Day 29

Welcome to Day 29!

Today we’re looking at a different source of water wastage – and no, I’m not talking about leaving the water running when you brush your teeth or do the dishes (because you know better than that, right?). I’m talking about:

– your diet –

You know how we got so pumped yesterday about the prospect of saving 11,000L of water a year by replacing our shower heads? If you eat meat, the embedded water cost of one burger is equivalent to a month of daily showers, with over 15,000L of water going into 1 kilo of meat alone.

I’ll give you a moment to – uh – digest that.

 

Feeling queasy? Here’s some more information to sit with while you’re waiting for that information to go down: http://www.lessmeatlessheat.org/facts/

It’s a sobering thought, but this is not a shame game. The environmental and ethical impact of meat eating aside, for some people, their bodies function better eating meat than without it, and they worry that by giving up meat they will suffer for it. For others, not eating meat actually improves how they feel, while for another group of people – and I know I’m one of them – they feel fine either way.

If you’ve never tried to reduce your meat intake, now is the time. Try cutting it down by a third and see how you feel. You could actually end up improving your health as a result and making a huge difference to your carbon footprint. Of all the tips and tricks we’ve been employing along the way, this is one of the biggest.

If you’re concerned about your health, get a baseline blood test and talk to your doctor about when to schedule a follow up. Want some advice on how to do it right? I really like this website, and this post should tell you all you need to know: https://zenhabits.net/how-to-become-a-vegetarian-the-easy-way/

Already veggie and proud? Let’s try a vegan approach to cut down on dairy products. Again, same rule applies: try cutting back your dairy intake by a third, and if you’re concerned about the impact on your health, get a baseline/follow up blood test so you can track your progress. Need motivation? You don’t need to do this alone. There are lots of great resources online, one being the ever positive Jenny Mustard. If you’d like to hear soothing Swedish tones you can watch her advice for new vegans here: http://jennymustard.com/etc-how-to-go-vegan-my-advice-to-new-vegans-vegan-curious/

I’ve been vegetarian for four years and am proud to report I’m super healthy to the point where I’m considering trying to go vegan just to see what happens. Also, did I mention that vegan restaurants are absolutely delicious? If you’d like some recommendations – or have some to share – I’d been happy to add/hear some in the comments, be they in Hume, Moreland, or beyond!