Disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own!
My new favorite book on green living! Green Enough by Leah Segedie is a masterful combo of easy to digest knowledge, step-by-step solutions, and humorous personality.
Have you ever wished that someone would just cut through all of the natural living noise and draw you a road map of exactly how and where to make healthy changes in your family’s life? If so, I have good news for you. Leah Segedie has done just that with her brand new book, Green Enough. This no-nonsense guide covers everything from greening up your home and ditching toxic food to knowing which brands can be trusted and which deserve a swift kick to the curb.
Segedie does a great job of taking a subject that can feel completely overwhelming and delivering it in small, easy to digest, (and often hilarious) bites. Colorful phrases like “bite me” and “chemical shitstorm” help to lighten up what can quickly become a rather dismal subject.
Let’s face it, toxic chemicals are beginning to seem as certain as death or taxes. Even for someone like me, who really believes that the fight is worthwhile, can get bogged down by the effort it takes to consistently make good choices. I mean, researching frozen vegetable brands? Who has time for that?
Green Enough takes a huge chunk of that weight off your shoulders by providing simple, clear, and totally POSSIBLE directions for methodically improving your household’s toxicity. Segedie offers tips for reducing your dependence on plastic, how to make eating well more affordable and less confusing, and even shares recipes for making homemade personal care products like deodorant, toothpaste, and mouthwash. Hooray for attainable goals!!! They are the best kind, if you ask me.
Personally, my favorite part of the book is Chapter Two: Food Packaging, Cookware, and Storage Containers. Food storage has been a HUGE roadblock in our family’s path to living a greener lifestyle. This chapter finally gave me the courage and inspiration to ditch those last pesky bits of plastic from my kitchen. I’m determined not to buy any more cheapo food containers, plastic bags, or plastic wrap from here on out.
Don’t tell Charlie!! I gave away all of our old plastic cups, bowls, and dishes.
Green Enough reminded me that there are a ton of low-cost and common sense alternatives out there for us to take advantage of. The chapter also makes a quick and convincing case on why this change is worth the effort. Well done, Leah Segedie, and thank you for giving me the gentle push I needed.
Tip: Want some quick ideas for reducing plastic use in the kitchen? Check out my blog post on Six Green Alternative to Plastic Wraps and Baggies.
Another great section (present in several chapters) is called Naming Names. This is where Segedie calls out brands that offer the worst, better, and best choices for specific kinds of products. Not only does this represent what must have been a HUGE amount of time and effort on Segedie’s part, it was a really brave thing to do. Big brands aren’t usually very fond of being called out on their shortcomings, but she really went for it here, and readers get to reap the benefits by having these recommendations at their fingertips.
Green Enough hits stores on March 20, 2018. You can pre-order a copy right now and get it delivered right away! I highly recommend this one. It’s a keeper.