Green Friend of the Week: Isil from Veggie Way

In the mood for some delish vegan eats? Or maybe you want to find out the latest news about breastfeeding and vaccination legislation or learn about attachment parenting? One of my favorite blogs that I stumbled across recently is Veggie Way, authored by Isil Simsek, a vegan green mamma currently living in Guilford, United Kingdom. This week on Green Mamma, Isil is our Green Friend of the Week! This is what she has to share about living green and loving planet earth:

1. Vegan it is! Isil doesn’t beat around the bush in explaining why a vegan diet is the eco-friendliest: “A plant based diet is sustainable and earth-friendly because animal agriculture takes a devastating toll on the earth. It is an inefficient way of producing food, since feed for farm animals requires land, water, fertilizer, and other resources that could otherwise have been used directly for producing human food.”

Not sure whether switching to a vegan diet is the right choice for your green family? Consider the benefits, as noted by Dr. William Harris of VegSource.com: permanent and long term weight loss, lower blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and blood sugar, as well as lowered risk for cardiovascular diseases and various cancers. The advantages of being a vegan for your health and the planet are abundant. Of her family’s vegan lifestyle, Isil comments, “We switched to a vegan diet . . . about 4.5 years ago. We feel great about it!”

2. Go car-less. Not only will you save gas and money, but people will take notice too! To get from point A to point B, Isil’s family has sworn off the old gas guzzler and instead prefers to exercise their legs and take advantage of public transportation. Of her family’s eco-friendly transportation choices, Isil says, “Using public transportation does not only lower your carbon foot print but it’s actually a pleasant way to get in touch with other people.” To learn more about car free living, check out the cycling and carless adventures of Tim and Anne at Car Free Days.

3. Get a bright idea. One of the simplest ways that Isil and her family reduce energy use is by changing their light bulbs to CFLs, or compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Considering that CFLs are designed to fit into standard light sockets and that these energy efficient bulbs help folks lower their energy bills, making the change to CFLs is a great choice when used appropriately. Since CFLS contain mercury, make sure to dispose of these energy efficient bulbs in the right place. Check out Earth911.org for local drop off points.

4. Help Your Baby Eat Local: Breastfeed! According to the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog, breastfeeding our children is not only a natural food for them but is a green choice for our planet. The green advantages of breastfeeding are:

“No land is used for dairy farms, no energy is consumed in factories, no resources are used in packaging, and no oil is used in transporting breastmilk to a store and to your home. The primary energy source for breastfeeding? Your pregnancy fat. Breastfeeding leaves no packaging waste, and saves our health care systems billions a year. And you can’t eat much more local than this!”

5. Be gentle to Mamma Earth and Your Baby’s Bottom! Isil uses cloth diapers and cloth wipes for her little one Defne. According to the article “Diapers, Diapers, and More Diapers” at the New Parents Guide, the debate over which diaper is the most environmentally friendly is ongoing. However, consider the following, from the New Parents Guide, if you still think that disposable diapers are not taking a toll on our children’s planet:

“It is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone. Although some disposables are said to be biodegradable; in order for these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun. Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing.”

Isil chooses “real cloth nappies and wipes” (nappies are diapers in the U.K.), because she finds they are an easy and gentle way to keep Defne’s bum clean. Here’s her recipe for homemade baby wipes:

Ingredients: a few drops of baby shampoo, lavender oil or tea tree oil, cloth wipes and a jar.

Recipe: Combine all ingredients and place the wipes in a jar. Shake them and voila!

Note from Isil: It’s also okay to just use water. Much better than the nasty chemicals that are found in baby wipes.

6. Reuse your shopping bags! Most retail stores are happy to supply shoppers with reusable bags bearing their stores logo. To make your own fashionable and reusable shopping bag, check out Farmer’s Daughter pillowcase tote, which was inspired by Creative Kismet’s Pillowcase tote giveaway, here on Green Mamma!

7. Become a Fly Baby: Declutter, Declutter, Declutter! Isil points to the advantages of her family’s nomadic lifestyle, noting that it has taught them to value the simple life. She says, ” We really do not need so many stuff. It is perfectly fine to live with basic stuff. Declutter, declutter, declutter! Donate all those unneeded/unwanted stuff to charities or to people who might need them.” To learn a few tips about greening your home, getting rid of the clutter, and giving away what you do not need, visit the FlyLady! I myself have been a Fly Baby for about 6 months now.

8. Investigate. Isil’s family relies upon the Good Shopping Guide to protect her family’s consumer interests. She explains, “We make sure to boycott companies who do not care about the environment, animal rights and human rights.”

Some of Isil’s (and Green Mamma’s too) favorite green products include: Ecovert, a formerly vegan company, Jason, Green People, and Weleda baby care.

Again, Isil’s Veggie Way blog is a wonderful resource for vegan living (and green living too), as well a resource for breastfeeding, attachment parenting, and the Montessori approach to education and living. Thank you again Isil for being a green friend and giving props to Mamma Earth!