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Want a Greener Lifestyle? Start Here.

by Stephanie

Want a Greener Lifestyle? Start Here.

If you know me well, you know that I’m one of those annoying people who uses a lot of green and organic stuff.

It’s something I care a lot about and sometimes I let people know about it. I get some blank stares.

I get some looks that seem to say: “Oh man, here we go again with the greener lifestyle talk!”

My friends make fun of me because I haven’t had McDonald’s in years… and every once in a while I get responses like: “Oh I would love to be like that, but I just don’t know where to start,” or “It’s too much work.” Or “It’s too expensive.”

I’m here to tell you that it’s not that much work if you take it slowly.

So here are six tips to a greener lifestyle. I’m not an expert, but I have been doing this for a long time so I like to think that I know a little bit.

Switch slowly.

I think the challenge of switching to a greener lifestyle for some people is that they get overwhelmed with all of the products they would like to change and then they just throw their hands in the air and say forgedaboudit!

I can see how that would be overwhelming. There is no shortage of products on the market that claim to be green (and that aren’t…).

My advice is to take one product in your house and switch it. Just one at a time. See that bright blue dish detergent by your sink? Use it up and then when it’s time to get a new bottle, buy something more natural. (I’ll put a list of what I use for everything in another post).

Once you’ve done that… you can go to the next product. It may take a year to switch over everything,  but that’s ok. It took me that long too. But in no time you won’t think twice about it.

Get a local and organic veggie box sent to your house.

One step toward living a greener lifestyle is to get a veggie box sent to your house.

Nothing is easier than having food show up at your door. It kind of takes the guessing out of what to buy in season and what to buy organic because it’s done for you.

In the summer months, almost everything is local which is really nice and every week I get two or three recipes to try that come with the delivery. It’s a win-win in my books.

Buy organic food in bulk.

Buying in bulk helps move toward a greener lifestyle in a couple of ways: if you reuse your bags (or have reusable bulk bags) you can keep packaging garbage out of the landfills.

Many times it’s cheaper than buying one-off packages and it helps you keep your pantry cupboards stocked with things like dried chickpeas, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Oh yes… I hear you cursing under your breath! You don’t have time to cook chickpeas and beans from scratch, baloney! You can soak them overnight and throw them in the slow cooker while you’re at work. Done.

PS: you can buy baking soda in bulk too!

Vinegar and baking soda are the answers to everything. 

Ok maybe not everything, but along with Dr. Bronner’s soap and some essential oils, I use these two items almost exclusively for cleaning. You don’t need bleach!

I bought a spray bottle from the dollar store, filled it half way with pure white vinegar (it’s best to get distilled vinegar) and filled the rest with tap water.

Do you know how much vinegar costs? Four litres is a buck or something. Maybe three dollars. But it takes me six months to go through four litres of vinegar, so I think that’s money well spent.

Change up what goes on your skin.

Conventional shampoos, conditioners, creams, and make-up can be filled with parabens, fragrances, and other chemicals that do nothing positive to your body.

Do yourself a favour and slowly switch these items to more natural and organic body care. You’ll breathe better and you’ll feel better. Something to keep in mind is that natural fragrance doesn’t mean it’s better. Bonus points if products have no-GMO and vegan verifications on the bottles.

Use Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database as your go-to resource. They know what they’re talking about!

Which brings us to the last thing…

Be critical of ingredient labels.

If you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it (this can get a little tricky when it comes to floral ingredients! But you’ll know what chemicals are the no-nos when you see them).

I know you’ve likely heard that before, but it really does help when you’re looking for more natural and organic ways of doing things.

The easiest way to buy better products is to steer clear of the middle aisles at the conventional grocery store. Most (and yes I mean most) of the food found in the middle aisles of the grocery store can have ingredients that our bodies can do without.

My rule of thumb for most things I eat and buy is that if it doesn’t provide me decent nutritional value, I try not to buy it.

Obviously, there are times when I get treats, but I do believe that even treats should have some form of nutritional value most of the time. Yes I know I’m boring! Boo me! Again… my friends make fun of me and that’s ok!

Bottom line, if you want to make these types of changes, you can.

Just do it slowly so you don’t get overwhelmed. Look at labels and do your research to see what works best for your family. And remember: just because it’s organic, doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Whole foods are best, but read the labels on packaged items and you will start to learn what types of things are better than others. You will eventually figure it out, even if it takes a year or more.


P.S.: Get other lifestyle tips here.

P.P.S: Follow me on Instagram to get weekly tips and tricks!

One last thing: If you haven’t done so already, sign up for my newsletter, get a free week’s worth of dinners that are 30 minutes or less!

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: chemical-free, clean green, green living

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Follow me on Instagram • @lealoulemonade

So many people say that groceries are expensive. ⁠
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Ok yes, right now they're a bit over the top. ⁠
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But many times the expense can come from not using up what you have in the cupboards and fridge.⁠
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My tip today is to use up the food you have *before* you make a brand new list for the week.⁠
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Go through your fridge - what do you need to eat up? ⁠
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The sub-tip to this is that you don't have to have a recipe for everything. Many foods might seem random, but they go well together on the plate.⁠
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Are there a bunch of random veggies you can roast together to eat with a protein or put into a salad or soup?⁠
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Do you have cans of beans or salmon in the cupboard you could eat up? ⁠
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Always check what you have and then make a list and head to the store to buy food to fill in the gaps.⁠
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If you really need help DM me to see how we can work together.
Meal prepping can be fun I promise! Especially whe Meal prepping can be fun I promise! Especially when you’re prepping fun and delicious food.

1. Oats don’t have to be boring! Use whole oats and top them with prepped seasonal fruits. Figs are AMAZING on oats, btw! 

2. Hearty greens like romaine lettuce and kale can be prepped into a salad that will last about 3 days in the fridge. Only add tomatoes if they’re whole so they don’t get mushy. Homemade salad dressing is your friend! Make a big batch and it will last at least 2 weeks in the fridge.

3. Yogurt parfaits are delish, can be made in advance, and taste amazing with regular greek yogurt or coconut yogurt. Raspberries at the bottom turn into scrumptious jam as it sits overnight and nuts and seeds add a necessary crunch! They’ll last about 3-4 days in the fridge.

4. If you’re feeling peckish prepping a hearty snack will help you get to the next meal without a crash. Pumpkin bites with sesame are delish and satisfying! They’ll last about 4 days in the fridge or you can freeze them for a month.

5. Lastly veggies and dip! Prepping veggies to snack on with a hearty dip will help to keep you satisfied all day. Prep once, and eat all week!

If you’re looking for meal plan and prep help I’m accepting new clients at One Heath Services. We’ll work together to set up a plan that’s just for you so every week can be a breeze when it comes to meals. DM me for more info.
***EDIT: These are RAMPS! Oops. But you can still ***EDIT: These are RAMPS! Oops. But you can still read about all the benefits of garlic and green garlic below. Also, you can use ramps in the recipe I gave you!***

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This week I got my first batch of green garlic in the veggie box!⁠
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Green garlic, or spring garlic, is a younger version of the garlic we know well and use in our cooking. It’s milder and can be used in many recipes. You can eat the white and green parts.⁠
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It has a white base like a green onion although it’s a bit bigger and its green stems are more flat than rounded. ⁠
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The younger version of this garlic has the same amazing health benefits as its older version making it an excellent addition to your recipes.⁠
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Not to mention it’s local and can basically be grown anywhere which is fantastic news for our environment.⁠
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Health Benefits of Garlic:⁠
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⚡️Helps to reduce cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure⁠
Garlic’s sulfur-containing compounds can be beneficial to the upper digestive tract.⁠
⚡️We need to eat garlic in our meals at least 2-3 times a week in order to see these health benefits.⁠
⚡️Use it raw and cooked. Raw garlic retains its health benefits more so than when it is cooked.⁠
⚡️Dried garlic doesn’t have the same effect as raw or cooked. Tastes good though!⁠
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⚡️A Quick Recipe: Quinoa (or rice or millet) with Green Garlic⚡️⁠
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Slice the ends off of the green garlic and thinly slice the entire vegetable including the green parts.⁠
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Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a pan and sauté the green garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add quinoa (about 1-2 cups) and stir. Add a bit of salt and pepper and voila! You have a flavourful side dish. ⁠
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#recipe #springrecipes #simplerecipes
My brother-in-law Steve spent a large portion of o My brother-in-law Steve spent a large portion of our Christmas dinner sharpening my knives. I was so grateful, but also hesitant that I would cut myself.⁠
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When I started cooking with my newly-sharpened knives, I was in awe.⁠
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Sharp knives make all the difference when it comes to enjoying cooking. It's also safer if you can believe it.⁠
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With a sharp knife, you're less likely to push down harder on the knife trying to get it through an onion, for example.⁠
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It just slices through with little pressure. ⁠
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Dull knives leave room for error and slicing fingers (listen, I've cut a few fingers over the years...).⁠
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If you're having trouble enjoying cooking at home, I encourage you to either get a new knife (it doesn't have to be expensive), or get someone to sharpen your knives for you (call a Steve in your area!).⁠
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Take care of them with a little holder and treat them kindly. Having a sharp knife will bring you one step closer to love cooking at home.⁠
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xo⁠
Steph⁠
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#kitchenskills #cookingtips #easycooking #enjoycooking #inthekitchen

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About Stephanie

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Hey! I'm Stephanie. I'm a Writer, Culinary Nutrition Expert and Cooking Instructor helping families cook nourishing meals. Read more about me {here}.

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