Part II:

e.a.r.t.h.food: WATER

Starting with the least common denominator, in all lifestyle diets consisting of liquid and solid food is water. In this issue of e.a.r.t.h.food I will attempt to reveal the best water choices based on our human health systems and our collective planetary health. I will not explore showering vs. bathing, cold vs. hot settings on the washer or automatic sprinklers running while it's raining (that's for you, AC). I leave those topics to the experts. I'm simply exploring the liquid food we call water, though there is some cross-over with water as agent vs. food material when "70% of freshwater [is] being consumed by agriculture." (Wikipedia)

H2O

A human can survive on average 3 to 5 days without water, assuming all other variables are temperate. According to the U.N. children's agency UNICEF , polluted water and lack of basic sanitation claim the lives of over 1.5 million children every year, mostly from water-borne diseases.

So in order to survive, we need roughly one gallon of adequately cleaned water per day (directly from water itself or the water naturally inherent in fresh fruits and vegetables.)

Easy enough? Not when mega-corporations want to convince you that tap water is unclean and potentially dangerous to your health then package and sell you all your safe, clean drinking water.

e.a.r.t.h.food is a whole, real food way of eating which embraces the best of vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous approaches
e.a.r.t.h.food is food from nature, not a laboratory or factory
e.a.r.t.h.food comes in no, re-useable or recyclable packaging
e.a.r.t.h.food is seasonal local or garden food when available and preferably organically grown
e.a.r.t.h.food is a marriage between eating what is good for our individual body environment while being respectful to our external shared environment

Food isn't just stuff on a plate. It represents current politics, personal habit, cultural beliefs, modern technology, social traditions and religious teachings. Food is complicated and it's powerful. Our personal food choices are dwarfed by the food choices made for us by industry and government. As citizens have become more aware of the many issues surrounding food, we've begun to realize the power of the fork and how we can vote by choosing certain foods over others as a way to effect social issues and our collective health.

I have studied and followed many passionate food experts and wasn't finding much in the way of promoting real, whole vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous diets while taking into deep consideration how each of these approaches effect the health of our environment. I saw many vegans refusing animal products out of concern for the animals, but advocating shipping superfoods from across the country or internationally with little regard to carbon footprints. I saw vegetarians driving across town to get delicious take-out in styrofoam clamshell food boxes with no regard to toxic trash. I saw omnivores eating sub-standard meats wrapped in plastic from grocery stores who buy from processors polluting our public water and air.

e.a.r.t.h.food is my effort to bring together sensible advice and recipes for anyone looking to eat right by their body and planet.

Here is a brief overview:

Article Source: The Positive Observer

Written by - Carla Cappiello Golden, LMT, June 2009

Article Source: The Positive Observer

Written by - Carla Golden Cappiello, LMT, June 2009

A Better Balanced Salad...

Salads have been viewed over the years as rabbit food, diet food and budget food. However, lurking under the leaves and under the toppings lies the potential of a very nutritiously balanced meal if done properly. Salads can be exciting, optimal daily foods that are supportive of the body's cleansing and regenerative systems. Salads need not be boring!

The first goal is to create a medley of various rich colors, healthy fats and smart seasoning. To do this we need to start with a base of lettuce. There are many varieties from which to choose and mix and the darker the leaf color, the more densely nutritious it will be. Romaine, green leaf, red leaf, arugula, spinach and boston are superior choices to iceburg, and organic varieties are always preferred. Lettuces are considered one of the Dirty Dozen (http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214 ) top crops contaminated by farming chemicals.