Food
Food has the aspects of nutrition, ecology and ethics. The nutritional aspect refers to the nutritional quality of food, the ecological aspect of food refers to the ecological consequences caused by the production and transportation of the food, and the ethical aspect refers to the treatment of food during its lifetime.
Food is said to be ecological safe or sound when it is produced and transported by methods harmonious with nature. Ecologically unsafe food creates an ecological debt that accumulates over time and eventually inflicts larger and lasting damages to society such as health risks, soil degradation and ecological decadence.
Food is ethically sound if it lived a natural life in its natural habitat and died in the most humane manner. The ethical aspect of food satisfies human's moral responsibility as the dominating species on the planet, which is to ensure that other species live a life without being oppressed, held captive, enslaved, treated as a commodity or even killed for fun.
The rule of thumb is to consume food that lived a natural life, in its natural habitat, within hours of sourcing and naturally cooked. Food that lived naturally ensures that the food is nutritious and ethically sound, food that lived in its natural habitat ensures ecologically and ethically safe food, food eaten within hours of sourcing ensures nutrition and food cooked naturally ensures non-toxicity.
The methods of farming and rearing employed determine whether or not food lived a natural life in its natural habitat. Only natural farming and natural rearing (both discussed later) can produce food that adheres to the principles of natural living. Those who do not farm must build a close relationship with the sellers to learn how their food is produced, stored and transported; thus analysing its nutritional, ecological and ethical aspects. Humans must connect with food not just at the table but from the farm itself.
The age of food determines its toxicity, therefore perishable food must be consumed within a day of being plucked or slaughtered. To achieve this, food must be produced and procured locally from natural farms that are within commutable distance. The only exceptions to this rule are non-perishable food products like oil, tea, coffee and spices, and also those that need a particular climate and soil type to yield. They can be grown at the suitable place and later transported using natural packaging materials and clear transportation to reduce impact on nutritional and ecological aspects of the food.
Naturally cooked refers to the maintenance of natural elements and natural processes in the various any aspects of cooking such as fuel, kitchenware, preservation and food storage.
Speaking of cooking fuel, there is no fuel with zero ecological, ethical and health footprint; only those with the less footprint. Use easily sourceable and replenishable fuel such as firewood and animal dung cakes to cook food. They are found readily on earth's surface and when locally sourced and stored, their procurement, transportation and storage is ecologically sound. Their ecological footprint can be easily compensated by planting more trees. And with technologically advanced stoves, these fuel can burn at maximum efficiency and minimum emissions. Unlike other fuels, the carbon offsetting is built right into the design: for continued used of firewood, humans are forced to plant more tress.
LPG is a low emission fuel, but it needs to be extracted and processed with industrial machinery, transported by burning more energy and stored in huge warehouses. Each of these processes have their own share of ecological, ethical and health footprints. Upon usage, they emit gases some of which can be recycled naturally while others cannot be; and while some are fairly less toxic, others are highly toxic and cancerous.
Electric alternatives have zero emissions, but how electricity is produced and stored determines how clean the electric alternative is. Nuclear plants produce zero emissions but generates radioactive wastes that pose existential threat to all life on the planet for thousands of years; and with almost zero error margin. Hydrogen cells only emit water, but the large scale production of hydrogen for fuel cells is impractical at the moment. Renewables like solar, wind, geo-thermal and wave are the cleanest of the lot (though not 100% clean), but they produce limited energy. Dams cause severe ecological and ethical concerns and hydroelectric projects without dams are not practical. Current electricity storage solutions like batteries leave ecological footprints; thus not as green as generally considered. Renewable energy too have ecological footprint that must be factored while making choices. However, upcoming smart designs in renewable energy sector usher hope. Such fuels, that pose ecological destruction, have positive ethical footprints and pose health risks during it's extraction, processing, storage, transportation and usage must be used only when there is no other choice.
Speaking of kitchenware, use kitchenware made of natural materials because the materials gradually flakes off or leaches from scrubbing, stirring, scraping and exposure to high temperatures, releasing micro amounts of the material to the food. Printed plates slowly fade, non-stick and ceramic coatings disappear while cooking and washing. Most of these compounds are carcinogenic; others can cause poisoning and medical conditions. But natural elements are safer than synthetic elements to the biology of any organism, thus not risking certain medical consequences. The use of natural products span to every aspect of cooking such as packaging — wrappers made of leaves must be used instead of plastic sheets.
Speaking of natural processes, one much respect seasonality of food. Earth has seasons and human biology evolved eating seasonal food, therefore humans must stick to their seasonal food habit. Forcing earth to produce non-seasonal food is forcing her to bear something she is not designed for. It also forces farmers to start cultivation and practice commercial agriculture — the very cause of the present food crisis.
Speaking of preservation, there is little or no need for refrigeration since food must be consumed fresh. Secondly, no refrigeration technology will preserve the freshness of vegetables and fruits for more than a day without compromising its nutrition. Meat, however can be frozen and preserved for weeks. But humans does not live on meat alone.
Speaking of food storage, a common practice is the use of plastic containers and used paint buckets. This practice is extremely dangerous since micro amounts plastics, chemicals like BPA and paint residues gradually leach into food. Use containers made of natural products to eliminate the threat of such leaches.
Natural living does not discriminate between vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism until such a time where ethics is irrefutably objective. Instead, natural living focuses on the methods of production: how plants and animals that become food are treated. What makes taking a life cruel is how the life is treated, killed and how much pain and agony it suffered at the hands of humans during it's lifetime and death.