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Tips for you to have a more pleasant and sustainable life

Every time is time to reflect on everyday actions, with regard to the environment and your health, and change them. Since change is never easy, start small, first informing yourself about sustainability and the environment and participating in groups and forums to meet people who are in the same footsteps and get inspired. Below, we've listed the first part of some tips on how to be sustainable and change your attitude:

1. Read food labels: the ingredients listed there can make you lose your appetite! Therefore, by creating this habit, you will be more likely to buy natural foods such as fruits and vegetables;
2. Read books related to the topic: a suggestion is the book The world is what you eat, by Barbara Kingsolver, in which the author reports her experience of consuming, for a year, only local and organic foods. For this, Barbara and her family had to move to a farm in order to produce their own supplies. Detail: nobody had experience with agricultural production. Mixing adventure, memory and journalism, the author gives tips on healthy dishes and comments on the mechanisms of agricultural production in the US – not all of them admirable. Another indication is the book The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan, which deals with the stages of the production of a meal (from hunting to industrial production) and the consequences of these processes on the environment, on our health and on the economy;
3. List the chemicals you use in your daily life: write down on a paper all the chemicals you use, such as shampoos, creams, detergent. Then try replacing them with other natural products (visit our Day-to-Day section for some tips);
4. Know your neighbors: A strong relationship with the people around you also promotes sustainable living. Enjoy and share with them your discoveries, your sustainable practices and encourage them;
5. Dispose of your garbage correctly: check here places to consciously dispose of yours;
6. Give preference to recyclable and economical materials: use recyclable bags. Avoid buying paper towels and bottled water. Invest in LED or fluorescent lamps, which have the advantage of better energy use (incandescent lamps waste 80% of the energy in the form of heat) and greater durability (ten times more);
7. Buy second-hand products: frequent thrift stores; promote an exchange of utensils between you and your friends or join virtual groups that encourage this practice (see some more tips in the Clothing section).
8. Buy eggs from free range chickens: Advantage: eggs rich in vitamin A, less cholesterol, as these chickens do not eat genetically modified foods, and are not pressured to breed;
9. Try composting: instead of throwing the leftovers from your meal in the trash, compost them (see more in "What is compost and how to make it");
10. Ride a bike: as time is increasingly scarce, enjoy and exercise on your way to work, school, college. So, in addition to contributing to the environment, you dedicate some hours of the day to your health;
11. Prefer small cars: in addition to being more practical when finding a parking space, they consume less fuel and are more practical to clean. And, if possible, always refill using alcohol;
12. Let the clothes dry on the clothesline: instead of using the iron and the dryer, save money and contribute to the environment, letting them dry in the sun;
13. Eat less meat: replace with fruits, vegetables and vegetables, which, according to several studies, are good for your health, skin and body. You can start by being a vegetarian once a week;
14. Visit a farm where animals and products are raised in a sustainable way: an example is the Santa Isabel Farm, in Monte Alegre do Sul-SP, where you can ride a horse, pick fruit and try some local delicacies, “ in a handcrafted way”.
15. Vacation at home: a great option not only to save money, but also to reflect on life, organize the house, enjoy the family and preserve the environment.

See here the second part of the tips on how to change, little by little, your daily attitudes!