Zero Waste Morning Routine

This is my morning routine before I head to work. I hope this gives you some inspiration if you are looking to keep your routine simple, natural and low waste.

I get up early enough so that I can make some dinner, breakfast and get myself washed and dressed. Keeping my day low waste means I need to be prepared and this takes some time.

The first thing I do is make my bed and then head straight into the shower. There is something about a made bed that makes the rest of the day run smoothly.

I use palm free soap. I try and buy locally in order to support small businesses. This isn't always possible so just do your best.

I wash my teeth using a bamboo toothbrush. I make the toothpaste out of coconut oil, arrowroot powder and peppermint essential oil.

When out of the shower I use coconut oil as a body oil. Very little so I don't add oil to my clothes.

I use a deodorant made out of coconut oil and essential oils. I use a pea sized amount of coconut oil and a few drops of cedarwood essential oil. I find with all my different deodorant experiments that cedarwood oil covers me for the entire day.

Next I head to the kitchen and make some warm water and lemon. This is a great simple way of rehydrating after a nights sleep. It also works at flushing out any toxins. It's basically a wake up drink.

Any left over boiling water, I pour into a flask that keeps

it boiled for a couple of hours, reducing the need to reboil the kettle.

Porridge is always on the cards for me. I find it filling, warm and you can add loads of extra nutrition. I can buy oats produced in Ireland and it is cheap and healthy.

You can soak the oats overnight, but if you forget, no worries, I use about 1/2 cup of oats to 2 cups of water. I like it liquidy so that when I add in extras, it doesn't get too thick.

A staple in a vegetarian or plant based diet is omega 3 which you can get from flaxseeds. It is best to buy organic and mill from the seed so that it is ground fresh. Again not always possible so do your best. Dr Greger recommends 2 tbsp per day. Add anything else that takes your fancy. I always add some fruit and protein like nut butter and bananas.

Having freshly cooked meals are great for your overall health.

I make simple vegetable stir fry's because they are quick, nutritious and easy. You can use cashew nuts as a base for a sauce and add tofu or similar protein for extra nutrition.

I use my food flask to keep the dinner warm till lunchtime. It is said that it is best to eat the main meal at lunchtime as it is easier to digest and you will obviously need more energy for the rest of the day.

Instead of paying for take away tea or coffee, just make your own with a travel cup. It's so easy to grow herbs like camomile or mint and dry to use in teas.

Everything from food to napkin goes into my shopping bag and off I go to work.

In conclusion, to reduce waste during the day the best tip I have is to be organised and keep it simple.

Thanks for reading.

You can find the video below.