How Green Improves Health

On any given day, I am intrigued by a great number of news articles and research studies. Today I am going to share only a few points from a news interview that I was able to hear while traveling this morning. An author was speaking about her book, Green, Greener,Greenest.

Since arriving home I have found that she has a website and I will link it at the end. I am just going to list these two or three things that I heard that very much fit in to the vision of this blog.



First let me say that the author, Lori Bongiorno, was giving examples on how to do things to reduce the amount of harmful environmental toxins that people consume. She contends that you can take one example and address it in a simple and inexpensive manner and/or a more significant and impactful one. (okay I made that up, but I mean one that has a greater impact) Listening to her today, I was reminded of my days at UNCg and my environmental health class. Her first example - produce - was one of my classmates' research topics and her second, mercury contamination - was mine. Here is what she had to say today.



It is true that chemicals, esp. from pesticides are on our produce. To use the green philosophy, a person could take special care to eat a large variety of fruits and vegetables to reduce the build up of any one particular toxin. A greener response would be to choose the produce that has the least contamination, like spinach and pears - from the regular produce section, and buy the most contaminated ones from the organic section. The worst are strawberries, peaches and apples (three of my favorites!). There are lists available that you can view on line. To be the greenest consumer - you might only shop at local produce stands, grow your own produce, or support policy for community, organic cooperatives.



With regard to getting enough fish while limiting intake of the harmful meyth lmercury that we find in them, she suggests this: For the least expensive green option, make sure that you choose chunk light tuna and NOT albacore tuna - in cans. Also choose wild salmon over farmed. She advised printing one of the lists of fish that categorizes them by low, medium and high mercury content and to bring that list with you to grocery stores and restaurants. I actually have one and brought some to work. I believe I got mine from the NWF or NRDC. And for the greenest, one could advocate for a reduction in coal powered plants that polute the environment and lead to mercury contamination.



Her last point, or the last I was able to hear, regarding meats and dairy. She said that if you want to avoid the toxins in these products, especially dioxin, she recommends avoiding FAT. Glad to hear her say that :) Her reason is that most of the toxins settle in fat - the same can be said of animal skins - or fish skin.



Here is the web page where you can learn more about the author and her quest.

http://greengreenergreenest.com/aboutLori.html