Precision Nutrition Goes Green with Pauline Nordin

In 2006, with the release of the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, the phrases “global warming” and “greenhouse gasses” have rolled off the tongues of politicians, scientists, housewives, environmentalists, executives, movie stars, and grade school kids alike.

Add to this an increase in environmental awareness and the public is now talking about things like carbon emissions, diminishing fresh water supplies, fossil fuel depletion, water and air pollution, and more.

Heck, even Will Ferrell has done his part.

Thanks, Will.

This awareness is great as we think it’s critical that folks know what’s going on around them. Sure, there’s some debate about the severity of each of the issues/problems above. However, again, the fact that these issues are in the public consciousness is pretty cool.

One thing we here at PN have always been a little bit peeved about is that for every 20 threat laden messages, full of scare tactics and hyperbole, there’s less than one “how to” message. Even Gore’s seminal documentary was a little light on strategies.

So, great…the world’s going to hell in a handbasket. Uh, how about some suggestions for how to deal with that?

So in this newsletter, and in an upcoming follow-up, we’ll be presenting some strategies for how each of us can do our part, how each of us can help ol’ mother nature out. Specifically, this week, the lovely and talented Pauline Nordin will pick the brains of Ryan Andrews and Dr Berardi about their personal lifestyles.

That’s right, she’s gonna ask them the hard questions about how they’re doing their part – if they are at all.

Pauline Nordin - IFBB Pro Figure Competitor, Writer, and Coach

Pauline:
With all the warnings about global warming, polluted oceans, toxic air and cancer-causing chemicals in the food we eat, I cannot help wondering what the fitness pros and bodybuilders do to protect themselves – as well what they do to help save the environment from going straight down the drain. So fellas, here we go.

First, plastic use is a big concern for some people when it comes to saving the planet. Do you still buy plastic water bottles at the gym?

Ryan Andrews:
Na, I’m more of a water fountain kind of guy myself.

Dr Berardi:
Nope – in fact, I’ve always thought it’s sorta weird to buy bottled drinks at the gym. It’s expensive, inefficient, and inconvenient. For those reasons, I bring my own – either water on lower intensity training days or a recovery drink on high intensity training days – in a Rubbermaid Chuggable.

This is a 1L spill proof bottle that I can load up with powder and ice – and add water to at the gym (from the fountain). Of course, I can re-use the same one bottle every day. This saves money, is way more convenient, and is eco-friendly too.

Pauline:
Gas prices are sky rocketing. And you see commercials for hybrids and biodiesel cars all over the place. What kind of car do you drive? And do you consider changing it to a more efficient one to cut down on pollution?

Ryan Andrews:
I selected my Toyota Corolla because it gets 40 miles per gallon. Trust me, I didn’t pick the Corolla because it looks cool.

Also, I actually picked my condo based on its proximity to the gym and grocery store. It’s a 5 minute walk to the gym and about a 4 minute walk to the grocery store.

Dr Berardi:
Wow, my Hummer would crush that Corolla. Do you hate me now?

Ok, ok, I’m just kidding.

Actually, I work from my home office most days. So the only commute I have is a 1km drive to the gym – which I usually make either by bicycle or by my motorcycle in the spring/summer/fall.

Does this make me a good person? I’m not so sure. But it does seem to impress all the tree-huggers in my town.

Pauline:
What about your eating habits? Do you make adjustments in your diet to be more earth-friendly? Like not buying plastic wrapped foods?

Dr Berardi:
I don’t eat foods in cans and/or plastic/cardboard packages mostly because food in packages don’t fit the Precision Nutrition lifestyle. You see, most of them simply aren’t physique friendly.

My main priorities are great health, low body fat, and optimal performance. If these choices also coincide with some eco-friendly side effects, that’s cool too.

Ryan Andrews:
I do my best to reduce my waste. For example, when I get produce, I don’t put it into an individual plastic bag; I put it directly into my own cloth bag. I limit my purchases of single serving foods as well. Also, I re-use plastic bags for bulk grains, like oats and quinoa. Finally, when I bake yams, beets and potatoes – I re-use the aluminum foil. Each of these choices are small, but lots of little choices can add up.

Pauline:
With all the laundry you get from sweating in the gym, have you paid attention to what kind of detergent you are using?

Since there are many that are pretty rough on our water supply, it could make a huge difference if we stopped using all these extra chemicals to make our clothing ultra white, ultra perfumed, ultra soft…

Dr Berardi:
Hey Ry…I think she just called us a coupla nasty, sweaty beasts. Nice!

As far as detergent, I pay attention to my detergent, for the most part because my house isn’t hooked up to city water and sewage services.

Since my septic system can become more easily plugged up, I use biodegradable detergents and toilet paper for that reason.

The new generation biodegradable products work just as well and are better for the environment, in general, and for my own property, specifically.

Ryan Andrews:
I always use an eco-friendly detergent. Plus, I buy the concentrated form. The concentrated form comes in a smaller bottle and it uses less fuel to transport.

Also, when I wash my hands at the gym after touching all the dirty dumbbells, I use my shirt to dry off. No wasted paper towels.

Pauline:
As far as water, do you guys trust the tap water in your area? Do you drink right from the tap? If not, do you buy water from the store or do you use a filter system?

Dr Berardi:
Because I’m not hooked up to city water, I use cistern water. My cistern is filled, in part, from rain water (during rain abundance) and from water trucked in (during periods of low precipitation).

I use a sediment filter and UV filter to ensure that the water is clean. And I have it tested once per year. Believe it or not, this is actually much less expensive than if I were hooked up to city water!

Although the filters cost about $1500 to get up and running, my annual water costs are only about $180. This makes my choice economical and eco-friendly. I win and the earth wins. Cool!

Ryan Andrews:
I only drink from the tap at the gym (water fountain). At home, I have a large water pitcher with a filter I keep in my fridge.

Pauline:
Bodybuilders and athletes usually eat lots of meat, chicken and other meats. It takes an incredible amount of energy to first bring up all this beef, then the whole process to get it to our table. Have you thought about cutting down on it for the environmental benefits?

Ryan Andrews:
That’s exactly one of the reasons why I switched to a plant-based diet about 5 years ago.

Dr Berardi
For me, that’s too extreme…especially since some meat production does tend to be more eco-unfriendly than other meats.

Most of the meat I get is raised locally. Some of it is free range and some of it is grain fed. I also get quite a bit of wild game meat – stuff like venison, elk, etc.

The truth is – I’ve gotta have my lean protein. So cutting down isn’t going to happen any time soon. If we’re keeping score, though, it’s important to note that less energy goes into locally farmed meat vs. factory farmed meat. Remember, not all meat is so costly to bring to our tables.

Pauline:
Where do you get your fresh vegetables? Do you buy organic?

Ryan Andrews:
I use a service called Door To Door Organics. They bring me a box of organic (local whenever possible) veggies and fruits each week. When I run out, I go to a farmers market or Vitamin Cottage to get some more.

Dr Berardi:
The Door To Door Organics thing is an awesome idea. Not only does this deliver organic, local food to your door, it probably forces you to eat a wide variety of seasonal fruits and veggies. I’ve gotta look into that.

On this end, I have to start out with a clarification. Organic means nothing more than “grown without pesticides”. It doesn’t necessarily mean better for you, it doesn’t mean less fossil fuels are used in the production, etc. So I’m not so concerned with buying organic. If it’s available, cool. If not, no problem.

On the other hand, I choose to keep a small vegetable and herb garden at home and buy locally grown fruits and vegetables directly from local growers when in season.

In fact, within 2km of my home, I have at least 10 farms that I can visit to get my fruits and veggies direct.

Of course, this only goes so far in Canada. In the winter, there isn’t much in season. So at that time, I buy the rest of my fruits and vegetables from the grocery store. After all, a high intake of fruits and vegetables year-round is critical.

Pauline:
Have you seen those commercials for the hens who we get our eggs from? Sitting all skinned without feathers there in those tiny cages… Does that make you think about where your eggs come from? Do you choose free range or organic ones?

Ryan Andrews:
It definitely makes you think about where food comes from. I don’t eat eggs. For people that do, I only recommend organic and free-range. Better yet, if people can go to the farm where the hens are being raised, they can see the living conditions themselves.

Dr Berardi:
I recently started buying all my eggs from local farmers that raise free range chickens. Again, I have local farms that I can walk to to pick up my eggs.

I get them mostly because they are healthier and taste better. However, it’s also nice to know that the chickens aren’t being mistreated.

And again, to address the idea of organic, all organic means is free of pesticides. In the case of eggs, this means the chickens were fed pesticide-free grasses, etc.

So if I can get organic, that’s fine. But I prioritize local and free range over organic. And I know my stuff is local and free range because I can walk to the farm and see it with my own eyes.

This is a better guarantee of eco-friendly, animal friendly, healthy food than choosing organic at some grocery store. Remember, just because you buy it at a “local” grocery store doesn’t mean it’s local food.

Pauline:
Guys, this is great. Thanks a lot for sharing!