As we become increasingly conscious of our appearance and weight, we also become hugely obsessed with what we eat throughout the day. Most people today are diet-conscious and are more observant of what they put inside their body as much as what they apply outside their body.
For instance, livestock farming, encompassing the production of meat, milk, and eggs, constitutes 40 percent of the global agricultural gross domestic product, while also consuming one-third of the Earth’s fresh water. As one article aptly stated, “Perhaps no other human endeavour has a more significant impact on our planet than the practice of raising livestock.” So more than any other day, it has become integral today to be conscious of what we put on our plates to eat.
With health and sustainability becoming the watchwords of life, a diet that is good for health and is also good for the environment is the need of the hour. Here are 5 tips for a sustainable and healthy diet.
Prioritize plants:
Healthy eating, it says, consists of a plate half-filled with vegetables and fruits. Local produce can be preferred as they are also plenty available and also help with healthy cultivation throughout the year. This can also reduce carbon footprint and also can reduce fresh water usage. A plant-based diet can help your body as well as your environment.
Select local produce and find a balance:
Be it plant-based food or meat, always go for local products that are indigenous to the place you stay or are locally produced. This can reduce the number of pollutants sent across the environment with reduced carbon footprint and reduced water usage. Another point is if your favorite food list consists of plants or meats or seafood that are featured in the ‘extinct’, ‘hunted’, or ‘avoid’ list, kindly look for alternatives as this can create a balance in the plant and animal kingdom. The Earth will thank you for this move!
Practice mindful eating:
Always be mindful of what goes inside your body. The food we get today is almost always processed. In this era of machine-made food, make a little effort to check out the ingredients section of food packaging, know what goes inside your body, and then decide on your purchases.
Always have the whole food:
A main part of processed food is cutting out the needed minerals and vitamins from a product. To avoid losses like this, always prefer consuming whole food instead of packaged or canned processed ones. Whole foods are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that support a healthy gut and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes. Whole foods are those that have been minimally processed, such as:
- fruits
- vegetables
- legumes
- whole grains
- nuts and seeds
- eggs and dairy
- fresh animal proteins
Get expert opinion on starting a diet or workout process:
In this modern era of the internet, everything from diets, and workouts to even food you consume can be brought or searched online. Some of the information on the internet is authentic and safe but there are equally websites or experts who will claim to guide you on our diets or workouts that will give quick results. Never follow them and instead go to a certified expert who will assess your body and guide you according to your health needs.
Switching up long-standing habits and embracing new ones can be tough, especially when it comes to changing the foods you’ve grown up eating. Our eating habits are pretty complicated. They’re influenced by all sorts of things like our biology, how we think, and the people around us. So, if you want to stick to a healthy diet for the long haul, you might need to try out different approaches to deal with all these factors.