Thursday, May 01, 2008

Paleolithic Diet AND The Economy

I have some bad news for you. Gas prices in North America are going to continue to go up. What’s worse, this means that eventually food prices are going to go up too.

As an example, the Florida orange I have sitting on my desk right now was grown somewhere in the sunshine state. Yet I live an hour outside of Toronto. This means that at some point this particular orange was on a plane, train or automobile making the trip to my local Fortino’s.

That long trip took a lot of gas, and therefore it also took a lot of money. And right now it costs a lot more then it did two years ago to do the exact same trip. This increased transportation cost will eventually be passed on to us the consumer, as big business rarely like to absorb extra costs all by themselves.

So, what can we do?

Well, here’s an idea. I know a lot of people who try their best to eat in a Paleolithic style. I’m definitely not an expert on this style of eating, but I now that typically this means higher protein, lower carbs, zero processed foods and occasional periods of flexible intermittent fasting.

But there is one major thing many of these people are forgetting. Paleolithic man had no choice but to eat locally grown foods. And I mean really local..as in “within an arms reach” local.

So if you want to fight the rising cost of food consider shopping for locally grown meat and produce, and if you have room consider a family garden.

For as long as I can remember my grandfather always had his own vegetable garden and my mother used to grow her own tomatoes. Something as simple as a windowsill herb garden could not only save you some money, it could also help the environment and lower the burden on the world food supply.

Yep, a little home grown basil and parsley can do all that.

If you don’t feel like taking the time to tend your own garden, still try locally grown foods. It takes a little extra effort to find locations where you can buy local, but your health and your wallet will benefit from the effort.

BP

PS- If you are interested in another great way to help the economy, the environment, the global food supply and your health, then its time to check out the benefits of fasting. It's easier than you think to cut back on how much you eat. Learn more about fasting for weight loss.

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3 comments:

billy said...

I've been thinking a lot lately about the health impact of choosing what you eat in a culture where everything is always available, vs. the more "Paleolithic" method of simply eating what is available. Of course, people nowadays tend to choose high-calorie, low-nutrient processed foods over and over again. People have become accustomed to that, whereas not that long ago, people simply ate what was available to them, and this ensured a variety of nutrients and a more balanced diet.

Anonymous said...

Brad,

Over the past two years I have really got back into gardening and raising my own animals. You really hit on an interesting point here and it reminded me of a book a friend suggested I read, which I haven't yet but think it may be more appropriate now than ever.
http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209900622&sr=1-1

Debs said...

I've only got a small space (and bad soil) in which to garden, but I'm being ambitious this year and planting as much as I can. I already eat almost entirely local foods. I like your connection between local foods and the Paleo diet.

Did you see Michael Pollan's article in the NYT Magazine about gardening and sustainability? You can find it here.

Debs

Food Is Love