Are you what you eat?

North Americans are infamous for expanding waistlines and excessive consumption.  We are inclined to drive rather than walk or bike, and we spend more time tuning in to our favorite television programs than exploring parks.  Many of us suffer from stress-related illnesses; anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications are prescribed regularly.  Ironically, our health continues to decline despite the proliferation of the health and fitness industry.  If we were to take a look at our eating habits, we would likely discover ways to improve our health…and the planet’s.

We tend to eat more processed foods than natural raw foods.  According to Victoria Boutenko in her book, Green For Life, the standard American diet consists primarily of cooked carbohydrates, such as rice, pasta, bread and baked potatoes, followed by animal foods.  Combined, meat and potatoes comprise approximately 70-75% of our diet.  Our bodies can not digest these foods properly, so undigested particles are stored as waste.  “Waste=weight!” writes Natalia Rose in The Raw Food Detox Diet.  This waste becomes impacted and ferments, eventually leading to health problems from acne to cancer.  Waste taxes our body’s processes, and inhibits absorption of vital nutrients from “good” foods.

Our eating habits may parallel our attitudes about the environment.  Similar to gorging ourselves on fried foods and low-quality meats, we toss trash into landfills with little consideration of alternatives.  Compostable materials – such as kitchen scraps and landscape clippings – could be reused as compost or mulch.  When not properly composted this debris begins to rot, emitting offensive odors and methane into the ozone layer.  Other items may be recycled: glass, metal, paper, cardboard and certain grades of plastic are allowed by most programs.  Many cities have even streamlined their programs (known as “single-stream recycling”) to simplify sorting recyclables from compostables, and both from trash.  An estimated 60% of items deposited in landfills could be composted or recycled, yet most of us continue to poison our land, the womb of life.  The landfill, therefore, is an appropriate metaphor for our bodies.

Rose dispels the misconception that eating raw food is all about “carrot sticks.”  She recommends foods to help our bodies “take out the garbage.”  Both she and Boutenko suggest boosting our daily intake of leafy greens—collards, red leaf, romaine, spinach, kale, dandelions, and other nutrient-rich species.  Leafy greens provide abundant protein, calcium, magnesium and other vitamins and minerals, as well as amino acids.  To fully absorb these nutritional benefits, Boutenko suggests making green smoothies.  Blending breaks up the cellulose, releasing nutrients in a palatable, consumable form.  Greens, raw fruits and vegetables exit our stomachs quickly—they do not compound the “waste” problem.

We could purchase fresh, raw (preferably organic) produce from our local grocer.  Why not grow our own?  Regardless of the size of our property, we may grow plentiful edible plants.  Containers—pottery, window boxes, etc.—make excellent “trial gardens.”  

Growing our own greens decreases the impact on natural resources.  First, planting areas reduce the highest-maintenance element in our landscape—The Lawn.  Second, preparing planting areas with organic matter, such as compost, protects the health of our soil, eventually our waterways, and especially our foodcrops.  By selecting plants appropriate for local climate and property conditions, we minimize maintenance and “loss.”  Sunlight, soil, and drainage determine which plants are appropriate.  Hand-watering new plants for 4-6 weeks after installation trains the roots to seek moisture deep in the soil.  Deep roots usually result in strong plants.  A good rule is, 15-20 seconds per plant whenever the soil surrounding the plant is dry.  Greens are especially susceptible to overwatering, so it’s important to check the soil before giving them a drink.  Feeding the soil with compost or other organic products curtails contamination of natural resources.  Finally, take inspiration from nature: notice its natural mulching methods.  By emulating these processes, we may cultivate our gardens, our bodies and our planet more responsibly.