Friday, 12th of March 2010 at 12:27:55 PMWhile the idea of being green may seem like a bit of a trend more than a movement toward a healthier planet, there is much that can be gained from going green. Not only can you help the planet and your community, but you can also help to create a healthier and a trimmer new you with some green dieting advice. Being green doesn’t mean you need to change your entire life, but it can help you to take steps that help you in your fitness and diet goals.
Green dieting is not only eco-friendly, but it is a wonderful way to add fresh, local produce to your diet and get some fresh air when exercising.
An easy way to begin Green Dieting and to add healthy foods to your diet is to head to a local farmer’s market. These markets allow you to pick from local and fresh product and meats, which helps to support local farms and, in some cases, organic farming (of course not all foods sold at farmer’s markets are organic – ask if you’re not sure). Overall, small farming practices are much better for the environment than large scale, mass-production farming that uses large amounts of chemicals, such as pesticides and herbicides and other destructive practices to get products to the grocery store.
Another benefit of buying local produce is that the foods have not had to travel from far away places, unlike the ones you might find in a chain grocery store. Thus, by green dieting with local products you are helping to lessen the gas that’s been used for food transportation and associated combustion emissions to the environment.
Most people find that local produce bought from farmer’s markets have more flavor and are often much cheaper than foods you see at the grocery stores. Try heading to the farmer’s market in your area to choose foods to eat for the week, supplementing with your local grocery store as needed. Our family loves a trip to the country on the weekends to the local farmer’s markets. Their selection and quality of cheeses, meats, eggs, fruits and vegetables are far beyond what we can find at a chain grocery store. It is a fun family outing that I have been doing since I was a child.
If you don’t have a farmer’s market in your area, you can often head to your local grocery store and find organic and natural foods to eat. When in the produce section, look for foods which are labeled as organic. Organic products are grown and manufactured without the use of chemicals and often without GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Consuming foods that have been grown without the use of chemicals or GMO’s is not only good for your health, but is an eco-friendly way to eat that helps to support good farming practices.
Of course, green dieting doesn’t just include finding natural ways to eat, but also to exercise. When you want to be more eco-friendly in the way you exercise, heading outside for a walk, bike, or run is a great idea. Instead of driving to the gym in order to workout, you will be able to enjoy nature and get into shape. Find a local trail or a park where you can move amongst the trees and animals, helping to burn calories without hurting the environment at the same time. In addition, you might want to volunteer to clean up the parks or the waters near you, also helping you add exercise to your day while also supporting the earth.
Choosing to go green with your diet and exercise program doesn’t have to be hard. With just a few basic changes to your lifestyle, you will find that being eco-friendly is not only good for the world, but you will also feel better and look better at the same time. Over time, you will find that more green steps are easier to implement once you have these basics down.
Other Related Posts and Articles you May Find Interesting: “Eating Organic Foods”, “Healthy Weight Loss Diet May Prevent Cancer”, “Anti-Cancer Drug Added to Junk Foods” and “Anti-Diet Approach to Losing Weight”.
I have a couple of comments on this article…
Local farmer’s market isn’t cheaper. No really. Maybe it is for people living in the U.S. but I try very hard to get my mother and her boyfriend to buy healthier, and the sad truth here is: rich people can afford to eat healthy – organic/non-organic fruits and vegetables are expensive, especially when you live in a country that has quite lousy weather most of the year (Denmark), so most people buy fruits and vegetables (especially fruits) from Spain, Italy or whatever. Because it’s cheaper. When you see something like Danish strawberries, you know that it is more expensive than those from any other country.
Unless you have enough money to sacrifice on food, I would not recommend people to only try to buy local food. It is good to try to, of course, but no need to spend all your money on food.
My personal tip would be to cut a little down on meat instead. That way you can save money, and your body will be lighter and happier if you limit your intake of meat to only a couple of times a week (our bodies don’t need so much heavy protein intake every single day). I personally only need 1-2 times a week. Instead, those days you decide not to eat meat, you can buy other foods that are rich in proteins (for example, beans, edamame beans (green soy-beans), chickpeas and such). I would not recommend eating too much tofu/soymilk – it is known to have some levels of estrogen in it, so even though it can be tasty occasionally, try not to make it a habit.
I’m not an expert, but this is all based on personal experience (and I’m a former vegetarian, so I’ve done a little bit of research, and still like to be updated on foods). I’m sure that some other people would agree on some of this 🙂
I love buying from the farmers market because the food from there always tastes better and it’s healthier (no pesticides or herbicides). The money you spend also supports the local farmers as well as agriculture. Not only that but you can actually talk to the farmer or the person who grew it so you know what methods they used to cultivate it and what makes each veggie variety special. The farmer (or usually his wife 🙂 also often makes suggestions and recommendations on how to prepare it too. I love going to the farmers markets!