How an item as simple as a travel coffee mug can make a huge impact on the world we live in

Do you have a travel coffee mug? And if you do - how often do you remember to bring it along with you and actually use it? Meanwhile, how often do you find yourself ordering your coffee or other beverage of your choice in a disposable cup?

These simple questions can be quite essential when it comes to sustainability and care for the environment. Using a reusable travel coffee mug may seem like a non-relevant habit, but in actuality it can make a huge difference in the global movement towards waste reduction.

Ask your local coffee shop manager or owner how often their customers bring in their own mugs or stay in to drink their hot beverages from in-house mugs, and I am pretty sure that the answer will be that the percentage is strikingly low.

The way to help the reduction of waste is to remember to take and refill your own travel mug on a daily basis, or in case you have forgotten it - to stay in the coffee shop and enjoy your coffee in one of their reusable in-house mugs instead. If using a disposable cup is inevitable, make sure you recycle it properly once you are done with your coffee.

Keep in mind that billions of disposable cups are being used and thrown away every year, and this is having a serious impact on the waste disposal rates, plus their production causes the consumption of huge amounts of natural resources and the emission of large quantities of harmful greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and leading to further deepening of the climate change related problems we are faced with.

Fortunately, there are ways to limit this damage. The simple solution is to choose to reuse your coffee mug. Keep a travel mug in your car or in your daily bag. Not only will you feel happy with your personal contribution to the reduction of the waste, the use of resources as well as for the pollution, but you will find that more and more coffee shop owners offer discounts for customers who choose to bring in their own mugs and cups.

Going vegan has more advantages than negatives - here is why

More people around the world - young and old are turning towards veganism. Although the reasoning behind this choice can vary, the usual ones are living a healthier, cruelty free lifestyle which will help the Earth as well as the health and wellbeing.

Unfortunately, there is a strong opposition and serious stereotyping associated with vegans coming from people who fail to understand the fundamentals and benefits of leading a vegan life.

Here are some of the top reasons why becoming vegan will benefit you and our planet, which can make the skeptics change their minds:

1.    Turning vegan can help you shed those extra pounds. The reason is that you will need to give up many of the foods and snacks which are known to pile up that weight. Also, you are more likely to introduce more healthy veggies and fruits in your daily menu instead.

2.    Veganism helps our environment. It is a known fact that rearing livestock requires more energy, water, land and induces much more gas emissions that growing crops. While growing 1k of lentils results in the emission of only about 0.9kg of CO2, growing livestock and producing 1g of beef will result in the release of about 27kg of the greenhouse gas.

3.    It can help you live longer. Adding more plant-based products in your diet and eliminating a wide variety of animal based products has been found to help people reach their normal weight, and reduce the risk of diabetes type II, cardiovascular problems, obesity and other health problems and risks.

4.    Everybody knows that eating veggies is good for you.  Fruits and vegetables are excellent natural resources of a wide variety of essential nutrients for our bodies and our health. Think about all the minerals, vitamins, fibers you will be consuming on a daily basis if you choose to go vegan.

5.    This diet will make you even smell better. Studies have shown that people who lead a vegan lifestyle tend to release sweat which is found much more attractive to others as compared to the sweat emitted by people who eat a carb-loaded diet.

6.    Veganism can help enhance your sexual performance. Studies have revealed that people who switch to a vegan diet and lifestyle find that both their sexual performance as well as their overall health have improved immensely after only a few months on this diet.