Eco-Healthy     Eco-Friendly    Eco-Nomical

Here are five tips to save some cash, improve your health and the health of the planet:

1.      Make your own laundry detergent: Conventional laundry detergent can cost as much as 50 cents a load and is laden with chemicals and petroleum-based scents. By making your own you can save tons of money. Our recipe calls for ingredients that you can pick up at the grocery store and each load costs less than 2 cents! Not only that but you can add a few drops of essential oil and have an all-natural laundry soap that is better for the environment and smells just the way you want it to. All this, and a month’s supply takes just ten minutes to make. For the recipe visit our web site www.moderndayhuntergatherer.com/economical.htm

2.      Grow your own herbs: Pound for pound what is one of the most expensive things in the grocery store? It’s not lobster or filet mignon. Its herbs. At my grocery store rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage, dill, and oregano are going for as much as $8.00 an ounce. That’s $128.00 a pound! You can grow all of these herbs right at home. A packet of herb seeds goes for about $1.50 and you can grow enough herbs to last you a year. And you don’t need to own a lot of acreage either. Most herbs can be grown in a pot on a sunny window sill. The best part is when you grow your own there are no worries about pesticides or irradiation and fresh herbs are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. So spice up your life with some homegrown herbs.

3.      Foil those secret energy thieves: Don’t look now but lurking in your house are secret energy thieves. I’m talking about electrical appliances that suck energy even after you think you’ve “turned them off.” The biggest culprits are coffee makers, microwave ovens, toaster ovens, computers, video games, Tvs, DVD players and printers just to name a few. The best way to keep them from sucking hundreds of dollars out of your wallet is to plug them into power strips, then whenever you leave the house or go to bed turn them off at the strip.

4.      Fire your personal trainer: Times are tough and maybe you’ve had to cut back on a few things. Usually during difficult financial times one of the first things we get rid of is our personal trainer. But there is a way to keep your waistline from expanding while you tighten the belt on your budget. It might even make you a few bucks! Nextfit www.mynextfit.com/kentburden  offers workouts from some of the world’s top personal trainers (including yours truly) in a portable device you can take anywhere. It’s an mp3 player the size of a cigarette lighter that plugs into the USB port of any computer. It is simple and easy to use—you plug it in, download a custom workout made especially for you and you goals. Then unplug it, and take it anywhere. You get unlimited workouts for just $25.00 a month. Considering personal training goes for $50- $150 a session, that’s a real bargain. And if you’re the entrepreneurial type you can sell these devises yourself. For more info go to www.mynextfit.com/kentburden

5.      Light up your life…for less: Maybe you’ve been meaning to change out all your old light bulbs for the new energy efficient bulbs but haven’t gotten around to it. Well here are a few reasons to “git er done”.

Efficient: CFLs are four times more efficient and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent. A 22 watt CFL has about the same light output as a 100 watt incandescent. CFLs use 50 - 80% less energy than incandescents.

Less Expensive: Although initially more expensive, you save money in the long run because CFLs use 1/3 the electricity and last up to 10 times as long as incandescents. A single 18 watt CFL used in place of a 75 watt incandescent will save about 570 kWh over its lifetime. At 8 cents per kWh, that equates to a $45 savings.

Reduces Air and Water Pollution: Replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL will keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb. If everyone in the U.S. used energy-efficient lighting, we could retire 90 average size power plants. Saving electricity reduces CO2 emissions, sulfur oxide and high-level nuclear waste.

High-Quality Light: Newer CFLs give a warm, inviting light instead of the "cool white" light of older fluorescents. They use rare earth phosphors for excellent color and warmth. New electronically ballasted CFLs don't flicker or hum.

Versatile: CFLs can be applied nearly anywhere that incandescent lights are used. Energy-efficient CFLs can be used in recessed fixtures, table lamps, track lighting, ceiling fixtures and porchlights. 3-way CFLs are also now available for lamps with 3-way settings. Dimmable CFLs are also available for lights using a dimmer switch.

Everyone knows that exercise is important to our health. But most of us hate the idea of going to the gym and spending 30 to 60 minutes on a boring treadmill watching CNN. Then get off that treadmill and take a hike. Getting away from the stresses and strain of modern society can be a great tonic for the soul and walking in the woods, mountains or dessert (depending on where you live) can calm the mind and lower stress levels. Add in some hills and uneven terrain and you have just what you need for a healthier mind, body and spirit. Here are a few tips to getting the most fun out of your walk on the wild side.

~ Invest in some sturdy comfortable hiking shoes

~ Wear layers of clothing that can be taken off or put on if the weather changes

~ Take your cell phone just in case but turn it off

~ Take more water than you think you need. ( personally I love my 3 liter camel back)

~ Carry a few band aids and some mole skin in case of blisters

This simple breathing technique can help you relax and lower stress levels, give it a try and see. : Relaxation Breath. Find a comfortable position, close your eyes and place the tip of your tongue just behind the back of the upper front teeth and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.
 
First exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound. Next close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four. Next hold your breath for a count of seven. Then exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight. This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. The absolute time you spend on each phase is not important; the ratio of 4:7:8 is important. If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio of 4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply.

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