If you’re even casually interested in environmental sustainability, you should be conscientious of what you’re eating. On its own, the agricultural industry accounts for 12% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. When you add the energy that’s expelled through the transportation of food and processing, the food industry is responsible for a whopping 23% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
Something must change.
Healthy Body = Healthy Planet
On the bright side, eating for the planet is really good for your health too. It should come as no surprise that highly processed foods are among the least healthy, and as they are bad for your body, so are they bad for the environment. Most of these foods travel huge distances, racking up a massive carbon footprint as they go, a situation that’s only exacerbated if that food is red meat.
It’s been said that abandoning beef would do more for reducing global CO2 emissions than if everybody gave up driving. Take a moment to think about that – eating cows does more harm for the planet than a petrol guzzling machine.
So now we know beef is bad for the planet, and we already know too much red meat increases the risk of heart disease, it’s time to cut down on those processed burgers.
Luckily, there are plenty of nutritious, delicious foods that will give you a glow, while they’ll help nurture a healthy environment.
Eat More:
- Organic
As any molecular biologist will tell you, genetic engineered foods on their own aren’t bad. At its most basic, genetically modifying a food means nurturing some attributes of a food, like size, sweetness, or color over others.
However, there is still a good reason to buy organic. You can even purchase supplements that are organic, like this organic prebiotic powder that should be taken in addition to keeping a healthy diet.
Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides, which are suspected of being cancer causing. Not only that, but the pesticides used in conventional agriculture badly damage soil health. Organic farming cuts all that bad stuff out.
If conventional farming continues, with its rampant use of big, industrial pesticides, Britain only has 100 harvests left. America has just 60. Switch to organic to support a sustainable industry now, before it’s too late.
- Beans
Beans, beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat, the more you reduce your CO2 emissions. Dramatically.
Beans are packed full of protein, fiber and folic acid; they provide essential nutrients that support healthy muscle growth, help babies develop healthily and promote good digestion – to give you a great glow. Even better, they have a tiny carbon footprint. Boron is another supplement that helps achieve normal levels of activity in the body, read more about the best form of boron supplement here.
- Sardines
It’s always a delight to find an animal-based protein source you can tuck into without feeling too guilty. These little critters are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Omega-3 is great for immune function, and healthy skin and hair. Vitamin D is a real treat too, because it’s so rarely found in foodstuffs.
Even better than all those health benefits, sardines are a completely sustainable fish! Meaning that you can enjoy a pasta con le sarde, safe in the knowledge that you’re not contributing to overfishing.
- Legumes, Nuts and Seeds
Right now, Americans only consume 15% of their protein from plants. Even a small increase in that figure would reap a whole host of benefits for the health of Americans, and the vitality of the planet.
Eating legumes, like lentils, nuts and seeds, can do wonders for improving your health, because you are sourcing more of your protein from plant-based sources. In turn, the reduction in red meat consumption will do great things for the planet.
- Eggs
There are few things as delightful as dipping a hunk of toast in a perfectly gooey egg yolk, and, wonder of wonders, you can enjoy this guilt free – as long as you opt for pasture-raised eggs.
Pasture-raised eggs contain more vitamin A and Omega 3 than their battery farmed equivalent, meaning you get more of the good stuff. They’re the source of land-animal protein with the lowest environmental impact, and they’re so much tastier than their battery equivalents!
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