INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You've probably heard the saying, "quality not quantity." That adage applies when you're trying to reduce household waste. Buying higher quality items, including dishes, pans, clothing, toys, and most everything else, will reduce your waste overall because the items will last longer. You won't need to replace them as often. For instance, when you can, spring for the higher quality pot. It's more expensive, but it will last many more years. When purchasing items like food, choose bigger packages over smaller to help reduce trash from packaging. For instance, a large box of cereal creates less waste than several smaller boxes of cereal that add up to the same amount. If you prefer individual servings, portion the food out into reusable containers when you get home. For instance, if you like small portions of pretzels, buy a big bag and then use small sealed containers to create individual portions. Also, be sure to look for packaging that can be recycled, so you aren't contributing to the landfill. Today's society has bought into excessive packaging. Some items have two or three layers of packaging. If you see an item that seems to have an excessive amount of packaging, try looking for a different brand to see if it uses less. Bulk bins are becoming more popular, particularly in health food stores. With these bins, you simply scoop out the food (such as rice, flour, sugar, etc.) into a bag, which usually produces less waste than standard packaging. You can also bring reusable containers from home to make the purchase even greener. Make sure to get a cashier to write the weight of the container on it so that you don't pay for the container.

SUMMARY: Buy quality items that last. Buy bigger packages of food. Look for products with less packaging. Buy from the bulk bins.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Your body uses protein to make new cells. This means that it is important for repairing tissue damage in your body. Though meat and animal products are common sources of protein, you can also get all of the proteins you need from plant foods, such as lentils, beans, hemp seeds, quinoa, chia seeds, seeds, and nuts. Proteins are found in meat, milk, fish, eggs, soy, beans, legumes, and nuts. Adults should eat 2 to 3 servings of high protein foods per day. Childrens' needs will vary according to their ages. Fruits are foods that grow from the flower of plants while vegetables are foods that come from the stems, flower buds leaves, and roots. Both are excellent sources of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy throughout a long life. Fruits include berries, beans, corn, peas, cucumber, grains, nuts, olives, peppers, pumpkin, squash, sunflower seeds, and tomatoes. Vegetables include celery, lettuce, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, carrots, and potatoes. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and fat, but high in fiber and vitamins. Eating a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables can reduce your risks of developing cancer, heart problems, high blood pressure, strokes, and diabetes. Try to eat 4 servings of fruits and 5 servings of vegetables per day. Carbohydrates are abundant in nature, such as in fruits and vegetables. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, and fiber. Your body obtains energy by breaking down these compounds. Simple sugars are digested more quickly than complex sugars. Focus on getting most of your carbohydrates from natural sources like fruits and vegetables and reduce your intake of carbohydrates from items like baked goods and other processed foods. Simple sugars are found in fruits, milk, milk products, vegetables, and processed sweets. Complex carbohydrates are in beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, potatoes, corn, green peas, parsnips, whole-grain breads. About half of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates, with most of it coming from complex carbohydrates as opposed to simple sugars. Your body needs some fat to help it absorb fat soluble vitamins, control inflammation, assist with muscle repair, clot blood and maintain proper brain function, but too much is not good. Common sources of fats are butter, cheese, whole milk, cream, meats, and vegetable oils. Eating too much fat increases your chances of high cholesterol, heart problems, and strokes. You can reduce your fat consumption by eating lean meats, poultry, fish, and drinking low-fat milk. Many restaurants enhance the flavor of their foods with ingredients that are high in fat such as cream, whole milk, or butter. By cooking your food yourself, you can control the amount of fat in your food. Don't choose fat-free or low fat foods. You need fat.. Contrary to popular beliefs, dietary fat does not make you fat. However, don't eat too much fat as it is unhealthy. If you are eating a balanced diet, you are probably getting sufficient vitamins and minerals. These substances are vital for your body to function properly, repair itself and grow. Vitamins and minerals occur naturally in many foods, especially fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats, and dairy. If you are concerned that you may not be getting enough vitamins and minerals, talk to your doctor about adding some multivitamin and multi-mineral supplements to your diet. The needs of pregnant women and children may differ from the needs of others. While your body needs some salt too so that you maintain muscle and nerve function and manage your blood volume and pressure and blood volume, too much over a long period of time is unhealthy. The CDC recommends keeping your sodium intake below 2,300 milligrams per day. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure and aggravate heart, liver, or kidney conditions. Most foods contain some salt naturally and many have salt added to enhance the flavor. Adults should consume no more than about a teaspoon of salt per day. If you have a health condition, you may need to eat much less. Avoid fast food. Not only is it high in fat, but it is also usually very high in salt. Drinking enough water will help your body flush out toxins, maintain your bodily functions, and keep your kidneys healthy. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day to stay hydrated, and drink more if you are sweating, such as from exercising or doing physical labor. The amount you need will be influenced by your body weight, your activity level, and the climate you live in. The best way to stay hydrated is to drink enough water that you don't feel thirsty. If you urinate infrequently or pass dark or cloudy urine, you probably need to drink more.

SUMMARY: Support your body's ability to heal by eating enough protein. Keep your vitality by enjoying a diet with diverse fruits and vegetables. Eat healthy amounts of carbohydrates. Eat a controlled amount of fat. Get enough vitamins and minerals through a healthy diet. Eat a low salt diet. Cleanse your body by drinking enough water.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Problems relating to asthma can cause serious damage to your lungs. A way to avoid this is to prevent attacks based on triggers, such as air quality and environmental issues. If you have asthma, you may consider wearing a mask to help protect you from some of the common triggers, including pollen, mold, pet dander, pollution and, to some degree, strong odors. You can also use air filtration systems to remove and prevent many asthma triggers from entering your home. People with asthma may have certain food triggers that are typically unique to each person. In general, individuals with asthma should avoid the common triggers such as eggs, fish, peanuts, soy, yeast, cheese, wheat and rice. Foods with a variety of preservatives, such as Monosodium glutamate (MSG), nitrates or nitrites, also can be triggers for asthma. These substances also decrease the efficacy of rescue inhalers. These common allergies are the basis for the suggestion of an organic, whole food diet for asthma sufferers.

SUMMARY:
Avoid your asthma triggers. Cut out foods that aggravate your asthma.