Unless you've been starving, you should have noticed the cost of food is on the rise. Government figures show that grocery costs have gone up 5.1 percent in 12 months. According to Labor Department figures, eggs alone are up a dramatic 25 percent over last year. Eating healthier seems to becoming more expensive every week. If you're looking for ways to cut down on food costs you may consider buying less meat, eggs and dairy.

With household budgets strained by higher food costs and increased prices at the pump, switching out some of the more-expensive meat protein for cheaper plant protein can help reduce food budgets.

There's also evidence that meat production may be a factor in climate change.

In 2006, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report that the ingredients that go into meat, eggs and dairy production -- including fertilizer, feed, transport and processing -- add up to about 18 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, more than the greenhouse gases produced by the transportation sector.

SOURCE: Reuters

RELATED LINKS:

• Less Red More Green To Prevent Cancer
• Too much red meat is bad for your heart
• Men Eat Meat, Women Eat Veggies
• PETA Offers $1 Million Reward to First to Make In Vitro Meat
• Healthy Food Becomes More Expensive While Junk-food Becomes Cheaper

Do you want the body of a dancer? According to the instructor of the Element: Ballet Conditioning DVD, the dancer's physique is ideal for the woman of today. We want to have long lean muscles, opposed to bulky muscles.

With the ballet conditioning DVD you will do plies, kicks, and other ballet-inspired moves using a chair as your barre. You'll tone your legs, core, shoulders and back while achieving the long and lean look.

Buying this DVD also helps to support the Arbor Day Foundation. Element will purchase one tree to be planted for every four DVDs sold!

Element: Ballet Conditioning is available at the BEFIT STORE Powered by Amazon.com ($8)

This workout DVD has received excellent customer ratings on Amazon.com and has been featured in Shape magazine.

On Saturday Kate Hudson rode her bike to Starbucks and Walgreen's. I think it's pretty cool how simply riding your bike can help you stay fit while acting as eco friendly transportation.

SOURCE

To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, Whole Foods Market will eliminate plastic bags from it's 270 stores. Hopefully Whole Foods will set an example for other retailers to help the environment by using less plastic bags.  They're bad for the environment because they are made from petroleum, are typically thrown away after one use, fill landfills and float into trees, rooftops, roadways and oceans. Beginning immediately, each store in the Company will work on depleting stocks of disposable plastic grocery bags at the checkouts and will help raise awareness about the benefits of reusable bags. Over the next three months, stores will reduce plastic grocery bag inventories and increase selections of reusable bags for purchase.

Even if you don't shop at Whole Foods, you can still do your part by reusing your grocery bags.

Now a day there's an eco friendly way to do practically anything. I'm all about supporting the cause to help our environment, recycle and preserve. If it means paying fifty cents more for eco friendly paper towels, I don't mind. It's more about the big picture to me. It's about setting a good example to others. If they see that I recycle everything possible perhaps they'll think twice the next time they go to throw a plastic bottle in the trash.  I choose to live a healthy lifestyle and try my best to eliminate unnatural chemicals from my being. That's why I use organic beauty products.

Recycline Preserve makes a toothbrush and razor, both of which are made from 100% recycled and recycle able materials.

Tooth brush HERE for $3.95

Razor HERE for $7.25

To go along with this eco friendly duo I recommend these organic products...

Kiss My Face Peach & Creme Moisture Shave 

Tom's of Maine's Peppermint Toothpaste