Green Living Tips : 12 Simple Steps to Go Green
What is Organic Food
Organic food is food grown and processed organically. To be certified as "organic", food items need to comply with certain organic standards set by nations and international organizations, though the rules may be somewhat different for different countries.
Producers of organic food are expected to follow organic farming methods. This essentially means that crops should NOT be grown using petroleum-based or sewage-sludge-based fertilizers and synthetic pesticides as in conventional farming. Further, the crops should NOT be "genetically modified". Dairy products - to qualify as "organic" - require that the farm's livestock are being raised on organic feed, have access to the outdoors, and are not given any banned antibiotic or hormone. Additionally, the processing of organic food usually excludes irradiation, industrial solvents and food additives.
Fish can be considered to be organic if obtained from fishing farms practising organic aquaculture - which means, the fish has been produced without using antibiotics or chemicals and without harming the eco system.
Organic meat comes from animals that have been raised organically, fed on organic fodder and that have not been given growth hormones, antibiotics or genetically-engineered substances.
 
Is it green to go vegetarian ?
According to a UN report, a shift towards vegan diet globally is essential to save the world from some of the adverse impacts of climate change like poverty and fuel crisis. Meat production consumes a huge amount of land, water, and energy in comparison to plant foods. On an average, livestock are given more grain as fodder than the meat obtained from them. A lot of agricultural land is used up in producing that fodder. Growing more grain involves using more land, more water, more pesticides and far more energy. Unlike grains, meat requires refrigeration during storage and transport. The extra energy used means creating more pollution and greenhouse gases.
While fish farming is causing pollution, and generating significant waste, fishing in the wild is threatening the very existence of several species and destroying delicate ecosystems.
Going vegetarian can help reduce the impact on the environment by reducing :
- excessive production of green house gases (CO2, methane, nitous oxide)
- destruction of topsoil and wildlife habitats
- pollution of water bodies (streams, rivers, oceans)
Organic Diet
Vegetarians depend on plants for food - eliminating meat, fish and poultry from their diet. Vegans are strict vegetarians who take it a step further by refraining from eating any form of animal-derived substance. A vegan diet thus excludes not only flesh and fish but eggs and dairy as well. Vegetarians - and Vegans in particular - need to eat a wide variety of foods in order to meet their nutritional requirements. They should take care to see that their diets includes nutrients like protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12 adequately.
An organic diet is a healthy balanced diet based on organic food.
How to eat Healthy Organic Food
It will be wrong to assume that any food that is "organic" is "safe for health"! "Organic" is not synonymous with "healthy". Thus, eating "organic meat" can in no way eliminate or mitigate the risk for the diseases that regular meat eating supposedly brings about. Fish and seafood always run the risk of being contaminated with harmful chemicals like mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls. Such contaminants can be hazardous for health.
Not everything natural is healthy. Take for example tobacco - which is a natural plant-based product. But being "natural" doesn't make smoking cigarettes a healthy habit - not even if the cigarettes are "organically" produced ! So anything labeled as organic, even though natural, may not be healthy! All this makes finding the real Healthy Organic Food an arduous task. The easy way out is to first find out what's good for health and then look for its organic version.
Some healthy eating tips
- Reduce intake of solid fats, refined-grains, salt and sugar
- Go for colourful fruits/vegetables, whole grains, fat-free/low-fat milk and lean protein foods
- Drink adequate water and unsweetened beverages
- Eat slowly; chew properly; take small meals with sufficient intervals
Vegetarian Recipes
Organic recipes can be veg or non-veg depending on the ingredients involved. But in the light of the fact that Vegetarianism is beneficial for the environment, this site will present Vegetarian recipes only.
Greenie's Globe recommends following the "NEAT" principle while preparing an organic dish. NEAT is an acronym - coined by this site - that stands for Nutritous, Economical, Available and Tasty. It is a mnemonic to help you remember that to go green while cooking a healthy and delicious dish, the ingredients you use should be economical and - as far as possible - be easily available.
 Showcase : Tabletop TUTORSTM from Eco-Mentor.com
Whole Foods Recipes
"You've heard about whole foods, but maybe you wonder how anyone has time to cook whole foods and give up the convenience of processed meals? The truth is, whole foods are easy to cook, delicious to eat, and there's an endless variety of options at your fingertips! On top of that, they're stupendously healthy and can help you stave off disease. A diet of whole foods gives you complete control over what goes onto your family's plates, and that means you can cut out toxic additives, genetically modified ingredients, trans-fats, excess sugar, and unsustainable food production practices --all in one fell swoop. In this posters series, you'll find lots of easy, fun resources for upping your whole food game! Everything from gourmet nut milks, wheat free pizzas, and whole food supper ideas, to a variety of homemade veggie burgers, and even healthy snacks like popcorn and homemade sodas. You'll also learn about the medicinal benefits of herbs and spices, and discover how these whole foods stack up against their processed counterparts, and how investing a little extra effort in your home kitchen pays big dividends for your health and the health of the planet."
To get these posters
click here.
And for the full set of such posters
click here.
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