“No matter what kind of manufacturing you do, there’s always a waste stream. Sometimes it’s hidden away, but if you pull back the curtain on the food industry, and start to look, there is an awful lot of waste,” says Dan Belliveau, a former Starbucks employee and founder of CoffeeFlour, a flavorful, gluten-free flour alternative made from often discarded coffee cherries (more on how below) in Hawaii, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and Vietnam.

If only other food brands could take a cue from CoffeeFlour’s innovative and eco-friendly way to turn trash into treasure. They’re are still so many popular food items—probably a few in your kitchen right now—that are contributing to America’s major food waste problem. According to a 2012 report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, 40 percent of our food supply (about 20 pounds per person a month) ends up in the landfill along with $165 billion dollars each year. Among the worst offenders in food waste are these four favorites that you might want to hold off consuming until strides in solutions are made.

1. Almond Milk

Visit any coffee shop in America and dairy-free milk is almost always an option. But the nut milk isn’t without its criticism: While it’s been well-reported that one almond could take 1.1 gallons of water to grow, many people don’t realize that the drink also leaves a heavier footprint than that. It all comes down to how the milk is made: After the soaked nuts are blended with water to make your drink du jour, a whole lot of (fairly flavorless) almond pulp finds itself in the trash.

“For every cup of almonds you use, you end up with almost a cup and a half of almond pulp,” says says Keith Kantor, Ph.D., an advocate of natural food and author of What Matters: Leadership Values that Just Might Save America. And until recently, restaurants, food companies, and at-home cooks alike have struggled to find a way to use this pulp.

One option: Make your own milk and convert the pulp to almond flour. “If you use the almond pulp for almond flour, you will only waste one-fourth a cup of almond pulp, cutting down the waste by 75 percent and leaving a healthy byproduct instead of waste,” Kantor says. Try these five recipes from TheKitchn.com for your leftover pulp.

Related: How to Make Fresh Almond Milk

2. Coffee

Your cup of joe has its own pile of waste. And that’s just the issue Belliveau and his team at CoffeeFlour aim to tackle with their new product, available at Marx Foods. To understand how CoffeeFlour solves a food waste issue, however, you must first know how the morning must-have is harvested. Ripe coffee cherries are collected from trees and brought to coffee mills for processing. There, the red fruit, which has a skin and a seed inside, is separated. The seeds end up being your beans that are exported and roasted to become coffee, and the edible, nutritious cherry pulp is leftover.

“Effectively what you have is a big, rotting pile of pulp,” says Belliveau. Up to 15 percent can be used as a low-grade fertilizer, he says, but for the most part, 85 to 90 percent is wasted. The other downside: Once the fruit starts to rot, it grows yeast, mold, and bacteria that turns toxic, seeping into ground water, becoming a major pollutant, he adds.

This is where the CoffeeFlour team comes in. They collect the cherries immediately after they’re discarded, making them into a fruit-like powder with a citrusy cherry taste. Belliveau recommends using CoffeeFlour as a semi-substitute (25 to 30 percent) in a flour recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for a cup of flour, replace a quarter or so with CoffeeFlour for an extra health boost. “CoffeeFlour is high in fiber, 10 to 12 percent protein, and a good source of vitamin A and antioxidants,” Belliveau says.

3. Greek Yogurt

It seems as though everyone has gone Greek: The probiotic-rich yogurt has grown to a $2 billion a year industry, according to a 2013 article in The New York Times. But most of us are blind to the fact that making the good-for-your-gut food also creates an ecological disaster. “To produce one ounce of Greek yogurt, three to four ounces of milk is used,” Kantor says. The byproduct, called acidic whey, is so acidic it’s considered toxic. Even more: It’s illegal to dump this stuff. “When this acidic liquid is released into the waterways, it decreases the oxygen level in the water killing fish and other wildlife.”

Isolating the good parts of acidic whey, like lactose (the main sugar in milk), may be one way around producing this lethal liquid, and thankfully, scientists are hot on the case. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently pioneered technology that will separate lactose for potential use in food products. A number of companies have already jumped on it, implementing the technology at their commercial plants.

4. Cashews

Fun fact: What we know as a ‘nut’ is actually the seed of an apple, says Belliveau. As promising as that sounds (who doesn’t love a good apple?), the bad news is the fruit is largely waste. It’s almost always left on the ground after the cashew itself is harvested. On the bright side, in 2014, Pepsi announced a plan to incorporate the unused fruit into drinks across India. They’re hoping the tangy, sweet beverage could be the next coconut water or açaí juice. One big issue they face, however, will be changing people’s mindsets on the topic of ‘waste’, Belliveau says. Since many byproducts, including fruit, can go bad within hours if not utilized correctly, there is a much-needed education process to all of this, he says: Convincing people that byproducts shouldn’t be considered garbage but rather potential food sources down the road.

The post 4 Healthy Foods with Surprisingly Wasteful Side Effects appeared first on Sonima.

Nobody likes forgetting about berries in the fridge only to find a moldy mess five days later. And who doesn’t feel a twinge of guilt when throwing out a box of food that’s past its “Enjoy by” date? Yet the average American still tosses an average of 36 pounds of food a month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Thankfully, some pioneers are working to reduce food waste and help people rethink what they’re throwing away. For example, Daily Table, a not-for-profit retail store in Dorchester, Massachusetts, founded by the former president of Trader Joe’s, opened in June to recover food from supermarkets, farmers, and food distributors that would otherwise have been wasted. Typically, food gets tossed because it’s at or approaching its “Use by” or “Best by” dates. But the truth is, it’s still safe to eat, which is why Daily Table extends its shelf life and sells it at a reduced price.

Rolling Harvest Food Rescue is another nonprofit that is making a difference in food waste. It collects donated produce from local markets and farms and distributes it to non-profit hunger-relief agencies throughout select areas in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Across the border in Canada, select Safeway and Sobeys have partnered with the RedHat Co-operative to sell “misfit” produce—think bumpy tomatoes, crooked cucumbers, and other “ugly” produce that’s still just as nutritious as their perfect-looking counterparts—at drastically discounted prices. The idea was sparked by France’s “Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables” campaign, which sagely points out that “A grotesque apple a day keeps the doctor away, too.”

With a few simple tweaks and a little bit of concerted planning, you can cut back on your own food waste, which will help decrease the 37 million tons of discarded food the Environmental Protection Agency says goes to landfills every year. Added bonus: You’ll save money too. About $455 annually gets scrapped with unusable leftovers. Here are a few ways to get started:

1. Learn what “Sell by” really means.

“Many products may have a “Sell by” date, but they could be good in your pantry for another 12 or 18 months,” according to Chris Bernstein, a spokesperson for the USDA. The dates you see stamped on products are usually just recommendations for enjoying food at its optimal quality and not an indication of food safety. With the exception of infant formula, product dating isn’t even federally required. For instance, as the Food Marketing Institute explains, “Use by” is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at optimal quality. That doesn’t mean the food goes bad once the date passes; it just means it might taste 98 or 99 percent as good instead of 100 percent. “But in most cases, it’s going to taste perfectly fine,” notes Rolling Harvest founder and executive director Cathy Snyder. “Plus it will still have its full nutritional benefits.” Try downloading the USDA/EPA’s FoodKeeper app to get notifications when, say, your oatmeal is nearing the end of its recommended storage date.

Eggs will usually last 3 to 5 weeks after purchase even if the “Sell by” date has passed. Want to know for sure? Place the egg in a bowl with cold water. If it sinks, you’re good to go. If it floats, throw it out. Eggs are porous, so as they age, the inner liquid evaporates and is replaced with outside air, which makes the eggs buoyant.

2. Work on your refrigerator Tetris game.

When it comes to storing leftovers, container size matters. That’s why Rebecca Scritchfield, R.D., a dietitian based in Washington D.C. recommends imagining your fridge as a game of Tetris, the classic video game where you try to pack as many falling cubes into as tight a space as possible. “My husband teases me for making a game of trying to find the container that will fit our leftovers perfectly,” she says, “but that one extra step of using the smallest container possible reduces the chances of our extra grilled peppers, onions, mushrooms spoiling before we enjoy them.” That’s because the more air that surrounds your eats, the more opportunities for food-spoiling bacteria to wreak havoc. Scritchfield also points out that wrapped produce lasts far longer than produce without any packaging. For example, a cucumber wrapped in plastic lasts three times longer than a naked one.

3. Host a “Friday fridge clean up.”

Once a week, scour your refrigerator for anything that looks like it’s about to head south, then apply some culinary triage: Collard greens on the cusp of wilting can be sautéed for a few extra days of life. Peaches that won’t be eaten over the weekend can be sliced, frozen, and saved for a smoothie. Hearty veggies, like carrots, broccoli, kale, and potatoes can go straight from fridge to freezer for future stir fries or roasts. And milk and yogurt can be frozen in ice cube trays for smoothies or baking. If nothing else, take all of your remaining vegetables and make a big pot of veggie soup for the weekend.

Related: Quick Chicken-Vegetable Stew with Millet

4. Look for resealable options.

Scritchfield says many of her clients are so stressed between work and family that even transferring food from the store to their house feels like a Herculean feat. “After that, meal planning seems overwhelming, so they often forget about it or don’t care for it properly, and it spoils.” If you’re time-pressed, shop for pre-rinsed, trimmed produce like Brussels sprouts, green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower in resealable plastic bags. You can use what you need one night and quickly bag up the rest for later in the week.

5. Share your leftovers.

If all else fails, why not share your leftovers with a stranger? The Leftoverswap app allows you to snap a pic of your leftovers (half a pizza, or even a slice; cans languishing in your pantry; that pineapple that looked great in the store but you now have no clue what to do with) and upload it, where hungry people can claim it and arrange for pick-up or delivery. There’s also AmpleHarvest.org, which allows you to donate extra produce from your backyard garden to a nearby food bank. As Rolling Harvest’s Snyder puts it, “The goal is to turn food pantries into farmers markets. Everyone deserves to have fresh fruits and vegetables, and what you may not be able to use, someone else can.”

The post 5 Ways to Stop Wasting So Much Food appeared first on Sonima.

Our bodies are incredibly complex. Looking at weight management as a simple caloric equation is almost like enjoying the Mona Lisa through the lens of a magnifying glass: it only allows you to get a really good view of just one part of the entire canvas. Often, in order to get a genuine understanding of what is going on in our bodies (which are all grand masterpieces in their own way), it is important to take a step back and look at the big picture. Our body’s systems are intricately interconnected; there are countless ways that a lack of balance in one area can show up on our waistlines. In fact, difficulty losing weight can be a signal that some area of the body, such as the thyroid, is not functioning optimally. The points that follow provide an overview of a few surprising factors that can make us metabolically more inclined to store body fat.

1. Bacteria

Did you know that we host more foreign bacteria than cells in our bodies? As strange as that might sound, we are now learning that these bacteria play a major role in maintaining health, or alternatively, in pushing us out of a state of balance. The human microbiome, a term that refers to the collective genome of micro-organisms that live within a person’s gut, not only influences digestion as one might expect, but can also affect brain function, immunity, tendencies towards insulin resistance, and a host of other factors. Increasingly, we are learning that gut dysbiosis, a condition of having either too few “good” bacteria or an abundance of “bad” bacteria, appears to play a role in how much body fat we store. In both animal and human studies, it has been shown that an obese person’s (or animal’s) microbiome allows for increased energy harvesting, or the extraction of more calories from the diet. In a study on rats, for example, when the germ-free animals were colonized with “obese” microbiota, their body fat increased significantly as compared to when they were colonized with “lean” gut bacteria.

Although scientists are just beginning to understand the mechanisms by which these little creatures operate inside of us, the implications of the findings are enormous, with the potential to transform the way we think about weight, obesity, and other metabolic disorders. Researchers are concerned about the consequences of a “disappearing microbiota,” where in this age of relative sterility, widespread use of antibiotics, and a diet composed of highly processed foods, the composition of our gut bacteria is far less diverse than that of our ancestors. To help counter this, it can be helpful to consume at least one generous serving of fermented food per day, to eat a whole-foods based diet abundant in prebiotics, and to take a probiotic supplement in consultation with a nutritionist or medical professional.

2. Sleep

Americans are sleeping one and a half to two fewer hours per day than they were 50 years ago. Numerous studies have shown an association between short sleep durations and obesity, both in adults and in our children. Further, sleep deprivation is associated with lower levels of the satiety hormone, leptin, higher levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and an increase in body mass index (BMI). What this entails is that our shortened sleep cycles are likely increasing our appetites (not to mention that being awake for longer gives us more hours in the day to graze). Moreover, sleep deprivation has a negative effect on our carbohydrate metabolism, glucose tolerance, and overall endocrine function in a manner similar to what is often seen in normal aging. Therefore, sleep debt “may increase the severity of age-related chronic disorders.”

Our shortened sleep cycles are likely increasing our appetites and being awake for longer gives us more hours in the day to graze.

In my personal practice as a functional nutritionist, I have come to learn that coaching clients on sleep habits is just as important as talking about food. Making small shifts in routine to give the body the rest it needs can have far-reaching consequences on energy levels, food cravings, and weight. If you feel like you need a cup of coffee just to get your engines running in the morning, then you should probably reevaluate how well you are resting yourself.

Related: A Natural Guide to Overcoming Sleep Issues

3. Obesogens

There are many chemicals hiding in most mass-produced personal care products, beauty supplies (for example, lead in lipstick!), everyday kitchen items, and furniture. These chemicals affect our health in different ways, and one class of chemicals called phthalates may affect human metabolism and weight, specifically. Phthalates are obesogens, which as the name implies can contribute to weight gain. They do this by acting as synthetic estrogens that serve as endocrine disruptors that mimic or block the transmission of hormone signals in the body.

Phthalates are found in thousands of products from beauty products and personal supplies to soft, malleable plastics such as food packaging, medical supplies, shower curtains, and squishy children’s toys. Phthalates are the reason why you can still smell the “fresh” scent of your deodorant six hours after you’ve applied it, and the towels in your linen closet still smell like the dryer sheets you used while doing the laundry last week. Manufacturers use phthalates to make sure the scents they employ “stick” to their product and linger for hours.

We are exposed to phthalates through inhalation (scented candles, house dust, etc.), ingestion, and skin exposure, which is troubling as these chemicals may put us at risk of developing numerous health conditions including certain cancers, while also increasing the likelihood of obesity. One study demonstrated that phthalate exposure increases the risk of abdominal obesity in women. Furthermore, phthalates may have antiandrogenic effects, decrease sperm motility in men, is associated with increased infant birth weight, and increases adiposity in children.

While it is impossible to avoid phthalates completely, we can drastically decrease our exposure by avoiding plastics to the best of our ability, especially in the kitchen (replace plastic storage containers with glass ones), avoiding synthetic fragrances (assume that any product that lists “fragrance,” “perfume” or “parfum” as an ingredient contains the chemical), purchase phthalate-free makeup, eat organic whenever possible (to avoid phthalates in pesticides), and finally, by avoiding the use of scented candles and air fresheners with synthetic scents (pure essential oils are a healthier alternative).

4. Breastfeeding

This one is for all you mamas out there! And yes, this technically does have something to do with food (the food many of us have eaten decades ago), but it is too important a topic to leave out of this discussion.

The benefits of breastfeeding are many, but did you know that it can also reduce your child’s risk of developing obesity later in life? Children who were breastfed for at least 9 months have a 30% reduced risk of becoming overweight. On the other hand, being fed formula in infancy is associated with a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. There are numerous theories as to why this might be the case, including the role of self-regulation: physiologically, infants who are breast fed have a much easier time controlling their intake of breast milk than babies who are being fed formula in a bottle. This ability (or lack of ability) to control milk volume might play an important role in establishing one’s metabolism very early in life. Furthermore, human milk contains hormones such as leptin, ghrelin, and adiponectin that control appetite and energy balance, and which may play a role in influencing your child’s metabolism into adulthood.

Of course, choosing whether or not to breastfeed is a very personal decision (and sometimes, the ability to do so is beyond a woman’s control), but know that if you are able to breastfeed your child, it is very possible that your little one will continue to reap the benefits far into adulthood.

The post 4 Things That Affect Weight That Have Little to Do with Food appeared first on Sonima.

At the crux of the controversy are a number of unknowns about the long-term health effects of ingesting genetically modified (GM) foods and the impact these plants and accompanying farming methods have on the environment. With some experts saying 60 to 70 percent of food products contain GMOs in recent years, it’s clear this issue is central to the future of our food supply. To help answer some commonly asked questions and further a constructive dialogue on the topic, here is a brief overview of the facts we know today.

What Are GMOs?
A genetically modified organism is a plant or animal whose DNA has been modified without using natural methods of reproduction. Individual genes are transferred from the “source” organism into the DNA of the “target” organism. This produces crops that carry certain traits such as resistance to insect damage or improved nutritional value.

As an example, in the case of the genetically modified Bt corn, genes from a soil bacterium called Bt, which carry a trait making it resistant to insect destruction is inserted into the plant. As a result, such a corn crop would be safe from the adverse effects caused by insects that might otherwise cause loss or damage.

There are currently no genetically modified animals approved for sale and consumption in the United States, although the feed of conventionally raised livestock and poultry often contains genetically modified ingredients.

Are GMOs Safe?
Many proponents of genetically modified foods state that they are completely safe to eat and that this process has taken place in nature for thousands of years. They cite research such as a review by Snell et al., which carried out a comprehensive analysis of 24 studies on the health effects of animal diets containing genetically modified feed. The authors determined that, “the studies reviewed present evidence to show that GM plants are nutritionally equivalent to their non-GM counterparts and can be safely used in food and feed.” Any differences observed between conventional and GM feed “fell within the normal variation range of the considered parameter and thus had no biological or toxicological significance.”

However, not everyone is convinced. A joint statement developed and signed by over 300 independent researchers asserts that contrary to popular claims, there is “no consensus on GMO safety,” and that differences of opinion are present regarding the interpretation of the safety parameters employed by the review’s authors. Furthermore, the design of the studies profiled by Snell et al. were called into question.

These same scientists are concerned that despite the common claim that “trillions of GMO meals” have been consumed in the United States without any adverse effects, no epidemiological studies (observational studies used by researchers to test the relationship between factors and determine the existence of correlations) in human populations have been carried out to support this declaration. The authors go on to state that “as GM foods and other products are not monitored or labeled after release in North America, a major producer and consumer of GM crops, it is scientifically impossible to trace, let alone study, patterns of consumption and their impacts. Therefore, claims that GM foods are safe for human health based on the experience of North American populations have no scientific basis.”

There is also growing concern regarding the chemicals that certain GMO foods are treated with, particularly in the case of “Roundup Ready” crops. Roundup is the brand name for the herbicide glyphosate, produced by Monsanto, an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation responsible for most of the transgenic varieties of crops in the world today. Many GMOs such as soy, corn, canola, alfalfa, cotton, and sorghum are designed to be resistant to the effects of Roundup. These patented breeds of plants make it possible for farmers to spray crops with the herbicide to kill weeds without threatening their harvest. Unfortunately, an agency of the World Health Organization has cautioned that glyphosate “probably” causes cancer, which naturally raises alarm bells about the safety of these foods.

Of course, this is not to say that genetically modified foods are categorically unsafe. However, it is apparent that research on this topic is young, emerging, and far from being conclusive.

What About the Environment?
It is equally important to understand the effects of GM crops on our environment. Proponents of this technology will argue that GMOs increase yields while decreasing the use of chemical pesticides (a seemingly win-win situation). However, it has been shown that this is not necessarily the case. A study examining the history and sustainability of U.S. staple crop production, such as soybean, maize, rapeseed, and cotton, in the American Midwest showed that, “relative to other food secure and exporting countries (e.g. Western Europe) [which unlike the U.S., are highly conservative when it comes to GMOs], the U.S. agroecosystem is not exceptional in yields or conservative on environmental impact.” Another study has determined that herbicide and insect-resistant crops has led to a 527 million pound increase in herbicide use in the United States between the years 1996 and 2001, while only decreasing insecticide use by 123 million pounds. In other words, while the use of insecticides has decreased, the use of herbicides has increased much more substantially, likely due to the proliferation of glyphosate-resistant weeds.

The development of such “super weeds” is another growing concern. Indianapolis-based Dow AgroSciences, a division of Dow Chemical that specializes in biotechnology and agricultural chemicals, has recently gained approval bring its Enlist weed control system to market. Enlist weed control is the company’s answer to weeds that have developed a resistance to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide (they infest over 70 million acres of farmland in the US!), and is designed to be used in tangent with GM corn and soybeans. Enlist contains the chemical 2,4-D (a highly controversial chemical) in addition to glyphosate. The prevalence of these herbicide-resistant weeds and the industry built around solving this problem raises many questions: What happens when weeds eventually become resistant to Enlist? Is it sustainable for us to continue to rely on increasingly potent (and controversial) herbicides in support of this technology? Are we imprisoning the farmers who adopt these modern methods into a perpetual technology trap?

Other highly important environmental issues include the potential for GMOs to cross-pollinate with other crops and plants in the ecosystem, the challenge of maintaining biodiversity in the era of industrial crop production, the role and potential benefits of agroecology, the effects of GMOs on farmers (particularly in the developing world), and of course, the ethics behind the commoditization of nature, a worldview which certainly shapes much of the agribusiness industry. All of these issues must also be addressed as we evaluate the risks and potential benefits of this technology.

There are no easy answers to the question of GMOs, and it appears that they will continue to be a part of our food landscape in the foreseeable future. However, much is at stake. Objective, independent research, and constructive discussions among all stakeholders (corporations, farmers, legislators, researchers, environmental groups, and the public) must take place if a responsible solution is to be reached. In the meantime, those who wish to exercise caution by avoiding GM foods can do so by buying organic when possible (by law organic foods cannot contain GMOs), and by supporting local farmers who do not employ this technology.

The post Understanding the Controversy and Science of GMOs appeared first on Sonima.