#2013alive: Next Week, We'll Explore Our Community

During this last week of July, we’ve been sharing stories—and recipes, too—about swapping out meat at least once a week. It’s not only good for our bodies to steer clear of meat, but it’s a much healthier option for our environment, since large-scale livestock farming creates enormous environmental problems.

How did you swap out meat this week?

If you made the switch—even once this week—from meat to veg, our environment will be better off. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Henning Steinfeld, “Extensive livestock production plays a critical role in land degradation, climate change, and water and biodiversity loss.”

alive staffers shared some of their stories about going vegetarian, even if the motivation wasn’t entirely altruistic. My husband, and personal chef, created his very popular (at least with our kids) Potato Surprise which was always truly a surprise—but also vegetarian.

Isabela, a full-time student and summer intern, is a slave to her student budget—another great reason to eschew meat, while editor Colleen is slowly, and patiently, vegucating her parents.

Did you discover some vegetarian surprises this week?

Coming up—Get involved!

Next week we look at flexing our civic engagement muscles. Getting involved in our community has benefits well beyond helping out the local girls’ soccer team by throwing a couple of empties into their bottle drive bag.

Getting engaged—really participating—in the world immediately around us—our neighbourhoods and our communities—can make us all happier and healthier, while also bettering the places we call home.

Follow us!

Tune in to find out how we’re doing by checking our ongoing Twitter, Facebook, and blog posts. Drop us a line via blog or Facebook comments, or by using the Twitter hashtag #2013alive to let us know how you’re doing on your 2013 journey!