Think delicious fruits and vegetables have to look gorgeous? Think again. An Oakland-based startup called Imperfect has big plans to change that.
Imperfect’s founders, three veteran food-waste entrepreneurs, are “on a mission to bring ugly produce (they prefer the term “cosmetically challenged”) to, quite literally, your doorstep,” reports Grist.
“Our bold vision is for consumers across America to have the option of having a box of Imperfect produce delivered to them weekly, for 30 to 50 percent cheaper than [what they’ll find in] grocery stores,” Ben Simon, Imperfect’s cofounder told Grist.
The chain will get going in California’s Oakland and Berkeley areas over the next few months, with a goal of reaching 1,000 customers by year’s end.
While the chain will be focusing primarily on home delivery service, it will also work with supermarkets to create store displays of “cosmetically challenged” fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle. This was a tactic recently used in France where supermarkets setup areas of “ugly” fruits and vegetables with prices about 30 percent lower than the healthier looking stuff. The program was hugely successful and inspired Imperfect’s roll-out here in the U.S.
Imperfect’s supermarket program will specifically target low-income neighborhoods where fresh fruits and vegetables are often hard to come by while fast food and junk foods are readily available.
“We’re tipping the scale so that McDonald’s is no longer the most convenient, affordable option in food deserts — now, fresh produce is,” Simon wrote in an email to Grist.
Imperfect is able to offer such great discounts because it works with farmers who would otherwise throw away the less that perfect looking fruits and vegetables. By preventing them from ending up in the trash or compost, Imperfect is able to provide farmers with additional income while offering consumers healthy food options at exceptional prices.
According to Grist, these imperfect fruits and veggies account for roughly 7 percent of the produce that’s grown in the U.S. each year, which is often just left in the fields to rot.
And there’s another benefit to Imperfect’s program. Fighting food waste, the company says, is also helpful in water conservation. Food requires water and if that food goes uneaten, it’s a misuse of water, particularly in California where the state is now in its fourth year of a serious drought.
Image via Imperfect
With the California drought now reaching critical levels, everyone is being asked to do their part in using water wisely. While exceptions exist for industries—particularly farming and fracking—one industry just got a huge wakeup call. Starbucks announced that it will move its sourcing and production of its bottled water brand Ethos Water out of California and to Pennsylvania.
“The decision to move our Ethos water sourcing from California and reduce our in-store water reductions by more than 25 percent are steps we are taking in partnership with state and local governments to accelerate water conservation,” John Kelly, Starbucks senior vice president of global responsibility and public policy, said in a statement.
The company made the announcement just a week after Mother Jones called out the company’s Merced, Calif., bottling facility. Merced is considered to be in a state of “exceptional drought,” more afflicted than many other cities across the state. The water is being sourced from private springs located in Baxter, an unincorporated community in Placer County that was also in "exceptional drought," reports the Los Angeles Times.
“A report commissioned by the International Bottled Water Association found that it takes on average 1.32 liters of water to make a liter of bottled water, though critics argue that it can take several times more than that once all the packaging is accounted for,” reports Mother Jones.
Somewhat ironically, Ethos Water, which was purchased by Starbucks in 2005, is committed to addressing the world’s water crisis. Five cents from every bottle water purchased goes to the Ethos Water Fund. Starbucks reports donations of more than $12 million from sales of the water have been distributed to water programs in Africa, Indonesia and Latin America.
Now in its fourth year, the California drought is showing few signs of letting up anytime soon. Water use restrictions by as much 35 percent have been enforced in some parts of the state.
Image: Global X
Can’t remember the last healthy food you ate? Well, the fact that you haven’t had a healthy meal in a while could be to blame.
According to new research published in the journal Neurology, a healthy diet may be beneficial in decreasing the risk of cognitive decline, particularly memory loss.
"This study strengthens the support for the overall idea that eating a balanced diet may be beneficial to reduce your risk of cognitive decline," Dr. Heather Snyder, Director of Medical and Scientific Operations at the Alzheimer's Association, who was not involved in this new study, told CNN. "However, there are many aspects of diet in combination with engaging in a healthy lifestyle that may influence cognitive decline."
The new study didn’t ask participants to eat a specific type of diet or focus on any key foods. "We just wanted to look at a diverse cohort of people from all around the world and analyze what their risk for cognitive decline would be if they consumed what most organizations would consider a 'healthy diet'," Dr. Andrew Smyth, lead author of the study and a nephrologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario Canada, told CNN.
A ‘healthy diet’ is about as unclear a term as the word ‘natural’ these days. For some, it can mean counting calories and drinking diet sodas, but for others, it can mean fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade meals. The study authors loosely defined “healthy diet” as one “containing lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish, moderate alcohol use and minimal red meat.”
Over the course of nearly five years, the researchers monitored eating habits of more than 27,000 men and women in 40 countries. Taking regional cuisine variations into consideration, the subjects were asked about the serving sizes of different food types that are considered both healthy and unhealthy.
"For example, if participants consumed the standard dietary recommendations for fruits and vegetables per day, they would get a high score in that category. The reverse happens for unhealthy food choices," said Smyth.
Thinking and memory skills of the participants were tested at the study onset and again at the two-year mark and again at five years.
“The results indicate that participants with the healthiest diets were 24% less likely to experience cognitive decline compared to those with the least healthy diets,” reports CNN. “These individuals were slightly older in age, more active, less likely to smoke and had a lower BMI.”
"We were interested in looking at this particular group who have a high risk for cardiovascular disease because they are also going to have a high risk of cognitive decline," said Smyth.
While the research is fairly comprehensive, it may not come as a surprise to anyone who’s traded in burgers and fries for kale and quinoa—healthier foods make a healthier body and the brain and its many functions is clearly not immune to those benefits.
Who doesn’t love the yummy energy burst from organic greens? Greens like oat and alfalfa grass, kale and superfood algaes spirulina and chlorella do our insides a world of good. (It’s why they’re all in our mustHave greens formula!)
But organic greens have another super useful purpose too—skincare. Of course, eating your organic greens contributes to healthy skin from the inside out, but did you know that you can apply your greens directly to your skin?
It’s true!
If you think it’s an expensive use for organic greens, think again. High quality skincare is quite pricey and it’s never quite as good as the stuff you can make at home, which really does end up costing you a fraction of the price. Bonus: you can make as much or as little as you need, so it’s always fresh.
This skin mask uses organic greens and oats to give you a soft and smooth glow. It’s super simple to whip up, too. Make a batch before taking a nice long bath and then rinse off when you’re about to get out of the tub.
Ingredients
1/2 cup hot water (not boiling)
1/3 cup rolled oats
2 TBSP raw honey
1 TSP green powder (if you aren’t using our mustHave greens, you can use plain spirulina or alfalfa grass, etc)
1 TSP apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Directions
Mix the hot water with the oats and stir well. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together honey, vinegar or lemon juice and greens. Stir into the oats until well combined and cool enough to apply to skin.
Apply thin layer to face, neck and décolleté. Allow to dry for 15-20 minutes. Your skin should feel tight. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Follow up with a moisturizing lotion or serum. Mask can be applied weekly.
Image: veganbaking
Depression and anxiety affects roughly 40 million Americans each year—it’s on trend to be the second leading cause for disability in the world by 2020. Many people battling depression and anxiety issues turn toward pharmaceutical drugs to treat and reduce symptoms. Pharmaceuticals often work, but they can also come with undesirable side effects, not to mention the costs. But what if something as simple and easy to do at home—like yoga—could help reduce, if not totally alleviate, the symptoms?
"Despite modern advances in psychopharmacology, and the development of so many integrative forms of psychotherapy, we haven't made a significant dent in this epidemic of emotional illness," clinical psychologist and yoga teacher Bo Forbes told CBSNews.
According to Forbes, the founder of Integrative Yoga Therapeutics, a system that specializes in the therapeutic application of yoga for anxiety, a number of ailments from insomnia and depression to chronic pain and anxiety, can be reduced with the help of a consistent yoga practice.
"Most people aren't aware that inside each of us, there's a mind-body communications network that contributes to the patterns of anxiety and depression. This network includes the autonomic nervous system, the enteric nervous system (also called the belly brain or gut microbiome), the immune system, pain modulation pathways, connective tissue matrix, and more," Forbes explains.
Forbes says we have the power to change patterns in our mind-body network through the exercises and meditations in yogic practices.
According to CBSNews, a “significant amount” of research has been conducted on yoga as “a therapeutic tool.” And, says CBS, “evidence supports the findings that yoga can help treat depression and anxiety.” One area under exploration by Forbes along with several neuroscientists, is the area of focus called interoception.
"You can think of interoceptive awareness, as it's also called, as mindfulness in the body. It pertains to the ability to inhabit the body and be present with bodily sensation as it fluctuates from one moment to the next," says Forbes.
According to Forbes, it’s a cycle of negative internal dialogue that’s the hallmark of depression and anxiety—often obsessing over issues in the past or theorizing about the future. But the physical changes brought about through yoga may be enough to help the body heal.
"If you change your body patterns, you can change your mind," she says.
“Forbes' classes are not like the typical hot, sweaty Westernized form of yoga that many of us have experienced,” reports CBS. “Her classes move slowly and are geared toward increasing awareness inside the body. They integrate breath with each movement,” and incorporates bodywork designed to give people an experience of ‘not depression' and 'not anxiety'.
While more research is needed on interoception (and if you’re currently taking prescriptions for depression or anxiety, do not stop taking them without consulting with your physician first), there are some things you can do right now to try enhancing the mind-body connection. "Follow the laboratory of your direct experience, and it will take you somewhere. It will teach you," Forbes says.
yoga image via elidr
If you visit the nation’s National Parks for unadulterated majestic beauty and serenity, you’re not alone. Millions of people trek to the U.S. National Parks every year. But park concessions have long been the antithesis of their surroundings: serving unhealthy processed foods. That’s all about to change.
“We want the food to be as memorable as the scenery,” Kathy Kupper, public affairs specialist for the National Park Service, told Specialty Food News.
Over the last several years, the Park Service’s Healthy Parks Healthy People U.S. initiative has helped the National Parks set healthy food guidelines for its concession areas, with an emphasis on local and sustainable food options.
“Under the guidelines, at least 30 percent of a restaurant’s beverage selection must have no added sugar; half servings or reduced portion sizes must be offered when possible; and better-for-you products should be placed more noticeably in grab-and-go outlets to encourage healthier choices,” reports Specialty Food News. “The standards have been applied on a voluntary basis with existing concession contracts, and are required with new or renewing contracts.”
While many people make park-going a picnic kind of stay, bringing in their own food and beverages, the concession areas actually do a huge amount of business, serving more than 23 million park-goers every year. The National Park Service manages more than 250 foodservice outlets in 75 parks.
Parks like Muir Woods, which are nearer to urban environments where it’s easier to access fresh and healthy food have been some of the first to adopt the shift. “Muir Woods in Marin County, north of San Francisco, serves cage-free egg salad on organic nine-grain bread,” reports Specialty Food News. “Kiosks along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., offer freshly made sandwiches and salad options. Wilderness parks like the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, however, aren’t beholden to the guidelines and may not offer as many choices.”
And the local trend is on the rise too. According to the park services, there is a big commitment to support regional growers and producers. “Shenandoah National Park in Virginia now sources 90 percent of all menu items within 200 miles, and Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park purchases items like corn tortillas, prickly pear red pepper jelly, craft beer, and freshwater trout from local vendors to provide visitors with a taste of the region,” Specialty Food News explains.
“People want variety, a good value, and fresh and healthy ingredients,” Brian Stapleton, vice president of food and beverage for Aramark, a provider for the parks told Specialty Food News. “Sustainable cuisine is also becoming more sought after.”
Image via yellowstoneNPS
Exercise is crucial to our health. There’s no question about it, particularly when we spend so much of our time these days parked at desks or on the couch. But it turns out, some women may benefit from exercise more than others, finds a new study. And those benefits could amount to achieving weight loss goals.
“Women in the study who had certain genetic markers gained weight after following a strength-training regimen for a year, whereas women who didn't have those markers lost weight after following the same regimen,” researchers told LiveScience.
The researchers were looking at genes that have been connected with an increased risk of developing obesity. “The findings may mean that women whose genes predispose them to obesity need to do more exercise to get their desired weight-loss results, and may also need to pay more attention to their diet, study author Yann C. Klimentidis, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Arizona in Tucson told to LiveScience.
DNA samples from 84 women between the ages of 30 to 65 were analyzed in the study. The women performed high-intensity workouts along with moderate impact exercises for at least one hour daily for three days each week over the course of the year. The women were grouped by their genetic risk of obesity.
"There is just a higher wall to climb if you have a high genetic predisposition [for obesity]," Klimentidis said. However, he noted that "exercise is good [for your health] in lots of ways, not just body composition and weight."
What the researchers noted was that exercise had a greater impact on women’s weight loss goals and overall body fat in the women at a lower genetic risk for obesity than in the women whose risk was higher. In fact, the women at higher risk of obesity actually gained 2.6 pounds during the study, versus the women at lower risk, who lost an average of 2.9 pounds. The at-risk group also maintained their percentage of body fat during the study period while the low-risk group lost an average of 2.7 percent of their body fat.
The study shows that "the benefit that one might get from exercise is going to depend on their level of the genetic risk [of obesity]," Klimentidis said.
While the connection isn’t exactly clear how genetic predisposition impacts the benefits of exercise on the body, but a couple of theories exist: “One possibility is that these genes may interact with exercise through physiological mechanisms such as satiety, taste and regulation of energy expenditure,” reports LiveScience.
“But it's also possible that people who have a low genetic risk for obesity may also respond differently to doing more exercise, in terms of how much they eat and how much energy they expend, compared with those with a high risk, according to the study.”
Image: teammarche
The state of Vermont can move forward with its plans to require labeling on foods containing genetically modified ingredients, ruled U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss earlier this week.
Judge Reiss’s ruling to dismiss the requested injunction against Act 120 came after the Grocery Manufacturers Association along with the biotech industry, attempted to block the law set to go into effect in 2016, with a lawsuit calling it “unconstitutional.”
"The safety of food products, the protection of the environment, and the accommodation of religious beliefs and practices are all quintessential governmental interests, as is the State's desire 'to promote informed consumer decision-making,'" wrote the judge, quoting from the state's court filings.
The law would make Vermont the first state in the U.S. with an active GMO labeling bill in effect. However, the suit is still likely to go to trial, where the judge says the GMA and biotech industry may be victorious on several claims.
"Manufacturers are being harmed, and they are being harmed now," the association said in a statement. "Act 120 is unconstitutional and imposes burdensome new speech requirements on food manufacturers and retailers."
The GMA alleges that manufacturers will not only incur extra costs in readying product packaging under the law, but will also face undo discrimination and customer confusion over the safety of genetically modified ingredients. U.S. agencies have found no health risks to consuming genetically modified foods, but in more than 60 countries around the world, they’re banned or severely restricted over human health and environmental concerns.
In addition to requiring manufacturers to label foods containing GMOs, Act 120 would also require foods containing GMOs to refrain from using words such as “natural.” This could prove problematic for the state and with the case now going to trial, it may have to be cut from the bill.
Image via USDA.gov
A vegan ice cream recipe that changes the game.
Show me a person who doesn’t love ice cream and I’ll show you a liar. We all know it’s the best thing ever. But some of that love comes from knowing that it’s not exactly good for us. But what if you could have your ice cream and eat it too? (We know, you’re going to do that anyway.)
This vegan ice cream recipe is not only free from processed sugars and allergic dairy products, but it also gets a super healthy boost from powdered organic greens. Just like adding a spoonful or two of organic greens, like our mustHave greens, works wonders for a smoothie recipe, it can do the same thing for a bowl of ice cream—especially one as oh-so-yummy as this.
Organic greens is a pretty broad term—we use it to describe our mustHave greens, which includes dried oat and alfalfa grasses along with kale, spirulina and chlorella. All of these foods are incredibly nutrient-dense—elevating energy, enhancing the body’s natural detoxification process and pushing you past your RDA on a number of vital nutrients.
Of course, you don’t have to use our greens. Spirulina on its own works fine, so does dried wheat grass. Or blend up your favorites.
Bonus: you don’t need an ice cream maker either to rock this one. It’s that simple.
Mint Chocolate Chip Vegan Ice Cream Recipe with Organic Greens
Serves 4 (unless you don't want to share, which is totally understandable)
Ingredients
28 oz full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup agave syrup or maple syrup
1-3 tsp organic greens (the more you add the greener it will look and taste)
3 Tbsp cacao nibs or chocolate chips
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
In a blender, mix all the ingredients except the chocolate chips or cacao nibs. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Gently fold in chocolate pieces. Cover it and place it in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours. Before serving let the mixture thaw for 20 minutes to be able to scoop it out with a medium to large cookie scoop.
Image: smittenkittenorig
Tyson Foods Inc, the nation’s largest poultry producer, says it’s going to stop giving its chickens human-use antibiotics.
Tyson has set a September 2017 deadline for pulling the antibiotics, making it “one of the most aggressive timetables yet set by an American poultry company,” reports Reuters.
The move comes in part due to Tyson’s relationship with McDonald’s Corp, the nation’s leading fast-food chain, which also announced plans to stop selling chicken products that contain antibiotics. In recent years, there has been growing consumer concern over the use of antibiotics in livestock feed and the connection to antibiotic resistant “superbugs,” which pose serious human health issues.
“Tyson controls its chicken supply chain from beginning to end, from owning the birds to supplying the medicated feed to the contract farmers that raise the broilers for them,” Reuters explains, and Tyson says the move away from antibiotics will not impact prices. Tyson’s main rival, Perdue, says it also does not use human-use antibiotics on 95 percent of its chickens, and approximately half of its flocks receive no antibiotics of any kind.
Tyson also announced that it’s looking into ways to reduce antibiotic and other livestock drugs in its pork and beef operations. A company spokesperson told Reuters the company did not know how many antibiotics are being used on its other livestock farms because they are not managed by Tyson directly. "We don't know because we don't own those animals," the representative said.
To achieve its goal, Tyson will be working with groups of farmers, suppliers, veterinarians and industry experts to develop methods for treating animals without antibiotics, particularly those also used on humans.
When human-use antibiotics are used in the food supply, it makes treating infections with those antibiotics more difficult. The World Health Organization has said that the "post-antibiotic era" is imminent unless we can protect these vital medicines.
In factory farm settings, antibiotics are given to animals to treat and prevent illnesses, but they’re also used to enhance growth. Animals fed antibiotics tend to reach market weight much faster, making a quicker profit for producers.
Image: qmnonic
