Earth Day

By: Michelle King, Intern

Spring has officially sprung! As the weather starts to get warmer and the sun is out longer, we are able to get outside more and enjoy the amazing things nature has to offer. April 22nd is Earth Day and is a perfect opportunity to start incorporating more sustainable and healthy practices into our lives to help preserve the beautiful world around us.

There are a lot of different ways that we can honor and celebrate our planet this month. Celebrate Earth Day by incorporating more Earth-friendly foods and healthy-living practices into your daily routine.

• Shop your local farmer’s market and eat more locally sourced foods.

  • Opt for in-season produce and try a new fruit or veggie each week to spice things up. You might just discover a new favorite food!

• Ditch the car one day a week and ride your bike or take a walk to your favorite lunch spot instead.

  • Not only are you protecting the environment, but you can get some daily movement in as well.

• Try meatless Mondays when you can, opt for plant-based meals one day a week.

• Enjoy some quality family time outside – visit your local park or trails and take a hike and enjoy the beautiful surroundings nature provides.

• Invest in good quality reusable water bottles and food containers

  • This will reduce waste and plastic use, while also increasing your water consumption and likelihood to pack your own food.

Try giving one of these practices a shot and see how you can help contribute to keeping both your body and the Earth healthy and safe. Happy Earth Day! Get outside and enjoy the beautiful world around you!

Earth Day Recipe:

 What better way to celebrate Earth Day than enjoying the delicious and nutritious plants that it has to offer? One of my favorite ways to incorporate a variety of different fruits and vegetables into my diet is to throw it all together in a nutritionally packed smoothie. And if you want to have a little bit more fun with it, you can even make it Earth-themed by combining two different blue and green smoothies into one (as shown below).

The best part about smoothies is that you can customize them with whatever you like or whatever ingredients you have on hand. I promise there is no bad combination. Have fun and get creative with it! Try adding a new fruit you picked up at the farmer’s market or experiment with different types of greens.

For the blue smoothie:

·      1 cup milk of choice

·      ½ cup of blueberries/blackberries

·      ½ frozen banana

·      Any other additions of your choice (nut butter, protein powder, chia/flax seeds)

For the green smoothie:

·      1 cup milk of choice

·      ½ cup of assorted fruit

·      Big handful of greens (spinach/kale)

·      Any extra additions

Directions: Blend each smoothie. Alternate pouring the green and blue smoothies into a glass until you get a mix of both. Enjoy!