Meatless Monday

 

When it comes to food, I don’t have much discipline! If  I want to eat a steak, Im going to eat a steak. My strong southern roots have made meat a big part of my diet. But my lack of discipline is not restricted to meat…I live by the motto “everything in moderation” so diets that prohibit certain items just don’t work for me. For example…I’m not a huge fan of chocolate but sometimes I need a Snickers fix. I don’t have to have a king sized candy bar…the snack size will suffice…but I just have to have it.

On that note I have great respect for people who choose (what some may consider alternative) eating habits. Vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians have all chosen to eliminate certain items from their diet for various reasons. But ultimately studies show that eliminating or reducing the intake of meat from your diet has healthy implications for your body and the planet.

Meatless Monday is an international campaign that encourages people not to eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and the health of the planet.

Why Monday? Well Monday is the beginning of the work week, the day when individuals settle back into a weekly routine. You also have a scheduled recurring reminder to start your week off on a nutritious note. In my case, I can do one day a week. You have to start somewhere, right?

So each Monday A Sustainable Life will offer meat-free recipes, reviews, nutrition and health news. I’ll also chronicle my journey towards healthier eating habits. So please join me for Meatless Mondays. Send your comments and favorite recipes to help others in their quest towards wellness.

Source:Meatless Monday.com

How to care for reusable shopping bags

I am beginning to see more and more shoppers using reusable shopping bags. These bags are great for the environment but not so great for your health if you don’t care for them properly.

 New studies show that reusable bags may harbor bacteria (e. coli and salmonella) from raw produce or meat. If you keep your bags in the car so you will not forget them…then risk is even greater.

 To keep the bags clean and bacteria free follow these tips…..

 •Wash the bags regularly.

•Don’t store the bags in the car when it’s warm outside (or really sunny)……as bacteria thrive in heat.

•Dry your bags in the sun when you can …..sunlight kills bacteria.

•Designate specific bags for raw meat and for produce…you may even want to use a plastic produce bag for raw meat and produce.

 Now you’re probably saying to yourself “That’s too much work, I’ll just go back to plastic bags.” But before you abandon the reusable bags remember these important facts……

  • The average person will use over 350 bags in a single year.

 • In 1999, more than 14 million trees were cut down to produce 10 billion paper bags that were used by Americans that year.

• One paper grocery bag requires 1 gallon of water to make (yes, 1 gallon per bag).

• The manufacturing of paper bags actually uses far more resources and creates more pollution than the manufacturing of plastic bags; however, paper bags are compostable and biodegradable.

• Plastic bags never actually biodegrade; instead, they photodegrade, which means the sun breaks them down into tinier and tinier pieces until they eventually mix back into the soil and water, to be consumed by plants, animals, fish – and therefore you and me.

• Plastic bags are produced from petroleum (oil).

• In New York City, one less grocery bag per person would reduce waste by five million pounds and save $250,000 in disposal costs.

You’re doing a great service by bringing reusable shopping bags to the grocery store….your environment thanks you!

 Source: Simple Organic

Albert Einstein the Vegetarian

We all know Albert Einstein the scientist, but how much do you know about Albert Einstein the vegetarian? Mr. Einstein was a longtime supporter of vegetarianism and spent the last year of his life as a vegetarian.

He is quoted as saying, “Nothing will benefit human health or increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”

As declining health is frequently attributed to poor diet more people are embracing vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. What you think Mr. Einstein meant by this quote? Do you agree? Vegetarians and ”non-vegetarians” we would love to hear from you!

Source: International Vegetarian Union

Photo: Stumble Upon