Add Some Green to Your Healthy Routine this St. Patrick’s Day

by Genevieve Nutting

St. Patrick’s Day is notorious for being all about the green. Green shamrocks, leprechauns, cabbage, even beer suddenly takes on a green tint. Why not take “the luck of the Irish” to a new level and go all out by implementing green in your day-to-day life?

Drink Your Greens!

Not green beer or those dangerously tempting Shamrock Shakes. Instead, throw some veggies in your next protein shake or juice. Often we turn to fruits when we think about adding nutrients to our drinks, and while this isn’t necessarily bad, juicing with fruit can add an excess of sugar. Even though it’s natural sugar, an excess can still result in diminishing the nutrient density of your drink. Substituting spinach, kale, moringa leaf, or even cabbage, if you feel like getting really festive, can add vitamins without the extra sugar. That doesn’t mean you can’t add in a handful of strawberries to the mix though!

Take Your Workout to the Greens

Before you drag your weights out on the golf course or start doing sun salutations while trying to take a swing at bat, try switching up your workout by getting active outside. A study done by Environmental Science and Technology found when people exercise outside, they experience more enjoyment, higher energy levels, and were more likely to engage in the same physical activity again.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Maybe you already do your fair share of sorting your trash and using recycled goods. But what about when it comes to your workout gear? The next time you go to throw out your old tennis shoes, see if there is a local organization that collects them instead. You can also look for eco-friendly workout attire and equipment made from recycled resources. There are even fabrics composed of repurposed plastic bottles, meaning they require less energy to produce. Now we just need to find a way to bottle up the energy saved and use it during the next workout!

Wear Green

You learned your lesson back in third grade when Tommy pinched you so hard because you weren’t wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s not your fault mom forgot to help you lay out an article of green clothing the night before, but you never made that mistake again. What about every other day of the year though? Wearing the color green can help in relaxing the body both mentally and physically as well as create a harmonious atmosphere. That just may be something you need at the end of your St. Patrick’s Day festivities!