It's great to be a vegan, you are not only leading a healthy lifestyle but you are also saving millions of animals and our home Mother Earth. Animal agriculture is consuming most of our natural resources, destroying our earth, abusing the animals, promoting major health disorders and leading to global crises like world hunger and climate change.

The idea of going vegan may be overwhelming I get you; but here is the good news it no longer has to be "ALL or NOTHING."

Have you heard about Reducetarian? If not, I am going to help you choose a reducetarian lifestyle.

What is Reducetarian?

Reducetarian is a concept that was proposed by Brian Kateman which aims at reducing animal consumption in the name of food. This initiative was started to save animals from abuse as well as to help our overall health and our environment. This concept is great as it helps in dealing with various global problems by bringing about change in our diet but what if we think outside the box. 

Why not consider Reducetarian as a way to REDUCE various lifestyle factors we follow in our day to day life that affects the animals, our health, our climate, and our earth?

A few months to nearly a year ago I was certainly not aware of the importance of reducing my carbon footprint or going green. But, now that I know the necessity of leading a sustainable lifestyle, I want to help you all make a better choice.

Here are some simple ways you can be a reducetarian, an eco-warrior and reduce your carbon footprint to help our planet:

1. Change starts from your plate. Reduce your meat/animal product consumption. Slowly start eliminating meat from your diet. It may be hard to go from non-vegetarian to vegetarian to vegan. 

Try out various ideas or challenges like Meatless Monday, Vegan before Six, Vegan on the weekdays or 21 days of compassion. Be open-minded and start slowly.

2. Reduce your plastic consumption. Say no to single-use plastics. Carry your reusable bags, straws, cutlery, mugs, and bottles. Opt for eco-friendly options over plastic.

3. Be a mindful buyer and consumer. Opt for renting an item or recycled, second hand and eco-friendly products. Always try to mend or repair before replacing the item with a new one.

4. Indulge in bulk, minimal to zero waste shopping while buying groceries, vegetables, fruits, and household items. Carry your box or produce bags. Choose eco-friendly, ethical and cruelty-free products.

5. Keep a track of your energy consumption- water, oil and gases, fuels and electricity. Using a bucket instead of a shower for bathing, Rainwater harvesting, walking our vehicle, carpooling, electric vehicle usage are some of the ways you can conserve energy.

6. Use digital media for making points, to do or to buy list instead of using papers. If at all you need to use papers use recycled paper over regular ones.

7. Learn about waste management. Start composting. This will give an idea of your waste production. Practice different forms of waste management and segregation.

8. Declutter from time to time. This helps in owning only the things that we need. Follow the rule "one in one out". Donate or thrift the items that you no longer use. Experience the joy of sharing, giving and caring.

9. Say no to any form of single-use products. It may be plastic, paper or your pack of chips that come in single-use plastic. Any single-use item is trash and a waste of resources.

10. Learn to Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle.

Let's all be conscious of our choices and be aware of how our lifestyle can help or ruin this planet. Let's adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle. This earth is our only home. If we don't care for her, how will she care for us?

As the saying goes "we don't inherit this earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

(The views expressed in the article are the author’s own. Let Me Breathe neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)