You may have seen them featured on Oprah a while back. They are known for using all natural ingredients, recyclable packaging, no harmful chemicals, and no animal testing- not only that, they work! And since you use a concentrate, they last you forever. The long lasting benefit of using "green" cleaners is that they don't pollute the water, so one small change can really have a long lasting effect. Check them out on www.shaklee.com.


- After seeing where all of the plastic bags we use end up (think of your favorite ocean creature and all of the ways a plastic bag can impede upon their lives- I won't go into details, but it isn't pretty),not to mention the fact that they never biodegrade, for $1 each I bought re-usable bags from our local Publix. I love them. I use them all the time and not just for groceries. They carry more than a regular shopping bag, they are sturdy and easy to carry. I keep them in my car so I never forget to take them places with me. Mine happen to be black and I think very fashionable (as far as burlap sacks go), plus I feel very responsible when I use them :)
Here is a picture of a similar one from Whole Foods:


- Being Green is not just about helping the environment it's about helping your mind and body too. Now I'm not a total hippie, but have you ever read the ingredients on a box of oreos? So many things I can't pronounce that I wonder how my body is supposed to digest them or divest any nutritional value from them whatsoever. On the flipside, it's hard to ignore how you feel when you eat a really healthy meal with fresh produce, whole grains, and things that benefit your mind and body in a myriad of ways. Putting food chemicals into your body can be the same as bad cleaning products- they are all foreign objects that your body doesn't know what to do with, and they contaminate your intestines. Because of this, I do my best to try and eat as close to the earth as possible- everything doesn't have to be organic, but try buying locally when you can (Atlanta has a few great farmer's markets for you local readers). I am making a trip to a local farm on Saturday to pick up fruits and veggies for the week, most of which are grown without harmful pesticides...you should do the same! **Very important side note- I still eat oreos, just not as often ;)

- We recycle all plastic and paper products- magazines, food cartons, milk jugs, anything.

- I found a lot of inspiration from a TV personality named Sara Snow www.sarasnow.com. Sara was raised in a family that grew all organic foods and composted their trash simply because they wanted to raise their children in a healthy environment. Sara now has a show on Discovery Health about small changes you can make to improve your environment and health. Check out her site and her 10 tips for going green.


Being "green" is not about only eating things out of your own garden, or wearing hemp clothing, it's about balance, and doing small things that have lasting impact on yourself and those around you. Give it a try!