Helping The Planet Can Help You To Lose Weight

You might consider following a sustainable food diet, but firstly, what do I mean with sustainable foods? I will start answering this question by defining the problem we have today. We hear on the news all the time that the planet is struggling with global warming. Some of you might know, a big part of the greenhouse gases emission is coming from food production. So, there is a logic here, the more food is produced, the more greenhouse gases are emitted. Since the world population is forecasted to reach around 9 billion people by 2045 (almost 7 billion in 2011), you can see that the problem will grow even more. Global warming (GW) causes a bizarre weather patterns that might hit hard on farmers. We all saw what the flooding and cyclones in Queensland can do with the prices of bananas. By the way, who wants to be a farmer under those conditions?
GW, however, is far from being the only problem. The current agricultural production is unsustainable. It is highly dependent on oil, clean water and phosphorus; all of them are currently declining at a rapid rate. Fossil fuels are highly used in farm machinery, transport and fertilizers; phosphorus is used in fertilizers while almost everything requires water. Current agricultural practices are causing water, soil and air pollution. There is need for more investment, more research and more respect for Mother Nature. Can you picture in your mind how we feed 9 billion people with the current practices?	Photo from National Geographic Magazine: Special Issue 7 billion
However, there is nothing people like us (i. e. not working in this industry and are not working for the government) can do about the problems in agriculture but we also contribute to the problem. I believe that it is not a shock for you to know that in developed countries, especially Australia and US, overweight and obesity is rapidly increasing in the last few years. This means that people are overeating and under-exercising. Some are eating too much, some are starving. We also waste a lot of food. Australian households waste in average $600 of food per year. I could go on and on and describe all the problems causing the Global Food Crises, but I will stop here, assuming you’ve got a picture of the size of the problem. So, back to what I first started? How can you lose or maintain your weight following a “Sustainable food diet”?
The “Diet” When I say “diet” I actually mean complete change in lifestyle!  : Plan what you will cook in advance, for the whole week. Then make a list of the products you will purchase. Buy for the week and stick to your plan. The idea is not to wast food while eating an appropriate diet. If you can’t avoid take away, opt for the healthier ones and do not throw the leftovers away. You can put it in the fridge/freezer to eat another time. Buy organic if you can. It is indeed more expensive. But that is because it is fairer with farmers who maintain sustainable practices. Organic produce have lower “Food miles” meaning that less resources like oil was spent to transport the food. Buy seasonal fruits and veggies. Producing them when it’s not their natural production period, will require extra resources. Eat less “junk food”. Processed food clearly means extra “processes”. Extra processes require extra resources. Above all, it is really unhealthy. It is a disrespect to your body. Do not over-eat. You only need a certain amount of NUTRITIOUS food. If you are a red meat fan. Bad news: its production has one of the highest environmental footprints of all foods. The good news is: you don’t have to stop eating it, just reduce by as little as 10%. If you are having a 100g steak, opt for 90g instead. Although its production is a big contributor of greenhouse gases and it uses tons of gallons of water compared to other foods, it is also known that the amount of nutrient per gram is much higher compared to vegetable products. Avoid processed meats like ham and salami. Another option is to opt for animal products with lower impact, such as fish and poultry. Exercise more. Walk more instead using your car for everything. Remember cars also contribute to the carbon footprint and indirectly, food production. Furthermore it will help you to maintain a lean body weight and you will require less food. If you really follow all those steps, you will not only lose or maintain a healthy body weight but you will also positively contribute to resolve the Global Food Crises (GFC).	Image source:http://www.gnnbloomington.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/sustainablefood.png