Feast Your Way to a Healthier Planet
By Marie Fortin
In honour of international Earth Day (April 22), and the long-awaited arrival of spring, this nutrition article is dedicated to eating well in an environmentally-sustainable way. Eating an earth-friendly diet is one way individuals, families and communities can make a remarkable difference to their health and the health of our planet.
Is Organic Really Best?
The Organic Council of Ontario defines organic agriculture as a holistic production system that uses sustainable farming methods. Organic crops are produced without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation or genetically modified organisms. Organic farming methods do not leave synthetic chemical residues that trickle into our air, soil and water systems. For this reason, the best argument for buying organic is in support of our environment.
The big drawback for many of us: the added expense of organic produce. Organically grown crops and livestock are typically more costly to produce and to get to market. Organic farming tends to be labour intensive and have greater expenses and lower yields. Organic farms, tending to be smaller, are less able to benefit from economies of scale than larger operations.
When health is the focus and cost is a deterrent, it’s wise to save your organic purchases for fruit and vegetables that tend to have the highest pesticide loads when grown conventionally. The soft-fleshed fruits with edible skins such as peaches, berries, nectarines and grapes top an organic shopping list whenever possible.
After buying either organic or conventionally grown produce with an edible peel, clean it well with warm water and a soft cloth to reduce traces of waxes and residues. Do not use soap to clean produce; it will leave entirely different and not necessarily safer chemical residues on your food. Peeling your fruits and vegetables will reduce your intake of pesticides, but will also waste the fibre and valuable nutrients often found in or just under the peel.
For our health, eating a diet abundant in fruits and vegetables is a better strategy than eating few fruits and vegetables as part of a strictly-organic diet. Remember, though, that the strongest reason for purchasing organic when possible is in support of the environment.
Think Globally, Eat Locally
The food we eat typically travels a vast distance to reach our plates. When the average North American sits down to a meal, each ingredient has typically made a 2,400 km journey from field to table – roughly the distance from Regina to Toronto! Fresh food meant to survive long journeys also tends to undergo a variety of treatments to prevent spoiling – including irradiation, waxes, gases, sprouting inhibitors and synthetic chemicals.
The obvious alternative is to support our local farmers, who are able to supply the freshest produce at less cost to the consumer and to the environment, compared to food producers half-way around the world. Choosing locally-grown produce in season also has nutritional benefits in that there is less time elapsed from field to table. Fresh fruits and vegetables lose their nutrients quickly after harvesting. We know that frozen vegetables, for example, can be richer in vitamin and antioxidant content than fresh fruits and vegetables that have survived a journey of thousands of kilometers, followed by shelf time in the store and in your fridge.
Our Food Choices Affect the Planet
Consider how our reliance on the following foods directly impacts the earth at large:
Be Finicky When Choosing Fish: According to the Endangered Fish Alliance, many species, including Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, grouper and bluefin tuna are over fished, oversold and overeaten to the point of risking extinction. Visit www.blueocean.org to download a wallet-size guide to ocean friendly seafood. Enjoy wild salmon, yellowfin or Albacore tuna, tilapia, Dungeness crab and farmed clams, mussels and oysters with a clear conscience.
Pass on Palm Oil: Palm oil is harvested from land that once was rainforest or peat-swamp forests. When those forest areas are cleared, habitats for endangered animals are destroyed. Further loss of forest may push endangered animal species, including orangutans, Sumatran tigers and Sumatran rhinos, into extinction. Palm oil production is at an all-time high, partly because food manufacturers are seeking a replacement for hydrogenated (“trans”) fats, the consumption of which is a known heart disease risk. Palm oil, however, happens to be one of the few plant fats that is naturally high in saturated (think “artery clogging”) fat. What to do? Minimize your intake of highly processed foods; many are made with palm oil. When baking, use non-hydrogenated margarines and heart-friendly canola and olive oils.
Vegetables Rule: To produce one pound of wheat requires 25 gallons of water, while a pound of soy requires 250 gallons. To get one pound of beef to your table, in contrast, uses 2500 gallons of water. For the sake of the environment, consider eating a vegetarian meal once or twice a week. Instead of meat, get your protein from legumes (try black bean and cheese quesadillas), tofu or veggie “meats” (for example). An added bonus: regular consumption of these meat alternatives is linked to a reduction in blood levels of “bad” cholesterol.
Marie Fortin is a Registered Dietitian and runs a nutrition consulting practice specializing in weight loss and cardiovascular health. Visit www.mariefortin.com for more information.
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