Food Safety and Going Green With Organic Gardening
Some of the natural pesticides include many items that you may have right in your kitchen cabinets. Some of these include a mixture of onion juice and pepper. Garlic can also be used as a natural pesticide, and many organic gardeners use plain soap and water that can be sprayed on plants without any ill effects.The use of natural products as pesticides is not only healthier, but it also helps protect the environment. Using homemade mulch, which is easy to make, can help the earth by making the soil rich and fertile without using chemicals.
The Evolution of America’s Kitchen Habits
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Just two generations ago, families were much more likely to cook their own food, and make meals from scratch. The culture of drive-through windows, two-income households, and “quick and easy” meals that has developed has had a direct impact on the health of Americans.
Interestingly, when the economy turns south, people tend to head back into their kitchens and pick up a utensil or two. Cooking at home generally is healthier and lower in calories than eating out. However, even people who pride themselves in cooking meals at home tend to use mixes and pre-packaged kits for their kitchen masterpieces. So why is even that bad for a person’s health?
Well, experts say mixes and pre-packaged meals are known for being stocked with preservatives, additives and often, hidden fats. When they become a part of a person’s lifestyle, they add up to two words: poor nutrition.
Also, recipe books have come to reflect restaurant-sized portions. Today’s average recipe contains more calories than the cookbooks from just a generation ago.
And that’s just for folks who are cooking at home. Factor into that fold the millions of Americans who rely on fast food at least once a day for their quick-fix of hunger, and you’ve got a nation on the fast-track to serious obesity and diabetes epidemics.
Needless to say, the cultural pendulum will need to swing back in the other direction to remedy the situation. There are signs that this has already begun: fast food restaurants have begun to offer healthier options on their menus. Most include something grilled as well as fried, and salads abound.
Magazines that specialize in low-calorie, low-fat recipes have taken to publishing to the masses.
All of this is a start. If the people of the United States do not curb their “supersized” appetites and “super-busy” lifestyles, then dire health, economic and cultural ramifications are not far down the road.
