[Video] 10 healthy changes to be more sustainable
Are you looking for ways to live more sustainably and needing some inspiration? I spoke to Lauren Gordon, former Lead Behavioural Insights Advisor at Bupa UK. She shares 10 healthy changes you can make to have a more sustainable lifestyle. Watch this video or read on to find out more.
1. Drive less
Take public transport instead of driving
Cycle and walk more if you can
2. Eat more plant-based foods
Add lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, and grains to your diet
Include plenty of fruit and vegetables, and reduce meat and dairy
3. Don’t waste food
Plan your meals and cook at home
Save any leftovers for your next meal
Or even freeze them for another day
4. Eat seasonally
Buy foods that are in season
Shop locally
5. Get gardening
Both inside and outside
Use windowsills and pots to grow vegetables and herbs and encourage wildlife
6. Reduce and reuse
Buy less. Repair and upcycle instead
Can you borrow, swap, or rent clothes?
Cut down on single-use plastic, and use reusable alternatives
7. Recycle
Dispose of waste correctly
Recycle what you can
Compost food scraps
8. Save water
Fix dripping taps
Take shorter showers
Reuse washing up water for your plants
9. Reduce energy at home
Switch to a greener energy supplier if you can
Turn off lights you don’t need
Wash clothes at lower temperatures
10. Start small
Keep learning and see what works for you
Make changes over time, and inspire others
Small changes can make a positive difference
1. Drive less
Switch short car journeys to active travel alternatives like walking, cycling, running, or scooting. Active travel is a great way to boost your physical health, and help reduce emissions.
For longer journeys, try to take public transport, such as trains. If you need to drive, consider how you can minimise the effect on the environment. That could mean arranging a car share. Or switching to a hybrid or electric car (EV) if you can. If you use an electric car, try to make sure that you power it through renewable electricity.
2. Eat more plant-based foods
Eat a well-balanced diet. It’s good for your health and can help to reduce your carbon footprint. Include plant-based foods in your diet, such as beans and lentils, nuts, seed, grains and lots of fruit and vegetables.
If you eat meat, try to reduce your meat and dairy intake if you can. Why not have a meat-free day each week, and more meat-free lunches? Or switch up traditional meat recipes to make them plant-based, such as a lentil spaghetti bolognaise.
3. Don’t waste food
Did you know that if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of polluting greenhouse gases? To help reduce food waste, and eat more healthily, there are a few things you can do.
Firstly, plan your meals for the week using what you already have at home. Then make a list of what you need to buy in the supermarket. This means you’re less likely to buy things you won’t eat. Get into the habit of storing food correctly at home too. Use leftover food to make other meals or freeze any extra portions.
4. Eat seasonally
The way food is produced, and our eating habits, can impact the environment. Growing food out of season, for example, creates greenhouse gas emissions. To help reduce this carbon footprint buy food locally and and eat more seasonally if you can. Are there any local fresh food markets nearby where you can shop?
Eating seasonal food has health benefits too. Research shows that fruit and vegetables have more nutrients right after they’ve been harvested.
5. Get gardening
Whether it’s growing vegetables on your windowsill, or herbs in a pot, get gardening. Growing your own food is good for your mental wellbeing, saves money and reduces the impact on the environment. Make use of indoor windowsills to grow herbs, salads or vegetables, all year round.
If you have space outside, try growing plants to boost biodiversity and wildlife, like butterflies and bees. You’ll feel better knowing that you’re helping to support nature too.
6. 'Reduce' and 'reuse'
The clothing industry produces a huge amount of waste each year. Shopping sustainably can help reduce this waste. Try to buy less. Repair and upcycle instead. Can you borrow, swap, or rent clothes instead?
Why not reuse items to help you make the most of what you have? Cut down on single-use products, such as water bottles or coffee cups, and use reusable alternatives instead.
7. Recycle
Recycling everyday things is another way you can be more sustainable. As well as helping to reduce carbon emissions and preventing pollution, you’ll feel better about yourself too.
Find out what items are accepted by your council’s waste collection and recycle what you can. Don’t forget to check packaging to make sure you’re only putting things that can be recycled in your local collection bins. Recycle Now is a helpful website that tells you where and how to recycle items properly at home and in your local area.
8. Save water
Saving water is important, as it’s essential for our health and the health of our planet. There are lots of small actions you can take to use water more wisely. This could include fixing leaking or dripping taps. Or try washing up with a sink bowl or reusing washing up water for your plants in the garden.
You can reduce the amount of energy you use to warm up water as well. Can you spend less time in the shower? Or just boil the amount of water that you need for a hot drink? Small actions like these will help you save water and reduce your energy consumption.
9. Reduce energy at home
Switch to a greener energy supplier if you can, to help save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. Try to make sure your home is well insulated too. This could include insulating your loft or making sure your windows and doors are draught-proof. A warm home can also help to reduce the health risks of a living in a cold home, such as stress and depression.
In the short term there are other easier everyday energy saving changes you can make. For example, try and make your energy go further by washing clothes at lower temperatures. Or avoid leaving electrical appliances on standby and switch off lights you don’t need.
10. Start small
These are just some of the everyday actions you can take to reduce your impact on the environment, while improving your health and wellbeing.
When deciding on what choices to make, it’s important to be kind to yourself and see what works for you. Every small change can make a positive difference.
At Bupa, we're supporting the health of our planet. We've committed to a wide range of ambitious sustainability measures - partly because it's the right thing to do, but also because we know that the environment is closely linked to our physical and mental health.
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