How You and Your Family can take the Green Ultimate Family Expedition

How to take a Volunteer Family Vacation Experiencing Nature, Science, and Education


Imagine you and your family, off on a scientific expedition, like studying whales in British Columbia or helping manage a rain forest in Puerto Rico. Did you know this is possible for you? Next year, instead of going to the seaside resort, an amusement park, or a cruise, plan to take your family on a volunteer vacation. Not only will you save money, have a terrific adventure, and provide valuable manpower on projects that are helping the planet and all its inhabitants. This would create an amazing bond between you and your family while showing acts of kindness and grattitude to the world. Nature is one of the most enjoyable FREE gifts of all. Escaping into nature is also very destressing and where we tend to be most creative.

Many volunteer vacations are a subset of a booming trend known as "ecotourism." That means environmentally conscious travel to places where nature is the main focal point and attraction. Many of the places where nature is at its most dramatic are in less developed countries, so ecotourism aims to benefit the people who live there - by using local services (for example hiring guides or eating at local restaurants) and helping protect the place your visiting. While there are an increasing number of high-end-eco-resorts, there are also many inexpensive opportunities to stay in comfort surrounded by spectacular scenery- especially if your willing to volunteer your time.

In addition to the specific project you're working on, there's usually a lot more to enjoy: the company and camaraderie of fellow volunteers; the travel to spectacular locales; meeting, working, and living with local folks; and spending your time off exploring the area can create memories for a lifetime.

Here are a few tips to research if this is something you find attractive for you and your family:

1. Sierra Club offers "Service trips" Visit www.sierraclub.org and search on "volunteer vacations."
2. If you would enjoy picking grapes in California's beautiful wine country or learn about organic gardening in the splendor of the southern Colorado Rockies. Visit www.wwoofusa.org

I hope you find some of these helpful tips valuable and you too can make use out of a memorable trip for you and your family. Have a happy and healthy day!

By, Natalie Pyles

Health & Fitness Expert, Nutrition Specialist, Author , & NSA Speaker

How to Make Green a Family Value that Lasts

5 Tips to Use the Outdoors for a Greener Lifestyle

Are you ready to get outdoors? Good lets go have some fun shall we. While it sometimes seemsas though we've paved over most of the world, in fact nearly a third of the land in the United States- Almost 700 million acres- is owned by the public and managed by various agencies in part for outdoor recreation. We've got urban parks, dense forests, alpine meadows, desert canyons, and remote wilderness.

Let's not only save the earth. Let's get out there and enjoy it. There are so many ways you can make Health and Fitness a Green Family value here are some of the common ones. Hiking, running, brisk walking, swimming, and bike riding are all activities that require a minimal investment in gear, keep you fit, and get you outside appreciating and reconnecting with nature which will completely destress you. Doing things from your front door saves you fuel and greenhouse gas emissions. I believe in it so much that I started doing Mobile Personal Training, Lifestyle consulting, and Nutritional Counseling teaching clients to utilize their own environment for sustainable results that last a lifetime.

Another plus: With the average cost of a gym membership running about $50 dollars a month , moving your workout outdoors can save you about $600 a year. Don't get me wrong I grew up in gyms my whole life and they have value too but, I realize they are not for everyone especially when you do have a family to support and would rather be spending time with them. Afterall family is most important and should never be neglected so enjoy Fitness together.

Take the whole family. Childhood Expert Richard Louv wrote a thoughtful book called Last Child in the Woods (2006), in which he laments that today's kids are "alienated" from nature. He thinks depression, anxiety, and obesity can all be lessoned by reaquanting your kids with the grand outdoors. I am a living example of overcoming childhood obesity and depression and would never want anyone to suffer what I went through. There are so many ways for you and your family to live a healthy, happy, Greener lifestyle so I hope you enjoy and get outdoors!

By, Natalie Pyles

Health & Fitness Expert, Nutrition Specialist, Author, & NSA Speaker

How to Shop Green and Spend Less!

2 Local Stores to that You can go shopping to stay lean, mean, and green!


I hope by now with all the media, news, and hype about going green you realize that going green does not have to be more costly and can, in fact, save you hundreds of dollars on your home's overhead expenses. But you might be thinking that the savings stop at your door. Doesn't it still cost more to buy green products at the grocery store -and, for that matter, at any other kind of store?

The short answer is no and here is why: Your spending choices shape the world we live in. How you spend not only determines the quality of your life- what you eat, where you live- it also contributes to the success of your businesses where you shop. And as more and more Americans are choosing greener products, the prices are dropping all the time. That just makes sense, right?

For example, as ordinary Americans have become conscious of shopping for food grown without chemicals pesticides, supermarkets have begun marketing store brands of low-priced organic foods. Safeway introduced its O brand, an organic line that includes 150 products across the store, from bread to olive oil to yogurt. They even deliver your food too! And Whole Foods has a popular brand called 365, which includes competively priced organic and all- natural products. If you would like to learn more I give grocery shopping tours, and a cooking class at Whole Foods once a month to educate the public.

Not only are these products cheaper than name-brand organics, they're also often cheaper than the non-organic alternative. A 15-ounce can of O organic black beans costs $1.05. Whole Foods' 365 label organic beans are 99 cent. Compare that to a can of Bush's Best beans, on the shelf at Safeway for $1.39.

A bag of O pasta costs $ 1.95- just slightly more than a box of Barilla brand pasta, which sells for $1.79. But a bag of Whole Foods' 365 organic pasta costs $1.29- a savings of 50 cents a bag!

If we all begin to shop green and demand envoronmentally friendly products and services, the companies of the world will keep delivering them at more and more affordable prices. I believe it won't be very long before the cost of green products reaches parity with non-green products, and not much longer after that before the green alternatives become cheaper.

In the meantime, shopping green does not have to mean paying premium prices. Even with categories that are still significantly more expansive, like organic produce, there are ways you can come out ahead at the grocery store. So let's go shopping. If you have the willingness to learn how to become lean, mean , and green then I can help educate you for a long lasting lifestyle. Have a healthy and happy GREEN day!

By, Natalie Pyles

Health & Fitness Expert, Nutrition Specialist, Author, and NSA Speaker

New Article- How to Make Green a New Family Value

Here are 6 Ways to start Your Green family values

• Green Your Baby
• Green Your Pets
• Get Outdoors
• Green Your Holidays
• Take a Volunteer Vacation
• Green the Whole Family

P.S. Go to our All New http://GREENFITNESSEFFECT.Blogspot.com/ for the full Scoop and article Now!