The Hunger Puzzle

                                           
It's a complex one and one with many pieces. With a picture on the box, it seems easy enough to solve. The edge pieces to most seem like the logical place to start – akin to creating more food and equalizing its distribution. We soon realize, with all pieces right-side up that the finished picture will take more time and thought. After completing the puzzle frame, we can see those 'where to place' middle ones. Empowerment of women, the price of food, livestock, and the specific food we eat - all crucial pieces, which, when placed in the right spot could solve the picture. Such is the puzzle of the picture of hunger.

After World Food Day, experts across the globe gave their input as to how we can control and modify
the crisis of 1 billion, or 1 of every 6 people, not having enough to eat. The ideas below are a summary of the most interesting thoughts and innovative ways reviewed for us to solve this picture puzzle.

Empowerment of women. Specifically, women in developing areas of the world. Here women are the primary caregivers and teachers. They are in charge of feeding families, the bulk of agricultural work, while working long hours daily in fields and then marketing crops and fish for sale. While doing all this, they are too discriminated against and denied access to information and resources in comparison to men. Empowerment benefits women, families and communities. This powerful step alone is said to be able to decrease hunger for 150 million people.





Genetic engineering. Making crops and foods more efficient and effective for growth and production. They can be built to produce greater yields, withstand weather elements, disease and pests. A new science, with still much to learn but in the most simplistic view, increased production of reliable food can help with world hunger and malnutrition.

Increase food cost. Ironic yes, as rising foods costs are also thought to be a problem. This train of
thought however is based upon wastage. It's estimated that 30% of food worldwide is wasted and in
Canada and the US specifically we waste about 50% of food. Some foods can be quite costly, but there is also the other side of the spectrum where many are cheap and available in large quantities too (some being the unhealthy choice, i.e. $1 drive through menu items, $0.30 noodles in the grocery store). But the notion is true that people will respect something more if there is a higher dollar value associated with it. If food was to get more expensive would you think twice about wasting as much as you do?

Eating less meat. Livestock requires more water, grain, soybean, corn and sometimes land than it's veggie counterpart. Interestingly enough, meat production globally continues to rise and so does
hunger. Maybe the food we are using to the feed animals we eat could be used to feed people. We (especially in North America) are consuming more meat than ever before, in greater frequency and
proportions.




There are many pieces to the puzzle, but it seems that we have nearly all the ones we need. We've got
the framework done, and now it's a matter of placing those in the centre to solve the hunger picture.

As seen in The Telegram October 24th 2011

Mini Chocolate Pistachio Avocado Cupcakes

This is the recipe that was featured at the Healthy Living Show today.  It's a another version for a standard chocolate cupcake, but with a few healthy substitutions.

Avocado in replacement of shortening/lard/margarine/butter (for those looking to choose healthier fats), and pistachios or another nut flour in place of flour (for people with Celiac disease).

These are just a few examples of how to modify a favourite food, with still having great taste.  Obviously this is still something to have on occasion in combination with a healthful diet.

None the less they were gobbled up pretty fast so there is no picture, but trust us- they were really good!

Ingredients

• 3 oz.
  pistachios, shelled
• 3 ¹⁄₂ oz.
  dark chocolate chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 oz.
  margarine
• 3/4 cup
  sugar, divided
• 2
  eggs, separated
• 1
  ripe, fresh avocados, peeled, seeded and diced
• ¹⁄₂ tsp.
  vanilla extract
• ¹⁄₃ tsp.
  baking powder
  
  
  
  

  Instructions

  1. Finely grind nuts in the food processor, pulsing on/off, until the consistency of fine meal. 
  2. Increase oven heat to 350ºF. Line muffin pan. 
  3. Combine chocolate and butter in a bowl and microwave on medium power for 2 1/2 minutes Stir until smooth. 
  4. Beat egg yolks with the whisk attachment in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until yolks are very thick. Add the avocado to the mixer, increase speed, and beat until smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually stir in the vanilla and chocolate and nut mixtures.
  5. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with baking powder on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and continue beating until stiff, but not dry. Gently fold the beaten whites into the yolk mixture (yolk mixture will be very thick).  Fold the yolk mixture back into the remaining whites.  Pour about 1 tbsp batter into mini muffin cups.  

Will Taxing Unhealthy Foods Make a Difference?

                                         

Just last week Denmark was the first country in the world to create a fat tax for specific foods. What
is a fat tax you ask? For Denmark, it's a tax that will be charged on all foods having more than 2.3%
saturated (or bad) fat. It affects everything from milk, to oil and packaged products. The money
generated from this new tax will be used to fight obesity in that country. Denmark isn't alone in the
food tax arena as it appears other countries are following their lead. Hungary has just started a tax on
all foods with unhealthy levels of sugar, salt and carbohydrates, and high levels of caffeine. Countries
including Denmark, Switzerland and Austria have banned trans fats, and Finland and Romania are
considering fat taxes too. Tax methods that have also been discussed here in Canada, mostly Quebec,
and include those for 'junk' foods, soft drinks and energy drinks.

So what does all this mean and how can it help? Well there are certainly pros and cons when it comes
to being the food police. On the positive side a food tax may help to show people that there are
healthier, more cost effective options for purchase and eating. With less people choosing these foods
it may help to curb the chronic disease associated with poor choices over time, including heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.

However despite, this the question still remains whether increasing the cost of these foods will actually help curb people from putting those foods in the grocery cart. If a small bag of chips regularly costs $1 and the price jumps top $1.25, is that really enough of a difference to stop people from buying it? My thoughts are probably not. We all know human nature is the more people know they shouldn't do something, the more they'll want to do it. As another side note let's look at soft drinks. If we tax the regular, high sugar soft drink one would think it might create a shift towards more diet drinks being consumed. This is possibly a better choice as there is less overall calories and sugar, however it is still nutrient devoid and replacing something in the diet that could have been more nutritious, like milk, water or even juice. Taxing one specific component of food (like sugar or fat) may not be the answer as there are many components of food which could all make a food equally healthy or unhealthy (including salt, caffeine, total calories, a lack of vitamins and minerals, and the list goes on). It has not been one specific food component which has steered us towards the obesity and chronic disease cycle, but rather a collection of not-so-good eating habits over time.

So say people are in favour of an unhealthy food tax. Do we actually have the right to dictate to people what they should and should not be eating? Some would say yes, given everyone who pays taxes is indirectly responsible for each others healthcare. That is somewhat true I suppose, however fatter people don't necessarily cost the healthcare system more. A food tax is usually aimed at decreasing obesity rates. Don't forget the skinny people eat potato chips, drink pop and get heart disease too.
There is certainly not one solution to the complex problem of the food supply but here's my alternate
suggestion for a food tax. Instead of punishing people for making bad choices lets reward them for
making better choices. Let's not tax the 'junk' food and strive to make healthier foods cheaper and
available for everyone. Educate more on the benefits of a healthful diet, show people how they make
these alternate choices and more importantly subsidize the cost of milk, fruits and vegetables and then see how many people will fill their carts with these foods first.

As seen in The Telegram October 17, 2011

Discovering the Health Benefits of Cocoa and Dark Chocolate

 Chocolate, it's a food that many of us love and enjoy, myself included. Interestingly enough, as much
consumption happiness as there is for chocolate, there is frequently as much or more consumption
guilt as well. If you are one of the many people involved in this love, hate chocolate relationship then
this article is for you. The news is when eating the right kind and right amount it's actually something
we should feel good about eating. That's right. Feel good, not bad. Why? Because certain types of
chocolate and cocoa can actually be good for us!

The use of dark chocolate and cocoa dates back to people of the past where it was used as money and a gift to the gods. Both cocoa powder and chocolate are made from the seeds of a special kind of ancient fruit. Today, cocoa beans (yes they're called beans, but technically they are seeds) are harvested, fermented, dried, roasted and then milled to create a chocolate liquor. Cocoa powder is then made by pressing the fat content, or cocoa butter from the this. As both cocoa and chocolate come from plants they often have high amount of flavanols. It's a fancy for word for antioxidant, which for the most part work to scrub our arteries and take out the other garbage in our body. This likely sounds a little familiar. The other places where we can find a lot of these dietary garbage collectors are mostly brightly colored fruits and veggies, and whole grains.

Dark chocolate and cocoa have equal or sometimes more antioxidants than other 'superfruits' like acai, blueberry, cranberry and pomegranates. (Obviously we know it's not a healthier choice than these foods, as the fruits will come with more vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but this is just to demonstrate the power of moderation and again to show how we shouldn't feel guilt about eating it that way). Sometimes chocolate and cocoa products will have a lot of added sugar and be in super size portions. Think of the checkout counter standard bars, and candy and drive through hot drinks. These are not the kind of healthful chocolate we are going to talk about and want to eat more of. What is the right chocolate prescription per se? Think quality and quantity. Remember small amounts are key and there can always be too much of a good thing. Amounts can vary, but for heart health as little as 6g has shown to be helpful for some people. To give you a visual, that's about one and a half (dark) Hershey kisses a day. Both dark and milk have the good-for-you flavanols, however milk usually has less as the non-fat cocoa solids are replaced by milk. White chocolate doesn't have any.

An ancient fruit with a whole lot of modern day benefit. Although it has been around for many years
the health benefits of chocolate are only something we have come to realize in the past 30 years or
so. We know that both cocoa and chocolate can help the heart as it can decrease blood pressure and
improve cholesterol. Yes, it can help cholesterol and yes chocolate can be high in bad fat. The key
here is the kind of fat. The saturated fat in chocolate is mostly one which doesn't affect cholesterol
levels (for those who are interested it's called stearic acid). Benefits can extend beyond the heart too.
We are learning that eating small amounts can extend to improve the action of insulin, memory and
even protect the skin against harmful UV rays.

The other thing we know not from science, but from learning and experience is that good usually
trumps bad. With all this said be sure to foster that love relationship for chocolate. Truth be told, a
refill of it might just be what the dietitian or your doctor will order.

As seen in The Telegram October 11, 2011

Food Matter for Breast Cancer Prevention

                                           
'The projected number of new cancer cases in 2011 is roughly the population of St. John's, NL.' It's pretty intense statement to say the least, and one that was made by the Canadian Cancer Society
to show 2011 numbers for across the country. There is good news, but they go on to tell us Atlantic Canada has the highest overall rates and numbers of death. Science tells us diet alone is unlikely to be
the sole cause or cure of cancer, but (good news) it is thought to be partly responsible for about 30% to 40%. That's roughly 1/3. We all know someone with cancer, who has had cancer and many of us
someone who has left us due to cancer. With any situation, even something as devastating as this, it is important to focus on what is positive and how we can learn - One in three can be largely prevented with changes in our diet. We hear a lot about eating well to prevent cancers of things like the stomach, bowel and prostate, but not so much for breast cancer. After prostate and lung, it's the third most common form and one that is in the public eye a lot (just yesterday was the annual Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure). We still have more to learn, but it seems that physical activity, a healthy diet (particularly one low in fat and high in vegetables and fiber), reducing alcohol, and having a healthy weight are all things which can help lower breast cancer risk or having it come back.

So what steps can a man (yes they can have breast cancer too) or woman take? Avoid alcohol. It
sounds a little extreme, and yes in moderation alcohol can have benefits to the heart. But, when it
comes to breast cancer specifically drinking any amount of any kind your risk. If you do choose to
drink, limit to no more than one drink per day (this would be 350 mL bottle of beer or 150 mL of wine or 45 mL of liquor like vodka, whisky, rum or gin). Eating a variety of foods is also important and for many reasons. It is still being examined whether specific foods or nutrients such as vegetables, fruits, soy, flax, and fibre can affect breast cancer risk, but good news is do we know that they are important for overall health and general chronic disease prevention. We also know that supplements don't do the trick. In order to get these healthful prevention factors we need to eat good old fashioned food. A low fat diet may lower the risk of breast cancer and is also good for overall health. It can also help you low weight and stay at a healthy body weight, which both help to lower risk. When I say low fat I don't mean avoid the good ones like those found in fish, nuts and healthful oils. I mean reduce fat through having 2% (or less) milk and milk products, avoid fried and deep fried foods, watch the bakery aisle, choose lean cuts of meat, and use no more than 1 tsp of fat/oil at each meal. Another way to achieve the lower fat diet, eat well for prevention and weight control (in addition to eating more of something most don't get enough of) is to set aside the meat, or poultry one night a week. Have beans, peas, or lentils. If you want to try eating more beans, or lower fat foods and are stuck on ideas check out www.eatingwell.com, my personal number one resource for all recipes healthy.

I'm going to end this with a powerful take home message. Read carefully because if you remember one thing to take away from this article to try at home it should be this. 'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.' I can't take credit as it was first coined by author, Michael Pollan, but as simple as it is, it may just be the one of the answers to the ever confusing question of what we should be eating to have healthy and prevent disease.

As seen in The Telegram October 3, 2011