Food Sustainability

Food sustainability is being conscious of how our everyday choices can influence the future of our planet. I'm sharing green-eating tips, the benefits of plant-based eating, the importance of ethical eating, and the impact industrial agriculture has on our planet.

Some of my top articles include 5 Sustainable Seafood Foodie Tips, Top 5 Sustainable and Iconically Canadian Foods, and For the Flexitarian- The Environmental Sustainability of Eating Meat.

Medicinal Dark Chocolate Bark Three Ways [Vegan, GF]

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This post for Dark Vegan Chocolate Bark Made Three Ways is sponsored by iHerb. As always the opinons are absolutly my own.

For me, nothing compares to the dedication and ingenuity of a homemade DIY Christmas Gift. The reducing, reusing and repurposing helps lessen our environmental footprint during this season of excess. Some take advantage of their handy nature, while others zone in on their crafty skills, but for me, I often gift edible Christmas presents which has included Peanut Butter Energy Balls or Toasted Muesli In a Jar in the past. This Medicinal Dark Vegan Chocolate Bark Made Three Ways is made using maple syrup and real cocoa butter for the authentic chocolate taste. Some of my favourite flavour combinations for this Chocolate Bark include Peppermint and Toasted Coconut, Cherries and Toasted Almonds, and Coffee and Cacao Nibs. This Christmas I’ve also added a little medicine (or some may say magic) to this bark for a truly healthy start to the New Year.

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Is Your Wheat Intolerance Due To Glyphosate In Canadian Bread?

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Wheat intolerance is on the rise, but maybe it is not the gluten or fructans to blame. Maybe we need to consider the amount of glyphosate – the herbicide and crop desiccant that is used on Canadian wheat.

Gluten-free is all the buzz, and many people feel better when they cut out wheat. But what if it isn’t only gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye – that is causing the problem? Or even fructans, the high FODMAP foods (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) that are often blamed for IBS symptoms (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Canada has been using the highly criticized herbicide glyphosate in the harvesting of wheat products, and scientists and medical professionals have proposed that maybe it’s the herbicides residue that our bodies are reacting to. Could it be that the demonizing of gluten has drawn attention away from the potential effects of this industrial agricultural practice?
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Container Gardening – 8 Edible Plants To Grow This Spring

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Content Last Updated May 2014

Spring Time in East Sooke Park, BC

It’s here! Its spring!

In preparation for Spring, I attended Lifecycles Container Gardening Class, a non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating awareness and initiating action around food, health, and urban sustainability in the Greater Victoria area. We learned about the basics of container gardening – see here for the full guide on Container Gardening. I’ve also included my top tips picked up from the class to share.
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BPA, Our Health, and Environmental Concerns

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Why is BPA bad for our health? Is BPA bad for the environment? All these questions answered and more, and what we can do to reduce our exposure.

Content last updated February 2014.

We mostly associate BPA with plastic water bottles and food containers, but BPA is found in many everyday items including aluminum cans and canned foods. As much as these containers are convenient, they come with the consideration of BPA contamination, and we need to ask ourselves how this can impact our health and the health of the environment.

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The Basics of Canning, Let’s Start With Salsa!

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Tis the season for canning! Canning can seem daunting with all the sterilizing, boiling and sealing. Not only is it more fun to do with friends but if your a canning novice then it can also be safer. That said, if you have never canned before I would highly recommend it. I want to share the many benefits to canning – from health reasons to environmental reasons, as well as a Simple Salsa Recipe.
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Which Is The Best Milk Alternative For You?

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Content Updated July 2013

So you have made the choice to give up milk. Mom says no, friends call you a hippie, the dairy industry is smacking their 3 recommended serves in your face. But you don’t care, you’re going to do it. Whether it be to ward off suspected intolerances, a cows milk allergy, to lower your carbon footprint or for personal ethical reasons, finding a suitable alternative can be tricky. Each book you read, every website you come across and every person you talk to will probably tell you something different. After reviewing this post hopefully, you will feel more confident in deciding which is the best milk alternative for you.
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How To Make Sprouts & Health Benefits of Sprouting Foods

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My top tips on how to make sprouts, and also why we should be including sprouts in our diet. The health benefits of sprouts include helping us to better access important minerals in nuts, seeds, legumes and grains. This is especially important for those following a plant-based, vegan or vegetarian diet.

I have been dabbling into sprouting foods since my early university days, but back then I was too poor to buy a proper sprouter. I’ve used everything from nut milk bags to glass jars and cheesecloth. If your a first-time sprouter, prepare to become addicted. Sprouting is one of the simplest things you will do in the kitchen -all you need to do is remember to water your sprouts, no green thumb required!…

Sustainability of BC’s Spot Prawns

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Content Last Updated June 2013

Ocean View in Prince Rupert, BC

A few months ago I discussed sustainable seafood options in Australia in Unsustainable Seafood Choices In Australia + Better Choices. Prawn lovers may have been upset to find that prawns were an unsustainable seafood choice due to their destructive fishing methods. This is unfortunate news for a prawn-loving nation and for many Dietitians who often recommend them as a healthier alternative to high-fat meats.
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Genetically Modified Food Pros and Cons – For Our Health & The Environment

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The ongoing question – what are the genetically modified food pros and cons? Do we need them in our food supply? We need to not only consider our health, but also the health of the environment. I’ve laid out some clear science-based facts to help clear up some misinformation.

Content last updated May 2013.

Farmlands NSW, Australia

We may never come to a consensus on genetically modified foods and our health. Though, as consumers, we also have the responsibility, and as global citizens, to consider the health of our environment for generations to come.
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Why Are Artificial Sweeteners Bad For Our Health & The Environment?

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Content Last Updated March 2013

Recent reports state that Australians have reduced their sugar intake by 30% in recent years. Good for you I hear you say! But at what cost? We haven’t lost our sweet tooth, instead, we have replaced sugar with artificial sweeteners which carry no shortage of claims on their ill effects — ranging from Alzheimer’s, cancer, seizures, depression and blindness to name a few. What no one ever mentions is the cost to the environment. Maybe what we need to focus on is not what these sweeteners may be costing our health, but what they are costing our environment.
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Is Aquaculture Sustainable? Or Is There Something Fishy About Fish Farms?

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Content Last Updated January 2013

Health practitioners have good reasons to encourage the consumption of fish and seafood. These foods are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, low in saturated fat, high in protein, and has been shown to have numerous benefits for cardiovascular health and inflammatory conditions. As we consume more of this desirable protein we need to start looking at the sustainability of these recommendations. Up to 35% of Australian seafood comes from aquacultures, (fish farms) including prawns, oysters, tuna and salmon. What do we need to know about fish farms to ensure we are making the most sustainable option?
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Food Sustainability

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