Not Only Growing & Raising Organic Foods
When you ask someone what living organic means, you will often hear about using environmentally-friendly products in your garden. Organic living also includes fibers like wool, linen, cotton, and hemp for clothing. There are so many areas of our lives that an organic lifestyle can be applied. Bringing native plants into our homes and yards and supporting sustainable agriculture are all a part of having an organic lifestyle.
Fresh & Local
Whenever possible it’s important to find fresh produce rather than processed. By keeping your food fresh and local, you can support local farmers and limit processing. Even organic food has to go through a type of processing to be packaged for shipping and can risk cross-contamination. Pesticides, chemicals, and other toxins like antibiotics and growth hormones all negatively affect your health. Too much handling can increase the risk of cross-contamination. Washing your food in a chemical-free organic food wash will help protect you and your family. Every effort to live an organic lifestyle makes a difference!
Natural Chemical-free Cleaners
Another aspect of organic living is cleaning your home. There are so many products that profess to clean everything from floors to ceilings. It really doesn’t need to be that complicated. Nature has provided the ingredients for simple, non-toxic cleaning! Baking soda, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide all clean very well and are not harmful to the environment. Looking for non-toxic, chemical-free, and organic household cleaners that are clearly labeled safe for pets and children will save you and the environment from needless toxic exposure.
Body & Mind
The essence of living organic is to live as close as possible to the environment. This also means keeping your mind and body in balance and harmony with the Earth and those around you. You have to go beyond simply reading labels to make sure your body care products are free of sulfates (you can read our article on sulfates here). It means taking time for yourself. Our lives can easily become busy from the moment we wake to the moment our exhausted heads touch our pillows. Even if you take a few minutes before you fall asleep, put on your favorite music, or just enjoy silence. Take some deep breaths and stretch or whatever helps you to empty your mind of the weighty thoughts of the day. Find your happy place and reconnect with you. Live and be your organic self!
Application & Resources
- Take time to yourself doing something you love to decompress. Living organic doesn’t mean you are always free from stress. Life still can take over and become busy. Stay stress-free by remembering that a healthy you is the first step to a healthy environment.
- Learn what is on your labels. Your labels should not be complicated. If you can’t understand what you are putting on your skin or in your body – or if the company is not being open about their ingredients – do you really want it?
- Pass it on! As you learn new things don’t forget to pass it on. Another great way to live organic is to pass it on and help others understand why you do what you do.
