Susan Namboodiri

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 1 cup(s) of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).

I will avoid buying toxic plastics - including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl - and instead replace them with durable non-plastic options.

I will spend 20 minutes researching environmental justice and environmental racism concerns in my region, who is affected by them, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 133 lbs of CO2 a month and 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

I will replace 5 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day.

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

Both systemic and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 20 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and POC-majority neighborhoods. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.

I will create a rain garden or bioswale or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.