The Conscious Decision to Change to a Natural Lifestyle
The urge to live a more natural life is nothing new. After all, there have always been people that have sought to live the way nature intended throughout the centuries. They want to be without many of the trappings of modern living and have a better understanding of life and nature. However, in recent years, this lifestyle has become even more popular. For anyone thinking of switching to this lifestyle themselves, what does it involve?
What is Natural Living?
In essence, everyone has their own ideas about what natural living should be, but there are a few common themes that everyone follows. Firstly, you need to think about where your food is coming from and what it takes to make it. You also need to see the bigger picture when it comes to the environment and your impact on it. How do the things you eat and use, affect the environment both locally and around the world? It is also about looking after the world around you and ensuring that both the plants and creatures are protected and encouraged to thrive. You also want to think about what toxic chemicals you are using in your daily lives, and how you can switch to better alternatives.
Reducing Toxic Load
There are chemicals in many of the things you buy and use, and these are often in things you can’t even imagine. Part of a natural lifestyle is trying to eradicate these chemicals from your home in favor of more natural alternatives. Firstly, take a look at the products you use to see what they contain. You might not have even noticed these before until you look at the ingredients. Instead of using chemicals to clean the floor, consider natural ingredients such as bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice. Cooking is another area where chemicals can creep into your life. Start to cook your meals from scratch using only natural herbs and ingredients. You can always freeze them and use them later, so you don’t have to cook as often. There are many tutorials online about making your own natural soaps and cleaners, so this is a great way of replacing them in your home, and it can also work out cheaper.
Encourage Nature in the Garden and Your Home
Your garden is more than somewhere to sit in the sunny weather; it can also be a place where insects and other animals can thrive, and where you can encourage plants to grow for the bee population. You want to use some of your land for growing, but other areas you can use to plant shrubs and flowers that will encourage insects and small creatures like hedgehogs and mice. You can also have indoor plants that you can use to generate a more natural feel in the house. Some companies that you can read more about online can send you plants in the mail so you can find species that you can’t get in other places.
Grow Your Own Food
As a nation of consumers, it is a good idea to become a producer if you want to live the natural lifestyle. If you can see where your food is grown and what’s used to grow it, you have a better idea of the products used. Start slowly when producing your own food, as not everything needs to be planted at the same time. You also want to learn about natural growing techniques as well, so you don’t get food eaten by animals. You can easily start in your own garden if you have one, or you can rent an allotment near to your home or a piece of land where you can grow for food. You want to reach the point where you are growing enough to support your family, though this isn’t always possible. If you do have to buy food elsewhere, use a local store that can tell you where things were produced and if they were organic. If you start producing more than you need, then you can always sell the surplus to friends or family and use the money to invest in your natural lifestyle.
Your Diet
As well as growing your own food, you also need to think about what you are eating. If you want to move to a natural lifestyle, it is important that you start to cook food with natural ingredients and buy products that don’t use chemicals. By planning your food in advance, you can not only source your ingredients locally but also save money. You also want to start switching the foods you eat to healthier and more natural alternatives. One example could be eating natural porridge oats for breakfast instead of cereals with chemicals and artificial flavors. If you still want to eat meat, then there are options apart from the store. You might be able to find a local farm that can supply you with meat. You can then be assured of the quality and the conditions the animal has lived in while at the farm.
Healthcare
Some who follow a natural lifestyle, also include their healthcare as well. The best way to do this is to take a pro-active approach to clean up your eating habits and start to look after your body. That will remove many of the needs for medicines and other remedies. However, if you do need medicine, there are some natural alternatives such as herbs and flowers that can be bought at health food stores. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t seek medical advice if you feel unwell, but there can sometimes be viable alternatives to the traditional medicine prescribed by doctors. Exercise is the most important part of being healthy, though you also need to think about where you are exercising. You don’t want to run in a built-up area where there is a lot of pollution.
The natural lifestyle is something everyone can do and is becoming easier as more people seek natural alternatives to their traditional products.
In essence, everyone has their own ideas about what natural living should be, but there are a few common themes that everyone follows. Firstly, you need to think about where your food is coming from and what it takes to make it. You also need to see the bigger picture when it comes to the environment and your impact on it. How do the things you eat and use, affect the environment both locally and around the world? It is also about looking after the world around you and ensuring that both the plants and creatures are protected and encouraged to thrive. You also want to think about what toxic chemicals you are using in your daily lives, and how you can switch to better alternatives.
Reducing Toxic Load
There are chemicals in many of the things you buy and use, and these are often in things you can’t even imagine. Part of a natural lifestyle is trying to eradicate these chemicals from your home in favor of more natural alternatives. Firstly, take a look at the products you use to see what they contain. You might not have even noticed these before until you look at the ingredients. Instead of using chemicals to clean the floor, consider natural ingredients such as bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice. Cooking is another area where chemicals can creep into your life. Start to cook your meals from scratch using only natural herbs and ingredients. You can always freeze them and use them later, so you don’t have to cook as often. There are many tutorials online about making your own natural soaps and cleaners, so this is a great way of replacing them in your home, and it can also work out cheaper.
Encourage Nature in the Garden and Your Home
Your garden is more than somewhere to sit in the sunny weather; it can also be a place where insects and other animals can thrive, and where you can encourage plants to grow for the bee population. You want to use some of your land for growing, but other areas you can use to plant shrubs and flowers that will encourage insects and small creatures like hedgehogs and mice. You can also have indoor plants that you can use to generate a more natural feel in the house. Some companies that you can read more about online can send you plants in the mail so you can find species that you can’t get in other places.
Grow Your Own Food
As a nation of consumers, it is a good idea to become a producer if you want to live the natural lifestyle. If you can see where your food is grown and what’s used to grow it, you have a better idea of the products used. Start slowly when producing your own food, as not everything needs to be planted at the same time. You also want to learn about natural growing techniques as well, so you don’t get food eaten by animals. You can easily start in your own garden if you have one, or you can rent an allotment near to your home or a piece of land where you can grow for food. You want to reach the point where you are growing enough to support your family, though this isn’t always possible. If you do have to buy food elsewhere, use a local store that can tell you where things were produced and if they were organic. If you start producing more than you need, then you can always sell the surplus to friends or family and use the money to invest in your natural lifestyle.
Your Diet
As well as growing your own food, you also need to think about what you are eating. If you want to move to a natural lifestyle, it is important that you start to cook food with natural ingredients and buy products that don’t use chemicals. By planning your food in advance, you can not only source your ingredients locally but also save money. You also want to start switching the foods you eat to healthier and more natural alternatives. One example could be eating natural porridge oats for breakfast instead of cereals with chemicals and artificial flavors. If you still want to eat meat, then there are options apart from the store. You might be able to find a local farm that can supply you with meat. You can then be assured of the quality and the conditions the animal has lived in while at the farm.
Healthcare
Some who follow a natural lifestyle, also include their healthcare as well. The best way to do this is to take a pro-active approach to clean up your eating habits and start to look after your body. That will remove many of the needs for medicines and other remedies. However, if you do need medicine, there are some natural alternatives such as herbs and flowers that can be bought at health food stores. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t seek medical advice if you feel unwell, but there can sometimes be viable alternatives to the traditional medicine prescribed by doctors. Exercise is the most important part of being healthy, though you also need to think about where you are exercising. You don’t want to run in a built-up area where there is a lot of pollution.
The natural lifestyle is something everyone can do and is becoming easier as more people seek natural alternatives to their traditional products.
