It is interesting how when speaking with a fellow MM community that during the course of healing ourselves, we may actually be creating more waste if we are not careful. An example would be the extra steps of laying paper on the toilet seat and flushing again (even with a visibly clean toilet bowl) before using a public toilet. Another example is the increased amount of pulp from celery juicing resulting in more single-use plastic bags used to bag remains daily, especially in Singapore context where we are required to bag our refuse in individual plastic bags before disposal.

Being a 21st century eco-conscious person, I’ve started thinking about how and if some of these actions in the wake of leading a healthier life is leaving the world in a worse off place. It is a sobering thought.

Eating right is just one part of the solution to living healthy and being free of illnesses, and the world exists in an eco-system. If our environment becomes extremely polluted, it in turn affects the food and water we put into our bodies, as well as the air we breathe in. Which then in turn creates obstacles to our healing. Our health to a large extent is affected by how generations before us lived their lives, and the generations after are in turn affected by our very own actions. So can we really say that healing our bodies and healing the environment are really two mutually exclusive events? The reality is – the impact on the environment typically takes years to culminate, and often these repercussions can be irreversible.

The issue is no longer so much about if we care for the environment or not, but rather do we care about how this is in turn affecting us and causing the health troubles we have today? Can we say that much of how sick some of us are has somewhat got to do with how humankind has created the mess? Afterall, everything does eventually come full circle.

Question is, are we doing anything to reduce our carbon footprint in the world so that it can in turn benefit our health and give our descendants a fighting chance at not just surviving, but thriving the next tomorrow?

With this in mind, I’ve started looking at my own habits and making changes a little at time. For example, some habit changes include,

1. Changing from liquid soaps to bars for personal care, as well as replacing dishwashing liquids with bars. A personal favorite is the Brixy because they have highly efficient bars that has none of the nasties, and a little goes a long way – saving money at the same time. They have everything from Shampoo to Conditioner and Body Bars. Check them out.
2. Saying “No” to single use bags that aren’t useful as garbage bag whenever possible. I bring along my own shopping bags and you can easily find option in the marketplaces. Or in the example above, I simply clear the plastic bags with the pulp from celery juicing only when they are full.
3. Simplify cleaning. Instead of having several different types of cleaners, I choose to use a multi-purpose cleaner. My favorite is the Force of Nature multi-purpose cleaner, which replaces my fruits & vegetables cleaner, mold-remover, deodorizer, disinfectant, sanitizer, floor & glass cleaner, etc. Doing this not only saves space, but reduce my use of single use plastic bottles that each cleaning solution comes in. And to combat the toilet issue discussed above, I spray Force of Nature, then wipe with paper before using. At least it uses far less paper compared to lining the seat.
4. Re-purposing the cannisters the Vimergy powders come in. I’ve drilled holes at the bottoms and use them as pots for my herbs.
5. Using highly concentrated laundry sheets for my laundry, instead of large bottles or boxes of laundry detergent that need more to clean a single load. Saves my back lugging them back and space in my laundry area too!

These are just some examples of planet-friendly habit changes I’ve made in recent years. Protecting ourselves and healing doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to add waste to the environment. We can reduce the impact of some actions if we are mindful and find a better way around it. We may be just one person, but together we can be a force.

It is my belief that when we heal our environment, we give ourselves another chance to heal. It is my faith too that we can heal from whatever health issues we are facing while keeping the planet healthy for the next generation, so Keep Calm and Keep Healing! 💪🏻