outdoor fitness | ELIZABETH NORWOOD

GREEN NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS the tinier the better

By Liz on January 8, 2014

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It’s so tempting to set really lofty New Year’s Resolutions.

Every year, we get a new shot at overhauling our lifestyles, our relationships, our waistlines.

But the most successful long-term changes are almost always the little ones, the baby steps.

Sustainable changes are those that don’t leave you feeling deprived, pining for your old life, your old boyfriend, your old….well, maybe you won’t miss your old waistline, but you get the picture.

It’s a bit like the Butterfly Effect, that tenet of chaos theory, where the slightest fluttering of a butterfly wing sets into motion the most monumental events. Change your toothpaste today, and who knows what greener trajectory you may find yourself on tomorrow?

In celebration of small shifts that make big differences, I have a new resolution for your consideration:

Resolve to be just a tiny bit greener.

Don’t feel overwhelmed, don’t dwell on all the things you think you “should” be doing, don’t be paralyzed by the idea that one person can’t change the world. (What if all these people had decided to sit around eating bonbons all day?)

Here are a few of my favorite tiny green bits.

Pick one thing. Just one.

One a day, one a week, or one for the new year.

But, in the wise words of that painfully cliché yet eternally true Nike tag line…Just Do It.

Change your toothpaste. The chemicals in your personal care products can be absorbed into your body and our groundwater. Choose healthier alternatives when you can.
Compost. If your town collects compost, toss food scraps and other compostables into your yard waste bin. If not, call your garbage company and ask if they can start!
Ditch your anti-bacterial products. Bacteria is important for your immune system, and anti-bacterial products are bad news for public and personal health.
Take a hike. Regular time spent in nature makes you happier, healthier, chillax-ier, and skinnier. Wow!
Pull a sunscreen switcheroo. Many chemical sunscreens don’t work, and they can harm you and delicate ocean eco-systems. Keep an eye out for smarter sun protection options.
Stash a reusable shopping bag in your purse or glove compartment. Learn new ways to reduce plastic usage.
Use rags instead of paper towels. Cut up old T-shirts and towels to re-purpose them, and keep them under the kitchen sink.
Teach your children well (hum to Crosby Stills and Nash tune). Give your kids tiny green things to do, too.

What are your favorite easy ways to go green?

ECO-TIPS – get your outdoors on

By Liz on March 13, 2013

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There’s been a lot of buzz since Richard Louv coined the phrase “Nature Deficit Disorder” in his book Last Child in the Woods . Nature Deficit Disorder is a general term for the side effects – like anxiety, depression and obesity – of spending too little time in nature. And it’s not just kids that are suffering from NDD – adults are so plugged in to the virtual world these days, we’re missing out on the wonders of the natural world.

Humans are hard-wired to love nature – seeing it, smelling it, just being in it stimulates all our senses and gives us joy. And research shows nature’s therapeutic effects, lowering blood pressure, slashing stress and boosting immune function. Time we spend in nature even makes us more caring and compassionate. The more we get outdoors, the more we realize that our own health is intertwined with the health of our environment.

If you’re having a tough time “getting out more,” take a cue from Todd Christopher of Green Hour. He recommends a one-hour daily dose of outdoors for healthier, happier kids. But this prescription applies to all ages, so get out there and get your green on:

Hit the trails on two feet, or two wheels. Invest in items to up your adventure factor, like binoculars, books on local flora and fauna, or a handy nature app.

Take a dip in the nearest lake or ocean. Feel the sand between your toes. Smell the salt air. Collect shells and unique pebbles. Rinse, repeat.

Cultivate your green thumb. Start a garden with your favorite flowers, fruits and vegetables. Share your bounty with family and friends, or give back to Mother Nature by creating a National Wildlife Federation certified habitat in your own backyard.

Rethink your vacation. Consider a day trip or vacation to one of 398 glorious National Parks

“Park” close to home... You don’t need an exotic destination to fill the nature prescription – any town park or playground with a decent patch of greenery will do.

courtesy muddyplimsolls.com

…and “park” at home. Maximize your nature fix by bringing the outdoors in. Many beautiful indoor varieties of houseplants also detox the air. A windowsill herb garden is a snap to grow and maintain. And some choice ambient nature sounds can temporarily transform your home office or bedroom into soothing rainforest.

How do you get your green on?

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ECO-TIPS – raising green kids

By Liz on May 11, 2012

courtesy of Change My Desk

In today’s culture, we have never had so many choices – and yet so little time. With all the buzz about going green, we are often too busy to do green. And even with the best intentions, it can feel inconvenient to instill those values in our kids.

But if you start with just a few changes and walk the walk, your kids will fall in step. Soon those green steps will become second nature to the whole family.

Remind your kids how powerful they are. That their everyday choices can make a monumental difference in the world. And that starting small is often the best way to do big things.

GO ORGANIC

Organic has become a marketing darling these days, but what does it mean exactly?

Simply put, organic crops and animals are grown without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), antibiotics or growth hormones. So if we want to keep all those things out of our water, our soil and our bodies, it makes sense to choose organic.

Since organic isn’t always possible or available, find out which foods are most laden with chemicals. For a list of the top 12 foods to buy organic, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen.

Bring your kids to the market with you. Tell them what you’re buying, and why. Give them good reasons for avoiding overly-processed and conventionally-farmed foods. Let them pick out a new fruit or vegetable to taste. Send them on a scavenger hunt to tally all the “organic” labels they can find.

JUST SAY KNOW

What’s on and around our bodies is just as important as what goes into them. Because we end up absorbing and inhaling a lot of the personal care and cleaning products we use, it pays to know what we’re buying.

Many conventional products – like bathroom cleaners, shampoo, even toothpaste – contain a cocktail of sketchy chemicals that can irritate skin, disrupt hormones or damage DNA.

But which chemicals are toxic, and which have a proven safety record?

The Environmental Working Group has all the scoop you need to make informed choices about everything from food and water to cosmetics, sunscreens and cleaning products.

THE 4Rs

Reduce: Accumulate less stuff in the first place. Before you buy a new gadget or snag a freebie, assess your true needs and desires. Will you use it, or will it promptly be retired to the junk drawer or landfill? Choose quality over quantity. Simplify, contemplate, evaluate.

Reuse: Many things destined for the recycle bin or trash can be given a second life. Use small storage bins to organize reincarnated items: an art box for buttons, yogurt cups and fabric scraps; a gift wrap box for gently-used ribbon and paper. Use swatches of old T-shirts instead of paper towels, and empty peanut butter jars instead of plastic tupperware.

Recycle: If you already recycle, get your kids involved in the nitty-gritty details. They can rinse out empties, sort plastics from paper, and take the bin to the curb on pickup day.

Rot: Compost whatever you can. Even toddlers can rescue food scraps from landfill. If you don’t have curbside pickup, lobby your local refuse company to start service. Or get your own Envirocycle compost barrel.

NURTURE NATURE

Kids are becoming more and more disconnected with the natural world. They spend less time in nature and more time indoors and plugged in. If they are outside, they’re often on a groomed soccer field than in the wild woods hunting beetles, peeping leaves or foraging for mushrooms.

The best way for kids to relate to nature is to experience its beauty and mystery firsthand. Go hiking in the hills, camping in the woods, swimming in a lake. Prioritize nature vacations. Your kids will realize it’s their privilege to protect the Earth – for the flora and fauna, for themselves, and for generations to come.

How do you help your kids to think green? What are your favorite family eco-tips?

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