Making the healthy choice the easy choice – for people and the planet
The blue zones are the areas in the world where people live the longest, healthiest and happiest. The color blue also happens to represent oceans that make up over 70% of our planet. Here in Hawaiʻi, we’re well aware that the health of our environment is as important as our own personal health. Let’s make the healthy choice the easy choice for ourselves AND for our planet!
Here’s how you can reduce your carbon footprint and make Mama Earth smile, starting today:
Eat plant slant
Why? Meat production causes enormously negative environmental effects. 2,500 gallons of water is used to produce one pound of beef. Eating less meat can help Planet Earth by using less deforested land, less water and less overall emissions. (did you know that cows burp produces methane as a by-product?) Plus, we all know the obvious benefits of fruits and veggies in our diet.
Eat more plants by washing and cutting them ahead of time so they’re always ready to eat. Store them on the counter where they’re an easy snack to grab or on a shelf in the fridge that’s at eye-level.
Always ask yourself, “is this one-time use?”
If you don’t ask yourself this now, here are some scary facts to make you think again:
— Less than 1/5 of all plastic gets recycled globally.
— It is estimated that between 5.3 million and 14 million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each year just from coastal regions.
— Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to be affected by trash in the ocean.
— On some beaches on Hawaiʻi Island, as much as 15% of the sand is actually grains of micro-plastic.
So instead of one-time use plastic bags for healthy snacks, choose reusable. Cut up fruits and put them in containers that can be reused to make your fruits last longer. When hydrating, opt for a cup of water or a reusable water bottle rather than a plastic bottle or a can of soda. If you must use a one-time use container, find another use for it when you’re done (maybe as planters for veggie starter seeds).
Advocate
You don’t have to go out and attack major change if it’s not your thing. Little things can make a big difference! Here’s some easy ways you an advocate for personal and planet wellness:
— Need to get a gift for someone? Get them something that can help them and the environment live healthier! A reusable water bottle or cup is always a good choice, reusable produce bags come in handy or who doesn’t love a travel coffee mug so we can reduce our use of one-time use coffee cups?
— Try to schedule your days with travel time included so you can prioritize biking to your next meeting or walking to lunch. Pre-planning can lessen stress as well as enable you to do less driving and enjoy the outdoors.
— Start a garden. Gardening can burn up to 300 calories per hour and is so convenient when you have your own farmers market in your back yard! Feel like you don’t have the space? Try container gardening, a vertical garden or attend one of our gardening workshops for personalized tips and tricks!
Join the Well-Being Movement!
Email our team to learn more about partnering with us to make healthy choices easier at your worksite, school, grocery store, restaurant, or faith-based organization.
Check out all participating organizations.
Sign up to receive community updates!
Learn more at hawaii.bluezonesproject.com
