Eating Healthy is better for the environment, which means it's better for other people. Well, I suppose that depends on your definition of eating healthy. I'm not talking about switching to a diet of frozen "healthy dinners" and overly packaged, chemical laden food bars and other not-so-good-for-you diet foods. I'm talking about the classic healthy whole foods diet. A diet composed primarily of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. We all know that a vegetarian diet is better for the environment and a vegan diet perhaps even better still. Eating all things as locally produced as possible is very important for a healthy planet as well as purchasing organically grown foods.
Why does all of this matter? Well, there's about a million reasons, really, but just think about it for a minute... fresh fruits and vegetables are not processed, therefore you skip all that extra waste that would be produced during the processing and extra transport (and hopefully you skip plastic packaging this way, unless you're addicted to Trader Joe's, like me... sigh). Eating foods as close to their natural state as possible is better for you and means using less heat. we all know that cooking uses energy, right? when you eat a whole foods diet, that means that when you do cook, you cook from scratch. Cooking this way ensures that you skip all of those chemical additives and preservatives and extra packaging, which is so much better for you and the environment. These are just a few of the obvious reasons why our food choices matter.
Some of these issues are debatable, I suppose. Some would say that the only important thing is to eat locally, sustainably produced organic food, while some would say eating raw food is most important to maintain personal health. I won't get into those debates. Overall, I'm just trying to say that any change we make that is a step toward a diet of whole foods that are minimally processed and cooked is a step toward healthier people and a healthier planet. So, if you're currently eating meat at every meal, consider trying to cut it back to just dinner, or just try a vegetarian meal once this week, or just cut back on red meat. If you've never gone to the farmer's market, go as soon as it opens this year (which was this last weekend if you live in Bellingham!) and check it out and/or consider joining a local CSA. I'm not suggesting we all change everything about our diets and shopping habits overnight. I'm just suggesting that we remain mindful in our eating and remember that what we choose to purchase and put in our bodies doesn't just affect our own health, but also the health of the planet and all of us who live here. So, take a baby step or two along with me because I'm on this journey to better, more mindful eating and shopping habits as well. I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be. Currently, I'm hoping that buying in bulk will help me shrink the grocery tabs and the contents of my garbage can! Now I just need to re-train myself to buy dried beans instead of canned (apparently most cans contain BPA, ick. Why is plastic everywhere?)
- A great, thought-provoking post on reconsidering your diet here.
- 100-Mile Diet
- Top 10 Reasons to Support Organic in the 21st Century
- Working conditions in American Slaughter Houses
- An article on the effects of cooking meat here: cooking meat dirties the air more than most people realize
- Evidence Shows that Our Meat-Based Diet is Bad for the Environment, Aggravates Global Hunger, Brutalizes Animals and Compromises our Health
photo courtesy of ismon on flickr
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