One of the benefits of living green is it can extend your lifespan. This may be surprising, but it is very true. There are many things that not only help the earth, but they help you, too! Eating fresh organic foods, cutting down on driving, and many other things will help you live greener, longer!



By eating healthy, organic foods you are not only helping your body by giving it fresh food, you are saving the earth from being contaminated by pesticides. Organic meats help by keeping the environment free of antibiotics and growth hormones. Plus you're avoiding all those nasty things from going inside of you! By eating fresh, organic foods, you are avoiding all the processed foods that do a better job of clogging your arteries than they do of providing nutrition.

Try to drive less. By combining your errands, you not only save fuel and reduce the traffic on the roads; you are giving yourself less stress from dealing with traffic jams and other drivers. Carpool or use public transit when you can. If you choose to ride a bike or walk for some of your errands, you also get needed exercise. This will help keep your heart healthy and keep you limber and toned.

Composting your food scraps can save you money in garbage waste and provide you with great soil next season for your own garden. It also keeps a lot of good stuff out of the landfills. Just keep adding your fruit and vegetable wastes, egg shells, coffee grounds, and grains to the compost pile. You can add your raked leaves and lawn clippings as well. Don't add meat or bones? they will attract insects like flies and will take longer to compost. Water the compost down once in awhile to get the enzymes activated. Come spring, you'll have some nice compost soil to add to your own vegetable garden for more healthy eating.

Other things you can do will just make your home more comfortable. Larger windows can help let in more natural light so you don't need to turn your lights on early. Using compact fluorescent bulbs can save you money and will save energy. Use energy-efficient appliances and don't leave your air conditioner on when you're not at home. You'll be amazed at how much this impacts your energy usage.

Small things like recycling cans, bottles and plastic packaging helps lower your garbage bills and helps reduce your carbon footprint. Use cloth bags when you shop instead of taking their paper or plastic bags. Some stores even knock off a few cents when you use your own bags. All of this will help reduce pollution, which is healthier for you because you'll be breathing cleaner air.

It's actually pretty easy to live a greener lifestyle. You can benefit the environment and your pocketbook at the same time. You may soon find yourself looking for more ways to add a little more green to your life.