Food production is one of the most fundamental ways in which people interact with the environment. Farming practices that support thriving communities and replenish the earth’s resources allow it to continue producing without stress. Poor farming practices, on the other hand, have an adverse effect on both the environment and human health.
The choices you make as a consumer have the power to support healthy farming practices. A healthy diet debate is ongoing, but there are a few things you can do to ensure a healthy future for yourself and the planet.
The following are 5 guidelines for consuming foods that are good for you and the environment at the same time:
1. Eat Whole Fruits And Veggies
Even though it may not seem exciting, one of the best things you can do for your body is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Plants have chemicals in them called phytonutrients that fight disease and help your body heal. When you eat a variety of whole fruits and vegetables, you give your body what it needs to work at its best.
Fruits and vegetables don’t hurt the environment much when they are grown in an organic way. Plants that make food also return nutrients to the soil and break down quickly. Bees are important to the ecosystem as a whole because they pollinate many crops. Farmers who rotate their crops and get rid of pests without using chemicals help the environment, not hurt it.
2. Compost Excess Food
It is thought that 30–40% of the food in the United States never gets eaten. Some of this waste comes from factories, but a lot of it comes from people’s homes, where food goes bad or is thrown away. If you compost old or extra food instead of throwing it away, you can help the environment and your own health.
Plant matter is great for composting, but you should avoid using animal products other than eggshells because they can grow bacteria and attract pests. You should also avoid adding anything that has been sprayed with pesticides if you want your composted fertilizer to be good. Composting is a way to reduce waste and eat better in a way that is good for the environment.
3. Don’t eat any processed foods
Not only are highly processed foods bad for your health, they are also bad for the environment. For instance, deli meat and other processed meats are often made from cows that were given antibiotics and growth hormones. Ingesting these chemicals can hurt your health, and some studies even suggest that processed meats can cause cancer.
Cutting out highly processed foods from your diet is one of the best things you can do for your health. This includes meat and dairy products, as well as grains and sugar. In addition to protecting your body, you won’t be helping farmers use chemicals and preservatives in their farming methods, which hurts the environment.
4. Choose grass-fed, organic beef
A lot of people have different ideas about how red meat affects the health of both people and the environment. Some evidence suggests that raising livestock contributes to global warming, while others say that sustainable farming practices actually reduce the amount of greenhouse gases. Some experts say that red meat gives people cancer, while others say that people can’t be healthy without it.
From an environmental point of view, keeping animals requires a lot of land and resources. But in some places, the land is better suited to raising nutrient-rich livestock than to growing crops. Experts say that when it comes to health, the most important thing is the quality of the meat. Beef that is full of preservatives and other chemicals is not as good for you as beef that is raised on grass.
5. Think locally, not globally
Transportation is one of the main ways that agriculture adds to greenhouse gas emissions. By buying foods that are grown near you, you can cut down on the amount of transportation needed and help your local economy. Small farmers are also less likely to spray their crops with chemicals, which makes the food they grow safer and healthier to eat and compost.
Even though it’s important to think about how farming affects the world as a whole, what helps keep the environment healthy in one place will be different from what works in another. You can help make farming around the world more friendly to the environment by supporting sustainable local agriculture.
Invest in a healthy future
When it comes to healthy foods, the health of both people and the environment go hand in hand. This makes it more important than ever to choose the healthy option. Follow these five tips to invest in your health and support sustainable agriculture for a healthy future.
