April 22, 2015

Earth Day: Go Green with Paleo

Before I adopted a Paleo diet regime, I was a vegan. I chose to eat a vegan diet for two reasons: I wanted to figure out how the food I was eating was making me sick (If only I knew how much sicker I was making myself by eating all the faux meat and soy- or gluten-based products of vegan fare!), and I loved animals.

I thought that somehow not eating animals or using any animal products would be the best way to support their humane treatment.

Little did I know, boycotting all meat and animal products, regardless of the source, doesn’t actually do anything to help the cause. It also means boycotting those small farmers and local ranchers who are trying to provide these products in the right way. Further, I had no idea that being vegan isn’t actually the best way to support a healthy planet.¹ The World Wildlife Foundation even pointed out that production methods for meat substitutes can be energy intensive and the products tend to be highly processed.

In light of today being the 45^th Earth Day, I thought it fitting to write a post on how Paleo living is actually the most conducive way to be green and for each of us to do our part in reversing some of the damage we’ve done to our precious Mother Earth as the collective human species.

What can each of us do to pay it forward and keep our planet healthy?

In addition to the obvious, such as driving greener cars, using sustainable, recyclable materials instead of plastics, and doing your best to use natural energy sources, you can also do your part to contribute to a healthier planet by simply following a True Paleo regime:

Focusing on local, seasonal produce makes a huge dent in our carbon footprint.
Incorporating animals raised in a natural environment rather than in an inhumane factory where they’re force-fed items they’d never naturally ingest. Grass-feeding animals does not actually worsen environment because it ‘releases excess carbon into the atmosphere’. In actuality, grass-fed animals eat a naturally occurring substance that does not have to be farmed and will never require pesticides of any kind.
Avoiding grains, many of which come from large-scale grain production facilities, also helps to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we release into the air.
Staying away from chemicals used by Big Agro that contaminate food is better for the environment. Grain production for cattle feed is often touted as the cause of deforestation, habitat loss, and species extinction. Virtually all their agricultural systems depend on crude oil, including planting, harvesting, processing, packaging, and transportation.² More evidence outlining the importance of eating locally and in season, and nixing the whole concept of transporting foods over long distances in the first place!
Including regular physical activity as part of a Paleo diet lifestyle further reduces the demand for driving cars and the associated toxins released getting from place to place.
Finally, although this might be more in keeping with a generally civil approach to life than specifically for Earth Day, pay it forward and promote peace. Even I, certainly very dogmatic at times, don’t feel the need to convince people to adopt a Paleo diet by telling them they’re wrong for eating fries, breads, and ice cream