With the new year started many of us are planning the amazing things we want to accomplish during 2016. I get excited creating my vision for the year and making a start on things once January has begun.

One of my intentions is to stay fit all year. Last year I felt my fitness level was pretty average, and growing up as a runner and quite fit throughout my life, I didn’t feel so fit and energetic last year.

IMG_7511To keep my fitness level up, my body in good shape (harder to do as you get older!!) and to stay energetic each day I know that regular exercise has to be a part of my weekly routine.

There are a few other things that I’d like to keep up with this year, and to do that I need to look at activities and goals that I can sustain throughout the weeks and months.

Having a lifestyle that we can sustain is important for staying healthy and happy and also to be the best we can be for our family, friends and our world.

This year I’ll be sharing my experiences and knowledge of healthy and sustainable lifestyles, to help you enjoy a life that you and our world can sustain.

Here’s a few tips for living a long, healthy lifestyle…

  • Care for Yourself – Self-care usually ends up at the bottom of our to-do lists, especially for busy parents. The best way to live a lifestyle that you can sustain is by caring for yourself first. That means taking time to exercise, do fun activities (like gardening!), try yoga or pilates classes, drink plenty of water, enjoy a monthly pamper treatment, read inspiring books, have an occasional afternoon nap and spend fun times with friends and family. Choose things that take 10-30 minutes and schedule them into your week or month.
  • Eat Clean, Healthy Food – We all know that for a healthy mind and body we need to include healthy food into our daily eating. The best way to get healthy, clean food into your body is through home-grown food. I know for many people the thought of growing fresh food is too hard or time consuming, so start with a few pots of herbs (they’re packed with nutrients and vitality) or a few leafy greens in your garden. Starting small is the best way to get going, and then once you have a small garden growing you can consider adding other things to your space. This is the start of ‘sustainable gardening’…something that you can sustain!! Try 20-30 mins twice a week to start with.

If you can’t grow your own, then visit a local farmer’s market or buy fresh, organic produce from a local store. Eating healthy doesn’t have to include organic fresh food at every meal, just try to eat something fresh and healthy each day. With busy lives and so much information on healthy eating available, just keep it simple and add small amounts to your daily meal plan. This will have a great impact on your well-being and also your families too.

  • Create a Healthy Home – Home is where the heart is, and it’s also the place where we spend most of our time. To create a healthy home start with going chemical free with your cleaning products and also your body products. If the expense of eco-products is stopping you then look online for bulk products or for locally made items.

Also consider reducing waste, recycling, composting and reducing the amount of packaging used on products. When my boys started school I decided to attempt going wrap-free for their lunch boxes. I still follow this when possible (my eldest is starting Year 9 this year) and use small re-usable containers for their lunches and I also like to grow a few things that can be picked and eaten throughout the day. By starting this from the beginning of school, it made it easier to keep going and my boys are now just used to it. They even bring home food scraps to add to our compost!

  • Nurture our World – I always believe that when we have a healthy body and mind, we’re more likely to care for others and our world. By living a lifestyle that our world can sustain, we’re making a small difference to the way we’ll leave this world to future generations. If we all take small steps then our world will be in great shape for the future.

A few simple things to do include – reducing your waste, pick up rubbish as you see it (this is one biggie for me…I just can’t walk past rubbish without picking it up! You should have seen me on my New Year’s morning run!!) catching and storing water, reducing power usage, being kind to others, live in a happy and positive state of mind, have healthy relationships, reduce spending and shopping, volunteer or help others, grow an organic garden and reduce the use of your car by walking, taking public transport or riding a bike. This list could go on and on, but I just wanted to share a few basic ideas that you could try out.

Keep in mind that a sustainable lifestyle isn’t just eco-living, although that’s one part of sustainability (eco-sustainability), another way is living a lifestyle that you can sustain every day of your life.

This could include saying “Thanks, but No Thanks” to things that take time away from important things, like family. It could also be as simple as following a weekly meal planner to save money on food, help to plan healthy meals and reduce waste and packaging from over-shopping.

Little steps that take minimum time can make a big difference to your health and well-being and also our world.IMG_7493

What simple steps do you take to live a sustainable lifestyle?? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

If you’d like to make a change in your life right now, then signup for the 14 Day Sustainable Lifestyle Challenge  to improve your life and help our world!

Also consider sharing the love (via buttons below) with anyone that you could inspire to grow.

Have an amazing day, month and year! 

Cath xx

…and I love a good coffee each day too!! 

© cath manuel 6 january 2016

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