In the effort to be more healthy, eco-concious, and sustainable, I often find myself struggling against consumerism and added cost that is associated with those decisions (Beacon Natural’s is far more expensive than many other local grocery stores nearby).  Since college, I remember hearing to never put plastic in the microwave. I knew that this was because of chemicals they contained and how they could slowly leach out of the plastic and into food being contained in them. So I tried, half-heartedly to stop microwaving plastic.

My eco-conscience education continued and I learned that plastic bags at grocery stores added to landfills at an immeasurable rate, and that I should switch to paper which was more easily recyclable and bio-degradeable. After that, I learned of sustainable options such as canvas bags, which I could bring to the store myself, and not waste any paper or plastic. I wasn’t adding to landfills, I wasn’t ruining the rainforest, and I was being a conscientious consumer!

While grocery shopping though, I would often be disappointed in the decisions I was forced to make in buying spinach in a plastic box, while carrying around my canvas grocery bag. If it wasn’t spinach, it was meat (packed on styroform and wrapped in plastic) or fruit in slotted plastic containers such as strawberries or blueberries. I felt like grocery shopping in general took away from the decision I had made to be eco-friendly. I felt helpless because if it came down to spinach in a plastic box, or no spinach at all… the plastic box was coming home with me.

In the past few years, my boyfriend has rekindled my desire to continue to make better and more healthy choices for myself and the planet. When eating breakfast with him, I would brag that my milk was from Ronnybrook, and came in a glass bottle (with a plastic cap), so I was being super green by not only buying local, but in sustainable glassware. My green ego wouldn’t last too long though. He would remind me that I was being eco-conscious, but poisoning myself with chemicals in the microwave at the same time. With gentle and continuous reminders, some subtle – passing me a glass container as I reach for the microwave… and some more overt – “you are poisoning any future children that we may have” as I take my plastic container out of the microwave, he weaned me off of my plastic tupperware addiction, and pushed me into Pyrex (glass food storage option that is widely available and affordable).

On January 13th, 2013, I read an article in The New York Times, Eat Like a Mennonite, which gave me even more reason and cause to veer away from most plastics, not even just ones heated in the microwave! Bisphenol – A, more commonly referred to as BPA, is a chemical used as a plastic hardener that has been linked with obesity. Additionally, BPA has been preliminarily linked with breast and prostate cancers. This chemical is present in many wrappings, food containers, and liners of food products, even if they are organic and natural products themselves. The article discusses the challenge of eliminating BPA from the authors life for a few days. Though she notes it would be nearly impossible to completely eliminate the chemical from your life if you live in any populated area and consume any type of commercial products, there are small changes that can be made to significantly lower your exposure to BPA. I for one, stopped purchasing bottled water, and instead invested in a water filter and a Life Factory Water Bottle to carry filtered water with me in a BPA free container.

Granted, these changes for me were expensive in the short term (Brita filters 5/$24.99 Life Factory Bottle $19.99/ Brita Water Pitcher $15.99), I can only hope that the expense of being ecological, sustainable, and HEALTHY will pay of later on long term. Hopefully I can continue to make changes like this, that are relatively easy to do, and are sustainable options. What recommendations do you have??