Spring offers us a great opportunity – it gives us the chance to bid adieu to the worries of winter and bring about a new sense of self for the fresh season. Instead of working around the house and doing our annual cleaning, we should focus on cleaning up ourselves, and the best way to start is with some modest modifications in our eating habits.

Sweeten without sugar

Instead of sugar, opt for agave nectar instead. It works perfectly in sauces, dressings and even for caramelizing. In baking, reduce the wet ingredients by 25 per cent, and use about 2 /3 less amount of agave nectar than the sugar that it is called for. It can be exchanged 1:1 with honey or other liquid sweeteners. Dates, in their natural sweetness, also can be pureed with water to make a paste making a perfect sugar alternative.

Bye-bye boiling

When you boil your vegetables in a pot of water, you lose the majority of the nutrients in the liquid (which often just gets dumped down the drain). Try roasting your vegetables instead — not only does it keep the nutrients in the vegetables where they belong, but it also creates brand new flavours you’d never know existed in your produce.

Cut the cream

Swap heavy creams in sauces with non-dairy milks instead; they are thicker than skim milk and cholesterol free. Use ample flavour, like fresh herbs and garlic, and thicken with arrowroot or whole grain flours.

Veganize your meals

If you aren’t already following a vegan diet, try incorporating a vegan meal into your week, minimally thrice weekly. Eating vegan isn’t just animal-friendly, but also greatly reduces the impact on the environment. For example, in 2007 The American Science Journal reported that a kilogram of beef emits the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide as a car does driving 250 kilometres combined with simultaneously burning an 100-watt light-bulb for 20 days. A vegan meal also provides positive health benefits; reducing animal ingredients also greatly reduces cholesterol and saturated fat in the diet.

Factor in your fats

Healthy fats — the unsaturated variety — are found abundantly in nuts and seeds. Almonds are rich in fibre, walnuts pack in omega 3s, and pumpkin seeds have been touted to lower cholesterol — and this is only a sample of the success from a little daily nut snacking. Switch out your saturated fats and replace them with the heart-healthy varieties.

Make your side dishes rainbow worthy

Choose a wide variety of colours on your plate every day. A good rule of thumb? Include, minimally, one serving of a dark leafy green (like kale or spinach) and bring in orange vegetables (such as squash or carrots) daily to ensure vitamin intake from all across the board.

Don’t neglect anything new

A little wary about warming up to new cuisine? It’s time you set those thoughts aside and sampled something a little out of your comfort zone. Foods rich in vegetable-based ingredients, fresh herbs and intriguing spices always result in a recipe for success — and they just might need a little tweaking to fit your tastes.

Source: ecoki.com

Interested in conserving energy? Seems like  a common theme these days, whether it’s to reduce your environmental impact or save money, more homes are keeping tabs on the energy their home consumes.

And a simple solution? ecobee gives you an easy way to do it. A company dedicated to making energy-saving happen, the new ecobee Smart Thermostat gets the job done.

What is a smart thermostat?
This digital programmable thermostat lets you customize your home  temperature needs to save on heating and air conditioning costs.

What makes it so smart?
Because of it’s wireless internet connection (WiFi),you can closely monitor and control it from your home computer, through a personalized web portal.

What does it look like?
You won’t mind having the Smart Thermostat in your house, with its full-colour interface with bright, easy-to-read graphics.

How does it work?
With its touch screen and internet connection, it can be accessed easily and from anywhere. A “Wizard” function creates a step-by-step guide for programming with ease.

How much will it save me?
According to studies from the Environmental Protection Agency, a programmable thermostat can save homeowners up to 20%.

What can I do on the web portal?
Not only can you program and configure your choices, but you can also control it from anywhere you have internet access. That means, your trip to Tahiti won’t drain your home’s energy if you leave your heat blasting in January – just log in and make the changes. Simple as that.

You can also use local weather information to correspond with your thermostat choices, get email alerts if there if your system detects a problem, and communicate with others in their built in community.

ecobee stands by their environmental concern, by ensuring they are the greenest of companies. From telecommuting to virtual meetings, encouraging employees to bike to work, having an 100% bullfrog powered building and an office composting program (among many others), they truly have set high eco-standards that they’ve surpassed.

About ecobee
A Toronto-based company founded in 2007, ecobee is dedicated to delivering intelligent conservation solutions for real people. Their product platform is based around The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™. Whether you a single family home or small commercial business, ecobee is designed with conservation in mind.
For more information, please visit www.ecobee.com.

Image courtesy of ecobee.

Source: ecoki.com