Anastasia
THE NOT-SO-TYPICAL SOUL OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING
If you’ve found your way here, chances are you care deeply about the world and want to live in a way that reflects that care. You might also feel overwhelmed by all the rigid “shoulds” and “musts” of sustainable living. I did too - until I realised that sustainability isn’t about following a checklist. It’s about connection. Connection to nature. Connection to people. And most importantly—connection to yourself.
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That’s the spirit behind everything I do. So let me show you the real me—through the big beliefs I live by and the little quirks that shape my everyday.
Curious? Great. Let’s get personal.
Q1: Who are you—and why should I trust what you say about sustainability?
I’m Anastasia. And no, I don’t live off-grid or brush my teeth with baking soda (only just).
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Who I am is someone deeply curious about how we can live better - for ourselves and for the planet. I studied sustainability at Cambridge University’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and hold a Master's degree from University of Edinburgh; worked with one of the world’s biggest plastic-polluting corporation (and helped them improve).
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I’ve also taken cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, because I believe sustainability should be joyful, delicious, and rooted in how we care for ourselves and our planet.
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My aim is not to make you trust me or blindly follow everything that I say. My aim is to show you a different perspective on life and start enjoying it more than you might be doing it now.
Q2: So you’re a sustainable living saint?
Ha! Absolutely not. I adore champagne, and I have a real soft spot for beautiful shoes. But I believe deeply in quality over quantity.
Many of my high heels are over a decade old and still look brand new - because they were made to last.​ And champagne? Well, I only indulge in it now and then - which keeps me grounded, clear minded, and fully present to see the world in its true colours (mostly beautiful ones).
Q3: What’s your own house like?
Warm, loving and welcoming.
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Plastic-free, low-tox, natural fabrics and full of flowers. I’ve replaced most daily-use products with lower-impact alternatives - but I also respect science. Some natural products, especially in cosmetics for example, just don’t work or even give me alergic reaction. I prefer what’s effective, clean, and conscious.
Of course, our house and especially the kitchen are full of gadgets, I burn electricity and shower with hot water. Living Sustainably does not mean going back to the Stone Age.
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I also have a rescue cat, Portugalia (named after the first Portuguese settlement). I found her in Portugal, and now she lives with me in France. She reminds me every day of the beautiful life I had in that country - and the kindness we owe to every living being.
Q4: You studied cooking. What’s your food philosophy then?
Eat what your land gives you - with joy, respect, and restraint. If you're eating a piece of meat, eat it all - don’t throw it away. That animal died for you. If you're craving strawberries, wait until summer, when they grow in harmony with the season - not in energy-guzzling greenhouses.
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I’ve studied nutrition extensively, and to me, “healthy” means this: seasonal, local, and just enough to nourish your unique body.
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The most healing meals are often the simplest ones, shared with love. I enjoy restaurants too, but lately even haute-cuisine tasting menus have lost their charm. So many chefs aim to impress with technology, molecular gastronomy, and artful plating - but often, something’s missing.
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What I crave is a story. A story of a place, a season, a farmer’s hands or a grandmother’s recipe. I want to be moved - not by perfection, but by emotion and a symphony of flavours. I want a dish that stirs memory, sparks curiosity, and makes me feel something.
Q5: You talk a lot about the “inner world”—why?
We can’t save the planet if we’re drowning in burnout, bitterness, or self-doubt. If we can’t treat ourselves and our loved ones with kindness, how will we ever build a just society - or treat nature with reverence?
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Sustainability starts inside. Our nervous systems shape how we show up in the world. Our words and actions ripple outward. So the more calm, clear, and compassionate we become within, the more powerfully we can create change beyond ourselves.
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That’s why I talk about joy. About emotional resilience. About balance. Because when you feel grounded, cared for, and purposeful - you stop needing to numb, escape, or overconsume. You simply start to live better - and more sustainably - by default.
Q6: Do you believe in zero-waste?
I believe in zero illusion.
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Zero-waste is a beautiful concept - but often a privileged one, accessible only to those with time and the luxury to avoid real-world pressures. And worse, it can become a distraction - a mask - for the deeper systemic issues we face.
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Here’s the truth: we all create waste. In fact, nature creates waste. Trees shed leaves. Humans breathe out COâ‚‚. We eat, we poop. We live - we generate. But waste isn’t inherently bad. It only becomes a problem when it can’t be reabsorbed. That’s why instead of "zero-waste" I stand firmly behind the “waste equals food” principle, or the cradle-to-cradle approach, introduced by M. Braungart and W. McDonough (2002). A circular system where products are endlessly reused, returned to the earth as biological nutrients, or kept in a closed industrial loop.
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We must move beyond guilt and perfectionism and instead build systems that regenerate.
Q7: What’s your biggest hope?
That we stop seeing sustainable living as punishment, a manipulation or a marketing tool - and start seeing it as liberation.
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That people discover it’s not about sacrifice, but about clarity, connection, and meaning. That we live in harmony with our homes, our communities, our land, and ourselves. That we ask better questions, think a little deeper, and act with more love. Because living sustainably isn’t about being perfect - it’s about being present.
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And maybe - just maybe - we sip a little champagne while doing it.
