Nature for Life: Organic September

The month of September can be a step towards organic life for all of us. The first thing that comes to mind when we say organic should be a lifestyle in harmony with nature. We should always make sure even the simplest product we use is purified from chemicals. We should avoid clashes with nature or cause harm to it.

While organic nutrition might the first thing that comes to mind when talking about an organic life, in reality there is more to it. Buying every food with an “organic” label at grocery stores is not enough for a truly organic lifestyle. Just like the world has a cycle of its own, organic living should also become more than an idea, turn into habit, and create its own cycle. It is necessary to take a holistic approach, where we ask questions like, ‘are the cleaning products we use natural?’, ‘do they harm living things around them?’, ‘what is the production process like?’. Because small changes help create great differences.

Cleaning products

Even the most basic cleaning product has 7-8 chemicals in its components. Some chemicals are added to make these products smell nicer and foam more to give the sense that they clean better. In the long run, these chemicals severely harm both humans and the environment through air and contact. Traditional techniques can sometimes be more helpful to create savings as well as lead a more eco-friendly life. It is much healthier to use natural products like additive-free natural soaps, vinegar, baking soda, lemons, and citric acid. It will always be a smart choice to go for more natural products when children are often in contact with floors and rugs since stain removers filled with many toxic substances are often used to clean these places.

Kitchen

It’s not possible to pursue an organic life, just by consuming organic food. Your decision in selecting specific containers to heat up your food in the microwave and choosing specific long lasting and harmless materials to cook your food plays an important role. Instead of using plastic baby bottles, water bottles and containers, you could opt for long lasting materials or even stainless steel products.

Textile

Organic clothes are especially advised for newborn babies. These organic products are made from completely natural materials, and they don’t contain harmful chemicals and dyes. These products lessen the risk of allergies for both adults and babies, and they don’t harm the body’s natural balance. Thus, choosing textile products with a “100% cotton” label will be a more natural choice for the human body.

Overall, the transition to organic living is a lengthy process that requires effort. Even though talking about a complete lifestyle change sounds difficult, it is right way for a healthier life, and for a more preserved, unharmed environment.

In all of these categories, there are so many small steps we can take. A significant one is reducing the use of plastic. For example, switching to reusable shopping bags instead of buying a single use plastic bag at the market is always a smart choice.  The value we give to nature will come back to us as living standards in the following years.

Shopping for only the amount you need is another simple yet smart step. Buying more than you need causes for a product to be produced more than it’s needed, which causes for more water, electricity and other energy sources to be wasted. Although it seems like a good idea to store long life spanned products, storing low life spanned products causes them to deteriorate quickly and become waste before it could even be consumed. How you utilize the leftover food at home is all linked to Respecting Food. There are plenty of recipes to creatively utilize the leftover food and to create a more livable world.

References:

https://blog.britishcornershop.co.uk/2016/09/all-you-need-to-know-about-organic-september/

https://www.biggreensmile.com/article/all-you-need-to-know-about-organic-september.aspx

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/organic-life/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/bpa/faq-20058331