Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
jeudi 16 février 2017
The Sad Trend That's Ruining Our Relationship With Food
"I know this is basically all carbs but . . . " I stopped myself mid-sentence when I realized I was trying to justify my food to someone else. I had ordered a gluten-free banana almond butter toast with local honey and cinnamon from Project Juice - a seemingly very healthy meal - but found myself borderline self-shaming for my "indulgent" choice in a carb-laden breakfast.
Pause for a moment: raise your hand if you've ever made yourself feel bad about a food choice, regardless of what that choice was. Raise your hand again if you've justified what you were eating to someone else, or have been ashamed of what you've ordered or eaten in the company of friends.
This is not cool, guys! And I know this because I've been there, too. It's a form of food shaming, and it's not chill.
We're shifting into a healthier, more accepting mindset with our bodies - loving our shape, embracing imperfections, and celebrating every stage of our physical journey. But have we refocused our negativity and self-deprecation to what's on our plate? I'm personally trying to nip that in the bud, stat.
I've noticed myself and others adopting a mindset of "it's healthy . . . but not healthy enough." For instance, an acai bowl is arguably a healthy breakfast, but you could find yourself saying, "It's all sugar," or, "There's not enough protein." Hello! It's natural sugar from fruit, not processed sugar and flour, and not every single thing you eat has to have protein.
Why are we in a competition with ourselves and the universe to out-healthy one another, so much so that we shame our otherwise-healthy choices? "Mmmm, that kale smoothie looks good, but the almond milk is sweetened so it's basically a Snickers." The f*ck?? We really need to wake up from this.
This also applies to foods that aren't conventionally healthy, like eating a piece of pizza or having a cocktail; we shouldn't feel guilty or like we need to earn these indulgences. I'm not saying just eat whatever the f*ck you want - we should absolutely be conscious about our choices. Obesity is still a problem in our country, as is heart disease, sugar addiction, etc., etc. But I am saying to acknowledge food as a choice, as fuel, and often as a means of pleasure and enjoyment - and that's OK! This is why we love the 80/20 approach to eating!
One of my favorite quotes about this idea was from a woman I interviewed last year about her 100-pound weight-loss journey who said, "Food is food and it can be used for fuel or pleasure, but it doesn't define my character." Here's why this is so important:
Your Relationship With Food
Constantly guilting yourself over food choices can spiral into something more dangerous than some off-handed comments (like an eating disorder). What can start off as something lighthearted, even funny (trust me, self-deprecating humor is my specialty), can turn into a truly negative relationship with food. As one recovering anorexic woman told POPSUGAR, "I innocently thought that I was just exercising and eating healthy, but over time, I continued to take it to extremes."
The concept of "healthy" is relative to each person. To my lactose-intolerant friend, my Greek-yogurt-based smoothie isn't healthy, but to me it's an excellent source of protein. There are no hard and fast rules or lines between what is or isn't "healthy," so by arbitrarily making up the rules, we subject ourselves to guilt, confusion, and negativity. Is a life of obsessively counting and restricting calories, second-guessing choices, and feeling guilty and sad at every single meal time something you want to deal with? (Hoping your answer is no, BTW.)
Your Impact on Others
What we say affects other people, too. Whether you like it or not, your words and actions impact those around you, and you might be more of an inspiration to your friends and family than you realize.
A few months ago I overheard some women in a Megaformer class saying, "We can go get those margaritas now - we deserve them!" and my first reaction was "Girl, please!" My second one was, "Is this really the language we've developed to communicate with other women?"
At the risk of sounding like a cheesy motivational cat poster (or a fake Gandhi quote), "Be the change you want to see in the world." Do you want your friends, workout buddies, co-workers, and family members to have a great, healthy relationship with food? Lead by example. If you're calling out your food as "not good enough" or "not healthy enough," you're giving the people around you a reason to second-guess themselves.
How We Fix It
Through my experience and bits of psychological research (including an interview with acclaimed psychologist Dr. David Burns), I've identified these distorted thoughts that are cropping up - here's how I plan to destroy them so they never, ever come back. Ever.
- Focus on the positive. Sometimes you're going to eat something that might not be the healthiest thing you can put in your body. Instead of beating yourself up, focus on the good parts - if you enjoyed it, if it made you feel good, or if there was a redeeming quality nutritionally.
- Avoid "all or nothing" thinking. Just because your smoothie is a little carb heavy from the fruit doesn't mean it's disqualified from the healthy category. A little cheese on your fajitas doesn't mean they were bad for you. Eating the yolk of the egg won't sabotage your diet. No food is "perfect," and as we mentioned, these "rules" are relative.
- Stop comparing. Have you ever ordered a burger at a lunch when your friend ordered a salad and immediately regretted your choice or been embarrassed by it? You already know it's time to cut that out.
- Remember, it's just food. Always remember that quote from above - food is food. It's just food. You don't "deserve it" as much as you don't "not deserve it." Eating a "healthy" food doesn't make you "healthy," just as eating an "unhealthy" food doesn't make you "unhealthy" (this is called "emotional reasoning"). Just enjoy your food, strive for great choices, and keep moving forward.
- Avoid "should" statements. Using "should" and "shouldn't" when it comes to your diet is going to set you up for frustration and failure.
- Be conscious of your words. This applies to when you're talking to yourself, talking to others, and talking about yourself in front of other people. Be positive, not degrading.
- Don't project. Just as you don't want to food shame yourself, don't do it to others. Don't blame someone's health problem or physical woes on what they're eating, because everyone's body is different, and also you kind of look like a d*ck when you do that.
Stop yourself in your tracks when you start to notice these negative food thoughts cropping up or if you catch yourself saying them aloud to a friend. Soon enough, you'll have killed this habit before it even had a chance to form or take over your life. And the best part? You'll have a happier, healthier relationship with food. Mmmmm, food.
vendredi 10 mars 2017
12 Facts You Never Knew About Pet Food
When I first rescued my dog Pancho, I thought I was doing the right thing by feeding him a premium dry food. I had no idea that the kibble I was giving him contained all sorts of, for lack of a better word . . . crap! Since then, I've learned so much more about the right way to feed your dog from my experience as a certified canine nutritionist and cofounder of Ollie. I've seen the real difference that giving Pancho healthier ingredients can make, and want to share some of the tips that I've picked up with fellow pet parents who only want the best for their pups.
- Stick to protein-rich, not wheat, diets.
Diets higher in protein and lower in wheat and processed grains (as found in most shelf stable commercial pet foods) will result in more energy for your dog and less GI problems. - Wash your dog's food and water bowl regularly.
People easily forget about the cleanliness of their dog's bowl and how it can affect their pet's health. Most of us would never think about using the same soup or salad bowl for a week straight without washing it but many let their dog's bowl sit on the floor without thinking twice. This allows bacteria to grow and can cause illness from contaminated dishes from a mild upset stomach to vomiting and diarrhea. Make sure to wash your dog's bowl daily with dish soap and rinse thoroughly! - Buy human-grade dog food.
Most dog foods are classified as "Feed" and although the pet food industry is currently a $25B business, we found that some kibble is legally made from 4D meat: meat from dead, dying, diseased and disabled animals. Human-grade ensures not only that the quality of ingredients that go into the food are edible by humans but also ensures food safety standards of the facility it is cooked in. - Beware of meat with accompanying word "meal."
Meat meal, labeled on dog food ingredient lists such as "chicken meal" and "beef meal," is a nicer way of saying it is "rendered" meat. Render plants process animal by-product and can include materials such as grease, blood, feathers, and entire carcasses. - Fresh food is better.
Canned and kibble food go through such extreme processing to make them shelf stable that most of the natural nutrients are sapped. To compensate, a ton of synthetic vitamins and minerals are added back to the diet as well as artificial flavoring so the dog will eat the kibble. Just like humans, dogs feel the difference when they eat meals made from real ingredients. It's easier to absorb nutrients from more gently processed food and thus easier for dogs to utilize them to stay healthy. - Find the perfect portion.
Studies have shown that if you keep your dog at an ideal weight (a 4 or 5 on the body composition score) as opposed to pleasantly plump (a 6 or 7) you can add 20 percent to their life (who doesn't want more time with their dog?!). Most dog food brands give a range based on just your dog's current weight, but not knowing your dog's unique attributes such as how much exercise they get, it can sometimes be up to 50 percent more than your dog should be eating. Consult your vet, or fill out your profile and use Ollie's algorithm, to figure out your dog's unique caloric requirements and keep them healthier for longer. - Steer clear of preservatives.
To extend the shelf life of food allowing it to sit on a store shelf for months, if not years, most commercial pet food brands that go through retailers (as opposed to directly to consumers) are forced to put a bunch of preservatives in their food. While natural preservatives exist, such as rosemary extract, many artificial preservatives can be toxic to dogs if used over a long period of time. We found out that some preservatives used double as pesticides (gross)! They are not permitted in the UK but are still legal in the US to be used in dog foods. - Foods to never feed your dog.
Most people are aware that chocolate is bad for dogs. However, you should also stay clear of onions, grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts, and bones! Bones can break and sliver and can puncture your dog's intestinal tract or cause them to choke. - Dogs are not wolves.
Yes, dogs descended from wolves and share around 98 percent of the DNA, but that does not mean they require the same diet, nor do they require a raw diet. There have been no studies showing dogs will be healthier on a raw diet, and there are dangers associated with it for both dogs and humans. Like any raw meats, they can carry pathogens that can cause food poisoning. - Home cooking is harder than you think.
Ensuring your dog is well nourished with human-grade does not just mean feed your dog food that you would eat or leftovers from dinner. Because dogs eat the same thing every meal it is extra important that their food is nutritionally balanced. We hear all the time people cooking ground meat with peas and rice but there can be key elements missing for your dog's health (or too much of some). A balanced diet must meet all of dogs essential vitamin, mineral, and amino acid requirements. It is best to either consult a vet and get a specific recipe to follow or choose a food that meets AAFCO requirements. - Keep your dog hydrated.
Generally speaking, dogs need between a half and a full ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. if your dog is active or lives in hot climate, maybe more. Fresh, natural food also keeps dogs more hydrated. - Let Ollie do the work for you!
Ollie delivers freshly made, vet-formulated meals from real, human-grade ingredients that make dogs' taste buds do backflips. Our refrigerated food is gently cooked in a USDA-regulated kitchen to ensure the highest quality of nutrition and safety. We tailor each meal to your dog's one-of-a-kind needs and send it weekly or biweekly directly to your doorstep. For more info, head to Ollie.
lundi 5 décembre 2016
12 Facts You Never Knew About Pet Food
When I first rescued my dog Pancho, I thought I was doing the right thing by feeding him a premium dry food. I had no idea that the kibble I was giving him contained all sorts of, for lack of a better word . . . crap! Since then I've learned so much more about the right way to feed your dog, from my experience as a certified canine nutritionist and co-founder of Ollie. I've seen the real difference that giving Pancho healthier ingredients can make, and want to share some of the tips that I've picked up with fellow pet parents who only want the best for their pups.
- Stick to protein rich not wheat diets.
Diets higher in protein and lower in wheat and processed grains (as found in most shelf stable commercial pet foods) will result in more energy for your dog and lower GI problems. - Wash your dog's food and water bowl regularly.
People easily forget about the cleanliness of their dogs bowl and how it can effect their pets health. Most of us would never think about using the same soup or salad bowl for a week straight without washing it but many let their dogs' bowl sit on the floor without thinking twice. This allows bacteria to grow and cause illness from contaminated dishes from a mild upset stomach to vomiting and diarrhea. Make sure to wash your dog's bowl daily with dish soap and rinse thoroughly! - Buy Human-grade dog food.
Most dog foods are classified as Feed and although the pet food industry is currently a $25 billion dollar business, we found that kibble is legally made from 4D meat: meat from dead, dying, diseased and disabled animals. Human-grade ensures not only a quality of ingredients that go into the food as edible by humans but also ensures food safety standards of the facility it is cooked in. - Beware of meat with accompanying word "meal."
Meat meal, labeled on dog food ingredient lists such as "chicken meal" and "beef meal," is a nicer way of saying it is rendered meat. Render plants process animal by-product and can include materials such as grease, blood, feather, and entire carcasses in the meals. - Fresh food is better.
Canned and kibble food go through such extreme processing to make it shelf stable that most of the natural nutrients are killed. To compensate a ton of synthetic, vitamins and minerals are added back to the diet as well as artificial flavoring so the dog will eat the kibble. Just like humans, dogs feel the difference when they eat meals made from real ingredients. They are easier able to absorb nutrients from more gently processed food and thus utilize them to stay healthy. Look for brands, such as myollie.com, that gently cooks the ingredients to preserve all the nutrients. - Find the perfect portion.
Studies have shown that if you keep your dog at an ideal weight (a 4 or 5 on the body composition score) as opposed to even pleasantly plump (a 6 or 7) you can add 20% to their life! (who doesn't want more time with their dog?!) Most dog food brands give a range based on just your dog's current weight but not knowing your dog's unique attributes it can sometimes be up to 50 percent more than your dog should be eating. Consult with your vet, or fill out your Ollie profile and use our algorithm to figure out your dog's unique caloric requirements and keep them healthier for longer. - Steer clear of preservatives.
To extend the shelf life of food (allowing it to sit on a store shelf for months if not years), most commercial pet food brands that go through retailers as opposed to directly to consumers are forced to put a bunch of preservatives in their food. While natural preservatives exist, such as rosemary extract, many artificial preservatives can be toxic to dogs if used over a long period of time. We found out that some preservatives used double as pesticides (gross)! They are not permitted in the UK but are still legal in the US to be used in dog foods. - Foods to never feed your dog.
Most people are aware that chocolate is bad for dogs. However, you should also stay clear of onions, grapes and raisons, macademia nuts, and bones! Bones can break and sliver and can puncture your dogs intestinal track or cause them to choke. Dogs are not wolves: Yes dogs descended from wolves and share around 98 percent of the DNA but that does not mean they require the same diet nor do they require a raw diet. There have been no studies showing dogs would be healthier on a raw diet. However, there are dangers associated with a raw diet for both dogs and humans. Like any raw meats they can carry pathogens that can cause food poisoning. - Dogs are not wolves.
Yes, dogs descended from wolves and share around 98 percent of the DNA, but that does not mean they require the same diet, nor do they require a raw diet. There have been no studies showing dogs will be healthier on a raw diet, and there are dangers associated with it for both dogs and humans. Like any raw meats, they can carry pathogens that can cause food poisoning. - Home cooking is harder than you think.
Ensuring your dog is well nourished with human-grade does not just mean feed your dog food that you would eat or leftovers from dinner. Because dogs eat the same thing every meal it is extra important that their food is nutritionally balanced. We heard all the time from people that they cook ground meat with peas and rice but there can be key elements missing for your dog's health (or too much of some). A balanced diet must meet all of dogs essential vitamin, mineral, and amino acid requirements. It is best to either consult a vet and get a specific recipe to follow or chose a food that meets AAFCO requirements. - Keep your dog hydrated.
Generally speaking, dogs need between a half and a full ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. If your dog is active or lives in hot climates, maybe more. - Let Ollie do the work for you!
Ollie delivers freshly made, vet-formulated meals from real, human-grade ingredients that make dogs' tastebuds do backflips. Their refrigerated food is gently cooked in a USDA-regulated kitchen to ensure the highest quality of nutrition and safety! They tailor each meal to your dog's one-of-a-kind needs and send it bi-monthly directly to your doorstep.
jeudi 5 janvier 2017
Why This Food Blogger Is Saying "F*ck Salads!"
This post was originally featured on TheWholeTara and written by Tara Milhem, who is part of POPSUGAR Select Latina.
Evolution. We all go through it. I've restricted, and I've overeaten; I've stopped myself from ordering what I actually want, and I've spent too much time convincing people that my way was the only way. As I've been exposed to more things and have evolved as a person, so have my views on health and eating. I was led to the over-obsessed world of health through fanatical social media accounts and society's unrealistic ideals. I crashed into a wall when I found myself judging certain foods as "good" and "bad," and overeating on foods that I swore were good enough to be unlimited.
In this little world of veggies and rainbows that I created for myself, I left out so many foods that would make me feel normal again. I left out the food I'd encounter dating, going out with friends, and traveling the world. I left out a whole world, a world that I really want to be a part of. This world didn't mean having to eat an abundant amount of "healthy" food to be full, but rather a moderate amount of real food to keep me satiated. I value balance so much more than food rules. F*ck labels, f*ck what people think, and, finally, f*ck ordering salads.
The second piece of the obsessive food behaviors had to do with body image. I was convinced by the superfood-infatuated health world that cheese leads to severe bloating, gluten is the enemy, and anything fried is a sin. I was holding myself to an unrealistic standard, once again driven by the media. God forbid I ordered a creamy goat cheese, pesto baguette with fries, now some of my favorite foods. As soon as I let go and began this process, my love for my ever changing body took on a completely new form. I have the ability to promote body positivity for what a normal, nourished body looks like. Now that I have my life back, I've never felt more energized, alive, and satisfied eating anything I want to eat. That includes things that come in a big plastic bag that have no inkling of the words organic or "all-natural" on them.
As much as I basked in my lifestyle, I knew it was time to come to an end. How could I travel to Paris and not enjoy a warm pain au chocolat or sweet Nutella crepe? That would be equivalent to robbing myself of a real life. Or what about wanting to get a scoop of actual ice cream (not the frozen banana kind of ice cream)? Organic is great and so is non-GMO, local, sustainable, and all that - but it's not everything. It's a preference, and it's just that. By sticking to one way of eating or excluding certain food groups, your flexibility is gone; your relatability is diminished. Food doesn't have the power to impact your body as much as your mind convinces itself of.
So what does being a healthy, normal eater mean? It's living a life that has to do with so much more than just food. It's being mindful and intuitive with food, but not too mindful where you become obsessed with the quality and quantity of what you're eating. It is being able to choose food you like and eat it and truly get enough of it, not just stop eating because you think you should. It's allowing your body to fall into place where it's meant to be and accepting every bit of that. Whole health is allowing food and eating to take up an important part of your life, but not your whole life.
At the end of the day, food is just food. I'm open to all kinds of food now. I still want to nourish my body and enjoy high quality food, but I also want to live my life. I want to find myself in Italy enjoying a fine truffle pizza or enjoying creamy cookie dough ice cream with my nieces. I want to live my life and I don't want to be chained down by food rules and restrictions. I want to be free. That's just what I'll do and I encourage you to do the same.
xo,
Tara
dimanche 8 janvier 2017
Why This Food Blogger Is Saying "F*ck Salads!"
This post was originally featured on TheWholeTara and written by Tara Milhem, who is part of POPSUGAR Select Latina.
Evolution. We all go through it. I've restricted, and I've overeaten; I've stopped myself from ordering what I actually want, and I've spent too much time convincing people that my way was the only way. As I've been exposed to more things and have evolved as a person, so have my views on health and eating. I was led to the over-obsessed world of health through fanatical social media accounts and society's unrealistic ideals. I crashed into a wall when I found myself judging certain foods as "good" and "bad," and overeating on foods that I swore were good enough to be unlimited.
In this little world of veggies and rainbows that I created for myself, I left out so many foods that would make me feel normal again. I left out the food I'd encounter dating, going out with friends, and traveling the world. I left out a whole world, a world that I really want to be a part of. This world didn't mean having to eat an abundant amount of "healthy" food to be full, but rather a moderate amount of real food to keep me satiated. I value balance so much more than food rules. F*ck labels, f*ck what people think, and, finally, f*ck ordering salads.
The second piece of the obsessive food behaviors had to do with body image. I was convinced by the superfood-infatuated health world that cheese leads to severe bloating, gluten is the enemy, and anything fried is a sin. I was holding myself to an unrealistic standard, once again driven by the media. God forbid I ordered a creamy goat cheese, pesto baguette with fries, now some of my favorite foods. As soon as I let go and began this process, my love for my ever changing body took on a completely new form. I have the ability to promote body positivity for what a normal, nourished body looks like. Now that I have my life back, I've never felt more energized, alive, and satisfied eating anything I want to eat. That includes things that come in a big plastic bag that have no inkling of the words organic or "all-natural" on them.
As much as I basked in my lifestyle, I knew it was time to come to an end. How could I travel to Paris and not enjoy a warm pain au chocolat or sweet Nutella crepe? That would be equivalent to robbing myself of a real life. Or what about wanting to get a scoop of actual ice cream (not the frozen banana kind of ice cream)? Organic is great and so is non-GMO, local, sustainable, and all that - but it's not everything. It's a preference, and it's just that. By sticking to one way of eating or excluding certain food groups, your flexibility is gone; your relatability is diminished. Food doesn't have the power to impact your body as much as your mind convinces itself of.
So what does being a healthy, normal eater mean? It's living a life that has to do with so much more than just food. It's being mindful and intuitive with food, but not too mindful where you become obsessed with the quality and quantity of what you're eating. It is being able to choose food you like and eat it and truly get enough of it, not just stop eating because you think you should. It's allowing your body to fall into place where it's meant to be and accepting every bit of that. Whole health is allowing food and eating to take up an important part of your life, but not your whole life.
At the end of the day, food is just food. I'm open to all kinds of food now. I still want to nourish my body and enjoy high quality food, but I also want to live my life. I want to find myself in Italy enjoying a fine truffle pizza or enjoying creamy cookie dough ice cream with my nieces. I want to live my life and I don't want to be chained down by food rules and restrictions. I want to be free. That's just what I'll do and I encourage you to do the same.
xo,
Tara
dimanche 4 novembre 2018
What You're Really Craving When These 5 Triggers Cause You to "Eat Your Feelings"
Lisa Lieberman-Wang sheds light on why people emotionally eat, originally posted on YourTango.
And why food isn't the answer.
You want to develop more mindful eating habits, but in some situations, you simply can't help but reach for comfort foods even if you don't have an emotional eating or binge eating disorder.
But when it comes to the psychology of certain foods, what does it really mean to eat your feelings? What is the distinction between having feelings about food and using food to manipulate your emotions?
The mere mention of it can stir your senses and elicit both memories and feelings.
S'mores. Popcorn. Grandma's comfort foods. The smell of hot cookies coming out of the oven. Slumber parties. Thanksgiving with the whole family. Christmas cookies and pre-New Year's splurges with gifts and food.
The average American is raised with most, if not all, of these associations between food and "making memories."
What would a birthday be without cake? Halloween without a month-long sugar high? A broken heart without ice cream to glue the pieces back together?
Without any bad intention, we grow up being taught that food and feelings are a natural pairing for the same plate. Why, then, did no one consider asking, "What does it mean to eat your feelings?"
And more importantly, why did no one ever broach an answer?
No matter how the world glamorizes food with pictures and words, its effect on your life always comes down to your thoughts about it.
You don't "love" food - you love what you believe it does for you. You love the feeling of the neural connections made when you learned to associate food with comfort.
You love the temporary fantasy of everything "being OK" if you can just get home from this lousy day and crawl into bed with your hidden stash of chocolate.
You love the idea that food will love you back - or at least make you feel loved.
And there's the rub.
There is so much expectation being placed on something that has no ability to feel and no power to love.
Not only does emotional eating or binge eating give your power away and keep you from being mindful about food, it gives it away to something that remains at the mercy of your choices. It processes nothing, heals nothing, and fills nothing.
It's not your stomach that's empty; it's your soul.
So what does it mean when you eat your feelings?
It means you are trying to make the statement, "The way to a person's heart is through his/her stomach," come true. It means you see your feelings and food on the same plate, and the only way to get rid of those feelings is to eat all your food… and then some.
It means there is something so painful, so intolerable deep inside you that you will use food to annihilate it.
Here are 5 common situations that trigger emotional or binge eating and keep you from being mindful about food.
1. You're Bored
Boredom in a high-speed world can feel foreign, even frightening. Society doesn't allow for downtime, and you certainly can't be viewed as lazy or unproductive. But boredom is an emotion, not a signal from your body that it needs nutrients or energy.
Busying yourself with the hunt for and eating of food is nothing more than a distraction to fill a void.
2. You Want to Feel Social
Ahh, back to those comforting roots of bonding over food. Eating is a shared activity that represents connection, acceptance, and security. And you appear unappreciative by not eating what is offered, even if it isn't good for you.
You could also risk not being invited again, so having seconds is a natural choice.
3. You Want Emotional Comfort
Comfort foods are laden with calories, fat, sugars, carbs… and nostalgia. They courier opioid-like substances in the brain, leading to a temporary feel-good similar to that of heroin.
4. You're Stressed
When you're stressed, it causes a fight-or-flight response in your body. As a result, your energy supplies are diverted from the brain and non-essential organs to the large muscle groups and organs that are charged with helping you slay that dragon in your office, at home, or in your love life.
Apparently, evolution hasn't mitigated that hormone response to go along with the average stresses of modern life. Less blood to the brain means less reasoning and impulse control… and more eating.
Lather, rinse, repeat. You get the picture.
5. You're Depressed
Depression can corral a lot of negative feelings into one bad emotional state. If you are depressed, you know how difficult it is to do the most basic things.
Food shopping and cooking probably aren't high on your list. And when you're just trying to get through the day, dragging around that ball and chain of low motivation and self-esteem can suck all your mental energy. If a hit of serotonin from those chocolate bars piled on your nightstand can lift your mood, why not?
What does it mean to eat your feelings? It means your soul is starving, and it is easier to feed your stomach than to find out what your soul needs. It means you are distracting from a pain you don't trust yourself to face.
Lisa Lieberman-Wang is a relationship expert and creator of the neuroscience Neuro Associative Programming (NAP). If you need help finding your truth and living an authentic life, connect with her through her website or send her an e-mail.
This article was originally published at FinetoFab. Reprinted with permission from the author.
Check out more great stories from YourTango:
jeudi 31 août 2017
Will Millennials Give Up Their Burgers to Save the Planet?
Image Source: Stocksnap / Unsplash
Need proof millennials love burgers? Look no further than Shake Shack. Chef Danny Meyer opened the burger stand in New York City's Madison Square Park in 2004, and within a decade, it became an international success, with more than 100 locations worldwide and a publicly traded company. Why? In large part because of millennials. A 2015 Goldman Sachs report found that the burger chain "does essentially no traditional marketing" and instead relies on its strong presence on social media, where it is 100 times more successful than McDonald's on Instagram. The report also noted the chain's dedication to service, better ingredients, and a modern interior helped it gain crucial popularity with 18- to 32-year-olds.
Shake Shack and its other "fast casual" cousins often promise to use locally sourced, higher-quality ingredients. Shake Shack, for example, provides 100 percent all-natural Angus beef made with no hormones or antibiotics. Chipotle has a local grower initiative to make it easier for it to buy local produce. Millennials seem willing to pay a bit more for food that makes them feel better about their lifestyle choices. It also helps that it looks better on social media than eating McDonald's. Millennials make up more than half of the customers eating at fast-casual restaurants, although they represent only 25 percent of the US population.
It's more responsible to eat just about anything from halfway around the world than red meat from a farm next door.
There's an argument to be made that millennials are the most food-obsessed generation, Instagramming our farm-to-table plates before we take our first bites. Based on numerous surveys, we also know that young people care more about climate change than older generations. Yet the "buy local" movement might not actually be enough to impact the impending environmental crisis. Studies show that food production - not transportation - causes the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions. And certain foods, specifically red meat, create orders of magnitude more emissions during the production stage than pork or chicken, regardless of whether the cows are grass fed or raised without antibiotics. It's what you eat, not how it gets there, that matters most. If you're really serious about reducing your emissions footprint, it's more responsible to eat just about anything from halfway around the world than red meat from a farm next door.
With the recent news of President Donald Trump backing out of the Paris Climate Agreement, many everyday Americans are more motivated than ever to do something if our leaders won't. But will millennials actually be able to walk the walk when it comes to our ethical stances? Will we give up our burgers to save the planet?
Mounting Evidence That Millennials Care
You won't find many 20-something climate-change deniers in America. According to a 2016 survey from the University of Texas, more than nine out of 10 people under age 35 say climate change is occurring, compared with 74 percent of those age 65 or older. Another recent Gallup poll found most Americans (65 percent) believe that human behavior, and not natural factors, causes rising temperatures. Whether we're willing to change that behavior is a different question.
You won't find many 20-something climate-change deniers in America.
Chef Andrea Reusing, a James Beard Award winner for best chef in the Southeast, is dedicated to sustainable food practices, like working with local farms and sourcing ecologically responsible seafood. She has restaurants in both Durham and Chapel Hill, NC, two college towns. In the 20 years she's been in the area, she's seen young people become increasingly tuned in to how their food choices impact the environment. When I asked her what motivates her millennial customers to pay more for quality ingredients - how they taste vs. how they're helping the environment - Reusing says she's not sure they see the difference. "Food that tastes good is good for the environment. For younger people, it's much more holistic."
If millennials have good intentions, like Reusing believes, maybe we just need to get more informed about the best way to make an impact. Naomi Primero, 21, thinks that's the case. As the incoming board chair for the Berkeley Student Food Collective, an educational nonprofit and natural food store in Northern California, Primero finds that young people are willing to change in order to help the environment. Unfortunately, she says, many "are either uninformed or not plugged into the right communities to make those relevant personal sacrifices."
A Closer Look at Why Red Meat Is a Problem
Swapping beef for eggs once a week has more impact than eating local for a year. Image Source: Stocksnap/Tookapic
Images of coal plants or jet planes might come to mind when you think about what is causing climate change. But let's add red meat to the list, too. Meat from ruminant animals - aka cows, sheep, and goats - are a major driver of climate pollution, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). There are various factors at play: Grazing animals require a lot of pasture land, which in turn cannot be used as carbon-reducing forests. In addition, these animals have multichambered digestive systems, which produce a significant amount of methane. Since dairy comes from these same animals, that means your brie cheese and Greek yogurt are problematic, too.
The global food system accounts for between 19 to 29 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions, as Naomi Klein explains in her 2014 book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate. If you're taking inventory of how your lifestyle choices influence climate change, considering your food habits like red meat consumption is a smart place to start. The good news, according to Klein, is that the everyday actions of the average consumer can have a massive impact at scale. She uses World War Two as an example to assert that "human nature" isn't what holds us back. We've been able to change our habits for a greater cause before. She writes:
Indeed to support fuel conservation during World War II, pleasure driving was virtually eliminated in the UK, and between 1938 and 1944, use of public transit went up by 87 percent in the US and by 95 percent in Canada. Twenty million US households - representing three fifths of the population - were growing victory gardens in 1943, and their yields accounted for 42 percent of fresh vegetables consumed that year. Interestingly, all of these activities together dramatically reduce emissions.
It's yet to be determined if the millennial generation will be able to match the Greatest Generation when it comes to making sacrifices. But reducing red meat and dairy consumption could help. As The New York Times declared in a 2015 piece now gaining traction again, you're "better off eating vegetables from Argentina than red meat from a local farm" because of how carbon-intensive red meat production is. Of course, it would be best to eat both locally grown vegetables and alternative proteins. But the trap is to think local beef is better than imported chicken.
Practicing Meatless Mondays has a greater impact than shopping exclusively at the farmers market.
We must change our thinking and move away from only focusing on "food miles," or the cost of transporting food. If we more seriously consider the types of foods we eat, we could have a more serious impact. A study from Carnegie Mellon concluded that a dietary shift can be a more effective means of lowering an average household's food-related climate footprint than buying local. "Shifting less than one day per week's worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more GHG (greenhouse gas) reduction than buying all locally sourced food." In other words, practicing Meatless Mondays has a greater impact than shopping exclusively at the farmers market.
Why We Should Be Hopeful
As we wait, perhaps futilely, for political and business leaders to act, we must start consuming less and doing more. If you already do Meatless Monday, tack on a Meatless Tuesday. Order the chicken tacos instead of the beef burrito. And make it your mission to find the best veggie burger your city has to offer.
Seventeen-year-old Clara Nevins is one young person who has found a way to combine large-scale action with personal change. She founded Change Climate Change when she was 13 to serve as the youth voice in climate-change conversations. She's lobbied her local LA city council to enact energy report cards for buildings and even served as a youth delegate in Paris for negotiations on the climate pact the US eventually pulled out of. In addition to political change, Nevins also thinks it's up to her generation to look at their lifestyle choices. "Every single action that we do is meaningful," she told us. For her, that means committing to composting, shopping locally, buying fewer and better things, and cutting back on red meat. "I have red meat once a week. I honestly don't even miss it that much and believe it makes a difference."
There's never been a better time for people like Nevins to be "vegetarian curious." Gracias Madre is an Instagrammable Mexican restaurant with locations in Los Angeles and San Francisco that also happens to be vegan. Restaurants like these are an attractive option for millennials looking to cut back on red meat and dairy consumption. Chandra Gilbert serves as the executive chef for the West Hollywood outpost and estimates that 90 percent of her diners are not practicing vegans. "Today, you might say, 'Hey, do you want to go out and have some Chinese food? Or do you want to get some vegan food?' It's not a weird and abstract thing," Gilbert explained. She says the rise of chain restaurants like Veggie Grill show vegetable-driven meals are becoming more normalized.
"Today, you might say, 'Hey, do you want to go out and have some Chinese food? Or do you want to get some vegan food?'"
Sascha Weiss, a veteran pastry chef and plant-based food expert, has also found creative ways to get millennials to favor plant-based foods. Weiss currently leads product development for California-based Project Juice and was the executive chef at The Plant Café Organic chain in Northern California, which doesn't offer any red meat on its menu. Weiss notes that food choices are personal and influenced by what we ate growing up: "We've had success with plant-based dishes that are riffs on classics. Cleaned-up versions of things like a Caesar salad, kelp noodles with basil pesto, or apple-pie-inspired chia seed pudding." A little nostalgia can go a long way with our generation.
Weiss thinks the rise in demand he's witnessed for sustainable, plant-based foods shows that consumers want to be proud of their food choices. Social media plays into that. "A photo can tell a great story, as the old cliché tells us," he explained. "It also helps drive trends, and right now the trend is toward sustainability, toward eliminating or lessening food waste." The fact that millennials want to be on the cutting edge could help drive productive change. Nevins agrees that the power of social media is important, and she's betting that personal efforts to cut back on high-emission foods will spread online and turn into a mass movement.
At the Berkeley Student Food Collective, students are helping drive change in a positive direction from the ground up. Allegra Saggese, 21, another student leader with the group, explained, "We made an active choice in our organization a few years back to not sell meat in the store. Along the entire supply chain of meat, there's a lot of injustice in terms of how labor workers are treated in slaughterhouses, to the methane emissions from cows, to the water consumption." By creating more access and knowledge around plant-based foods, the 150 UC Berkeley students who volunteer at the Food Collective hope to make a collective difference.
Then there are food trends that work against the need to cut back on red meat. The Paleo diet, a meal plan based on the dietary habits of our cave-dwelling ancestors, has gained popularity this decade. It emphasizes protein, vegetables, and nuts instead of processed carbs. A new study from delivery service Grubhub found that the Paleo diet is now the most popular healthy eating choice across the country. In 2016, Paleo orders via Grubhub increased by 370 percent. Sure, the Paleo diet is not exclusively about red meat. But since a nice, juicy steak does fit within the requirements, millennials who choose this diet are likely to consume more of it. Meat-focused delivery boxes, like Butcher Box, confuse the issue too. Butcher Box promises to deliver 100 percent grass-fed, grass-finished, antibiotic- and hormone-free beef, which is undoubtedly better than the alternative. Unfortunately, it also makes it easier to eat more red meat.
"They're less likely to expect 'center of the plate' items. It used to be, if it's not 10 ounces of protein, then you're not eating in a restaurant."
Despite these red-meat-friendly trends, chef Reusing is hopeful that the simultaneous disruption of traditional food culture will be an overall positive for the environment, even if it possibly hurts the bottom line for fine-dining restaurants like hers. Thanks to food delivery boxes and the access to recipes online, young people are more willing to cook at home in a relaxed environment. Reusing believes protein portion control will come more easily to millennials who often favor food trucks to restaurants with white tablecloths. "They're less likely to expect 'center of the plate' items. It used to be, if it's not 10 ounces of protein, then you're not eating in a restaurant." Since millennials aren't that hung up on eating in traditional restaurants, perhaps we'll be naturally guided to more balanced food options.
"Meat consumption is going down, though certainly not as much as it needs to in order to stay focused on climate goals," Reusing concluded. Personally, she has found the chaos of the Trump presidency very distracting. "We have to hope that the galvanization will outweigh the distraction." She believes young people will lead the charge in turning outrage into action on climate change. "I see some really amazing things happening that wouldn't be happening without millennials." She points to New York City's new and ambitious composting effort as one example. "Young people are more accepting of things people 20 years older than them would not have accepted, like a stinky bin of food in your kitchen." Perhaps giving up a cheeseburger or two won't be too big of a jump after all.
mardi 1 août 2017
Will Millennials Give Up Their Burgers to Save the Planet?
Image Source: Stocksnap / Unsplash
Need proof millennials love burgers? Look no further than Shake Shack. Chef Danny Meyer opened the burger stand in New York City's Madison Square Park in 2004, and within a decade, it became an international success, with more than 100 locations worldwide and a publicly traded company. Why? In large part because of millennials. A 2015 Goldman Sachs report found that the burger chain "does essentially no traditional marketing" and instead relies on its strong presence on social media, where it is 100 times more successful than McDonald's on Instagram. The report also noted the chain's dedication to service, better ingredients, and a modern interior helped it gain crucial popularity with 18- to 32-year-olds.
Shake Shack and its other "fast casual" cousins often promise to use locally sourced, higher-quality ingredients. Shake Shack, for example, provides 100 percent all-natural Angus beef made with no hormones or antibiotics. Chipotle has a local grower initiative to make it easier for it to buy local produce. Millennials seem willing to pay a bit more for food that makes them feel better about their lifestyle choices. It also helps that it looks better on social media than eating McDonald's. Millennials make up more than half of the customers eating at fast-casual restaurants, although they represent only 25 percent of the US population.
It's more responsible to eat just about anything from halfway around the world than red meat from a farm next door.
There's an argument to be made that millennials are the most food-obsessed generation, Instagramming our farm-to-table plates before we take our first bites. Based on numerous surveys, we also know that young people care more about climate change than older generations. Yet the "buy local" movement might not actually be enough to impact the impending environmental crisis. Studies show that food production - not transportation - causes the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions. And certain foods, specifically red meat, create orders of magnitude more emissions during the production stage than pork or chicken, regardless of whether the cows are grass fed or raised without antibiotics. It's what you eat, not how it gets there, that matters most. If you're really serious about reducing your emissions footprint, it's more responsible to eat just about anything from halfway around the world than red meat from a farm next door.
With the recent news of President Donald Trump backing out of the Paris Climate Agreement, many everyday Americans are more motivated than ever to do something if our leaders won't. But will millennials actually be able to walk the walk when it comes to our ethical stances? Will we give up our burgers to save the planet?
Mounting Evidence That Millennials Care
You won't find many 20-something climate-change deniers in America. According to a 2016 survey from the University of Texas, more than nine out of 10 people under age 35 say climate change is occurring, compared with 74 percent of those age 65 or older. Another recent Gallup poll found most Americans (65 percent) believe that human behavior, and not natural factors, causes rising temperatures. Whether we're willing to change that behavior is a different question.
You won't find many 20-something climate-change deniers in America.
Chef Andrea Reusing, a James Beard Award winner for best chef in the Southeast, is dedicated to sustainable food practices, like working with local farms and sourcing ecologically responsible seafood. She has restaurants in both Durham and Chapel Hill, NC, two college towns. In the 20 years she's been in the area, she's seen young people become increasingly tuned in to how their food choices impact the environment. When I asked her what motivates her millennial customers to pay more for quality ingredients - how they taste vs. how they're helping the environment - Reusing says she's not sure they see the difference. "Food that tastes good is good for the environment. For younger people, it's much more holistic."
If millennials have good intentions, like Reusing believes, maybe we just need to get more informed about the best way to make an impact. Naomi Primero, 21, thinks that's the case. As the incoming board chair for the Berkeley Student Food Collective, an educational nonprofit and natural food store in Northern California, Primero finds that young people are willing to change in order to help the environment. Unfortunately, she says, many "are either uninformed or not plugged into the right communities to make those relevant personal sacrifices."
A Closer Look at Why Red Meat Is a Problem
Swapping beef for eggs once a week has more impact than eating local for a year. Image Source: Stocksnap/Tookapic
Images of coal plants or jet planes might come to mind when you think about what is causing climate change. But let's add red meat to the list, too. Meat from ruminant animals - aka cows, sheep, and goats - are a major driver of climate pollution, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). There are various factors at play: Grazing animals require a lot of pasture land, which in turn cannot be used as carbon-reducing forests. In addition, these animals have multichambered digestive systems, which produce a significant amount of methane. Since dairy comes from these same animals, that means your brie cheese and Greek yogurt are problematic, too.
The global food system accounts for between 19 to 29 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions, as Naomi Klein explains in her 2014 book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate. If you're taking inventory of how your lifestyle choices influence climate change, considering your food habits like red meat consumption is a smart place to start. The good news, according to Klein, is that the everyday actions of the average consumer can have a massive impact at scale. She uses World War Two as an example to assert that "human nature" isn't what holds us back. We've been able to change our habits for a greater cause before. She writes:
Indeed to support fuel conservation during World War II, pleasure driving was virtually eliminated in the UK, and between 1938 and 1944, use of public transit went up by 87 percent in the US and by 95 percent in Canada. Twenty million US households - representing three fifths of the population - were growing victory gardens in 1943, and their yields accounted for 42 percent of fresh vegetables consumed that year. Interestingly, all of these activities together dramatically reduce emissions.
It's yet to be determined if the millennial generation will be able to match the Greatest Generation when it comes to making sacrifices. But reducing red meat and dairy consumption could help. As The New York Times declared in a 2015 piece now gaining traction again, you're "better off eating vegetables from Argentina than red meat from a local farm" because of how carbon-intensive red meat production is. Of course, it would be best to eat both locally grown vegetables and alternative proteins. But the trap is to think local beef is better than imported chicken.
Practicing Meatless Mondays has a greater impact than shopping exclusively at the farmers market.
We must change our thinking and move away from only focusing on "food miles," or the cost of transporting food. If we more seriously consider the types of foods we eat, we could have a more serious impact. A study from Carnegie Mellon concluded that a dietary shift can be a more effective means of lowering an average household's food-related climate footprint than buying local. "Shifting less than one day per week's worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more GHG (greenhouse gas) reduction than buying all locally sourced food." In other words, practicing Meatless Mondays has a greater impact than shopping exclusively at the farmers market.
Why We Should Be Hopeful
As we wait, perhaps futilely, for political and business leaders to act, we must start consuming less and doing more. If you already do Meatless Monday, tack on a Meatless Tuesday. Order the chicken tacos instead of the beef burrito. And make it your mission to find the best veggie burger your city has to offer.
Seventeen-year-old Clara Nevins is one young person who has found a way to combine large-scale action with personal change. She founded Change Climate Change when she was 13 to serve as the youth voice in climate-change conversations. She's lobbied her local LA city council to enact energy report cards for buildings and even served as a youth delegate in Paris for negotiations on the climate pact the US eventually pulled out of. In addition to political change, Nevins also thinks it's up to her generation to look at their lifestyle choices. "Every single action that we do is meaningful," she told us. For her, that means committing to composting, shopping locally, buying fewer and better things, and cutting back on red meat. "I have red meat once a week. I honestly don't even miss it that much and believe it makes a difference."
There's never been a better time for people like Nevins to be "vegetarian curious." Gracias Madre is an Instagrammable Mexican restaurant with locations in Los Angeles and San Francisco that also happens to be vegan. Restaurants like these are an attractive option for millennials looking to cut back on red meat and dairy consumption. Chandra Gilbert serves as the executive chef for the West Hollywood outpost and estimates that 90 percent of her diners are not practicing vegans. "Today, you might say, 'Hey, do you want to go out and have some Chinese food? Or do you want to get some vegan food?' It's not a weird and abstract thing," Gilbert explained. She says the rise of chain restaurants like Veggie Grill show vegetable-driven meals are becoming more normalized.
"Today, you might say, 'Hey, do you want to go out and have some Chinese food? Or do you want to get some vegan food?'"
Sascha Weiss, a veteran pastry chef and plant-based food expert, has also found creative ways to get millennials to favor plant-based foods. Weiss currently leads product development for California-based Project Juice and was the executive chef at The Plant Café Organic chain in Northern California, which doesn't offer any red meat on its menu. Weiss notes that food choices are personal and influenced by what we ate growing up: "We've had success with plant-based dishes that are riffs on classics. Cleaned-up versions of things like a Caesar salad, kelp noodles with basil pesto, or apple-pie-inspired chia seed pudding." A little nostalgia can go a long way with our generation.
Weiss thinks the rise in demand he's witnessed for sustainable, plant-based foods shows that consumers want to be proud of their food choices. Social media plays into that. "A photo can tell a great story, as the old cliché tells us," he explained. "It also helps drive trends, and right now the trend is toward sustainability, toward eliminating or lessening food waste." The fact that millennials want to be on the cutting edge could help drive productive change. Nevins agrees that the power of social media is important, and she's betting that personal efforts to cut back on high-emission foods will spread online and turn into a mass movement.
At the Berkeley Student Food Collective, students are helping drive change in a positive direction from the ground up. Allegra Saggese, 21, another student leader with the group, explained, "We made an active choice in our organization a few years back to not sell meat in the store. Along the entire supply chain of meat, there's a lot of injustice in terms of how labor workers are treated in slaughterhouses, to the methane emissions from cows, to the water consumption." By creating more access and knowledge around plant-based foods, the 150 UC Berkeley students who volunteer at the Food Collective hope to make a collective difference.
Then there are food trends that work against the need to cut back on red meat. The Paleo diet, a meal plan based on the dietary habits of our cave-dwelling ancestors, has gained popularity this decade. It emphasizes protein, vegetables, and nuts instead of processed carbs. A new study from delivery service Grubhub found that the Paleo diet is now the most popular healthy eating choice across the country. In 2016, Paleo orders via Grubhub increased by 370 percent. Sure, the Paleo diet is not exclusively about red meat. But since a nice, juicy steak does fit within the requirements, millennials who choose this diet are likely to consume more of it. Meat-focused delivery boxes, like Butcher Box, confuse the issue too. Butcher Box promises to deliver 100 percent grass-fed, grass-finished, antibiotic- and hormone-free beef, which is undoubtedly better than the alternative. Unfortunately, it also makes it easier to eat more red meat.
"They're less likely to expect 'center of the plate' items. It used to be, if it's not 10 ounces of protein, then you're not eating in a restaurant."
Despite these red-meat-friendly trends, chef Reusing is hopeful that the simultaneous disruption of traditional food culture will be an overall positive for the environment, even if it possibly hurts the bottom line for fine-dining restaurants like hers. Thanks to food delivery boxes and the access to recipes online, young people are more willing to cook at home in a relaxed environment. Reusing believes protein portion control will come more easily to millennials who often favor food trucks to restaurants with white tablecloths. "They're less likely to expect 'center of the plate' items. It used to be, if it's not 10 ounces of protein, then you're not eating in a restaurant." Since millennials aren't that hung up on eating in traditional restaurants, perhaps we'll be naturally guided to more balanced food options.
"Meat consumption is going down, though certainly not as much as it needs to in order to stay focused on climate goals," Reusing concluded. Personally, she has found the chaos of the Trump presidency very distracting. "We have to hope that the galvanization will outweigh the distraction." She believes young people will lead the charge in turning outrage into action on climate change. "I see some really amazing things happening that wouldn't be happening without millennials." She points to New York City's new and ambitious composting effort as one example. "Young people are more accepting of things people 20 years older than them would not have accepted, like a stinky bin of food in your kitchen." Perhaps giving up a cheeseburger or two won't be too big of a jump after all.
mardi 20 juin 2017
Will Millennials Give Up Their Burgers to Save the Planet?
Image Source: Stocksnap / Unsplash
Need proof millennials love burgers? Look no further than Shake Shack. Chef Danny Meyer opened the burger stand in New York City's Madison Square Park in 2004, and within a decade, it became an international success, with more than 100 locations worldwide and a publicly traded company. Why? In large part because of millennials. A 2015 Goldman Sachs report found that the burger chain "does essentially no traditional marketing" and instead relies on its strong presence on social media, where it is 100 times more successful than McDonald's on Instagram. The report also noted the chain's dedication to service, better ingredients, and a modern interior helped it gain crucial popularity with 18- to 32-year-olds.
Shake Shack and its other "fast casual" cousins often promise to use locally sourced, higher-quality ingredients. Shake Shack, for example, provides 100 percent all-natural Angus beef made with no hormones or antibiotics. Chipotle has a local grower initiative to make it easier for it to buy local produce. Millennials seem willing to pay a bit more for food that makes them feel better about their lifestyle choices. It also helps that it looks better on social media than eating McDonald's. Millennials make up more than half of the customers eating at fast-casual restaurants, although they represent only 25 percent of the US population.
It's more responsible to eat just about anything from halfway around the world than red meat from a farm next door.
There's an argument to be made that millennials are the most food-obsessed generation, Instagramming our farm-to-table plates before we take our first bites. Based on numerous surveys, we also know that young people care more about climate change than older generations. Yet the "buy local" movement might not actually be enough to impact the impending environmental crisis. Studies show that food production - not transportation - causes the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions. And certain foods, specifically red meat, create orders of magnitude more emissions during the production stage than pork or chicken, regardless of whether the cows are grass fed or raised without antibiotics. It's what you eat, not how it gets there, that matters most. If you're really serious about reducing your emissions footprint, it's more responsible to eat just about anything from halfway around the world than red meat from a farm next door.
With the recent news of President Donald Trump backing out of the Paris Climate Agreement, many everyday Americans are more motivated than ever to do something if our leaders won't. But will millennials actually be able to walk the walk when it comes to our ethical stances? Will we give up our burgers to save the planet?
Mounting Evidence That Millennials Care
You won't find many 20-something climate-change deniers in America. According to a 2016 survey from the University of Texas, more than nine out of 10 people under age 35 say climate change is occurring, compared with 74 percent of those age 65 or older. Another recent Gallup poll found most Americans (65 percent) believe that human behavior, and not natural factors, causes rising temperatures. Whether we're willing to change that behavior is a different question.
You won't find many 20-something climate-change deniers in America.
Chef Andrea Reusing, a James Beard Award winner for best chef in the Southeast, is dedicated to sustainable food practices, like working with local farms and sourcing ecologically responsible seafood. She has restaurants in both Durham and Chapel Hill, NC, two college towns. In the 20 years she's been in the area, she's seen young people become increasingly tuned in to how their food choices impact the environment. When I asked her what motivates her millennial customers to pay more for quality ingredients - how they taste vs. how they're helping the environment - Reusing says she's not sure they see the difference. "Food that tastes good is good for the environment. For younger people, it's much more holistic."
If millennials have good intentions, like Reusing believes, maybe we just need to get more informed about the best way to make an impact. Naomi Pirmero, 21, thinks that's the case. As the incoming board chair for the Berkeley Student Food Collective, an educational nonprofit and natural food store in Northern California, Pirmero finds that young people are willing to change in order to help the environment. Unfortunately, she says, many "are either uninformed or not plugged into the right communities to make those relevant personal sacrifices."
A Closer Look at Why Red Meat Is a Problem
Swapping beef for eggs once a week has more impact than eating local for a year. Image Source: Stocksnap/Tookapic
Images of coal plants or jet planes might come to mind when you think about what is causing climate change. But let's add red meat to the list, too. Meat from ruminant animals - aka cows, sheep, and goats - are a major driver of climate pollution, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). There are various factors at play: Grazing animals require a lot of pasture land, which in turn cannot be used as carbon-reducing forests. In addition, these animals have multichambered digestive systems, which produce a significant amount of methane. Since dairy comes from these same animals, that means your brie cheese and Greek yogurt are problematic, too.
The global food system accounts for between 19 to 29 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions, as Naomi Klein explains in her 2014 book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate. If you're taking inventory of how your lifestyle choices influence climate change, considering your food habits like red meat consumption is a smart place to start. The good news, according to Klein, is that the everyday actions of the average consumer can have a massive impact at scale. She uses World War Two as an example to assert that "human nature" isn't what holds us back. We've been able to change our habits for a greater cause before. She writes:
Indeed to support fuel conservation during World War II, pleasure driving was virtually eliminated in the UK, and between 1938 and 1944, use of public transit went up by 87 percent in the US and by 95 percent in Canada. Twenty million US households - representing three fifths of the population - were growing victory gardens in 1943, and their yields accounted for 42 percent of fresh vegetables consumed that year. Interestingly, all of these activities together dramatically reduce emissions.
It's yet to be determined if the millennial generation will be able to match the Greatest Generation when it comes to making sacrifices. But reducing red meat and dairy consumption could help. As The New York Times declared in a 2015 piece now gaining traction again, you're "better off eating vegetables from Argentina than red meat from a local farm" because of how carbon-intensive red meat production is. Of course, it would be best to eat both locally grown vegetables and alternative proteins. But the trap is to think local beef is better than imported chicken.
Practicing Meatless Mondays has a greater impact than shopping exclusively at the farmers market.
We must change our thinking and move away from only focusing on "food miles," or the cost of transporting food. If we more seriously consider the types of foods we eat, we could have a more serious impact. A study from Carnegie Mellon concluded that a dietary shift can be a more effective means of lowering an average household's food-related climate footprint than buying local. "Shifting less than one day per week's worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more GHG (greenhouse gas) reduction than buying all locally sourced food." In other words, practicing Meatless Mondays has a greater impact than shopping exclusively at the farmers market.
Why We Should Be Hopeful
As we wait, perhaps futilely, for political and business leaders to act, we must start consuming less and doing more. If you already do Meatless Monday, tack on a Meatless Tuesday. Order the chicken tacos instead of the beef burrito. And make it your mission to find the best veggie burger your city has to offer.
Seventeen-year-old Clara Nevins is one young person who has found a way to combine large-scale action with personal change. She founded Change Climate Change when she was 13 to serve as the youth voice in climate-change conversations. She's lobbied her local LA city council to enact energy report cards for buildings and even served as a youth delegate in Paris for negotiations on the climate pact the US eventually pulled out of. In addition to political change, Nevins also thinks it's up to her generation to look at their lifestyle choices. "Every single action that we do is meaningful," she told us. For her, that means committing to composting, shopping locally, buying fewer and better things, and cutting back on red meat. "I have red meat once a week. I honestly don't even miss it that much and believe it makes a difference."
There's never been a better time for people like Nevins to be "vegetarian curious." Gracias Madre is an Instagrammable Mexican restaurant with locations in Los Angeles and San Francisco that also happens to be vegan. Restaurants like these are an attractive option for millennials looking to cut back on red meat and dairy consumption. Chandra Gilbert serves as the executive chef for the West Hollywood outpost and estimates that 90 percent of her diners are not practicing vegans. "Today, you might say, 'Hey, do you want to go out and have some Chinese food? Or do you want to get some vegan food?' It's not a weird and abstract thing," Gilbert explained. She says the rise of chain restaurants like Veggie Grill show vegetable-driven meals are becoming more normalized.
"Today, you might say, 'Hey, do you want to go out and have some Chinese food? Or do you want to get some vegan food?'"
Sascha Weiss, a veteran pastry chef and plant-based food expert, has also found creative ways to get millennials to favor plant-based foods. Weiss currently leads product development for California-based Project Juice and was the executive chef at The Plant Café Organic chain in Northern California, which doesn't offer any red meat on its menu. Weiss notes that food choices are personal and influenced by what we ate growing up: "We've had success with plant-based dishes that are riffs on classics. Cleaned-up versions of things like a Caesar salad, kelp noodles with basil pesto, or apple-pie-inspired chia seed pudding." A little nostalgia can go a long way with our generation.
Weiss thinks the rise in demand he's witnessed for sustainable, plant-based foods shows that consumers want to be proud of their food choices. Social media plays into that. "A photo can tell a great story, as the old cliché tells us," he explained. "It also helps drive trends, and right now the trend is toward sustainability, toward eliminating or lessening food waste." The fact that millennials want to be on the cutting edge could help drive productive change. Nevins agrees that the power of social media is important, and she's betting that personal efforts to cut back on high-emission foods will spread online and turn into a mass movement.
At the Berkeley Student Food Collective, students are helping drive change in a positive direction from the ground up. Allegra Saggese, 21, another student leader with the group, explained, "We made an active choice in our organization a few years back to not sell meat in the store. Along the entire supply chain of meat, there's a lot of injustice in terms of how labor workers are treated in slaughterhouses, to the methane emissions from cows, to the water consumption." By creating more access and knowledge around plant-based foods, the 150 UC Berkeley students who volunteer at the Food Collective hope to make a collective difference.
Then there are food trends that work against the need to cut back on red meat. The Paleo diet, a meal plan based on the dietary habits of our cave-dwelling ancestors, has gained popularity this decade. It emphasizes protein, vegetables, and nuts instead of processed carbs. A new study from delivery service Grubhub found that the Paleo diet is now the most popular healthy eating choice across the country. In 2016, Paleo orders via Grubhub increased by 370 percent. Sure, the Paleo diet is not exclusively about red meat. But since a nice, juicy steak does fit within the requirements, millennials who choose this diet are likely to consume more of it. Meat-focused delivery boxes, like Butcher Box, confuse the issue too. Butcher Box promises to deliver 100 percent grass-fed, grass-finished, antibiotic- and hormone-free beef, which is undoubtedly better than the alternative. Unfortunately, it also makes it easier to eat more red meat.
"They're less likely to expect 'center of the plate' items. It used to be, if it's not 10 ounces of protein, then you're not eating in a restaurant."
Despite these red-meat-friendly trends, chef Reusing is hopeful that the simultaneous disruption of traditional food culture will be an overall positive for the environment, even if it possibly hurts the bottom line for fine-dining restaurants like hers. Thanks to food delivery boxes and the access to recipes online, young people are more willing to cook at home in a relaxed environment. Reusing believes protein portion control will come more easily to millennials who often favor food trucks to restaurants with white tablecloths. "They're less likely to expect 'center of the plate' items. It used to be, if it's not 10 ounces of protein, then you're not eating in a restaurant." Since millennials aren't that hung up on eating in traditional restaurants, perhaps we'll be naturally guided to more balanced food options.
"Meat consumption is going down, though certainly not as much as it needs to in order to stay focused on climate goals," Reusing concluded. Personally, she has found the chaos of the Trump presidency very distracting. "We have to hope that the galvanization will outweigh the distraction." She believes young people will lead the charge in turning outrage into action on climate change. "I see some really amazing things happening that wouldn't be happening without millennials." She points to New York City's new and ambitious composting effort as one example. "Young people are more accepting of things people 20 years older than them would not have accepted, like a stinky bin of food in your kitchen." Perhaps giving up a cheeseburger or two won't be too big of a jump after all.
lundi 19 juin 2017
Will Millennials Give Up Their Burgers to Save the Planet?
Image Source: Stocksnap / Unsplash
Need proof millennials love burgers? Look no further than Shake Shack. Chef Danny Meyer opened the burger stand in New York City's Madison Square Park in 2004, and within a decade, it became an international success, with more than 100 locations worldwide and a publicly traded company. Why? In large part because of millennials. A 2015 Goldman Sachs report found that the burger chain "does essentially no traditional marketing" and instead relies on its strong presence on social media, where it is 100 times more successful than McDonald's on Instagram. The report also noted the chain's dedication to service, better ingredients, and a modern interior helped it gain crucial popularity with 18- to 32-year-olds.
Shake Shack and its other "fast casual" cousins often promise to use locally sourced, higher-quality ingredients. Shake Shack, for example, provides 100 percent all-natural Angus beef made with no hormones or antibiotics. Chipotle has a local grower initiative to make it easier for it to buy local produce. Millennials seem willing to pay a bit more for food that makes them feel better about their lifestyle choices. It also helps that it looks better on social media than eating McDonald's. Millennials make up more than half of the customers eating at fast-casual restaurants, although they represent only 25 percent of the US population.
It's more responsible to eat just about anything from halfway around the world than red meat from a farm next door.
There's an argument to be made that millennials are the most food-obsessed generation, Instagramming our farm-to-table plates before we take our first bites. Based on numerous surveys, we also know that young people care more about climate change than older generations. Yet the "buy local" movement might not actually be enough to impact the impending environmental crisis. Studies show that food production - not transportation - causes the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions. And certain foods, specifically red meat, create orders of magnitude more emissions during the production stage than pork or chicken, regardless of whether the cows are grass fed or raised without antibiotics. It's what you eat, not how it gets there, that matters most. If you're really serious about reducing your emissions footprint, it's more responsible to eat just about anything from halfway around the world than red meat from a farm next door.
With the recent news of President Donald Trump backing out of the Paris Climate Agreement, many everyday Americans are more motivated than ever to do something if our leaders won't. But will millennials actually be able to walk the walk when it comes to our ethical stances? Will we give up our burgers to save the planet?
Mounting Evidence That Millennials Care
You won't find many 20-something climate-change deniers in America. According to a 2016 survey from the University of Texas, more than nine out of 10 people under age 35 say climate change is occurring, compared with 74 percent of those age 65 or older. Another recent Gallup poll found most Americans (65 percent) believe that human behavior, and not natural factors, causes rising temperatures. Whether we're willing to change that behavior is a different question.
You won't find many 20-something climate-change deniers in America.
Chef Andrea Reusing, a James Beard Award winner for best chef in the Southeast, is dedicated to sustainable food practices, like working with local farms and sourcing ecologically responsible seafood. She has restaurants in both Durham and Chapel Hill, NC, two college towns. In the 20 years she's been in the area, she's seen young people become increasingly tuned in to how their food choices impact the environment. When I asked her what motivates her millennial customers to pay more for quality ingredients - how they taste vs. how they're helping the environment - Reusing says she's not sure they see the difference. "Food that tastes good is good for the environment. For younger people, it's much more holistic."
If millennials have good intentions, like Reusing believes, maybe we just need to get more informed about the best way to make an impact. Naomi Pirmero, 21, thinks that's the case. As the incoming board chair for the Berkeley Student Food Collective, an educational nonprofit and natural food store in Northern California, Pirmero finds that young people are willing to change in order to help the environment. Unfortunately, she says, many "are either uninformed or not plugged into the right communities to make those relevant personal sacrifices."
A Closer Look at Why Red Meat Is a Problem
Swapping beef for eggs once a week has more impact than eating local for a year. Image Source: Stocksnap/Tookapic
Images of coal plants or jet planes might come to mind when you think about what is causing climate change. But let's add red meat to the list, too. Meat from ruminant animals - aka cows, sheep, and goats - are a major driver of climate pollution, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). There are various factors at play: Grazing animals require a lot of pasture land, which in turn cannot be used as carbon-reducing forests. In addition, these animals have multichambered digestive systems, which produce a significant amount of methane. Since dairy comes from these same animals, that means your brie cheese and Greek yogurt are problematic, too.
The global food system accounts for between 19 to 29 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions, as Naomi Klein explains in her 2014 book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate. If you're taking inventory of how your lifestyle choices influence climate change, considering your food habits like red meat consumption is a smart place to start. The good news, according to Klein, is that the everyday actions of the average consumer can have a massive impact at scale. She uses World War Two as an example to assert that "human nature" isn't what holds us back. We've been able to change our habits for a greater cause before. She writes:
Indeed to support fuel conservation during World War II, pleasure driving was virtually eliminated in the UK, and between 1938 and 1944, use of public transit went up by 87 percent in the US and by 95 percent in Canada. Twenty million US households - representing three fifths of the population - were growing victory gardens in 1943, and their yields accounted for 42 percent of fresh vegetables consumed that year. Interestingly, all of these activities together dramatically reduce emissions.
It's yet to be determined if the millennial generation will be able to match the Greatest Generation when it comes to making sacrifices. But reducing red meat and dairy consumption could help. As The New York Times declared in a 2015 piece now gaining traction again, you're "better off eating vegetables from Argentina than red meat from a local farm" because of how carbon-intensive red meat production is. Of course, it would be best to eat both locally grown vegetables and alternative proteins. But the trap is to think local beef is better than imported chicken.
Practicing Meatless Mondays has a greater impact than shopping exclusively at the farmers market.
We must change our thinking and move away from only focusing on "food miles," or the cost of transporting food. If we more seriously consider the types of foods we eat, we could have a more serious impact. A study from Carnegie Mellon concluded that a dietary shift can be a more effective means of lowering an average household's food-related climate footprint than buying local. "Shifting less than one day per week's worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more GHG (greenhouse gas) reduction than buying all locally sourced food." In other words, practicing Meatless Mondays has a greater impact than shopping exclusively at the farmers market.
Why We Should Be Hopeful
As we wait, perhaps futilely, for political and business leaders to act, we must start consuming less and doing more. If you already do Meatless Monday, tack on a Meatless Tuesday. Order the chicken tacos instead of the beef burrito. And make it your mission to find the best veggie burger your city has to offer.
Seventeen-year-old Clara Nevins is one young person who has found a way to combine large-scale action with personal change. She founded Change Climate Change when she was 13 to serve as the youth voice in climate-change conversations. She's lobbied her local LA city council to enact energy report cards for buildings and even served as a youth delegate in Paris for negotiations on the climate pact the US eventually pulled out of. In addition to political change, Nevins also thinks it's up to her generation to look at their lifestyle choices. "Every single action that we do is meaningful," she told us. For her, that means committing to composting, shopping locally, buying fewer and better things, and cutting back on red meat. "I have red meat once a week. I honestly don't even miss it that much and believe it makes a difference."
There's never been a better time for people like Nevins to be "vegetarian curious." Gracias Madre is an Instagrammable Mexican restaurant with locations in Los Angeles and San Francisco that also happens to be vegan. Restaurants like these are an attractive option for millennials looking to cut back on red meat and dairy consumption. Chandra Gilbert serves as the executive chef for the West Hollywood outpost and estimates that 90 percent of her diners are not practicing vegans. "Today, you might say, 'Hey, do you want to go out and have some Chinese food? Or do you want to get some vegan food?' It's not a weird and abstract thing," Gilbert explained. She says the rise of chain restaurants like Veggie Grill show vegetable-driven meals are becoming more normalized.
"Today, you might say, 'Hey, do you want to go out and have some Chinese food? Or do you want to get some vegan food?'"
Sascha Weiss, a veteran pastry chef and plant-based food expert, has also found creative ways to get millennials to favor plant-based foods. Weiss currently leads product development for California-based Project Juice and was the executive chef at The Plant Café Organic chain in Northern California, which doesn't offer any red meat on its menu. Weiss notes that food choices are personal and influenced by what we ate growing up: "We've had success with plant-based dishes that are riffs on classics. Cleaned-up versions of things like a Caesar salad, kelp noodles with basil pesto, or apple-pie-inspired chia seed pudding." A little nostalgia can go a long way with our generation.
Weiss thinks the rise in demand he's witnessed for sustainable, plant-based foods shows that consumers want to be proud of their food choices. Social media plays into that. "A photo can tell a great story, as the old cliché tells us," he explained. "It also helps drive trends, and right now the trend is toward sustainability, toward eliminating or lessening food waste." The fact that millennials want to be on the cutting edge could help drive productive change. Nevins agrees that the power of social media is important, and she's betting that personal efforts to cut back on high-emission foods will spread online and turn into a mass movement.
At the Berkeley Student Food Collective, students are helping drive change in a positive direction from the ground up. Allegra Saggese, 21, another student leader with the group, explained, "We made an active choice in our organization a few years back to not sell meat in the store. Along the entire supply chain of meat, there's a lot of injustice in terms of how labor workers are treated in slaughterhouses, to the methane emissions from cows, to the water consumption." By creating more access and knowledge around plant-based foods, the 150 UC Berkeley students who volunteer at the Food Collective hope to make a collective difference.
Then there are food trends that work against the need to cut back on red meat. The Paleo diet, a meal plan based on the dietary habits of our cave-dwelling ancestors, has gained popularity this decade. It emphasizes protein, vegetables, and nuts instead of processed carbs. A new study from delivery service Grubhub found that the Paleo diet is now the most popular healthy eating choice across the country. In 2016, Paleo orders via Grubhub increased by 370 percent. Sure, the Paleo diet is not exclusively about red meat. But since a nice, juicy steak does fit within the requirements, millennials who choose this diet are likely to consume more of it. Meat-focused delivery boxes, like Butcher Box, confuse the issue too. Butcher Box promises to deliver 100 percent grass-fed, grass-finished, antibiotic- and hormone-free beef, which is undoubtedly better than the alternative. Unfortunately, it also makes it easier to eat more red meat.
"They're less likely to expect 'center of the plate' items. It used to be, if it's not 10 ounces of protein, then you're not eating in a restaurant."
Despite these red-meat-friendly trends, chef Reusing is hopeful that the simultaneous disruption of traditional food culture will be an overall positive for the environment, even if it possibly hurts the bottom line for fine-dining restaurants like hers. Thanks to food delivery boxes and the access to recipes online, young people are more willing to cook at home in a relaxed environment. Reusing believes protein portion control will come more easily to millennials who often favor food trucks to restaurants with white tablecloths. "They're less likely to expect 'center of the plate' items. It used to be, if it's not 10 ounces of protein, then you're not eating in a restaurant." Since millennials aren't that hung up on eating in traditional restaurants, perhaps we'll be naturally guided to more balanced food options.
"Meat consumption is going down, though certainly not as much as it needs to in order to stay focused on climate goals," Reusing concluded. Personally, she has found the chaos of the Trump presidency very distracting. "We have to hope that the galvanization will outweigh the distraction." She believes young people will lead the charge in turning outrage into action on climate change. "I see some really amazing things happening that wouldn't be happening without millennials." She points to New York City's new and ambitious composting effort as one example. "Young people are more accepting of things people 20 years older than them would not have accepted, like a stinky bin of food in your kitchen." Perhaps giving up a cheeseburger or two won't be too big of a jump after all.
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