Why Adopt an Eco-Conscious Lifestyle?
The term “eco-conscious” has been slapped on so many things – from household cleaning products to clothing – that the phrase in danger of losing its meaning. Before we talk about why to adopt an eco-conscious lifestyle, it’s important to define it.
Eco-conscious products and green living practices help conserve resources like water and energy, while also avoiding the creation of air, water and land pollution. When a person is aware of how their choices impact natural resources, and makes decisions based on limiting that impact, they can be said to be living an eco-conscious lifestyle.
You may be aware there’s more you could be doing to limit your carbon footprint, but you’re not convinced that the extra effort is worth it. Here are five reasons to commit (or re-commit) yourself to an eco-conscious lifestyle.
Reduce Strain on Your Respiratory System
Many of our habits pollute the air in one way or another, whether it’s your own personal vehicle use, or your desire to buy bananas in the dead of winter. Whether you change to public transport or buy local produce (or both), these kinds of changes will have a positive impact on air quality. Better air quality means it’s easier to breathe. In this case it’s physical and metaphorical.
Less Exposure to Poison
So often we refer to cleaning products, fertilizers, and household chemicals as “toxins,” which is essentially a fancy word for “poison.” Whether you’re choosing organic bed linens, or biodegradable soap, adopting earth-consciousness in your product selections will net you a household with less toxicity in it, and that means you’ll be less likely to absorbing these poisons through your skin.
Decrease Your Stress
Green habits can help you save money. So-called “phantom loads,” the energy used to feed appliances that stay plugged in even when they’re not turned on, can cost up to $200 a year. Those fancy cleaning products that are filled with chemicals? Besides costing more than vinegar and baking soda, they’re poisonous (see points 1 and 2). In any case, having more money in the bank and knowing that you’re doing your part in the face of climate change will automatically decrease your stress levels.
Better Skin
Alden Wicker is a freelance journalist and blogger whose blog, EcoCult.com, chronicles her sustainable lifestyle. She says that despite working out and doing what she thought was taking care of herself for years, it wasn’t until she adopted an eco-conscious lifestyle in her eating habits that she finally found relief from acne (and those stubborn extra ten pounds). Still others have reported relief from psoriasis and other skin conditions, all thanks to eating green. And while there hasn’t been a significant study proving conclusively that organic, sustainably produced food is better for your skin, the fact that fruits and veggies get covered in pesticides and wax has been show to have an overall unhealthy affect on your body, and that is more certainly reflected in the form of dull skin and an overall tired look.
Personal Pleasure
Fresh, organic foods taste better. This isn’t hype, but fact. Food that’s grown in nutrient-poor soil (a hallmark of modern agriculture), actually contains fewer nutrients. Those nutrients are what give food its flavor. If you’re not eating organic, sustainable food and it seems you need to eat more to feel full, or that you don’t get the same pleasure out of eating that you used to, you’re right. Do the right thing for you and the environment, and switch to local, sustainable produce.
