106 | March• 2018
ECO-HABITS WE LOVE
IT’S PLANET-PLEASING BECAUSE ...
Justasourbodiesthriveonhealthy
bacteria, so does the environment,
says Vasil. Research shows that
whenallthoseantibacterialingre-
dientsgodownthedrain,theyaffect
the fish, plants and other aquatic
life downstream. “You don’t want to
throwthatecosystemoff,”shesays.
Triclosan has received a lot of atten-
tioninrecentyearsforitstoxicityto
aquaticlife,whereitwindsupinfish
andstaysthere.Itisalsosuspectedto
be a hormone disrupter in humans.
Ifyou’restillfeelingalittlegermo-
phobic, Vasil recommends wiping
surfaces with vinegar, which has nat-
ural antibacterial properties.
Don’t Sugar-Coat It
IT’S BODY-BOOSTING BECAUSE ...
Lately, sugar has been getting a bad
rap – and for good reason. Not only
does the white stuff contribute to
obesity but, according to a review
of research published in 2010, the
consumption of sugary drinks may
also be linked to an estimated 184,000
adult deaths each year worldwide.
Try eating more fruits to satisfy your
sweet tooth.
IT’S PLANET-PLEASING BECAUSE ...
When Vasil sees people lined up
around the block for the latest sugary
fad, she has one thing on her mind:
the planet. “Sugar cane plantations
have led to some of the biggest losses
of biodiversity in terms of any single
agricultural product,” explains Vasil.
Translation: our environment, plants
and animals all take a hit. When you
have a hankering for sweets, Vasil
encourages looking for organic and
fair-trade versions of sugar and con-
sidering honey as an alternative.Be An Earth-Itarian
IT’S BODY-BOOSTING BECAUSE ...
And here’s some sad news for our
bacon-obsessed world: meat might
make your mouth water, but it’s not
so great for the rest of your body. In
2015, the World Health Organiza-
tion made headlines by classifying
processed meat as a carcinogen and
labelling red meat as a probable car-
cinogen because of its associations
with colorectal, stomach, pancreatic
and prostate cancers.
More recently, researchers from the
University of Adelaide in Australia
found that meat is as bad as sugar
when it comes to contributing to
global rates of obesity. Healthy vege-
tarian diets, on the other hand, have PHOTOS: iSTOCK