Thoughts on being "eco-conscious"...and ways to 'green up' our diet :-)

Ecological consciousness  or  "eco-consciousness"  is on a lot of people's minds.

 And for many of us, eco-friendly choices are a growing concern all year-round, particularly when it comes to what we eat.

So...just what is "eco-consciousness"??

"Eco-consciousness"  is the act of being continually aware of the environment, and the impact of our actions upon it.

Therefore, to be  "eco-conscious"  is to show concern for the environment...

being an informed purchaser;
 knowing or having an understanding of what effect you have on the environment re: what you do, what you buy or what you use.

 Here are some tips I've come across, which we can use all year long to help us 'green up our diet'...☺

Let's buy organic! 

Choosing organic foods may reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 68 percent.

Organic foods also taste great!

(Well-balanced soils grow strong healthy plants that taste great.

As for me, an organic vine-ripened tomato is always a sweet and juicy flavor treat for my salads!) ♥

Let's buy local!

We've heard it said many times "buying local produce reduces your carbon footprint."

Locally grown food travels less distance, and thus, less carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted into the atmosphere.

The farther away your food is grown, then the farther it has to travel to get to you, and the more CO2 is released into the atmosphere thru the internal combustion engines of cars, trains, trucks, planes, and worse ~ cargo ships.

So what does 'buying local' mean??

To me, buying local means buying produce that's grown in my/our country, at the very least.

It means choosing lanzones (when in season) that's grown in a neighboring city (like Concepcion, Talisay), rather than lanzones grown on the other side of the country (like Paete, Laguna).

For some people, it would mean buying organic fruits and vegetables produced locally, or they won't buy anything at all that's grown more than 200 kilometers away from where they live.

It just depends on one's own preference and ideologies.

Let's grow our own! 

Whether it's growing a pot of herbs on our windowsill or replacing a bed of flowers with dark leafy greens, a home garden can be our ultimate local food source.

 Plus, it's a great way to cut back our trips to the supermarket.

 Picking-and eating-our produce when it's ripest means it's also at its peak nutrition-wise. 

Growing food in our garden, on a balcony or on our windowsill is one of the most rewarding things we can do.
Be it tomatoes climbing on our grills, a row of garlic, potatoes grown in old car tires or simply herbs on the windowsill...☺

Let's be "sushi smart"! 

Studies have shown that since 1950, about a third of all fish species worldwide have collapsed.

 Thus, making sustainable seafood choices is important.

 When we're ordering sushi, we have to consider:

is that tuna (maguro) more sustainable than the salmon (sake)?

 To find out, let's try to download that app (seafoodwatch.org), which categorizes sushi into best choices, good alternatives and those to avoid.

 Salmon is generally a better choice than tuna, but in many cases it depends on where the fish was sourced.

 So the next time we get to eat at our favorite Japanese restaurant, let's try to ask our server where our sushi came from! 

Let's cut back on some types of meat! 

Did you know that more greenhouse gases are produced worldwide by animal farming than by transportation?

 Well, it's true!

 Some types of meat, though, have more of a negative impact on the environment than others.

 In fact, the Environmental Working Group or "EWG" (a non-profit org.in the U.S. that uses the power of public information to protect public health and the environment),

 recently looked at the environmental impact of 20 conventionally grown protein sources (including beans, dairy, produce, meat and poultry)

 and determined which are the best and worst choices.

 The top offenders (which are the ones we should limit) are: lamb, beef, cheese and pork.

The best choices are: tomatoes, milk, beans, tofu, broccoli, yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, rice, and potatoes.

What about you?

What's your best tip to 'green up your diet'??

Here's to a 'greener' environment, a 'greener' us!
~SAL ♥