Food Choices for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet

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In Uncategorized,
  • Posted on June 27, 2011
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Last month, Prince Charles visited a city farm in Washington DC. This was no superficial royal good-will gesture; he has championed sustainable and organic agriculture for decades. On this trip he spoke at a conference called “The Future of Food,” where experts and citizens tackled the life-or-death issue: how will we feed ourselves as we increase our population and degrade our planet?

At one point, Prince Charles said, “We have to maintain a supply of healthy food at affordable prices when there is mounting pressure on nearly every element affecting the process. In some cases we are pushing Nature’s life-support systems so far, they are struggling to cope with what we ask of them. Soils are being depleted, demand for water is growing ever more voracious and the entire system is at the mercy of an increasingly fluctuating price of oil.”

Fortunately, here in the San Francisco Bay Area we have many activists, farmers, entrepreneurs, chefs, and nonprofits working on the issue. We also have conferences where you can learn how to join the new food world. For instance, Bioneers, held every October in San Rafael, has for many years showcased inventive farmers and food experts who are creating and promoting a food system that is healthy for people and planet. EcoFarm’s conference is held every January in Santa Cruz and is a hands-on learning experience. California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom hosts numerous classes and events.

“Prince Charles is right: our current food system is broken. But we have better options available to us. By farming in ways that balance our needs with resource availability, we can produce ample food for the world without degrading the environment,” says Margaret Mellon, Food and Environment Program Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

You can join UCS even if you’re not a scientist (its tagline is “Citizens and Scientists for Environmental Solutions”), and get expertly reasoned and documented newsletters on many environmental issues.

Of course, you don’t have to become a professional to help. Just visit a farmers’ market, buy organic food, waste less, and you’ll be part of the solution.


Compassion in Action

In Animal Cruelty, Food to Avoid, In the News, Take Action,
  • Posted on October 5, 2010
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Nine survivors of shark attacks are now campaigning to save the species that terrify most people. But the truth is that humans are a greater danger to sharks than they are to us – we kill 100 million of them a year, while the Florida Museum of Natural History estimates that fewer than a dozen people a year are killed by sharks (see statistics here). Many shark species are threatened with extinction, partly due to human beings’ appetite for them.  Asians, for instance, consider shark fin soup a delicacy. To get the main ingredient, 73 million sharks a year are killed for this dish. After their fins are cut off, they are dumped back into the ocean to drown or bleed to death.

This is unacceptable to many people – including these nine survivors. Twenty-nine-year-old Achmat Hassiem was attacked during practice for his lifeguard duties – but even though he lost his foot, he hopes to save sharks. Australian navy diver Paul de Gelder, who lost his right hand and lower leg to a shark, agrees. “Regardless of what an animal does according to its basic instincts of survival, it has its place in our world.” (See news story here)

Peter Benchley, the author of the novel Jaws,belatedly realized this and later in life became a protector of sharks, campaigning to educate people about them. An annual award is given in his name by the Shark Research Institute to the person or group that makes outstanding contributions to shark conservation.

What can you do to help? Don’t order shark fin soup.

*This story is also found on the Examiner.com


Prescription Produce

In Food, Recommended Company,
  • Posted on September 30, 2010
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We know that childhood obesity is a serious problem. Experts worry that today’s children will be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents because of the health hazards of obesity. We also know that as a society, we’ll need to help create a world where children can find healthy food, exercise, and play.

Some Massachusetts doctors are taking active steps to do just that. Realizing that low-income children are especially at risk, they are helping them adopt a healthier diet by advising patients to buy “prescription produce” at local farmers’ markets–and even giving them coupons to help them pay for it. Check out the article here.

Since obesity costs this country $14 billion in treating health problems in children, and $147 billion in adults, this seems like a sensible preventive effort. In fact, 36 states have programs to encourage women and young children to benefit from the healthful produce available at farmers’ markets. Luckily, in the US there are over 6,000 farmers’ markets, with annual sales of over $1billion, and more are opening all the time.

School lunch programs are also becoming healthier – and so is the connection between farm and table. A program called Farm to School (which has branches in all 50 states) helps schools link lessons and contacts with their local farmers. In our area, Marin, Berkeley, Hayward and San Rafael have schools that participate in Farm to School.

The beauty of the program is that it does not require a large initial commitment—a school can start by just adding one item, such as local apples, to its offerings. That’s how Dover-Eyota schools got started, and now it’s adding other locally grown foods. Check out the article, “Minnesota Schools “Digging” Their Local Farms This Week.” Carrie Frank, nutrition director for the district, says, “This excites me – the opportunity to buy local, to buy the freshest. I’ve been in schools now for 17 years, and I don’t know when I’ve been more excited to be in the industry.  The students are quite proud of it. I hear comments like, ‘My mom grew this.’ Or one child said, ‘My grandfather and I picked this.'”

*Story also found on Examiner.com


There are Plenty of (Other) Fish in the Sea! – GMO Salmon

In Food, Food to Avoid, GMO's, Take Action,
  • Posted on September 23, 2010
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Recently there has been a debate on genetically modified salmon since there are supposedly not enough fish in the ocean to feed everyone. According to this Opinion article on CNN.com, there is only one modified gene in the salmon. It will help benefit the farming of salmon because they eat less and will produce more fish faster, and the added hormone has not effect to humans. (That we know of yet!) One of the biggest concerns is that some of these farmed salmon will escape into the wild and contaminate the other fish by breeding and endangering the environment in a way that we can no longer control or reverse.

In my opinion although these instant benefits seem wonderful and easy, the long run results may turn out detrimental to other fish as well as us. There are plenty of other fish in the ocean. We can cut back  on our consumption on salmon. Honestly I’d rather not eat salmon then eat anything genetically modified. To  tell the FDA you won’t eat GMO Salmon, please sign this petition by FoodDemocracyNow!!!! There are only 48 hours left to sign!

What are your concerns with this? What are your thoughts on GMO salmon?

 


If Vegetarian is Good, Is Vegan Better?

In Food, Food to Try, Recommended Reads,
  • Posted on September 21, 2010
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Eating lower on the food chain is recommended by health experts and by sustainability
experts — that is, eating less meat, fish, and dairy. We can all do this easily by having one
meatless day a week, by choosing chicken instead of beef, and stretching a little fish a
long way.
But what about giving up meat, fish, and dairy altogether? Vegans make this decision,
and also give up eggs and honey. So what do they eat – is it boring? Are they healthy?
Having researched this a bit, I can tell you that food made of animals is probably less
healthy, when you take into account pesticides, hormones, and cholesterol – not to
mention unsanitary slaughtering plants. We’ve all heard of food safety issues! So vegans
are probably exposing themselves to fewer health problems, as long as they choose a
variety of foods (which we should all do, anyway).
Back to the question, “Is vegan boring?” Not if you go by a wonderful cookbook called
Vegan world fusion cuisine, Mark Reinfeld, Bo Rinaldi and their colleagues at a
restaurant in Hawaii. I’ve tried quite a few of these and found them astonishingly tasty,
varied, and healthful.

Here in the Bay Area, we have a caterer who will offer vegan food on a regular schedule or for special events. Vegan Local Love Catering http://localloveservices.com/

Check out these menus from the website:


1. 3 grain Lentil burger with roasted Rosemary potatoes served with chipotle ketchup and “Mayo”.
2. Veggie Enchiladas with Black beans and seasonal veggies in a house-made enchilada sauce served with Spanish Rice.
3. Greek Moussaka: Layers of Eggplant, Zucchini, Tempeh, tomato, and onion baked in a creamy potato béchamel sauce.
4. Mushroom, and Carrot Sunchoke Risotto topped with crispy dried onion rings with a side salad.
5. Baked BBQ tofu in a tangy Barbecue sauce served with Quinoa pilaf and roasted Brussels Sprouts.
6. Tofu Roulade Stuffed with a Mushroom and Spinach Duxelle served with “Caesar” Salad.

*Story also found on Examiner.com


Are Green Products Less Powerful?

In Recommended Company, Take Action,
  • Posted on September 10, 2010
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Recently, I have been switching all of my household products to organic ones. According to a recent article “Green at Heart, Not in the Wallet” and a study in the Journal of Marketing, consumers have been skeptical to purchase eco-friendly products in fear that they may not be as strong as the leading competitors. They believe other products are more durable and efficient then sustainable ones. To be honest, I too hesitated before I made the switch because I wasn’t sure it would be able to get the job done. I have been using my green products for over 4 months now and I can honestly say that I use less of the product because it can clean anything efficiently!

My suggestion is to try it out by starting with one product and see how you like it. Orange TKO Cleaner was a featured at the SF Green Festival this year. I have yet to try this one in particular, but it is an organic multi-cleaner where a little bit goes a long way. Let’s diffuse the myth that green products are weaker and make this planet more sustainable!!


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