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5 Simple Things You Can Do To Be A Little More Green


There are SO many things we could all do to be “greener” but I wanted to share a few practices from my day to day life that help. Please let me know if any of these are things you implement in your life or what you do to be a little more green!

1. Donate

Did you know that textile waste is a huge problem, not just overseas where a lot of manufacturing occurs, but also right here in the US? A couple times a year I go through all of my clothes and I donate the ones that no longer suit me. When I am doing this, I use this Sweater Shaver and Lint Remover on items (mostly clothing but on blankets too!) that I am both donating* and keeping. Knowing that I can spend about a minute an item so that the item will appear in better condition and may be more loved in its next home and kept out of a landfill makes me so happy! Aside from clothing, old items like sheets, towels and blankets may also be greatly appreciated. If you have a larger item and no way or desire to transport it to donate, post it on Facebook Marketplace for free! We have found homes for so many construction materials that are in great shape but no longer of use to us this way and these large items have been able to stay out of a landfill.

*When you are donating items, please be cognizant of condition. My best friend runs a not for profit and when she tells us some of the items they recieve, the group chat is appalled! Nationally, a huge expense for not for profits who accept a lot of donations can be getting rid of items that are broken, dangerous, in bad condition or unsanitary. Please, please just throw items out if they fall into these categories so that you are not passing this responsibility on to the group you are “donating” the items to and so that they are not wasting money in their already tight budgets! If a shirt has a bunch of stains or holes, can you use it as a cleaning rag? If you are thinking someone may really enjoy old pasta sauce jars you have collected (yes, this was a real item that was donated to her not for profit) – maybe check with a neighborhood Facebook group to see if anyone has a use for them and then just recycle them if there are no hits!

2. Care For What You Have

During the year, I have designated spots where I keep items that may need dry cleaning and mending. If the items aren’t urgently needed, I will typically wait until I have several items and then bring those to the pros. Doing these two things has allowed me to continue to use a beloved item that may have had something spilled on it or a small tear rather than just throwing the item out. I have also found that even while there may be more of an upfront cost, higher quality, classic items are often worth the initial splurge because they will simply last for years to come.

3. Pre-Loved is the New Black

I will never forget the ripping sound my favorite jeans made when I was sucking it in and sliding into my car through an inches wide opening because someone parked to close to me at the store. I was devastated that my favorite pair of jeans was both ripped beyond repair and discontinued. Enter: resale websites – Poshmark, Mercari and The Real Real for my bougier friends. These are all great options to not only purchase preloved items, but to offload some that may just be collecting dust in your closet so it doesn’t end up in a landfill. The new shoes you forgot to return? The dress you wore once on vacation? Clear your closet space, provide someone else with a new or gently used item they are excited about and make some money in the mean time that you could maybe reinvest in something that is preloved!

4. Vintage and Antiques Shops

While I LOVE the ease of being able to find decor at Target, Hobby Lobby or Home Goods when I am looking for something specific, I have noticed that many of the items I am drawn to or that fill my spaces are similar stylistically to items I am able to source from vintage and antiques shops. We love to travel and this includes road trips near and far where I am always good for finding somewhere to eat and somewhere to go antiquing. Like fast fashion, there are implications on the environment of buying items made quickly and cheaply overseas, utilizing components that may be hazardous to both our health and the environment. While this particular study focuses on safety from household toxins, during the prenatal and perinatal periods, the fact is that many of the textiles in our home from fabric, to flooring and decor can create more toxins in our home. While we should consider things like lead in vintage and antique items, many of the chemicals that are being omitted off of new items are not concerns on vintage and antique products!

5. SHOP LOCAL!

Similar to home decor, a lot of furniture we buy is made quickly and cheaply. The materials for cheap furniture and decor may contain harmful chemicals as noted in the study above and may often be composed of pressed wood, which is known to contain formaldehyde. By shopping locally made, solid wood furniture, you are not only going to get a most likely safer, better quality item but you are also drastically cutting down on emissions from shipping these larger pieces!

This also goes for other local products. If there is an item you can buy locally to cut down on individual shipping or support a local artisan, this is the way to go! Since we sell and ship across the country, whenever possible, we use recycled, recycled packaging materials! We save the packaging materials from the orders we receive to use when we ship orders, and the vast majority of these materials are already recycled!

These are just a few of the ways I try to be “more green” in my day to day life. I would love to hear any of the simple ways or easy tips you have to be more green in your lives!






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5 Tips to Building A Healthier Charcuterie Board

There are very few things that I love more than a good charcuterie board. This time of year is full of gatherings and people stopping over. A charcuterie board is a simple but elegant way to feed a crowd and allow people to pick and choose items that they want to eat. While I love charcuterie, I am a firm believer that not all charcuterie boards are created equal and I have come up with five tips to help you up your charcuterie board game to make a healthier charcuterie board for your next gathering or fun, casual meal.

  1. VARIETY: With so many people who have dietary restrictions and food sensitivities, have lots of choices for everyone. Having an assortment of meat, cheese, olives, fruits and/or veggies, dips, crackers (like my absolute favorite Simple Mills Fine Ground Sea Salt Crackers that those who do and do not eat gluten love!), nuts, pretzels, bread sticks, dark chocolate, etc.
  2. HEALTHIER CONDIMENTS: Add in healthier condiments and dips to accompany the items on the charcuterie board such as mustards, hummus, yogurt based dips, homemade pesto and raw honey.
  3. BETTER MEAT CHOICES: While cured meats are inherently salty, choose options that aren’t also loaded with preservatives! Look for organic meats, meats labeled “all natural” and meats labeled “uncured” (they’re still cured, just typically in a more natural way!) when choosing your meat for charcuterie boards. Many times, prosciutto is made with just ham and salt. While these are better choices, don’t eat tons of these cured meats as the salt content is typically pretty high!
  4. BETTER FRUIT & NUT CHOICES: Use better dried fruit and nuts! If you are adding dried fruit, check the label for added sugar, oil and preservatives. If you are buying nuts, look for ones that are raw or dry roasted (roasted but using no added oil).
  5. HAVE FUN: Be creative and don’t stress about it! You can’t mess this up!

If you follow Based Wellness on Facebook or Instagram, tag me in your next charcuterie creation so I can check it out!

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Building A Better Bowl or Salad

One of my friends asked me for some meal ideas and after I responded, I realized that a lot of people freak out when they are thinking about making healthier changes to their diet because they picture themselves constantly hungry and chewing on a boring salad for every meal. Luckily, this is not the case and to prove it, I have compiled a long list with ideas of simple ingredients you can mix and match to create flavorful, healthy meals. Checkout the downloadable version of the list below! Print it out or pull it up on your phone when you are at the grocery store or poking around in your fridge to inspire you!

Downloadable + Printable Bowl, Salad & Soup Idea List

Some Ideas To Get You Started:

  • Southwest Salad:
    Romaine + Quinoa + Black Beans + Corn + Onion + Tomato + Avocado + Salsa
  • Greek Salad:
    Romaine + Garbanzo Beans + Green Peppers + Cucumber + Tomato + Artichokes + Hummus
  • Pad Thai:
    Zucchini Noodles + Edamame + Red Peppers + Carrots + Sugar Snap Peas + Tofu + Peanuts
  • Chicken Soup Bowl:
    Chicken Broth + Brown Rice + Grilled Chicken + Broccoli + Radishes + Parsley
  • Asian Noodle Soup Bowl:
    Vegetable Broth + Rice Noodles + Shrimp + Kale + Mung Bean Sprouts + Scallions + Sesame Seed Oil

This is a great way to use up leftover produce from the week or to throw together a quick lunch or dinner that can be easily tweaked for a variety of preferences in a family! For a fun spin on dinner or to feed a group, pick one or two items from the base list and put out a bunch of toppings, proteins and dressings to let everyone make their own!

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The Truth About Vitamin C and Colds

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In case you have been living under a rock…it’s THAT time of year, ya know the one where there are a bunch of holidays coming up and everyone is getting sick. This time of year, while super festive, can be extremely chaotic and stressful and also full of sniffles and coughs. It’s common for people to reach for vitamin C once they’re already sick (I know I always did!), but the latest studies and evidence show that ingesting Vitamin C post cold onset does not help in reducing the length or severity of the illness. While the aforementioned holds true regarding the general population and while further research may be conducted, some studies have shown that taking vitamin C daily could help reduce the likelihood of contracting a cold in those who are at risk for vitamin C deficiency, those who subject their body to extreme, rigorous exercise and those who, for whatever reason, have prolonged periods of exposure to cold temperatures.

Despite the lack of evidence for using vitamin C to reduce the duration and severity of colds, vitamin C is absolutely crucial to our health and the majority of us are able to get the amount our bodies need just from our diet alone, without supplementation. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, plays a role in helping with the regeneration of vitamin E (another antioxidant), helps to metabolize protein and is necessary for our bodies to produce collagen. In summary, vitamin C is important for our body to function, but you shouldn’t necessarily expect a recovery miracle from using it while you’re sick with a cold!

So what can you do when you have a cold? Aside from rest and drinking lots of fluids, the most recent studies and reviews show that Zinc is actually helpful in combating colds by reducing the severity and duration of symptoms when consumed within 24 hours of when your symptoms begin. Zinc can be found in dietary sources such as oysters, beef, pork, chicken, yogurt and cashews. Since the richest dietary sources of zinc are found in meat, vegetarians should consider supplementation, as should people with gastrointestinal issues (they could have decreased absorption capabilities) and women who are pregnant and breastfeeding (the fetus of a pregnant woman requires a lot of zinc and breastfeeding can cause zinc depletion).


References:
1. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/#h7
2. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/