Chicken & Rib Festival / Bridgehead

I had a long weekend this week, and the plans were to go hiking in the Adirondacks'. But I am still dealing with patellar tendonitis and therefore the weekend spent doing other things. I was able to get in a few rounds of golf in and walk around the Chicken & Rib Festival.

Although I was salivating from the irresistable smell of the smoke and sauce I did not end up trying them. It was not because of the long line ups or the 5 cups of sugar and 5lbs of butter coating each piece of meat - okay well maybe that has something to do with it. But I had planned on taking my husband to my favourite sushi place for lunch. When we got there it was closed (much to his dismay I am sure). So instead we headed to our favourite local coffee shop - Bridgehead.

If you've read some of my blogs you might know that I advocate fairtrade, local fare and organic foods. Therefore I thought I would pay omage to a local coffee shop that offers fair trade products. Bridgehead's coffees and teas are fairtrade as well as organic, in fact it is the first company in Canada (Ottawa) to offer consumers fairly traded coffee. Since then, they have been supporters of the grassroots movement in support of Nicaraguan farmers - helping small scale farmers become competitive in the international markets, while at the same time supporting environmental farming practices.

Now all that is great and definetly a selling point for me to go their. But from another stand point they have great rich, aromatic coffee. The service is always friendly. And most importantly they serve delicious wraps, sandwiches, soups and baked goodies.

I have a number of favorites such as their vegetable and cheese sandwich, tuna and dill sandwich (on great multigrain bread) and their famous pecan chocolate square. Today I decided to have a vegetable wrap which had hummus, tabouleh and vegetables. It was delicious. So next time you are in the Nation's Capital, find a Bridgehead to enjoy a coffee and one of their many great sandwiches or desserts.

The Story of Stuff

I came across this interesting cartoon regarding the story of stuff from extraction of resources to consumption and disposal. The purpose is to "expose the connections between environmental and social issues, in the hope to create a more sustainable and just world."

Post WWII some bright capitalist got the idea that in order for economic growth to occur a system of consumption needed to be created. He stated that ...

"Our enormously productive economy…demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction in consumption, we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate."

This cartoon is pretty long at20mins, but can be broken down into chapters listed at the top of the screen. Although all chapters have interesting and important information, I think the consumption chapter is expecially important and interesting as it is something we can all relate to. So if you do not wish to view this at all or in its entirety, I urge you at least to skip to the consumption chapter and/or listen to bits of each chapter. I think we owe it to yourselves, our family, future generations and your planet.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

The Meatrix

In a past blog I gave a simple and likely boring yet informative piece about the importance of buying locally. I discussed how large agricultural corporations have destroyed the small local farms in order to mass produce meat & vegetables for economic gain. And that in doing so they have caused mass air and water pollution and contaminated food products with dangerous pesticides, growth hormones and other chemicals.

A point that I did not elaborate on was the cruelty towards animals that these large corporations practice. Cows & chickens do not have acres to graze in, but instead are packed in so tightly that they are literally on top of one another with no space to even turn around; chickens beaks are cut off to avoid pecking one another; calves are fed the blood of other cows (yes this is part of the mad cow issue were meat and bone meal was fed to livestock); cows are slaughtered while not being unconscious - please see this website for much much more information http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/animalwelfare/

I recently watched a movie called Fast Food Nation which is based on a book by Eric Schlosser, a book I was fortunate to have read in sociology class. The movie does a great job at emphazing the economic and political power these large fast food corporations have and how they will put economic gain above public health. Although the film has one momentum from start to finish, the big picture and different perspectives makes for a powerful message.

Even more impressive than the movie itself is the three short animations that are special features of the dvd called the Meatrix starring Moopheus. I urge everyone to go to the following website and play all three movies (part 1, 2, and 2 1/2), as they provide insight into the world of factory farming.

http://www.themeatrix.com/

RAW

Raw food diets are basically just that - the consumption of uncooked (or heated no greater than 115F or 46C), unprocessed, and mainly organic foods including vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and unpasterized dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese).

The raw food movement is by no means new, but is certainly gaining popularity as it thought to provide enhanced health benefits such as increased energy, improved skin, improved digestion, weight loss, reduced risk of chronic diseases, particularly those related to obesity (heart disease, diabetes), as well as certain types of cancers.

Raw foods contain enzymes which aid in digestion and many of the body’s metabolic processes important to our health. When we cook or process food these enzymes are broken down and do not work as efficient or effectively. It is thought that the breakdown of these enzymes lead to toxicity in the body and thus to chronic diseases. Cooking meat creates toxins (heterocyclic amines to be accurate) which are thought to increase the risk of cancer. In addition raw foods are noted to have higher nutritional values then cooked foods and to contain bacteria which are thought to aid our immune system.

In my research on this diet I found out that cooking meat below 100 C creates ‘negligible amounts’ of these toxins and microwaving meat before cooking may reduce them by up to 90%. For now, I will stick to those alternative cooking methods (with the addition of dehydration methods) and enjoy raw fish (another excuse to eat sushi and sashimi), and continue to eat my usual organic raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and reduce my sugar intake. But a complete switch to this diet takes dedication that even my obsessive compulsive dietary behaviours finds demanding.

Of course I am all for a lifestyle diet that truly offers health benefits – particularly those that claim to reduce cancer risks – and there are many amazing stories about curing chronic diseases and weight loss (important for preventing diseases). My only concern with any diet becoming main stream or the next buzz word is that people might jump on the ban wagon before knowing all the facts of such a diet. This diet is by no means as simple as the word may imply and requires a great amount of research and dedication to ensure it is properly followed so as to not actually enhance potential damage to the body.

For instance it should be know that some so called raw foods do need to be heated at a certain temperature to kill bacteria or parasites which can lead to life threatening food borne pathogens – in this case high temperatures are usually required. Or that a lack of certain nutrients can lead to a loss in bone density or reproductive problems (potentially a lack of B12, copper, iron and zinc and protein).

If you are interested in this diet I would suggest doing your homework first and consider gradually changing into this diet so as to avoid experiencing the detoxification effects such as headaches and nausea mainly from the withdrawal of sugar and caffeine in your system.

Why buy locally?

Buying food, goods or services produced, grown, or raised as close to your home as possible helps promote sustainability (an outcome which considers both humans and the environment at present and in years to come).

With industrialization, our food is being grown and processed in fewer locations and must travel further from producer to our homes. Of course, large agriculture corporations are reaping the economic benefits of this method of mass production. Although mass production may have some advantages – I have yet to see the so called proclamation to end world hunger being part of this industrialization process. Rather, this method of mass production is causing harm to the environment, consumers and rural communities, as well contributing to the world of convenience and gluttony.

For instance, a tremendous amount of fossil fuel is used to transport foods such long distances. Combustion of these fuels releases carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and other pollutants into the atmosphere, contributing to global climate change, acid rain, and air pollution.

Food processors also use a large amount of paper and plastic packaging to keep food fresh (or at least looking fresh) for a longer period of time. This packaging eventually becomes waste that is difficult or impossible, to reuse or recycle. In addition, the large industrial farms which produce these foods are often major sources of air and water pollution.

When it comes to health, buying food from local farms means getting food when it’s at its prime and has all its nutrients (not lost through days or weeks of travel on trucks). Food from afar tends to be genetically modified so that they appear fresher (brighter shine or color), longer shelf life, or can last in different temperatures. Many of the preservatives or the pesticides, growth hormones and chemical fertilizers large industrial farmers use to grow food and make it last longer are potentially hazardous to our health and the environment. Many cancers are being attributed to chemicals in foods which are bioaccummulating in your bodies.

Local foods from small farms usually undergo minimal processing, are produced in relatively small quantities, and are distributed in close proximity of the farm itself. Food produced on industrial farms is distributed throughout the world, creating the potential for disease-carrying food from a single factory farm to spread rapidly throughout the entire country (examples, include E-coli). From an epidemiological point of view tracking the origin of diseases can be difficult when all packaged meats are grouped together from thousands of different animals and distributed world-wide – and thus preventing or controlling disease outbreaks such as mad cow and E-coli is difficult (sorry that is the Risk Management in me).

Overall, by supporting our local farms and local stores we can help farmers keep their lands, preserve land which would ultimately be subject to urban sprawl, as well as prevent large organizations from economically pillaging small communities. Health wise these foods will be fresher, less contaminated with chemicals, contain more nutrients & vitamins needed to prevent disease and promote wellness.

We are lucky here in Ottawa, as this city offers a vast amount of areas to buy great local foods from the Byward Market, the Farmers market at Landsdown, the Parkdale Market, Westboro, Glebe as well as all the rural areas. Furthermore, there are an abundance of independent stores selling local goods and services. Whatever neighborhood you live in, rather than for the convenient one stop shopping at large corporate stores (Superstore, Walmart…), look around and see what stores offer local goods and services and help support them and keep them in business. Some complain about the prices, and yes this can be a deterrent to many, however it is about the supply and demand and unless we begin to support your local community costs will never go down and more and more independent stores will go under.

Fair Trade Coffee

It is imperative that I start my day off with a cup of coffee and I am not alone, as over 50% of Canadians drink coffee on a daily basis whether it is at home or from a coffee shop. In fact Canadians consume more than 40 million cups of coffee a day. Coffee’s allure comes from its aromatic character, boastful flavor and offers a caffeine jolt that can shake the cobwebs out of your head.

"What is the first thing you think of when you think of coffee?"

I decided to randomly ask the first ten people I ran into today that exact question. The typical themes/answers I received were Tim Hortons, Starbucks, morning and cookie/donuts. As expected no one mentioned anything about poverty or sustainable development. What does poverty and sustainable development have to do with coffee?

Most, if not all, Canadian coffee comes from developing countries including Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua … Unfortunately, large corporations like STARBUCKS © obtain coffee from these developing countries in a manner which unfairly exploits the poor people of these regions, by paying them low prices for their coffee and then selling it at a higher price. The consequences are that coffee farmers are becoming more impoverished, and losing their lands, all the while large corporation (Starbuck’s) are reaping the economic benefits.

In order to ensure the producers in the developing countries receive fair price for the goods we consume some organizations have dedicated their efforts to push for more fair trade practices. Fair trade is a social movement which promotes standards for international labor, environmentalism and social policy in areas related to production of fair trade goods. Fair trade focuses on exports from developing countries to developed countries. The intent of fair trade practices is to help the producers and workers in these developing countries to remain independent and achieve economic sustainability in the international trade market.

Under fair trade practices less money goes to the “middleman” and more goes to the coffee grower. They (coffee growers) receive about 28 cents for every dollar spent by the coffee-consuming public, compared to about 11 cents per dollar under non-fair trade practices. When the producer is paid a fair price which covers the cost of production, it also enables them to produce the beans in a socially just (reduced exploitation of cheap women and child labor) and environmentally sound manner.

However, there needs to be a demand for “fair-trade” coffee in order for countries to be granted fair trade status. Currently, Nicaragua is in what is called a “coffee crisis” because it has been deemed that there is no demand for it – however, you have corporations like Starbucks that are not buying from fair trade importers and not brewing fair trade coffee but are getting richer and richer while Nicaraguan’s are getting poorer and poorer, losing their lands and dying from starvation.

I target Starbucks because they are the largest coffee chain in the world and only a measly 0.1% to 1% of all their purchases represent Fair Trade coffee. There is a campaign to push Starbucks to brew fair trade coffee and to highlight it at least once per week as the coffee of the day. In order to help this campaign you can send a free fax from the Global Exchange website: www.globalexchange.org/coffee.

You can also help developing countries by buying fair trade products (look for the label) and when buying from a coffee chain ask for fair trade brew. Locally, Bridgehead & Ten thousand villages among others are supporters of Fair Trade practices.

So next time you sit down to enjoy a cup of coffee ask yourself the question:

“What does my coffee make me think of?”