As I mentioned in the previous post, Enchanting Challenge provides a forum where people can exchange ideas on how to improve their communities. You can also post your own challenges, in which you challenge yourself (and others) to do things in your daily life to improve your community, the environment, the lives of other people…and thus – the world. Little changes in your habits can go a long way. That’s the mindset that’s important to remember – small efforts by many people = big change.
A great place to start for a personal challenge is food. Diet fads have come and gone for decades; each new diet proves that the previous one doesn’t work, and promises that finally we have found the one that actually works. High-carb diets, low-carb diets, low-fat diets, low-calorie diets, vegan diets, organic food diets, raw food diets, etc. We have all heard it before. People militantly follow one of these diets for a 2 months and quit for various reasons. Now I’m not here to confirm the validity or absurdity of any specific diet, just to talk about the consequences of our food choices.
Organic food and locally grown food have been becoming ever more popular this past decade. After documentaries describing the shabby conditions of fast-food chains, the environmental impact of industrial farms, the health concerns with preservative-laden food, and the carbon footprint of importing food from across the world. Farmers markets are popping up across the US, the popularity of organic food has skyrocketed, and even growing food in our own backyards is no longer seen as the work of left-wing tree-huggers.
Slow-Food International is an organization that was started in Italy in to preserve the idea of cuisine, to counteract the growing influence of fast-food, and to spread the idea of food that is good for the planet, as well as our bodies. (Sarah talks about it more in her blog).
There are a couple changes that you can make that will make your diet healthier, more environmental, and save you money.
1. Eating more fruits and vegetables, and less meat. Industrial feedlots, where cows are raised for slaughter, are extremely energy-intensive. More than 1/3 of all fossil fuels used in the US go to the meat industry.
2. Cooking more meals at home and eating out less. It’s difficult to know for sure the ingredients in your menu choices, and they are often imported - more fossil fuels required.
3. Buying local ingredients. This is a big one. Eating locally ensures freshness, the food is most likely more healthy, and it will seriously cut down on the required energy.
An interesting article from NPR details an interesting approach to a more healthy and environmentally-friendly diet. Eating vegan before 6PM. That’s right. All food consumed before 6PM must be vegan, but you’re free to eat whatever afterwards (with responsible discretion of course). It’s not easy, but it would force you to change some of your meals. And that’s what’s important. Not to be radical about it, but just make some changes that you can keep up. I sure as heck couldn’t be a strict vegan, no way. But I could eat fruits and vegetables for lunch, or beans, and healthy pastas. If vegan is too difficult, try vegetarian before 6PM. You can have your meat dish for dinner, but you could cut out the bacon at breakfast, or the burger at lunch. This approach might not be a cure-all, but it sure will improve your diet, and cutdown on carbon emissions. And if you are forced to get more creative in your meals, you will have to cook more, and eating in is much cheaper than eating out. So, more money in the bank. Win-Win-Win.
I began writing this blog about two months ago with the purpose of diving into the world of social entreprenuership and socially responsible businesses. I´ve tried to analyze the reasons why people decide to direct their business operations towards a social mission, the benefits of doing so, the drawbacks, the success stories, and so on. 
