3 green tips for a healthy lifestyle

Green living should be a top priority for all of us. Considering there are so many things out there we cannot control, we should at least show our support to Mother Nature by inviting eco-friendly practices into our personal lives. Here are a few easy steps we can take to go greener at home and maybe save some money in the process too.

#1. Nutrition should be our first concern

While our eating habits have much improved over the years and we’ve pretty much evolved from the decadent meat and potatoes days to a more diversified diet, rich in fresh intake, we’ve still got some work to do.

Buying ethically-sourced, eco-friendly produce will help cut our carbon footprint as we’ll be avoiding resources consumption for production and transportation processes. Farmers markets are a good source for the sustainably grown, organic and fresh nutrients that we so much need for a balanced diet.

Urban Garden

#2. Consider introducing organic materials into your home décor

Even if we’re living in rented apartments, we can make some low-cost improvements to the space. Simple actions such as adorning our homes with greenery, using wicker hampers for storing paraphernalia, bringing in reclaimed furniture or furnishings that are made from wood, timber, grasses or other organic materials are great ways in which we can contribute to saving the environment.

LEED Silver-Certified Coast at Lakeshore East Apartment Community in Chicago

#3. Think green, be green

Recycling, saving energy and reducing water consumption are some of the easiest ways to be green and lower the utility bill too. Choosing energy-efficient home appliances would be an inspired solution, as well as using programmable thermostats that can automatically make smart adjustments to your home temperature, even when you’re not at home. Opening the windows for cross-ventilation would be a good alternative to good old-fashioned A/C, especially if the weather is fine and you’re not prone to any allergies; don’t let the water running while brushing your teeth (which is more common than you think) and adjust your float valves to allow a lower water flow into the toilet tank. That should save you some water – and money too!

LEED-Certified Stella Apartments in Los Angeles, CA

Remember: it’s much easier to go green if you live in a green rental community. Search apartments for rent on RentCafe and apply the “sustainable living” filter to narrow down the search.

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day?