NA Sujatha
N. A. Sujatha 
Marketing Manager, Brookefields Mall.
She has been advocating green living through two initiatives, Wonder Women Forum and Kovai Green League.
Waking up to birds chirping is a new experience that I am enjoying.
I have just realised how intensely green the green bee-eater! I have also spotted drongos, parakeets, kingfishers and peacocks... Even the fire ants that have infested the mango tree in my backyard are a wonder of nature. I observed how they stitch together leaves with a silk thread to build their nest. I may be staying at home, but adventure seeks me. A bat paid me a surprise visit and I read up on its roosting habits and learnt it is one of the the cleanest mammals there are! I stepped out into the terrace and a bee stung me. Bats, bee stings, ants...everything has been rewarding. I end each day by watching the sunset.
Sustainable lifestyle
I cook three fresh meals. As I have no fridge, I buy greens and vegetables that will last me a week without refrigerating. I use the green vegetables first and then the sturdier potatoes and beetroots later. I use indigenous rice and millets instead of processed grains to make my idli/adai/peserattu batter.
I experiment with millets to ensure that my idli/dosa batter is healthy. I soak one cup of black urad dal, two cups of Mappilai Samba rice/Poongar red rice or any other native rice and another half cup raw rice (this is optional but it makes crisp dosas!). Two cups of raagi/ cholam or any other millet has to be soaked separately and also two tablespoons of fenugreek. After four hours, grind them all together, add salt, allow to ferment overnight and use to make idlis the following day.
Priyanka Dharmakumar
Priyanka Dharmakumar
Corporate trainer, runs Dugout Cafe.
Inspired by Marie Kondo videos, she shares tips on de-cluttering one’s lives and holds sessions at various corporate houses
I start my day with a seven-minute Qi Gong meditation. That keeps me going for the day. I feel lively and refreshed.
I have learnt to listen out for the high-pitched call of the common Mynah as I stop by the badam tree outside my house. I have begun to look out for birds and squirrels. I soak in the greenery and, as I take my pet out for a walk, I leave my mobile behind. The lockdown period has helped me realise my dream: to have the last meal of the day before sunset. It cuts down my cravings for snacking.
Sustainable lifestyle
I ensure that my house is clutter-free. I segregate and compost biodegradable waste. I stick to two meals a day. While I have fruits for breakfast, lunch is basic. Rice and dal, and some veggies and rasam. It is doing me a lot of good. Better still are my one-pot meals. I use just one vessel, few ingredients and leftover vegetables. To one tablespoon oil in the pressure cooker, I add one tablespoon jeera, three cloves of garlic, two green or red chillies, one chopped onion, a slice of ginger and a pinch of asafoetida, and turmeric powder, chilli powder, and garam masala to taste. (I sometimes substitute this with sambar powder). I add the chopped vegetables, cook for a few minutes and add three cups of water. Once it starts boiling, I add one cup of soaked rice and 3/4 cup of toor dal, and cook for three whistles. I drizzle a spoonful of ghee and chopped coriander. This is a complete meal by itself packed with carbohydrates, proteins and fat. In the process I save on precious water (only one vessel to wash), use up any leftover vegetables and save on gas.
Sangeetha Subhash
Sangeetha Subhash
Upcycles furniture; apex member of the NGO Siruthuli
She teaches kids about sustainability through Siruthuli’s initiative called Chittukuludan Siruthuli. Her Facebook page, Clean and Green Homes, has recipes and tips towards chemical-free sustainable living.
Sometimes it takes a lockdown to slow down and appreciate nature better
These days, I have taken to dipping my toes in my lily pond, listening to bird songs as I cook, and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature as I prepare the soil and tend to my kitchen garden. We try and eat what we grow there. I plan meals in such a way that there is no food waste (even the chillies are finely chopped to ensure that we consume everything).
At a time when sanitisers and disinfectants are running out, we survive on natural hand wash powders and enzyme-based cleaners I make at home. I am also experimenting with painting furniture with the natural indigo dye.
Sustainable lifestyle
I have replaced chemical cleaning agents in the kitchen and toilets with home-made natural cleaners made from waste citrus peels, soapnuts, and gram flour. Here is a simple recipe for a home-made sanitiser. Take one cup of gram flour and one of green gram flour to which you add two tablespoons of neem leaf powder, orange lemon peel powder and soapnut powder. You can add rose petals or lemon grass (dried and powdered) and a few drops of essential oil for fragrance. Just wet your hands, sprinkle this powder, scrub and wash off.
