Introduction
If you eat meat (see Earthlings, a multi-award winning documentary), please consider the following;
Food production is a source that cannot be disregarded when considering greenhouse gas emissions – globally it accounts for 20-25 per cent of emissions.
The principal emission sources are methane from the stomachs of cows and nitrous oxide from land to which fertilizer has been applied. There is a lack of effective technical solutions to reduce these emissions. On the other hand, changed food habits can have a great impact. If beef is replaced by chicken, emissions decrease by 90 per cent, and if beef is replaced by beans the reduction is 99 per cent. (see full report)
Consider slow cooked or low heat cooking techniques…. Why?
The modern Western lifestyle is characterized by the consumption of high-heat-treated foods because of their characteristic taste and flavor. However, it has been shown that treating food at high temperatures can generate potentially harmful compounds that promote ill-health such as inflammation and cardiovascular disease.
For example, Inès Birlouez-Aragon et al (2010) conducted a study to determine whether high-heat-treated foods also pose a risk for healthy subjects. In the study, a group of people consumed either a high heat processed diet using conventional techniques such as grilling, frying, and roasting a well as industrial food known to be highly cooked, such as corn flakes, coffee, dry cookies, and well-baked bread with brown crust. Another group ate a low heat processed diet comprised of some raw food and foods that were cooked by steaming only.
It was discovered that after just one month those eating the high heat processed diet had increases in risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. The study concluded;
A diet that is based on high-heat-treated foods increases markers associated with an enhanced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in healthy people. Replacing high-heat-treatment techniques by mild cooking techniques may help to positively modulate biomarkers associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Am J Clin Nutr May 2010 ajcn.28737
These conclusions are further enhanced by Cancer Project dietitians who have determined that many commonly grilled foods contain alarmingly high levels of heterocyclic amines HCAs. In January 2005, the federal government officially added HCAs to its list of known carcinogens. Studies have shown that exposure to PhIP, one type of HCA, at levels as low as 10 to 20 nanograms per day is associated with roughly a doubling of breast cancer risk. Consuming HCAs also increases the risk of several other cancers, including colon cancer.
see Grilled Chicken and Vegetables: A Recipe for Cancer?
see Kellogg’s, Corn Syrup and Cancer
| The Five Worst Foods to Grill | |
| Food Item | HCAs: nanograms per 100 grams* |
| Chicken breast, skinless, boneless, grilled,well done | 14,000 nanograms/100 grams5 |
| Steak, grilled, well done | 810 nanograms/100 grams6 |
| Pork, barbecued | 470 nanograms/100 grams7 |
| Salmon, grilled with skin | 166 nanograms/100 grams8 |
| Hamburger, grilled, well done | 130 nanograms/100 grams6 |
| *100 gram portion equals about 3.5 ounces grilled |
Furthermore, researchers at the Department of Geriatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine have determined that A.G.E.’s or glycotoxins are found in foods that are overheated or cooked at very high temperatures. This includes foods that have been fried, barbecued, broiled or cooked in the microwave. Any food that is exposed to extreme high heat can scorch the natural sugars in food and create glycotoxins. Once absorbed in the body, AGEs adhere to tissues and oxidize them, causing inflammation which in turn can lead to disease.
They report that cutting back on the consumption of processed and fried foods, which are high in AGEs, can reduce inflammation and actually help restore the body’s natural defenses regardless of age or health status.
The study’s lead author Helen Vlassara, MD concluded;
“Even though the AGEs pose a more immediate health threat to older adults, they are a similar danger for younger people, including pregnant women and children, and this needs to be addressed. AGEs are ubiquitous and addictive, since they provide flavor to foods. But they can be controlled through simple methods of cooking, such as keeping the heat down and the water content up in food and by avoiding pre-packaged and fast foods when possible. Doing so reduces AGE levels in the blood and helps the body restore its own defenses.”
* Vlassara H et al. Inflammatory mediators are induced by dietary glycotoxins, a major risk factor for diabetic angiopathy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002 Nov 26;99(24):15596-601.
Which fish are safe for you and the oceans? Eco-Friendly Fish
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Organic Food
Consider eating organic foods to ensure pesticide-free food….see Organic Restaurant Guide (a list of Organic Restaurants throughout the USA).
…..the following organic food stuffs may be considered when choosing a healthy diet;
Dairy-Free Ingredients and Substitutions
You may need to consider alternatives to dairy milk if you are concerned about what the cow is fed or injected with because;
Dairy-free ingredients and substitutions more info
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Slow Food
Moroccan Tagine – a wonderful slow cooked stew!
Tagines in Moroccan cuisine are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. They are traditionally cooked in the tagine pot made entirely of a heavy clay, whose cover has a knob-like handle at its top to facilitate removal.
Traditional spices that are used to flavor tagines include;
More info on spices used to flavor foods…
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Slow Food Recipes/Healthy Recipes
A selection of healthy soups, main dishes and drinks….
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Oils to Use
Argan Oil
Argan only grows on the southern coast of Morocco in a poor, arid zone with very high summer temperatures. This thorny tree is an amazing resource because it not only helps to oppose the dangerously advancing desert but its berries provide a golden, intensely flavored oil with hazelnut notes….
Olive Oil
In a study published in the January 2007 issue of The FASEB Journal, scientists from five European countries describe how the anti-cancer effects of olive oil may account for the significant difference in cancer rates among Northern and Southern Europeans…
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Seasoning
Salt
Eating some salt is essential to health, but eating too much can raise your blood pressure, which increases the risk of serious conditions such as stroke and heart disease.
Fresh fruits and vegetables have low sodium content, but avoid adding salt to vegetables during preparation.
Try using herbs and spices for flavoring meats and vegetables instead of salt.
Spices / Herbs
“Spice a dish with
love and it pleases
every palate.”
Plautus
Spices and herbs can help retain flavor in your foods while cutting back on dietary fat, sugar and sodium/salt…more info on spices and herbs.
See Curcumin (Turmeric) and Effects on Cancer
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Stock
A flavorful stock is the key to successful cooking.
Vegetable stock only needs to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes to extract the maximum flavor from vegetables.
Here’s my favorite……recipe for home made vegetable stock.
Eating Out
Sustainable Restaurants – what’s that?
The restaurant industry consumes a surprisingly large portion of our resources. It accounts for 33 percent of the electricity used by retail outlets in the US, ranking behind only health care and food retailing. Every year, the average eatery uses 300,000 gallons of water and generates 150,000 pounds of garbage. And that’s just operational consumption—imagine the added cost of getting all that food to your plate!….. more info
Organic and Vegetarian Restaurants
We are now featuring a guide to Organic and Vegetarian restaurants throughout the USA. Do you have a favorite? Why not send us the details and we will add it to the list.
Vegetarian Restaurants
Organic Restaurants
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The impact of religious fasting on human health
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What is an Earth Market?
Earth Markets are farmers’ markets that have been established according to guidelines that follow the Slow Food philosophy.
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Slow Food stands at the crossroads of ecology and gastronomy, ethics and pleasure. It opposes the standardization of taste and culture, and the unrestrained power of the food industry multinationals and industrial agriculture.
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Eco news / Environmental Health News
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ECO DESIGN
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