Healthy and environmentally friendly diets

[Simon]

Do you put much thought into how you can have a more environmentally friendly diet? Are you consuming less meat these days or have you perhaps gone all the way and become a vegetarian or even a vegan? Or maybe you are a pescetarianist that include eggs, dairy products and seafood but excludes other animals in your diet?

Personally I am a pescetarianist. I eat seafood, eggs and some dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt. Unfortunately I've tried to go vegetarian/vegan but because I am allergic to nuts I can't supplement my whole diet with different soy foods. For example I can't drink a tiny glass of soy milk without getting an allergic reaction.

What about you? What kind of diet do you have?

[kerry]

I consider myself to be a flexitarian, which means I eat vegetarian most of the time, but eat meat occasionally.

I do try to make an effort to purchase organic, and preferably grassfed, animal products when I do eat them, and actually recently got a small flock of chickens, so with every egg I crack I know it's coming from a chicken that's allowed to scratch around in the dirt, fresh air, and sunshine like nature intended, instead of being crammed into a massive "free range" warehouse or worse, a battery cage.

I also try to buy a fair amount of produce and other foods local, organic, or both. Though I haven't been much this summer because of the ridiculous heat wave we've been having in my part of the US, I'm usually a regular at the local farmer's market.

[zararina]

I am not that conscious in my diet. I eat vegetables and meat. I just prefer eating more fresh foods than processed foods. We also have some small flocks of chicken before but since of no enough space anymore, we can not continue it. I also used to have vegetables in our yard like bitter melon and ginger.

[warrenfb9]

I try to eat healthy when possible, but it's not a priority. I'm still pretty young, so I don't really worry about it too much. If there's a healthy choice, I'll take that over an unhealthy meal. But I tend not to go out and purchase healthy foods by choice.

[Estefani]

I'm a vegetarian and try to shop for all of my groceries at my local farmer's market or organic store. I'm pretty happy with the impact that's had on my family since I've gotten my cousins to eat healthier too.

[IowaMomma]

I am not a full blown changed person yet and haven't really changed much of my eating habits into a greener lifestyle. I have shopped at Whole Foods a few times, but found it is very expensive and a little confusing when you don't know what to shop for.

A few things I have done is started a garden and I shop at local farmer markets. Using those two resources, much of my grocery shopping has been changed to fresh fruits and veggies and herbs to cook with. I still have a lot that I need to learn when it comes to organic eating and not buying into the hype that most companies have started when it comes to greener eating.

[zuulspaceman]

I eat meat and have no desire to stop. I do, however, watch the waste I create by buying things in saner packaging. I don't like to create lots of garbage. I used to live in the forest and saw how ugly pollution could get if you didn't take care of things. I can't stop eating meat though. I'm pretty sure even grain machines destroy habitats. It takes what, 7 gallons of oil just to make 1 car tire? Think of all the animals you kill just having your vegetables delivered to the store!

[Simon]

I eat meat and have no desire to stop. I do, however, watch the waste I create by buying things in saner packaging. I don't like to create lots of garbage. I used to live in the forest and saw how ugly pollution could get if you didn't take care of things. I can't stop eating meat though. I'm pretty sure even grain machines destroy habitats. It takes what, 7 gallons of oil just to make 1 car tire? Think of all the animals you kill just having your vegetables delivered to the store!

eh what? :blink2:

Some reading for you:

Eating Meat and Climate Change: "It takes an estimated 4.8 pounds of grain, 390 gallons of water, and .25 gallons of gasoline to produce a pound of beef. Livestock production requires 10 to 1000 times more land, energy, and water than is necessary to produce an equivalent amount of plant food."

1 kilo meat = 15 000 litres of water: "Did you know that it takes 15 000 litres of water to produce one kilo meat from an animal who is being feed with grains. 150 litres of water is needed to produce one kilo of grains."

Cut back on the meat and help save the climate: "The meat industry is a big burden for our climate as it is responsible for about one fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions, in the world. That means they currently pollutes more than the whole transport sector. The cattle release CO2, methane and other greenhouse gases. They also use a lot of land areas, around 25% of the earths total land area. And about one third of all farm areas are used to grow food for the cattle."

Green Quote of the Week: Rajendra Pachauri: "So I want to highlight the fact that among options for mitigating climate change, changing diets is something one should consider."

The cruel life inside a factory farm: "[...]And in an industrial world where the animals are increasingly seen as a commodity or product to make money on haven’t improved the animals well-being. Rather, the intensification of our agriculture sector has made their life worse. And this cruelty is happening around the world."

[Cecille]

I too did not understand what zuulspaceman said. LOL

On the topic:

I also eat meat and veggies and fruits. But I try to eat the last two more 'cause I know they are better for the body. I like cabbage, spinach, radish, potatoes and sweet potatoes. I also like citrus fruits with the sweet and sour tastes.

[el canadiano]

Do you put much thought into how you can have a more environmentally friendly diet? Are you consuming less meat these days or have you perhaps gone all the way and become a vegetarian or even a vegan? Or maybe you are a pescetarianist that include eggs, dairy products and seafood but excludes other animals in your diet?

Personally I am a pescetarianist. I eat seafood, eggs and some dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt. Unfortunately I've tried to go vegetarian/vegan but because I am allergic to nuts I can't supplement my whole diet with different soy foods. For example I can't drink a tiny glass of soy milk without getting an allergic reaction.

What about you? What kind of diet do you have?

My mom and dad have similar diets. I'm not a veggie myself cause I'm also allergic to nuts, but whenever I can, I usually try to buy local. There's a very nice farmers' market in this region.

[Crash-Cheetah]

I consider myself to be a flexitarian, which means I eat vegetarian most of the time, but eat meat occasionally.

I've never come up with a name for that before. If I don't have to eat meat I don't. The problem is when I did go vegetarian I fell into some health problems. For an example I'm now anemic. I have to take iron pills every day now and I also have chronic nose bleeds that has been blamed on me being vegetarian. Something about the iron loss causes the frequent nose bleeds.

These also aren't little nose bleeds. I have a stream of blood that comes from my nose almost everyday. It's not fun. I never recommend anyone goes full vegetarian. Limit your meat in take, but don't give it up. They can have lasting effects. If I would have caught myself before I became anemic I wouldn't have many of my health problems.

[el canadiano]

I've never come up with a name for that before. If I don't have to eat meat I don't. The problem is when I did go vegetarian I fell into some health problems. For an example I'm now anemic. I have to take iron pills every day now and I also have chronic nose bleeds that has been blamed on me being vegetarian. Something about the iron loss causes the frequent nose bleeds.

These also aren't little nose bleeds. I have a stream of blood that comes from my nose almost everyday. It's not fun. I never recommend anyone goes full vegetarian. Limit your meat in take, but don't give it up. They can have lasting effects. If I would have caught myself before I became anemic I wouldn't have many of my health problems.

One of my friends actually ended up giving up vegetarianism for a given amount of time because she got sick a lot as well. I believe she said she went back to the diet in September.

[Crash-Cheetah]

If she;s having health problems don't let her continue. The first rounds a warning sign and plain lucky. Worse things can happen.

[antioxidantking]

Another flexatarian, meat mainly white chicken fish love my seafood fresh from unpolluted waters. Still find it hard to stay away from sweet stuff, but eat heaps of fruit every day, mangoes,papaya,apples,pineapples,avocado,berries,coconuts,melons,etc I blend all in different concoctions with healthy additives such as raw coca powder, moringa powder acai powder goji berries the list goes on love my veggies as well.

also can live of homemade dark chocolate I get RAW cocoa powder,coca butter, goji berries @ wholesale prices from ecolurve so good and nutritious.

Trying to convert everybody to a healthy diet the blender is the way to go i make at least two good smoothies a day hey hey hey..........

[antioxidantking]

Health benefit

Did you know..........Goji berry has been used for centuries in Asia for eye health benefit and to maintain vitality. I can find few published research regarding its use in humans or the benefit of drinking goji juice. I understand there are countless claims when one searches online, but most of these claims are premature and not bases on extensive human study results.

Some of the online goji berry health benefit claims include such promises as, "Would you believe the average woman in the Himalayan Hunza tribe lives to be 100? And that arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, sexual dysfunction and depression are totally unknown to them? Goji can shut down cell aging in six hours! Their secret? The berry of the goji vine. Never heard of it? You're not alone. "No plant in all of Asian medicine even approaches the benefits of Goji," says pharmacist and nutrition researcher Earl Mindell, Ph.D., author of "Goji: The Himalayan Health Secret". Start sipping it today and you'll reap rewards like ... all over cell rejuvenation, powerful protection against germs, a return to passion and sexual desire..."

I do believe that goji berry has health benefits and future research will indicate which of the marketing claims will turn out to be accurate and which will turn out to be overly enthusiastic. For the time being, it appears that one health benefit that has promise is in the realm of vision health. Goji berry has a high level of zeaxanthin which is a nutrient, along with lutein, necessary for optimal eyesight. I would suggest, though, rather than consuming goji berry predominantly, it would be a good idea to consume a variety of berries - cranberry, blueberry, strawberry, etc - in order to ingest a number of different phytonutrients.

ECO♥

[angelsfun]

Hi I love goji berries so good in my morning breakfast smoothies.

Very well written topic a good read tnx.

[antioxidantking]

Breakfast boost..........Just have to mention my healthy and Eco friendly breakfast..........

1 Avocado, handful of Goji berries,3 or 4 Dates 3 to 4 Cocoa Raw Beans,Aloe Vera ( fresh if possible 4 tbs approx ) water and Palm Syrup or Honey to sweeten Blend and enjoy. It.

[kat74]

I think my diet has everything, when we were growing up my brother never used to touch meet but somehow he started. One has to be very committed to be a vegetarian, I haven't tried because I know I can succeed. I eat meat but not everyday but vegetables are a daily must.

[zararina]

I agree that if a person become so sickly being vegetarian, I do not see reasons for them to continue such diet and suffer from health issues.

I eat meat and vegetables. And I think to make it healthy and more earth friendly, better consume organic and fresh foods.

[snowdoll487]

I eat a balanced diet. Meat and vegetables, or seafood and vegetable as a pair. But I'm mainly carnivore. You know, methane gas is 10x potent than Carbon Dioxide and animals like cows and such are main source of methane gas. :)

[greenman]

I eat sustainably reared, grass-fed meat. I buy organic and local meat. I would not cut out meat from my diet because meat is a key part of our natural diet. In the grand scheme of the global economy, I consider my actions to be irrelevant, but that doesn't stop me doing what I can and avoiding imported food.

[bendonahower]

Like some others, I also consider myself a flexitarian. "You are what you eat," so if you consider yourself an environmentalist, it just makes sense to consider the foods that we eat and the impact on the environment. With that said, everyone's metabolism is different and some people have very specific nutritional needs and what sacrifices they are willing to make socially. As to the latter, I'm very particular about where I get meat when I do eat it except at family gatherings and the like. I don't like the idea of eating meat that wasn't treated well, is full of hormones, etc., but I will partake at family gathering such as cook outs or holidays.

I consider myself to be a flexitarian, which means I eat vegetarian most of the time, but eat meat occasionally.

I do try to make an effort to purchase organic, and preferably grassfed, animal products when I do eat them, and actually recently got a small flock of chickens, so with every egg I crack I know it's coming from a chicken that's allowed to scratch around in the dirt, fresh air, and sunshine like nature intended, instead of being crammed into a massive "free range" warehouse or worse, a battery cage.

I also try to buy a fair amount of produce and other foods local, organic, or both. Though I haven't been much this summer because of the ridiculous heat wave we've been having in my part of the US, I'm usually a regular at the local farmer's market.

[cbrook812]

looking for some interesting spices to give non meat more taste, any ideas?

[Hakan]

I have a mixed approach to my diet which mostly means I have meatless Mondays.

[NoNukes]

Meatless Mondays was all the rage here a while back. But these days nit so much. Instead everyone seems to be following that meat-only diet so they can lose weight. :/