It’s difficult to celebrate this new beginning without feeling the need to make a difference in a world that is rapidly changing for the worse as we speak. By all means, make your resolutions focused on your own health and well being, but there are many ways to make them about the environment as well, so why not help the planet heal one healthy choice at a time? In fact, let’s make that the theme of our 2018 New Year’s resolutions and paint them green from the very first days! 
Shop wisely
You’d be surprised how much you can reduce your carbon footprint by completely changing your shopping habits. Just think about every time you sat in your car or a bus to reach the shopping center, and picked up your items in disposable, plastic bags?
In the spirit of the 21st century, shopping online is not just a convenient way to save time and effort, but also cut your time in traffic, plus, you can always choose a company that uses biodegradable packaging. Mindful shopping also means no fast fashion and choosing materials that are skin-friendly and good for the planet.
Eat organic, seasonal and local
Meat, fruits and veggies travel in bulks across the globe to reach your supermarket, and some of them are packed (unnecessarily so) in plastic wrapping. So, each time you head to a store, you can see the source of origin of your food. Now add that to your mileage card and to your carbon footprint miles from above, because you’re inadvertently supporting transportation that wreaks havoc on your own health and the planet.
Head to your local farmer’s market, see what’s in season and try to include as many local products into your menu. Keep them organic and pesticide-free, and your diet will be supercharged with nutrients, free of toxic chemicals and you’ll contribute to sustainable farming efforts!
Green up your beauty kit
Whoever said that beauty was skin-deep couldn’t be further from the truth. As skin is our largest organ, and the one most exposed to environmental influences such as radiation and pollution, we really don’t have to add insult to injury by using poor-quality makeup and skincare and harm our health even more.
Enrich your beauty collection with items such as cruelty-free peelable nail polish, all-natural lotions, and a hair care regimen that is free of parabens and other harmful ingredients. Take it a step further and you can also choose home-made instead of off-the-shelf facial masks and other beauty items.
Stay fit and move more
Skip the elevator, take the stairs, don’t use the bus or the car and head to work on your bicycle or walk half-way there, but make sure to reduce the time you spend “motorized”, so to speak, which will benefit both your health and the environment.
If it’s a longer trip, use public transportation or share a ride, because there’s always a way to make your trips eco-friendlier without harming your own schedule and habits. On the contrary, by walking and cycling more, you can only enjoy the perks of better cardiovascular health and a leaner body!
One bottle to rule them all 
We’re all guilty of using bottled water for our lengthy gym sessions, and by all means, you do need to stay hydrated when you train. But there are smarter ways to achieve that without harming the environment. Make a promise to yourself to get an insulated water bottle that you can carry with you at all times, and that can keep thirst away even in the sultriest of days.
This choice will be very good for your wallet, but consider the fact that making one plastic bottle is equal to 3 ounces of carbon dioxide – so just switching to a reusable, non-plastic option means cutting your carbon footprint significantly.
Use your imagination and put your willpower to work, and you’ll be on the right track to completely reshaping the upcoming year into months of Earth-friendly decisions that will simultaneously benefit your own life and wellness!
Guest Blogger
Mia Taylor mrsmiataylor@gmail.com www.highstylife.com
