JOURNAL
The Good News About Edible Insects
If your life depended on it, would you eat a bug?
If you're like most Westerners, this might be the only circumstance under which you could imagine voluntarily eating a bug -- stranded in dire straits, desperate for any source of nutrition you can get your hands on, doing any disgusting thing you have to in the name of survival. But elsewhere in the world, entomophagy -- the practice of eating insects -- is a part of everyday life. It's not just food-insecure communities either: the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that roughly 2.5 billion people worldwide -- over a quarter of the population -- consume insects as a regular part of their diet. In regions of Asia, Africa, and South America, these critters range from standard street fare to sought-after delicacies. According to Julieta Ramos-Elorduy, author of the book Creepy Crawly Cuisine: The Gourmet Guide to Edible Insects, in Mexico City, “[a] pound of ants costs ten times more than a pound of meat, and the white agave worm fourteen times more. Grasshoppers, the red agave worm, and water boatman eggs all cost twice the price of beef.”
Here in the West we’ve been conditioned to regard insects – particularly in the context of food – as, well, icky. But it turns out there are several excellent reasons why we should all at least try to get over our collective hangup. Among those with an eye toward sustainability, there's a growing consensus that the cultivation of edible insects offers a vital solution to the daunting problems of feeding a growing population. With chronic malnutrition affecting some 805 million people worldwide and current livestock practices already straining the earth’s resources, bugs could very well be the key to ensuring both food security and environmental sustainability for the planet’s future.
So ask yourself: if the world depended on it, would you eat a bug?
Bugs: The Better Livestock
In 2006 the FAO published a report titled Livestock's Long Shadow in which it explored the sobering environmental consequences of modern-day agriculture. The findings cover a host of environmental problems, ranging from air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions to rainforest destruction and soil degradation. According to the report, livestock activities account for 18% of total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – more than the transportation sector. When it comes to individual greenhouse gases, livestock rearing accounts for a full 35 - 40% of global methane emissions and up to 65% of nitrous oxide emissions – both of which gases carry significantly higher global warming potential than the oft-demonized CO2. The livestock sector currently occupies around 30% of the planet's ice-free land, and the expansion of livestock grazing is considered to be the number one driving factor behind the destruction of our rainforests.
Reducing livestock's environmental impact, then, is of critical importance to addressing the effects of global climate change. But with a global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, scaling back on food production simply isn't an option. In fact, the FAO predicts that agricultural production will have to as much as double to keep up with demand, effectively exceeding the planet's supply of arable land. With pollution, population growth, and nutritional needs all poised for collision, the word “unsustainable” doesn't even begin to cover the challenges ahead.
Diet and nutrition: Our instinctual tendencies to consume more calories than needed
It’s hard to look anywhere without finding some dismal statistic about the weight problems prevalent in our society. The 2011-2012 CDC statistics for the rate of obesity in Americans found that 35% of adults were obese; the 2009-2010 statistics found that 18% of children above 6 were obese, too.[i] It’s considered such a problem that First Lady Michelle Obama has developed a campaign to address the prevalence of childhood obesity. We are bombarded with information like this and told that we must, simply must, change for the sake of our health, yet still there’s only been modest improvement in the numbers. A 2007 study in Australia found that although people trying to change their diet usually undertook that change, only 26% of those people were sticking to it rigidly six months in.[ii] Even when faced with the life-or-death decision to change one’s diet following a heart attack or stroke, in a 2013 study only 39% of patients reported eating healthier food after such a life-shattering event.[iii] Why is it so hard to maintain healthy eating habits, even in the face of so much societal pressure and personal incentive to do so?
Unemployment and Obesity: the Vicious Cycle
Two of the biggest problems facing America today are unemployment and obesity – two seemingly unrelated but equally serious issues. After some of the most difficult economic times since the 1930s, America’s unemployment levels peaked at almost 10% in 2009, leveling out to around 6.3% today[1]. Obesity, likewise, has more than doubled for both adults and children in the US since the 1970s, with around 69% of adults being overweight or obese, and 35% being obese[2]. More and more studies, however, are investigating the link between unemployment and obesity and as results start to flood in, it seems that they are not as unrelated as they seemed.
Statistics
Studies are starting to show that there is a significant link between unemployment and obesity, especially amongst unskilled workers who are struggling to find work. In fact, a Gallup study suggests that if you are between 18 and 44 and unemployed, you are 30% more likely to be obese than your counterparts in full-time employment[3]. High-skilled workers, who may have had sedentary jobs that led them to develop their own fitness plan are more likely to continue exercising and may have savings to help them to eat healthy after losing employment. Low-skilled workers, alternatively, tend to work physical jobs and use that to burn calories. When the job is lost, their only form of exercise goes with it, and it can be difficult to get out of a cycle of watching TV and eating junk food[4]. Of course, these are sweeping generalisations but the statistics are hard to ignore.
Overcoming the diet roller-coaster
If you have ever tried to adhere to a new diet or start an exercise program, you have probably experienced the frustration involved in trying to overhaul anything in life you have become accustomed to. It’s been said that humans are creatures of habit, and it’s quite true. Things that seem like they should be simple or easy to incorporate into our schedules somehow become arduous when we attempt to do them regularly instead of on occasion. No matter how much conscious effort we put into changing ourselves, it often seems to have no effect. So it might not come as much of a surprise that often, very little of the conscious mind is involved in how we structure our daily lives.
Red Wine: Miracle or Myth?
Red wine has been the centre of debate for some time now, and most people have heard that one glass a day is good for your health. The miracle properties found in the odd glass of red wine, along with grapes, chocolate, and other natural sources, is attributed to the anti-oxidant resveratrol – and it is this belief that has led to a $30 billion boom of resveratrol supplement sales in the US alone[1]. But just what are the supposed miraculous benefits and are they all that they are claimed to be? A recent study into the effects of resveratrol suggests that they are probably not.
The Wonder of Resveratrol
Over the past few years, resveratrol has often been put forward as an explanation for the famous ‘French Paradox’ – that is, for the inexplicably low rate of heart disease amongst the French, despite having diets that are high in fat and cholesterol. The thing that they do have in common? A high consumption of red wine, and thus, resveratrol. In fact, resveratrol is attributed to aiding not only the fight against heart disease, but also many other factors too.
Looking good and still doing it all! How does she do it?
How does she do it? We are talking about that skinny little soccer mom who balances work, three kids, soccer practice, and STILL manages to maintain a rocking body. Many Americans struggle with or have struggled with their body images. For many, the age-old excuse has been: "I just don't have time." In reality, most people cannot afford a personal trainer or Weight Watchers. They do not have time to spend an hour at the gym five days a week. The excellent news is that they do not have to! In fact, there are many lifestyle changes that can be made to help you shed pounds and stay healthy. The exciting news is: They do not require too much time out of your day.
Quick Weight Loss and Your Health
High-protein weight loss programs like the Dukan, Atkins, and South Beach Diets are growing in popularity. They challenge traditional medical guidelines, which suggest that overweight individuals should consume small portions of only low-fat foods in order to lose weight. Instead, diets such as the Atkins suggest that eating an unlimited quantity of high-protein, low-carb foods can leave people feeling fuller for longer and achieve superior results.
While a high-protein nutritional balance is proven to be effective for weight loss, many nutritionists, dieticians, and doctors worry that it could have a harmful impact on health. So what are the possible risks?
Food Deserts
Have you ever dreamed of lying around on a desert island, soaking up the sun? Well today, around 23.5 million Americans live in the desert[1]. That’s not the idyllic white sands and cocktails type of desert though – in fact, it’s much more sinister than that. They live in food deserts.
Desert Island Dreams
Food Deserts in America are full of dreams of only one thing – easy access to healthy, affordable foods. To qualify as a food desert, then, a geographical location will offer little or no affordable, healthy food options within a reasonable travelling distance[2]. There are more of these areas than you would think. In fact, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that nearly 24 million people in America today live more than one mile away from a supermarket and have limited or no means of transport. What’s scarier is that 2.3 million Americans are living in low-income, rural communities that are ten or more miles away from retail outlets selling a good range of healthful foods[3]. That’s an awfully long way to go for fruits and vegetables, especially when you don’t own a vehicle and public transportation is poor.
One-a-Day...Not so much
Vitamins and other supplements should help your health, not harm it —in fact; the whole idea behind the campaign to “take your vitamins” is to provide your body with essential nutrients it might not be getting through your diet.
However, there are some vitamins and minerals that may have adverse effects on your health if you take them in the form of supplements, these effects can range from transient and unpleasant symptoms, to severe and life-threatening diseases; in the worst cases, certain vitamins may raise your risk of cancer.
The Alternatives to a strict Vegetarian/Vegan Diet are Semi-Vegetarian or Flexitarian Diet
Whether becoming a vegetarian is a moral choice relating to the environment, a contentious choice over animal rights, or a simple desire to eat a in a healthier manner, it is not always easy to make the transition to a completely plant based diet after a lifetime of consuming animal products. Many people are choosing to start their transition with a flexitarian diet as they move toward vegetarianism; others are opting simply to be flexitarian. Many people are looking for a way to enjoy eating a healthier diet, one that allows them to feel good about themselves, their food choices and still feel satisfied with their meals. For some a flexitarian diet is one way of achieving all these goals. Flexitarians are people who favor a mostly vegetarian diet, but who will still occasionally eat meat. The health benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets are well touted and wonderful, but some people find the meals too restrictive, especially in the beginning.