Live Peace and Passion

Shared by Leo @ mnmlist.com

This post will strike a nerve with some readers, as many minimalists or aspiring minimalists are die-hard carnivores. They love their meat and don’t want to hear anything against it.

Well, hear me out, please. If you could read to the end of the post before disagreeing, blasting me, or dismissing me, I’d be grateful.

In this post I’ll tell you (briefly) why I chose veganism and how it is the diet I believe is most in line with minimalism.

Minimal eating
Veganism, simply defined, is abstaining from animal products, from meat and fish and poultry to dairy and eggs and other such products. I also try for whole foods that are minimally processed, which means I mostly eat veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, some whole grains.

This is a limited, minimal diet, and yet it can be incredibly satisfying and maximally flavorful. It’s also very healthy, very light, and low on the budget (if you compare it to eating whole foods carnivorously).

A small amount of ingredients. Light on the palate and stomach. Easy to prepare, with a minimum of fuss.

The most sustainable diet
I won’t go into the figures here (they’re covered better elsewhere), but raising animals for meat, eggs and dairy is incredibly wasteful. For every pound of meat or dairy, many times that amount of plants must be used to feed the animals for those products.

Animals also produce a huge amount of pollution and contribute immensely to greenhouse gases, not to mention the machinery and fuel that’s used to raise, slaughter and transport them … and all the plants needed to feed them.
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I’ve subscribed to John Carey’s site – fiftyfootshadows.net – for some time now. I appreciate and enjoy the way he writes, photographs, and films life around him. The footage below, was filmed by John while he waited for a train in India. Though there’s quite a lot going on in the short piece, it’s intriguing to me how serene it feels. I think it’s interesting how most people in this film just walk on by, looking straight ahead, without regard to John’s filming in the least. This added to the appeal of the footage, along with it’s randomness and simplicity. But most of all, I enjoy the glimpse of peaceful, everyday life in India at the train station. Thank you for sharing your film John.

Waiting from john carey on Vimeo.

Not too long ago, there weren’t any options on the store shelves for “green” commercial cleaners. While it’s true the available cleaners did a great job cleaning our homes, they contained questionable chemicals that got absorbed in our skin and in the food prepared on these cleaned surfaces, inhaled in our lungs, and flushed into our waterways. In short, their labels contained poison control information.

Consumers started giving feedback about the types of cleaners they wanted and companies started listening. Now there are many green cleaners available. Just check the store shelves and you’ll find many new products that are much better for your environment.

The fact is, it’s not always easy to choose new cleaners when you’ve been using the same ones for years and years. Start by looking at the label of ingredients. If the product is green, it will shout green from the rooftops. They’ll proudly list their ingredients and some will even tell you what each ingredient does. Go with plant-based over petroleum-based as it’s usually better for you. If you’re not sure about an ingredient and if it sounds sinister to you then go online and get the facts.

Another thing that can help you is to look for 3rd party seals like the one by the EPA because they are done independently and show the product has passed measurable criteria regarding the environment. When a product has an independent seal of approval, it carries more weight than the company’s own self-promoting.

Since you’ve made the commitment to go greener, consider your cleaning instruments as well. Paper towels should be chlorine-free and made from recycled paper. Better yet, use soft, absorbent cloth diapers as they do an excellent job cleaning, weren’t made from trees, and last a long time. New on the market are microfiber kitchen cloths. They are multi-purpose and are great for spills as they are super absorbent. In the spirit of reduce, reuse, and recycle, use old t-shirts when painting or for garage tasks.

Way back in the day, cleaners consisted of regular household items like baking soda, vinegar, and elbow grease. These “old-fashioned” remedies work just as well today as they did back then. These products are another non-toxic option for cleaning that you might consider revisiting. Here’s a short list:

Baking Soda
clean surfaces
remove odors
clean silver
remove scuff marks
remove grease
clean hairbrushes and combs
remove burnt food from the grill
remove mildew
clean outdoor furniture

Vinegar
clean windows
clean silver, pewter, brass or copper
clean spills
clean no-wax floors
clean wood paneling
spray shower stalls to prevent mildew
keep ants away
remove odors
remove soap residue

Some commercial green cleaners are more expensive and some are not, but expense may certainly weigh in, along with health and environment issues, when considering your choice of cleaner. If you can, choose the products that are better for you and the environment AND that do the job.