In the modern world, with more ways to communicate than ever, thanks to technology, you might think that feelings of connection between people should be at an all-time high. But even though we have the ability to reach people at any time with tools like email, social media, and text messaging, many people feel deeply unsatisfied with the quality of social connection in their lives.

Worldwide, people are reporting feeling lonelier than ever. A 2023 Meta-Gallup survey taken across 142 countries found 24% of people ages 15 and older reported feeling lonely. And in the US, the Surgeon General’s office even put out a special report, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” to address this dire issue and make it a national health priority.

According to the US Surgeon General report, a lack of social connection can increase disease incidence, making us more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, infectious diseases, and depression and anxiety, as well as impacting mortality rates.

But why do we as a society feel so alone, and what can we do about it?

In a quest to find the answers, we turned to Dr. Janina Scarlet, a San Diego, CA-based clinical psychologist who wrote the recently released book Unseen, Unheard, Undervalued: Managing Loneliness, Loss of Connection and Not Fitting In. After her own struggles and experience with loneliness, Dr. Scarlet sought to share what she had learned about loneliness and how to navigate this uncomfortable emotion.

We sat down with her to examine the impact of loneliness on our lives, how you can feel more connected, and the ways in which you can help others feel less lonely, too.

Defining Loneliness and its Universality

FRN: Thank you for being with us. Loneliness is such an isolating emotion, which makes it hard to know if we’re truly alone or not. Can you tell us, is loneliness normal, and does it affect everyone equally?

Loneliness does not mean being physically alone in space. It means feeling emotionally disconnected from other people. And it is something that everyone who is capable of feeling emotions is able to feel.

Dr. Janina Scarlet, Clinical Psychologist and Author

Dr. Janina Scarlet: Loneliness is absolutely normal. I just think most of us don’t talk about it or might not know what it is. Loneliness is a universal emotion, much like joy and sadness and fear. Loneliness does not mean being physically alone in space. It means feeling emotionally disconnected from other people. And it is something that everyone who is capable of feeling emotions is able to feel.

FRN: What are some of the causes of loneliness? You mentioned a little bit about emotional disconnection from people, and maybe physical, too; but what else beyond that?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: Grief, trauma, bullying, being made to feel like the “other.” So, any discrimination, racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, all of those can greatly increase our feelings of loneliness — when we feel like we don’t belong, when we feel like we are the other, or when we are made to feel like we are the “other” by society, or when we’re invalidated about how we’re feeling.

For example, when we’re going through chronic illness other people might tell us to “get over it.” So, in many of those situations, people are likely to feel misunderstood by others and, therefore, lonely and emotionally disconnected.

FRN: Why do you think that older adults are particularly at risk for loneliness?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: I think for many older adults, if they’re, for example, not able to express what they’re going through, when they’ve maybe lost loved ones to either death or illness or distance, or maybe they don’t feel like they have a safe place to express what they’re going through, even if they’re around other people — even if they’re living with other people — they’re more likely to feel lonely.

The Interplay of Loneliness and Health

FRN: Do you think experiencing chronic pain or illness plays into it as well?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: Absolutely. People who are going through chronic illness are a lot more likely to feel lonely. And especially when folks have been taught to “suck it up,” they’re more likely to pretend to be okay, whereas inside, they might be really struggling.

And it’s when they meet other people who might be going through it, too, that their masks are more likely to come down. And they’re more likely to find that sense of belonging.

In 2020, before the pandemic started, the United States Surgeon General was estimating that the rate of loneliness in the United States was about 25%. The current loneliness estimates in the United States are now at about 50%.

And in places like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and, I believe, Australia, where loneliness has been studied in emergency rooms, it was estimated that about one in every four to five emergency room visits had to do with loneliness.

FRN: That’s so sad. Well, going along the lines of health, then, why is it that human connection is so important to good health, not just mental health, but even disease prevention?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: Absolutely. We as humans are wired for connection, not only psychologically but also physiologically.

When we’re around other people, especially people that we like, people we trust, our bodies produce this very special hormone called oxytocin. And oxytocin is something that makes us feel better, not only emotionally but also physically. It strengthens our immune health, and it strengthens our cardiovascular health as well.

Individuals who have a steady supply of oxytocin, if you will, through meaningful social connections, are actually less likely to even develop things like the common cold because their immune system is stronger.

FRN: That’s really incredible. It also makes me think about — what is it — broken heart syndrome, too. So is that the same idea?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: Absolutely. So, broken heart syndrome is a physiological phenomenon where somebody dies, usually from a heart attack, within a year of a painful loss, such as the loss of a spouse or a child. However, we find that when individuals who are bereaved have a significant support system where they feel truly seen and supported and safe to express their pain, the risk of broken heart syndrome is significantly reduced.

Food and Loneliness

FRN: Yeah. I feel like most people don’t really think about the impact that their emotions really can have on their health in the short term, but in the long term, too.

Besides health — I don’t know if you can speak on this — but what role does food and connecting over food have in preventing loneliness?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: I think many cultures worldwide connect over different activities, whether it’s food or making food. For some, it’s cleaning together. For some, after disasters, it’s people getting together and helping to rebuild.

So, I think when people have some tradition or purpose that brings them together, that sense of belonging increases, and that oxytocin development really spikes, making us healthier.

So, of course, we know that ideally, we want to eat healthy; we want to exercise. But it seems that a sense of belonging is just as important as a healthy diet and exercise. So, if we can bond over activities like walking together or eating together, I imagine that we can be even healthier.

A sense of belonging is just as important as a healthy diet and exercise.

Dr. Janina Scarlet, Clinical Psychologist and Author

FRN: Yeah, totally. What if people around you aren’t necessarily eating the same diet as you or the same types of foods? Do you have any tips for navigating that situation to still connect with people?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: I don’t think it matters what people are eating so long as everyone is welcoming. I think that when people have dietary restrictions or they, for whatever reason, might need to have a different eating plan, the most important thing is that everyone is accepting of whatever that person needs to eat.

So, for example, I have certain food allergies, and when I go somewhere where people are eating things that I’m not able to have, it doesn’t bother me so long as folks are inclusive. For example, when I went to my in-laws’ Thanksgiving dinner, they were very kind in terms of asking me what foods I was able to have and made me a separate dish within my allergy restrictions. And that made me feel included, even though there were certain things they were eating that I wasn’t and vice versa.

So I don’t think it’s about eating the same food. I think it’s about folks respecting each other’s differences that really matters.

Dr. Scarlet’s Experience with Loneliness

FRN: I agree. If you are comfortable, could you share how you’ve experienced loneliness in your own life and what helps you connect with others?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: Yeah, absolutely. So, I grew up in the former Soviet Union. And the mentality was that if you’re feeling lonely, you’re simply not being grateful. So, the assumption was that you just have to remember all these wonderful people that are in your life — for example, your mom or your dad or whoever, or your cat — and that should magically make you feel better. Only, when I received this advice from my family members and teachers, I felt even more alone because I felt even more misunderstood about my experience.

So for me, fictional characters helped me feel more seen. You see, my family and I lived through the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, but not before being exposed to radiation. When I came to the United States, I experienced painful bullying, with many children in school asking me if I was “radioactive” or “glow-in-the-dark.”

But seeing how fictional characters dealt with loneliness in terms of people who have been discriminated against, let’s say the X-Men [Editor’s Note: A group of fictional comic book characters who are mutants with superhuman abilities], allowed me to see a stronger representation of my feelings than I was able to meet in real life. And because I was able to find even fictional characters to connect with, I felt less lonely.

When I became a psychologist, I started using fictional metaphors or fictional characters to invite folks to find someone who shares their experience. When they were able to resonate with a fictional character, they were often able to feel less lonely and more understood. And if they were able to, for example, join a support group where there were other folks who had similar experiences, they were able to feel less lonely in that regard as well.

So for me, it was finding someone, even a fictional character, who shared my experience that really helped me to manage loneliness. So that’s something I try to do even to this day.

And then my other strategy has been journaling, to become my own witness to my experience, and that’s something I encourage folks to do on a regular basis as well.

Giving Ourselves What We Need

FRN: That was actually what I was going to ask you next. What are some strategies or techniques that someone could use to help validate their own feelings and experiences?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: One exercise I really like to invite folks to do is an exercise I developed that’s called journaling in two parts. So, in this exercise, we split the page in half by drawing a line down the middle. And on the left-hand side, we write about how we feel — for example, that we feel misunderstood or invalidated by other people. And on the right-hand side, we write a compassionate response as if we’re talking to a friend.

So if we wrote a bullet point on the left-hand side about our struggles, on the right-hand side, we write a point-by-point response. Or if we wrote it as more of a narrative, on the right-hand side we write a narrative compassionate response. And a lot of folks report feeling significantly less lonely after practicing this exercise.

FRN: What do you think it is about that exercise that resonates with people?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: I think it’s about bearing witness to our experience so that we know what we’re going through, and then providing that compassionate wisdom that we really seek in others. Sometimes, we might fail to get this kind of support from other people because of their lack of skills in offering support. But we know what we need to hear, so through practicing journaling in two parts, we’re able to give ourselves exactly what we need.

And then, once we are able to do that, we might even be able to advocate for ourselves. We might say to, for example, our partner or our friend, “Hey, could you maybe use this statement with me? Could you, for example, tell me, ‘Hey, I see you when you’re in pain, or I hear you.’”

And I think that once we are able to advocate for what we want, we’re more likely to get our needs met and feel significantly less lonely with folks who are willing to meet our needs in that way.

Resiliency and Loneliness

FRN: That’s great. Can you explain the concept of resiliency and building resiliency and how that might relate to loneliness as well?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: So, resilience has to do with getting back up after we feel down. It has to do with the willingness to do something difficult, to come out of something that we’re struggling with. It doesn’t mean not feeling bad. It doesn’t mean that things won’t get us knocked down. Instead, it means getting up and standing up for what we believe in.

And for many folks, I think a lot of times when we get knocked down, let’s say through something painful such as a friendship breakup, we might be really heartbroken about it. So many folks wait to feel better before they start making other friends. But that could take a long time.

So, what I often recommend instead is starting to take action even before we feel ready, because emotions follow actions, not the other way around. When we start taking action, even if it’s outside of our comfort zone, even before we feel fully ready, then we start feeling better faster. It doesn’t mean ignoring our feelings, it means finding that balance between taking action and maybe not pushing ourselves beyond our limits. It means starting to honor what’s really important to us before we feel fully healed, if that makes sense.

FRN: Do you think that resiliency also plays into the health side of loneliness, too, and how that impacts your health? The more resilient you are, the better your body is able to navigate that?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: I do. Many people think resilience is a personality trait, and I don’t. I think resilience is a choice. And what it means is that, again, we might take action because of what’s important to us, even when we still feel unheard, even when we still feel heartbroken.

And I think that the more of these actions we take to start forming meaningful connections — to maybe go to a therapy support group or a grief support group or something like it — the more likely we are to feel more supported, more understood, and over time, perhaps less lonely.

And I want to be very clear. Loneliness doesn’t mean we’re doing something wrong. Loneliness means our needs are not being met. And if we can take a moment to figure out what needs need to be met, then we can better advocate for those needs.

Helping Others Feel Less Lonely

FRN: So going off of that, then, how can we help other people feel less lonely?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: I think one of the best things we can do is to check in with curiosity in terms of, “Hey, would it be okay for me to check in with you? How are you really feeling today if you’re open to talking about it? And what are some ways I can meet your needs?”

I often talk about love languages, not only in terms of romantic couples but also in terms of friendship love languages. I often recommend that people talk to their friends: “Hey, when you’re feeling down, what are some ways that you would like to be supported? And what are some ways that you would like for me to show up for you? And here are some ways that I would like to be supported, and I would like for you to show up for me.”

I think when we’re checking on our friends, asking them for specific guidance is important.

If our friends are, for example, grieving or really overwhelmed, giving them a couple of choices can be really helpful. For example, if I have a friend who is grieving, and I know they’re feeling lonely and overwhelmed, I might ask them, “Hey, what would be the most supportive thing I can do for you right now? Would you like me to come over, or would you like some space right now?” So, I give them a couple of options, and I also let them know, “You don’t have to respond if you don’t want to.”

So in doing that, I’m allowing my friend to not respond at all. I’m letting them off the hook there, and I’m giving them a couple of choices. So they can say, “Yes, please come over,” or, “Can we schedule a call?” or, “You know what, I need a few days of space.” And I find that many people really appreciate choices.

Resources to Help You Feel Less Lonely

FRN: Yes, totally agree. Do you have any resources related to loneliness that you could share?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: Absolutely. I put a lot of them into my book, Unseen, Unheard, and Undervalued. I do think Dr. Vivek Murthy, who’s the current US Surgeon General, his book Together is a really good book that talks about the research behind loneliness.

I do recommend that folks consider either working with a therapist or maybe a support group for whatever they’re going through at that moment. For example, a holiday support group, or for many individuals who, say, had parents with addiction, ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) is a free support group that’s available worldwide, even on Zoom, phone, and in-person that a lot of folks don’t know about. So there are many support groups for just about anything that folks are going through that are either low-cost or free that people might be able to attend even from their homes.

FRN: What about if someone has chronic loneliness — a chronic feeling of just being alone?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: It might be helpful in that regard to consider looking into either therapy or, again, either like a local support group or even starting one. Some folks might not realize that they can start their own support group. And you don’t have to be a therapist — so long as you’re not charging or pretending to be a therapist — to just start a loneliness support group. I’ve actually had clients who did that.

I had a student who started a support group in her high school where students would meet once a week for an hour and just talk about their feelings and talk about loneliness and talk about what they were going through.

Other folks might think about what are some ways that they can help other people who are also feeling lonely. This is called post-traumatic growth, when we’re able to make meaning out of what we’re going through and support other people.

So, for example, if I’m feeling really lonely and really disenchanted with something, I’ll send 12 of my friends a message like, “Hey, I love you. I appreciate you. I’m thinking of you. I hope you have a wonderful day.” I never expect a reply. But to me, sending a loving, caring message to other people allows me to feel a stronger sense of belonging.

And then, if I do hear back, that’s lovely, but that’s never the expectation.

I also often encourage people to either volunteer or support other people in those moments when they’re feeling especially alone.

What to Do When Connection Is not Reciprocated

FRN: That’s great advice. Because sometimes I feel like in order to feel connected, we have to connect. And I think some people struggle with that because maybe they always feel like they’re the ones reaching out. But at the same time, I think that’s just what we have to do sometimes.

Going off of that, what do you do if it’s not reciprocated?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: Well, again, when I’m sending out those messages of love, I don’t expect anything in return. But if our needs are chronically not being met… For example, if we have a friend that maybe we reach out to, and we ask for support, and that friend is frequently not reciprocating and not giving us the support that we’re looking for, then we might have a conversation with that friend. Like, “Hey, I’ve noticed maybe we haven’t fully been aligning. Here are my needs. What are your needs? How can we make this friendship work?” And if that friend is not willing to have that conversation or isn’t validating, or is defensive, then we might need to rethink and reevaluate our friendship.

I often say that there are friends we have that are friends of convenience, friends that we’ve had for a long time because we’ve met them in school or at work. And then there are real friends. And real friends are ones that will be willing to have the hard conversations. They might not always be skillful, but for the most part, they’re going to be willing to have conversations and make the friendship work. Whereas friends of convenience are ones that we’ve just known for a while, but they might not be real friends.

So after a while, we might need to think about, do we need to think about these friends as more of acquaintances and change our expectations of them, and maybe invest in some new friendships? So if our needs are chronically not being met, we do need to reevaluate what those needs are and communicate them. And if nothing’s changed, then we need to change something.

Unseen, Unheard, Undervalued

FRN: Okay, great. I’d love for you to talk a little bit about your book and what it’s all about.

Dr. Janina Scarlet: My book, Unseen, Unheard, Undervalued, is about the different aspects of loneliness. As I mentioned, loneliness does not have anything to do with being physically alone. It’s about that emotional disconnection.

And I break it down into those three categories: feeling unseen, for example, ignored by other people; feeling unheard, so invalidated, for example, by other people or gaslit; and feeling undervalued or devalued by other people. So that’s where we’re made to feel like the “other.” So those are the three subtypes.

So the first part of the book breaks loneliness down into those three subcomponents and gives lots of examples and case studies of those three subtypes of loneliness and also research studies to support some of these findings.

And then the second half of the book talks about how we can first practice seeing, hearing, and valuing ourselves, how we can practice self-compassion, for example. And then how we can advocate for ourselves in friendships. For example, by talking about love languages, or our needs, whether it’s with our friends, with our partners, or with our coworkers. And also how we can set boundaries if somebody is not meeting our needs, or if somebody isn’t validating us. And then also how we can continue cultivating the friendships or relationships that do work, such as, for example, by sending out the “just because” text messages.

So, research studies that came out last year (in 2022) have actually found that when we send out the “just because” text — “Hey, I was thinking about you. I hope your day is going well” — people who send those greatly underestimate how significant those messages are to the recipients. The recipients who get those texts report being significantly more moved by those messages than people who send them have anticipated.

I provide some examples of messages that folks can send out and different gratitude practices that folks can do, such as sending a letter of gratitude to somebody who influenced them or supported them. And then imagining what maybe somebody else might say to them if they received a letter of gratitude.

The intentionality of the book is, first and foremost, to validate folks who have been through some of these painful experiences. And second of all, to provide folks with some skills that they’re able to use to support themselves, to advocate for themselves, and then also to deepen significant relationships that they already have.

FRN: Thank you. I’m really excited to read it.

Dr. Janina Scarlet: Thanks. I’m really excited, too. It’s probably one of the most personal books I’ve written. So it definitely has a bit of my autobiographical stuff and also a lot of case studies from a lot of different folks who very courageously contributed their stories to this book.

You Are Not Alone in Your Experience

FRN: Is there anything else that you want to say about loneliness specifically or anything related to it?

Dr. Janina Scarlet: I think the main thing I just want to add is, for anyone who’s feeling lonely, who’s feeling invalidated or unseen, who’s feeling disconnected, please know that you’re not alone in this experience. And if you’re feeling that way right now, chances are at least four or five other people you know personally are going through this right now, but they might not think to tell you.

So, if we go about our day with the assumption that most people around us are going through the same level of loneliness as we are, I imagine we might be more willing to connect with people. And maybe we might reduce how much we’re masking. And maybe through doing that and through having conversations about loneliness, we can eradicate the stigma about this universal experience once and for all.

FRN: That was so good.

Dr. Janina Scarlet: Thank you so much for interviewing me.

—–

Dr. Janina Scarlet is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, author, and a TEDx speaker. A Ukrainian-born refugee, she survived Chernobyl radiation and persecution. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 with her family and later, inspired by the X-Men, developed Superhero Therapy to help patients with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

Dr. Scarlet is the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award by the United Nations Association for her work on Superhero Therapy. Her work has been featured on Yahoo, BBC, NPR, Sunday Times, The New York Times, Forbes, and many other outlets. She regularly consults on books and television shows, including HBO’s The Young Justice.

Dr. Scarlet is the Lead Trauma Specialist at the Trauma and PTSD Healing Center. She’s authored twelve books, including Superhero Therapy, Harry Potter Therapy, Dark Agents, Super-Women, It Shouldn’t Be This Way, and her latest, Unseen, Unheard, Undervalued.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you ever feel lonely?
• What strategies have you used to combat loneliness and feel more connected?
• How do you help others feel less lonely?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Ponomariova_Maria

Read Next:

• Do Your Food Choices Leave You Feeling Lonely?
• The Emotional Heart: How What You Feel Impacts Heart Health

The post Navigating Loneliness in the Age of Connection: An Interview with Dr. Janina Scarlet appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Some people are motivated to eat this way for health reasons — looking to nutrition to prevent or heal chronic conditions and diseases. For decades, nutritional pioneers like Drs. T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell Esselstyn, and Dean Ornish have shown that diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes can be prevented and even reversed with the help of a whole food, plant-based diet.

And, in fact, study after study has shown the incredible healing power of whole plant foods loaded with antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, and other disease-fighting compounds.

At the same time, we’ve discovered the harmful effects of a diet high in factory-farmed animal products, which lack these good-for-you chemicals. Instead, they can contribute to disease in the body, wreaking havoc on your cells and even speeding up the aging process.

In addition to health, there are other reasons that people are gravitating toward plant-based eating. Factory farming inflicts massive damage on the environment. Experts agree that consumers can reduce their carbon footprint dramatically by eliminating beef from their diets, or even reducing it by 25%. And moving away from industrialized meat can also save millions of animals from living in cruel conditions before being slaughtered.

Whatever your reason for considering (or continuing) a plant-based diet, good recipes can make everything easier — and more delicious!

While you can surely find a variety of recipes on the Internet, investing in a few good vegan or plant-based cookbooks can really set you up for success. Cookbooks are a great resource for finding real, kitchen-tested recipes that are healthy and tasty. Many of them include suggestions for pantry staples to have on hand, plant-based substitutions for dairy, or where to find specific ingredients you may be unfamiliar with. You might also find suggestions for cooking tools and even playlists to cook to.

But as plant-based diets continue to rise in popularity, so do the number of cookbooks to choose from. That’s why we’ve rounded up a collection of some of our favorite plant-based cookbooks. These selections will help put you on the fast track to health and good nutrition, while also making a positive impact on animals and the environment.

Get Your Hands on 12 of the Best Plant-Based Cookbooks

Having a good vegan cookbook on hand can make all the difference. Whether you’re looking to go fully plant-based or you’re flexitarian or veg-curious, these cookbooks will have you preparing mouthwatering vegan meals in a jiffy. From culturally specific recipes to eating plant-based on a budget to creating plant-based meals for specific health conditions, there’s a little something here for everyone.

1. Real Superfoods: Everyday Ingredients to Elevate Your Health by Ocean Robbins and Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN

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Yes, you read that right. Food Revolution Network released its first physical cookbook in 2023, coauthored by cofounder and CEO, Ocean Robbins, and Nichole Dandrea-Russert, RDN, FRN’s Lead Dietitian Nutritionist.

Unlike the heavily marketed version of superfoods that are trendy, inaccessible, and expensive, this comprehensive and beautiful cookbook unveils the essence of what makes a “real” superfood. Instead of exotic and hard-to-find ingredients, Real Superfoods features foods that are readily available, budget-friendly, and nutrient-dense. And when you know what to do with them, Real Superfoods are also delicious — which is why it’s a cookbook!

You’ll get everything you’ve come to expect from FRN recipes, along with all the research-backed info on what makes these superfoods great. Plus, enjoy practical tips and techniques to seamlessly integrate these foods into your daily diet and improve your health — one bite at a time!

2. Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy: 100 Fast, Healthy, Meal-Prep, Freezer-Friendly, and One-Pot Vegan Recipes by Toni Okamoto

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Blogger Toni Okamoto of Plant-Based on a Budget provides valuable advice for eating nutritious food on a budget, proving that you don’t need to spend your whole paycheck on whole foods. In her latest cookbook, Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy, she shows how you can prepare and enjoy healthy, nutritious, and affordable meals without much muss or fuss. It’s the perfect meal companion for parents or anyone who finds themselves strapped for time or money.

Toni’s recipes are accessible and fun, with personal anecdotes and commentary sprinkled throughout the book. Although some recipes verge on less healthy versions of “comfort” food, you can omit any oils or sweeteners if you like. Best of all, many of these whole food, plant-based recipes can be made in under 30 minutes.

This cookbook also gets the seal of approval from Food Revolution Summit speaker (and fellow cookbook author) Michael Greger, MD, who wrote the foreword.

3. The How Not to Die Cookbook: 100+ Recipes to Help Prevent and Reverse Disease by Michael Greger, MD

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Speaking of Dr. Michael Greger, the New York Times best-selling author’s How Not to Die Cookbook puts all of the science-backed research from his companion book, How Not to Die, into action with over 100 disease-fighting recipes.

Because Dr. Greger’s approach to plant-based eating is research-based, you’ll find specific examples of nutrition-related findings that correspond to a variety of diseases. You’ll also learn more about Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen: the foods he recommends eating daily for optimal health.

All of Dr. Greger’s plant-based recipes have a note at the bottom to indicate which of his Daily Dozen foods are included. And each recipe is accompanied by gorgeous food photography and a difficulty level to help guide your culinary exploration.

Dr. Greger also provides free access to nutritional information through his website, NutritionFacts.org.

4. Sweet Potato Soul: 100 Easy Vegan Recipes for the Southern Flavors of Smoke, Sugar, Spice, and Soul by Jenné Claiborne

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Southern cooking never looked so healthy with food blogger and personal chef Jenné Claiborne’s Sweet Potato Soul cookbook. Sweet Potato Soul not only transforms soul food favorites into plant-based masterpieces but also offers a unique look into the history and culture of soul food in the African-American experience. She even weaves in interesting insights on how specific foods became ingrained in African-American culture.

Whether you eat soul food in your daily life already or you’re new to the cuisine, Jenné includes essential tools and ingredients you should have on hand when creating vegan soul food dishes. Each recipe also includes a short backstory into its inspiration or a personal insight into what makes that recipe particularly good for you.

5. The Fiber Fueled Cookbook: Inspiring Plant-Based Recipes to Turbocharge Your Health by Will Bulsiewicz, MD, MSCI

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Best-selling author Dr. Will Bulsiewicz partnered with plant-based chef and registered dietitian Alexandra Caspero on the companion cookbook for his bestseller Fiber Fueled. Inside you’ll find an impressive array of fiber-filled recipes designed to improve the health of your gut. The cookbook also has Dr. B’s signature down-to-earth style and is packed to the brim with easy-to-understand information.

Along with providing microbiome-friendly recipes, The Fiber Fueled Cookbook is also a program of sorts, helping you get to the root of and heal your tummy troubles. You’ll get insight on FODMAPs and histamine and how to work with food intolerances. And there are even food lists and guidance on how to ferment and sprout plant-based staples.

6. Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes by Bryant Terry

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Vegan chef and food justice activist Bryant Terry will have you looking at plants in a new light with his critically acclaimed cookbook Vegetable Kingdom. His Afro-fusion recipes take a gourmet approach to plant-based eating, covering the gamut from fancy toasts to gumbos and curries.

Throughout the cookbook, Bryant frequently mixes unexpected ingredients and flavor combinations, as he encourages readers to also experiment and play with their food. Each recipe even comes with a recommended soundtrack to cook to. Ultimately, as its name suggests, Vegetable Kingdom is a foray into familiarizing yourself with vegetables and their versatility — and a reminder that you don’t need meat or dairy, or their analogues, to create flavorful and appealing plant-based meals.

7. PlantYou: 140+ Ridiculously Easy, Amazingly Delicious Plant-Based Oil-Free Recipes by Carleigh Bodrug

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Many whole food, plant-based eaters choose to cook without oil since it’s actually a refined or processed food. But it can sometimes prove challenging to know how to do this effectively without sacrificing flavor or consistency. Luckily, Carleigh Bodrug of PlantYou is here to show you the way to create oil-free plant-based recipes. Her highly anticipated first cookbook was an instant New York Times bestseller and has positioned her as a trusted influencer in the plant-based cooking space.

PlantYou is a virtual treasure trove of oil-free recipes, whether you’re looking for entrées, salads, sauces, or desserts. Plus, each recipe has a visual representation of its ingredients to make shopping a cinch, along with simplified and easy-to-follow instructions. Bonus: It has a foreword and seal of approval from Dr. B (Will Bulsiewicz, MD)!

8. The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma’s Kitchen by Joanne Lee Molinaro

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One of the most highly regarded vegan cookbooks in recent history, The Korean Vegan Cookbook is the James Beard Award-winning debut by home chef Joanne Lee Molinaro. The Korean Vegan Cookbook is a deeply personal look at the food and associated memories that helped shape Joanne’s family history — and how she has sought to keep those memories alive with her vegan interpretations of these traditional and family recipes.

Each Korean Vegan recipe is accompanied by stunning food photography that really elevates the overall reading experience. The cookbook is also organized into culturally appropriate categories like banchan (side dishes) or kimchi and salads. Whether you’re already a Korean food fan or are curious about how to make plant-based Korean recipes, this cookbook is a must-have.

9. The 30-Day Alzheimer’s Solution: The Definitive Food and Lifestyle Guide to Preventing Cognitive Decline by Dean Sherzai, MD, and Ayesha Sherzai, MD

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Neurologists and FRN Healthy Brain Masterclass collaborators Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai are experts when it comes to brain health. And after decades of research studying neurodegenerative diseases, they’ve released The 30-Day Alzheimer’s Solution, a cookbook and guide designed to help prevent cognitive decline at any age.

You’ll discover the Sherzais’ NEURO Plan approach to Alzheimer’s prevention, and find out what plant-based foods made their list of the Neuro Nine: foods that will help to keep you sharp and free from disease. As rates of Alzheimer’s continue to rise, this is an essential (and delicious!) resource that could save your life or the life of someone you love.

10. Black Rican Vegan: Fire Plant-Based Recipes from a Bronx Kitchen by Lyana Blount

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Bronx native Lyana Blount draws from her African American and Puerto Rican heritage in the Black Rican Vegan. You’ll find veganized versions of traditional Puerto Rican dishes like mofongo and chicharrones, along with New York foodie favorites like birria and BCEs (bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches).

Since Lyana uses oil in some of her recipes, along with meat and dairy analogues, this cookbook is best for those just transitioning to a plant-based diet. Although not all ingredients are whole foods, you can always leave any problematic ones out or replace them with whole-food alternatives such as lentils instead of vegan beef or homemade nut-based butter instead of store-bought vegan butter. Ultimately, the Black Rican Vegan encourages the re-creation of recipes, hoping to change perspectives on what plant-based cooking can be.

11. Power Plates: 100 Nutritionally Balanced, One-Dish Vegan Meals by Gena Hamshaw

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With a food system that’s calorie-dense but nutrient-poor, many people are not getting the nutrition they need. As a result, blogger and registered dietitian nutritionist Gena Hamshaw created Power Plates, a cookbook that helps people understand good nutrition and how to get it. Focusing on the macronutrients of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, Gena guides the reader through creating nutritionally balanced plant-based meals that won’t leave them hungry.

As Gena prefers savory flavor profiles, you won’t find many sweet recipes (there’s no dessert category, either). But you will find loads of whole-food ways to bring variety and nourishment to your diet.

12. Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes using Native American Ingredients by Lois Ellen Frank, PhD

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James Beard Award-winning author and chef, Lois Ellen Frank created this cookbook out of a desire to encourage Indigenous communities to eat more plants. Although many Native American tribes included meat and fish in their traditional diets, the majority of staple foods were native plants. However, a lot of the original tribal foodways were lost with the introduction of the reservation system and the implementation of colonizer foods through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). 

Lois’ cookbook, Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky focuses on “The Magic Eight” essential plant-based foods that Native peoples (particularly from the American Southwest) gave to the world. Each section of the cookbook focuses on one of these foods, and includes recipes for sides, appetizers, mains, soups, desserts, beverages, and more. She also gives a brief timeline and history of Native American cuisine and the important cultural context that reclaiming these foods has on tribal sovereignty and sustainability.

Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky is a beautiful and practical dedication to Indigenous food wisdom that’s beneficial to all, Native or not.

Tell us in the comments:

• Where do you look for meal inspiration?
• What are some of your favorite plant-based cookbooks?
• What are some of your favorite plant-powered recipes?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Rawpixel

Read Next:

• How to Cook: How to Read a Recipe
• FRN’s Reading List: Plant-Based Books to Encourage & Inspire You

The post 12 of the Best Plant-Based Cookbooks to Put You on the Fast Track to Health appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

In the United States, the Animal Welfare Act is intended to protect animals from cruelty. However, it specifically excludes “farm animals used for food, fiber, or production purposes.” Unlike dogs, cats, and hamsters, the law treats farm animals as unprotected commodities. The fact that they are, like all animals (including humans), capable of a broad spectrum of emotions, including affection for other beings, is considered essentially irrelevant.

But just outside Los Angeles, there exists an oasis of compassion and hope for farm animals. Founded by Ellie Laks in 1999, The Gentle Barn stands as a resolute response to the way society tends to treat animals in the modern industrialized food system.

The Gentle Barn is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of abused and neglected animals, especially farm animals. The organization is based in Santa Clarita, California, and they have two additional locations in Nashville, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri.

In addition to giving animals a safe and loving home, The Gentle Barn offers educational programs and therapy to help children and adults heal from trauma. Individuals can participate in cow therapy, horse therapy, or barnyard therapy (with pigs, sheep, and other smaller farm animals). And The Gentle Barn also offers private tours for groups of up to 30 people, as well as field trips for schools.

Open to the public every Sunday, The Gentle Barn welcomes nearly 750,000 visitors per year.

We sat down with founder Ellie Laks to find out what makes The Gentle Barn such a draw for so many, and how they’re working towards a more healthy, ethical, and sustainable world for all (farm animals included!).

How The Gentle Barn Got Started

FRN: Could you tell me a little bit about how The Gentle Barn got started and what kind of work you do here?

Ellie Laks: The Gentle Barn was a dream of mine since I was seven. I loved animals and noticed that the people around me didn’t see them the same way that I did. And so I kept saying, “When I grow up, I’m going to have a big place full of animals, and I’m going to show the world how beautiful they are. And all the hurting people of the world can come and heal with us.”

So I procrastinated for a really long time because I had no idea how to do it. And then, 25 years ago, I lived in a little house with a half-acre backyard, and I discovered a petting zoo I’d never seen before. And to make a long story short, the animals were suffering terribly. I tried to leave, and blocking the exit was a very old goat who looked me in the eyes, stopped me in my tracks, and asked me for help.

So they wouldn’t let me have her. I stayed there for 12 days. Finally, they let me have her; and I brought her home, fixed her, and realized how rewarding that was. I went back for more animals. And then, one day, I looked out my little picture window to a backyard that was full of animals and said, “Holy crap. I just started my dream.”

We’re now home to horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, llamas, emus, and dogs. And we’ve specifically taken animals that have nowhere else to go because they’re too old, too sick, too lame, or too scared. They’re just not adoptable. We bring them in and take them through a very extensive recovery program.

And then once they’re happy and healthy, if we can find them a home and family of their own, we do. If not, then they stay here for the rest of their lives. And then, when they’re ready, we partner with them to heal people with the same stories of trauma, and connect to the love and magic of animals.

Rescuing Animals from the Jaws of Death

FRN: Do you rescue specifically from factory farms? What kind of state are they in when you get them?

Ellie Laks: Yeah, absolutely. So one of the brilliant things that my partner and cofounder of The Gentle Barn, Jay, does, is he strikes up really good relationships with owners of slaughterhouses, stockyards, and auction houses. And so when they have a downed animal that they can’t produce into a profit, or when they have an animal born on the kill floor, instead of doing away with it, they call us and give us an opportunity to save them.

So Jay has gone around the country going into the darkest places on this earth, pulling animals out of the jaws of death, bringing them home to me to heal. He’s rescued cows from veal crates, every kind of animal from the slaughterhouse, gone into auction houses and been able to prevent the slaughter trucks from buying those animals.

When they come in, they’re all very sick, and they’re all very scared — that’s a given. They’ve seen the worst of humanity. They know what was about to happen to them, and they’re in shock. And so we have to go to great lengths to really show them that people can be kind and the world can be good.

Sometimes we can prove that to them in a few months. Sometimes it takes years. And still other times, the only time I touch or embrace these animals is on their deathbeds. And I can finally show them love. We’ve rescued so many animals in that way.

John Lewis the Cow

Ellie Laks: My favorite story is about the cow I got to raise in my house. He was born inside the slaughterhouse. And we have an arrangement with the owner of the slaughterhouse that when someone’s born there, he’ll allow us to have the baby and the mom because the chance of a baby’s survival without the mom is very bleak.

But in this scenario, there was a logistical reason and a health reason why they wouldn’t let us have the mom. And even though she was on death’s door, they processed her anyway, which really should tell people who they’re eating.

There is no difference between any of the species other than our perspective of them.

Ellie Laks, Founder of The Gentle Barn

So he was left orphaned and extremely sick with pneumonia at a week old. And we brought him into The Gentle Barn and brought him into our healing center, where we started the recovery process with great vet care, medication — the whole nine yards.

And we realized that it was so hot outside that we couldn’t lower his temperature in order to save his life. And so Jay and I looked at each other and said, “We got to bring him in the house into the air conditioning.”

So we brought him into the house. I was with him 24/7 for the first six months until he was finally cleared to start interacting with the other cows and having playdates with them.

And then, at nine months old, I came to pick him up after a playdate, and he said, “No, I don’t want to go. I want to stay with the cows.” So he moved in with the cows, and I cried all the way back up to the house.

I think the reason this is my favorite story is, number one, I had a cow in my house. I’m the luckiest person in the world.

Number two, it’s really easy to go, “Oh, well, but it’s a cow; it’s not a dog.” Or, “It’s a pig, not a cat.” And there are all these boxes that people like to put animals in: These are animals worthy of love, affection, and protection. These are animals that we eat; these are animals that we wear. These are wild animals that we don’t understand and that are dangerous. We have all these boxes, and it’s just not true.

And so what I love about the time I got to spend with John Lewis [the cow] in our house is it really once and for all proved there is no difference between any of the species other than our perspective of them. We’re judging them as different, so they show up differently.

But the minute you see a cow like a dog, he’s a dog. John Lewis, to this day… He’s now three years old. I still give him a bottle of warm water and some chlorella algae superfood in the morning to boost his immune system. And I sing him his morning songs. And I kiss him all over, and we spend time together.

But he comes to me when I call his name. He walks on a leash like a dog. We’ve even taken him to hiking trails. He slept on a dog bed. He had toys. It really broke those barriers once and for all. And so I love sharing John Lewis and his story with people — because if we could just erase those lines and just accept that we’re all the same, we just look different, what a world this could be.

The Recovery Process at The Gentle Barn

FRN: Wow. So what do some of the recovery processes look like? Is it the same for every animal?

Ellie Laks: More or less. The general protocol is that animals come in and do a 30-day quarantine with us, during which time we’re making sure that they’re not sick, so they don’t bring in a disease to our existing family. But we’re also reading to them, meditating with them, singing to them, playing musical instruments for them, coming and going so that they can get used to us and start to trust us.

At the same time, we’re collecting fecal samples, making sure they don’t have parasites, and putting nutritional supplements in their water to boost their immune systems.

And most of the time, for the first time in their lives, they have a soft bed; they have shelter; they have fresh food, clean water, kind humans; and they start recovering physically and emotionally — slowly.

When their quarantine is over in 30 days, the next step is to introduce them to other animals of their kind. And with some animals like horses, pigs, chickens, and goats, the process is very slow because the animals’ first instinct is to reject newcomers. But slowly they get used to each other, and they become family.

With cows, that process is very quick. Because we can put a new cow in anywhere, anytime, at any of our locations, and the other cows are like, “Oh, hi. Come on in.”

But once they’re acclimated to other animals of their kind, then we need to see what is left over. So they might still be sick or lame or old. They might still have trust issues with people. And so we continue their recovery, their rehabilitation, and their treatments until they don’t need it anymore. Some animals that come in need ongoing care for the rest of their lives.

Adopting Out Animals

FRN: So the ones that are adopted out, where do they go? Do they go to other sanctuaries or individual people, or what does that look like?

Ellie Laks: Yeah. Every once in a while there’ll be somebody who has a ranch or a farm or a giant backyard, and they’ll invite a farm animal to live with them. And we’ve adopted out turkeys, chickens, goats, sheep, horses, and dogs. The only animal that we’ve never adopted out is a cow. I’ve never had a person say, “Can I please have a cow?” Which is weird because I think everyone should have a cow. They’re the most misunderstood and the most magical animal.

[The animals] all have healing for us. They all have life lessons for us. Like practicing confidence and leadership skills with a horse is unparalleled. Practicing empathy and compassion with smaller animals that we’re cradling in our arms is unparalleled.

But I think, as a tribe, cows are everything that we’re supposed to be. They’re matriarchal; they’re vegan. They meditate every single day. Family and connection is the most important thing. So they really lift each other up and support each other. They celebrate life. They celebrate death. They face their challenges head-on, and they’re 100% inclusive.

They’re a beautiful community, and they’re very, very gentle on Mother Earth. They harm no one. They’re that feminine, beautiful, nurturing energy. They’re everything that we will be one day. I have to hope.

Saving Buddha the Cow

FRN: Yeah. How did you discover that the cows were able to give that to you, and how did the cow therapy evolve?

Ellie Laks: So when I started The Gentle Barn, I found out that there was a miniature cow breeding program up in Washington State. I called the guy, and he explained, “Oh, miniature cows are easy to raise and easy to kill, and you can have household food for a year or take their milk.”

So half of me was sorry I asked. But then he started talking about how gentle and kind they are. And he had a beautiful cow, and his grandkids raised her, and she was so sweet. But, unfortunately, she couldn’t get pregnant and earn her keep, so she was going to slaughter.

By the time I had hung up with him, I knew that this cow was coming home to me. So I asked him, “Can I have her?” He was like, “Well, you’re going to have to pay what I would get for her.” And I was like, “Hold off on her slaughter. Give me time.”

And this was very early on at The Gentle Barn, where I really didn’t know how to raise money. So I literally put my son on my hip, my year-old son, and I went door-to-door to my neighbors. And I told them what was happening and how I wanted to save her, and asked if they would chip in. And I thought for sure they were going to slam the door in my face, but they didn’t. And they wrote checks. And I raised the money to save her.

FRN: That’s amazing.

Ellie Laks: I know. It’s crazy. And I knew she [Buddha] was special right off the bat; because that very first open-to-the-public Sunday, she immersed herself right into the center of a big crowd of people, lay down, and invited them to hug her, brush her, and pet her. And I watched with my jaw dropped.

The Evolution of Cow Hug Therapy

Ellie Laks: So then my ritual, then and still now, is every single night before I go to bed, I go out to the barnyard. I make sure all the chickens and turkeys are safely on their roosts. I tuck the pigs in with blankets. I give treats to the goats, sheep, horses, and cows. And I make sure everyone’s safe and feeling good before I go to bed.

So on this particular night, I think it was the day after that Sunday, I went out to do my barnyard check. And I said goodnight to everybody. And everybody was in the barn, all roosted and stuff. And I was walking back through the yard, back to the house. She was lying down in the yard, the last animal that I went to say goodnight to. And I was going to pat her on the head and tell her that I love her, but something made me stop. There was something about the way she shifted her body. She was like, “Sit with me.”

So I sat down at her shoulder; I leaned against her body because she’s giant and cuddly and fuzzy. And the next thing she did changed my life. She wrapped her neck around me and held me, and she didn’t let go.

And I was so astounded by her love of me, by her nurturing of me, by that gesture of kindness and connection, that I started weeping into her shoulder. It’s one of those things where you don’t know you’re stressed out, but then all of a sudden you realize how stressed out you are.

And so those nightly hugs became a must, and she would help me wash away the day. She would help me have strength and hope for the next day. She would help me get out of my head and my to-do list and be more centered and grounded.

And early on in those hugs, I remember thinking, “I have got to find a way to give the world these hugs.” So part of the original design was that we would rescue animals and then partner with them when they’re ready to heal hurting people.

So I opened the phone book, and I started calling probation camps, drug and alcohol rehab centers, domestic violence shelters, foster agencies, homeless shelters, war veteran centers, and said, “Look, I know that you have people who are hurting. I know that some of those people are not responding to traditional therapy. Bring them to me.” And they did.

And we would always start with Buddha by putting their faces down on her side and closing their eyes and just breathing in and out and feeling her energy — and she would crack them wide open.

They came cold, defensive, and hardened by life, and she melted them into little kids. And she helped them become vulnerable. And it’s only in vulnerability that you can heal. And then they would go back to their therapy sessions; and all of a sudden they’re talking, and they’re relating, and they’re healing. And during her lifetime, Buddha gave out 300,000 hugs.

She taught me everything I know. She taught me to meditate. She taught me to be grounded and centered. She taught me what these animals are capable of — the healing that they’re capable of. She showed me how to connect these hurting humans with these hurting animals, and I owe her everything.

And so she is the creator of Cow Hug Therapy, and she’s the reason why we do Cow Hug Therapy for people now.

Becoming Vegan

FRN: Wow. So our site mostly deals with plant-based eating, nutrition, and health. So I was just curious — because plant-based eating is becoming more popular and more mainstream — have you seen any change in the support of what you do or the number of visitors because people are more interested in where their food comes from, or the impact of factory farming on animals, or just plant-based eating in general?

Ellie Laks: Yes. I have a lot to say about that.

I became a vegetarian when I was 11. I met a chicken. I realized that was chicken and rice. And I was done.

Volunteers were coming to check The Gentle Barn out, and somebody said, “Are you vegan?” And I said, “No, I’m American.” And he said, “No, I mean, do you eat animals?” And I was like, “Oh, no. I went vegetarian when I was 11.” He said, “Yeah, but what about dairy and eggs?” And I said, “Well, it doesn’t hurt anybody.” He told me the truth. I went vegan on the spot. That was 24 years ago. I’ve been vegan ever since.

I became a vegetarian when I was 11. I met a chicken. I realized that was chicken and rice. And I was done.

Ellie Laks, Founder of The Gentle Barn

But it’s funny because, in the beginning of The Gentle Barn, I didn’t really know the word vegan, which is so silly to think of now. The word vegan was not mainstream, and the word vegan was almost a dirty word. And so we grappled with how we present it. How do we talk about it? How do we make sure that we’re not threatening to people? Because The Gentle Barn is not just gentle to animals. It’s gentle to people.

So we wanted people to come in and look these animals in the eyes, hug them, hold them, cuddle with them, hear their stories of resilience, and realize that we’re just basically all the same. But we didn’t want to offend anybody. We want it to be a gentle experience. So we were like, “God, can we even say the word vegan without upsetting people?”

Now, 24 years later, vegan is mainstream. Do you even realize how many vegan options there are at Disneyland? All stores, all major chains, most fast-food restaurants… You can go anywhere. Nowadays, small town, big town, it doesn’t matter. You literally can go anywhere and say, “What’s vegan on your menu?” And the waiter will have some modicum of awareness of how to guide you. It’s incredible.

Plus, 24 years ago, when I opened The Gentle Barn, plant-based eaters were 0.5% of the population. We are now at 7%. Huge progress.

Facing Grief as an Animal Sanctuary

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FRN: Have you faced any challenges or obstacles with your rescue efforts?

Ellie Laks: Huge. Nobody does anything good unless you have a lot of challenges. So I started The Gentle Barn, like I told you, in my little half-acre backyard using my first husband’s paychecks. My first husband was not amused and soon left.

In came Jay as a volunteer, and later we fell in love and joined forces. But during those early years, moving from that half-acre to where we are now and growing into a national organization, there were a lot of financial challenges.

The other challenge for a sanctuary is dealing with the level of loss. Obviously, humans tend to have a longer lifespan than animals. So those of us who love animals tend to have to say goodbye at some point. At The Gentle Barn, with 200 animals — and over the last 24 years, we’ve rescued thousands — we have loved so many, and we have said goodbye more times than I could possibly calculate.

And so there was a time early on in The Gentle Barn when I was so brought down to the ground with my grief that I said, “I made a mistake. I can’t do this. I’m not strong enough. This is going to destroy me.” And I had to figure out how to stay with it and how to survive and have me not go down with the ship.

And so I had to really examine compassion fatigue, grief, and loss. And that’s a very large part of what I talk about in my [next] book, Cow Hug Therapy, about what the animals taught me about death, how they grieve, and how life and love are eternal.

And so that process from grief to gratitude, I had to work out.

How You Can Support The Gentle Barn

FRN: I think when I first heard about you guys, you were doing a fundraiser. I am just curious: Besides the visits and the fundraising, how else can people support you?

Ellie Laks: There is so much more that goes into taking care of farm animals other than hay, water, and shelter. There’s preparing for fire season every year and having the trailers and the trucks be able to evacuate. In this changing climate, we’re much hotter than we used to be: How do we keep them cool? We’re much colder than we used to be: How do we keep them warm?

I think the first thing that I would say in answer to your question is there are so many people who love animals, but very few of us can open our own sanctuaries. We need people to partner with us. We need people to fund our endeavors and to become our partners so that we’re rescuing animals together. Because they can’t do it without us, but we can’t do it without them.

The other thing that I would invite people to do is to follow us on social media. We’re on all social media platforms: The Gentle Barn on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter/X. See these beautiful videos and stories of the animals and their recovery and what they teach us, and learn about being connected to animals. It’s beautiful.

And if you live close enough, find a Gentle Barn either in St. Louis, Nashville, or Los Angeles; and come and visit and hug a cow, hold a chicken, cuddle a turkey, and give a pig a tummy rub. And look in the eyes of these magical animals, and realize that we’re here to protect them, defend them, love them, and listen to them.

And then the last thing that I want to mention is the biggest way you can help is by adopting a plant-based diet.

Every single person who goes plant-based saves 200 animals a year. So in effect, by going vegan, they are opening a sanctuary; because they’re saving 200 animals just with their knife and fork. Modeling that for others, being part of the solution, being part of gentleness and nonviolence.

—–

Ellie Laks is the founder of The Gentle Barn Foundation, a national organization that rescues and rehabilitates unwanted animals and heals people with the same stories of abuse and neglect. She invented her own “Gentle Healing” method that allows old, sick, injured, and terrified animals to fully recover. She is the creator of Cow Hug Therapy and has hosted hundreds of thousands of people who have come to The Gentle Barn seeking healing and hope.

Ellie is a powerful speaker, celebrated animal welfare advocate, humane educator, animal communicator, and the author of My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope and the upcoming Cow Hug Therapy: How the Animals at The Gentle Barn Taught Me about Life, Death, and Everything in Between.

Tell us in the comments:

• Has an animal ever taught you something about life or yourself?
• Were you aware of The Gentle Barn before reading this interview?
• What other animal sanctuaries or animal welfare organizations should we know about?

Read Next:

• Unhealthy Conditions for Farm Animals are — No Surprise — Bad for Humans, Too
• What You Eat Can Impact Climate Change! See 9 Foods That Harm the Planet and 11 Foods That Can Help Save It

The post Changing Lives Through Compassion: The Gentle Barn’s Extraordinary Mission for Animals and Humans appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Food waste is a monumental problem for people and the planet, losing valuable calories that are directly linked to world hunger, and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions as decomposing organic waste releases methane gas. But growing food from scraps helps reduce food waste while also providing a relatively easy and economical way to supplement your diet with more fresh produce. Even if you don’t have a particularly green thumb, regrowing vegetables and fruit takes minimal effort and, in some cases, doesn’t even require soil!

In this article, you’ll learn how to regrow vegetables and fruit from scraps to reduce waste, save money, and build self-sufficiency.

Can You Regrow Anything from Scraps?

If the idea of regrowing vegetables and fruit from scraps excites you, that’s great! But before you start trying to put any old fruit or vegetable scrap in soil or water, there are some things you need to know.

Not all scraps from produce will produce a new plant or growth. Typically, you need a stem or other piece of a plant that can grow roots in order for it to start growing again. You can also grow some fruits and vegetables from leftover seeds or pits.

But some produce purchased from a grocery store may not grow from its seeds or other scraps at all. Fruits and vegetables found in grocery stores may be subject to irradiation, which is done to prevent sprouting or delay ripening. Irradiation may prevent a plant from rooting or make seeds sterile.

Also, if the food was picked before it was ripe, the seeds may have not fully matured and may not be viable. You can test seeds by placing them in water and seeing if they float or sink (you want them to sink) or by performing a germination test.

How to Regrow 12 Fruits or Vegetables from Scraps

Want to try your hand at regrowing produce from scraps? These 12 foods are a good place to start. For the majority of them, all you need are glass jars or other upcycled containers, water, and a little bit of soil.

1. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are often cut and deseeded for recipes. Instead of composting their messy insides, try saving the seeds. By placing seeds in water and allowing them to ferment, you will break down seed coats and kill off many of the germs that may prevent the seeds from starting. When the seeds sink and separate from the pulp, you can strain, wash, and dry the seeds.

Here’s a video of this process from GrowVeg:

Next, plant the dried seeds in a pot or upcycled container filled with potting soil. Once the sprouts are a few inches tall, transplant them outdoors. Be sure to plant the tomatoes in a sunny area and water a few times a week.

How to use regrown tomatoes:

Tomatoes are extremely versatile and can be used in a number of different cuisines such as Mexican, Italian, and American.

Use regrown tomatoes in sauces, salads, pasta dishes, casseroles, and on top of veggie burgers, tacos, and sandwiches.

Check out our article on how to grow tomatoes for more growing tips and our article on tomato benefits, downsides, and uses.

2. Basil

To regrow basil from store-bought plants, select a four- to six-inch piece and cut about one inch under where a leaf is growing. Then, you’ll want to strip any leaves that are at the bottom of your stem to prevent them from becoming submerged in water and rotting. Put the stem in a jar of water and place it in a sunny (but not too hot) location. Change the water every other day. You’ll soon notice new roots forming along the stem.

When the basil roots grow to about two inches in length, plant the stems in a pot or upcycled container. Keep the pot in an area that gets at least six hours of sunshine each day, and water the basil plant regularly. Harvest leaves when the plants grow to at least six inches tall and produce six to eight leaves per stem.

How to use regrown basil:

Genovese basil is typically used in Italian dishes. But other common varieties are Thai basil, which can be used in Asian cuisines, and holy basil, which is a medicinal herb.

Use regrown basil leaves in pasta and noodle dishes, sauces, rice bowls and stir-fries, or dried and brewed as a tea.

Our guide to herbs and spices has ideas on how to use fresh and dried herbs like basil in your meals.

3. Strawberries

First off, it’s best to use locally grown strawberries since not all varieties will grow across all climates. Secondly, you’ll likely want to use organic strawberries when possible, since they’re one of the most pesticide-contaminated produce items.

To reuse your strawberry scraps, put the overripe, whole strawberries, or strawberry tops, in a blender with water and blend for 15–20 seconds. Leave the mixture to settle. The seeds that won’t germinate will float to the top, so you can skim those off and discard them. Then, pour the remaining strawberry mixture through a sieve to leave just the viable seeds. Plant the seeds as you would normally to grow strawberry plants in your climate.

You can also try planting strawberry tops or slices directly in the ground, as long as some of the seeds are still intact.

How to use regrown strawberries:

Strawberry is native to the Americas and is primarily used in American, French, and English desserts.

Strawberries can be eaten on their own, preserved as jams, or used in baked goods, salads, and smoothies.

Learn more about strawberries and other berries and discover their health benefits and uses.

4. Celery

To regrow celery stalks, you’ll want to keep about two inches of the butt end of the vegetable. Rinse off the base and place it in a small bowl or glass. Fill the container with warm water and place it in a sunny area. After changing the water every other day, you should start to see new growth around day five. Celery leaves will regenerate from the base, as well as a few small stalks.

After about a week, you can plant the celery base in soil, making sure to leave the leaf tips and stalks uncovered. As celery is mostly water, you’ll want to keep the plant nice and moist. You can start harvesting as soon as your celery plant has at least 10 stalks, and they will continue to grow throughout the season.

How to use regrown celery:

Celery is popular in French and Cajun American cuisine. Leaf celery is also used in Thai and Chinese food.

Eat celery on its own or use it in soups, stews, chilies, salads, stir-fries, and to make celery juice.

Check out our article on how to grow celery for more tips and a cheat sheet.

5. Carrots

While you can’t regrow a full carrot from scraps, you can regrow and use carrot greens. Instead of defaulting to tossing carrot tops and greens in the compost, give them a second life!

Cut off the top of the carrot, and the existing carrot greens if they’re still intact. To regrow carrot greens, it’s best if you have a little bit of green stem still attached to the top. Place the carrot top or tops in a bowl, cut side down. Fill the bowl with about an inch of water so the top is halfway covered. Place the dish on a sunny windowsill, and change the water every day.

The carrot pieces will eventually sprout green shoots on the top and roots on the bottom. When they do, you can plant the tops in soil, careful not to cover the shoots. Harvest the greens to taste. (Some people prefer the baby greens; others prefer them fully grown.)

How to use regrown carrot greens:

Carrots and their greens are used worldwide and are popular in French, Middle Eastern, Indian, American, and Japanese cuisines.

Enjoy carrot greens in salads, smoothies, sauces, and stir-fries, and as a side dish.

Find out what’s so great about carrots in our in-depth article.

6. Ginger

Ginger is a valuable spice for its health benefits and culinary uses. But as it’s so potent, you often only need a small piece for a recipe, leaving the rest to go to waste. Instead of throwing away or composting the leftover ginger, you can regrow the root and replant it, harvesting only what you need when you need it.

If you’ve had a ginger root for a while, you may start seeing little sprouts start to show. These are prime regrowing pieces to use. To regrow ginger from scraps, cut off one of these sprouted pieces and place it in water until roots start to grow. Once you have roots, place the piece of ginger in potting soil with the roots facing down and the sprouts or shoots pointing up. The ginger piece will produce new roots or rhizomes, which you can harvest in full or just remove a piece at a time.

How to use regrown ginger:

Ginger is often used in Asian cuisines such as Japanese, Indian, Indonesian, and Thai. It’s also used in baked goods across Europe and the US.

Use ginger as an ingredient in sauces, dressings, soups and stews, noodle dishes, rice bowls, stir-fries, and in teas, juices, and mocktails.

Learn more about the health benefits and uses of ginger.

7. Green Onions

Green onions are one of the easiest foods you can regrow from scraps because they often still have bits of the roots attached when you buy them.

Save the white ends of your green onions and put them in a jar of filtered water. Place the jar on a sunny windowsill and change the water every day or so. In about a week, you should have new green onions to add to your supper.

You may want to transplant the green onions into soil once the roots have grown longer. Harvest the green ends when fully grown — just make sure to leave the roots in the water or soil if you want your plant to keep producing.

How to use regrown green onions:

Green onions are another versatile veggie that’s also used as an herb or topping. Use it in Mexican, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese food, among others.

Try green onions in savory pancakes or as a topping for dips, soups, stir-fries, rice bowls, and noodle dishes.

8. Mushrooms

Be a fun-guy or gal and grow your own mushrooms from scraps. Mushrooms are one of the more complex (and expensive) produce items to grow, so this is one way to do it if you don’t have access to mushroom spawn. You can grow white button mushrooms in this way as well as oysters.

While you can eat both the caps and stalks of a mushroom, some people choose to only use the caps in recipes. But there’s no reason to let those stalks go to waste! You can combine mushroom stems with wet cardboard substrate in an airtight container to create your own mushroom spawn. This guide by GroCycle gives you step-by-step instructions on how to grow mushrooms with the stem butt method, as well as common problems you may encounter.

How to use regrown mushrooms:

Fungi exist on every continent and can be found in almost every type of culinary fare. Chinese, Italian, Japanese, French, and Nordic cuisines are all mushroom-loving cuisines.

Use mushrooms in soups, pasta dishes, grain bowls, stir-fries, and sauces, stuffed as appetizers, and on toast.

Growing mushrooms, even from scraps, is not an easy task for beginners. But if you want to give it a try, the health benefits of mushrooms are pretty substantial.

9. Onion

There are two different ways to regrow onions, depending on what scraps you’re working with.

If you have onions that have been sitting around for a while and have started to sprout green stalks, instead of cutting off the stalks, you can use them to grow new onion plants. The stalks have formed from bulbs inside the onions, so you just need to cut open the onions and remove the bulbs with the stalks attached. Place the bulbs in a jar of water to allow them to root and then transfer them into soil.

The other way to grow onions is from the discarded bottoms that are cut off when you slice into an onion. You want the calloused-over piece that may still have some stringy pieces of dried root attached. Let the cut bottom dry for a couple of days and then place it directly into soil. As the onion grows, you can harvest the green shoots or just wait for the onion to form underground into a full bulb before harvesting.

How to use regrown onions:

Yellow, white, and red onions are widely used vegetables. French, Ethiopian, Indian, Russian, and many South American cuisines use onions in various dishes.

Try onions cooked in soups, stews, curries, chilies, sauces, dips, and casseroles, or raw in salsas and salads, or on veggie burgers and tacos.

Learn more about the disease-fighting superpowers of alliums like onion.

10. Pineapple

While it can take up to two years for a replanted pineapple top to bear fruit, the satisfaction of growing your own pineapple is well worth the wait.

To regrow a pineapple from scraps, remove the top of the pineapple, ideally by twisting it off (doing so will preserve the parts needed for regrowth). Peel back any leaves around the base so the bottom layers are exposed. And cut off just the tip of the base, being sure to remove any excess fruit.

Next, poke three or four toothpicks into the pineapple base right above the area where you peeled back the leaves. Use the toothpicks to suspend the pineapple top over a glass container. Add enough water to the container to cover the base of the pineapple top. Leave your suspended pineapple top in a sunny area, change the water every few days, and watch for roots to grow.

In about a week, roots should begin to form and the green leaves should be longer and wider. When the roots fully form, plant the pineapple top in a pot (or directly in the ground if you live in a warm climate). Make sure it’s exposed to plenty of sunlight, and water it regularly.

How to use regrown pineapples:

Pineapples grow in the tropics and are associated with cuisines from warm climates, such as Hawaiian, Indian, Malaysian, Thai, and Caribbean cuisines.

Eat pineapple on its own, in fruit salads, mocktails, smoothies and smoothie bowls, stir-fries and rice bowls, salsas, curries, and even on pizza if you dare!

Learn more about pineapple benefits, downsides, and uses.

11. Potatoes

To grow your own potatoes from scraps, it’s best to use pieces that have eyes (red or white bumps), which is where they sprout from. It’s even better if the eyes have already started to sprout. If they have, that means the potatoes have not been irradiated, which, as was mentioned earlier in this article, can prevent new growth.

Cut the potato into pieces, making sure each piece has at least one to two eyes. Let the pieces sit at room temperature overnight or for a few days until they’re dry to the touch. Once the potato halves are dry, plant them about one foot apart in eight inches of soil. Or you can also plant the pieces in five-gallon buckets. After a few months, the potatoes will be ready to harvest and use in recipes.

How to use regrown potatoes:

Potatoes are a popular vegetable used in Russian, Indian, Irish, German, and American dishes, among others.

Avoid frying potatoes and instead, bake, boil, or steam them. Use in stews, curries, casseroles, or as a side dish.

Discover if potatoes are really healthy or not, in our in-depth article.

12. Lettuce

Like celery, you can also save the base of a romaine heart and place it in water. After a few days, you’ll start to see new leaves growing from the middle of the base. Keep the bowl in a sunny area and change the water every day.

Plant the lettuce directly in soil once it grows roots, or you can continue to grow it in water. However, it may not produce a full head of lettuce this way. If you like the taste of baby greens, you can pinch off the outer leaves as the lettuce grows. Otherwise, harvest romaine leaves when they’re around six to eight inches tall.

How to use regrown lettuce:

Lettuce is popular in American, Vietnamese, Italian, Chinese, and Mexican cuisine.

Lettuce is mostly eaten raw. Use it in salads, smoothies, noodle dishes, tacos, and on sandwiches and veggie burgers.

Find out more about why you shouldn’t underestimate the benefits lettuce has to offer.

Get Growing with Food Scraps!

With a little preparation and luck, you can regrow the 12 different fruits and vegetables in this article, including basil, pineapple, celery, and more. Regrowing produce from scraps is a great way to reduce food waste and save money on groceries.

And although it’s not possible to regrow all fruits and vegetables from scraps, especially if they were purchased from a grocery store, you can experiment with the various types of produce in this article to see what will grow for you.

As the saying goes, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. But by reusing your food scraps regularly, you can avoid them ever becoming trash in the first place. It’s a win-win for everyone! And that’s something we can all treasure.

Tell us in the comments:

• Have you ever tried regrowing food from scraps?

• How do you reuse food scraps in your home?

• What’s your favorite way to reduce food waste?

Featured Image: iStock.com/elenabs

Read Next:

• How to Use Food Scraps to Reduce Kitchen Waste
• What Is Upcycled Food & Should You Buy It?

The post 12 Foods You Can Regrow from Scraps appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

While the monthly arrival of menses can be a joyous occasion for some, having a period isn’t always a positive experience. Many people who menstruate struggle with period symptoms that are uncomfortable, and in some cases debilitating, for multiple days every month.

One US survey found that 85% of girls and women experienced painful periods. And two in five surveyed said they used painkillers to relieve their symptoms. Similar results have been seen in other high-income countries like Japan and Canada as well as in the Middle East.

But what if someone doesn’t want to rely on pharmaceuticals for pain relief? Are there more natural ways to deal with period pain and other menstrual symptoms, possibly even stopping them before they start?

Why Do Periods Hurt?

Period pain is thought to be the result of uterine contractions and is medically referred to as dysmenorrhea or primary dysmenorrhea. Pelvic and period pain is also sometimes caused and made worse by underlying medical conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis, or fibroids, in which case it’s known as secondary dysmenorrhea.

Aside from pain, symptoms of dysmenorrhea can include nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, and diarrhea.

What causes these uterine contractions and uncomfortable physical symptoms?

Prostaglandins, chemicals found naturally in the lining of the uterus, have a hormone-like effect that causes the muscles and blood vessels in the uterus to contract. Prostaglandin levels are higher at the start of a period and gradually decrease through the duration of menstruation.

The production of prostaglandins is intricately connected to your body’s inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses. As inflammation builds it triggers prostaglandin synthesis, causing increased levels of pain.

One important way to manage inflammation, and therefore the type and amount of prostaglandins in the body, is through diet. When the body is getting proper nutrition, baseline levels of prostaglandins are produced and can help fight inflammation. In theory, lower overall levels of prostaglandins in the body translate to lower instances of dysmenorrhea. In other words, an anti-inflammatory diet translates to fewer and less intense menstrual cramps.

Foods to Avoid on Your Period

Given that diet is one of the top lifestyle adjustments that can help control inflammation and balance hormones, it’s important to look at what to include (more on this below) and what to leave out when it comes to minimizing dysmenorrhea.

Especially leading up to and during your period, it’s a good idea to consider avoiding foods that trigger inflammation and interfere with the balance and production of hormones. These kinds of foods can make period symptoms more uncomfortable and last longer.

Some of the foods and beverages you might want to avoid before and during your period are:

• Processed foods that contain preservatives, hydrogenated oils, flavorings, and refined carbohydrates. (Eating refined carbs before your period can make symptoms of dysmenorrhea worse).
• Fried and fast foods increase menstrual irregularity and are more likely to be associated with negative PMS symptoms.
• Caffeine has been linked to an increase in period flow and an increase in dysmenorrhea.
• Alcohol may increase the risk of negative PMS symptoms.
• Red meat has been linked with an indicator of inflammation, breast and prostate cancers, heart disease, and myriad other diseases, as well as having been shown to promote insulin resistance linked to type 2 diabetes.
• Dairy and meat can lead to an increase in estrogen levels, a contributor to a thicker uterine lining and higher prostaglandin levels.

What to Eat on Your Period

Luckily, there are plenty of delicious and satisfying foods that help fight inflammation, lower prostaglandin levels, and ease period symptoms.

Some of the top nutrients and foods that help fight pain and inflammation during menstruation are:

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

While not foods in themselves, omega-3s are found in a variety of healthful foods. Omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid considered to be essential — something our bodies can’t produce on their own. These fatty acids are found in flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and algae — as well as in seafood. (See our article on fish for more on the pros and cons of eating seafood.)

Diets rich in omega-3s, and especially with an optimal balance of omega-3s to omega-6s, are anti-inflammatory. Yet, people eating a modern, industrial diet are more likely to consume too many omega-6s relative to omega-3s, which leads to more prostaglandins and more severe dysmenorrhea. So, what’s the ideal ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s? Research shows your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio should be somewhere between 1:1 and 4:1.

In addition to eating a diet rich in omega-3s, you might want to consider supplementation. Complement Essential is a complete multivitamin for people eating a vegan diet. It has eight critical vitamins, minerals, and sustainably-sourced plant-based omega-3s in a convenient capsule.

See our article on omega-3 fatty acids for more about these essential fats.

Magnesium

An essential nutrient, magnesium has many benefits that help us maintain normal blood pressure, regulate heartbeat, and maintain bone strength. And a lack of magnesium can make dysmenorrhea worse.

How does magnesium help with period pain? Magnesium blocks calcium, helping blood vessels relax and stay open, thus keeping uterine muscles relaxed. Magnesium is actually used as a natural muscle relaxer and not only helps with cramping but may also help with menstrual and non-menstrual migraines, back pain, foot pain, depression, irritability, and abdominal pain.

Luckily, there are lots of different plant-based foods that contain magnesium — nuts and seeds, spinach, plant-based milks, beans and legumes, avocado, potatoes, whole grains, tofu and tempeh, bananas, and cauliflower — just to name a few.

And, if you’ve ever craved chocolate during your period, magnesium may be part of the reason: Dark chocolate is a very good source of the mineral. One square of dark chocolate (80% or higher) has about 15% of your recommended daily dose of magnesium. Nichole Dandrea-Russert, RDN, Food Revolution Network’s lead Dietitian and Recipe Developer — and former chocolate company entrepreneur — encourages people to try eating dark chocolate regularly as a support for brain and hormone health.

Those looking for an extra boost of magnesium can check out Purality Health’s Micelle Liposomal Magnesium, a vegan supplement that uses a cutting-edge, patented formulation that has been found to increase bioavailability by up to 185x.

You can read more about this important mineral in our article all about magnesium.

B Vitamins

This group of eight different vitamins is sometimes referred to as the “B-complex.” They help convert food to energy, create new blood cells, and maintain skin cells, brain cells, and other body tissues.

B vitamins help regulate hormones naturally and can help manage dysmenorrhea. In fact, many of the B vitamins play different supportive roles for hormones and menstruation. It has also been shown that they influence the metabolism of neurotransmitters which may affect mood. For example, Vitamin B1, or thiamin, is particularly important as it may reduce both physical and mental symptoms of PMS. Similarly, adding B2, or riboflavin, primarily from food sources was found to mitigate the risk for PMS symptoms. And B6 has been shown to be effective at reducing depression symptoms related to PMS.

Not sure where to start with incorporating foods rich in B vitamins into your diet? Many different kinds of food, including nuts, seeds, tofu, whole grains, mushrooms, avocado, leafy greens, oranges, and bananas contain B vitamins. A diet rich in fresh, whole foods will help to ensure you’re getting adequate levels of most B vitamins.

If you’re having trouble getting (or absorbing) enough B vitamins from the food you’re eating, Purality Health’s Micelle Liposomal Active-B Complex could help you to absorb the optimal levels of essential B vitamins.

For more information, see our article on B vitamin benefits and the best vegan sources.

Anti-Inflammatory Herbs and Spices

Some of the best ingredients for fighting period pain may be sitting in your spice cabinet right now.

What’s the best of the best when it comes to anti-inflammatory herbs? Try fenugreek, fennel, and chamomile, which have been shown to have a positive effect on painful periods. And ginger, a member of the turmeric family, may also be an especially effective food to ease heavy periods.

Like ginger, regular consumption of cinnamon can help with the pain and reduce the amount of bleeding during menstruation. Plus, cinnamon works quickly to bring pain relief. One study found that supplemental cinnamon during the first 72 hours of menstruation worked better than a placebo in reducing pain.

Turmeric is also a potent anti-inflammatory food that, when consumed regularly, can relieve inflammatory concerns. This is largely due to curcumin, which modulates gene expression and prevents a host of diseases. Combine turmeric with black pepper to maximize the benefits of the antioxidant curcumin.

If you’re interested in an anti-inflammatory supplement, Purality Health’s Curcumin Gold, which contains curcumin, ginger, and the DHA form of omega-3, is our top pick.

And for more anti-inflammatory herbs, spices, and other foods, check out our article on eating an anti-inflammatory diet.

Period Food Recipes to Try This Month

Balance your hormones with ease (and enjoyment) as you dive into these culinary delights. Whether you choose sweet or savory, each recipe has a good variety of colors and nutrients to support you from day one of your cycle! Get ready to crush cravings and make period symptoms more manageable the plant-based way.

1. Apple Walnut Oatmeal Bake

This comforting dish is full of healthful, anti-inflammatory ingredients to help soothe during menstruation. Walnuts and chia seeds are excellent sources of omega-3s and are also chock-full of B vitamins and magnesium. Warming spices like cinnamon pack a tasty punch of pain-reducing, anti-inflammatory tasty delight.

2. Barley Salad with Tofu, Mushrooms, and Pineapple

With a tasty blend of earthy, savory, and tart flavors, this hearty salad is rich in B vitamins and healthy fats to support hormones and mood. Ginger — which reduces symptoms of nausea and pain — complements the sweet pineapple with a pleasant, warming kick.

3. Energizing Kale and White Bean Soup

Made to satisfy, this dish is colorful, flavorful, and full of nutrition to help keep your hormones happy all month long. Iron from the beans will help combat tiredness during your bleeding. Kale and tomatoes supply important B vitamins and antioxidant vitamin C. Balanced spices and just enough comforting carbohydrates will energize and warm you to your bones. Grab a spoon and dig in!

4. Cherry Chia Cacao Pudding Parfait

Craving chocolate? This parfait will be your new best friend. Full of anti-inflammatory omega-3s from chia seeds, antioxidants from cherries, and brimming with delicious, magnesium-rich cocoa, a few bites of this sweet treat and you’ll be saying “goodbye” to low mood and painful cramps.

5. Ginger Turmeric Pineapple Lemonade

Craving something refreshing? Try this healing lemonade. A great source of anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea ginger and turmeric, this drink may soothe your tummy, relieve bloating, and calm cramps and inflammation. A bit of black pepper enhances the warming quality of this drink and boosts the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin in turmeric. When possible, use fresh ginger and turmeric for extra zip and pep. Not a fan of cold beverages during your period? Try it as a warm, comforting tea!

Diet Matters for Period Relief

Painful and even debilitating periods are something that many individuals have to deal with. Period pain can come from an excess of prostaglandins, a natural chemical that’s part of the body’s inflammatory response, which causes the necessary contraction of the muscles in the uterus.

While NSAIDs help with the pain, they bring cardiovascular and gastrointestinal downsides. Fortunately, there are natural options to not only treat the pain but also to prevent it. Lifestyle changes, including changes in diet to incorporate anti-inflammatory and period-healthy foods, like fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, and omega-3-rich nuts and seeds, can help to balance hormones and minimize negative symptoms.

By making sure you’re avoiding problematic foods and eating anti-inflammatory ones, you can help reduce period pain and inflammation — and support your overall health.

Tell us in the comments:

• Did you know there were so many pantry-staple herbs and spices with anti-inflammatory properties?
• How do you best manage your period pain?
• What are your favorite sources of omega-3 fatty acids?

Featured Image: iStock.com/urbazon

Read Next:

• Fight Disease With An Anti-Inflammatory Diet + 7 Foods That Fight Inflammation
• How to Balance Hormones Naturally with Diet & Lifestyle

The post What to Eat on Your Period: How Diet Can Help Prevent Pain & Inflammation appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Yet fiber is an often underestimated and overlooked nutrient. And most people eating the modern industrialized diet aren’t getting nearly enough of it.

Could your diet be lacking fiber? Probably so.

Only 6% of Americans get the recommended amount of fiber. And fewer than 1 out of 10 adults in the UK meets adequate fiber intake.

However, in places where traditional diets are still eaten, like many of the Blue Zones that are home to some of the planet’s longest lived peoples, eating fiber-rich foods is par for the course. In fact, it may very well be that fiber is a major contributing factor to the longevity of Blue Zone residents.

A meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who consumed the most fiber were 19% less likely to die over a decade, compared to those who ate the least.

Researchers analyzed 17 studies, including nearly a million participants, and found that every 10 grams of fiber consumed per day cut mortality risk by 10%. That’s quite a lot considering many people are getting less than half the recommended amount.

But why is fiber good for you? How can it benefit your health? How much fiber do you need daily? And how can you ensure you’re getting enough fiber in your diet?

What Is Fiber, Exactly?

So, what is this fiber that you’ve heard you’re supposed to eat more of?

Fiber is found in the cell walls of plants, where it provides structure and functions as a skeleton of sorts for the plant. And when we eat it, fiber passes through our digestive systems whole since we don’t have the digestive enzymes needed to break it down. For that reason, it doesn’t provide a direct calorie source to us, but it does act as fuel for healthy bacteria in our gut. And that is one of the reasons it’s critical for optimal health.

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Each performs a different job in your body.

Soluble fiber dissolves into a gel in your digestive tract with the addition of water. It slows down digestion, which helps with blood sugar balance and cholesterol, along with the absorption of nutrients. Soluble fiber is found in foods like whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, as well as some fruits and vegetables.

Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stools and acts like a broom, cleaning out your digestive tract. It promotes healthy bowel movements and also helps with insulin sensitivity. You can find insoluble fiber in whole grains, vegetables, and wheat bran.

Both soluble and insoluble fiber are found naturally in plant foods. And many plant-based foods have both. Meat, dairy products, fish, eggs, and oils, however, don’t contain any fiber. And processed foods made with refined flour generally contain very little, if any, because natural fiber is lost or removed in manufacturing them.

Prebiotics and Resistant Starch

Prebiotics fall under the soluble fiber umbrella and also act as the food for select gut bacteria, namely probiotics. Prebiotic-rich foods include things like jicama, allium vegetables, legumes, and leafy greens. 

Resistant starch is a type of fermentable carbohydrate that is also a prebiotic and a type of fiber because it’s not digestible. Whole grains, potatoes, and green bananas are all good sources of resistant starch. This type of starch improves insulin sensitivity, and produces short-chain fatty acids in the gut, which keep your gut and immune system healthy. These fatty acids also circulate throughout your body and can regulate inflammation and talk to your cells and tissue.

Benefits of Fiber

There are many documented health benefits that fiber brings.

Fiber and Gut Health

Does fiber help you poop? Yes, it does! And being able to do so daily is more important than you might think. Constipation is not only uncomfortable, but it may increase your risk for chronic diseases like cancer, hormonal imbalances, and even cardiovascular disease. Fiber aids in the elimination of toxins through your digestive tract. Without it, these toxins may be reabsorbed into your body through your intestines and wreak havoc on your health.

Getting enough fiber also has a significant impact on the composition of your microbiome. As mentioned earlier, certain fibrous foods are also prebiotics, which contribute to your population of good gut bacteria. Increasing your fiber intake can alter your microbiota in as soon as two weeks, allowing you to crowd out any bad guys that could be causing gastrointestinal and other health issues.

Does Fiber Help You Lose Weight?

Studies are showing that consuming more fiber can indeed lead to weight loss. In the POUNDS Lost Study, a diet designed to include 20 grams of fiber or more (which is higher than the average US consumption) was given to participants who were overweight or obese — and their calorie intake was also reduced. Researchers found that dietary fiber promoted weight loss independent of caloric restriction and even increased adherence to other dietary adjustments.

Fiber may contribute to weight loss due to its impact on satiety. Soluble fiber mixes with water in the gut to create a kind of gel. This gel-like substance slows the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream while triggering stretch receptors in your stomach, telling your body that you’ve had enough. As a result, you may feel full and satisfied while taking in far fewer calories for the same volume of food — fiber-rich, whole foods generally have fewer calories to begin with — compared to a meal based on the animal products and/or processed foods that are common in modern, industrialized diets.

Fiber and Cancer Prevention

Fiber is an essential part of your waste removal system – constantly eliminating carcinogens before they become a problem. For instance, fiber works to prevent colorectal cancer by improving intestinal transit time – literally sweeping away carcinogens.

In a study at the National Cancer Institute called the Polyp Prevention Trial (PPT), published in the Journal of Nutrition, participants were put on a low-fat, high-fiber diet high in fruits and vegetables. Researchers focused on the recurrence of colorectal adenomas (polyps).

After adjusting for variables, it was found that the one food that made a difference in whether or not participants had a recurrence of adenomas was the amount of beans they consumed. Many researchers believe this is because beans were the highest source of dietary fiber for most of the study participants.

But, fiber’s anticancer benefits don’t stop at colorectal cancer. It also reduces the risk of cancers of the breast, prostate, mouth, and throat.

And the benefits are significant. A study published in the Annals of Oncology concluded that every 10 grams of fiber you eat is associated with a 10% reduced risk of colorectal cancer and a 5% fall in breast cancer risk.

According to a study in Pediatrics, women who consume at least 28 g per day of fiber have a 24% lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause, compared with women who eat the average US fiber intake of about 14 g per day.

The women who consumed the highest amount of dietary fiber in the study also reduced their lifetime risk of developing breast cancer by 16%.

Is Fiber Good for Your Heart?

Many cardiologists recommend eating oatmeal for breakfast. Their #1 reason? Oatmeal is a rich source of soluble fiber, and studies have found that it has a positive impact on cholesterol.

Further research in a review and meta-analysis of 22 different publications found greater amounts of dietary fiber were associated with a lower risk of both cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease.

Dietary fiber may also help reduce systemic inflammation markers in the body that are associated with cardiovascular disease and other diseases. Its impact on inflammation is also important for heart health because inflammation may be a risk factor for high blood pressure.

Fiber and Blood Sugar

Fiber has a unique ability to help regulate blood sugar. This is one of the reasons that many dietitians and other lifestyle medicine practitioners recommend that people with type 2 diabetes consume beans and other legumes. These high-fiber powerhouses help slow the absorption of glucose, while also regulating blood sugar over time.

In a study reported in Nutrition Journal, researchers tested the glycemic response of traditional beans and rice meals compared to rice alone.

Seventeen men and women who had diabetes were given either plain white rice or white rice with black beans, white rice with pinto beans, or white rice with kidney beans. Then, researchers measured participants’ blood glucose at 90, 120, and 150 minutes. Compared with the solely white rice eaters, all groups who ate beans with their rice had better blood sugar control, with pinto and black bean-eaters faring best of all. (Remember insulin-sensitivity-improving resistant starch from earlier on? Beans and other legumes are good sources of it!)

So, whether you have type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or just want to have steadier blood sugar balance and insulin sensitivity throughout the day in order to feel better and have more energy, a high fiber, plant-powered diet, that includes beans, may be able to help you feel your best.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Dietary guidelines for fiber vary, but most countries and professional health agencies recommend intakes between 25–35 g per day for adults. Although the US changed its fiber recommendation in 2016 from 25 g per day to 28 g per day (or 14 g per 1,000 k/cal), most adults are still only getting about half that amount daily.

However, some experts believe that fiber intakes should be much higher than what’s currently recommended. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)’s fiber recommendation is currently 40 g per day. But even that fall shorts of the 100 g average our ancestors may have been eating. Although that amount of fiber may not be feasible or even advisable these days, evidence suggests that most people could do with more rather than less fiber in their diets.

What Are the Best High Fiber Foods?

Now that you know the health benefits of getting enough fiber, what are some of the best fiber-rich foods you should be eating?

Given that fiber is best found in its natural state and fiber is found only in plant foods, fill your plate with fiber-rich foods, such as:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Beans and other Legumes
• Whole grains
• Nuts and seeds

Some people take fiber supplements, but they are likely of limited value as they are missing the beneficial vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals also found in whole plant foods.

This infographic can also help you choose the best high-fiber foods, though it isn’t comprehensive:

How to Get Enough Fiber in Your Diet

Here are some easy ways to add more fiber to your diet:

• Choose whole grains instead of white bread and white flour products
• Choose beans over beef (or any other animal product)
• Add a source of resistant starch, like potatoes, in addition to a serving of another high-fiber veggie
• Choose oatmeal with berries instead of eggs or commercial breakfast cereals
• Snack on fiber-rich foods, such as sliced apples with peanut butter, or veggies and hummus
• Skip meat, dairy, and processed foods like cookies, crackers, chips, and sodas

Specific foods vary in their fiber content, but if you want to gauge how much fiber to eat, it can be helpful to estimate the number of grams of fiber in different food groups.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine offers this information in a handy chart.

To understand how much fiber you’re getting, here’s what you can do: Write down everything you ate and drank for one entire day and jot down your fiber score according to this chart.

As you track your fiber intake, you’ll notice that if your diet is made primarily from whole plant foods and includes plenty of beans, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables, you’re probably getting a good amount of fiber.

However, if you’re eating meat, dairy, and processed foods — like white bread, cookies, crackers, chips, and soda, it can be challenging to achieve the goal of 40 grams, or even 28 grams, of fiber per day.

How to Understand What Your Fiber Score Means

Less than 20 grams of fiber per day

Your score is pretty typical for most modern industrialized nations, but it’s not doing your health any favors.

With less than 20 grams of fiber per day, you may be hungry often and have trouble with constipation and other digestive issues. At this level, the risk for certain chronic diseases, including heart disease and some forms of cancer, is also increased.

But, the good news is, it’s easy to change all this by incorporating more fiber-rich foods into your diet!

20-39 grams of fiber per day

You’re doing better than a lot of people eating the standard American diet, but you still may have room for improvement.

Focus on crowding out foods that contain little to no fiber by adding more fiber superstars to your meals — like beans and lentils. By doing so, you’ll probably find that you feel more satisfied, and that maintaining a healthy weight becomes easier. Plus, you’ll further reduce your risk of chronic diseases and early mortality.

40+ grams of fiber per day

Your diet is loaded with fiber-rich whole plant foods. You’re in the less than 6% of the population that is actually getting PCRM’s recommended amount of fiber. Way to go!

A Fiber-Rich Meal Plan

What does high-fiber eating look like?

If most people eat less than the recommended amount of fiber per day, you may be thinking, how am I going to eat 40 or more grams of fiber (or even 28) per day?

It’s easier than you think. Here’s what a typical day might look like:

Breakfast: Buckwheat Chia Pancakes

13 grams for the buckwheat + 2 grams for the chia + 1 gram for the mashed banana = 16 grams of fiber

Lunch: Avocado Salad

4 ½ grams from the avocado + 4 grams from the black beans + 2 grams from the arugula, tomato, onion and cilantro = 10.5 grams of fiber

Snack: Moroccan Baked Chickpeas

Chickpeas = 7 grams of fiber

Dinner: Vegan Mince Lettuce Tacos

6 grams from the lentils + 3 grams from the veggies including romaine lettuce shells = 9 grams of fiber

Total Fiber for this Meal Plan: 42.5 grams

Take Action for Your Health: Fiber Challenge

Now that you know why fiber is so good for you, and how to get enough fiber in your diet, team up with a friend or family member and challenge yourself and each other to reach 40 grams of fiber per day on a consistent basis.

If you’re new to eating a lot of fiber, be sure to add it to your diet slowly, because increasing your fiber intake too quickly can cause bloating and gas or other negative side effects. It’s also important to drink plenty of water while increasing your consumption of fiber-rich foods. When your body becomes used to the increase in fiber, you probably won’t experience any discomfort.

Getting more fiber in your diet is essential, and possible, especially as you follow a more whole foods, plant-based diet.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you get enough fiber?
• What’s one simple change can you make today to start incorporating more fiber into your diet?
• What benefits have you noticed from adding more fiber to your diet?

Featured Image: iStock.com/apomares

Read Next:

• Are Starches Good or Bad?
• 5 Common Mistakes Plant-Based Eaters Make and How to Avoid Them
• Plant-Based Protein: The Best Sources & How Much You Actually Need

The post Why Is Fiber Good For You? (And How To Get Enough Fiber!) appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

In many places, pumpkins have also become synonymous with the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays. Some people even believe a Thanksgiving meal isn’t complete without a piece of pumpkin pie for dessert (Guilty!). And in the US, pumpkins are carved and turned into jack o’ lanterns, although the tradition actually started with the carving of other root veggies like turnips, potatoes, and beets.

In the Celtic tradition of Samhain (pronounced “sow-win”), people carved scary faces into vegetables to ward off demons and evil spirits. Upon immigration to the United States, many Celts began using pumpkins instead because they were bigger and sturdier than the vegetables they traditionally carved. Over time, these sources of protection became standard Halloween decorations.

While they may or may not protect you from evil spirits, pumpkins can help protect you from chronic disease. These edible gourds have a number of health benefits and are an easy and affordable way to boost your health and add color to your meals.

In this article, we’ll explore the health benefits of pumpkins and how to use them in a variety of sweet and savory dishes.

Types of Pumpkin

Although they’re known for their vibrant orange color, pumpkins actually come in a variety of hues, including orange, yellow, green, blue, white, black, pink, and even multicolored stripes.

Pumpkins also come in a number of shapes and sizes beyond the typical jack o’ lantern style types you might see at the grocery store or pumpkin patch. They can range in size from a few inches across for mini pumpkin varieties to a few feet across like the giant pumpkins that are typically seen at state fairs in the United States.

There are four main species of pumpkins: Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita argyrosperma (formerly mixta), Cucurbita pepo, and Cucurbita maxima.

Cucurbita moschata

The Cucurbita moschata pumpkin variety also includes butternut squash. These are the types of pumpkins that are frequently used to make canned pumpkin. Fun fact — 85% of the world’s commercially produced pumpkin puree is made using Nestlé’s own brand of Dickinson pumpkins called Libby’s Select. Other typical C. moschata pumpkins include Crookneck, Seminole, Calabaza, and Buckskin.

Cucurbita argyrosperma

Cucurbita argyrosperma are also known as cushaw pumpkins. Their shape is more oblong than other pumpkin varieties, and many are green or striped rather than orange. Varieties of C. argyrosperma include Calabacita, Green Striped Cushaw, and Hopi Green.

Cucurbita pepo

Cucurbita pepo is the most common type of pumpkin and the one you’re likely the most familiar with. They’re also known as field pumpkins because they are often grown in corn fields as part of intercropping methods. Field pumpkins typically have smoother skin and are ideal for painting or carving. Some of the most popular varieties are Baby Bear, Munchkin, and New England Pie.

Cucurbita maxima

Finally, there’s Cucurbita maxima, which includes some of the widest diversity of pumpkins and squashes. This is where you’ll get the most color variety and the largest pumpkins. The world record for the largest pumpkin ever recorded was 2,703 lbs from a Cucurbita maxima variety called Werner. Other varieties of this species include Big Max, Dill’s Atlantic Giant, and Cinderella, so named because of its resemblance to Cinderella’s pumpkin-turned-carriage from the Disney film.

Pumpkins Have Been Used for Survival and Medicine

Pumpkins were essential to North American Indigenous diets beginning thousands of years ago. They were one of the earliest cultivated vegetables, with beginnings in the Oaxacan region of Mexico. In addition to the flesh, pumpkin seeds were also eaten and used for their health benefits.

When the Pilgrims came to America, pumpkins became a critical and nutritious food for them, as well. Without pumpkins, many of the early settlers might not have survived.

One of the first American folk songs has these lyrics: “We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon; If it was not for pumpkins we would be undoon.”

Most parts of the pumpkin plant, especially the seeds, flesh, and yellow blossoms, are still used in traditional systems of medicine today. And many people in the Global South consume pumpkin regularly as a staple food to get a significant amount of the energy and nutrients they need to survive.

Are Pumpkin Seeds and Pepitas the Same Thing?

Pumpkin seeds and pepitas are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually slightly different foods.

Pumpkin seeds are what you might find when you dig into a carving pumpkin or most pumpkin varieties sold at stores. They’re the pumpkin seeds that are sold with their white shells intact.

Pepitas, on the other hand, are a type of pumpkin seed only found in specific varieties of pumpkin originating in the Styrian region of Austria. You can find pepitas in oilseed pumpkins (also known as naked seed pumpkins), which are usually of the Cucurbita pepo variety. These shell-free (they grow that way) pumpkin seeds are used to make, you guessed it, pumpkin seed oil. But the seeds themselves are also a highly regarded snack food and are often found in Mexican cuisine.

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts

Both pumpkin flesh and pumpkin seeds are potent sources of nutrition. Pumpkin fruit is an excellent source of B vitamins and vitamin E, as well as minerals like iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. Pumpkins are rich in phytochemicals like cucurbitacins, saponins, carotenoids, phytosterols, and polyphenols. They also contain vitamin C, potassium, and the carotenoid and antioxidant beta-carotene, which gives orange pumpkins their color.

In one cup of cooked pumpkin, you’ll find the following nutrients:

• Calories 49 kcal
• Protein 1.8 g
• Carbohydrates 12 g
• Fat .2 g
• Fiber 2.7 g
• Vitamin A 245% DV
• Vitamin C 19% DV
• Vitamin E 10% DV
• Riboflavin 11% DV
• Copper 11% DV
• Magnesium 6% DV
• Potassium 16% DV
• Iron 8% DV

And in one ounce of pumpkin seeds you’ll find:

• Calories 146 kcal
• Protein 9.2 g
• Carbohydrates 3.8 g
• Fat 11.8 g
• Fiber 1.1 g
• Vitamin K 17% DV
• Riboflavin 5% DV
• Copper 19% DV
• Magnesium 37% DV
• Phosphorus 33% DV
• Iron 23% DV
• Zinc 14% DV
• Manganese 42% DV

Surprising Health Benefits of Pumpkins & Pumpkin Seeds

Some varieties of pumpkin are gourds, and others are squash. Gourds have a harder outer shell and little edible flesh on the inside, while squashes are more tender and have softer flesh. Believe it or not, a pumpkin is technically a fruit because it starts from a flower, much like a tomato or pepper. But most people consider it a vegetable because of its squash-like flavor, although there are sweeter varieties of pumpkin out there.

Whether you consider it a fruit, vegetable, or both, the fact that it’s either is enough to know pumpkins are good for you. Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, including pumpkins, is associated with lower mortality rates and chronic disease prevention. But what are the specific health benefits of pumpkins and their seeds?

Let’s take a look at why they deserve so much more culinary attention than just as a holiday pie filling.

1. Pumpkin and Brain Health

The carotenoids in pumpkin flesh may have a powerful impact on your brain.

One in vitro study demonstrated that pumpkin pulp could be protective against mycotoxins crossing the blood-brain barrier, as is seen in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Pumpkin carotenoid extract was used on cells treated with mycotoxins, and the cells showed a reduction in multiple markers of inflammation. It’s possible this may be because pumpkins contain the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is found in much lower levels in people with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

2. Pumpkin and Overactive Bladder Disorders

Urinary dysfunction is a common concern with increasing age. Pumpkin seed oil may help with overactive bladder disorders, specifically nocturia (or waking up to use the bathroom at night). One 2014 study in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine showed improved bladder function and a reduction in the severity of self-assessed symptoms within 12 weeks when the participants took 10 grams of pumpkin seed oil per day.

Another study on the effect of benign prostate enlargement and urinary retention also showed improvement with pumpkin seed oil. Although you may not want to include oil in your diet, you may still be able to reap these benefits by consuming whole pumpkin seeds with their natural oils intact.

3. Is Pumpkin Good for Your Eyes?

The beta-carotene and other carotenoids found in pumpkin, like lutein and zeaxanthin, are important for eye health.

According to the National Institutes of Health, ½ cup of canned pumpkin contains more than 100% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A — which aids vision, particularly in dim light.

The lutein and zeaxanthin in pumpkin also protect your eyes from oxidative stress and have been studied for their protective effects on macular degeneration and cataracts.

4. Antimicrobial, Antibacterial, and Antiparasitic Effects of Pumpkin

Pumpkins may also have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that can help protect against infectious diseases. One 2017 in vitro study found that pumpkin peel and puree extracts showed evidence of preventing the growth and division of bacteria. (They also had the same effect on cancer cells, which we’ll talk more about in the next section). Other in vitro studies also showed pumpkin extracts were effective against specific strains of harmful bacteria, including staph, E. coli, and salmonella.

Pumpkin seeds and seed extract have also been recommended as home remedies for deworming and parasitic infections in both people and animals. Multiple studies have tested the effectiveness of pumpkin seeds and their extracts and shown a reduction in the number of parasitic worms and their eggs. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

5. Pumpkin and Cancer

Pumpkin seeds and flesh are packed with antioxidants, and eating both of them often may help treat or reduce the risk of many types of cancer.

One in vitro study on cancer cells of the breast, prostate, and colon found that pumpkin seed extract inhibited cancer cell growth by up to 50% and may be a potential treatment for hormone-related cancers. A similar study on thyroid cancer cells also showed pumpkin seed extract initiated cancer cell death and may also work in conjunction with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel.

Pumpkins contain cucurbitacin, a type of phytochemical unique to the Cucurbitaceae family of plants. To demonstrate the powerful anti-inflammatory effects of this compound, extracts of Cucurbita pepo were used on colon cancer cells. The result was a reduction in the amount of inflammatory cytokine secretion, which has been associated with cancer cell proliferation and metastasis.

6. Is Pumpkin Good for Diabetes?

Eating pumpkins and pumpkin seeds can have a variety of beneficial effects for people with type 2 diabetes and blood sugar problems.

In one study on critically ill diabetes patients, pumpkin was shown to help reduce high blood sugar levels quickly. Each subject was given five grams of freeze-dried powder from the C. maxima pumpkin species for three days. In those three days alone, blood glucose decreased by an average of 36 mg/dL total. That is a significant amount considering one unit of insulin will drop blood sugar by 50 mg/dL.

A 2013 animal study published in the Journal of the Formosan Medical Association also found that raw pumpkin seeds’ tocopherol content mediated blood sugar levels and improved oxidative stress status and pancreatic markers.

How to Use Pumpkin & Pumpkin Seeds in Recipes

Although they’re convenient, you may want to avoid canned pumpkin or pumpkin pie mixes. Many of them contain added sugars, natural flavors, and other additives. The cans may also have BPA linings, which can leach into the food. If you do want to use canned pumpkin for a recipe, make sure to read the ingredients and look for BPA-free cans.

If a recipe calls for canned pumpkin, you can use fresh pumpkin instead (although you may need to steam or boil it first to get the right consistency).

You can also use substitute pumpkin puree for butter or oil in baking recipes. Using pumpkin in baked goods will give them a moist texture along with a subtle pumpkin flavor (unless you also add pumpkin pie spice to the mix).

Though they’re edible, it’s best not to use the large variety of pumpkin — the orange jack-o’-lantern pumpkins — for baking because this variety is stringy, with less flavor. But you can save their seeds, roast them, and use the flesh in stews and curries as you might use white and sweet potatoes.

The smaller and sweeter “pie pumpkins” or “sugar pumpkins” are best for baking and most recipes. (In the northern hemisphere, you can usually find these in grocery stores from late September into December.)

Pumpkin seeds and pepitas can be eaten on their own as a healthy snack or sprinkled over salads, oatmeal, chia pudding, and plant-based yogurt. You can also use them as a garnish for soups, chilis, and grain bowls. Or bake them into homemade crackers, muffins, and other baked goods.

You can store many uncut pumpkins in a cool, dark place for up to two months after harvest. Once cut, you can store pumpkin in the fridge for four to five days in an airtight container.

What About Pumpkin Spice & Pumpkin Flavored Food?

Come September, many grocery stores and coffee chains start offering pumpkin- or pumpkin spice-flavored products. The pumpkin spice craze seems to have started back in 2003 with the introduction of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte (or PSL as it’s often abbreviated). The PSL’s popularity launched a thousand pumpkin-flavored ships with everything from pumpkin spice coffee creamers to the junk food abomination that nobody asked for — Pumpkin Pie Spice Pringles.

While jumping on the pumpkin spice bandwagon might seem like a fun way of getting into the fall season, the reality is that most of these foods are processed and full of added sugar, dairy, flavorings, and colorings. Even if you ask for a dairy-free PSL, without whole milk and whipped cream, Starbucks’ pumpkin spice mix is made with condensed milk.

To add insult to injury, the majority of pumpkin-flavored products don’t even contain any actual pumpkin. Instead, they add caramel coloring (which is made from high fructose corn syrup) and pumpkin pie spices. Even Starbucks didn’t start including real pumpkin in their drink recipe until 2015.

This is not to say that you can’t enjoy pumpkin and the flavors of fall at all. There are plenty of ways to make dairy-free and whole food versions of pumpkin-spiced food and drinks, including the PSL. Below, you’ll find a few delicious recipes made with real pumpkin and pumpkin seeds that are healthy and affordable.

4 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes for You to Try

We love pumpkin, yes we do, we love pumpkin — how about you? In case that didn’t make things obvious, we are delighted to share with you some of our favorite pumpkin recipes.

Starting off with superfood pumpkin seeds, Pumpkin Seed Poppers burst with nutrients, textures, and flavors. Enjoy them solo as an easy and scrumptious appetizer or on top of pasta, salads, or your favorite Italian-inspired grain bowl.

Pumpkin lends a slightly sweet and earthy flavor to an already savory, nourishing bowl of plant-based comfort in our Hearty Pumpkin Chili.

And our Pumpkin Spice and Amaranth Smoothie Bowl is an exciting twist on the traditional fruit-based smoothie bowl. Delicate pumpkin, warm pumpkin pie spice, and crunchy amaranth will have you falling in love with the versatility of pumpkin in no time!

Pumpkin Millet Granola takes a slight departure from the granola you might be used to, but this highly craveable snack (or breakfast) will be all the rage among die-hard pumpkin spice lovers everywhere!

1. Pumpkin Seed Poppers

Get creative in the kitchen with Pumpkin Seed Poppers. These bite-sized appetizers come with plenty of fiber, magnesium, and tryptophan, plus lots of flavor. Pumpkin seeds bring even more to the party since they are a rich source of zinc, B vitamins, and protein. What’s more, these tasty poppers are very fast to prepare when you have leftover brown rice or quinoa, as well as some roasted red peppers on hand.

2. Hearty Pumpkin Chili

Hearty Pumpkin Chili checks all the chili boxes, plus it goes the extra mile by including nutrient-rich pumpkin. Pumpkin’s sweet flavor and smooth texture stack up well to the heartiness of the beans and the robust acidity of the tomatoes. If you’re a chili lover like us, you’ll appreciate the bold spices, rich texture, and, of course, the surplus of plant-powered nutrients! Go ahead and savor every wholesome, nourishing, delicious, and satisfying bite!

3. Pumpkin Spice and Amaranth Smoothie Bowl

Pumpkin takes center stage in this perfectly spiced Pumpkin Spice and Amaranth Smoothie Bowl. Its beautiful vibrant orange color will have you on the edge of your seat as you dive in for the signature taste of the autumn season. This may sound like the perfect smoothie bowl for the fall season (and it is!), but it can certainly be enjoyed year-round. Pumpkin is chock-full of beta-carotene, B vitamins, and vitamin E, as well as minerals like iron, magnesium, and phosphorus to prime you for whatever the day brings.

4. Pumpkin Millet Granola

Loaded with oats, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and a touch of pumpkin pie spice, you’ll love having this granola on hand for healthy plant-based breakfasts and snacking. Plus, satisfyingly sweet and crunchy Pumpkin Millet Granola is packed with zinc and magnesium, fiber, B vitamins, and protein. Happy nibbling!

Make Pumpkin Part of Your Meals in a Healthy and Affordable Way

Pumpkins are valuable functional foods with an abundance of health benefits. They’ve been used medicinally and culinarily for thousands of years and across cultures.

Although pumpkin- and pumpkin spice-flavored foods are seemingly everywhere in the fall, it’s best to stay away from the pumpkin-flavored Pringles, Pop-Tarts, and store-bought pumpkin spice lattes. They are all high in sugar and flavorings and may not actually contain any pumpkin at all. Instead, enjoy pumpkins and pumpkin seeds in their whole food form to reap the benefits of their protective nature and scare away chronic and infectious diseases.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you know of any other health benefits of pumpkin?
• Do you have any creative or unique ways to use pumpkin?
• What are your favorite healthy pumpkin recipes?

Featured image: iStock.com/fotokris

Read Next:

• Top Health Benefits of Squash + How to Prepare and Eat It
• 10 Vegan Halloween Recipes That Are Surprisingly Healthy (and Delicious!)

The post Proven Health Benefits of Pumpkins and Pumpkin Seeds & How to Use Them in Your Diet appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

From black beans to chickpeas and from cannellini to kidney, beans and other legumes (like lentils and split peas) provide an easy and affordable way to get many of the critical nutrients you need to thrive. Beans and other pulses have often served as a primary source of calories and other nutrients for thousands of years — and across cultures. Including them in your diet is also a great way to help you cut down on animal protein and enjoy more plant-based protein (they’re full of it!).

So what exactly makes beans so great? What are the healthiest types of beans? What about some of the downsides and controversies surrounding them? And what are some of the best ways to use beans in your daily meals?

Types of Beans

There are over 16,000 members of the bean family, although only a small number of those are edible. And, in fact, only 16 (.1%) of those bean plants are regularly consumed on a global basis — at least, according to data compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Some of the most commonly known and eaten types of beans are actually all different varieties of the same species. The common bean species (Phaseolus vulgaris) encompasses green beans, Anasazi beans, navy beans, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, and cannellini beans.

Other popular types of beans include:

• Lima beans
• Soybeans
• Adzuki beans
• Mung beans
• Cowpeas
• Peas
• Chickpeas
• Broad beans
• Lentils
• Pigeon peas

Bean Nutrition: What Are the Healthiest Beans?

According to research by Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, beans are one of the foods most associated with longevity.

For optimal health, Buettner recommends eating a cup of beans each day. Few people in industrialized nations today, however, consume anywhere near that amount.

Yet beans can be one of the best sources of clean, whole food, plant-based protein and fiber. For people who might need to boost their protein intake, such as athletes and seniors, eating beans at most meals can be a great boost nutritionally. Cooked soybeans, for example, contain almost 30 grams of protein per cup! And beans don’t have the harmful health effects that animal protein brings, because they don’t have the pro-inflammatory compounds found in meat like arachidonic acid, saturated fat, and carnitine.

Then there’s fiber, a nutrient that many don’t get enough of. Cooked split peas and lentils have approximately 16 grams of fiber per cup!

To put all of this into perspective, many nutrition experts believe that a 150-pound person requires about 54 grams of protein and 40 grams of fiber per day. Most people in developed nations today consume an excess of protein, yet get only about 16-24 grams of fiber per day.

In addition to being excellent sources of protein and fiber, some beans also contain nearly a full day’s worth of iron, and many other vitamins and minerals, too. Black beans, for example, are also good sources of B vitamins like thiamine and folate as well as a variety of micronutrients like magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and copper. Plus, all beans contain potent phytochemicals that are power disease fighters.

All beans seem to be good for your health. But which beans come out on top in terms of nutrition and antioxidant superpowers? According to NutritionFacts.org, black beans and lentils are two of the healthiest types of beans or legumes, beating out kidney beans, split peas, pinto beans, and chickpeas by twice or even 20 times as much antioxidant activity (in the case of chickpeas).

The Health Benefits of Beans

Now let’s dive deeper into some of the specific health benefits of beans and why they deserve a place in your diet.

Beans and Cancer

There is no guarantee against cancer, but a large percentage of cancer risk is due to dietary and lifestyle causes. Beans and legumes can help reduce the risk of many types of cancer in several ways.

One way is through the fiber they contain. Beans and legumes are among the foods richest in dietary fiber. Fiber is essential to help shuttle excess hormones and carcinogens out of the body. Without adequate fiber, these waste products continue to circulate over and over again, potentially causing cancer.

In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, participants consumed a low-fat, high-fiber, high-fruit-and-vegetable diet, and researchers focused on the recurrence of colorectal adenomas (polyps) — which are a precursor to colon cancer.

After adjusting for all the commonly considered variables, the one factor that made the biggest difference in whether or not participants had a recurrence of adenomas was the number of bean servings they consumed.

Participants that were least likely to have a recurrence of polyps consumed 31 to 233 grams of beans per day.

Beans also contain a compound called phytic acid (phytates). Although phytates have gotten a bad rap in Paleo circles, many researchers believe that dietary phytates may be one of the reasons that people eating a plant-based diet rich in beans and other legumes tend to have lower rates of certain forms of cancer, including breast, prostate, and colon cancer.

Beans and Heart Health

Beans also have proven cardiovascular effects. And many medical associations, including the American Heart Association, recommend beans as part of a heart-healthy diet.

In a study published by Public Health Reports, people without legumes in their diets were at quadruple the risk of suffering from high blood pressure.

And in another randomized control trial published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers gave participants just a half cup of pinto beans per day. After eight weeks, their total cholesterol dropped an average of nearly 20 points, and their LDL cholesterol levels dropped 14 points — as much as the level induced by the leading prescription cholesterol drugs!

Are Beans Good for Weight Loss?

If you’re looking to lose a few pounds or just maintain a healthy weight, beans and legumes are one of the best foods you can add to your diet.

A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that people who ate beans regularly had a 22% lower risk of obesity and were more likely to have a smaller waist than people who didn’t eat beans.

One possible explanation for this is that beans are high in soluble fiber, which slows digestion and makes you feel full longer.

A systematic review and meta-analysis also concluded that the inclusion of beans in your diet may be a modest weight loss strategy and lead to weight loss even without calorie restriction. Because beans are low in dietary fat but high in protein (unlike meat and dairy products, which are also high in saturated fat), their consumption may reduce body fat percentage.

Beans and Blood Sugar

Beans are also low on the glycemic index despite being high in carbohydrates and starches. Unlike simple carbohydrates that may spike blood sugar, beans contain slow digesting starch that triggers a sustained release of glucose that keeps blood sugar balanced.

This was originally known as the Lentil Effect. But it’s now known as the Second-Meal Effect and is the reason the consumption of beans is often recommended for people who have type 2 diabetes, as well as for those who want to prevent it.

Eating beans for type 2 diabetes is supported by dozens of research studies, including a systematic review of 18 randomized control studies. The conclusion reached from the review was that the inclusion of beans and legumes provided improvement in type 2 diabetes markers across the board, including fasting glucose, insulin, and HbA1c.

The Hispanic Paradox

The Hispanic Paradox is an example of the powerful effect of beans. In comparison to national averages, Hispanic people living in the US have lower access to health care, a higher poverty rate, and lower levels of education — all of which are typically linked to worse health outcomes. So you might expect the Hispanic population to also have a lower life expectancy. But remarkably, on average, Hispanic Americans live substantially longer than both white Americans and Black Americans.

Hispanic Americans have a 24% lower risk of premature death — with typically the lowest rates of lung cancer and lower rates of bladder cancer, throat cancer, and colorectal cancer, for both men and women.

Scientists have studied why this might be the case and have determined that diet has something to do with it. Although Hispanics only represent 18.7% of the US population, they eat one-third of the beans consumed. So a high bean consumption may be one of the reasons Hispanics live longer than white and Black Americans.

Bean Side Effects & Controversies

While beans have a number of health benefits, they may not be for everyone. Here are some things to consider when choosing whether to eat certain types of beans or increase your intake.

Soy — The Controversial Bean

Although accusations of soy possibly causing breast cancer or the feminization of male breast tissue abound, the evidence actually suggests otherwise. In fact, soy, like other beans and legumes, appears to have an anticancer effect on the body and can contribute to good health and longevity.

The Okinawan centenarians that live in one of the Blue Zone regions eat soy foods regularly as part of their traditional diet. And the consumption of moderate amounts of traditional soy foods like tofu, tempeh, miso, soy sauce, and soy milk has actually been shown to be protective against certain forms of cancer, including breast cancer.

For example, in a study published in Cancer Causes & Control, the consumption of soy milk was shown to be associated with a 70% reduction in the risk of prostate cancer.

Similarly, in a study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who consumed the most soy had a 29% reduced risk of breast cancer and a 36% reduced risk of recurrence.

And despite many claims to the contrary, soy has not been found to cause the feminizing effects for which it is sometimes erroneously blamed. There are, however, high levels of actual estrogen in dairy, eggs, and meat, and these have been linked to the early onset of puberty, as well as to fertility issues and cancer.

GMO Soy

Some people are also concerned about soy and GMOs. While it’s true that most of the soybeans grown in the US today are genetically modified, the majority of these soybeans go to livestock. The rest may make their way into soy protein isolate, soy oil, and other highly processed soy foods.

If you’re interested in saying no to GMO soy, it might be best to avoid eating meat and processed foods, and instead opt for organic tofu, tempeh, soymilk, and other USDA-certified organic soy products.

For more on separating the soy facts from fiction, check out our article on soy here.

Antinutrients in Beans

Lectins are proteins present in many plants and concentrated in beans, whole grains, and certain fruits and vegetables. Some people are concerned about lectins, referring to them as antinutrients or even poison. One of the lectins found in kidney beans, for example, called hemagglutinin, can make people sick if consumed raw.

But I don’t know anyone who’s actually in the habit of eating raw kidney beans, do you? It turns out that for most people, lectins and lectin-containing foods are not the enemy. In fact, research shows that lectins may even have health benefits like helping treat digestive cancers.

Phytates are another so-called “antinutrient” in beans you may have heard of. Like lectins, phytates are naturally occurring compounds in plant foods like beans. Phytates are often talked about because they chelate or bind to important minerals like calcium, zinc, and iron, making them less bioavailable to the body. The concern is they could contribute to nutrient deficiencies. But the evidence shows that they, too, actually have a number of health benefits and may help protect us against chronic disease.

Finally, there are also phytoestrogens in soy and other legumes. Phytoestrogens are often brought up in the arguments against soy because there’s a misconception they act like our body’s naturally occurring estrogen. But phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens, are weaker than normal estrogen and can actually bind to or block excess estrogen in the body rather than increase it.

For most people, then, “antinutrients” like lectins, phytates, and phytoestrogens are not a cause for concern when consuming beans. And, in fact, their very existence may contribute to the health superpowers of legumes. However, if you’re still concerned about antinutrients in beans, you may be happy to know that sprouting, cooking, fermenting, and soaking all help significantly reduce their antinutrient levels.

GI Effects of Beans

Although bean-induced tooting is the subject of a lot of jokes (and family anecdotes), some people do have trouble digesting beans. This is one of the reasons that it’s best to soak beans for 24–48 hours (rinsing twice per day) before cooking them. With every rinse, you’ll be draining off oligosaccharides, which are a leading cause of flatulence.

If you do this and still find your digestion less than optimal, you may want to try introducing beans to your diet slowly, starting with one-quarter cup at a time and adding more every day or two to see how your body responds.

Some people also find that lentils and split peas are a bit easier to adjust to than other legumes while offering similar nutritional benefits. Another thing you can try is to take a digestive enzyme with your legumes. A daily probiotic might also be helpful as your body adjusts to them.

Cooked vs Dried Beans

When buying beans you typically have two options, dried beans or cooked beans. So which is the better choice? The answer is — it depends. Cooked beans are usually more convenient because they’re ready to add to recipes. So cooked beans can be a great way to easily add beans to your diet. However, some types of cooked beans have additional issues.

Canned beans sometimes come with added sodium, making them a less healthy choice than dried beans, especially for people with high blood pressure. Fortunately, you can buy canned beans that have no salt added.

Canned beans may also come in cans with BPA linings. BPA is a toxic, plastic-derived chemical that can leach into your food. As of 2020, about 95% of canned foods were made without BPA linings, but it’s unclear if the alternatives are any better for you.

However, canned beans are not the only source of cooked beans anymore. You can also buy cooked beans in non-toxic packaging like Tetra Paks, recyclable cartons, and glass jars, which are better for both you and the environment.

Cooked beans are more expensive than dried beans — about three times as expensive. So it’s much more economical to buy dried beans and cook them yourself. But the trade-off is that dried beans take much longer to cook, which can be challenging with already busy lives. Of course, this can be solved with a little planning ahead.

Ultimately, dried beans are cheaper and, when properly cooked, healthier than canned beans. But if you don’t have time to cook your own, don’t let that stop you from eating beans! Cooked beans, especially in non-toxic packaging, also have health benefits and can still make a fabulous contribution to a healthy, balanced diet.

How to Prepare Dried Beans

If you do decide to buy dried beans and prepare them yourself, here are step-by-step instructions for how to cook beans.

1. First, soak beans for 12–48 hours prior to cooking by placing them in a pot and covering with lots of water — enough to cover by two inches. Discard soaking liquid, rinse, and resoak 2–3x/day, and then rinse and cook thoroughly until tender in fresh water. (Soaking is not necessary with lentils, as they cook relatively quickly.)
2. Cook beans using my favorite method, a pressure cooker. They come out perfectly every time. Pressure cookers save time and energy. The pressure also penetrates the tough exterior of beans, making them more easily digestible. But, if you don’t have one, don’t worry. A simple pot or slow cooker can work well, too.
3. Add a bay leaf or a strip of dried kombu (a sea vegetable) when cooking beans. Doing so not only adds flavor, but the kombu can help reduce flatulence from eating beans. Kombu contains alpha-galactosidase, which helps break down the oligosaccharides in beans that are responsible for their gastrointestinal effects.
4. You can also add spices, such as fennel, cumin, caraway, ginger, epazote, asafoetida, and turmeric to help make beans more digestible.

How to Use Beans in Recipes

Beans are versatile foods that work well as both a plant protein source and a vegetable.

Reap the benefits of beans and legumes by using them in:

• Soups, stews, and chilies
• Blended into dips, spreads, or sauces
• In breakfast scrambles
• As a filling for tacos, burritos, and other Mexican dishes
• Mixed into veggie burger patties
• Mixed into salads
• In hot or cold pasta dishes
• In casseroles, stir-fries, or power bowls
• Desserts like brownies or puddings

3 Delicious Plant-Based Bean Recipes

If you haven’t already begun your love affair with beans and legumes, we have a few recipes that we think might help!

Cowboy Caviar brings beans to new heights. This flavorful dish is best described as a fusion between bean salad and veggie salsa. Bean salsa? Sign us up!

Looking for a new bean to try? One-Pot Butter Bean soup is a quick and easy way to get in your one cup a day. If you have never tried butter beans before, we recommend you don’t miss out on this recipe (not to mention all of the healing veggies that accompany these beans).

Last but not least, Everyday Lentil Lunch is now one of our favorite go-to lunch recipes (and we love to share it as often as we can), thanks to the delightful combination of lentils, grains, herbs, and spices. With so many ways to use beans and legumes, we’re certain you’ll find your favorite go-to ways to enjoy them!

1. Cowboy Caviar

The beauty of beans is that you can transform them in a variety of ways to satisfy any craving, pallet, or nutritional need. Cowboy Caviar can best be described as a fusion of bean salad and veggie salsa. They come together for a gorgeous and colorful bowl of plants that is teeming with fiber, protein, phytonutrients, and of course plenty of flavors. Enjoy it as a taco filling, use it as a salsa, or top it on avocado toast.

2. One-Pot Butter Bean Soup

One-Pot Butter Bean soup is a quick and easy way to get in your one cup a day! Butter beans (also known as lima beans) are not often highlighted as a bean of choice in many dishes (unless you live in the South), so we are giving this bean its chance to shine. Butter beans have a starchy yet buttery texture (hence the name), and are a great source of folate (and other B vitamins), copper, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, protein, and of course fiber! With the addition of carrots, onion, and Swiss chard, you’ll have a super nourishing soup with plenty of potent phytochemicals to help keep you healthy.

3. Everyday Lentil Lunch

Everyday Lentil Lunch is one of our favorite go-to lunch recipes, and we love to share it as often as we can! Lentils are a gold mine of nutrition. They have approximately 16 grams of fiber and about 18 grams of protein per cup. Plus, when you consider the nutritional value — the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects lentils have — you can see why we’d advocate for a cup of these health-promoting legumes a day. What’s more, this delicious dish comes together easily, has a variety of bright flavors, and is super satisfying. We’d recommend preparing extra lentils and brown rice to have on hand, as this could become your new lunchtime staple every day of the week.

Beans Are Good for You!

Most people I know are looking to save some money. And we all know that grocery costs can add up. Centering meals around beans can be a simple, affordable solution to eating healthier. Plus, you’ll get all the benefits of beans described above.

At just a couple of dollars per pound for most organic dried beans, it’s easy to feed even a large family a healthy, affordable meal featuring the lovable legume. Beans are also convenient. It’s easy to keep a variety of dried and canned beans in the pantry for making a broad range of bean recipes. There are so many exciting ways to prepare beans and reap their benefits.

We hope we’ve given you a few new ideas to incorporate more beans and legumes into your plant-powered diet and lifestyle.

Tell us in the comments:

• What are your favorite ways to prepare beans and legumes?
• What new bean recipe do you want to try next?
• What do you think about the health benefits of beans?

Read Next:

• Why Is Fiber Good For You? (And How To Get Enough Fiber!)

The post The Benefits of Beans: Why They Deserve a Place in Your Diet appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

References to veganism and other plant-based diets in the mainstream media were also often negative. Many headlines made veganism sound like a surefire way to become nutrient deficient, even using fear tactics to prevent parents from raising their kids on plant foods. Plus, meat-free food options used to be difficult to find outside of certain stores, and even then, they weren’t always appetizing. But now, all that is changing, quickly — and in a big way.

Veganism Around The World

Much of the world is trending toward plant-based eating — and this global shift could be here to stay.

Sometime in the mid-2010s, many people shifted from using the word “vegan” to “plant-based,” transforming this way of eating into something more inclusive and welcoming to larger sections of society.

Now, in many areas, finding plant-based alternatives for everything from beef to eggs to dairy products (like cheese, butter, and ice cream) can be as easy as walking through mainstream grocery stores. Even many restaurants have added more plant-based items to their menus, or at least offer them as an option. Plus, plant-based foods taste better than ever — some so close to their animal-derived counterparts that it’s hard to tell the difference.

Many people have observed that Millennials seem to be central drivers of this worldwide shift away from consuming animal products — normalizing plant-based eating, and leading consumer demand. But the plant-based movement is bigger than any one generation. Everyone from celebrities to athletes to entire companies, including Google, and countries as big as China are supporting the movement to eat more plant-based foods.

Plant-based eating may not be entirely mainstream – yet. But it’s becoming more accepted every day. And this trend is having far-reaching impacts.

Vegan Stats: Global Demand Increases for Plant-Based Foods

Nestlé, the largest food company in the world, predicted back in 2017 that plant-based foods will continue to grow and that the trend is “here to stay.” But has it, and is it?

Well, in 2020, plant-based dairy and meat sales were over $29 billion and were projected to increase to $162 billion by 2030. This means that plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are already making up nearly 8% of the so-called global “protein foods” market. And according to the Bloomberg Intelligence Report, plant-based food sales are expected to increase fivefold by 2030.

Furthermore, nearly half of all major food companies, including Kroger, Nestlé, and Unilever, have put dedicated plant-based teams in place to help them develop new products to compete in the marketplace. So it’s pretty safe to say that Nestlé’s prediction about plant-based foods was accurate, and if anything, may have understated the reality.

Plant-Based and Vegan Food Delivery

The rise in popularity of plant-based eating has been seen even when people were less frequently dining out and, instead, opting for food delivery services.

In Grubhub’s third annual “State of the Plate” report published in 2021, they noted that people using their service frequently opted for plant-based versions of classic take-out items. Compared to trends in 2020, overall vegan food delivery orders increased by 17%. Specifically, orders for plant-based burgers increased by 28%, and vegetarian orders increased by 55%.

Grubhub also predicts that meat alternatives will continue to boom in 2022 and beyond, showing up in popular menu items like sandwiches, burgers, and burritos.

And online food retailer ShelfNow reported a 156% increase in vegetarian food sales and a 150% increase in vegan food sales between 2020 and 2021.

More Evidence Veganism Is Growing

Here’s more vegan growth statistics, more compelling evidence that the global demand for plant-based foods is increasing:

• Search data from Google Trends shows an impressive worldwide increase in the interest in veganism from 2004 to 2022. Top regions include Israel, Australia, the United Kingdom, Austria, and New Zealand.
• An early 2022 survey from dating app OkCupid found that 90% of its clients say caring about the planet, and, specifically, climate change, is important in their romantic matches. Millennials are the largest group of OkCupid users, and they may also be responsible for the push towards more plant-based eating because of concerns around climate change.
• According to a study conducted by Ipsos Retail Performance, between 2004 and 2019, there was a 30-fold increase in vegans in the United States — from 290,000 in 2004 to almost 10 million in 2019. (This number may have risen even more in the years since!)
• In the UK, the number of people identifying as vegans in 2016 had increased by 360%, compared to just a decade before, according to research commissioned by the Vegan Society in partnership with Vegan Life magazine.
• In Canada, there has been a 250% increase in vegetarians. There are now over 2.3 million vegetarians and 850,000 vegans, according to 2020 data. The province with the most overall plant-based eaters is British Columbia. And in Canada’s Dietary Guidelines, most recently published in 2019, there is an emphasis on eating plant-based foods. They specifically recommend choosing plant-based proteins more often than animal-derived ones and avoiding processed meat and saturated fat.
• In Portugal, vegetarianism rose by 400% between 2007 and 2017 and has likely continued to grow since then. This is according to research carried out by Nielsen. Interestingly — thanks to the work of Portugal’s Vegetarian Association — starting in 2017 it became the first country in the world to pass a law that requires all government facilities, including prisons, hospitals, and schools, to offer at least one vegan option on their menus
• Plant-based diets are growing across Asia. The Food-Based Dietary Guidelines of China, last updated in 2016, encourage consuming plenty of vegetables and soybeans. One reason for this is because the Chinese government wants to encourage the nation’s 1.3 billion people to reduce their meat intake by 50% to benefit both health and the environment.
• In Australia, between 2014 and 2016 the number of food products carrying a vegan claim rose by 92%. According to 2020 reports, Australia is second only to the UK in terms of plant-based eating preferences.
• Even mainstream US health organizations are recommending a plant-based diet. This includes, among others, Kaiser Permanente, the largest health care organization in the US; the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee; and the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Vegan Athletes Normalize Plant-Based Eating

Plant-strong athletes across many sports are busting myths and achieving unbelievable results.

Across many sports, professional athletes are proving that a plant-based diet can fuel excellence. This includes athletes from weightlifting and bodybuilding to ultramarathon running and tennis.

Plant-based and vegan athletes include:

• Kendrick Farris, a male weightlifter who competed in the Rio Olympics
• Tennis star Venus Williams
• Patrik Baboumian, an Armenian-German strongman and former bodybuilder
• Heather Mills, a skier and amputee, who holds multiple world records and gold medals

In the 2017 documentary From the Ground Up, ultra-athlete Rich Roll shows how top athletes are powering their stellar performances with plants.

And plant-powered athletes have also been highlighted in other documentaries, such as 2018’s The Game Changers, which includes professionals like Dotsie Bausch, an eight-time US National Cycling Champion, and Lewis Hamilton, five-time Formula One World Champion.

Watch the trailer below:

Plant-Based Eating Is Helping NFL Football Players Perform at Their Best

Tom Brady Eats an 80/20 Plant-Based Diet

Tom Brady, widely considered the greatest American football quarterback of all time, eats mostly plants. The 44-year-old, seven-time Super Bowl champion eats an 80/20 plant-based diet, meaning 80% of his dietary intake is vegetables, whole grains, and other plant-based foods, and 20% is from animals.

According to him: “Eating meals like these is what has helped me stay at the top of my game.”

Tom is so passionate about plant-based eating that he partnered with the plant-based meal kit delivery service Purple Carrot in 2017 to create a line called TB12 Performance Meals. These vegan delivery meals were meant to help people with active lifestyles eat similarly to Brady.

Many Players on the Tennessee Titans Team Went Vegan

Multiple members of the Tennessee Titans football team have adopted a primarily plant-based diet and reaped the benefits in their performance. Much of the team was first inspired to do so when now-retired linebacker Derrick Morgan went vegan, and his wife, plant-based chef and cookbook author Charity Morgan, began making vegan lunches for the team.

Derrick has said about his diet: “Overcoming the preconceived notions is the biggest part. I was a part of it. I used to believe athletes had to eat meat to maintain play, then I educated myself.”

Here’s one of Charity’s plant-based meals:

She says about the Titans: “Once they realized they could have lasagna, enchiladas, and mac and cheese in plant-based form, they were so stoked. A lot of them tell me they feel faster on the field; they feel more energetic.”

Other Vegan NFL Players

Other NFL greats are also plant-powered and proud of it.

Cam Newton, by far the NFL career leader in rushing touchdowns, has told ESPN he credits his vegan diet for feeling good and recovering well. He’s been quoted as saying:

“It’s not putting certain things in your body that are going to combat your body trying to recover. You want to put things in your body that are going to expedite that whole process.”

And Andre Patton, a wide receiver who’s played for the Chargers, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Eagles, adopted a plant-based diet in 2019 thanks to a friend sending him eye-opening videos to watch about the meat industry.

Andre has said that the smell of traditional meat turns him off now, and he chooses plant-based burgers and hot dogs instead, along with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

About this switch, he remarks: “It definitely makes my body feel good coming out here and practicing. I feel the difference, especially in the mornings.”

Basketball Players Are Feeling Great and Performing Incredibly on Plant-Based Diets

More and more professional basketball players are going plant-based to boost their stamina and endurance.

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving announced in 2017 that he went plant-based over the off-season in an attempt to improve his playing. Irving’s performance, as described by Bleacher Report, really did become more incredible. He came to have boundless energy, speed, and endurance. And in late-game situations, his numbers became “unfathomable.”

Other former, and current, professional basketball players who switched to a plant-based diet include Wilson Chandler, Al Jefferson, Garrett Temple, Enes Kanter Freedom, and JaVale McGee.

NBA Players are Becoming Plant-Based Ambassadors

NBA All-Star Chris Paul stopped eating meat in 2019 and is now a Beyond Meat ambassador.

And plant-based NBA star DeAndre Jordan also shared his game-day eats in this video with Beyond Meat:

Cade Cunningham, drafted to the Detroit Pistons in 2021, has been plant-based since high school after initially only trying it for two weeks to see how his body responded to something new.

Now, he’s the newest athlete ambassador for Eat Just, maker of the wildly popular vegan egg replacement, JUST Egg. He was also the inspiration behind the “Cade Stack,” a JUST Egg featured breakfast sandwich served at Detroit’s FOLK Cafe last year.

Vegan Celebrities Influence Plant-Based Living

Giving up meat and animal products is becoming the norm for a growing number of celebrities.

A long list of celebrities across the globe are living (or at least trying) the plant-based life. Some of the many well-known names giving up animal products and going vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based include Billie Eilish, Natalie Portman, Beyoncé, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Carrie Underwood, Ellie Goulding, Jennifer Lopez, Woody Harrelson, Evanna Lynch, Rainn Wilson, Alicia Silvertone, Moby, Stevie Wonder, Bill Clinton, and Al Gore.

Celebrities who have spoken openly about adopting a plant-based diet in recent years include, among others:

• Singer Lizzo, who has been reportedly dabbling in plant-based eating on and off over the years, said on TikTok: “As a new vegan I’m enjoying exploring flavors from plants and plant-based proteins! Every journey is personal and deserves to be celebrated.”
  
• Musical icon Lenny Kravitz, who reported he’s been vegan since 2016
  
• Billie Eilish, who has been vegan since 2014, says she did it after learning about the meat and dairy industry. She said: “Once you know that kind of thing and you see it, it’s really hard to go back.”
  
• Madelaine Petsch, who plays Cheryl Blossom on Riverdale, has been outspoken about her lifelong plant-based diet. She says: “Being vegan keeps my body fueled and running smoothly.”

Vegan-Friendly Workplaces Emerge — For Their Employees and the Climate

More corporations are also getting on board with the cultural shift toward plant-based diets.

For instance, Google employees get to eat free food at employee cafeterias. And over the last several years, the meals at Google are using more plant-based foods and less meat.

As part of a broader sustainability initiative, Google recognizes that meat consumption is an important part of its carbon footprint and that animal agriculture is a big part of our environmental crisis.

Therefore, its chefs are subtly nudging workers to eat less meat. They aren’t trying to serve all-vegetarian meals immediately, but are slowly “moving people along a continuum.”

To see Food Revolution Network cofounder John Robbins’ 2013 presentation at Google headquarters, which helped inspire the plant-based trend at Google, watch below.

One group, called Vegan Leaders in Corporate Management (VLCM), has been playing a pivotal role in helping larger corporations adopt plant-based initiatives.

Some of these initiatives include connecting corporate vegans with one another, as well as offering tools and resources to help them introduce plant-based projects to their workplaces. One example is the Vegan Leaders Playbook, an informational and strategy guide that includes case studies and communication templates to help employees implement plant-based projects at work.

Some companies with VLCM members include Amazon, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Verizon, Target, Microsoft, General Motors, Facebook, Boeing, American Airlines, and Coca-Cola.

Vegan Stats from Grocers

Plant-Based Milk & Dairy

Plant-based milk is seeing an incredible increase as dairy milk sales decline. Plant-based milk now accounts for over 15% of all global milk sales, with plenty of room to grow.

While just a few years ago it was hard to find a single non-dairy milk on the menu at most restaurants and coffee chains, now you’re likely to find a few options, including oat, almond, coconut, and soy milks.

Even the dairy industry admits that dairy milk sales are down, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. While there was an initial surge of dairy purchases when stay-at-home orders were first in effect, sales have been decreasing by an average of 2% per year. But even before 2020, dairy sales were below normal, with around a $1 billion loss between 2017 and 2018.

A campaign called Februdairy was intended to revitalize dairy sales and dairy’s declining image. But it was failing before it even began. More people than ever are becoming aware of the problems with dairy and the problems with the dairy industry.

On the other hand, sales of non-dairy milk have risen. The market is expected to reach $31.28 billion in 2025, which would be up from $21.44 billion in 2021.

For more on plant-based milk (and some yummy DIY recipes), see our article here.

Plant-Based Meat Substitutes

Plant-based meat is going mainstream and causing concern for the meat industry.

The surging popularity of plant-based meat is beginning to impact the meat industry. Back in 2018, Chuck Jolley, president of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, said that plant-based meat substitutes were one of the six great challenges for (meat-based) agriculture that year.

Fast-forward to today, and the plant-based meat alternatives industry has grown more than 200% just since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond Meat created their Beyond Burger to resemble animal meat back in 2012. When cooked, the plant-based burgers use beet juice to “bleed” like real meat.

And Impossible Foods started by creating the Impossible Burger in 2016, made with plant-derived heme iron to give it its characteristic “meaty” look and taste. In late 2021, they also added Impossible Chicken Nuggets to their now long list of meat alternatives, which also includes plant-based sausage, ground beef, and meatballs.

These meat alternatives have become so good at smelling, looking, and tasting like animal meat that many meat-eaters can’t even tell the difference. In most grocery stores, you can find Beyond and Impossible brand meat alternatives either alongside traditional meat products or in the plant-based frozen foods section.

For more on the pros and cons of plant-based meats (and some yummy DIY recipes), see our article here.

Plant-Based Meat Statistics

Surveys show that 71% of Americans have tried at least one plant-based meat alternative, largely thanks to Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger starting to bridge the gap between veggie eaters and omnivores.

Beyond Burger has won over numerous investors — including Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates, and The Humane Society. Even Tyson Foods, America’s biggest meat processor, bought a 5% stake in the meat alternative company.

Impossible Foods was also named the fastest-growing plant-based meat company in retail with investors funding close to $2 billion since its founding.

And while Germany is often known for its bratwurst and schnitzel, German companies launched more vegan food products than companies from any other country in 2016. It retained this status until 2018 when the UK became the nation with the highest number of new vegan products.

Plant-Based Fast Food Is Growing and Expects to Grow More

Another area seeing a rise in plant-based options is fast food.

Many meat-free, fast-food restaurant chains, including Veggie Grill, Plant Power Fast Food, Evolution Fast Food, and Amy’s Drive Thru, continue to thrive.

Plant Power Fast Food, sometimes called “the vegan McDonald’s of California,” now has at least seven restaurants and a food truck, with plans to continue expanding as a result of their positive consumer response.

About the shift in plant-powered eating, cofounder Jeffrey Harris told Forbes: “The extraordinary interest is reflective of a big change in our society; one that we hope to be part of.”

Beyond Meat products are also becoming readily available in 80 countries around the world, and are now stocked by over 118,000 retailers.

Even McDonald’s has been busy at work adding new plant-based menu items, like the “McPlant,” which features the Beyond Burger. This addition came only shortly after Burger King launched the Impossible Whopper in 2019, with the chain more recently unveiling vegan chicken nuggets in the United Kingdom. In 2022, Burger King also announced their London flagship restaurant would go completely vegan for one month as a test drive for their goal to make their menu 50% plant-based by 2030.

Other fast-food chains that have plant-based meat alternatives on their menu include Blaze Pizza, Subway, Del Taco, Carl’s Jr, White Castle, Fatburger, and Qdoba.

More Schools and Teachers Are Enjoying Plant-Based Meals

Even some school lunches — long known for their suboptimal nutritional quality — are becoming healthier, with more plant-based options.

The UK’s first plant-based school kitchen started serving students in early 2022 with meals like tofu tacos and vegan shepherd’s pies.

In the US, the nation’s largest public school system — in New York City — started serving only vegan meals on Fridays throughout the academic school year. This goes a step further than their previous Meatless Mondays and Fridays that were implemented in 2019 before adding a dairy ban.

This move is fully supported by New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams, who follows a plant-based diet himself and credits it for his good health.

While it’s uncertain whether other schools around the US and UK will follow suit, these schools are setting an incredible example of putting health — and healthy foods — first among students.

Why Are More People Eating Plants?

As signs across cultures are showing, more people are interested in plant-based eating. This shift is being driven by a number of factors.

For one, the Internet has made it easy to spread information. Perhaps, as a result, more people are taking an interest in knowing where their food comes from and how it’s produced.

People are also becoming more aware of the health benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables — and of the health impacts of eating meat and animal products. The World Health Organization linked processed meats, like bacon and ham, to cancer back in 2015. And according to a major study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: A global reduction in meat consumption by 2050 could save up to eight million lives per year, $31 trillion in reduced costs from health care and climate change — and, even, the planet.

Also, it’s trendy to post delicious-looking images and videos of plant-based food on popular social media tools like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

In addition, popular food documentaries such as Forks Over Knives, What The Health!, Earthlings, The Game Changers, and Dominion are promoting whole, plant-based foods. And they are changing the way people view animals, food, and their health.

Overall, stereotypes about the word “vegan” and plant-based eating are shifting and becoming more positive.

And more meat eaters are eating plant-based foods, too.

People Are Increasingly Cutting Back on Meat and Animal Products, But Not Necessarily Giving Up All Meat

Going plant-based doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing way of eating. Overall, more people are eating fewer animal products and more whole plant foods — which can be great steps for health and for the environment.

Meatless Monday is also a global movement that began in 2003 to cut out meat at least one day a week. It continues to be a popular approach for many people and organizations trying to add more plant-based foods to their diets. And flexitarian eating creates a category for plant-based eaters who include occasional meat or fish in a mostly vegan, or “vegan-ish,” dietary pattern.

More and more people — whether they identify as vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, flexitarian, or omnivore — are choosing to incorporate vegan and plant-based meals into their way of eating.

Vegan Statistics: A Visual Representation

If you’d like to spread the news, we’ve created an infographic that you can download and share with friends and family. The image is also sized to fit on printer paper if you’d prefer a hard copy.

Our Hope for the Future of Food

Here’s what we think: You don’t need to identify as a vegan or vegetarian to care about your health, animals, or the planet.

Above all, at Food Revolution Network we stand for healthy, ethical, and sustainable food for all. And we believe in welcoming and supporting everyone to move in a healthier direction — regardless of their ideology or label.

We want to see healthy, whole, plant-powered food that is delicious, available, and affordable to all — including more food that focuses on whole plants and that is presented in beautiful and enticing ways.

We want to see more interest in fresh, local, organic, and fair-trade foods — as well as in farmers’ markets, home-grown foods, and community-supported agriculture.

And we want to help more people everywhere make conscious, healthy choices about what they eat — and why.

Now, we want to hear from you!

Tell us in the comments:

• What do you think about the global rise in vegan and plant-based eating?
• Do you see a rise in veganism and plant-based eating?
• Are these trends here to stay?
• Is this shift a good thing?

Feature Image: iStock.com/CharlieAJA

Read Next:

• 5 Common Mistakes Plant-Based Eaters Make and How to Avoid Them
• 11 Whole Foods Plant-Based Recipes from Around the World

The post Why the Global Rise in Vegan and Plant-Based Eating is No Fad (30x Increase in US Vegans + Other Astounding Vegan Stats) appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Indigenous peoples disproportionately experience a lower life expectancy, more chronic conditions, and overall lower quality of life. They also face significant amounts of poverty, chronic disease, and violence — as well as food insecurity.

In the Americas, Native peoples have been forcibly evicted from their ancestral lands and relocated to remote locations where they no longer have access to their traditional plants, medicines, and ecosystems. As a result of these evictions, and in some cases, because of forced integration into the colonizing culture, many Indigenous groups have struggled to keep their cultural traditions alive, including their native diets. Instead, many Indigenous peoples have had to rely on government assistance programs, subsisting on refined and processed foods for survival — while also experiencing less access to and discrimination in healthcare services.

But over the last few decades, despite the grim realities many Indigenous Nations still face, a movement towards food sovereignty has expanded. And many Native peoples have sought to reclaim and reconnect with their traditional or Indigenous food systems — and by extension, their health, both individual and communal.

Defining Indigenous Foods and Food Systems

Dana Thompson (lineal descendant of the Wahpeton-Sisseton and Mdewakanton Dakota tribes and a lifetime Minnesota native) is executive director of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS), a nonprofit working to improve Indigenous food access and education. As she explained to us in an interview, Indigenous food systems encompass more than the specifics of what’s on the store shelves and on people’s plates. They include “…how the foods are produced and that the foods are grown in an environmentally sustainable way.”

According to Thompson, Indigenous food access and education “…can help us to reclaim the health of Indigenous foods, which is really important. And it’s not just physical health; it’s spiritual health; it’s cultural health.”

As for the Indigenous foods themselves, they are those that Nations have historically had access to within their region of origin from farming, hunting, or wild-harvesting. Because climates and ecosystems vary widely, so, too, did traditional Indigenous diets in the Americas.

As Thompson explains, “If you’re down in the Southwest, you’re going to have access to cholla buds and all sorts of different stuff, all the great foods out of the desert. If you’re up in the Pacific Northwest, you’re going to have access to the ocean and all of those ecoregions inland with all the forests and different types of foods.”

Although traditional diets of Indigenous people in the Americas varied widely by region, what united them was unprocessed, whole, plant-based foods, coupled with wild fish and/or game. Their diets generally consisted of a healthy balance of macronutrients and were naturally low-fat and rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and complex carbohydrates that provided lasting energy.

But we’re not here to paint a romanticized picture of life in the Americas before colonization. Indeed, researchers believe that life expectancy in many parts of the Americas before colonization may have been low by today’s standards. But there’s also little doubt that when the Europeans arrived, they reached a continent that was lush with natural resources — abundant in topsoil — and in plant and animal life. The Native Americans that lived on the continent had done so sustainably and clearly hadn’t made a mess of things.

Learning from Indigenous Land Management

Although there’s some controversy over exactly how many thousands of years Indigenous people have lived in the Americas, there’s little doubt that traditional Indigenous food systems accomplished something that the modern industrial diet has not: they were sustainable and regenerative. In fact, they were sustainable because they were regenerative — a term that refers to agricultural practices that improve the fertility of the land rather than degrading it over time.

While many traditional foods were wild-harvested or hunted, Indigenous peoples also remained interconnected to their ecosystems through regenerative farming practices and land management.

In the Americas, Indigenous Nations managed complex ecosystems with agroforestry, which is defined by the USDA as “the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits.” This type of farming system helps protect crops from extremes in weather while also allowing for a variety of resources to be harvested from one location. Plus, it can also increase soil fertility and add more carbon to the soil, which is particularly significant now since it can help to offset greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.

Intercropping and polyculture have also been used in a similar way by Indigenous cultures, increasing production by planting multiple crops together. The “three sisters” crops — corn, beans, and squash — are an early example of intercropping among Native Americans. Research has shown that these crops have a complementary relationship and that planting them together increases both their nutrient levels and their yield.

These practices also produce crops that are more resilient in the face of pests and extreme weather.

Now, farmers, permaculturists, and ecologists are increasingly looking to Indigenous wisdom for insights on how we can live in a more balanced way. Industrialized agriculture has become one of the most environmentally destructive forces on the planet — depleting groundwater, topsoil, and forest cover; polluting our air and water; and destabilizing our climate. But Indigenous farming wisdom holds keys that could be of real value to the future of humanity.

But Indigenous farming wisdom holds keys that could be of real value to the future of humanity.

The Introduction of the Reservation System

Although there’s a lot we can learn from traditional Indigenous farming and land management, the sad truth is that much of this knowledge has been lost over time. Many Nations have had to relearn the ways of their ancestors due to the loss of Elders, forced assimilation in Native American boarding schools, the dominance of modern food technologies, and many other restrictions placed on them by colonizing forces.

But although colonization’s impact on traditional food systems started much earlier, it was the imposition of reservations in the United States that systematically separated Indigenous people from their traditional land and food ecosystems.

When the reservation system was created, many Nations were forcibly removed from their native lands and driven to remote locations. It was thought that by doing so, they could avoid conflict with white settlers. In fact, many reservation lands were selected just because white settlers didn’t desire them. Lands selected for reservations were often barren and ill-suited for hunting, wild harvesting, or traditional forms of agriculture.

Reservations have had a lasting impact on both Indigenous food knowledge and access. They made finding and harvesting Indigenous foods for many Nations nearly impossible, especially in amounts that could sustain a population.

Food Insecurity and Colonizer Foods

Because Indigenous peoples were displaced from their native lands and forced onto reservations, they started to rely on colonizer foods provided by the US government. White flour, lard, sugar, dairy products, and canned meats were provided for Indigenous Peoples to subsist on — a stark contrast from the unprocessed, whole foods they were used to. Although processed food products were foreign to Native Nations, these foods quickly became a survival necessity as access to traditional foods decreased.

Because of the relative isolation of reservation land, many reservations also became “food deserts,” with limited access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy whole foods. Even though the reservation system was created back in 1851, it continues to have a devastating impact on Native Nations. Today, one in four Indigenous people living on reservations experience periods of food insecurity.

In the Klamath River Basin (home to the Karuk, Yurok, Hoopa, and Klamath tribes), a 2019 survey found that 92% of tribal households were food insecure. And only 7% of those surveyed reported access to traditional foods. Even if Indigenous peoples can access nearby grocery stores or healthy food, brutal poverty on reservations means that they may not be able to afford that food. One in three Native Americans lives in poverty, forcing many tribal members to continue to rely on US government food aid for their survival. Unfortunately, the program offers an extremely limited variety (only 100 items) of food choices — the majority of which continue to be processed foods with little nutritional value.

Chronic Lifestyle Disease

Indigenous people also face significant health disparities. In fact, Native Americans are more likely than any other ethnic group in the US to report poor health status.

As Dana Thompson of NATIFS explained in her interview with us, from the beginning of the food aid program, the foods provided by the US government have played a major role in the poor health of tribal communities. “They started seeing these foodborne illnesses pop up in the form of inflammatory diseases, starting with tooth decay and going so far as to… cause diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer, mental health problems, and addictions.”

In the United States, Indigenous people have much higher rates of chronic disease, along with lower life-expectancies, compared to non-Indigenous people. And one of the biggest risk factors for developing these lifestyle diseases is the high rates of obesity seen among Native Americans. A 2018 National Health Institute Survey found that 48% of Indigenous people in the US were obese. This has also led to particularly alarming rates of type 2 diabetes. According to the International Diabetes Federation, over half of Indigenous adults have type 2 diabetes. That’s more than any other US racial group; twice the incidence among white Americans; and with a staggering, five times higher rate of diabetes-caused kidney failure.

Heart disease also often accompanies obesity and is the leading cause of death amongst Native Americans. And even though heart disease rates have gone down over the past 25 years due to increased preventive care measures, cancer incidence continues to climb among Native Peoples due to higher rates of obesity, poor diet, smoking, lack of physical activity, and infrequent health screenings.

Sadly, that also means Native Americans have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus as well. Indigenous people in North America have already died at twice the rate of white people from COVID-19.

Food Sovereignty and the Re-Indigenization of Diet

Although the social disparities facing Native Nations are grim, there are many community leaders and organizations that recognize the connection between the diets and health of Indigenous populations — and are actively working to improve them.

Food sovereignty is a term often used in association with the Indigenous foods movement. It comes from La Via Campesina, an international umbrella organization working for peasant and Indigenous rights. They define food sovereignty as “… human beings having direct, democratic control over the most important elements of their society – how we feed and nourish ourselves, how we use and maintain the land, water, and other resources around us for the benefit of current and future generations, and how we interact with other groups, peoples and cultures.”

Indigenous food sovereignty takes that model and applies it to tribal systems, putting the power of food back into the hands of Indigenous communities.

As outlined during the International Forum for Food Sovereignty, the seven pillars of food sovereignty are:

1. Focuses on food for people
2. Builds knowledge and skills
3. Works with nature
4. Values food providers
5. Localizes food systems
6. Puts control locally
7. Food is sacred

Food sovereignty advocates seek to help Indigenous peoples to decolonize and re-indigenize their diets. In doing so, they can reconnect with their ancestral foodways and reclaim power over their own bodies and health.

And I feel compelled to add here that we could all do well to remind ourselves of this body of knowledge and way of living in the world. Unless non-Indigenous peoples begin to adopt these same pillars, it’s hard to see how we can keep our civilization going for much longer. It’s fine to point to the three sisters as examples of Indigenous farming knowledge, but the true wisdom we need to save ourselves comes from these deeper principles: humans weaving community in direct connection with a land base — and in ways that sustain both the community and the land.

Indigenous Food Organizations to Support

Many organizations and businesses among Indigenous populations are working toward furthering the Indigenous foods and food sovereignty movements. Here are a few. Check out each of their websites to learn more about what they’re doing and ways you can help support their work.

1. North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS)

Sean Sherman, also known as The Sioux Chef, and Dana Thompson started NATIFS to provide education and access to Indigenous foods and foodways. Their work addresses and seeks to heal ancestral trauma using food, by promoting greater health and connection to Indigenous wisdom. They recently opened the first Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis, MN, which will be a culinary training center for working with Indigenous foods. “Our team is working really hard to build this educational model so that there are opportunities — there’s the curriculum for people to just get the fundamentals — so they can bring that knowledge back to their own communities and set up their own businesses,” Thompson informed us. You can donate, join their mailing list, or follow them on social media to keep up with their work.

2. Native Seeds/SEARCH (NS/S)

Native Seeds/SEARCH is a seed-saving nonprofit based in the southwestern United States. They work to protect traditional foods, biodiversity, farming techniques, and the cultural heritage of Indigenous communities by providing seed saving and farming training. Self-identifying Native Americans can order heritage seeds directly from their website. They also have an Adopt-a-Crop program and an online store with locally made food products for the general population to purchase.

3. Ojibiiikaan Indigenous Cultural Network

Ojibiiikaan Indigenous Cultural Network works primarily with Indigenous youth and their communities in the Toronto area. Their programs help to revitalize knowledge of Indigenous food and food systems through growing practices and gardening, traditional Indigenous cooking, and education of medicinal plants. They accept monetary donations as well as Indigenous seeds and rootstock.

4. White Earth Land Recovery Project

Founded by internationally renowned environmental and Native American activist, Winona LaDuke, White Earth Land Recovery Project is a nonprofit working to preserve and restore the land of the White Earth Indian Reservation while committing to re-indigenizing and revitalizing their cultural identity. Some of the projects they’re currently working on include promoting food sovereignty through a tribal food policy as well as farm to school initiatives. They also have an Indigenous seed library and sell traditional foods and crafts through their Native Harvest brand.

To hear more of Winona’s view on food sovereignty and Indigenous foods, check out her TEDx Talk below.

5. mak-‘amham (& Cafe Ohlone)

Vince Medina of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and Louis Trevino of Rumsen Ohlone tribe created an organization called mak-’amham (meaning “our food” in the Chochenyo Ohlone language) to preserve their nation’s traditional foods. Based in what is now the Bay Area of California, they gather pre-colonial Indigenous foods themselves in areas of their ancestral homelands. Before COVID-19 hit, they had both a catering business and a pop-up restaurant called Cafe Ohlone.

Although at the time of this writing, the restaurant is closed due to COVID-19, they are still bringing the flavors and culture of the Ohlone to people in the Bay Area. In addition to providing complimentary fresh meals as a service to Elders in their community, they’ve also launched curated dinner boxes that include two meals, a candle, and a curated playlist to immerse you in the Cafe Ohlone dining experience. A portion of the proceeds of these boxes goes back to the Ohlone community and also helps support the cafe as they work towards securing a new brick-and-mortar restaurant and cultural space.

Food is Life

Native peoples have suffered immense trauma through centuries of genocide, disruption of their culture, language, ecosystems and food systems, and in some cases, forced relocation. But everywhere there is a problem, there are people finding solutions. And in Native communities, leaders are emerging with beacons of hope for their people and for all of us.

The truth is that if you go back far enough, all of us have Indigenous ancestors. All of us have roots in a food system based around real, whole, and natural foods that came from the Earth. And perhaps we would be well advised to bring some of the wisdom of our ancestors into our future. Humans can eat real food. We can live sustainably on this planet. And we can treat one another, as well as animals and our environment, with respect.

Tell us in the comments:

• Were you aware of the impact of food on the health and culture of Indigenous people?
• What other Indigenous foods or food sovereignty organizations should we be aware of?

Feature image: iStock.com/grandriver

Read Next:

• Cultivating Food Forests with Indigenous Wisdom
• Seed Saving: Every Seed Has a Story

The post Indigenous Foods: How Colonized Diets Have Made Native Nations Sick — and What’s Being Done About It Today appeared first on Food Revolution Network.