By Kelly Kilpatrick

Our society is far more global today than ever before.  People are also more aware than of the impact they are making each day on the environment.  The environmentalist movement of the past has yielded concrete measures in the present to help protect our future.  Because of this, many consumers are looking into different ways they can help; this, in turn, directly affects how they spend their money.

Eco-Friendly Products

Shoppers, especially those who do their shopping online, do research on what it is they are buying.  Many are looking for companies that are trying to lessen the damage they cause to the environment.  Manufacturers that adhere to guidelines that use less harsh chemicals or limit their pollution and waste can be considered green.  Some other companies work to do their part and commit their time and portions of their profits to helping reduce environmental impact.  Shoppers are looking for ways to support the green cause by spending money with companies that care.

Organic Products

This ever-growing market is not just limited to food.  Eshoppers have many options when it comes to organically produced clothing and accessories as well.  Organic products are free of harsh chemicals, pesticides, and dyes that affect everything from ground water and runoff, to air quality.  Organic clothing has grown in popularity, which has brought prices down and increased the styles available as well.

Recycled Products

Recycled household items are nothing new, but many designers and entrepreneurs are finding new ways to make recycled goods part of daily life.  Unique, one-of-a-kind items are what people are looking for in a world where mass production reigns supreme.  Accessory items are available made from a large array of recycled items, from old vinyl records to aluminum cans.  Besides wearable recyclables, office items, picture frames, and much more is available in a 100% recycled incarnation of some sort.  Finding ways to tap this market is essential to keeping up with competitors. 

Fair Trade Products

Started in the coffee and tea trade, the notion of Fair Trade business has expanded to the clothing market as well.  Fair Trade is a democratically-run guild of growers, who help set prices for their products that are fair and ensure that workers are properly compensated for their jobs, rather than cheated out of wages simply because they work in a country where labor laws are less strict.  Buying fair trade products helps customers to feel more connected to a global community, and helps the people growing the products we use on a daily basis to achieve a better standard of living.

By Heather Johnson

Going organic is appealing for most, but it’s often an expense that proves to be cost-prohibitive. However, the organic lifestyle does not have to be expensive. In fact, there are a number of things you can do to make organic living more affordable, and we’ve listed 25 of them here.

Food

Food is perhaps one of the largest organic expenses. Follow these tips to trim your grocery bill.

1. Stay away from the supermarket: Traditional supermarkets tend to command a premium price for organic food, so check out alternatives.
2. Shop during the growing season: Buy produce when it’s easiest to make, and you’ll pay less for it. You can buy canned or frozen organic foods in the off-season.
3. Buy in bulk: Split with friends.
4. Don’t buy everything organic: There are a number of foods that are considered to be low in pesticides, so even if you buy cheaper, conventional versions of them, you should be safe.
5. Grow your own: One way to ensure your food is organic is by growing it yourself, and you can often do it for cheaper than you’ll find at the store.
6. Do your own prep work: Buy whole chickens instead of boneless, skinless breasts, and peel your own carrots.
7. Buy "seconds": When you’re at the farmer’s market, ask for misshapen produce that’s just as good as the rest, but cheaper.
8. Consider value: Organic food offers more nutrients for your buck, and it’s cheaper for your health in the long run.
9. Eat less meat, more fish: Organic beef is expensive, but fish isn’t, so if you make the switch you’ll see a savings.
10. Join an agriculture program: In these programs, you’ll pay for a portion of the farm’s operating expenses, and get fresh produce from the harvest.
11. Put your freezer to good use: If you’ve snagged a good deal on some organic produce, freeze your extras for later.

Lawn Care

Don’t spend lots of money on pesticides, weed killers, and other lawn care items. These tips make it easy to take care of your lawn the natural way.

12. Mow high: Let your grass stay reasonably high so that it will shade, and kill, weeds instead of the other way around.
13. Water infrequently: If you ration out your watering, you’ll force your grass roots to dig deep, which will make them stronger than most week roots. Weeds up top will die off in the dry ground, but your grass will get its moisture from deeper below.
14. Add compost: Use your compost to soften up your lawn and help it grow. It’s not cheap to buy, but you can make your own with vegetable scraps and other items.
15. Dust lime on your soil: Put a small dusting of lime on your soil to ramp up earthworm production.

Personal Care

Follow these tips to avoid paying too much for personal care and beauty products.

16. Become a beauty detective: Seek out information on your favorite products to see which ones really are worth the higher price.
17. Don’t fall for the word "natural": Don’t spend extra money on a product just because it says that it’s natural. That doesn’t mean it’s organic.
18. Use less makeup: Carefully consider just how important every beauty product is to you.

Pets

With these simple tips, turning Fido organic doesn’t have to break the bank.

19. Make your own food: It’s fairly easy to turn your organic produce into affordable food for your pet.
20. Make your own toys: Pets are fairly easy to entertain, and you can create entertaining toys on your own with organic cotton and other materials.

General

These tips apply to nearly every type of organic product, whether it’s food, clothing, or gifts.

21. Shop around: Check out different stores to find out who has the better price for the items you buy the most.
22. Change the way you buy products: Focus on higher quality organic produce and other items, and cut down on low quality items like fast food and disposables.
23. Be flexible: Don’t have your heart set on certain items and be comfortable with buying alternatives.
24. Clip coupons: Visit sites for organic products and join their mailing list for coupons. You can also check out alternative publications.
25. Shop online: There are lots of sites online that offer organic products at a discount price, and it’s easier to compare prices in this setting.

By Christina Laun

With jobs, families, social commitments, workouts and more making up our daily lives it can often be difficult to slow down and take the time to appreciate the simple pleasures in life. For many people, the clutter in their closets and the never-ending to-do lists can make even days that should be relaxing be filled with guilt at all the things they’re not accomplishing. Of course, things don’t have to be so hectic all the time. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the things in your life, perhaps its time to evaluate what’s really important and scale back. These 100 blogs are dedicated to helping you do just that, so take a few minutes to see if they can start you down the right track of living a simpler, happier life.

General

You’ll learn the basics of living more simply from these blogs which cover a wide range of topics.

1. My Simpler Life: Learn to get your life under control with tips and advice from professional life coach Beth Dargis. You’ll learn how to have more fun, be more organized and pare your life down to the things you really care about.
2. Down to Earth: Here, blogger Rhonda discusses simple living topics like gardening, green cleaning, cooking simple meals, and living well on less.
3. Simple Living in a Complex World: Learn to enjoy the simple pleasures in life with posts from this crafty blogger. Recent posts have given advice on baking artisan bread, knitting and gardening.
4. The Smart Woman’s Guide to a Simple Life: Ladies looking to simplify their lives will appreciate the advice and posts in this blog. You’ll get tips on everything from caring for children to being more productive.
5. Plastic Drifter: This blog is a great help to those living the modern life who want to simplify things and get rid of the junk that clutters their homes. Read about freecyling, buying less and finding fulfilling careers.
6. Everyday Simplicity: Designed to provide information to both the newbie and the veteran simple lifers, this blog focuses on aspects of organization, daily life and providing readers with inspirational quotes.
7. Simplicity in Kansas: This blog can be a great read for anyone interested in spending less and still enjoying life to the fullest.
8. Redomestication: Blogger Michelle is a mom, an entrepreneur and a homesteader interested in sharing her experiences with living the simple (or sometimes not so simple) life with readers.
9. Finding Simplicity: Navigating through the mess of finances, junk and consumerism that is a big part of many of our lives can be difficult. Read about blogger Sharon’s journey to simplicity to get some advice on your own.
10. My Green Side: This blog is full of simple tips to help you start living simpler and be more conscious of the impact you have on the environment. Get recipes for green fabric softener as well as a host of other simple household products.
11. In Search of a Simple Life: Here you will find many posts for this UK blogger about enjoying the simple pleasures in life like baking, spring showers and being with family.
12. A More Green and Simple Life: Blogger Donna Ellis records her journey towards a less cluttered and hectic life in her posts. She shares her experience with making small changes in her life that help her finances, family and the environment.
13. Choosing Voluntary Simplicity: Just like anything else, simplicity is a choice, and this blog is dedicated to the daily choices we can make that help make our lives less complicated. Its posts are geared towards giving readers the tools to lead more balanced and fulfilled lives.
14. Less is More Balanced: Find information on beautifully designed products that can help you on your path to living more simply and balanced.
15. Tiny Choices: This blog is all about the tiny choice you make every day that affect your life and the environment. You’ll get advice on everything from living in small spaces to drinking bottled water.

Organization and Clutter

There’s nothing that can derail a simple life like cluttered closets and overstuffed drawers. Learn how to clear out the clutter from these blogs.

16. Neat and Simple Living: Ariane Benefit is a professional organizing coach, author of several books and a blogger. You can read through her great tips on how to whip your home, car, garage, office and anything else into shape.
17. Unclutterer: Whether you’re trying to get organized for the first time or just keep your current organizational systems functional, you’ll find help with Unclutterer’s daily tips.
18. Get Organized Now!: Entrepreneur Maria Gracia shares her tips on how you can organize your business or home from tossing out old clothes to giving book recommendations.
19. Psychology of Clutter: Get into the inner workings of your mind and find out what makes you clutter tendencies so hard to break with this blog by professional psychologist Dr. Amie Ragan.
20. The Home Office Organizer: Who isn’t guilty of creating stacks of papers to deal with later on their desk, especially if you work from home? Learn how to whip your home office into a productivity zone with some advice gleaned from this blog.
21. Clear and Simple: Check out this blog with monthly tips from professional organizing team Maria, Donna and Kelly. If you like what you read, you can also sign up for a newsletter.
22. Discover Organization: Get tips, multimedia and a variety of tutorials on how you can get your home organized and make your life simpler and better on Discover Organization.
23. FlyLady: Perhaps one of the best known anti-clutter bloggers, the Fly Lady will get you on the right path to clearing out your home, office and life of all the clutter that’s weighing you down.
24. The Clutter Diet: Author of the book of the same name, Lorie Marrero gives readers some tips on how to save time at work, make your family life run more smoothly and most importantly, clear out all your junk.
25. Creative Organizing: For many people, creativity and organization are two things that simply don’t go hand and hand. This blog shows otherwise and gives readers loads of great ways to keep your creativity tools organized so you’ll be able to find them when inspiration strikes.
26. Let’s Talk Organizing: Get the motivation you need to clean out your closet from professional organizer Suzanne Babb. You’ll be able to read about the rewards of organization, find out if you’re chronically disorganized or streamline your workday.
27. Online Organizing: Online organizing is home to loads of online resources for helping even the worst of clutterbugs get their stuff in order. You’ll find blog posts from people in your same situation to provide inspiration, advice and encouragement.

Frugality and Finance

Pare down your spending or get control of your messy finances to make your life more simple with some assistance from these insightful blogs.

28. Wise Bread: Wise Bread is dedicated to "living large on a small budget". You’ll find posts on a large variety of topics ranging from how to sell your hair to tips on getting out of debt.
29. The Simple Dollar: Keep your finances simple with advice from this penny pinching blog. You’ll get advice on eliminating your debt and creating better spending habits.
30. Frugal for Life: Here you’ll find tips and posts on helping you life a fuller, simpler life through scaling back on expenditures and staying healthy.
31. Frugal Village: Learn about topics like frugal cooking and decorating, gardening, thrifting and simple living on this blog with posts by blogger Sara Noel.
32. Blunt Money: Get access to frank discussions of money with this blog, and educate yourself on your net worth, how to refinance your mortgage and managing finances when you’ve got kids.
33. A Year Off: Think you could go a whole year without making any indulgent shopping purchases? This family is trying to do just that, and this blog chronicles their progress, trials and setbacks as they attempt to break poor spending habits.
34. Tight Fisted Miser: While simplicity doesn’t require you to be miserly, this blog can provide you with some tips that will help you cut back and create a more realistic budget.
35. The Dollar Stretcher: Learn to make every penny go further with tips from the articles on this site. You’ll find everything from insurance advice to ways to cut your grocery bills.
36. Savvy Frugality: Get enthusiastic about being frugal with the infectious spirit of this blog. You’ll get access to all kinds of shopping tips to help you get the lowest prices on everything from groceries to new clothes.
37. A Frugal Living Blog by a Frugal Guy: The author of this blog has gone through some tight times and has learned the true meaning of making every penny count. Learn from his experiences with this blog.
38. Simply Thrifty: Blogger Deb posts about a variety of thrifty issues including how to get freebies and what to do with old socks.

Family

Managing a family can make even the most organized of lives crazy and busy. Learn how to create order from the chaos and make family life simpler with these blogs.

39. Parent Hacks: Get useful tips, tricks and advice on parenting from this blog, written by other experienced parents who’ve tried it out on their own children.
40. SouleMama: This super creative mom shows how to make simple and beautiful crafts while enjoying the pleasures of raising small children.
41. Amy’s Humble Musings: Mother of six Amy Scott writes about her experience raising her children while still trying to keep things simple and stick to her values.
42. Life is Not a Cereal: This blog emphasizes the spiritual side of living simply while raising a family. Blogger Jenny shares her thoughts on faith, the trials of child rearing and everyday life.
43. This Simple Life: This mom of two shares her thoughts on simple living, parenting, and faith as well as many photos.
44. The Simple Family: This blog chronicles the journey of a suburban family trying to make the switch from a typical suburban life to one that’s greener, simpler and, hopes the mother, happier.
45. The Frugal Family Kitchen: If you find yourself struggling to come up with simpler recipes or ways to save money on your family’s food budget, this this blog could help you out. It gives ideas on all kinds of DIY, simple meals for every time of the day.
46. MotherLoad: Every mom (and dad) needs a little help and assistance now and then to keep from getting completely overwhelmed. This blog can give you some helpful parenting tips, recipes, career advice and more to make caring for your family a little easier.
47. Living on a Dime: You can learn to make the most of even meager resources with this blog. Read answers to visitor questions, get advice on making cheap meals, and more from mother and daughter team Tawra and Jill.
48. The Simple Wife: Read about the adventures of mother Joanne as she raises her children, enjoys simple pastimes, and attempts to live a less stuff-filled life.
49. Tree Hugging Family: Make your efforts to go green and live more simply a family affair with advice from Jennifer Chait and Peggy Rowland, authors of this informative blog.
50. The Green Mommy: This mom is trying to keep her spending in check, eat organically and care for her small child. Read about her experiences here.

Green Living

There’s nothing simpler than living a life that’s in harmony with the earth. Get some pointers on what it takes to green up your life from these earth friendly blogs.

51. Green and Simple Living: This blog deals with concerns of conserving resources, reducing waste, and living a more environmentally friendly life. Blogger Shirley gives her take on topics like organic foods, renewable energy and green living in this blog.
52. Natural Living: This blog shares stories of working on a farm, being a health nut, and enjoying the simple and earth-friendly pleasures life has to offer.
53. Towards Sustainability: Here you’ll find the story of this Australian family of five slowly attempting to make the change to a greener and ultimately more sustainable lifestyle. It’s written by a mom and former environmental scientist who shares her experiences gardening, cooking and being crafty.
54. Treehugger: Treehugger wants green living and sustainability to become things that aren’t fringe elements of society. On this site, you’ll find loads of info about green products, ways you can make every part of your life greener, and even some tips about eating healthier.
55. Eat Local Challenge: If you’ve ever stopped to think about it, you’ve realized that much of what we eat on a daily basis comes from all over the nation and even the world. This blog is all about eating foods that are grown organically and locally so they don’t have to be shipped all over, using energy and resources.
56. NatureMoms: This blog serves a guide for those needing help creating a more earth-friendly life at home. Mom Tiffany shares her challenges with this through the posts on her blog.
57. Green Living Tips: Need a few tips to get you started on your new, simpler lifestyle? This blog is full of tiny ways you can start living a more earth-conscious life.
58. The Green Life: The Sierra Club is known for its efforts to save wildlife and work towards getting people from all over the world to conserve more and waste less. You can read about their mission on this blog.
59. A Year of Living Greener: This blog tracks the progress of a mom who hopes that by the end of 2008 she’ll be living greener and more responsibly. You can read along with her journey as she declutters, gives tips and struggles with decisions on organic food.
60. Low Impact Living: Learn to make your carbon footprint a little smaller with home improvement tips, organization and recycling advice and loads of other factors to consider when trying to live greener.
61. Green Living Ideas: From flooring and lighting to banking and eating out, this blog explores how you can go green in every aspect of your life.

Productivity and Work

For most people, work plays a big part in what they do on a daily basis. Help streamline and simplify your work with some assistance from these productivity stimulating blogs.

62. Lifehacker: Lifehacker is a mecca for productivity tips, especially for those who love their gadgets and technology. Check it out to see if you can’t get your work or home schedules to be more efficient.
63. Zen Habits: This blog can give you some advice on living more simply and purposefully but also on how to get the most out of the time you spend at work, doing housework and anything else that needs to be done.
64. The Lazy Way to Success: Why work for hours on end at a job when you can get the same amount done in half the time? This blog will show you how you can work less, earn more, and still feel like you’re getting things done.
65. Dumb Little Man: The little man in this blog is hardly dumb and can provide you with a wide variety of tips on boosting your productivity in everything you do.
66. Web Worker Daily: Even if you don’t work solely on the Internet, chances are pretty good that you use it for at least some part of your job on a daily basis. Give this blog a quick read to see how you can more effectively use the net to get your work done, network, and find job happiness.
67. Life Clever: Designers of all kinds will appreciate this blog which gives tips on how you can make your design work better and more productive. Of course, there’s something for the rest of us too, with loads of suggestions on improving other aspects of life as well.
68. Success Begins Today: Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today, especially when that something is starting working towards your success? This blog is dedicated to helping you improve your personal productivity and meet your goals.
69. Make Use Of: Web addicts will love this blog, which gives reviews and advice on all things Internet. Check out some of the recommended programs, as they can streamline your processes and make your life a little easier.
70. Ian’s Messy Desk: The tagline of this blog is "helping you get the most out of the 24 hours in your day." Who doesn’t want a little help with that? Read up to find out ways you can be making the most of your time.
71. Business Hackers: Don’t worry, despite the title, there’s nothing sinister about this blog. It’s simply full of tips and suggestions to help get a Web business up, running and making money without spending too much time and effort doing it.
72. Dave Cheong: Read about this software engineer’s ups and downs in his journey to entrepreneurship, and get some helpful advice on how to improve your career and work attitude as well.
73. The Lean Blog: Learn to be less wasteful and more purposeful in your business practices with inspiration from this blog, which advocates the "lean method."
74. Simple Productivity: Being productive doesn’t have to be complicated, as this blog proves. Read it frequently for simple ideas to help you get more done.

Personal Growth

Learn to grow as a person in your quest for a simpler life with some guidance from these blogs on how to be happier, healthier and more fulfilled.

75. LifeDev: This blog is dedicated to creative people who want to learn to get more done and improve their lives one step at a time. Get loads of tips on boosting your creativity and working to maximize your time.
76. Life Optimizer: Get some inspiration to find the best in yourself from this upbeat blog. It’s aimed at helping readers fulfill their true potential and live the fullest lives possible.
77. My Empty Bucket: Here you’ll find posts that are all about learning to create your own happiness and personal fulfillment, from giving, to exploring new things, to waiting for the right time, you’ll find inspiration here.
78. The Positivity Blog: Feeling a little too negative lately? Get some positive energy from the posts on this blog dedicated to helping you see the bright side of things.
79. Life Reboot: Do you sometimes feel like you want a do over when you think about your career? It’s not too late to make a change and this blog can give you some inspiration and guidance on how to makeover your life.
80. Ignite Living: This blog gives tips for "productive, simple and happy living." Read about how to take criticism and how you can help your business and yourself.
81. Personal Development Made Simple: Making changes in your attitude, lifestyle and outlook doesn’t have to be as hard as you might think. This blog breaks it down and helps make it easier to make the leap.
82. Life Coaches Blog: If you’re looking for your own little personal cheering section as you make life changes, a life coach may be just the thing for you. Get some inspiration for and by life coaches in this helpful blog.

Health

Make staying in shape simple with some guidance from these health and fitness blogs.

83. Daily Cup of Yoga: Learn all about yoga related issues and get some pointers on this yoga-focused blog that can help you learn to be more centered and healthy.
84. Take Back Your Time: Stress is one of the leading factors that cause almost every known illness known to man. This blog is about taking back time for yourself, not overdoing it, and making sure you’re staying happy and healthy.
85. Simple Nourished Living: This blog is full of ideas on how you can live a more nourished and healthy life without doing anything fancy while keeping things simple and stress free.
86. Fitness Health Zone: Want some simple suggestions on how you can start getting in shape? This blog is full of short tips, exercises and advice on living a healthier lifestyle.
87. Green Health Information: Learn to stay healthy while going green with the posts from this blog. You’ll learn some natural ways to deal with a variety of illnesses and how to keep yourself fit and environmentally friendly.
88. Really Useful Fitness Blog: Simplify your workout routine with tips and activities suggested in this blog.
89. Simple Health Ideas: Registered massage therapist Denise Mackinnon gives advice in this blog on nutrition, exercise and a variety of other wellness issues.
90. Dani Spies: Looking for some simple but healthy recipes to feed your family that won’t have you in the kitchen for hours slaving over the stove? Dani Spies, a health counselor and fitness trainer, provides new recipes regularly to help keep you simply healthy.

Miscellaneous

Here are a few more odds and ends that can help you read up on the simple life.

91. The Simple Pastor: Follow the travels of this UK-based pastor who embraces his spirituality and tries to live a simple, religiously focused life.
92. Simple Living America: Simple Living America is one of the most widespread organizations dedicated to helping people live simpler, less consumer driven lives. You can read about their work and learn to change your life in this blog.
93. Faces of Simple Living: If you’re thinking about changing your life to live more simply you’re not alone. This blog follows the travels of Gerald Iversen as he meets people all over the US who have decided to simplify their lives.
94. Soulforce: This organization is dedicated to promoting simple, human values like equality and tolerance through the non-violent methods of leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Learn to incorporate these values into your daily actions and how to get involved from this site.
95. Isle Dance: If you’ve ever dreamed of selling all your stuff and moving to a remote island, this blog is for you. This single blogger lives in an eco friendly cabin and sleeps in a hammock while trying to keep things simple.
96. Found Clothing: Most people have seen the odd shoe, sock, or shirt abandoned on the sidewalk or at the beach. This blog chronicles the lives of these lost clothing items which readers save and recycle.
97. The Laws of Simplicity: Whether you work in design or just appreciate it you’ll learn how simplicity can be a desirable factor in all kinds of products from chocolate to running shoes.
98. Musings from a Stonehead: Embrace stone croft houses with this blogger from Scotland as he writes about his experience operating a traditional farm and trying to be environmentally friendly.
99. Sarah’s Homestead Blog: This Oregon blogger talks about her experiences working on a farm, raising animals, making crafts and basically doing everything she can herself.
100. Not So Virtual Homestead: Here you can read about how this family aims to be self-sufficient on their small farm in the middle of New Jersey while raising two small daughters.

By Jessica Hupp

As many lifestyles continue to get busier at a breakneck pace, people often wonder how they can increase their energy level. Generally, this just means drinking another cup of coffee, but there’s so much more that you can do. Read on to learn about 69 methods that will help you improve your energy in a natural way.

Habits

Daily habits can be a leech on your energy, so take these steps to change your habits for the better.

1. Practice deep breathing: Try breathing with your abdominal muscles to improve your energy.
2. Give yourself a more flexible schedule: Work on tasks when they feel appropriate to your energy level, or pick up something else to do.
3. Turn on the lights: When you wake up in the morning, turn on all of the lights to trick your body out of bed.
4. Always eat breakfast: Breakfast will give your body the fuel jumpstart that it needs.
5. Schedule down time: Regularly give yourself time to recharge and relax.
6. Spend your energy wisely: Know when your energetic moments are, and don’t waste them on trivial actions.
7. Stay organized: Avoid losing energy by keeping everything in its systematic place.
8. Act like you have energy: Trick yourself into feeling more energetic by moving faster, like pacing while you talk on the phone or putting more energy into your voice.
9. Keep a manageable, even pace: Manage your time and energy more efficiently to avoid burnout.
10. Take up a hobby: Make a habit of nurturing a hobby, and you’ll always have something energizing to look forward to.
11. Practice altruism: By doing good work, you’ll help your energy with enhanced happiness, satisfaction, and health.
12. Eat 3 meals a day: Give yourself lasting energy by eating on a regular schedule.
13. Don’t smoke: Smoking deprives you of oxygen, which is necessary for energy.
14. Avoid late night TV: The light emitted from your TV and computer can confuse your hormones by telling them it’s still daytime.

Exercise

Take on these exercise strategies for lots of added energy.

15. Stretch: Maintain a good blow flow to your brain and the rest of your body by practicing stretches daily.
16. Exercise in the morning: Shake off sleepiness and snap out of your grogginess with a bit of exercise in the morning.
17. Find the right balance of exercise: Don’t exercise too much or too little-either way can cause you to lose energy.
18. Exercise on a gradual, steady basis: Ease into exercise, and then keep it up. You should aim to be active for 20 to 30 minutes each day.
19. Play a competitive sport: By playing a sport that requires thought, you’ll spark your mental energy.
20. Go for a walk after lunch: Shake off post-lunch sluggishness with a short energy boosting walk.

Sleep

We all know that sleep is essential to energy, but are you getting the best rest possible? Take these steps to make sure.

21. Sleep according to the sun: Sleep hormones are linked to natural light exposure, so you’ll get better rest if you do most of your sleeping when the sun is down.
22. Establish a sleep ritual: Improve the quality of your sleep with a ritual such as book-reading before going to bed, and you’ll enjoy more energy in your waking hours.
23. Kick your animals out of bed: Pets can hog the bed, make noise, and otherwise disturb your sleep, so you’re better off giving them their own separate place for rest.
24. Wake up without an alarm clock: Go to sleep early enough so that your body can wake up naturally when you’ve gotten enough sleep.
25. Take a nap: An afternoon nap can be refreshing, and won’t interfere with regular sleep patterns if you do it early enough.
26. Turn off the lights: Keep your bedroom as dark as possible to ensure your sleep hormones stay on track.
27. Avoid alcohol before bed: Alcohol may put you to sleep, but it makes for a lesser quality rest.

Food

Follow these tips to make sure you’re getting the proper fuel for your energy.

28. Decrease sugar consumption: Sugar will cause fluctuations in energy that can leave you feeling burnt out.
29. Increase your iron intake: An iron deficiency can cause chronic fatigue, so make sure you’re getting enough.
30. Eat a snack if necessary: Keep your blood sugar levels consistent with snacks throughout the day.
31. Eat smaller meals more often: By eating smaller, more frequent meals, you’ll avoid the groggy feeling that comes with eating large meals.
32. Drink enough water: Don’t leave your body dehydrated-drink enough water so that your body doesn’t need to conserve resources and zap your energy.
33. Eat "brain food": Eat healthy fats like those found in fish and green, leafy vegetables to increase your brain power and energy.
34. Eat more protein: Protein offers a great way to combat fatigue.
35. Eat whole grains: Whole grains have complex carbohydrates that take a while to break down, providing you with energy that lasts.
36. Drink juice: Energy from juice separated from the pulp has been found to provide lots of energy.
37. Cut down on coffee: Although coffee can give you a rush of energy, in the end it will cause fatigue. Coffee does not have to be eliminated, but you probably shouldn’t drink more than one cup a day.
38. Eat your largest meal at lunch: Instead of eating a large meal for dinner, do it at lunch while your digestion is more active.
39. Eat lots of fiber: Fiber’s time-release effect will help give you sustained energy.

Health

Take these steps to make sure you’re in top-notch health for lots of energy.

40. Check for allergies: Decreased energy levels could be due to an intolerance or allergy, so try eliminating a specific food for a few weeks to see if you have any improvement, or see a doctor for a full allergy screening.
41. Take supplements if necessary: If you don’t get enough vitamins, consider taking supplements to cover deficiencies.
42. Lose weight: Carrying around extra weight takes a toll on your body and energy, so take off a few pounds to get more energy.
43. Try yoga: Yoga poses like the Breath of Fire can energize your body.
44. Take a hot and cold shower: Take a shower in which you alternate between hot and cold water to get energized.
45. Get a massage: A massage will help stimulate blood flow and relieve tension. You might even catch a refreshing nap at the same time.
46. Get your thyroid checked out: It’s been suggested that between 70 and 90 percent of Americans have an imbalance in this energy-regulating gland.
47. Ask your doctor about fatigue: Low energy can be brought on by a number of different conditions, like iron imbalances and low thyroid function.

Environment

Make these small changes in your environment to improve your energy level.

48. Listen to energetic music: Find music that motivates you and wakes you up for an energy boost.
49. Clean up: Clear your clutter both physically and emotionally, and you’ll feel better.
50. Go outside: Take advantage of sunshine and fresh air for some energy.
51. Put a fresh plant on your desk: By placing a plant on your desk, you’ll increase energy-bearing oxygen.
52. Listen to classical music: Classical music will stimulate your mind while relaxing you at the same time.

Emotional Boosters

These strategies will help you clear your mind and improve your energy.

53. Have something to look forward to: Having something to look forward to is a great motivator.
54. Practice meditation: Get your worries off your back for a while, and you’ll come back more refreshed.
55. Talk to an energetic friend: Gain energy by interacting with an upbeat friend.
56. Avoid energy "vampires": Energy vampires always have something to complain about, or a problem that needs to be fixed, and they’ll drain your energy by making you listen to them about their problems or by giving them attention.
57. Start your day with active work: Get started with something that requires you to use your brainpower instead of doing passive activities that will allow you to stay drowsy.
58. Wear something nice: Put on something you love to shake off the blahs.
59. Discuss something that interests you: Get your mind firing on all cylinders by talking about something you feel passionate about.
60. Let loose: Schedule time for leisure so that you’ll have an emotional outlet.
61. Practice visualization: Try imaginging a place or feeling that gives you energy, even if you can’t experience it at the moment.
62. Eliminate worry: Get the monkey off your back by taking action, making decisions, and dealing with problems right away.
63. Let it out: Find an outlet for your feelings so that they can’t drain your emotional energy.
64. Practice stress reduction: Use stress-busting techniques like deep breathing or meditation to take a load off and improve your energy.
65. Get things done: Do you have a task that’s weighing heavily on your mind? Just do it, and get the monkey off your back.

Other

These are just a few more helpful strategies for increasing your energy level.

66. Give up on pleasing people: Don’t spend your time and energy making others happy-do what you want to do.
67. Go with the flow: Accept that you’re not always going to feel your best, and learn to take advantage of the times when your energy is higher.
68. Fix your squeaky wheel: Upgrade your computer that can’t keep up, or replace your dishwasher that requires you to spend time washing before and after.
69. Put an end to your Internet addiction: Spend less time surfing the Internet, or at least make it more efficient with technologies like RSS.

Welcome to our blog! Our goal is to help consumers be better informed about what it takes to lead a natural and sustainable lifestyle. Please check back soon for a wealth of information related to your health, the environment, and low-impact living.