HEALTH + WELLNESS
CHANGE YOURSELF, CHANGE THE WORLD
“ AS HUMAN BEINGS, OUR GREATNESS LIES NOT SO MUCH IN BEING ABLE TO REMAKE THE WORLD – THAT IS THE MYTH OF THE ATOMIC AGE – AS IN BEING ABLE TO REMAKE OURSELVES.” THE WORDS OF MAHATMA GHANDI, AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN AND A TRUE EXCEPTION TO THE LIMITATIONS THAT SEEM TO HOLD BACK MOST OF THE HUMAN RACE. THANKFULLY FOR THE REST OF US, IT’ S STILL THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND IT’ S NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE SOME POSITIVE CHANGES, SO, IN THE SPIRIT OF GHANDI HIMSELF, WE’ VE HAD A THINK ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN ALL REMAKE OURSELVES FOR THE GREATER GOOD. HERE GOES NOTHING …
BY POLLY HUMPHRIS
BODY
STOP USING POLLUTANTS
Our bodies are made up of 70 per cent water and almost all plants and animals need it to survive, yet it’ s estimated that only 2 per cent of all the water left on our planet is drinkable, and that most of that is polluted anyway. Why? Because of all of the waste we keep pumping into it. Containing contaminants that range from suntan lotion to hair dye, facial wipes and lipstick, our planet ' s lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater are becoming a dangerous chemical cocktail, so look into what impact your beauty products are having on the environment( and by proxy on your health) and source anti-polluting alternatives wherever possible.
THINK ABOUT YOUR EATING HABITS
Without naming names, did you know that a particularly popular fizzy drink contains at least six potentially very harmful chemical additives? Researching what you eat will highlight things like whether it contains toxic GMOs( genetically modified organisms); whether the eggs you eat are laid by hens cruelly kept in tiny cages; whether the meat you’ re buying is factory farmed and treated with hormones or antibiotics; and whether the vegetables you’ re eating have been picked by someone paid a pittance – all of which should be avoided. Meat-free Monday is a great initiative to introduce too; having one vegetarian meal a week might not seem like a big deal, but raising livestock emits a massive amount of greenhouse gases and cutting meat out just once a week has the same positive environmental impact as driving a hybrid car.
EXERCISE
Regular exercise isn’ t just a brilliant way for you personally to get a free hit of happy hormone, endorphin, it’ s also undeniably good for your health, which in turn means less trips to the doctor and less strain on our already stretched NHS. Plus, we live in a society where( whether consciously or not) we are constantly comparing ourselves to others – with fitness, your only competition is yourself, so you’ ll start to feel more confident and less concerned with the ins and outs of other people’ s lives too.
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