Archive for September 2014

There are many significant health benefits to eating plenty of fish and other seafood, but the delicate state of the world’s oceans and fisheries is putting regular consumption in peril.

According to SeafoodWatch, a program developed by Monterey Bay Aquarium, nearly 85% of the world’s fisheries are either fished to capacity or overfished. The type of seafood you choose can positively or negatively impact fisheries, individual species and many other factors affecting the long-term sustainability of ocean habitats.

Lourdes Castro, MS, RD, is an adjunct professor at New York University’s department of nutrition, food studies and public health; she earned her master’s degree in nutrition from Columbia University. She is the author of three cookbooks: Simply Mexican; Eat, Drink, Think in Spanish; and Latin Grilling. She is also the director of the Biltmore Culinary Academy in Miami. Visit her website at www.slicethin.com. Send your questions for Lourdes to [email protected].

If you really are what you eat, would you qualify as a hydrophile? Translated from ancient Greek, the word literally means “loving water.” In terms of food and nutrition, it describes water-loving foods that can be very satisfying owing to their capacities for attracting and retaining water. In other words, they fill you up in a healthy way because they fill up first.

Data on more than 73,000 participants in the Adventist Health Study strongly suggest that consuming a plant-based diet results in a more sustainable environment and reduces greenhouse gas emissions while improving longevity.

If you haven’t read an informative food book recently, pick up We the Eaters: If We Change Dinner, We Can Change the World (Rodale 2014) by Ellen Gustafson, cofounder of FEED and Food Tank. The author clearly outlines the many reasons why the obesity-hunger paradox exists (roughly 1 billion people in the world are overweight, while another 1 billion are hungry) and how our flawed food system perpetuates it.

Fickle produce marketers and shoppers in North America would do well to take a page from French supermarket chain Intermarche?, which recently started a campaign to put farmers’ most “inglorious” produce in the spotlight—at a significant discount to shoppers.The plan highlights food waste by showing consumers that produce need not be perfectly shaped, symmetrical or unblemished to be delicious or nutritious.

Have you been looking for an opportunity to bring clients together for a cooking lesson or a nutrition seminar? Mark October 24 on your calendar and get your event up and running in conjunction with the fourth annual Food Day. This nationwide celebration driven by communities and individuals aims to emphasize healthy, sustainable, fair food for all. Check out the organizing kit and get ideas for planning your event at www.foodday.org.