3 EASY SWAPS
TO SAVE THE PLANET...
AND YOUR HEALTH
by Liz Mueller
Every day seems to bring with it some disheartening news on climate change and how it is changing our planet; the red flags are
hard to ignore, yet, collectively, we do. Some experts say it’s because we humans are wired to respond to immediate personal
threats, not slow-moving existential threats like climate change. It’s also likely that we’re just so overwhelmed by the problem, it’s
easier to leave the solutions to someone else. But while we wait for others to “fix” the problem, our planet continues to warm and
human health continues to suffer as a result. Killer storms, fires, and heat waves; crops lost to flooding or drought; a significant
loss of essential vitamins and minerals in the plants we eat. Climate change is impacting our environment, and in turn, our health,
in so many ways. But there is at least one solution in plain sight—the way we produce our food.
Here are three easy food swaps that might seem small, but are mighty action steps that can culminate into major shifts in the way
food is produced, supporting a healthy environment, and a healthier YOU.
SWAP 1
MAKE YOUR MEAT
REGENERATIVELY RAISED
Regenerative agriculture encompasses “farming and grazing
practices that can reverse climate change by rebuilding soil
organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity,” and
include practices that build soil health and fertility; increase
water retention and reduce runoff; increase biodiversity and
ecosystem health; and increase carbon sequestration in the
soil. Regenerative, also known as holistic land management,
goes beyond “sustaining” by actively using livestock to restore
the land, leaving it healthier than it started—and there are
some serious environmental benefits to eating meat (typically
beef and bison, but can also include lamb and goats) raised
this way. For a company that’s making a difference right here,
right now, look to Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed, whose
mission is to “nourish the soil, the plants, cattle, and people by
holistically grazing cattle for their lifetime.” And if you can’t
find meat that has been regeneratively raised, look for 100
percent grassfed, which will utilize many of the same practices
(just avoid grassfed beef from Brazil, where large swaths of the
Amazon are cut each year to make room for pasture).
32 | Health Hotline®
Meat raised this way has huge environmental benefits, AND is
better for you. One hundred percent grassfed/regeneratively
grazed beef is nutritionally superior, containing healthier fats
like the omega-3s, and antioxidants like lutein, compared to
conventional beef raised on grain.
SWAP 2
MAKE YOUR DAIRY PASTURE BASED
Another easy swap that makes a big impact on the
environment, and your health, is switching from conventional
confinement dairy to grassfed/organic/pasture-based dairy.
First, there is the difference in nutritional profiles: pasturebased dairy has more healthy fats, vitamins and minerals,
and amino acids. Secondly, cows raised in a grass-based
system are never treated with genetically engineered rBST
(recombinant bovine somatotropin), an artificial growth
hormone that increases milk production and is commonly used
in conventional dairy.
Cows living in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
(CAFOs) tend to acquire more infections, partly due to
overcrowded living conditions, and it is common practice
for feedlot operators to routinely administer antibiotics to
prevent illness and accelerate growth. Better environmental
conditions and less disease among pasture-raised animals
means fewer antibiotics given and even less antibioticresistance in humans. According to a report published by
the Union of Concerned Scientists Food and Environment
Program, “manure produced in conventional feedlots pollutes
the air and combines with the runoff from fertilizers and
pesticides used in cornfields to contaminate ground and
surface water. Furthermore, the practice of feeding cattle
antibiotics to promote growth increases the risk of antibiotic
resistance in humans, leading to potential complications from
bacteria-caused diseases.”
SWAP 3
MAKE YOUR PRODUCE ORGANIC
The third easy swap to help save the planet—and your health—
is to go organic. Sometimes it can be hard to eat everything
organic, so start by replacing your conventionally grown
produce with organically grown. There are a few major reasons
why this simple switch can go a long way. For starters, the
environmental impacts of choosing organic are staggering.
Organic farmers are focused on preserving the soil for future
generations by farming in a way that builds nutrients and
harbors beneficial organisms like earthworms and ladybugs.
Organic farming neither causes nor leads to soil erosion,
groundwater contamination, ocean dead zones, or loss of
biodiversity like conventional farming does. Furthermore,
research from the Rodale Institute demonstrates that soil
under organic production can remove about 7,000 pounds of
carbon dioxide from the air each year through sequestration.
To put that number in perspective, that’s approximately 7,980
miles driven by one average passenger vehicle.
Second, organic fruits and veggies contain no chemical
insecticides, fungicides, or herbicides, including glyphosate—
the world’s most widely used agricultural chemical and
recently re-classified by the WHO’s International Agency
for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a probable carcinogen.
If that doesn’t make you want to run as far away from the
conventional produce section as possible, then consider the
other reasons studies show eating organic benefits our health:
reduces rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome, nonHodgkin lymphoma, infertility, birth defects, pre-eclampsia,
recurrent ear infections in children, and attention deficit
disorder, with or without hyperactivity, and autism spectrum
disorder in children.
Third (or fourth, fifth, sixth, and so on if we’re splitting hairs),
studies show that organically grown food has higher amounts
of antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E and essential
minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron, all nutrients
that are vital for the healthy functioning of our bodies.
Rounding out the reasons to go organic: GMOs. Genetically
modified organisms are created through the process of genetic
engineering, a technology that takes DNA from one organism
and moves it into another, creating new varieties of plants and
animals that aren’t found in nature.
Genetic engineering is prohibited in organic food and farming
because of concerns about their environmental and health
repercussions; when you choose organic, you’re automatically
choosing non-GMO. Organic standards do not allow for
farmers to plant GMO seeds, for organic livestock to eat
GMO feed, or for organic food manufacturers to use GMO
ingredients. Look for the certified organic seal to ensure that
what you’re buying is actually organic. To claim a product is
“organic” it must contain at least 95 percent
organically produced ingredients.
For references, email
[email protected]
IS YOUR PLANT-BASED DIET
ALSO FREE OF GMOS?
Plant-based products steer us away from eating
meat and dairy, and some believe they are ultimately
better for our health and for the planet, but many
are made from GMOs. It’s important to read
the food labels for each meat-free and dairyfree product you buy, especially since so many
are made from soy and corn, two of the most
common genetically engineered crops in the US.
In fact, GMO soybeans make up 94 percent of
all soybeans planted and 92 percent of all corn
planted. While we’re not saying to do an aboutface when it comes to eating plant-based, we are
simply saying to take a closer look at the meatfree, dairy-free, and vegan products you choose.
Natural Grocers® | 33