intentions

Great Intentions: Eat Healthy Food

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A Year of Great Intentions: Eat Healthy Food, photo of fresh fruits and veggies

Eating healthily has so many great benefits. When I have cut out processed foods, soda, and sweets and replaced it all with nutrient-rich grains, vegetables and fruits, I have slept better, become more alert and energized, and even noticed more optimistic thoughts and feelings. Based on this personal experience, along with my college nutrition class and studies I have read, I think I’m correct in saying that there are some great improvements to the biological and chemical activities of my body when I am eating well.

There are a few steps to properly change what you eat. You can talk to your doctor or nutritionist, read a couple good cookbooks, and write a meal plan. Personally, I hope to take this a step or two further by choosing organically produced food as well as ethically produced food! When it comes to healthy and fair trade food, my goal is to always pick fair trade when there is an option for it. If you would like to  join me in intentionally changing your food purchases to reflect your ethical values, start off small and as easily as possible. You might consider signing up to have a pre-selected package of healthy, fair trade – and affordable – items delivered right to your door.

Here are my tips for ethical, healthy food shopping:

  • Browse through the natural/organic section of your grocery store and look for fair trade certified nuts, grains, herbs, spices, and tea. These items may be spread out throughout the regular aisles, too.
  • Check out your local organic/health food store, fair trade shop, or Whole Foods Market.
  • Buy local produce, dairy, and meat.
  • Hit the web and shop online through such retailers as Good Guide or through Fair Trade USA’s Products & Partners.

The market for fair trade food is still quite small, but it is growing – as is consumer demand for it, according to this article by Fair Trade USA that has studied this growth in certain types of stores. Finally, if you’d like to join the movement of buying healthy, ethically-produced food, please review our Certifications page before you head to the market, so you know which labels to look for.

What stores have you found fair trade food in? We would love to hear what you’re finding in stores near you. Please comment below!

Thank you so much for following the A Year of Great Intentions blog series. I hope I have helped you reimagine how you can be intentional in shopping, purely to help improve the lives of others through your consumer choices. I wish you a truly wonderful Year of Great Intentions!

Great Intentions: Take a Trip

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Title of post over a map of Africa

As I mentioned in my first A Year of Great Intentions blog post, I will soon fulfill my dream of traveling back to Italy. It has been six years since my amazing semester spent studying in Florence, and I’ve had a hankering to return ever since. My main goal for this trip is to live like a local – stay where the locals live, dine where the locals dine, and shop where the locals shop. As I make plans, I do think how wonderful it would be to have a guide to help me choose places to visit and activities to do that will leave a positive mark on the people who live and work where I will tread.

Many studies have been done on the economic impact of tourism. While the conclusion is that this industry does have excellent benefits, there are negative consequences as well – often depending upon the tourist’s choices, and the status of the country’s development. I will keep the following three points in mind as I traverse Italy, and do my best to avoid those things that can hurt instead of help the locals I wish to respect and be gracious to. Here are some simple tips for those of you wishing to do the same:

  • Buy local food and drink. That is, avoid the purchase of imported goods. You will help lower the demand for costly imports that decrease revenue.
  • Stay in locally-owned hotels rather than international chains or all-inclusive resorts. This way, more revenue will stay in-country.
  • Travel in off-season. This will be an advantage to your street vendor or taxi driver who may be struggling to get by until more tourists arrive.

Finally, what if I told you that there are actually guides out there who will assist you in making decisions that do good to the local economy? They may not be everywhere, but if you haven’t chosen your next travel location, perhaps one of these will catch your eye:

Fair Trade Tourism (FTT) – FTT-Certified Places to Stay and Things to Do in South Africa, plus Fair Trade Holidays to Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Fair Trade Travel Pass – 21-day “Travel Pass” in South Africa.

Tourism Concern – Ethical Tour Operators in several locations; some current examples are Burma, Romania, Kenya and Tanzania, and Nepal.

As I keep telling everyone I know, I can’t wait until I arrive in Roma and become reacquainted with the country I fell in love with while in college. I am so grateful for this chance to travel again, to a gorgeous country at that! Where do you hope to visit next? Do you have any other tips you would like to add?

Check out the rest of the posts in Laura’s Great Intentions series.

Great Intentions: Manage Debt

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A Year of Great Intentions: Manage Debt | Photo of yard sale sign on a fence

When I walk past a yard sale on a Saturday, I am astonished at how much stuff people accumulate and cannot sell. Sure, perhaps in ’95 you loved that porcelain statue and it stood proudly on your shelf for years, but you found it dusty in a box in your closet a month ago, stuffed beneath ratty t-shirts and your old tape collection. There is an excess of consuming, evident all summer long in lawns and garages across America.

There is a way to manage this better, with a few steps for us as individuals to take so we can head in that direction, and shut down the extreme consumerism that is hurting poor people around the world. This second topic of the blog series A Year of Great Intentions, Manage Debt, is meant to encourage you to be mindful of your money as we continue into this year and beyond, with the inclusion of ethical shopping choices in your financial plan.

It is important to keep in mind some financial basics, like setting aside savings regularly, checking your credit report at least once per year, cutting unnecessary spending, and paying off debts before adding new ones. Since I am not a financial expert, you may want to schedule an appointment with a financial advisor to learn more and make a personalized plan; or, consider taking a personal finance course or checking out books from your library.

Before exclaiming, “I’m going to buy everything Fair Trade!” please read the following tips that might rescue you from over-shopping (and even over-spending!):

  • Set up a budget for shopping and stick to it.
  • Invest in items that will last long, be useful for decades, and be used often.
  • Go thrifting for things you need that don’t have to be brand-new. Recycle and reuse!
  • Be cautious about spending on credit and how or when you are paying off your debt.
  • Ask, “Do I need this?” every time.
  • Assure that what you’re buying follows ethical social and environmental standards. (See our Principles page for our set of standards as an example.)

Choosing to have great intentions regarding your assets is, truthfully, subjective. What sets you apart, though, is that your intention is to positively affect the lives of other people. This “manage debt” thing is not about you alone. Halting the purchase of questionably-derived products is one way to take a stand against slave labor. Beginning to purchase more ethically-made products will support the efforts of those companies giving marginalized adults and children an auspicious life. Find out where your heart should be, and let everything in your life, including your finances, follow suit.

Great Intentions: Get Fit and Lose Weight

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Title image with woman doing yogaIt’s been almost two weeks since I introduced my new blog series in my post A Year of Great Intentions. Today, I am officially starting the first category of this series, with the topic Get Fit and Lose Weight. When I was writing that last blog, I had just begun taking yoga classes and I was loving it. Later this week I will be checking out a new studio with friends to continue with my practice.

As a reminder, this year is about having great intentions and following through with them so that you will be satisfied with the time you have in this life. Getting fit might mean you will have to purchase some new apparel and gear. Intending to do great things for ourselves has the potential to lead to doing good for others, such as shopping ethically. Below are ethical products I found for three common workouts.

Yoga & Pilates
Studios usually have blocks, straps, and other props available for students to use. Many also rent mats so you do not have to purchase one, especially for your first time. If you are going to practice yoga or Pilates at home, check out thrift shops in order to purchase and then reuse mats and other gear. Or, shop online. YogaAccessories.com has a strict fair trade policy, and sells everything you will need for yoga and Pilates, including kits with the essentials.

Running/Walking
New Balance is an American company that sells American-made or -assembled running and walking shoes. On their website, there is the option to shop for “Made in the USA” shoes, socks, t-shirts, and other apparel. These are produced using at least 70% domestic material.

If you have been a runner for a long time, you might have your favorite brand or style and are now wondering how New Balance might match up. Do not fret. Runner’s World had six pairs – both men’s and women’s styles – of New Balance shoes in their Winter 2013 Shoe Guide.

Hiking
First of all, I haven’t been able to find a store that sells ethically-made hiking boots for serious hikers, but Oliberté is a shoe company that sells somewhat rugged boots for men and women. Made in African countries, the shoes are made in a Fair Trade Certified factory, and the company is open about their ethical practices.

Secondly, you cannot go on a hike without some form of hydration and comfortable clothing. This filtering water bottle is Made in the USA and these cold-beverage bottles are made by EarthLust, a Certified B Corporation.

Finally, WOMbat sells men’s and women’s outerwear and has a strong ethical policy, and PrAna sells a few basic Fair Trade Certified t-shirts for men. Later this year, keep an eye out for Patagonia’s new Fair Trade Certified fall line!

I wish you all the best in your fitness pursuits this year. Moreover, I hope that you think about any purchases you need for those pursuits primarily from an ethical standpoint. What fitness activities do you enjoy and are going for this year? Swimming? Dance? Rock climbing? Please contact us if you have any leads on ethically-made products for your fitness routine!

A Year of Great Intentions

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A Year of Great Intentions header image

Laura is back on the blog today introducing her new series about new year’s intentions and ethical ways to fulfill them. —Julia

We are into the second week of January, and I just returned home from back-to-back yoga classes. This year, I decided for the first time ever to set new year’s resolutions. One I actually set a few months back, when I decided I needed to travel to Europe in 2014. I am planning on visiting Tuscany and Rome for two weeks in the fall and already have a couple travel books from my favorite travel author, a list of cities I want to visit, and a preliminary budget. My second resolution is to get into a fitness routine. I tried out yoga a couple times in the summer and really loved it, and then found a great beginner’s deal at a yoga studio. I postponed signing up to due to two consecutive foot injuries, but now I am currently acting out this resolution.

As I was thinking about my resolutions in December, I had a question pop into mind. What if one of my resolutions had something to do with fair trade shopping? What if I could make ethical choices when making preparations to fulfill my resolutions?

Recently, my friends and I came up with this concept: that a resolution in the new year can be re-phrased to “being more intentional.” That is, whatever we do now is not just an activity but a practice to contribute more to this short life we have. How it benefits us will look differently depending on what the resolution is.

Here is a proposal I have for your new year resolution, or intention: purely to help improve the lives of others through your consumer choices. Below are some of the top American new year’s resolutions that we are going to explore more deeply this year.

  • Get Fit and Lose Weight
  • Manage Debt
  • Take a Trip
  • Eat Healthy Food

Whether your resolution requires buying new exercise gear or an international tour package, we’ll suggest ethical options for fulfilling your intention. We can make 2014 a more intentional year and I hope to show you how in the coming months.