Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5

http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Vegetables/Stir-Fry-Vegetables.aspx

I can't believe it's already the last week of the lifestyle change!  As always, my SMART goal was to increase my vegetable intake by eating 4 servings each day while purchasing organic foods in less packaging.  I think this past week was successful.  I managed to make some vegetable "stir fry" and, it was a great thing to have for lunch during the school days.  It was also easy to make!  I decided not to add any sauces or anything, so I just cooked my vegetables in a small amount of Pam Cooking Spray and some water, salt, and pepper.  I bought some vegetables from Whole Foods, too:  snow peas, red and green peppers, and cucumbers.  I also had some salads here and there.

I didn't really face any challenges this week aside from a common challenge:  just staying on track and making sure I keep up with my goal (which I did).  It felt good to have a solid week of no distractions, complications, or "excuses" for not being able to meet my goal.  I learned that even though I might have a rough day or week to deal with that might interfere with my goal, I can still accomplish it with determination.

Next week I plan to keep up with my goal by finding more recipes and and ideas to incorporate my vegetables into each day.

The Past 5 Weeks
As for the entire lifestyle change process, I didn't end up changing my goal.  I think I set my goal at a comfortable, yet challenging level, so that's why I never changed it.  The ways I was most successful was just by keeping a positive attitude and making sure I went out and actually bought the environmentally friendly veggies.  Challenges included running off course by going on vacation and poor time management skills during the school days.  This lifestyle change made me realize that I can succeed over these obstacles, I just have to get my mind set on overcoming them.

I benefited from this project not only from being environmentally friendly, but I increased my daily nutritious intake.  I learned that I can achieve a goal when I set my mind to it, and I learned it really isn't that difficult to eat more healthily (as long as you want to do something, you can do it).  As for my environment, I think it's what I make of it that benefited me in achieving my goal.  Even though I was on vacation for a bit, I still tried hard to make sure I ate lots of veggies.  Being is school was something I thought would be difficult, but I learned that I need to take charge of my environment to make my goal happen.  I think others benefited by seeing my lifestyle change, and I encouraged others to do the same as me.

I want to try and keep up with increasing my vegetable intake, but I don't think I want to strive for 4 servings every day.  Although it is great to get veggies in your diet, I like to eat things other than veggies, like meat and cheese.  I think as long as I keep an open mind with my diet and keep choosing veggies more often than I used to, I will be on a good track to becoming a healthier person.

If I had to recommend anything to someone choosing a lifestyle change like me, I would say they need to keep a positive attitude while making sure they manage their time appropriately.  Planning ahead when to buy food and make it helped me a lot in making sure I ate enough veggies to meet my goals.

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

I decided to look up the ChapStick brand chap stick I use because the "dry" season has just started, and I'm starting to use my chap stick ALL the time.  I use lots of different brands of chap sticks, but this is one that I think is a popular one among everyone.  I was surprised to see that the hazard number was as high as 6!

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

I guess what surprised me the most is just the fact that this is hazardous at a moderate level.  Chap stick is something almost everyone uses often or at least sometimes (especially in dry climates like our winters).  It makes me feel like I need to be more aware of what I am putting on my body, like lotion, makeup, nail polish, etc.  I began to look up more cosmetics I use, and most of them were either at level 6 or lower.  I am glad that I don't have any cosmetics that were higher than 6, but it still makes me more aware of what I choose to put on my skin.

As I said before, I use lots of different kinds of chap stick/lip balm.  I looked up another brand that I use, and it is much safer than the ChapStick brand.  It's called Eos Lip Balm, so I recommend you all try this kind!

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/