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!

Sleepy or sleepless

By: Kate M. Serrano
Do you have trouble staying alert when you are supposed to be awake and working? And do you have trouble sleeping when it’s time to rest? This is a common condition for those whose work schedule collides with their body's natural internal clock— you’re forced to try to sleep when you feel alert and work when you feel drowsy. It’s called shift work sleep disorder and people who work shifts are those most at risk. The symptoms include insomnia, fatigue, irritability, decreased alertness, and trouble concentrating and none of which will help win the Employee of the Month status.

Not all shift workers are affected though. Night owls adjust well to working at night and they get enough sleep during the day. And despite the toll that such shifts can take, somebody has to work them. Here are a few of the jobs that may put you at risk of shift work sleep disorder.

Factory Workers. To maximize productivity, the manufacturing industry relies on shift work for productivity and maximizing profit. Drowsy or tired workers can increase the risk of workplace injuries.

Nurses. In the goal of providing continuous care for patients, nurses work not only shifts but long hours too.

Senior Managers. Senior managers deal with stress all the time – overseeing the team, resolving financial issues, attending to clients. If you have a cranky boss, too little sleep could be the reason.

Airplane Pilots. They face irregular hours, long shifts and jet lags as they take on red eye flights and travel through multiple time zones. Because of this, there are strict guidelines to flight time and rest. Before completing a flight, pilots must have at least eight hours of uninterrupted rest.

Network Administrators. The Internet has created a new demand for shift workers. Network administrators are hired to ensure a 24/7 smooth operation on web-based services. The downside to this is that there are more sleep-deprived workers than in the past.

New Parents. Proven and tested as a sleep wrecker. When a newborn wakes up, it is rather difficult for parents to get sleep. A new mom may be sleeping seven hours at night but sleep is fragmented, irregular and not refreshing. Luckily, as the baby grows older, sleeping pattern improves too.

Experts recommend sticking to the same schedule even on days off or weekends when working shifts otherwise you’re more likely to feel fatigued, have lesser concentration or be more prone to accidents at work. There are strategies though to keep you alert – drink something with caffeine at the start of the shift, walk around during breaks. It also helps if you work with others instead of being alone. And when it’s time to go home and sleep, wear an eye mask or put the curtains down. You can also create a bedtime ritual like reading a book or taking a shower to signal your brain that it’s time to sleep.

Most people don’t have it so easy. Sleeping is a skill, rest is a necessity. Be savvy about the amount of sleep you get.