Want to Save The Environment and Your Health? Eat Less Red Meat…
There is a new buzz word floating around and it’s name is “locavore?” That’s right, it sounds as wierd as it looks on the page or your computer screen. This label was born to describe those individuals who only eat food grown within a 100 mile radius of where they live. Proponents argue that this is a tastier and more nutritious alternative.
There are significant benefits to this idea. I encourage you to shop local, support your local farmers at a nearby farmer’s market if you have one, and agree that locally grown fruits and vegetables almost always taste better. There’s something about a green tomato traveling 2,000 miles on a truck that ruins the experience don’t you think?
Proponents of this type of eating also argue that this is better for the environment. They argue that eating locally promotes less greenhouse gases needed to produce food, harvest it, process it and transport it in those trucks. They believe that everyone should be eating this way and that in turn the world will be a better place.
As good as that may sound, it’s not always true and I could write a dissertation on the subject if needed. Today, I just want to make a quick point…
First, I’m a big proponent of buying locally and shopping for the freshest stuff you can find while at the same time being realistic about what is possible and what works for the long run, and in your busy life.
Not everyone lives close to a farm, variety will be limited most of the year if you’re only buying what’s in season, and just because a farm is smaller doesn’t mean the carbon footprint is lessened. Lots of small trucks traveling to lots of places can add up as much as big trucks going long distances. Efficiency is the final word on something like this. And no one is entirely sure yet, how to accurately compare the small operation to the big operation. Not only that, there are a lot of people to feed in the world and a lot of potential for problems and shortages when you start thinking about going local 100% of the time. Not to mention the economic importance of food imports and exports.
So, in the mean time, here is one thing you can do what will make you healthier and reduce the carbon footprint of food production. Eat less red meat, or stop eating it altogether. Beef is the most environmentally expensive food of all. According to the Berkeley Wellness letter this month, a recent article in The Scientific American pointed out that the annual beef diet of the average American emits as much greenhouse gas as a car driving more than 1800 miles.
Equally important is the fact that people who eat too much red meat are 30% more likely to die prematurely.
So, eat red meat once or twice per week or less and you will increase the chances that you will live a long and healthy life and still be able to breath 
Clint Barr
Raising The Barr, Inc.
www.bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com
