With Earth Day coming at the end of this week, April 22, let’s look at a few wellness habits that we can personally do to take better care of our Earth and ourselves!

Grow your own food! Whether indoors or outdoors, you can avoid harmful chemicals and grow your vegetables using natural methods. Growing your own food provides you with fresh, nutrient-dense produce while also reducing your carbon footprint. The gardening aspect will also help you burn some extra calories during the day!

Shop local! If you can find a local farmers market – go check them out! By simply shopping local, you are able to get the foods with more nutrients, which have a better taste, and you are supporting the Earth. The wellness aspect gets you out in the community socializing, soaking in some vitamin D, and economically helping our local farmers! If you are in Abilene – every Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm, there is a farmers market on North 1st across from Frontier Texas!

Try a plant-based diet! A plant-based diet rich in veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes can help to lower greenhouse gas emissions and personally lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Even if you aren’t ready to make a move toward a full-on plant-based diet, a few days a week is a great start and can make a difference in your health!

Switch your mode of transportation! Not using your car on a daily basis reduces the amount of carbon dioxide levels and chemicals released. Additionally, a more mobile commute, like walking or biking to a nearby location, helps your personal wellness journey. I challenge you to pull out the bike or put on your walking shoes when the place you need to go is not too far away. If you are in Abilene – try walking to Subway or Burger King when you need lunch.

Look into swapping daily use items! Whether it is your cleaning products, makeup, or hydration source – consider going green to help our Earth! If you aren’t aware, there are toxic chemicals found in cleaning products and makeup. We then breathe these products in or worse, we place them on our largest organ – our skin! When it comes to drinking water – refill your bottle or favorite cup at a water station to help reduce plastic bottle usage!