5 New Year's Resolutions
1. Research Products
From your computer or iPhone, research the impact of products on your health, the environment and society. You can scan GoodGuide's database for a quick list of top rated products or you can delve deeper into the issues that you are concerned about.
Next, demand more transparency from the companies you support. There are three simple things everyone should know about their food: Where did it come from? How was it made? What's in it?
2. Eat Healthy
There are lots of ways to eat healthier this year:
- Eat food with less sodium.
- Eat food with less added sugar.
- Eat whole grain foods.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Eat fewer processed foods.
- Eat smaller portion sizes.
- Avoid bad fats.
3. Reduce Toxins
Reduce the toxins in the environment and your body by buying local, organic produce. Chemical pesticides that are used in conventional farming methods affect the water you drink, the animals that live nearby, the farmers that use them, and your own body. You should also try to avoid bringing toxic chemicals into your home in your cleaning chemicals and personal care products.
4. Buy Local
The food on the typical American family's dinner table has traveled an average of 1,500 miles. The recently implemented Country of Origin Law adds labels to meats, fruits, and vegetables, providing a view of the supply chains that now stock our shelves. One Canadian study estimated that picking 58 selected food items locally and regionally could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49,485 tons annually - the equivalent of removing 16,191 vehicles from the road.
5. Eat Low on the Food Chain
Eat less red meat. And when you do eat meat, avoid animals that were given hormones and antibiotics. Look for locally raised beef that is organic or grass fed. If you eat chicken, look for pasture-raised chicken. Beef's carbon footprint is 3 to 7 times larger than chicken's. Producing 1 pound of beef uses up 29 times more water than 1 pound of chicken and 50 times more water than 1 pound of soybeans. Three liters of oil are required to produce one pound of beef.
