I’ve been thinking about the cost of living a lot lately. My DH (dear husband) and I made a move toward simpler living almost 2 years ago. It was a long-held dream for both of us to move to the country, pull back from the rat race and work toward living a sustainable life. Many of the habits we adopted to save to make that happen have been paying dividends as prices for everything has been shooting through the roof.

However, it’s still something to carefully and consciously manage as there’s no knowing just how much the forces of the pandemic, climate change, inflation, rising interest rates, the war on Ukraine etc. are going to continue to squeeze everyone.

It also has me thinking about what help I can share when it comes to tending to your health without blowing the budget. Naturopathy has a reputation for being expensive and accessible only to the wealthy. There is a trend in the natural medicine industry that I’ve never liked of prescribing a small apothecary’s worth of formulas and supplements, costing almost as much as someone’s monthly rent in some cases!

I’ve observed when this kind of approach can be helpful and wanted by clientele (I’ve worked in a swanky clinic in an affluent area). But for me and the folks that I’ve attracted into my naturopathic practice, it’s not the way to building lasting health habits or results.

I’ve brainstormed all the practical ways one can apply naturopathic principles to taking care of their health that doesn’t break the bank and is (most importantly) sustainable. They are:

1. Embrace meal planning
2. Keep to your grocery list (and don’t go shopping when hungry)
3. Cook larger batches (cook once, eat three times)
4. Don’t underestimate the power of herbal teas and simple preparations over more expensive supplements
5. Create a pantry stockpile: buy in bulk and stock up on sales
6. Create a natural medicine cabinet stockpile: buy in bulk and stock up on sales
7. Create a freezer stockpile
8. Eat less meat & learn to cook cheaper cuts of meat
9. Grow some of your salads and herbs
10. Pack your lunch & bring your hot drinks
11. You don’t have to go to the gym to get your exercise: go for incidental exercise and find workouts offered freely online you can do at home or at local greenspace
12. Be aware of how the seasons impact your health and plan accordingly
13. And of course, use the fertility awareness method to manage your reproductive health!

I feel a series coming on to explore each one!