Making a commitment to plant-based eating looks different to everyone. With dieting fads still fueling society’s toxic norms and the meat industry seeing continued growth, those turning to alternative habits — whether that be for their personal health, the planet, or another cause — find that their lifestyle needs to better suit their food choices. That change begins best at home and not just in the kitchen. Let’s start the conversation on creating efficient, accessible features to support a plant-based routine.
Home Systems Can Make or Break Your Health
It’s easy to disregard your home systems until a larger issue arises. Often acting as unseen protectors, purifiers, and heaters, HVAC structures have the potential to generate major health consequences if not regularly maintained. Ducts need to be sealed against leaks, vents cleaned, and filters replaced, all to ensure the health and safety of your family. Home warranty companies act as an added buffer to your regular maintenance and help to ensure that your systems and appliances are repaired or replaced as needed. Similar to the food you put into your body, this can be the catalyst for peace of mind, clean air, and healthier living.
The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home
With the upkeep of your home systems comes the importance of energy-efficient appliances. Not only are they a positive investment in lowering your long-term energy use, but they minimize your carbon footprint while still acting as convenient additions to your routine. Energy-efficient refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers can lend more time to creating incredible plant-based meals with less worry about cleaning up afterward. Washers and dryers carry their own stack of benefits, including the abilities to preserve wardrobes longer and minimize water usage in areas that experience seasonal droughts.
Garden Planning for Self-Sufficiency
Whether you’re already an avid gardener, just an amateur, or have dabbled in foraging, getting creative with food provisions at home can be the ultimate encouragement for a plant-based lifestyle. What’s more, garden planning can be adjusted to fit any living space with options ranging from small space window gardens to larger plots of raised beds. This budget-friendly project can help with access to fresh, seasonal herbs, fruits, and vegetables and can even be brought inside with small planters or hydroponic systems.
When and where possible, composting is an excellent way to minimize food waste within a plant-based lifestyle and promote the cyclical health of your garden. This is also a great option for those looking to incorporate zero-waste habits into their vegan or vegetarian routines.
Biophilic Design and Your Health
Biophilic design has gained quite a bit of traction in recent years, demonstrating a positive effect on cognitive function in a multitude of environments. The incorporation of natural features, plants, and other life in your space is not only refreshing but motivating. When added to a healthy home environment, biophilic design can act as a visual reminder of your routine and enrich environments for work, learning, and play.
Plant-based lifestyles, when invested into and properly refined, prove to be a turning point in more than a person’s bodily health. While the foundational importance of plant-based living is to give your body nothing less than what it needs to flourish, your external environment and routines will carry a similarly lasting, tangible impact on your person. Take care to set yourself and your household up for success.
