6 dietary tips to help combat global warming

The floods here in Israel and the fires in far Australia worry you? It's time to take personal responsibility and realize that you too can make a change through your choice of dish. Here's how to do it

6 dietary tips to help combat global warming

In the video: The huge fires in Australia never end

This past week, the news that opens the editions talks about victims of flooding here with us and the rampant wildfire in Australia, which has claimed the lives of 25 people so far and about half a billion animals. While we tend to lie our heads in the sand when it comes to remote climate issues, it seems that this week has fallen, and we all realize that our personal choices are no longer so personal, but have a real and alarming global impact.

We've collected for you six simple nutritional tips you can apply to reduce your destructive and carbon footprint and perhaps give our one-time planet a real chance to survive.

International Vegan Day: 6 Reasons to Choose a Vegetable Diet

1. Eat less meat
This is perhaps the simplest thing you can do - reduce meat consumption. We will not tell you that choosing vegan and vegetarian is the best way to do good for our planet and also for living on it, and will settle for reducing the consumption of animal foods.

The animal food industry is causing air pollution, destroying natural habitats, accelerating species extinction, and damaging water sources. Gas emissions from this industry - especially that of beef cattle for milk and milk - are responsible for about 20 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than what all transport vehicles emit. Including aircraft.

Try to reduce your meat consumption once a week, anyway, because most studies have already shown that red meat is carcinogenic, or you choose to try a vegan and vegetarian diet based primarily on non-harmful plant foods.

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2. Add more vegetable protein to your diet
And on the same subject - eating plant-based protein can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint.

As mentioned, a very effective way of reducing greenhouse gases is to reduce products such as meat, fish and dairy products. Try replacing them several times a week with plant-based proteins, such as beans, tofu, nuts and seeds. It will also do good for your health.

3. Eat more dietary fiber
Eating more rich in dietary fiber not only improves your health, but can also reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.

Tofu is Yummy. Rice and tofu noodle dish (Photo: Dror Einav)

Rice and tofu noodle dish (Photo: Dror Einav)

A study of 16,800 Americans found that the lowest GHG diets were rich in high-fiber plant foods and low in saturated fats and sodium. These foods help maintain a sense of satiety, so naturally they limit your food intake.

Additionally, adding more dietary fiber may improve your digestive system, help balance gut bacteria, promote weight loss and protect against diseases such as heart disease, colorectal cancer and diabetes.

4. Buy directly from farmers
Supporting local farmers is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Buying local products not only lowers the dependence on large-distance food, but can also increase your fresh fruit and vegetable intake, which will help offset your carbon footprint.

Prepare food and compost from your vegetables. Woman peeling cucumber (Photo: shutterstock)

Peeling vegetables (Photo: ShutterStock)

Eating seasonal food and supporting organic growers are another way to minimize your carbon footprint. This is because off-season food is usually imported, or more energy is needed to grow it.

5. Stop wasting food
Food waste mainly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, with the result that discarded food is decomposed into waste landfills and emits methane - a strong greenhouse gas. It is estimated today that every person on earth throws an average of 200 to 400 pounds of food waste a year.

Reducing food waste is one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint. One way to do this is to move to more home cooking, use leftover cooking, and make informed food purchases.

And by the way, if you want to grow and do - it's best to grow your vegetables alone in a community garden, yard or even on the roof. This way you reduce the dependency on supermarkets and also save plastic bags. And for planters - residues can be used to make compost.

6. Do not eat excess calories
Eating excess calories leads to weight gain and chronic illness, but it is also associated with higher greenhouse gas emissions.

A study of 3,818 Dutch residents showed that those who left a deeper carbon footprint also consumed more calories from food and drink than those whose diets left less trace. Similarly, a study conducted among 16,800 Americans indicated that those with the higher carbon footprint consumed 2.5 times more calories than those with the smaller carbon footprint.