Simple Resolutions for a Healthier 2012!

Nan Jensen, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Pinellas County Extension


The new year is almost here and you may be starting to think about what resolutions to make in 2012. Here are some easy ideas to help you have a healthier year. 


Resolution #1: Make half your plate fruits and vegetables 
Let vegetables and fruits take up half the space on your dinner plate. Fruits and vegetables deliver healthy phytochemicals and essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, they fill you up on fewer calories than other foods. Check out the winners of the fruit and vegetable challenge for some creative ideas on how to include more fruits and vegetables on your plate. 


Resolution #2: Make water your beverage of choice 
Sugar-sweetened beverages, like soda, lemonade or iced tea, are one of the top five foods that can add the pounds. Choosing water instead of calorie-laden beverages is a smart and easy way to reduce your overall calorie intake. Eliminating a 12-oz. can of soda a day can lead to a 12 to 18 lb. loss over the course of a year. 


Resolution #3: Try some new whole grains 
Making a switch from refined grains to whole grains can give your health a big boost. Whole grains are great sources of healthy carbohydrates, fiber, along with vitamins and minerals. People who eat plenty of whole grains tend to be leaner and have a lower risk of heart disease than those who don’t. Try some new grains like wild rice, quinoa and barley. Here is more information on whole grains and lots of delicious recipes.


Resolution #4: Add flavor to your food with herbs, spices and other flavorings 
Many people add salt to flavor their food. Too much salt is linked to high blood pressure. The daily recommended limit is 2,300 milligrams—the amount in just 1 teaspoon of salt. Most of us consume more than twice that amount. To help you get the sodium out, start with fresh ingredients and experiment with new flavorings. Lemon, lime juice, vinegar or other acidic flavors can help bring out the savoriness of food. Sprinkling fresh grated lemon zest, chopped fresh or dried herbs, garlic or shallots can add an abundance of flavor. For ideas on using fresh herbs and spices, take a look at these publications. 
Cooking with Fresh Herbs
Add a Little Spice (& Herbs) to Your Life!

Green Resolutions for 2011

By: Mary Campbell, Extension Director and Urban Sustainability Agent

Have you set your new “green” resolutions for 2011? Are you still forgetting that reusable bag for the grocery or not quite off the bottled water yet? Each year brings a new opportunity to see how we can push ourselves to implement new, more sustainable practices. This past year, I realized just how hard it is to change practices that I have been doing for years. Happily, I no longer have to take the recyclables to a remote site since St. Petersburg began curbside recycling. That is a huge step forward.

A new year is a good time to think about lifestyle resolutions that are meaningful to us. Due to economic and environmental impacts, more people are thinking about new ways of connecting their lifestyles with their beliefs. Living sustainably can mean a simpler, more economical lifestyle and more focused on reducing impacts to the planet.

One of the challenges of going green and being sustainable is the link between our beliefs and our actions. A recent Yale study notes that 76 % of participants thought it was important to buy locally grown food, but only 26 % did it and 72% of participants thought it was important to use public transportation or carpool, but only 10 % did so. The survey found that for simpler actions, like turning out lights or reusing things, people were more likely to believe the action was important and also do it. Research has shown us that convenience and cost are two important factors for implementing sustainable practices.

So let’s pick a new green practice that we will carry through 2011. I have not been consistent about purchasing locally grown (Florida) fruits and vegetables. So this year I will make sure I check where fruits and vegetables are grown before I buy them and purchase the local choice when available. This may mean not having some of my favorites, but it also means I will learn to love new things and know that I am supporting local food systems and the local economy. Farmer’s markets are a great way to see what is grown in our state and support a local economy. So I will pledge to go to a local farmer’s market once a month and buy local produce. If you want to join me in this commitment, please click here. At the end of 2011, we will see how well we all did.

Thanks for reading the Thinking Green blog and have a very “green” 2011.

Resources:
Be Green and Buy Local

Ten Green Resolutions for 2009

Mary Campbell, Pinellas County Extension Director, Urban Sustainability Agent

What are your top resolutions for 2009? I hope that a few may involve eco-friendly practices and reducing your footprint on the earth. I just want to take a moment and review the top green practices from 2008 and see if you can add these to your resolutions. So that you can reinforce your resolution with a written commitment, a link to a pledge is also included. Remember that a written commitment has been shown to increase our ability to follow through on that commitment. Thank you to the 1209 people who committed in 2008 to going green and helping to create a more sustainable planet.

AT HOME
1. Use compact fluorescent lights when replacing bulbs.
2. Use reusable shopping bags.
3. Recycle plastic containers.
Pledge:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=2rTWRqL2OTAzsA_2f9FhCxDQ_3d_3d
4. Kick the plastic bottle habit.
Pledge:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=KmM6RZSQSSdVJW2NdCX6BA_3d_3d

AT WORK
5. Use at least 30% post-consumer content recycled paper.
6. Reduce paper by printing on both sides.
7. Recycle used paper.
Pledge:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=4d3nRrsxCEW4_2fkVELvXu4g_3d_3d

AT PLAY
8. Combine trips to save fuel
9. Turn off the car if idling more than 20 seconds
10. Make sure care tires are at correct pressure.
Pledge:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=p4A1LQP0PquAflBzq8uyTw_3d_3d

I wish you success in your green practices in 2009.