Finally, I’m finishing up my Principles of Eating Green series. This is the last one, and in my opinion, THE most important one of all. Maybe I should make this number one.
Everything I have written so far about eating green is centered around me practicing this principle as often as possible. I practiced it while writing my posts, because I wanted to ensure what I knew about my eating habits hadn’t changed. Because, science is always improving, and research is always showing new trends, new innovations, and new information. We should really stay in touch to make sure what we are eating is the best for us, and best for the environment.
The last principle is Get to Know Your Food. Do the research. Read the labels. Ask questions. Read nutritional information. Look up trends online. Compare and make healthy, wise, informative decisions.
Yes, reading labels takes time. But the more you do it, the faster your buzz words (such as “palm oil” or “high fructose corn syrup”) will appear. Nowadays, it takes me literally 2 seconds to find the ingredient palm oil if it is in a product. It does take me longer to find new buzz words like “salt”, for Chris, who is trying hard to avoid sodium in his diet, but each time I go to the store and look, it gets a little easier.
Not sure which water bottle to get? Google it. Want to know which of the natural sugars is healthiest for you? Google it. Want to know how far bananas travel to get to your grocery store? That’s right. Google it!
Looking for a protein shake which tastes great, is healthy for you, and is sustainable? Well, I did that, and I found my personal answer to that question was Shakeology. But that may not be your answer. I like Shakeology’s taste and variety of flavors. I have never felt as satisfied with my shakes as I am with Shakeology. And doing my research, I found Shakeology follows very ethical environmental practices. But it’s expensive AF. No joke. It costs $125 for a month’s supply. So, it works great for me, but it may not be suitable for everyone. Do your research and find which one is best for your lifestyle.
Here are some good quality brands for your starting point (this is by NO means a complete list of everything available- I would be here all night and the rest of next week if I listed all the available proteins):
- Shakeology
- Quest
- Pure Pharma
- Orgain (I haven’t tried them before, but they are getting RAVE reviews)
- Natural Force
- Dot Fit
Go to the farmers markets and ask the vendors questions. What kind of ingredients do they use? How do they raise their livestock? Where are they located? Where do they source their ingredients? Don’t be shy or feel like you are annoying. This is your health, and in most cases, local farmers are MORE than happy to talk about their farm, their products, which they consider their pride and joy.
I enjoy learning about fitness. It’s my passion, so it makes sense. I devour books on nutrition, working out, and motivational self-help books. I’ve learned tons from reading on topics written by experts.
Reading may not be your forte, but as luck would have it, there are plenty of books on hundreds of relevant topics to listen to. If you are interested in a particular subject when it comes to your nutrition, look to see if a book is available from your local library, or audio book.
Some of my favorite books I’ve come across on a whim are:
- “Go Wild” by John Ratey
- “The Nature Principle” by Richard Louv
- “The Game On Diet” by Krista Vernoff
- “Strong is the New Beautiful” by Lindsay Vonn
- “Level Up Your Life” by Steve Kamb
And finally, I can’t recommend trying out different recipes enough. Libraries also have a PLETHORA of cookbooks on every subject imaginable. If you don’t know how to make something Paleo, there are HUNDREDS of books which will show you how to make everything from fried chicken to pumpkin bread using Paleo-approved ingredients. Not sure what to do with tofu? Vegetarian and vegan cookbooks will give you THOUSANDS of ideas.
Some of my favorite cookbooks (which I’ve gotten from the library, I might add):
- Thug Kitchen Cookbook- Eat Like You Give a F*ck
- Food is the Solution
- Cooking Green
- The Whole30
- Eat Like a Dinosaur
Go explore this big beautiful world and discover how you can eat clean, live green, and be a positive change for your health and well-being, and a positive change for the planet.
Let Eating Green guide you to success.
Good luck in all your adventures.