I felt the need to do more for the environment

Dr Suman Govil, our Eco-Kaki, was always passionate about the Earth. She recounts how she took this forward with SHARAN’s Eco-Champs series.

I was always fascinated by plants, nature and the environment as a student of Botany. I later supported R&D projects in the Dept. of Biotechnology to develop environmentally sustainable technologies for waste treatment in various industries.

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of global warming and climate change. After learning from SHARAN about the cruelty in the dairy industry, I stopped consuming milk products.

However, I didn’t stop there. I did the Facilitator Training Program of SHARAN and started conducting oil-free, dairy-free cooking classes, hosting potluck sessions, movie screenings and presentations. While preparing for a talk “Plate and the Planet”, I also watched a few videos on the Climate Healers website. I realised Mother Earth has fever, her lungs are not functioning properly (due to large-scale deforestation), her arteries are blocked (waste accumulation), and much worse.

I felt the need to do more for the environment as making my own compost or chemical-free household cleaning products or growing my own greens and microgreens was not enough. I was sure that more people needed to know about this, but I was unclear on how to proceed.

The environment is an integral part of what SHARAN does and thus the “Eco-Champs” series was conceived. This is a free, multi-episode online workshop hosted by SHARAN, on what we can do as individuals to reduce the burden on Mother Earth.

We have done many amazing episodes on waste segregation, composting kitchen and garden waste, growing your own greens and microgreens, producing bioenzyme, eco-friendly, chemical-free household and personal care products, and organic fertilisers and pesticides. We take utmost care to share authentic, tested recipes and use only commonly available ingredients.

These workshops are extremely popular across age groups and we hope we have inspired thousands to kickstart their sustainability journey and become “Eco-Champs” in their own families and communities.

You can catch all the episodes here.

Pad Thai Salad

Rustle up this salad with colourful ingredients got straight from the farm. This absolutely fresh, juicy and herby dish will make you appreciate the farmer and the planet more!

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized zucchini, julienned
• 1 medium sized carrot, julienned
• 2 medium sized red bell peppers, julienned
• 1 cup julienned red cabbage
• 1 cucumber, julienned
• ¼ cup fresh basil, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely sliced
• ¼ cup raw peanuts, finely chopped

For the Dressing

• ½ cup peanut butter
• 2 large dates, pitted
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp unrefined salt
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp tamarind paste
• ½ – ¾ cup water

Method

In a large bowl, mix together the salad ingredients, except the raw peanuts and fresh herbs.

In a blender, take all the dressing ingredients together and blend, adding ½ cup of water, (more if required), to obtain a smooth dressing.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Garnish with raw peanuts and fresh herbs.

Serves 4-6

Food For The Mind

FACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUP

If you love Facebook, then join us to be supported on your plant-based journey. We offer 2 possibilities.

1. SHARAN India is SHARAN’s main Facebook page which you can like and follow for getting useful daily updates and news from the plant based health world. You will also get news about the latest SHARAN events, see testimonials, and more.

2. SHARAN’s Vegan Support Group is an open support group to know more about vegan/plant-based lifestyle. Here you can ask questions and share inspiring stories, tips, recipes, etc.

All our doctors and presenters will be here to answer your questions and give you tips. If you have attended our events join this group to be a part of our family.

Please like the main SHARAN page and join the group(s) applicable to you.

Mother Earth is sick. Do you care?                       
                  

Ever suffered a fever? Any rise in our body temperature makes us feel miserable, doesn’t it? So what about the misery of Earth? Her temperature is a full 2 degrees F above normal! As her children, it is our responsibility to stop this and do everything it takes to reverse it. Our consumption habits are having a conspicuous effect on the health of our planet. With increasing industrialisation and mindless utilisation, Mother Earth is seeing an unprecedented depletion of her resources. Here are a few ways one can help.

1. Eat plant-based, organic whole food  Approximately 15-18% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the meat and dairy industry. Pesticides and chemicals are ruining the quality of soil for agriculture. By choosing to eat plant-based, organic whole food, we ensure not just better health for Mother Earth, but for ourselves too.

2. Choose to save water By choosing to eat plant-based, we save up to 4000 litres of water per person per day. Other obvious ways to conserve water are fixing leaks, turning off the taps, shortening our shower, reusing water, avoiding RO systems when not needed and harvesting rainwater.

3. Refuse plastic Any plastic is injurious to the planet and to us. And yet it is everywhere! We have to drastically minimise our use of plastic and learn ways to dispose of/recycle it correctly.

4. Think thrice before buying Ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” We accumulate and hoard clothes, toys, artefacts, books and many other items that we feel we need, but never use. The lesser we buy, the lesser resources we use up and the lesser we throw out.

5. Rethink buying new outfits Textile production uses massive amounts of water, energy and non-renewable resources. Only to have most of it getting dumped in landfills. Renting, sharing and swapping clothes can discourage new purchases, at the same time refresh your wardrobe.

6. Choose eco-friendly materials Plant fibres like coconut, banana, hemp or sisal are great choices to consider for household items. Cotton, jute and bamboo also are preferred materials if one wants to make a conscious choice in clothes and personal accessories.

7. Reduce paper Even though paper is an eco-friendlier option than plastic, we have to minimise the use of it as it is not an endless supply. Think before printing a document and use a cloth napkin instead of tissue rolls. Reuse paper as much as possible.

8. Gift mindfully Plants make wonderful gifts for any special occasion. So do a basket of fresh fruits. One can also consider gifting an experience, like tickets for a musical concert, a meal at a restaurant or visiting an organic farm.

9. Dispose of waste with care Segregate wet, dry, recyclable and e-waste to avoid them getting dumped into landfills. Some non-biodegradable waste if not disposed of properly will take hundreds of years to decompose.