Eating Green

Nowhere has the green lifestyle created a very strong impact than in the way people choose the food they eat. Worldwide environmental concern also coincides with the alarming increase in food-related ailments, making it even more crucial now than ever before to go back to natural, healthy foods.

Eating naturally grown, organic food is not only healthy for the body, it is also beneficial for the environment. They are grown without pesticides and harmful chemicals, harvested without spray-on boosters and prepared in their pure forms. They retain much of their valuable nutrients that aid the body's natural defenses against sickness and boost the immune system.

Being green does not only pertain to how a food is produced and grown, but also in the manner they are prepared and eaten. Artificial preservatives and curing chemicals coupled with coal-roasting or frying destroy not only the original flavor of the food but the health condition of the person eating them.

Indeed, the simple business of eating can translate to a huge responsibility when it comes to environmental protection. Here are some tips to start eating green:

1. Shop only at farmers' markets for the freshest organically grown vegetables, fruits and even grass-fed poultry and meat sources.
2. At home and in the office, say no to junk foods and instead, keep stock of healthy snacks like whole wheat cereals, multi-grain chips, fresh fruits, nuts and vegetable sticks or salads in homemade natural dips or dressing. Juice an orange or lemon or make healthy vegetable smoothies instead of sodas and carbonated drinks.
3. At work, advocate for the availability of “real” foods by encouraging the cafeteria management to include healthy choices in their menu like multi-grain pasta, freshly prepared sandwiches with healthy fillings and organic vegetable salads, among others. The same goes for your party menus.
4. Children should also benefit from natural foods. Mix vegetables into their favorite foods like pureed pumpkin in their hotcake batter, cauliflower bits into their soup and multi-grain pasta mix into their spaghetti. Give them lots of natural fruit juices.