Dirty Tricksters: Key Words To Avoid

Like any other greenie, I'm an avid label reader. But sometimes, the labels lie. It's easy to forget that most companies are concerned more about their profit than about your health or the environment. Some companies appear to care but are merely just cashing in on the current "green" marketing trend. Here are some keywords to avoid and why.

1. Natural
It may seem obvious that "Natural" is good, but there are no regulations whatsoever on the use of this word. One example that I found laughable at the grocer the other day is "Natural Cheetos®." Processed food is bad for you. There's no two ways about it. I don't care if they call it HEALTHY, it's just not. When food is processed, it is stripped of most or all of it's nutritional value. If you look at the label on these Cheetos® you'll notice the only organic ingredient is the corn. That's a great start, but it's heavily processed. It also contains many dairy products that aren't organic, natural flavors, maltodextrin (a vitamin/nutrient free filler) and lots of sodium.

If you must do chips, opt for plain Ruffles (potatos, salt, & oil) or plain Fritos (corn, salt, & oil).

Another rule of thumb about label reading, if you're really hoping to eat healthy, is: if you don't know what it is, don't eat it. Do you really think it's smart to be putting all kinds of mystery chemicals into your body on a daily basis?


2. Fat-Free
Fat-free foods that are labeled as such, usually include artificial sweeteners. There is limited research on the safety of such sweeteners, therefore they should be avoided. Truly fat free foods are fruits and vegetables. Some salt/fat alternatives can even give you a bad case of the runs. Who wants that?

3. Low-Carb
If you don't know this already, the no-carb diet is a joke. The human body needs carbohydrates to function properly. Good sources of carbs are fruits, and whole grains. White/refined grains are empty calories

4. Disposable
I don't care if it's non-toxic, recycled, unbleached, cruelty-free or 100% vegan, a disposable product is one of the worst things to buy in our current environmental situation. I don't care what the president of Swiffer says, their product is terrible for the environment because it's disposable sheets collect in landfills and slowly leach chemicals into our soil and water.
One of the best things you can do for the environment is use one thing over and over and over. This saves resources, saves energy, saves landfill space, and pollutes less. In my opinion, the biggest disposable evil is plastic bags. They are only used for 20 minutes or so and then stick around for over a thousand years. Just buy some reusable sacks and safe tons of petroleum, CO2, and landfill space. Go to ecobags.com or buy them from your local grocer.


5. Cage-Free or Free-Range
These claims are not regulated by anyone. Most of the time these animals are still kept indoors in cramped conditions, fed hormones, and given antibiotics.

Green Grocery Shopping

When you think about it, we support a pretty huge amount of environmental destruction when we shop at our local grocery store. We burn fuel getting there, we buy things wrapped in plastic shipped from all over the world, we create a steady stream of trash after we have consumed the items we bought– hey we may even bring home some toxic chemicals to spray around our homes! So there are plenty of ways in which we can all learn to reduce the environmental impact of our grocery shopping, and make ourselves healthier in the process. Here are 10 ways to get started.

1. When possible, go to your local farmer’s market rather than the big chain store. The farmer’s market offers primarily local produce, which means you won’t be buying blueberries shipped from Chile. And you can almost always find organic items, which means you are supporting chemical-free agriculture– that’s better for the Earth and for your health. Find a farmer’s market near you using the excellent site Local Harvest.org.

2. Buy as few things in plastic as possible– opt for metal or glass containers whenever you can. Plastic is made from a non-renewable resource (petroleum) and is often not fully recyclable (depending on where you live). Metal and glass, however, can be fully recycled almost everywhere.

3. Buy in bulk. Can you buy a big box of raisins rather than a lot of little boxes? Can you buy multiple servings of chicken and freeze some rather than buying lots of single servings? Remember that lots of little packages typically means lots of paper and plastic.

4. No surprise, bring your own shopping bags. To the question “Paper or plastic?” say “Neither.” Find reusable bags here.

5. Don’t use the plastic baggies for produce either– you can get great reusable mesh sacks for your greens. See them here.

6. When possible, buy organic and locally-sourced items. If you can’t get everything you need at a farmer’s market (most of us can’t), then try to do some reading at the grocery store. Can you buy food from your state rather than from across the globe? That means less fuel has been used to get it to you and less carbon has gone into the atmosphere. If your store doesn’t carry these items, tell them you want them to!

7. Buy less meat. Raising livestock is an incredibly resource-intensive process, and it also accounts for a very large part of our carbon emissions problem. To learn more about this issue review this United Nations report. Embracing a more veggie-focused diet is better for the environment and better for you health.

8. Cut down on disposables. Can you use a dish cloth rather than paper towels? What about cloth napkins? Do you really need to get paper plates for that BBQ? How about using a damp mop rather than a Swiffer?

9. Don’t buy toxic air fresheners and home cleaners. Do your family a favor and don’t poison them with chemicals. 100: the number of times higher that indoor air pollution levels can be above outdoor air pollution levels, according to US EPA estimates. Find greener cleaners here.

10. Finally, any chance you could walk or take your bike to the store? If so, you get a big green star! And an excuse to eat an extra cookie.

Do you have other ideas? Please share them in the comments section.

Courtesy of Low Impact Living, By Jessica Jensen