Our survival and well-being depend on the limited resources we have on Earth. However, not everyone thinks about social activities on a daily basis. Whether it’s about proper waste management techniques, reducing the use of plastic, or reusing and recycling goods – sustainable practices should be made part of our lives. for the sake of our environment, climate, and health. Educating the youth is the only way to create a healthy and green future, believes Kamana Gautam, a certified nutritionist and lactation consultant, who promote the concept of sustainable parenting.
Known on social media by his moniker @mycocktail_life, Kamana Gautam teaches people about sustainability in hopes of inspiring others. In this exclusive interview with Health Shots, the nutritionist, lactation consultant and mother of two shares her journey of incorporating sustainability into her life and the challenges she faced. as far as.
Children inspired the idea of eternal life for Kamana Gautam
Kamana Gautam has seen the social media journey take a turn – from spreading awareness about using tandem babies and breastfeeding to now sharing sustainable results. for everyday life. His children became his motivation to stay alive.
She says, “When someone asks me why I live in a sustainable way, I always answer that I’m a person of faith. When I didn’t have children, I didn’t think much about the world, climate change and global warming. But now that I’m a parent, I’m worried about my children’s future. Looking at air pollution, water use and the environment of our plants being filled with pesticides and chemicals, I worry about them. What will their future hold?
Practice continuity at home
Her first attempts at sustainability came with cleaning up her home by getting rid of all plastic. He said, “It started from that goal, but now I see continuing as a way to make myself happy. There were times when I criticized those who used plastic. I When I first started this mission, I often thought—Hey, why aren’t other people doing what I’m doing?
Explaining what it means to keep going, he added, “Keeping going, for me, is ultimately about being happy. It’s about being content with what you have in life. our fast-paced lives today, where we constantly seek validation from others and find happiness in material things.
What is the hardest part of practicing sustainability for you?
The road to sustainability is not easy if you are new to this or trying to change your current lifestyle. According to Kamana Gautam, one of the most difficult areas of transition is getting family members to accept your chosen path. While not impossible, getting other people in the house to make those small changes in life can be difficult.
According to Kamana, “At first, it was difficult because I found it difficult to carry tools, water bottles and steel water bottles, while traveling with my children. two small children. But with time, we developed a routine. “
Also, when it comes to children and continuity, peer pressure is another issue. “It is difficult for children to understand why they cannot use plastic products such as balloons in their homes like other children, but when we explain to why, they understand.”
Basic tips to follow in life
Here, the influencer has a word of caution to share: “First, don’t worry about the word sustainability”, and secondly, here are some simple steps you can easily follow.
1. Separate your trash
Start separating waste at home according to wet and dry. Meet with municipal representatives to identify vendors who take plastic and send it for recycling.
2. Carry the bag
Avoid taking plastic bags or paper bags from vendors. Instead, take your own clothes bag and keep other bags in your car to make sure you don’t have to accept waste bags when you buy something.
3. Bring your own water bottle
Bringing your own water bottle is not a big deal. In fact, doing so can make a big difference in reducing the number of disposable water bottles you use when you’re out and about. Remember, plastic bottles can degrade over many years.
4. Use a product to its full potential
Sustainability is not about living a plastic-free life, but about using our resources to their fullest potential. So, take advantage of what you have and use them to their full potential.
5. Use secondhand products
According to Kamana, “The world has increased our purchasing power, but we have to be satisfied with what we have. Even if you are going to buy something, you have to buy second-hand clothes, and expensive clothes, and should not go after trends. Also, we need to know who made the product and what kind of life they live. .”
Kamana Gautam is trying to change the way people look at parenting!
Apart from spreading the idea of sustainability, Kamana Gautam educates people about the benefits of breastfeeding or breastfeeding. She wants to practice how a woman’s body changes during pregnancy and the early stages of childbirth.
When she started sharing her journey with people through Instagram, she realized that many women had the same traumatic experience as she did during her first pregnancy. She believes that people need to stop shaming women into breastfeeding their children in public.
Kamana revealed that one of the reasons for the decrease in breastfeeding rates in our country is the shame of not making women comfortable and because we are still sleeping on the breasts. “That’s when I started uploading my own photos of me publicly breastfeeding my own child. I’ve been called an attention seeker and driven by men because of the posts. However, all these things inspired me to post a picture of my reproductive body to encourage and reassure women that they are not alone and that their reproductive body is beautiful,” said Kamana.
(Kamana Gautam is nominated for the Health Shots She Slays Awards in the Social Cause Champion category.)