Six Tips to Boost Your Immune System
With so many people under the weather thanks to colds and the flu making their rounds I thought I’d share a few natural tips for staying healthy this winter. 1. Eat well. Your diet is the number one means by which you can build your immune system. It is a bit more challenging to find fresh fruits and vegetables in the winter but broccoli, greens, citrus fruits, and squash are a few that are readily available. More »
Shop Green
Shopping for eco-friendly products doesn\'t have to be stressful. Relax and visit our directory of green online retailers. More »
Use House Plants to Purify the Air in Your Home
You might be surprised to know that the air inside your home could be dangerous. In fact, our indoor air is often what causes common illnesses and ailments such as fatigue, asthma, skin conditions, learning disabilities, ADHD, digestive issues, infertility, obesity, and cancer. More »
Stop Wasting Food - It\'s Bad For the Planet and Your Budget
In our house very little food goes to waste. If leftovers aren’t eaten within two days they get frozen. Vegetables that are looking a little sad get thrown into a batch of pasta sauce or soup. If I don’t have time to whip up a batch of something with them then, most vegetables, I can just quickly chop and throw in the freezer (I almost always have frozen chopped peppers or broccoli in my freezer.) More »
Natural Cold and Flu Remedies
When it comes to colds and flu, there are two approaches: prevention and treatment. There are natural remedies for both of these approaches. Stock up on treatments and begin prevention now, and you should have a much more comfortable cold and flu season. Here are some ideas: More »
Eco Travel – Choosing a Green Hotel
Vacation time is finally here!
The idea of greener vacations is becoming more and more possible these days and thanks to growing awareness and concern for the environment, it is also becoming very popular. Hotel visits are one of the easier more obvious ways to “green” your vacation.
Here are several simple things you might want to consider to help make your hotel stay a little more earth friendly.
Choose Your Hotel Wisely
There are certain features to look for in a hotel to see if it is really green. Shop around and check with various hotels about the following features:
- Saving water is challenging for hotels that do so much washing and have so many showering guests. Look for hotels that have low-flow faucets and other eco-friendly equipment, including their washing machines and toilets.
- Cleaning supplies used in a green hotel should be environmentally friendly.
- LED lamps are more energy-efficient and due to their longer bulb life, LEDs reduce waste. Some hotels have installed LED lamps in place of regular lighting, or are in the process of doing so.
- Look into the hotel’s overall business practices and see if they really mean what they say about going green.
Reduce Waste during Your Hotel Stay
You can reduce your personal waste during your hotel stay in lots of different ways. Here are some ideas:
-Request that towels and sheets not be washed and changed daily (this saves water and energy).
- Bring your own toiletries, and ask room service not to stock your room with wasteful samples of shampoo, soap, etc. If you do request the travel-sized bottles, ask for only one set and inform room service that you won’t be needing any more samples unless you request them. Otherwise, the hotel staff will throw out partly-used bottles of shampoo and conditioner and replace them with unopened ones daily.
- Carry your own stainless steel water bottle instead of visiting the drink machines down the hall.
- Recycle, just as you would at home. Take the time to find out where the hotel’s recycling bins are and make use of them as much as possible.
- Shorten your showers to save water, just as you would if you were at home.
- Go easy on the heating and cooling unit in your room. Don’t run it constantly and open windows whenever you can if it’s hot, or run the unit on fan only.
Hopefully, these tips will help you travel a little greener. You can relax and enjoy your trip knowing you have done all you can to reduce your carbon footprint.
p.s. If you’re looking for a “Green” hotel for your vacation this summer I just discovered that Choice Hotels International marks all eco-friendly hotels with a little green leaf making them easy to find.
