The small house project continued.

Here is another idea that has been developing over time.

I recently picked up a copy of TRUPPS WHOLEFOOD KITCHEN the book is written by Walter and Dorota Trupp. (chef and nutritionist)

To be honest with you a lot of the stuff in the book is a bit scary. Like a lot scary. Some of it you sorta know.. some of it you assumed. But when its written down in cold hard facts its a little harder to ignore.

For some time we have been dreaming of having our very own little vegetable patch. The patch is going to be a permanent fixture in our small house project... and a couple chooks to the side would be nice too.

See the philosophy is that we become an organic family, we grow and eat our own food. Therefore reducing our carbon foot print and boosting health because we know that the fruit and vegetables haven't had anything added to prolong their life or make them look shiny and new. (and saving money too!)

It also means we will eat more seasonally. Eating seasonally is one of my very most favourite things to do. (don't ask me why)

Reading the book confirmed my ideas on growing and eating our own produce.

But there was something I had never thought of. Something that struck me as something that I could do today.

It was the section on Plastics.

TO be specific - chemicals in plastics.

Now the book is definitely not a doomsday book filled with the horrors of slowly killing ourselves. But it does give some shocking facts on the food industry in Australia and the way things are labelled.

Here is an excerpt from the book (page 241)

"The mainstream food and beverage industries pump their drinks, condiments and other foodstuffs into plastic bottles/containers rather than glassware because plastic is lighter and cheaper to produce. While glass can be sterilised using hot water and steam, plastic cannot as high heat will destroy it. So plastic containers are sterilised using a toxic chemical called dimethyl dicarbonate (E242), which kills any bacteria before dissolving, leaving an empty container that is then filled with food and drink. Because this chemical has fulfilled its disinfection purpose before actual food/drink is introduced, food and beverage producers are not required to list it on ingredients labels."

So if I don't eat Tim Tams because they use palm oil which destroys the natural habitat of Orangutans and if I don't use Estée Lauder because they test on animals why am I purchasing things in plastic containers that could potentially be harmful to myself?

So I have made a change. Just a simple change to the way I shop. Instead of buying my olive oil in a plastic container I choose the ones in glass. I pick things up that are in foil or paper over plastic containers. But not only that.. I have started stocking up on large glass containers to store my food in..

(Jars purchased from here)

It will take time but I haven't found it too difficult at all. Of course I will probably never be able to remove plastic from my life completely but I am more aware of what I am putting in my body and how it will affect me, so I can make better choices.

(more small house project to come.)