GREEN HOME ADVICE:
Some ways to save energy in your home.
Change the air filters in your home’s cooling
and heating system. A dirty filter can mean
higher energy bills and a less healthy home
environment for your family. Also, have your
system checked at least once a year to be sure
it’s running as efficiently as possible.
Tighten up your home. Add
new weather stripping and caulking
around windows and doors.
This can reduce your energy bill
up to 20 percent. Look for other
air leaks in your home and seal
them up to prevent unnecessary
heat loss. If you’re in the market
for new windows, look for ones
that have earned the ENERGY
STAR. They will help keep your
home warmer in the winter and
cooler in the summer.
Set your hot water heater at
the “normal” setting - no higher than 120
degrees. This can save up to 11 percent of
your water heating costs. To save more, buy a
hot water insulation kit to wrap your water
heater with.
Consider replacing your refrigerator if it is
10 years old or older. Refrigerators use more
energy than any other appliance in your home.
A new ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator
uses less than half the energy of a 10-year old
conventional model.
Make your next light bulb or
fixture an ENERGY STAR®
qualified one. ENERGY
STAR-qualified lighting is 75
percent more efficient than
incandescent bulbs. Replacing
the most often used light bulbs
in your home will save you money and time
spent on buying and replacing bulbs. The
ENERGY STAR label is given by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S.
Department of Energy to appliances and products
that exceed federal energy efficiency
requirements.
Run your clothes washer and dishwasher
only when they are full. It takes the same
amount of energy to run them when they’re
half full as when they’re completely full. So
take advantage of all the capacity you’ve got.
Also, use the energy saver feature on your
dishwasher.
LIVING GREEN- SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY:
You dont have to be an environmental guru to save the earth. Here are some very easy things you can do right now to help save the earth:
Save Water. Water is a precious resource that we all waste every day. Conserve water easily by:
Put a brick in a plastic bag and place it in the back of you toilet. You ll save up to one gallon of water with every flush.
Fix leaky faucets and pipes right away. In the meantime, save the drips in a pan and use it to water your plants, wash the dog or even cook supper. After all, it s clean water.
Only wash full loads of laundry.
Install low-flow faucet aerators on all your faucets. They’ll save you 50% (or 3-5 gallons of water a minute), and the flow will seem stronger.
Collect rainwater in barrels or tubs and use it to water your household plants or dry lawn areas. It’ll use a lot less water than the sprinkler.
Conserve Electricity. Cut down on wasteful electrical use by:
Turn off lights and appliances when leaving a room.
Turn off your computer monitor before bed. A monitor left on all night uses enough electricity to print 5,300 copies.
Look for the Energy Star rating when buying new appliances.
Wrap your water heater set your water heater at 130 degrees.
Wash clothes in cold water as whenever possible.
If possible hang clothes outside to dry once in awhile.
Turn down your heat by 1 degree for every hour you’ll be away from home.
Replace traditional light bulbs with newer longer lasting/low energy ones.
Don’t stand with the refrigerator or freezer open while you decide what you want.
Unplug unused appliances.
Go Green. Going green doesn t have to change you re life. There are things you can do right now to live in a more earth-friendly fashion:
Plant a tree. It s a great way to save the earths oxygen.
Use homemade or all-natural cleaning products.
Buy recycled products.
Use both sides of a sheet of paper before discarding.
Reuse envelopes and junk mail for writing notes and keeping lists.
Ditch the Disposables. It takes more than 100 years for a plastic sandwich bag to biodegrade in a landfill. Pack sandwiches and snacks in reusable containers, or rinse and reuse the disposable ones. Using permanent containers will not only save the environment, it will save you time and money.
Here are a few other things to try:
Replace plastic utensils, paper plates and Styrofoam cups with permanent ones.
Recycle mayonnaise jars, margarine tubs and other food containers to store leftovers and other supplies.
Use washable cloth kitchen towels instead paper towels.
Use Rechargeable Batteries.
They may cost a little more, but replacing your disposable batteries with rechargeable ones will save you 10 to 20 times their original cost in the long run. Want to prolong the life of your batteries? Use a plug or adapter for radios and other small appliances.
More Green Environment Articles at http://TheEnvironment-Today.com. Get Your Own Successful Niche Website Network at http://eWebCreator.com. Get the Best Adsense Tool with eWebCreator.comScroll down for FEATURED ARTICLES and HEALTH NEWS at the bottom of this page:
It's possible to learn HOW to better your health in only 4 steps and this article will show you how. Each step is a bite-sized nugget of healthy living information you can actually use.
Let's get started...
Step 1: Nutritional Supplements
In my opinion, they are very necessary and very beneficial- especially when combined with healthy eating habits. It's very difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs through food alone, but combining proper nutrition with nutritional supplements is very powerful.
That being said, the one supplement everyone should be taking is a good multi vitamin/mineral. Look at it as added insurance- eating well is crucial, but now that you're also taking a multi, you can rest assured you're getting the nutrients your body needs.
Step 2: Nutrition
Good nutrition is SO important. You are what you eat...remember that. Make a conscious effort to gradually improve your eating habits, eating more of the good foods (nuts, berries, peanut butter, olive oil, greens, chicken, whole grains, etc.) and less of the bad foods (fried food, saturated fat, fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, etc.). Reading the label of what you're eating will tell you a lot.
You may think you lack the needed will power, but you'll be amazed at what happens when you start to gradually improve your eating habits.
Step 3: Exercise
Exercise is the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to better health. There are so many benefits of exercising, including stronger bones and improved libido- it's a no brainer to start doing it. Your goal should be to exercise 3-5 times a week with a combination of cardio exercises and strength training (but no more than 1 hour per workout session).
It's been measured that if you add 3 pounds of muscle to your body, this added muscle will burn as many calories as if you ran 1 mile. Muscle burns calories!
Step 4: Stress Management and Sleep
Stress management and getting good sleep each night round out your path to better health. Until you find a way to manage your stress, it will continue to do damage to your body. Two tips you might want to implement include prioritizing your day each morning and practicing deep breathing exercises (yes, you probably already knew this, but have you tried it?).
Getting enough sleep each night is equally important when you consider your body uses this time to repair itself. You should aim for 7-9 hours each night. Two tips you might want to implement include exercising and avoiding late night eating.
Now that you have the basics, expand on this information. Step 1 research more about Nutritional Supplements, Step 2 research more about Nutrition and so on. I guarantee after the 4 steps you'll feel more confident about reaching your health & fitness goals.
About The Author: Ryan Cote is the owner of http://www.SimpleHealth123.com, a health and wellness website supplying aging healthy products and free resources. Come visit and download his free health and wellness e-mail course, 4 Days to Better Health.
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