The slow flow and rhythm of progress!
6/13/2023
The slow flow and rhythm of progress!
As a reforming perfectionist, I have learned to enjoy progress's slow flow and rhythm. It can feel daunting when we start something new, and it could make us overthink, over-prepare, and/or procrastinate when considering significant changes in our lives. The trick is to start! Take whatever the challenge is, one step at a time, like implementing new software or planning a wedding. Make a list and knock one thing off at a time.
I've always been interested in my health, what goes in my body, our planet's health, and our connection to Mother Earth. If we want to stay healthy, the world must be healthy. I'm a work in progress on both fronts. Although I've been learning and doing my best for over 25 years, I consider myself a beginner. I do my best and implement one change at a time.
A great place to start is reducing our (humans, animals, and the planet) exposure to chemicals, toxins, and waste. Just that sentence feels overwhelming! In the spirit of ease, I've listed a few simple ways to simultaneously reduce, reuse, recycle, and eat more healthily. This article focuses on the reduction of single-use products.
We work towards eliminating single-use products in my home. Hard to do, and we're a work in progress. This article it's intended to spark an idea, give you a new trick and save you money. Below I've listed some easy ways to switch out single-use items.
Invest in Mason Jars in different sizes and save jars from nut butter, pickles, etc. By doing that, you can ditch most of your zip locks. Also, they're lovely for leftovers, prepared salad, freezing soups, storing nut milk, etc.
Make your own nut milk, iced tea, and salad dressings– It's easy, cheaper, healthier, tastier, and rids the planet of many single-use containers. Side note: I just started making my nut milk. I was using two to three containers of nut-based milk a week. It's expensive, and I was throwing the containers in the recycling (which isn't recycled, this topic for another article). Once it's made, you can store it in one of your handy mason jars!
Reuse your spice jars for ginger shots, lunchtime salad dressing, or a takeaway snack. I've thrown these away for years and felt terrible about it each time. Then my sister told me she uses them for salad dressing. The old spice bottles are excellent for toppings, sauces, or condiments. I just started making ginger shots, and these little bottles are perfect for storing in the fridge! Thanks, sister!
Buy a quality water filtration system. Microplastics are a huge problem for our bodies and the environment. Ditching water bottles makes an enormous impact on the health of our bodies and Mother Earth. A sound filtration system is an upfront cost, but it saves you time and money in the long run. No more lugging water bottles, funny-tasting water, or toxins from plastics. It's easy to set up and maintain and eliminates a ton of single-use plastics from the environment.
Switch toothpaste for "Bites" or another brand. I love them. I was squeamish about trying them, but I would never go back! My teeth feel cleaner than ever, and I feel great about the refillable glass jar they come in. No more toothpaste tubs in my garbage.
One tip I got from a social media post years ago was to buy old casserole dishes from estate sales or thrift stores and use them when delivering food to friends and family. That one act reduces and reuses, plus it's a nice gesture. The food and the dish are gifted.
I'll stop there. Just a few easy swaps can significantly improve your and the planet's health. If any of this sparks interest, pick one item to start and move on from there. My goal is to continually be better one day, one act, one thought at a time.
Here's to love, connection, and doing our best!
Luck and love-Julie