The Centers for Disease Control recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like bicycling, per week.
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The reasons people decide to live more sustainably are myriad, from wanting to preserve natural treasures locally to hoping to conserve endangered ecosystems in far-flung places. What people often don't consider are the health benefits of a more sustainable existence. Processed foods and over-reliance on gasoline- and electric-powered machines to perform everyday tasks can lead to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Getting off the couch and swearing off unhealthy processed foods improves both your health and that of the planet.
Eat fresh, locally produced food whenever possible. Processed foods are frequently high in fat, sugars and sodium and require more energy than fresh foods to process, transport and store. Getting fresh foods from a farmers market often cuts down on "food miles," which are an indication of how much carbon is emitted when a product is shipped great distances. In the U.S., the grocery store produce travels an average of 1,500 miles from farm to supermarket (see References 1). Whether your food is from a local source or not, buy organic produce, as organic production forbids the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers that harm you and the environment (see References 2).
Find a source --- preferably local --- for free-range meats, poultry and dairy products. Conventional livestock farms cram thousands of animals into a small space, creating serious pollution problems, such as large volumes of animal waste that can enter soil and groundwater (see References 3, pages 137-138). In these conditions, animals must be given antibiotics to prevent diseases from spreading rapidly throughout the stock; traces of these antibiotics remain in meat even after it is cooked. Grass-fed animal products also contain less fat and more omega-3 and vitamins than conventionally-raised products, because the animals get more exercise and nutrients as they partake in natural grazing habits (see References 4).
Plant a garden. You can't get much more local than food grown in your own backyard. Gardening also gets you out of the house and puts you in control of the fertilizer and pesticide products that you use. Gardeners also tend to consume more fruits and vegetables and less junk food than their non-gardening counterparts (see References 5, page 2). In addition, turning part of your backyard into an organic garden helps put other eco-friendly practices in place --- making your own compost reduces landfill waste and collecting rainwater for your plants conserves water.
Walk or bike instead of driving. Forty percent of the trips taken by car in the United States measure two miles or less --- distances that take 15 minutes by bike and a half-hour on foot (see References 6). Personal vehicle use is the average American's most polluting activity; walking or biking for short trips can cut vehicle emissions while helping you stay healthy.
Rely less on machines and appliances. Turning your garden soil by hand, for example, lets you get exercise while reducing the amount of nonrenewable fuel burned to run a gas-powered tiller. Similarly, an electric push mower creates far fewer emissions than a gas-powered riding mower.
Tips
- Learning to cook is paramount to your success. If you know how to prepare a whole free-range chicken or the fresh, seasonal veggies from the farmers market, you're less likely to cop out with a return to unhealthy and unsustainable processed foods.
- Sustainable Table: Buy Local, local food is sustainable
- USDA: Organic Production and Organic Food
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Profile of the Agricultural Livestock Production Industry; September 2000
- Eat Wild: Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Products
- Community Food Security; Health Benefits of Urban Agriculture; Anne C. Bellows, et al.; 2005
- U.S. Department of Transportation: Clean Air Resources for Individuals
First published in 2000, Dawn Walls-Thumma has served as an editor for Bartleby and Antithesis Common literary magazines. Her work has been published academically and in creative journals. Walls-Thumma writes about education, gardening and sustainable living. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and writing from University of Maryland and is a graduate student in education at American Public University.
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