Five Ways to Show Earth Love from the Kitchen

By: Jessica Robertson

For many of us, our kitchen is the centre of our home life. Food makes fellowship, and fellowship makes happiness. With all that good stuff flowing out of the kitchen, let’s be conscious of the impact we’re making on the earth to keep the good coming.

Be kind to the earth from your very own kitchen with these five simple tips.

1.      Big Money

Obviously, the big energy saver would be to switch out those old, energy-guzzling appliances for their newer green counterparts. If that’s an option for you, go for it! The environment will thank you. If that’s a little too pricey of a change for your taste, keep reading.

2.      Be Smart

Save energy the old fashioned way, by making wise choices. Covering a pot makes water boil twice as fast, using half the energy. Use the toaster oven for one-portion cooking. Turn the stove off a few minutes before you’re done cooking, and let the lingering heat do the remaining work. It’s the small things that add up to big changes!

3.      Eat Raw

Not only are raw foods like fruits and veggies and nuts great for your health, they’re great choices for the planet! They don’t require cooking, so they save tons of energy, and they also require less packaging, so you contribute less waste to the landfill. It’s a win-win-win.

4.      Less Plastic

Speaking of landfills, they’re full of our food containers, grocery bags, plastic packaging, and the list goes on. Reducing our use of these readily disposable – but hardly biodegradable – objects is surprisingly easy. A few small changes include storing leftovers in glass rather than plastic (which is also an infinitely wiser choice for your health, by the way), buying food in bulk and dividing it into glass containers at home to reduce wasted packaging, and bringing your own totes to the grocery store.

5.      Wash Nice

Be careful what you wash with. Many popular kitchen soaps and cleaning products are petroleum-based or brimming with other harmful chemicals. We may forget about the soap once it’s down the drain, but it doesn't bio degrade. It’s harmful to our animals, the earth, and us, so choose better cleaners that are plant-based instead. A few earth-friendly brands are likely available in your neighbourhood grocery store.

Keep the love flowing from your kitchen to your friends, family, and the earth!

Social Circles

By: Kate M. Serrano 

Exercise, a balanced diet, getting enough rest and sleep are the most common secrets of living a good life. But in a recent study a new addition to the “long life” list exists: make more friends. The study reports that 22% of those with a large network of friends are less likely to die early. Friends have a positive impact on stress level and brain health. This translates to a healthier immune system and a happier disposition. 

As we age, making friends is not as easy – there are no adult playgrounds to go to or a sandbox to play in. By adulthood, most of us spend time working or doing more useful matters and we encounter fewer situations that are conducive to friendship formation. The study suggests to meet new people by trying new activities that interest you. You may want to try pilates and sign up for a pilates class or join an explorer’s club trek a nearby river. In these social circles you find acquaintances you can open up to and eventually become friends. The key is to reveal something of yourself for the relationship to get to the next level, just like dating.

However while making new friends, don’t forget the ones who have been there all along. It may be difficult to maintain friendship over the natural transitions of life. People come and go, move to places or find new jobs. It’s important to keep in touch and connect – make a phone call, update through social media like Facebook, Twitter or video call via Skype! And if you’re not connecting, bring it up, because they're probably feeling the same way.

Life can be difficult. It’s important to make room for people who are supportive and caring, they benefit your long-term health.

Come into existence

 The time has come to take charge. 

Are we just going to sit here and let life pass us by?

We must raise our voices and express ourselves, shed light into our essential vitality for all to see.

 We follow society, looking to fit the social norm. When will we truly come to acceptance of whom we are; who we all are? Whatever race you are, whatever style you wear, religion and sexual preference you have, you still have a voice.

Our prevalent goal in life is to be happy, to make a difference. Yet we have lost sight, and forgotten to take care of our earth, our people.

Speak up, we can make a difference. 

You can be history.