{"id":33448,"date":"2019-09-08T20:08:29","date_gmt":"2019-09-08T18:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/?p=33448"},"modified":"2019-09-25T22:52:25","modified_gmt":"2019-09-25T20:52:25","slug":"top-4-sustainable-reads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/top-4-sustainable-reads\/","title":{"rendered":"What a Novel Idea – Top 4 Sustainable Reads"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve made the decision to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, good on you. With all the contrasting and conflicting information on the net, coupled with the impassioned opinions of your earth-conscious loved ones, it is perfectly understandable that you might feel overwhelmed with the inundation of information. But educating yourself is important if you want to get this green living thing right.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, I was in a similar place not too long ago. A combination of health complications and my deep connection with Mother Nature inspired me to take a hard look at my lifestyle. Now, I have ditched plastic, nurture a flourishing veggie patch, live in a minimalist space with a streamlined closet, use natural (often homemade) cosmetics, and – while I still eat meat – ensure that is has been locally and ethically sourced. It sounds drastic. Believe me, when I started, I thought it was too. Other eco warriors will agree that if you take micro-steps, you\u2019ll look back in a few months and be astounded by your progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s get clued up. Here are four (page) flipping AWESOME books inspired by my changes that you can read which will help you in your journey to conscious living:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. \n

    FOR CLEARING THE CLUTTER:\u00a0<\/b><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP by MARIE KONDO<\/b><\/h1>\n

    Two years ago, I was one porcelain figurine away from becoming a hoarder. My living space told a worrisome tale through uncompleted design projects, stockpiled face cream tubs I was going to repurpose, and useless holiday souvenirs I didn\u2019t want to get rid of. It wasn\u2019t until a friend introduced me to the wonderment that is KonMari that I was really confronted by the junk I\u2019d accumulated over the years.<\/span><\/p>\n

    As I delved into the Japanese organisational guru\u2019s readings, I began to understand the correlation between mess and mental health. While I briefly touched on minimalist living in my post about <\/span>simplifying your home<\/span><\/a>, this book will really help you appreciate that clutter is visual noise and a space full of \u2018stuff\u2019 makes it difficult to concentrate or find peace.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. \n

      FOR ZERO-WASTE LIVING: <\/b><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      A ZERO WASTE LIFE IN THIRTY DAYS by ANITA VANDYKE<\/b><\/h1>\n

      This practical book will prove that by living with less you can gain so much more time, money and happiness. Anita commits to helping you reduce your waste by 80% in a month through behavioural changes like bin audits and \u2018eat me first\u2019 boxes.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Like me, this Austrailian lifestyle influencer, is weary of manufactured cleaning products and cosmetics. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard me say that if I won\u2019t put it into my body, it\u2019s not going onto my body. The masks and scrubs we use on our skin (largest human organ) or washing liquid we use to clean things we eat with often contain ingredients we cannot pronounce and that tells me that there are chemicals in them that will do more harm than good. Anita promotes <\/span>DIY<\/span><\/a> in this regard.<\/span><\/p>\n

      For more actionable advice, you\u2019ll have to purchase the book to find out.<\/span><\/p>\n

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      1. \n

        THE ZERO WASTE LIFESTYLE: LIVE WELL BY THROWING AWAY LESS by AMY KORST<\/b><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        In 2009, Amy and her significant other started The Green Garbage Project where they endeavored to live trash-free for an entire year. This book is full of tips and tricks they picked up from the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

        If like me, you\u2019re a little bit squeamish, starting a worm bin for composting might be a little too. That can easily be remedied by taking the worms out of the equation and just utilising a compost bin.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Did you know that you can grow your own loofah? The American author and teacher will show you that you can live a happier, healthier life by making critical adjustments to your everyday routine.<\/span><\/p>\n

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        1. \n

          FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD<\/b><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          AN EATER\u2019S MANIFESTO by MICHAEL POLLAN<\/b><\/h1>\n

          “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” the academic succinctly puts. In his manifesto, Michael acknowledges the paradox between our growing desire to eat healthier as the food industry becomes increasingly saturated with nutrient-deficient food. This is why we need to return to <\/span>buying local produce<\/span><\/a> if we aren\u2019t <\/span>growing the food ourselves<\/span><\/a> in subsistent amounts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          The New York Times best seller also wrote <\/span>Omnivore’s Dilemma<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Food Rules<\/span><\/i>, and <\/span>Cooked <\/span><\/i>which are al worth a read too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          *SPECIAL MENTION: A MOVIE*<\/b><\/h1>\n

          VEGUCATED by MARISA MILLER WOLFSON and BRIAN FLEGEL<\/b><\/h1>\n

          While I urge you all to watch Earthlings, What The Health, and Fed Up, this particular documentary is an unpretentious look at a growing food and sustainability trend. Veganism was shunned not too long ago. I remember people rolling their eyes at me during dinner parties because I couldn\u2019t eat 75% of the offerings. I had gone plant-based for a year, and that was back in 2014. Now, only five years later, the community has grown by leaps and bounds, spreading its influence across the entire globe.
          \n<\/span>The documentary is incredibly educational but not in a herald on a soapbox type of way. There are moments of humour as well as great insight.<\/span><\/p>\n

          My Top 5 Takeaways from Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n