I am taking a break from my usual Snarky Post to talk about the environment. We all know that the environment is a major issue, alot of use have switched from Plastic bags, to cloth ones, or have bought a hybrid car. Some of us buy Carbon Offset Credits, switched our light bulbs, recycle or try and buy green products. This is all good, a nice start and very politically correct. It is hard to sift through all the green washing and figure out what we can do to really have an impact on our planet and community.
I will not dive into green washing that will be a later post but I will talk about Thinking & Acting locally to save our big blue marble and our health.
Around a year ago I became a Locavore, what is a Locavore you say? It is eating local food, food grown and raised within 100 to 200 miles from where you live. The environmental impact of food that is produced and shipped from far away is just as bad as that Hummer your local douchebag is driving. It is also not as healthy, as much of what we eat is over processed, full of salt and chemicals to preserve it and does not support local businesses. I am at home 80% local because I just cannot do without Bananas, mangos, Kiwis and and some veggies that you cannot get locally. I also have a addiction to kraft dinner deluxe. When I dine out I am around 50% local, I will not go to big chain dining establishments like Olive Garden, as the food is processed, shipped, and the money does not stay in the community.
Yes, if you decide to live this way, you are locked into seasonal fruits and veg, but you also unlock yourself to wonderful local growers, Artisan Cheese mongers, Bakers, and Butchers. Wonderful food that is healthier, tastier, low impact and keeps your money in the community and out of the hands of huge multinational companies. You may not be ready for this, it was easy for me because Since I started to eat this way i lost 85lbs!!!! not strange dieting, not starvation. I eat what I want and do not gain weight.
With us getting closer to peak oil, where gas will cost 4 to 6 bucks a gallon and a lot of the food we eat will become prohibitively expensive we will be forced to eat this way. It is the way our ancestors ate and then Obesity was not epidemic, and food had flavors other than salty. You may say you shop organic but that is not always local. Because I buy organic Mangoes and the last time I checked they did not grow in Canada. Organic can also be greenwashing, as it is easy to put that label on lots of stuff that is not really healthy.
So if you want to be kind to the planet, enjoy your food again, be healthier I will put a few links below for your grazing. Happy Feeding everyone...................................
Canada
http://www.locavore.ca/ a Canadian local food / slow food blog full of resources
http://100milediet.org/ a Vancouver Locavore guide
http://www.getlocalbc.org/en/ a great British Columbia guide to Local eating & shopping
New York
http://www.locavorenetwork.com/content/new-york-locavore-overview
The U.S.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_food
Locavore Restaurants, Vancouver
http://www.raincitygrill.com/ Probably the best Local food Eatery in Vancouver & the best Local Wine cellar in BC
http://www.crestaurant.com/ another yummie place to eat in Vancouver
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