LOHAS has caught on in the Asia as many living there want to start living a LOHAS life but don’t know where to start. Lifestyles are not much different between the U.S and Asian middle classes. A majority of us throw ourselves into our work or our families and leave little space for ourselves. These certainly are not LOHAS qualities of life and is one of the reasons LOHAS is so attractive to so many people. We should follow the traditional Chinese saying that states, “The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step.” It is best to start with small steps that can be easily integrated into your lifestyle and gradually build on them. You are the best person to decide what is best for you. Here are some easy tips to get started on a healthy LOHAS lifestyle path:
Reduce fast foods - Eating a lot of fast foods can be bad for you. According to studies by the U.S. National Heart Association eating frequent fast food meals causes teens and young adults to gain more weight and face an increased risk of developing insulin resistance. Asian fast foods tend to have a lot of MSG (monosodium glutamate) as flavor enhancer or preservative that has also has links to obesity and learning disabilities in children. At Asian restaurants always ask for the kitchen to cook your food without MSG.
Eat more fresh foods – When you are tempted to buy processed food try to find fresh foods instead. Processed food or readymade food can include preservatives, high levels of salts and added sugars. These can cause health problems such as obesity, diabetes and even cancer. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. They can help reduce cholesterol and enrich the body with needed vitamins and minerals. Buy organic produce when you can. They don’t contain pesticides and are healthy for you and also the planet.
Say no to shark fin soup - Shark fin soup is a traditional delicacy at weddings and other Chinese special events in Taiwan. However, with the growing population has led to a larger demand from Chinese all over the world. This has led to over fishing and a depletion of sharks that are caught for their fins alone. Once they are caught their fins are often cut off and the body is discarded into the ocean while they are still alive. This is very inhumane and a tremendous waste. Furthermore, more and more sharks have high levels of mercury due to our poisoning of the oceans from power plants, and municipal waste facilities. Mercury causes chronic fatigue, hair loss, headaches and birth defects. Other fish that may have high levels of mercury include tuna, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel.
Bring your own
Bring your own bags – Plastic bags are killing our oceans and lands. It takes more than 1,000 years for a non-recyclable plastic bag to break down in a landfill. It is common for stores to give you a bag with a purchase no matter how small it is. Refuse stores to bag your purchase and bring a bag yourself. If everyone in Taiwan did this once a year it would save close to 23 million bags.
Bring your own chopsticks - Research shows that billions of single-use chopsticks are consumed annually. The more shocking revelation was that it took, by some estimates, 25 million trees and bamboo plants to support that resource waste. China now produces and discards more than 45 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks every year, cutting down as many as 25 million trees in the process, according to government statistics. Another 15 billion pairs are exported to Japan, South Korea and other countries. At the current rate of timber use, environmentalists warn, China will consume its remaining forests in about a decade. Start bringing your own set of reusable chopstick to work and when you go out. While you are at it bring a washable napkin with you and wash it at home.
Bring your own bottle - Often considered a alternative to sodas, bottled water is indeed a healthier option. However, a 2008 study on bottled water in Taiwan by the Consumer’s Foundation found traces of ammonia nitrogen, a result of biological decay of plant and animal matte, in some of the samples tested. Bottled water also produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year. This amount of plastic requires up to 47 million gallons of oil per year to produce. And while the plastic used to bottle beverages is of high quality and in demand by recyclers, over 80 percent of plastic bottles are simply thrown away. Start carrying a reusable water container to fill up at home, work or other drinkable water sources. Consider using tap water as we all did for drinking purposes before bottled water became popular.
By implementing some of these steps into your life you will contribute to the betterment of the world and start to feel healthier yourself. Teach your friends about what you have learned so these habits can spread. This way you can start to live a LOHAS life.
Reduce fast foods - Eating a lot of fast foods can be bad for you. According to studies by the U.S. National Heart Association eating frequent fast food meals causes teens and young adults to gain more weight and face an increased risk of developing insulin resistance. Asian fast foods tend to have a lot of MSG (monosodium glutamate) as flavor enhancer or preservative that has also has links to obesity and learning disabilities in children. At Asian restaurants always ask for the kitchen to cook your food without MSG.
Eat more fresh foods – When you are tempted to buy processed food try to find fresh foods instead. Processed food or readymade food can include preservatives, high levels of salts and added sugars. These can cause health problems such as obesity, diabetes and even cancer. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. They can help reduce cholesterol and enrich the body with needed vitamins and minerals. Buy organic produce when you can. They don’t contain pesticides and are healthy for you and also the planet.
Say no to shark fin soup - Shark fin soup is a traditional delicacy at weddings and other Chinese special events in Taiwan. However, with the growing population has led to a larger demand from Chinese all over the world. This has led to over fishing and a depletion of sharks that are caught for their fins alone. Once they are caught their fins are often cut off and the body is discarded into the ocean while they are still alive. This is very inhumane and a tremendous waste. Furthermore, more and more sharks have high levels of mercury due to our poisoning of the oceans from power plants, and municipal waste facilities. Mercury causes chronic fatigue, hair loss, headaches and birth defects. Other fish that may have high levels of mercury include tuna, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel.
Bring your own
Bring your own bags – Plastic bags are killing our oceans and lands. It takes more than 1,000 years for a non-recyclable plastic bag to break down in a landfill. It is common for stores to give you a bag with a purchase no matter how small it is. Refuse stores to bag your purchase and bring a bag yourself. If everyone in Taiwan did this once a year it would save close to 23 million bags.
Bring your own chopsticks - Research shows that billions of single-use chopsticks are consumed annually. The more shocking revelation was that it took, by some estimates, 25 million trees and bamboo plants to support that resource waste. China now produces and discards more than 45 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks every year, cutting down as many as 25 million trees in the process, according to government statistics. Another 15 billion pairs are exported to Japan, South Korea and other countries. At the current rate of timber use, environmentalists warn, China will consume its remaining forests in about a decade. Start bringing your own set of reusable chopstick to work and when you go out. While you are at it bring a washable napkin with you and wash it at home.
Bring your own bottle - Often considered a alternative to sodas, bottled water is indeed a healthier option. However, a 2008 study on bottled water in Taiwan by the Consumer’s Foundation found traces of ammonia nitrogen, a result of biological decay of plant and animal matte, in some of the samples tested. Bottled water also produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year. This amount of plastic requires up to 47 million gallons of oil per year to produce. And while the plastic used to bottle beverages is of high quality and in demand by recyclers, over 80 percent of plastic bottles are simply thrown away. Start carrying a reusable water container to fill up at home, work or other drinkable water sources. Consider using tap water as we all did for drinking purposes before bottled water became popular.
By implementing some of these steps into your life you will contribute to the betterment of the world and start to feel healthier yourself. Teach your friends about what you have learned so these habits can spread. This way you can start to live a LOHAS life.
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