This Earth Day, plant your roots in Aligned Modern Health and watch yourself grow! On Saturday, April 22, join us for an open house at our Lincoln Park clinic with food, drinks, and fun from 12-3 pm.
With your help, we’ll be planting perennials in our flower garden and talking about how healthy bodies and a healthy environment go hand-in-hand. (Our Lincoln Park clinic is located is 560 W. Diversey.)
You don’t have to wait for Earth Day to green your lifestyle and you don’t even have to travel far from home. In fact, our Functional Medicine team shares how a greener life can begin in your kitchen!
Functional Medicine tips for Earth Day
This Earth Day, think about nourishing yourself and the environment with these quick healthy eating tips for a healthier planet:
1. Eat Local and Sustainable
- Why it’s good for your body: Food produced locally is fresher, which means it’s full of more nutrients than items that have to travel long distances and may end up sitting on the shelf before they reach your plate.
- Why it’s good for the environment: Food grown and produced locally usually has a smaller carbon footprint and a shorter journey to your home than food traveling on airplanes, ships and trucks. Also, you may discover that many local farmers are more conscious during the production of the food.
Explore easy ways to find and pick up local food with area CSA’s and grocers who specialize in local produce.
2. Watch out for Excess Food Packaging
- Excessive food packaging is usually there to capture your attention. With extra thought, it’s easy to avoid unnecessary packaging. Plus, your pocket book my benefit as well. Buy fresh and bulk, when possible. For any items you need to weigh, bring your own containers. And look for packages made with recycled materials.
3. Compost
- What we don’t eat – or rather what we do with what we don’t eat – is just as important. Composting is mother nature’s natural recycling system. With about 40% of our trash actually being compostable, compost keeps valuable resources out of landfills and gives it new life. If you are gardening at home, compost soil has vital nutrients that will make your plants healthier – and diminish your need for chemical fertilizer. Even if you don’t garden at home, compost soil will help reduce your greenhouse gases and groundwater pollution. You can create your own indoor composting system or sign up for a composting pick up service.
