Have you been looking for something lovely and unique to give to that special someone this Valentine’s Day?
You can give the gift of carbon-offsetting for Valentine’s Day – doesn’t sound too romantic? If your sweetie is sustainably minded, it just might be the perfect gift. You can give the gift of a tree or an entire acre of trees from Trees Instead. Tree Instead offers the amazing gift of trees for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion. For $25 you can have a single tree planted in any U.S. State, Israel or the Amazon. Better yet, plant a 1/2 acre for $40 or 1 acre for $80. Your special someone will receive an elegant tree certificate with their tree number on it and your love can find their tree’s location on Trees Instead’s website.
If your sweetie loves the environment, this may be the perfect gift for them. Thoughts?
As 2020 kicks off and we start this new decade many wellness trends have appeared as more people resolve to take care of themselves. These trends show that personal wellness is much more than going for a jog every week or cutting back on the amount of ice cream you eat, which the average American consumes 28.5 times every year. If you’re looking to start this new decade right and focus on your own personal wellness, here are the top three popular trends that you need to be aware of.
Massage and Acupuncture
Firstly, massage and acupuncture are a potentially beneficial combination that everyone should take note of. Stress can build up and take a toll on the body leaving you with pain and tight muscles that make daily activities uncomfortable. Worst of all this stress can also contribute to headaches and poor moods that add to the stress and further perpetuate the cycle! Currently, 14 million Americans are using or have used acupuncture. Here’s how massage and acupuncture can help.
Encouraging Healthy Energy Acupuncture has long been used to treat neck and back pain, as well as headaches, nausea, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. This is because acupuncture helps promote natural healing which can then improve how the body functions. By stimulating specific places — acupoints — proper energy flow can be encouraged throughout the body which can in turn ease pain and discomfort, and improve sleep and digestive functions. Massage can work in a similar way to stimulate these points and release tension to promote better circulation.
Relieving Chronic Pain With six in every 10 Baby Boomers expected to be managing a chronic condition by 2030, solutions such as massage and acupuncture will be more important than ever. While both are great for relieving chronic pain, acupuncture can be used in places where massage would be uncomfortable. That said, massages can be great on their own for relaxing overtaxed and tight muscles. Some studies have even found that massages can help reduce inflammation and boost the overall immune response making your body more effective at keeping itself well.
The Sense of Wellness While both have tangible physical benefits that can be felt and experienced, they also can work on a mental level when it comes to soothing stress and making you feel more centered and calm. By encouraging energy flow, acupuncture can encourage feelings of stamina and emotional release making you feel more content and alert. Both of these options can be used as powerful healing methods that, with continued use, can help you feel healthier, calmer, and happier in 2020.
Medical Body Modifications
More specifically one such modification that acts in a way similar to acupuncture: the daith piercing. These piercings have been growing in popularity as an alternative way of mitigating migraines both in frequency and in severity. A daith piercing involves piercing the innermost cartilage of the ear and usually is maintained with the use of a clicker, curved barbell, or captive bead rings.
This type of modification is usually sought out by those who have seen an impact in their migraines with the use of acupuncture and see the daith piercing as a more permanent solution. This is because the piercing itself goes through the place there the acupuncture needle is usually placed. By replicating this with a permanent piercing, the hope is that the benefits of acupuncture treatment can be longer-lasting and more significant. While there haven’t been very many scientific studies on the effects, in a survey released by MigrainePal, 47% of those polled say that they have experienced a lower number of migraines after obtaining a daith piercing, and 50% reported the piercing reducing the severity of migraines when they did occur.
If you’re looking for a way to reduce migraines in 2020 a daith piercing might be for you; however, you could try using acupuncture first to see how the less permanent form of control works for you. That said if you do choose to seek out this type of piercing, know that the healing process can take around 2 – 3 months on average, and taking care of the piecing via regular cleanings is imperative. It’s also recommended that you speak with your piercer to ensure it is fully healed before you switch out the jewelry or stop any aftercare.
The Rise of Sober Culture
Alcohol is often put on a pedestal by many who see it as a way to unwind or let loose; however, a new movement is on the rise, one that aims to put the benefits of sobriety into the limelight. Ruby Warrington, a British writer and founder of Club Soda NYC, an alcohol-free event series, states in her book Sober Curious that reducing alcohol consumption is “the next logical step in the wellness revolution.” While the liver is the second largest organ after the skin, Warrington is on to something when she links lowered alcohol consumption with wellness. Overdrinking is a problem that many Americans face and addiction is something that is easy to fall into. An article released by Medical News Today in 2019 states that consumption of alcohol has risen globally by 70%, a statistic that is too large to ignore. The short-term risks of excessive drinking can include:
Injury from falls, burns, drownings, and motor vehicle accidents.
Increased violence, suicide, and sexual assault risks.
Alcohol poisoning.
Increased risky behaviors such as unprotected sex.
Increased risk of stillbirth, miscarriage, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
If those weren’t enough, the long-term effects of excessive alcohol consumption can include:
A greater risk of heart disease, liver disease, high blood pressure, and digestive problems.
A greater risk of cancer in the throat, mouth, esophagus, breast, and colon.
Increased memory and learning problems that can include poor school and work performance and a higher dementia risk.
Increased risk of developing anxiety and depression.
The potential for family issues, unemployment, and loss of productivity.
Increased risk of alcoholism and alcohol dependence which further contributes to the above.
What Ruby Warrington is advocating for is not the abstinence of alcohol forever and always, a glass of wine once and a while with dinner is not frowned upon, it is the dependence on alcohol as a prerequisite for having a good time and being happy. While some of this is ingrained in us by Hollywood culture, the wellness movement now is challenging how we think about drinking.
Consider how much alcohol you consume regularly and see how much you can cut back. If you find that you’re struggling to go without, it could be a sign that you’ve become too dependent. In order to achieve a better sense of wellness in 2020, look seriously into the sober culture and see if it can make a difference in your life.
A New Decade, A New You
With 2020 getting into full swing, these three wellness trends are something to consider if you want to feel better and take better care of yourself as a whole. Used together or separately, you could see benefits from these trends such as a stronger immune system, which can help you recover from a cold more quickly than the average 10 days. Acupuncture and regular massages can help you unwind from the day-to-day and help keep your stress down at a manageable level. Those suffering from migraines could also benefit from acupuncture, and by extension, daith piercings, as a way to manage painful migraines and decrease them in frequency and intensity. Furthermore, cutting back on the amount of alcohol you consume can help you stay focused, take care of your body, and discover that you can, in fact, have a great night out without being under the influence. Each of these steps can contribute to making you a healthier and more wellness conscious individual ready to tackle the new decade without harmful habits.
Holistic therapy, also known as “complementary” or “alternative” medicine (CAM), can be a controversial subject. Many people believe that holistic therapies are not of any use with no real benefits.
The truth is, while these therapies are not backed with concrete scientific evidence, they do help millions each year with various health issues from headaches to the side effects of cancer. It appears that holistic therapies have also increased in popularity throughout the last decade with more people looking for an alternative to conventional medicine which may have failed to help them so far.
Here are the 4 most popular holistic therapy treatments of the last decade.
1. Chiropractic
Chiropractors help millions all over the world each year with their various back problems. However, there is no science that backs any of the methods used by chiropractors. The rise in chiropractor popularity is mainly down to the modern lifestyles we lead. Many of us are chained to a desk five days of each and every week. This has led to epidemics in back and posture issues, some of which can be very serious to the person’s overall health and wellbeing.
Chiropractors offer a holistic approach that ditches the copious amounts of painkillers and prescription drugs offered up by doctors. Instead, a chiropractor will try to understand what changes in your life or habits are creating the pain and dealing with each one.
A chiropractor may ask you about your personal life, recent changes in your life, emotional issues and any added stress you may be experiencing. This helps them to find the core problem to help rectify the issue completely, not just numb the pain.
2. Acupuncture
There is no doubt you will have seen acupuncture being performed on TV or in movies. This is the process of adding extremely thin needles into a person’s body to help treat a number of health issues.
Acupuncture was born in ancient China and is still widely used by millions across the world. Practitioners of acupuncture claim that this holistic treatment can treat any number of health issues including:
Headaches and migraines
Chronic pains including head, shoulder, and neck
Joint pains
Dental pains
Postoperative pains
An example could be a patient who has recently had silver free tooth fillings but is now experiencing a number of pains in their mouth. An acupuncturist would try to eliminate the pain by finding areas of the body that need ‘rebalancing’. Acupuncture is based on the principle that our body is one energy and the cause of most pain is an imbalance of this energy. The needles, when placed in the correct places, should remove the pain for the patient.
Millions of people have successful acupuncture treatments every year despite the treatment having no scientific grounding.
3. CBD Oil
If you haven’t yet heard of CBD Oil then you must have been living under a rock in 2019. The latest buzz in natural medicine if the concentrated extract of cannabinoids from the hemp plant known as, CBD oil. Millions of people all over the world are experiencing phenomenal benefits from the oil including help with pain relief, anxiety, stress, acne, inflammation, nausea, asthma, insomnia, epilepsy, concentration, and muscle recovery.
Following the relaxed legislation of cannabis medicines in 2018, markets all over the world have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for CBD oil. People that have struggled with severe pains all their life are finally finding relief thanks to CBD oil.
As research continues to back the product and it’s health benefits, doctors and other health professionals are now suggesting CBD oil to their patients. It’s expected that the demand for CBD oil will continue to grow exponentially in the new decade.
4. Reflexology
Reflexology is another ancient Chinese treatment which is becoming popular again. Reflexology is based on the principle that areas of our body are all connected to reflex points in our hands, feet, and head. By rebalancing the body’s energy, much like acupuncture, practitioners of reflexology claim they can restore a person’s health and boost their wellbeing.
Reflexology involves the manipulation of the reflex points through massage and micromovement techniques. Depending on the health issue of the patient, the practitioner will decide on which parts of the body require massage. It’s thought that different body parts help different organs and muscles of the body. For example, the right foot influences the organs. The treatment is also thought to improve blood flow and oxygenation around the body which helps the performance of vital organs.
Those that claim reflexology has helped improve their health condition were most commonly suffering from:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Back, shoulder and head pain
Headaches and migraines
Respiratory issues
Immune system issues
Hormonal imbalances
Reflexology is also becoming an increasingly popular treatment for dealing with the side effects of cancer, most notably that of breast cancer for women.
We’re all looking for ways to become more natural and organic in our general consumption. Of course, once you factor the costs into your budget, it’s relatively easy to go organic and all-natural in terms of your diet. There are plenty of different organic brands available at the grocery store, as well as stores that only sell organic food products. And there’s a reason why grocery stores have come to offer this type of food so readily. There is a huge demand for organic food, as many consumers have come to realize its benefits.
For one thing, organic products are much healthier for us than non-organic products, as they lack the types of pesticides and growth hormones used to treat the typical types of food products you’ll find in the store. There is also a moral factor that needs to be kept in mind. Organic food, whether it’s made up of meat or vegetables, can be ethically sourced much more easily than non-organic products. This means that the animals involved in the production process were treated humanely and the employees involved in the processing or preparation stage received fair wages worked in fair conditions. Now, it’s one thing to keep these issues in mind when buying your food. Although not all organic food is ethically sourced, you can probably find ethically sourced, organic groceries relatively easily. Organic, ethically sourced clothing can be much more challenging to find.
Many people aren’t even aware that clothing can be organic. In this day and age, many of us buy fast fashion. Not only are fast fashion products made from synthetic materials like plastics that can be harmful to the environment and even our own bodies, but they feed into a system that is detrimental to thousands of people worldwide. With that being said, if you want to make an effort to buy organic clothing from ethical sources, you’ll have to make an effort and a change. With that being said, let’s look into what you should look for and how you can change your shopping habits to buy more organic, ethically sourced clothing.
What Is Organic Clothing?
You’ll have a hard time buying organic clothing if you don’t know what you’re actually looking for. Not all clothing is advertised as organic outright, although many clothing lines do market themselves as “clean” or “green”. Just because a particular apparel line is marketed this way, however, does not mean that it’s truly organic — and not all organic clothing is ethically sourced. Therefore, if you have any questions you should look up the clothing line before you buy, perhaps checking up on it through websites like Trustpilot.
Organic clothing ultimately isn’t very different from organic food. As many clothing textiles are made from agricultural products, organic clothing is made with the assurance that the clothes’ materials will be grown in accordance with organic standards. Organic standards require that the agricultural materials are grown as naturally as possible, with little or no synthetic substances. You can expect the types of textiles used to make organic clothing to include silk, wool, cotton, ramie, or jute. This means that a wide variety of clothing types can be made organically and whether you’re looking for women’s clothes — the number one top-selling item online as of 2017 — or men’s clothes, or even children’s clothes, you can probably find it organically made. With that being said, not all textiles have to be completely organic to be considered a part of organic clothing.
Is Organic Clothing More Expensive?
As with many clean or green products, there is a perception that organic clothing is inherently more expensive than typical clothing. It’s true that the materials used to create organic clothing is often of a higher quality and therefore it costs somewhat more. The point of fast fashion, in contrast, is for it to be made for as little as possible so that it can be sold at a high markup, achieving the maximum profit. Of course, the cost of relying upon clothes that are environmentally unfriendly should be considered.
While organic clothing may be more expensive than clothes sourced through fast fashion, you could consider it an investment in the environment, just as buying organic food is. Of course, clothing is a much longer-term investment than the food and it’s a more long-term investment than fast fashion as well. Organic clothing is, as previously mentioned, made from high-quality materials. Alpaca fibers, for instance, are rather strong and usually measure about 50 N/ktex. This strength means that clothes made from these fibers will typically last longer. For that matter, organic clothing looks no different from many high-end pieces that are not organic. If fast fashion isn’t to your taste and you’re already spending a good amount of money on clothes, why not redirect your buying power to organic clothing?
Where Can I Buy Organic Clothing?
As people become more concerned about being environmentally friendly, more organic clothing lines are coming into play. Shift to Nature, Kowtow, and Beaumont Organic are all organic clothing brands — though not all of them are found in the United States. Fortunately, even if you have to look internationally to find organic clothing, the internet is making them easier than ever to find. In 2017 alone, around 79% of American consumers reported shopping online. And as most new fashion shoppers are in younger age brackets — between 16 to 24 and 25 to 34 — we’ll see all types of clothes online in the future!
There are so many reasons why people are looking for organic clothing — and that’s a good thing. Know it is an option for you if you want it to be!
NOTE FROM SWEET GREENS: Thank you for supporting the companies that keep Sweet Greens in business. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Each spring, many environmentalists and lovers of nature find themselves in their backyard, knees covered in dirt, starting their own home garden. However, a few shovels of dirt in, they realize they have no idea what they’re doing.
Sound like you? That’s okay! You’re not alone!
If you’ve ever owned a plant, you’ve learned that they require time and love in order to thrive, in fact, there’s quite the science behind it. As one might expect, gardening also requires dedication — oh, and the proper amount of sunlight and water (not too much and not too little), the perfect soil mix in a pot that’s just the right size, and so much more.
You get the drift — raising a lush home garden isn’t as simple as it seems, which is why gardeners often run towards expensive watering mechanisms, toxic chemicals and pesticides, and so on. But, fear not! If you’re a beginner home gardener looking for some eco-friendly home gardening techniques, we’ve got you covered!
Creating an eco-friendly garden can be made easier with these simple tips and will lighten your carbon footprint, leave you healthier than ever before, and create a special haven out of your backyard space.
Let’s get growing!
1. Location is Everything
The first step to growing a beautiful home garden is picking the right spot in your outdoor space. It could be a plot in your yard or a wall on your balcony — as long as it gets the right amount of sunlight, you’re good to go. Different plants require different amounts of sunlight, so as you’re picking your location consider what kinds of plants you want to grow. This tip seems simple, but it’s very important and will keep you from wasting time, energy, and water on a garden that was doomed to fail from the start.
2. Get Organic Seeds
Many home gardeners forget this important step as they are planning out their gardens, which can result in produce that’s just as bad for you and the environment as that bought at the supermarket. In order to ensure your garden is helping your carbon footprint, instead of hurting it, opt for growing non-GMO seeds and using only organic soil in your garden.
3. Companion Planting
In order to avoid the need for nasty pesticides and insect repellents, plant similar and complementary species of plants next to one another. Known as ‘companion planting,’ this method includes the use of other plants to deter hungry insects and harmful diseases. Companion planting guides can be easily found online!
4. Get Creating with Your Trash
You know the old saying — “One man’s trash is another man’s planter!” Okay, that may not be exactly right, but reusing your old plastic bottles and containers is a fun way of creating an eco-friendly garden! Convert your trash into planters, make little seedling covers from the base of plastic bottles, or poke small holes in containers to create a makeshift sprinkler system or Plumber Queanbeyanto help you!
5. Start Composting
Stop throwing away your organic food waste and start using it to create healthy, organic soil for your garden! Not only will you be reducing waste, but you’ll also be saving money and reducing your plastic use by not having to buy fertilizer. Start by buying a small container from a thrift store to keep around your kitchen. Everytime you cook, throw your organic, compostable scraps in the bin until you have enough to sow into your larger compost pit or bin.
6. Save on Watering
Having a lush and healthy home garden can cost you (and the environment) when it comes to water use. There are some simple ways to conserve water and keep your garden as eco-friendly as possible. This one’s simple — if possible, choose plants that will require less water. Next, avoid spending money on complicated and expensive watering systems — not only are you at risk for overwatering and damaging your garden, but there are several innovative (and cheaper) watering systems to adopt instead. One option is installing rain water barrels that will collect rain water to use later in your garden. You can also reuse water that is collected from showers and sinks (as long as you aren’t using harmful shampoos and soaps). These simple watering hacks will help you save money and the environment!
It may seem like a lot of work, but the benefits of creating a truly eco-friendly home garden will quickly outweigh the time and effort! So stop reading and start planting!
