Tag Archives: going green

The Health of Nature

It is becoming increasingly important for people to understand the healing potential of plants that grow in their homeland. The Covid pandemic has even increased the interest in natural remedies and knowing what nature’s kitchen offers us. People are looking for ways to find a more holistic approach to medicine and well-being. With the book in the series about ‘Learning from our Natural Environment (https://amzn.to/3n8CqCh)), we are committed to preserving and sharing traditional and modern knowledge about plant medicines.

The book ‘Herbalist Guide to Native American Remedies’ (https://amzn.to/3HGkmc6) teaches you how to approach holistic natural health and wellbeing using healing herbs. It provides recipes and insight on how to listen to your body to find what it needs for healing and recovering and take care of your whole self – mind, body, and spirit!

herbalist book, native American, essential oils, homeopathy, healing, natural medicine

This well-structured book has three parts taking you on a journey to learn about Native American herbalism:

  • Book 1 introduces herbalism by talking about the ancient origins around the world and the different types of herbalism partied by Native Americans throughout different climate zones and tribal cultures of North America, Canada, and the Arctic Region.
  • Book 2 describes 40 plants and herbs that will serve us as a solid base for understanding their remedy-making uses. You will learn about where to source your own herbs, recommended dosages, and herbs’ healing actions. (this part of the book can be purchased separately (link: https://amzn.to/3n3ksB9))
  • Book 3 is about how to set up the apothecary table that matches your needs. This well-researched section will guide you in using remedies for first aid, children, energy and sleep regulation, anxiety, immunity, beauty, sexual and reproductive health, and more. Also, get a list of conditions, herbs, dosages, and age-specific guidelines on properly using them.

This book is organized by ailment and need, for easy reference. Its’ informative, and engaging writing makes it an enjoyable read. With this amazing collection, all-natural remedies are just a page away. You will be led to the discovery of easy ways to use herbs suiting your needs.

If you are a prepper, this book won’t leave you empty-handed, you will find ways to prepare yourself for an emergency and survival. In the same line, if you live in the Great Lakes Region, we just published a regional foraging guide including local healing herbs an plants that can be prepared with the remedy-making guidance of our fist book.

Interested to know more?

Check out the links in this text!

If the community of this page is interested to get examples of healing herbs prepared for your family’s needs I can provide more blog posts on this. I also share recipes on how to include healing herbs and plants into your everyday diet. This is the easiest way to have a regular, healthy intake after all.

How To Talk To Your Kids About The Environment

Hearing discussions about climate change and environmental destruction may be fascinating and worrisome for young children, depending on their age.

It can be difficult for parents to know how much to express without worrying their children. No parent wants their child to grow up without understanding environmental issues.

What is the best way to strike the correct balance?

Many youngsters have lately gone on strike from schools all across the world, citing Greta Thunberg as their inspiration. As a result of the widespread media coverage, it has sparked widespread concern among youngsters about the status of the world. Here, we look at how you can talk to your children about climate change and the environment. 

kid outside holding a tree leaf, environment, earth, recycle, sustainable, eco-system

image

Do not try to hide the truth from them.

While switching off the television when your child walks into the room may be tempting, it prevents them from learning about the world around them. Young children are more prone than adults to hear misleading stories from other children, which might cause them to feel fearful.

Instead of avoiding the subject of the environment, look for opportunities to speak about it with others. It is critical that young children do not believe they are destined to live on a dying planet, despite the fact that big adjustments must be undertaken. When discussing an environmental issue, emphasise the positive things that can be accomplished.

Use child-friendly language

Provide a straightforward explanation of what an “environmental issue” is to your youngster. Until you are confident that people will grasp what you are saying, avoid using technical phrases such as “biodiversity” and “ecosystem.”

When discussing a problem, place it in a local context that the youngster will understand and remember. For example, if you are concerned about biodiversity loss, you may talk about wildflowers, the dangers of shark finning or diminishing bee populations in your local region.

It is important to keep things as basic as possible for them in order for them to comprehend the issue at an age-appropriate level.

Look to do something practical.

The best way to learn about environmental stewardship is to participate in it as much as possible. Look for initiatives and activities in your community that you can participate in and contribute to.

You could do one of the following:

  • Participate in an organised litter pick-up event as a volunteer.
  • Teach your youngster how to sort the recycling each week by demonstrating it to him or her.
  • Attempt to eat vegetarian or vegan meals.

Start small and encourage your youngster to be concerned about the people and things in their environment. As they mature, they have the potential to become more ecologically conscious.

Final thoughts

When children are young, it is critical that they learn how to care for and appreciate the natural world around them.

However, avoiding talking about issues out of fear of upsetting your child might result in uncertainty and concerns as a result of the mixed signals.

As an alternative, keep your message pleasant and focused on local concerns while speaking in child-friendly terms. Look for opportunities to lend a hand at local events and be sure to recognise and thank them for their contributions, no matter how insignificant.

How Your Family can Reduce Waste at Home

save water, waste, planet, earth, recycle,

Image Pixabay CC0 License

Every parent wants to instill positive values in their kids during childhood. Helping your children to grow up in a way that allows them to understand the value of money and the need to reduce waste is an excellent way to prepare them for adulthood and living independently. 

Limiting waste at home will help kids understand how to save money and play a part in protecting the planet. Demonstrating these values to your kids through your own actions is the best possible way to ensure that they understand the role they can play in using their money and the earth’s resources in the most responsible manner. Here are some examples of opportunities that you can use to reduce waste at your home, saving yourself money and protecting the planet while also being a strong role model to your kids:

Groceries: Reduce Food Waste

Food waste is a significant problem and one that is an issue throughout many of the world’s wealthiest countries. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately 30 to 40 percent of the nation’s food supply goes to waste. This is a significant figure and equates to billions of dollars of food that is discarded without being eaten. There are various reasons that food waste occurs, some of which happen at the production stage, but consumers are also responsible for a large portion of wasted food. So, taking action to reduce the amount of food that your household wastes is crucial and a great way to prevent wasting money spent on groceries. 

If you are keen to begin reducing your food waste, there are a few ways you can make this happen. Firstly, check the use-by dates on everything you buy to ensure that you have time to use it before it expires. Secondly, you may find it helpful to start meal planning. Meal planning enables you to shop specifically for the groceries you need and minimize waste. Finally, it is beneficial to find ways to use leftovers while they are still safe to eat to ensure they do not get thrown away. Reducing your food waste may seem like a small act. Still, it can actually make a significant difference to the cost of your grocery shopping while also helping to tackle a much broader issue.

Clothing: Buy Less, But Buy Better

Nowadays, fast fashion has become the go-to choice for many people looking to keep up with the latest trends without spending much money. But, fast fashion comes at a price. Spending money on clothes that are not designed to last can mean that you buy lots and don’t manage to get much wear from each item before it goes out of fashion or breaks. Purchasing cheap clothing in this way means that your closet becomes full of poor-quality garments that you no longer wear and need to be replaced frequently when their quality fails. Shopping for clothing like this is bad news for your finances, and the planet, plus adds clutter to your home. Taking an alternative approach and buying functional, stylish clothing that is designed to last will mean that you get better value for money and years of wear while preserving valuable closet space. Buying clothing from brands such as Over Under Clothing will ensure that you get the best quality and can enjoy many years of comfortable wear.

save water, waste, planet, earth, recycle, energy

Image Pixabay CC0 License

Electricity: Conserve Power to Pay Less

As every homeowner knows, powering a home is an expensive task. Running gadgets, appliances, along with cooling and heating systems, can mean that your electricity bills escalate quickly. Making an effort to actively reduce your household’s energy consumption is an effective way to lower your home’s running costs and its carbon footprint. Reducing electricity use is also something the entire family can get involved with and take responsibility to manage. 

When trying to reduce your home’s energy consumption, you may find it helpful to start with the smaller changes first. Simply changing all of your light bulbs to Energy Star alternatives can make a significant impact on the cost of illuminating your home, and further savings can be made if everyone remembers to switch off lights when leaving each room. As well as switching off lights, it is also helpful to turn off appliances (where safe to do so) when they are not in use, rather than leaving them on standby. Additional energy-saving benefits can be gained from having your HVAC system regularly serviced to ensure that it is working efficiently and not having to work too hard to heat and cool your home. These changes may seem small, but the cumulative effects throughout the year can make a marked difference to your electricity consumption.

Water: Actively Conserve Water

Conserving the amount of water that your family uses may seem challenging at first; after all, everyone needs to be able to wash and drink. However, making a conscious effort to reduce water consumption can be achieved without your family needing to forego their basic needs. Harvesting rainwater to keep your plants hydrated is one way to save a lot of water and prevent drinking water from being used outdoors. Further water-saving measures can be implemented inside the house to reduce water waste. Getting leaks and dripping faucets fixed as soon as you notice them is a great place to start.

Other water-saving activities include switching your toilet flush and shower head for varieties designed to use less water. Taking showers rather than filling up the tub can also be an effective way to reduce water use, especially if you time your showers to make them just a few minutes long each time. One great way to save water is turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth. A vast amount of water is wasted every day by people keeping the tap running while they brush their teeth, and doing this twice a day only increases the amount of water that is wasted. So, this simple act can help to prevent a lot of waste.