Deciding How/What to EatEating Fully RawSubtitle

Locavore Diet

▪ Locavore = a person making sacrifices in his/her diet to benefit the environment and local economy▪ Consumes only foods that are produced in his/her local region▪ Food must be sourced within a 150 mile radius from the

consumer▪ No foods that have been transported from other countries or states Benefits

Support the local economy decrease your carbon

footprint Get to know the local

neighborhood Healthier meals (guilt-free)

Drawbacks Give up certain foods Difficult to find Reliant on what is available at

the time

History of the Locavore Diet

▪ Began in 2005 at the annual World Environment Day in San Francisco

▪ 4 women from North Carolina launched their own event – Celebrate Your Foodshed: Eat Locally challenge▪ Ate only local foods for 1 month

▪ A man and a woman in Vancouver started a blog about eating only local foods for 1 year

Locavore Diet

▪ Eat only locally sourced food▪ Many have to sacrifice bananas, chocolate, and coffee

▪ “Ultrastrict” locavores – ensure that every ingredient in their food is grown locally (including spices)

▪ “Marco Polo” locavores – use transported spices but keep the rest of their food locally sourced

▪ “Wild Card” locavores – follow a regular locavore diet but refuse to give up certain indulgences like coffee or candy bars

Locavore Diet – Things to Avoid

▪ Processed Food ▪ Include ingredients that

have been sourced from different countries

▪ Can’t always identify where each ingredient originates from

▪ Exotic Foods▪ Must be transported if

unable to grow in your own climate (bananas in cooler temperatures/apples in the desert)

▪ Unseasoned Produce▪ Supermarkets ignore

seasons▪ Will be more expensive

than seasonal produce▪ If grown in greenhouses…

may contain more pesticides than usual (to stop contained growing space outbreaks)

Locavore Diet – Where to Get Food

▪ Farmers’ Markets▪ Often grow fruits and vegetables later or

earlier than the norm (for unseasonal produce)

▪ Local whole food stores▪ Products that are entirely sourced locally

should be clearly labeled

▪ Local farmers

▪ Organic Greenhouses or Micro-climates (coastal areas)

▪ Growing your own produce

10 Ways to Become a Locavore

▪ Visit a Farmers’ Market▪ Keep small farms in business through direct sales▪ USDA’s farmers’ market guide

▪ Lobby your Supermarket▪ Talk to your supermarket’s manager to find out where

your meat, produce, and dairy comes from▪ This lets them know what consumers want

▪ Choose 5 Foods to Buy Locally▪ Take baby steps

▪ Find a Local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program▪ Investing in a local farm in exchange for a weekly box

of vegetables and other farm products▪ You don’t have to worry about buying local…the farmer

does the worrying for you

10 Ways to Become a Locavore

▪ Preserve Local Food for the Winter▪ Make applesauce, apple butter, jams▪ National Center for Home Food Preservation

▪ Find Local Restaurants that Support Local Farmers▪ Ask about ingredients▪ Frequent businesses that support local farmers

▪ Host a Local Thanksgiving▪ 100 Mile Thanksgiving Project – make a dish (or entire

meal) from local foods

▪ Buy from Local Vendors▪ Even if you can’t find locally grown products, you

should be able to find locally produced products▪ Jams, jellies, bread, roasted coffee

10 Ways to Become a Locavore

▪ Ask about Origins▪ Ask producers where their ingredients come from▪ Let them know that consumers care about the

origins of their ingredients

▪ Visit a Farm▪ Find a farm and take a tour▪ Share the experience with others to find out what is

grown and why the farmers are choosing to grow what it is that they are growing

Nutritarian ▪ “a nutritarian is a person who strives for more micronutrients

per calorie in their diet-style. A nutritarian understands that food has powerful disease-protecting and therapeutic effects and seeks to consume a broad array of micronutrients via their food choices. It is not sufficient to merely avoid fats, consume foods with a low glycemic index, lower the intake of animal products, or eat a diet of mostly raw foods. A truly healthy diet must be micronutrient rich and the micronutrient richness must be adjusted to meet individual needs. The foods with the highest micronutrient per calorie scores are green vegetables, colorful vegetables, and fresh fruits. For optimal health and to combat disease, it is necessary to consume enough of these foods that deliver the highest concentration of nutrients.”

- Dr. Joel Furhman  (American board-certified family

physician who specializes in nutrition-based treatments for obesity and chronic disease)

Nutritarian Diet

The more nutrients you consume per calorie, the healthier you will be

Health = Nutrients/ Calories (H = N/C)

Nutrients include vitamins, minerals, and phytochemical (occurring naturally in plants)

Considered micronutrients since they are found in such small quantities in food

Macronutrients are fats, carbs, and protein

Nutritarian Diet

Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, berries, and leafy greens

Most nutrient-dense foods Ex: bok choy has more calcium per calorie than whole or 2% fat milk

Avoid potentially toxic substances – trans fat and sodium

Lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes Believed to lower conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s

Bok Choy

Nutritarian Diet

Rules to live by…according to Dr. Fuhrman: Consume a large green salad with onion and shredded

cruciferous veggies (cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, broccoli) daily

Consume a large portion of cooked greens daily (mushrooms and onions)

Eat at least 3 fruits a day

Eat beans daily

Eat seeds and nuts daily (chia, flax, walnuts)

What is organic? http://www.upinspire.com/inspire/555/this-3rd-grader-shocked-everyo (2:32)

YouTube - How to buy organic produce - Organic foods (2:03)

Organic vs. Conventional

What is organic? “organic” refers to the way that farmers grow and

process agricultural products Fruits, veggies, grains, dairy, meat

Encourages soil and water conservation and reduces pollution

Don’t use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds, or prevent livestock disease

Use crop rotations and mulch/manure to prevent weeds

- Mayo Clinic

Organic vs. ConventionalOrganic Farming Methods Conventional Farming

Methods

To Promote Plant Growth

Natural fertilizers (compost or manure)

Chemical fertilizers

To Reduce Pests and Disease

Natural pesticides (plant source); use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease

Synthetic insecticides

To Manage Weeds Environmentally-generated plant-killing compounds; crop rotation, tilling, hand weeding, or mulch

Synthetic herbicides

To Prevent Livestock Disease and Encourage Growth

Organic feed and outdoor access; preventative measures (rotational grazing, balanced diet, and clean housing) to prevent disease

Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications

Is It Organic?

▪ USDA has an organic certification program requiring all organic foods to meet strict standards▪ How food is grown, handled, and processed

▪ All products labeled as organic must be USDA certified▪ Unless producers sell less than $5,000 a year (must still follow

USDA’s standards)

How Can We Tell If It’s Organic?

YouTube - Organic Food Labeling: How To Tell If Packaged Food Is Organic (1:33)

Is It Organic?

▪ Labels▪ “100 Percent Organic” + Seal= product must be completely

organic or made of all organic ingredients▪ “Organic” + Seal = product must be at least 95% organic▪ “Made with Organic Ingredients” without the seal = product

contains at least 70% organic ingredients

▪ Natural▪ “Natural” and “organic” are not the same thing

▪ “natural,” “all natural,” “free-range,” “hormone-free”

▪ Only food following the USDA’s standards are organic

What Does It All Mean?

YouTube - What does the USDA Organic label really mean? (2:53)

Which is Better?

▪ Research…▪ Currently…organically and conventionally produced foods have

comparable nutrient contents ▪ Research is still continuing

▪ Organic produce has significantly fewer pesticide residues than conventional produce▪ Neither exceed government safety thresholds

▪ Unlike conventional methods, organic foods have no additives, processing aids, or fortifying agents (preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings, flavorings, monosodium glutamate)

▪ Unlike conventional methods, organic methods benefit the environment by reducing pollution, conserving water and soil quality

Which is Better

▪ Cost▪ Organic methods require more expensive farming practices so, therefore,

organic food is more costly

▪ Organic produce is not treated with preservatives or waxes▪ Will spoil faster

▪ Organic foods may be perceived as…▪ Oddly shaped▪ Smaller in size▪ Strange colors

…We are so used to conventional foods that this may be seen as unnatural or abnormal

Just because something is labeled as organic does not mean it is healthier - can be high in sugar, salt, fat, or calories

Don’t Be Fooled

▪ Just because something is labeled as organic or natural does not mean it is healthier - can be high in sugar, salt, fat, or calories

Food Additives…I needed some help introducing this topic, so I called some friends…

YouTube - Animaniacs - "Be Careful What You Eat“(1:36)

Food Additives

▪ Substances that become part of a food product when they are added during the processing or making of that food

▪ Used to:▪ Add nutrients▪ Help process or prepare food▪ Maintain freshness▪ Increase appeal

▪ Can be man-made or natural – natural additives:▪ Herbs, spices▪ Vinegar pickling▪ Preserving with salt

Food Additives

▪ Include:▪ Antibiotics▪ Antioxidants▪ Artificial sweeteners▪ Benzoic acid (fruit juice)▪ Gelatin, corn starch, waxes▪ Dyes▪ MSG▪ Nitrates and nitrites (hot dogs and other meat products)▪ Sulfites (beer, wine, packaged vegetables)

Food Additives

▪ Those additives in our foods are listed as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS)

▪ Safe is defined as having “reasonable certainty that no harm will result from use”

▪ Those substances that have been found to be harmful to people or animals are still sometimes allowed…but only at 1/100th of the amount that is considered harmful

▪ GMO Myths and Truths (6:38)

▪ What is genetically modified food? (Start :50 /7:04)

 

GMO Examples

▪ 35 nations around the world require the labeling of GM foods if they contain more than 0.9% GMOs(including most of Europe)▪ The U.S. and Canada does not require labeling

▪ Potatoes: ▪ anti-cholera potatoes – injecting genes into potatoes that created a

cholera vaccine-like component that can help children in impoverished areas around the world (can’t get vaccines)▪ Not marketed yet

▪ Corn:▪ Sweet corn has been modified to have an insect-killing gene – no pesticides needed

GMO Examples

▪ Tomatoes:▪ First GM food to reach the market

▪ Resistant to antibiotics▪ Concern that the resistance would be passed on to humans

▪ Altered to make them last longer▪ Don’t rot as fast▪ Can be transported farther▪ Doesn’t need to be stored until ripe – can be eaten sooner

▪ Lemato▪ Combination of a tomato and the gene that gives lemons their smell and taste▪ Has been described as having a lemongrass-like smell▪ Longer shelf life than tomatoes and more resistant to pests▪ Not available for production

GMO Examples

▪ Squash:▪ Normal squash is more prone to viral disease▪ GMO squash was modified to ensure crop survival

▪ Backfired – cucumber beetles (which carry bacterial wilt disease) prefer health plants and start to eat them…leaving holes in the plant

▪ Has been found in the wild – environmental concerns (transfer of genes, plants becoming more vulnerable to bacterial diseases)

▪ Golden Rice▪ Modified to contain vitamin A in order to combat vitamin A deficiencies around the world (causes blindness and death)▪ Working on a new GM rice that would contain iron to combat iron deficiency (causes anemia and low birth weight, could be fatal)

▪ Genetic Engineering: Green Peace  (3:50)

GMO Examples

▪ Pigs:▪ In 2002, a number of female pigs were injected with cow genes to

increase their milk production and improve milk digestion▪ Caused their piglets to grow faster

▪ Piglets were sold to livestock brokers and processed for meat to be sold and eaten

▪ Salmon (AquaAdvantage):▪ Grows faster and reaches about twice the size of wild salmon▪ To be grown in fish farms by a private company called AquaBounty▪ Environmental concern = supposed to be sterile but mutations happen

Toxic Strawberries

▪ Strawberries are prone to disease and pests so, therefore, industries have developed ways to protect them

▪ Methyl bromide – 60x more damaging to the ozone layer than chlorofluorocarbons▪ Used to sterilize soil before planting strawberries▪ Exposure can cause:

▪ respiratory and central nervous system damage▪ Death

Toxic Strawberries

▪ Methyl Iodide▪ Alternative to methyl bromide that has been approved

▪ Lab tests involving rats and rabbits show methyl iodide can cause…▪ thyroid cancer▪ miscarriages▪ chronic, irreversible brain damage▪ air and water pollution