Regenerative Lifestyle for Better Health and Healthy Environment

Ranju Minhas 

Alarm Bells!

We humans are the most intelligent creatures on Earth and this also brings huge responsibility. Ecosystems are a shared resource for all creatures. Our traditional lifestyle was nature-based and there was space for wellbeing of all creatures. Over exploitation in the name of development has disturbed nature around us. We have forgotten that we, in our greed are exploiting the limited natural resources which we are to share with the plant and animal kingdom, and have taken it for granted for far too long. As we entered the 21^st century the alarm bells began to ring with vanishing species of flora and fauna, rivers drying up, soil getting poisoned! All this has led to a deterioration in the health of all life on Earth.

Weakened Social Fabrics

Let us begin to think and act responsibly! No other creature in the ecosystem other than humans leaves toxic waste during their lifespan on Earth. From morning till evening in our routine we generate toxic waste in the name of convenience. Instead of seasonal vegetables and fresh fruits we are eating processed food, using toxic toiletries, the trace elements from which settle in our organs via the skin. Let us not forget that our skin is the largest organ of our body which breathes and absorbs whatever we apply on it. More people are dying of diseases than a natural death. Lifestyle diseases like Diabetes, high blood pressure have been further compounded by depression and stress due to loneliness. Individuals find themselves surrounded by things acquired by money rather than friends and family. Cancer seems to have become an epidemic, with every second person dying of cancer and organ failure. Are we in a race to earn more money and then to let sickness eat us away. Unchecked use of mobile and computers has further weakened the social fabric of our communities.

Eco-friendly Consumerism and Slim Homes

Industrialisation leading to over consumerism is poisoning our ecosystems. We forget that more we manufacture more water gets used and toxic chemicals get released in natural water bodies. Even human waste has become so toxic due to use of medications that it cannot be released in nature or used for farming without first passing it through sewage treatment plants.

We have limited natural resources.Is it not time to be a watchful and be an aware eco-friendly consumer? Do away with unnecessary consumerism during occasions and festivities, which lead to waste generation?. Let us share the things which we no longer need in our households with friends and family and take pride in it.

What we did at our end?

First and foremost, we began to look for solutions to manage our kitchen waste. This led us to innovate a compost bin which takes care of issues associated with managing kitchen waste in urban households. Anything coming from nature is nota waste, let us always remember that. When we buy any vegetable or fruit we pay for the whole fruit along with the peels, most of us forget that there is cost attached to the generated organic waste.As waste generators let us micro manage the organic waste and stop our share from going to landfill. Part of the waste getsconverted to compost and the fruit waste is used for making Bio cleansers. From waste fruit peels and flower petals we are making Bio cleansers there by replacing household conventional toxic cleaners and ensuring that the water leaving from our homes does not harm or disturb the aquatic ecosystems.This way we are contributing towards the cause of environment and helping families conserve health and save money too.

Adopting Regenerative lifestyles

From the compost obtained from our home composters wegrow micro greens which will keep us and our family healthy. Thus completing the cycle of Kitchen waste > Compost > Micro greens> Kitchen. We have trained our immediate and extended family members and friends they too are in the process of adopting green lifestyles. The change is slow as it is a total behavioural change.

The need for toxin free products led to the birth of our start up PURE WASH. Under this we aremaking skin friendly handmade soaps and other personal care products. Presently we have formed a team of trained people and together we are working on raising awareness and providing solutions to individuals, communities, schools and colleges.

Many of us are working towards the cause of conserving river water.Let us keep in mind that households are responsible for 80% of waste being generated in urban areas. We all need to put individual efforts to stop polluting the water with toxic chemicals in our FMCG products. Our generations grew up drinking well water and hand pump water. Why and when did the need for RO water arise? Should we not hold our lifestyles responsible for such deterioration of most precious natural resource “Water”?

Urban households which are managing kitchen waste are learning to grow herbs, micro greens and vegetables in their balconies and terraces. The trend is catching on as people have realised the benefits of natural farming. We at our end are continuing in our efforts to train households and hand hold them through the journey to help them achieve successes in their attempts to micro manage kitchen waste. The acceptability of our project and products under the brand PURE WASH to check water and soil pollution is a huge motivating factor for the entire team. The team continues to move from community to community, one household to another helping each to adopt Regenerative lifestyle for better health and a healthy environment.