Good for You, Good for Our Earth

Many people are wondering how to be sure a product really is organic when it claims it is organic. As of June 30, 2009, the Organic Products Regulations require mandatory certification to the revised National Organic Standard for agricultural products represented as organic in international and inter-provincial trade, or that bear the federal organic agricultural product legend (or federal logo). This means if a products states it is Certified Organic- it has to contain at least 95% organic ingredients.  Read the rest of this entry »

So you thought the best thing you could do to reduce your output of CO2 emissions was to ride your bike? Well, that’s a great start; however, if you really want to reduce the amount of CO2 we produce, you need to start with what you put in your mouth.  When you account for all the emissions from seed, to plate, to landfill, the food we eat accounts for as much as 31% of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a gigantic Food Footprint!

Top choices that are ‘Good for You & Good for Our Earth’

1. Eat less red meat and dairy
Research shows that a diet high in red meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer. The raising of livestock for human consumption is also responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. On average, red meat is around 150% more greenhouse-gas intensive than chicken or fish.

When eating red meat and dairy:
⇒    Buy organic, local or grass-fed meat and dairy whenever possible and choose the leanest meat and trim any visible fat before cooking
⇒    Limit the amount of red meat you eat each week to 3 servings. A serving is 85 grams (3 ounces) when cooked – this is smaller than   a   deck of cards
⇒    Choose  low or fat-free dairy products

2. Reduce your intake of processed and packaged foods

The majority of processed foods are filled with additives, high in sugar, fat, salt, and stripped of nutrients. Processed meats have a high level of sodium nitrate (salt), considered by many to be carcinogenic (causes cancer). Not only that, packaged food is extremely resource intense. Snack foods, most juices, even veggie burgers (prepared, boxed, frozen and transported) often consume much more energy through processing and packaging than non-packaged foods.

3. Pass on the air miles

Often we think ‘Eating Local’ is the best thing we can do for the environment. In reality 80 per cent of the energy used to get food from the farm to the table occurs during food production. Transportation accounts for 10% -15 %. The best thing about eating local is actually the quality of the food and supporting your local economy. Even when the highest post-harvest handling standards are met, foods grown far away spend significant time on the road, and therefore, have more time to lose nutrients before reaching the marketplace.  When shopping for foods that perish quickly, look for sustainable locally grown foods — your body and the earth will thank you for it.

4.  Say NO to supersize

The more food you pile on your plate, the more likely you are to eat it. Ordering larger portion sizes often causes over-consumption of food, and this can have a negative impact on weight. In addition, every time a person takes more then he or she can eat, what is left on the plate causes our landfills to also grow in size. As this wasted food rots in landfills, it generates methane gas that contributes to global warming. Worldwide, 1/2 of the food produced is wasted. Wasted food is wasted energy. Warm your heart, not the earth. Eat whole food and think twice before asking for that second helping.

How many times have you heard Milk is bad for you. That we are the ‘only animal that drinks milk past infancy’, and therefore it MUST be bad for you.

Well.. I am here to give you the FACTS and then.. you decide.

Milk is carbon intensive. It takes a lot of energy to feed those cows to produce that milk. However, to have organic produce, we need to obtain organic fertilizer from somewhere (yes, cow poop is what your organic veggies are grown in), so I like to think, my 1-2 milk products a day supports the organic food market.

But what about the milk itself?

1) Humans have been having drinking milk for 1000′s of years. Before water was ever turned into wine, milk was being turned in to cheese.

2). We are smart. Smarter then the average ape, dog, and dolphin, (well some of us) why? BECAUSE we drink milk! (ok.. I may have taken that from my own brain and not studies.. but really.. think about it

3). It is natures food. If you don’t drink milk because of all the ‘bad’ things you have heard, but consume alcohol and other processed foods- hmm… not a great argument.. so stop there.

4). You CAN ensure that there are no harmful bacteria in milk, or additives or preservatives.
By law, all fluid milk sold in Canada must be pasteurized. This is necessary to kill any harmful bacteria that may find their way into milk. Pasteurization also destroys spoilage organisms, which ensures a longer shelf life for the milk. Milk is natural i.e. nothing is added except vitamins A and D, which is also required by law. That’s it that’s all! The sugar in milk is naturally occurring, and is less then the amount found in unsweetened orange juice.

5) The milk really is fresh when it gets to the grocery store.
Milk is packaged quickly – usually within 24 hours of arriving at the dairy plant. Milk is held at 4C during transport and on display in the store to ensure safety and quality. Dairy products are code dated to ensure they are purchased at their highest quality.

6) Milk quality checks are done on dairy farms.
Every farm is inspected and certified before it can produce milk. The farms must meet the provincial standards for quality milk production and clean premises. Everywhere the cows go must be kept clean and well maintained. All milking equipment is cleaned and sanitized daily. Farms are then inspected regularly to ensure the quality standards are maintained. Cows are monitored regularly to ensure good health. As soon as the milk leaves the cow it is cooled and kept cool at all times. Before milk can be picked up, it must be inspected and graded by a licensed bulk milk tank grader. It is the grader’s responsibility to ensure the milk is cold (below 4C), smells fresh and looks clean.

7) I drink milk EVERY day…. and look how good I look!

8).. I DO NOT work or never have worked for the dairy association.. I have just read the research folks.