After working in the nursing field for twenty years, Beth Aust RN was divinely guided to follow a more holistic path. She studied nutrition through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and became a Holistic Health Coach. Drawing on her nursing background and nutrition knowledge, Beth provides one on one programs, group programs, workshops and cooking demonstrations to show others how to cook healthy, shop savvy and live freely through a creative approach. In an effort to provide the community healthier options, she also is opening a natural foods shop in Oneida, NY June of 2013. The shop will focus on non-GMO and organic products as well as providing gluten free, vegan, RAW, and nut-free foods. A member of the National Association of Professional Woman, Board certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioner’s, supporter of the NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association), Young Living essential oil distributor, and board member of the Madison County Habitat for Humanity, she is passionate about health, wellness and community.
Beth strives to combine her desire to help people lead healthier lives with sustainability. With greenhouse gas levels rising in our atmosphere all the time and the constant loss of natural areas around the globe, environmentally-conscious business owners who see beyond their wallet, like Beth, are needed more and more.
In her guest writing piece, Beth will discuss what she does to be sustainable, keeping the future in mind. Business owners and average Joes alike: I hope you are all inspired by her determination and mindfulness. In order to secure a better future for this planet, we must take action now.
Sustainability
Sustainability: what does it really mean and how do I incorporate it into my life?
You may have heard of the three E’s of Sustainability.
Economy-The management and use of resources to meet household and community needs. The ability to generate incomes and employments to sustain the population.
Ecology-The relationship between living things and the environment. The capacity to increase the value of the environment while assuring the protection of natural resources.
Equity(Social)-fairness. The ability to guarantee welfare among social classes and gender.
In other words sustainability can be defined as humans coexisting with nature and supporting the earth’s ecosystems to allow future generations to meet their own needs. These three concepts in balance are needed to create a harmonic wellbeing.
You may have heard of the three E’s of Sustainability.
Economy-The management and use of resources to meet household and community needs. The ability to generate incomes and employments to sustain the population.
Ecology-The relationship between living things and the environment. The capacity to increase the value of the environment while assuring the protection of natural resources.
Equity(Social)-fairness. The ability to guarantee welfare among social classes and gender.
In other words sustainability can be defined as humans coexisting with nature and supporting the earth’s ecosystems to allow future generations to meet their own needs. These three concepts in balance are needed to create a harmonic wellbeing.
As a promise to the earth and future generations I have taken measures to “go green” in my personal life as well as my business. I have created my top 10 to share with you:
1. When shopping use recyclable grocery bags instead of disposable plastic bags. Some stores even give you credit towards each bag used. (Peake’s Harmony will give $.05 per each bag used. I also purchased grocery bags made with recycled materials-made in the USA- to use in my shop-they are also 100% recyclable.)
2. Utilize air purifying plants in my home and shop.
Bamboo Palm: According to NASA, it removes formaldehyde and is also said to act as a natural humidifier.
Gerbera Daisy: Not only do these gorgeous flowers remove benzene from the air, they’re known to improve sleep by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving off more oxygen overnight.
Peace Lily: Peace lilies could be called the “clean-all.” They’re often placed in bathrooms or laundry rooms because they’re known for removing mold spores. Also know to remove formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
3. I purchase items with the Fair-trade logo to resell in my shop when possible! Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries to make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to exporters as well as higher social and environmental standards.
4. I also purchase and eat organic foods- organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.
5. I pay all my bills online instead of wasting letters and envelopes in the mail-with my laptop computer. A laptop uses just a quarter of the power a desktop computer uses.
6. I also make my own household cleaner to avoid toxins using white vinegar.
7. Shop local- This lessens your carbon footprint and supports local businesses and farmers markets. Many farms even offer co-ops which can cut down the cost of healthy local grown foods. (Check out http://www.localharvest.org/ to locate local farmers markets, co-ops and more).
8. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. I found used, inexpensive or free items to begin my shop. A dresser found on the side of the road-was painted and given some love-and now is my counter and the drawers are on my walls used as shelves. I also buy my clothes at consignment shops for less than half the price of the malls! I recycle everything I possibly can. I have used old cans to make homemade natural citronella candles-utilizing pure essential citronella oil.
9. Avoid excess packaging. Look for products that have less packaging, or buy in bulk—you’ll have less to throw away and save money. You can also buy items with packaging that can be reused or recycled. Grains are great to buy in bulk as is beef or pork- talk with your local farmers.
10. Subscribe to ecofriendly blogs: Keeper of the Home, Kitchen Stewardship, Live Renewed, and of course, Viridorari. While you are signing up for blogs. Check out my 3 blogs to learn how to cook healthy, shop savvy and live freely:
http://peakesharmonywellnesscookinghealthy.blogspot.com/
http://peakesharmonywellnessshoppingsavvy.blogspot.com/
If you have questions or comments for Beth, please leave a comment below or email me at viridorari@yahoo.com. I will make sure she gets your inquiries. Thank you for reading, and I hope you will take more steps in the near future toward living a healthier, more sustainable life. Stay tuned with Viridorari and learn more ways to live "greener" every week. To hear the latest in green news, follow me on twitter: @viridorari.
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