read the label
By reading the PLU code (the small sticker) on your produce you will know whether your food is genetically engineered or organic. Organic produce begins with the number 9. Genetically engineered begins with the number 8. And conventionally grown produce begins with the number 4.
Consumers trying to avoid genetically modified foods should avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup. It
is almost certainly made from genetically modified corn and then it is processed
with genetically modified enzymes. Some estimates claim
that virtually everything--almost 80 percent--of what we eat today
has been genetically modified at some point.
Buy organic
The truth about HFCS
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grow your own
While buying from local farmers is definitely the way to go to cut down on carbon emissions caused by transporting products from great distances, growing your own food benefits you and your family many ways. Container gardening is an easy way to start your organic garden. We save our seeds from peppers, avocados and tomatoes as we cut them open to use them for meals. Depending on your region, you can save the seeds and pits from what you eat at home or cuttings from your neighbors' plants. You can store seeds for a very long time and use just a few at a time. Growing your own food guarantees that you know how you're food is grown. Who knows maybe you can have an edible lawn someday!
Growing your own food
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eat less meat
Cattle needs to graze and drink water. It takes 5 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. A pound of wheat can be grown with 60 pounds of water, whereas a pound of meat requires 2,500 to 6,000 pounds. More than a third of all raw materials and fossil fuels consumed in the US are used in animal productions.
Source: Green Living from the editors of E magazine
When choosing meat at the market, look for the USDA Organic label. Conventially raised cattle are raised with hormones and antibiotics. A growth hormone given to most US cattle was found to be a carcinogen.
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wild vs. farm
Wild salmon that are harvested from Alaskan waters contain no
antibiotics or other added chemicals. According to The Audubon’s Living
Oceans Campaign, “farmed salmon are fed more antibiotics per pound of
‘livestock’ than are any other farmed animal.” In fact, 23 million pounds of
antibiotics are used annually in US animal production. Regulating the
overuse of antibiotics is a serious problem in the fish farming industry,
where salmon are raised in remote locations like Chile and British Columbia.
Source: Delicious Organics
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compost now
Composting is actually really easy. If you have an old garbage can, poke holes all over with a drill or nail and hammer and start fillin' it up with what's overripe in your fridge! Okay, it's not exactly that easy. You have to layer it like a lasagna with dry and green material. Dry material can be dried leaves and green material can be fruits and vegetables that have passed their prime. Start with a layer of dried leaves, and add your 'green' layer. Continue adding layers about an inch think. You can even add what you collect in your vacuum!
Composting Instructions
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