Discard all soda (this includes diet), and replace it with spring water and natural or freshly squeezed juices. This one step will reduce your consump- tion of empty calories, sugars and cell-threatening chemicals. Over-con- sumption of carbonated beverages also can be rough on the esophagus and the stomach. Invest in a juicer, and have some fun coming up with healthy and tasty combinations.


Relegate sweets and processed desserts to weekends and special occasions. On a daily basis, replace them with fruit and natural yogurt with low sugar content. Fruit has essential vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber.


Set weekly goals for dinners and lunches made at home. If you are a major offender when it comes to eating overly-processed food or eating out, this is a great way to turn it around. Start with a realistic goal and see if you can better it every week.


Set daily goals for fresh vegetable consumption. The government rec- ommends filling half your plate with vegetables and fruit. See how close you can get.


Stock up on healthy snacks. You'd be surprised at some of the options now available. Having these on hand will lead to better choices.


Go organic. Whenever possible, choose organically raised meats, vegetables and fruits. Certified organic means no chemicals have been used in their pro- cessing or packaging.


Ultimately, you're the one who chooses what you eat. So do some research and learn more about what you're putting in your body. Discover some new recipes that are easy to make and plan your meals in advance. Once you get into the swing of things, you’ll enjoy know- ing that you are contributing to a more healthful life for you and your loved ones.


Orit Fried, Ph.D, is a nutritional consul- tant and the director of WOW World of Wellness which provides daily delivery of healthy, organic meals. She can be reached at orit@wowellness.info or 323-1956.


inspiration INDIVIDUAL INTEGRITY


Embracing the Moral Imperative to Protect Earth by Kathleen Dean Moore


Climate destabilization and environmental degradation are scientific, technological and economic issues, to be sure. But they are also fundamentally and primarily moral issues that call for a moral response.


we have a responsibility to leave for the future a world as rich in possibil- ity as our own?”—we received an outpouring of essays, articles, prayers and letters—all calling the world to action. The resulting book,


W


Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril, shares the compelling testimony of more than 80 visionaries—theologians and religious leaders, scientists, elected officials, business leaders, naturalists, activ- ists and writers—calling for a moral response to current climate change that is right, just and worthy of us as moral beings. The motives vary: for the sake of the children; for the survival of humankind; because justice demands it; because compassion asks it; because we are called to be stewards of God’s creation. Whatever world view, religion and values an individual brings to the question, there is reason to act. Consider the American Revolu- tion, the emancipation of slaves and the Civil Rights movement, each driven by deeply held and widely shared moral convictions. Today’s climate crisis cre- ates such a historical moment. But only if we grasp the moral urgency of the de- cision now upon us can we individually and collectively meet the challenge. We hear the arguments: I’m just


one person; it may already be too late;


hen we asked global moral leaders—“Do


the forces against us are strong; there’s really no hope of making a differ- ence, so I won’t bother trying. But it’s a mistake to believe that we have only two options: to act in hope or to abdicate all moral agency in despair. Between the two extremes, a huge middle ground exists—call it integrity—where we have the power to shape


our lives to embody our most profound sense of what is right and worthy. There is joy and liberation in wak-


ing up each morning affirming, “I have power over my decisions. I refuse to do what I know is wrong and will divest myself of the things I don’t believe in. By living with integrity and joining with others in communities of caring, I will create with my life a new definition of success and happiness.” We can’t count on inventors, scientists or politicians to save us. What will save us are our singular human ca- pabilities: to celebrate and to grieve; to love our children and the astonishing, beautiful Earth; to honor justice; and ultimately, to imagine how to live in a better way. We are called upon today to participate in the greatest global exer- cise of the moral imagination the world has ever seen.


Kathleen Dean Moore is co-editor of Moral Ground and author of Wild Comfort: The Solace of Nature. For more information, visit MoralGround.com.


natural awakenings October 2011 31


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