Rethink What You Eat BUY SEASONAL AND LOCAL According to the nonprofit group Sustainable Table, the "food miles" (the distance a food item traveled to get to your plate) racked up by grocery store goods tend to be 27 times higher than the food miles for products that are grown locally and sold in health food stores and farmers markets. Take broccoli: It's grown within 20 miles of the average American household, yet the stalks we buy at the supermarket are typically imported or trucked across the country, traveling an average of 1,800 miles to land on our plates.
CUT OUT PROCESSED FOODS Opting for the fresh items on the outer walls of the grocery store and avoiding the processed foods in the center is good not only for your waistline but also for the earth thanks to the absence of packaging. If you need to transition more slowly, buy products from one of the many companies with green packaging, such as Newman's Own, which uses corn-based biodegradable containers.
AVOID PRESERVATIVES A single can of soup is probably not going to throw your immune system into turmoil, but there are a few common preservatives to watch out for. For example, both sodium nitrite and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are carcinogens that accumulate in your system and cause damage over time. Sulfites, which were banned by the FDA in 1986 for use in prepared salads, are a common cause of allergies for many people and are still legal as an additive in processed food and wine.
BUY SEASONAL AND LOCAL 