January 2016

Off the Grid

 

 

 

Letting Mother Nature Work for You

An Alternative to Living Off the Grid

While some might imagine success as an enormous house with countless rooms and over-the-top amenities, some find that living within their means is the way to go. A recent trend with young first-time homebuyers is finding new and unique ways to live off nature and bring downsizing to the extreme.

Summer Stan recently downsized her family’s home by a third, currently living in a 1,000 square foot house. She and her family decided after overwhelming utility bills to take drastic action to cut costs and waste.Along with physically downsizing, Stan is involved in a permaculture club in hopes of reusing her family’s garbage to help grow her garden. Stan uses waste such as old fruits and vegetables as fertilizer for her crops that she and her family harvest.

The notion that people can live off the grid, away from “big brother,” is not entirely accurate.According to Joshua Gellers, a political science professor at the University of North Florida, “you are legally obligated to maintain a connection to the water supply, but it’s not necessarily the case that you need to be connected to the larger electricity grid.”

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Gellers says local city ordinances require homeowners to be connected “to the grid” through utilities, but that nowhere does it say you must run the water or turn on the lights. You are not required to actually use the amenities, but due to safety and health concerns, you have to be connected.Since some homeowners are not required to be connected to local electric companies such as Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA), one possibility is utilizing sun power through solar panels.

A1A Solar is just one company that offers consultation and products for homes to help diversify energy consumption from simply local utilities, allowing homeowners to cut costs and reliance on the city.

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Pete Wilking, president and founder of A1A Solar, says that most times he meets with clients it is about compromise. While the idea of solar power can be fueled by the desire to be independent from JEA, some homes can only cut a portion of reliance from local energy utilities.

 

Due to many factors, including the size of the home and the budget of the homeowners, some families can cut 20 percent of their reliance, while others can fully cut away from the grid.

 

Alternative Fitness

 

 

A common theme among members of the First Coast community is the desire to better themselves, both physically and mentally. For many, traditional forms of fitness fail to keep them inspired, often preventing them from results they want to achieve. Staying motivated can be challenging, and finding what encourages you is an important part of keeping up with any fitness program.

Alternative fitness covers a variety of different methods, as many people realize that a disinteresting workout routine is an unnecessary burden toward getting in shape.For Sam Jubran and his son, Jonathan, staying fit is often a result of simply enjoying the great outdoors. On weekends, they can be found biking through the trails at one of Jacksonville’s local parks. “It’s very peaceful out here. It’s relaxing, and at the same time we get a lot of physical activity,”said Sam.Jonathan is involved in various other sports, but says mountain biking is his favorite activity because it works out his whole body.

Biking

The great part about alternative fitness is that the possibilities are endless. While some community members prefer to stay on two feet, others take the term alternative to more creative heights. Aerial silk is a form of fitness rooted in ancient chinese acrobatics, often taking its participants well over ten feet into the air. Performers learn to hold strenuous poses while grasping silken strands flowing from the ceiling, drawing from a whole set of muscles most people did not even imagine existed.

Tumbling, twisting, flipping and flying is part of the process. While aerial silk has traditionally been held by a closed group of acrobatic performers, it has been opened to anyone willing to give it a try in recent years.

Silk

However daring and intimidating some of the poses may seem, everyone has a starting point, and no one is expected to learn on their own.In fact, the aerial silk community is proud of the family feel everyone has come to experience while members push one another to learn new techniques.“The difference between us and a traditional gym are the different forms of training,” Summer Vyne said. “It is kind of like a personal one on one class, and it is fun.”Mountain biking and aerial silk are similar in that both offer a full body workout, allow participants to regulate their own pace and can be mentally rewarding.

“There is emotional gain and mental gain,” said Tempestt Halstead. “When you come in here, not matter what you are going through throughout the day, it all goes out the door.”

Special Diets

 

 

 

Getting in shape can be hard work. Diet and exercise, while effective, requires a serious commitment before you’ll see the benefits.

There are alternatives… Including what’s called cleansing. Its proponents say cleaning helps with weight loss, boosts your body’s immune system and can help your body function more efficiently.

So, what is cleansing?

Barrell

It’s basically going on a fruit and vegetable diet for several days with the goal of removing toxins from your body that naturally build up over time.

Annie Tuttle, owner of Watts Juicery, explains why she chooses to juice. “Through the juicing I feel better. I’m a mom of four,” she said, “I don’t feel as tired as I was before. So I mean you get a nice little boost of energy from the juice. It’s a very natural boost of energy.”

Tuttle also explained that juicing is difficult at times but it gets easier after the first day. She said your body resets and it no longer wants fattening foods, like a cheeseburger, any longer.

If you choose to juice you’ll be drinking six 16-ounce servings a day… and that’s it. Nutritionists say any cleanse shouldn’t last longer than five days and there are risks.

Juice

“Significantly reducing your calories, which is what a juice fast is gonna do, can be unsafe and sometimes harmful,” Jenna Braddock, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist said.

Braddock continued and said, “What the juices provide are a high flood of antioxidants and phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables that then support the body’s natural detoxification system.”

As with any special diet, you should always consult your doctor before and during the process. It may not be suitable for everyone.