Athletes and sustainability

Carmen Fourie’s top tips

In her ProPlate Interview, Carmen gave us some amazing insights into how and why she incorporates sustainability into her daily life as entrepreneur, Masters Student and fitness enthusiast.

In this post Carmen shares her top tips for how athletes and active individuals specifically can incorporate sustainability into their fitness and everyday routine, and have a positive ripple effect on the world.

Here are Carmen’s top tips:

Healthier usually means also means more eco-friendly:

The great news is that healthy living and more sustainable living (from an eco-friendly sense) go hand in hand. Most things that are healthy for you are also better for the environment.

Firstly eating:

When you focus on minimizing plastic, you are removing the harmful chemicals that are constantly touching your food (plastic leaches). In moderate amounts your body won’t notice it, however, in a modern society most products are transported and stored in plastic, which means the exposure is no longer moderate.

Another benefit is that when you find ways to buy food without plastic or in packaging that is easily recycled or more eco-friendly you tend to eat better. You end up moving away from the quick meals, ready-made foods, etc.

For example, most athletes plan their meals. I buy my fruit and veg once a week from a farmer. I order it online and he delivers it. That means I am forced to plan my meals to ensure I buy the correct amounts and plan my week properly.

Firstly eating:

An important tip, especially for athletes is reduce your general exposure to plastic. By that I mean invest in a glass or stainless steel bottle for your liquids. Although thicker plastics leach less, they still leach. Note – even if they don’t contain BPA, most plastic releases estrogenic chemicals. Another way to reduce your exposure is to have glass or stainless steel containers for your food. It is quite expensive, but if you commit to buying one each month you will have enough in no time.

As a general rule – try to stay away from unnatural chemicals.

I.e. preservatives, flavourants, additives, etc. Read your labels to see what is in you food – especially herbs and spices. You will be surprised that your spices are predominately pesticides and flavourants. (Opt for non-irradiated spices).

Be mindful of what’s in your body products:

• Deodorant: If you are focused on your health and nutrition, I believe that should include what you allow to be absorbed through your skin. Conventional store bought deodorants contain an extremely long list of really bad ingredients. The biggest, most problematic one is the aluminium.
  When I bring this up, I often get the argument that aluminium is not bad in moderation and small amounts. That is very true, however, if you apply deodorant at least once a day, every day it is no longer moderation. Also, bear in mind what your pans are made of (mostly aluminium). As an athlete you want to have good hygiene, but ideally you don’t want to stop your normal bodily functions. I would advise using an all-natural deodorant that does not contain aluminium and does not stop you from sweating. Your body needs to sweat, it is normal and part of its normal regulation.
• Sunscreen: It you train outside you probably wear sunscreen. This is another product that contains a whole list of bad chemicals. Best alternative – zinc or an all-natural sunscreen (I recommend Hey Gorgeous). If you do get burnt, instead of after sun try using aloe gel (if you put it in the fridge it will give a nice cool feeling on your skin).
• Progress to all natural products: It might sound like I am being overly cautious, but if you add up all the products you use on your skin in one day – deodorant, face wash, body wash, shampoo, moisturizer, make up, etc – we surpass moderate amounts of harmful chemicals and the negatives of using those products start to outweigh the benefits. My advice – start slowly and start replacing (when they finish) your products with all natural products. All natural products have a bad reputation, but in recent years there has been serious progression in terms of the availability of really good, affordable products. E.g. Bon natural oils makes wet wipes especially for athletes (they are amazing).
• Progress to all natural products: It might sound like I am being overly cautious, but if you add up all the products you use on your skin in one day – deodorant, face wash, body wash, shampoo, moisturizer, make up, etc – we surpass moderate amounts of harmful chemicals and the negatives of using those products start to outweigh the benefits. My advice – start slowly and start replacing (when they finish) your products with all natural products. All natural products have a bad reputation, but in recent years there has been serious progression in terms of the availability of really good, affordable products. E.g. Bon natural oils makes wet wipes especially for athletes (they are amazing).
  Another tip and this might not apply to you, but it applies to me. I used to be very quick to treat symptoms, rather than causes; and my treatment of symptoms usually included some deep-heat, a transact pack or pain pills.
  When necessary those products can be very beneficial, but they should not be your go to. Now I take Epsom salt baths with essential oils. I buy my Epsom salt zero waste from a local organic store. The magnesium in Epsom salts will do wonders for your body. I am not saying that you should replace modern medicine, but rather saying that use natural alternatives where you can and daily, rather than harsh chemicals.
  *Aside from being bad for your body, the bad chemicals in conventional products are also bad for the environment.
• Attire: I love fitness clothing.
  Incorporating sustainability into your life includes minimalism – i.e. only buy and have what you need. Don’t keep clutter that you never wear. Rather give it away or sell it. Furthermore, it means trying to make responsible consumer choices. When I buy fitness clothes I try to support local small businesses. My favourite is Esjay Sports. I also try to support organisations that attempt (genuinely) to reduce the negative impact on the environment and advocate for overall well being – Vivolicious is one such brand. Try to move away from status brands and support your local small business owner.
  Another tip when buying clothing or towels try to buy products that do not contain polyster, nylon, acrylic or polyamide – they release micro plastics each time you wash your clothes.
  A good way to help the environment and to save money is to really try to prolong the life of your clothes. Move away from clothes as a status symbol and know that it is great to wear the same thing 30 – 300 times over.
  Say no to random merchandise that you don’t need. I know that brands love to give merchandise away to promote their business, but if you don’t need it, don’t take it. You don’t need 25 little bags with different company brands on. If you want to support an organisation or brand, there are awesome sustainable ways to do it.
• Home: An important part of fitness is having a respiratory system that is functioning optimally. Unfortunately our general air quality is not ideal for this, even if you live in a town away from the industrial areas. Here are some tips that could really help you be healthier and more sustainable:
  1. Get a diffuser/humidifier: I have a diffuser in my bedroom and in my car. My bedroom one releases essential oils into the air, along with moisture. It helps with the quality of my sleep (which is vital for general health), it helps with my breathing (eucalyptus oil), it reduces the dryness of my skin, my eyes and my respiratory tract. The one in my car doubles as a car air freshness and counters the negative effects of using an aircon. Conventional air fresheners are generally bad for you and the environment.
  2. Get plants that clean the air. My apartment is filled with different plants that cleanse the air. I also have a small herb & vegetable garden on my balcony. You don’t need a big space to have plants. You can have hanging plants or small ones.
  3. Limit your exposure to harsh chemicals in your home. Just like with my skin, my home is free of hash chemicals. My cleaning products are all natural & nontoxic, and many of them I buy in bulk or zero waste. This is better for me and for my pets.
  4. Limit your exposure to harsh chemicals in your home. Just like with my skin, my home is free of hash chemicals. My cleaning products are all natural & nontoxic, and many of them I buy in bulk or zero waste. This is better for me and for my pets.

General tip:

If you are going to incorporate sustainability as a value into your life – remember to do it your way. Start with what is easy for you. Do what works for you and find a way to do it so that it works with your lifestyle. Do it slowly so that it doesn’t become overwhelming and consume too much of your time and energy. Also, support others in their journey without judgement.