8 pioneering lifestyles you can adopt to be happier and healthier

More than 175 years ago, pioneers migrated west to settle in what would now become thriving metropolises. Today we live in air-conditioned homes, buy supermarket milk in gallon jugs, and order anything we can dream of with the click of a button and it magically appears two days later on our doorstep.

We live in blessed times. But did you ever wonder if you could have made it as a pioneer? In reality, those hard-working men and women were doing many things right. Here are eight pioneering lifestyles you can adopt to be happier and healthier, too.

1. More homemade food

The pioneers didn’t have a Taco Bell where they could pull their horse and buggy to after a long day of work. They had to rely on home cooking, which added more vitamins and nutrients to their diets and eliminated genetically modified and overly processed foods. No wonder they were so healthy!

2. Use what’s in your pantry.

A main rule of farming is to use what’s in your pantry. The pioneers’ “waste nothing, want nothing” mentality is something we could all improve on. Learning to use those pantry staples like oats, flour, beans, and rice to make healthy meals is a good habit. You can read about how to soak beans and its benefits here.

3. Grow a garden.

Growing your own produce has abundant benefits. You’ll have fresh fruits and vegetables at your fingertips, plus you’ll know exactly where your food comes from and what goes into growing it. Here are 35 tips for planting a garden that will grow this year!

4. Learn power.

Speaking of items in your pantry, canning is a great way to preserve vegetables from your garden for those cold winter months when nothing can grow. Canning is a skill that will be vital in the event of an emergency. Learn how to can peaches and other products step by step and become a more prepared person for it.

5. Use organic eggs and meat.

When a pioneer wanted eggs for breakfast, he went out to collect them in the backyard. If a pioneer wanted a juicy steak, she would kill the cow and butcher it. Although those steps may not be feasible, you can buy locally grown organic eggs and meat. If you have a little space for them, consider raising your own beginner chickens.

6. Learn a skill to be more self-sufficient.

Whether it’s knitting, sewing, making soap, or knowing how to start a fire, develop a skill that will allow you to be more self-sufficient. You never know when it will come in handy.

7. Less clothes and toys

Have you ever heard the old pioneer say: Use it, use it, make it work or do without?

The pioneers believed in simplicity. The less clothes they had to wash, the better. The men had one or maybe two pairs of pants: some work shirts and another for church. Women were lucky if they had three dresses. Pioneer children ran around in the same suit for days on end. And you know what…they were happy!

How good would it be to leave aside all the superfluous “things” that clutter our lives?

8. Be content with what you have.

The best pioneering lifestyle you can adopt is to be content with what you have. You won’t be happier with five pairs of designer sunglasses than with four. The purest form of well-being comes when you are happy with exactly what you have.