Finding (w)holistic health characters for my story

June 24- July 1:

I spent time  during this week doing alternative activities to what I typically do while I am in Haiti....a  little networking, consulting, and researching. A nice change of pace and a different environment than the work that takes place at the orphanage. The experiences throughout the week gave me an opportunity to be exposed to different realities in Haiti, which I find enriching for my understanding and perspective of not only Haiti, but of the world. To say the least, I am learning a lot from people's lives and their stories.

The week prior (sorry a little out of order), I had an opportunity to meet with organization in Haiti that only serves vegetarian food. On the plane ride down to Haiti, I sat next to a young lady my age. We started chatting about life, about what we do in Haiti, and it was an instant connection! I knew this lady was going to be another character on my life journey. She told me that she recently went entirely plant-based and that the organization she was working with was based-off of yogi principals, and therefore, the diet of the children and staff was vegetarian. I was so excited to hear this!  I made arrangements to visit the organization and to connected with the staff in-charge of meals. I wanted to learn more from the Haitian's that were already eating plant-based (and eating this way by choice).

For information on the organization click: AMURT-HAITI

Yoga is incorporated into the school program! Fitness and meditation! 

The House mom, the woman in charge of cooking meals for the children, was my teacher this afternoon. I let her show me around her garden and teach me about her native practices.

I received a lesson on different plants that are edible and/or used for teas/ spices/herbs.

 

She dried her peels from oranges to be used for spices and teas!

Ripe plantains are super tasty!! 

...and you know you can eat the banana flowers!?

( Click me for Banana Flower Salad recipes on Pinterest)

Yes this kind of flower!

While we were chatting about life, food, and Haiti, the house mom brought out dried pumpkin seeds for me. WHO WAS THIS LADY!? Did she happen to read my blog post: DON'T THROW AWAY THOSE SEEDS?

No, I am sure she did not see my blog post.
She already knew what to eat and how to be resourceful.
A Haitian women like me-- loving her plants, saving her seeds, and using food as her daily medicine. It might be a match made in Heaven.

Our conversation covered the hows and the whys of her decision to go vegetarian, the where and how she learned about nutrition.... she shared with me her story.

Pumpkin seeds. 

Let's just say, I was very inspired. After the meeting, my friend from the plane and I chatted a bit more about a forest that the children in her ministry go to a couple times throughout the year (Sadhana Forest ). I was very intrigued by the sounds of the forest, the philosophies and the practices. A very ONE with nature and with people approach (much like that of the mission I was visiting),

Watch this video...how can you not be intrigued!? This is Kingdom work right here: considering the WHOLE perspective of life.

 I have put the forest on my places to visit in Haiti. I have already started connecting with the organization about plant-based, native eating, and hope to continue learning from their experiences and work, as well!

Meeting the plant-loving people weren't the only exciting part of my last Haiti experience! A friend and I also had the opportunity to visit a health fitness club in Haiti called Energy. We met with the owner of the club, and had a wonderful discussion about health, fitness, and nutrition in Haiti.  He was a very intelligent Haitian man with a heart for physical activity! I am excited about his visions and his passions. He has been working on a national physical education curriculum for Haitian schools--recognizing the need to teach children about the importance of activity for health. My friend and I were able to view his book, which was incredibly well written and displaying diverse activities from track and field sports to basic aerobic movements.

The club owner recommended me to a few books to read, movies to watch, and things to think about in regards to Haiti. He told us about a couple of absolutely beautiful places in Haiti that we will have to visit some day-- I have added them to my list of places to travel to and sights to see.

The Haitian man shared with me this message. I wont forget it: We have a choice in life-- we can choose to focus on the positive things or we can choose to focus on the negative.

Wisdom.

 

 The trip to the fitness club and meeting with the Haitian man gave me another perspective to Haiti. I was able to hear another Haitian's story and to hear his passions, dreams, and experiences.

These experiences are helping me to see a more WHOLE and HOLISTIC picture of Haiti.

Throughout my week, I made a couple of visits to different markets to cost out the price of various native food items. I also discovered a few new foods along the way!

I had the opportunity to meet with another mission about the foods available in Haiti, and we discussed options for meal items for the mission teams that were coming to Haiti! I am thrilled when other ministries are excited about eating more plant-based, native Haitian foods... show casing Haiti's finest foods! I am also excited that people are interested in using nutrition for a means of health and prevention.

"ble" means bulgur in English. It is native to Haiti. 

You can find lentils at delimart! 

Chickpeas! Yes-- I found chickpeas at Delimart!

Cayemite! A new fruit discovery for me! Kind of like a plum, but a little more "milky"

During this week, I also spent some time with my friends in Haiti...catching up and reconnecting. It's important to balance work with life, and through these relationships and communications you can discover a lot about yourself, about your friends, about the world, and discuss ways to become a better individual. Self-improvement and self- discovery can be a result of periods of reflection. Reflection can happen in the contexts of individual meditation or conversations with others. I found myself doing a lot of meditation and conversation during this week.


One of my friends made-up this song for me while we were catching-up....
"Kristina, the Dietitian" Catchy and funny! I might have to use it for marketing purposes.

Conclusion from this week's experience: Listening is such an important skill to have in life. (click here for my blog on Listening). Being open to hearing the stories of life moving around you and allowing other people to play a character in a chapter or two of your book might add some depth or perspective to your own story. Their experiences and knowledge might even shed light onto a path that you didn't even know existed.

I find it an incredible opportunity to learn from the Haitian people who are actively working for health through holistic measures. One of the struggles I have with being a foreigner is that I come in with my Westernized lenses and am so quick to make judgments based on my own experiences and from my own context of life. I am afraid of the western practices overpowering the rich- holistic culture of Haiti. The (w)holistic culture that incorporates mind, body, and soul as apart of the functioning of life.

On a more personal and professional level, I am starting to create a WHOLE picture to the way I view health and the existence of life. I am starting to recognize that when we only look at one aspect of a country, pieces of worldly problems, or one aspect of diseases and conditions, we forget about the truth that lies in the WHOLE picture. Take for example, nutrition, environment, and health. If we only focus on nutritional needs and we don't also consider the environmental impacts of our processing and consumption to meet these nutritional needs, then we create problems for our health as well. Problems with the quality of the land (that can impact our food supply), the quality of our water (which can lead to water-borne diseases and runoffs into our lakes and oceans.... further impacting our food supply), transmission of diseases between animals and humans  (avian influenza, zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance).... even health as it relates to the conditions of the workers trying to create products for your own individual consumption (factory farms and sweat shops). When we look at our health from a reductionistic viewpoint, we fail to recognize how health is based off the context of the WHOLE.

The famous Indian story of the blind men and the elephant might help you make sense of this concept of Whole:  The Blind Men and the Elephant. When we all hold a perspective of "the elephant"  (maybe the elephant is science, technology, nutrition, health, culture, poverty), we hold a piece of the truth... maybe not the whole truth, however. We may be only seeing one piece of the "elephant." When we are able to put together different perspectives  of that "elephant" we can create a much bigger picture. In the context of world poverty and world hunger, my views have dramatically evolved over the past 2.5 years of traveling to Haiti. My understanding of world poverty is greatly due to the piecing together of different perspectives and experiences of all kinds of peoples,  organizations, and academic institutions.



So we could also talk water: This is Water-David Foster Wallace's Amazing Speech

The reality of choosing perspectives and seeing beyond one's self....

"Whole" by T. Colin Campbell is currently the book I am reading. My talk of "whole" and "reductionism" was inspired by the perspectives in this book: About the book and an interview with T. Campbell: About Whole

This video on empathy can provide some more insight on the perspective of whole as it relates the to context of living species in one community (the world). When we view the world from "reductionistic" viewpoints (religious views, country views, species views), we create identities that separate beings rather than connecting humans, and connecting humans to living species and the environment. We really only have one world, and that one world is impacted by the health of each person, the health of the environment, and the health of all living species.

Mark Bittman, a meat-eater explains in his TedTalk "What's wrong with what we eat." about how our eating habits must change for both the environment and health. 

The Environmental Working Group's insight on food, animals, and environmental health: http://www.ewg.org/agmag/2013/07/don-t-waste-conservation-dollars-concentrated-animal-waste

Sweatshops and child slavery used to make food and clothing, have impacts on the health and wellbeing of the workers. What we purchase and what we consume directly impacts the mental and physical health of people around the world. A reality we often don't think about at the cash register.

If you want more education on these issues, follow the links below and read about it:
1. The industry behind our food production: http://www.foodispower.org/
2. Fashion and the environment: http://www.ecouterre.com/mission
3. After math of the Bangladesh factory fire: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ap-photos-bangladesh-collapse-left-many-amputees
4. Do you know what are in your products!? http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

Awareness of the problems is the first step. Become educated and informed. Changing behaviors are difficult---I know. I have a psychology background had have studied behavioral learning. However, once you become more educated and more informed about issues and the ways you can work to change them-- you might find motivation for behavioral changes. Even if they are small... everything counts.

Don't underestimate the power of your actions and influence. You may be one person, but you may also be one pebble that creates a cascade of ripples in the ocean.


Let me just leave you with this food for thought:

“When we live in a system, we absorb a system and think in a system. We lack the independence needed to judge the system around us. "- James Douglass 

Start to recognize these systems you are apart of (knowingly or unknowingly) and start to question if they are what you believe in or things you support... how is your participation in these various systems impacting the WHOLE?

Nutrition Education

Last week, I had the opportunity to shadow a very smart man at a clinic in Cite Soleil. Two weeks ago, one of the kids at Grace Village told me about his English teacher (and the piano player at our church) who was teaching them a bit about nutrition in school. Turns out the part-time English teacher also works at a clinic teaching nutrition education and talking with individuals about their health problems. When I heard about this, I couldn't resist the opportunity to introduce myself to the teacher at worship the following Sunday. We exchanged contact information-- I got a hold of his people and my people. Before I knew it, plans were arranged. Tuesday afternoon I headed to Port-au-prince for the night, where I anxiously awaited to get to the clinic the next morning.

My view in PAP. Tent cites...

Ready to roll!

The Healing Haiti team was heading to Cite Soleil Wednesday morning to deliver water to the people living in the slums --so I hitched a ride with them. I had some idea where we were headed, based on the directions that I was given from my contacts at the clinic. I had been to Cite Soleil many times before, so I could pretty much picture the location in my head. Not long after entering Cite Soleil, our  taptap pulled over to the side of the curb and our driver ran-up to the compound across from a market to see if it was my final destination. Soon enough, I was out of the taptap and making my way into the compound.

Upon arriving at the doors of the clinic, the escort asked for our contacts and we were on our way! I was so excited to be there-- to meet all the Haitian workers and to tour the clinic. We were informed that  about 150-200 people are seen at the clinic everyday and that they often have to turn people away. People of all ages come to the clinic with all sorts of aliments. Many clients have things like TB, anemia, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart burn....   conditions that can be prevented.

Famasi

Lab tests

After our tour, we made our way to a building across from the main clinic. People of all ages were starting to gather on the benches. Once the crowd settled in, my friend that works at the clinic started to talk to them about health/ wellness and nutrition. He followed-up with answering individual questions. He asked me if I wanted to talk, but I just wanted to stand back and observe him at work. He did awesome! I was impressed with how much information he knew and how personal and engaged he was with each individual. My favorite thing he said to them was, "Medicine can't do everything for you." He talked to the people about reading food labels, eating natural and wholesome foods, using less salt/ oil/butter, drinking less energy drinks and pop. After I while, I started to engage with the people in the space. I talked with them about physical activity and how it is important to get your body moving. I showed them a few things they could do without a lot of space-- jogging in place, push-ups, jumping jacks... etc. I also talked with a few people who had individual questions and concerns. I think the escort with me was enjoying his time with me at the clinic too. Soon enough he was answering people's questions. I asked what he was saying to them, and he was spot on. Hmm... I might have a nutrition team in the works. I am scouting.

The nutrition Team!

A great teacher!

Educating

Later on, my friend that works at the clinic said to me, "People can't believe in medicine, people need to believe in food." Amen, amen!!! what you put in your body (or don't put in your body) could be killing you slowly. For people with limited income, it is especially important that they choose some of the most nutritiously dense foods to invest their money in so that they can maximize their daily nutrient intake. In my opinion, if you have little money---there isn't wiggle room to buy sweets and desserts all the time. Most days, you better be investing in the foods that are going to ward of disease. Unfortunately, I find that many people in Haiti are choosing to spend their money on less nutritiously dense foods (nutritiously dense in terms of micronutrient content) and place higher emphasis on quick-convenient, sugar loaded, and highly salted foods. I just want to sit down with people and have them SEE that if they didn't buy sugar for their juice, ate the fresh/natural fruit instead of juicing--they would ultimately save money and could buy something more nutritious than sugar (ie. avocados, spinach leaves, bulgur). That's what we did at our feeding center. By cutting out the juice, we have saved money by not needing to buy ice and as much sugar, which has allowed us to have more money to increase our purchase of produce. It's all about perspective, planning, analyzing, and education.

medication... after medication... after medication. Eat well, now and prevent this from happening.

Now this is my kind of medication. 

My new friend informed me that many people in Port-au-prince (PAP) eat more convenient and processed foods, unlike the people on the country-side. I have observed this too. When I had asked a few people in PAP if they knew how to make Tchaka (a traditional Haitian soup), many of them didn't know about it. I was surprised. The traditional Haitian foods and "slow-cooking" foods have been lost with the transition to city life.

At about 11:30 AM, I had the chance to sit in an all-staff meeting at the clinic where the staff was discussing diabetes. The Haitian doctor at the clinic did an awesome job explaining to the staff about what diabetes is and how diabetes impacts all parts of the body. My friend gave a talk about nutrition--  how nutrition can help in the prevention of diabetes and how it is important in the management of diabetes. He was spot on with his talk and did an excellent job explaining to everyone the importance of good nutrition. Later on I was informed that many of the staff at the clinic  had blood glucose tests done earlier that week, and many of the staff were at risk for diabetes. Again, this wasn't overly surprising to me based on the nutrition-transition I have observed here in Haiti.

Throughout the day, my friend at the clinic was handing out Oldway's African Heritage brochures to all of his co-workers.  Unfortunately, all the brochures are in English (at this time), but I think it is helpful for people to see pictures of what their daily dietary intakes should like. The wonderful thing about the pyramid is that it has pictures of foods that are native to Haiti! My mission in Haiti is NOT to Americanize the Haitian people--many American resources and books are well, American. I am so thankful for the Oldway's materials because they have been a great asset to my mission here in Haiti: helping people to have good health through their native and cultural foods.

In the afternoon, we made our way to the pharmacy area to meet with people as they picked-up their medications. My friend meets with people as they picks-up their medications and asks them about what they should be doing with their dietary intakes in addition to taking the medications. I joined him. It was a very informal way of "counseling" people on their nutritional needs, but it works. Any opportunity to engage individually with people is better than none at all. We found three ladies sitting on a bench near the pharmacy, and we started to talk with them about their medical conditions.  I let my friend engage with the clients first, and then I helped him to "dive-deeper" by asking them more questions about what they were eating and how they were preparing their foods.

This is where we would talk with people individually. 

My friend started out the conversation by asking them, "What are you supposed to limit in your diet?" and one lady said, " salt, not a lot of Maggi, reduce the amount of fat." ... okay, good. She learned something. I asked her if she cooks for herself and if she does, is she preparing her food with a lot of Maggi. She informed me she does cook for herself and that she doesn't use Maggi or a lot of salt (even though later in the conversation, I found out she does use Maggi). Throughout the course of the conversation, one of the ladies talked about her acid-reflex (this is another common problem in Haiti). She told us that when she gets acid, she purges in order to minimize the acid-reflux problem. My ears perked-up, she what!? A quick fix to a problem that also cause more damage to the esophageal tract, the teeth, and even the weakening of the sphincter (the flap between the mouth and the esophagus). I couldn't imagine that purging would be a good long term solution to her problem. We talked about foods that cause acid, and how to better control the acid-reflux. We continued on to talk about her dietary patterns. "So what is the first thing you typically eat each day....", I asked her. (at this moment a quick memory of my professor at St. Ben's popped in my head. She said this frequently in her lectures about nutrition counseling). The lady responded, "Soup--carrot soup" and then she added (in creole of course).." with spinach and olive." Okay, great... but what else is she not telling me. I pressed-harder. "What else do you put in your soup? Do you add any salt, Maggi, butter, oil?" She told me that she doesn't use a lot of oil, she does use Maggi. We continued on to the next meal. Naturally, rice and beans. I knew what things to ask her about with this one. We dove deeper into how her rice and beans were being made. Maggi, salt, butter, oil.. and from what I can assume (based on what I have learned from many people here) these ingredients were probably being used in excess. These are the things that add "flavor" and "enhance" the foods, and most people don't know that serving sizes exist for them. I talked with her about just using the oil, and not buying the butter. She can still use fat in her diet, but with limited nutrition-education everything becomes an all or nothing principle. So I say buy one and don't buy the other-- it not only reduces the amount of fat they are using, but it saves them money too. We talked about this in our session. I showed the ladies what a serving size of oil looks like with my thumb. A small amount of oil contains about as much energy as a whole banana. We talked about the importance of fat in the diet, how foods have different components and energy.

Counseling session

Towards the end of the session, one of the ladies stood-up in the group. She pulled up her shirt, grabbed a roll of skin on her abdomen and shook it. She asked me how to get ride of it. The lady was pretty overweight, which puts her at risk for several chronic diseases and joint problems. We talked about energy balance: energy in must equal energy out, otherwise you either lose or gain weight. We talked about energy in food and about physical activity. The lady was pretty immobile, so I showed her some simple moves she could do to get her body moving. I told her moving any part of her body was going to be better than not moving at all.

educating

Showing the ladies the African Heritage Pyramids

During our counseling session, my friend and I have the ladies a brochure to show them the African Heritage Pyramid. It was a really useful tool. We talked about all the different foods in Haiti--avocados, spinach, squash, sorghum, cornmeal, beans, tubers, yams, cassava, peanuts, coconuts.... and we talked about using fresh foods to flavor meals. Focusing on plants, eating fish about 2 times a week, and using oil/sugar/salt within reason. At the end of the session, one of the ladies looked at the pyramid and said to me, "when I was little, we never used Maggi." Boooom. I lit-up inside. She was getting it. The whole talk about heritage and the past was resonating with her. My hope is that she actually took that message to heart and thought about the "Oldways" people used to cook, eat, and live in Haiti... before the western and inner-city influence.

The rest of the day, I spent with the escort. We got our blood pressure taken for fun, talked with some of the other staff, and I even taught him how to read a food label. We talked about some ideas bouncing around in my head with nutrition education in Haiti, community outreach and cooking class, and helping people get access to fresh "fast-food" at an affordable price. It's one thing to get the message out there, but it is another thing to make the suggestions and advice available to them. I am still praying about connecting the dots to my bigger visions. In a country full of opposing forces, my messages, my marketing, and my strategies must be BOLD, STRONG, AND LOUD.

I have good blood pressure!

My experience at the clinic was amazing. It gave me reassurance that everything I am doing in Haiti with the children, especially, is important and needed. Hearing people talk about what they eat, about their chronic (but preventable and maybe even reversible) health conditions has given me courage to keep on being BOLD and STRONG in my mission. People in Haiti need nutrition education. While it is important at any age, starting with the youth and the young adults is critical. "Catch" them while they are still learning and acquiring new taste. Teaching kids to like their fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is a great place to start. If they acquire a taste for whole, fresh, and natural food young, the hope is that they will continue to seek these foods as they age. We have noticed that our children no longer complain about the meals. For a while, we did have "food wars" with the kids and yes--they still stick their nose up in the air at new foods, but they are getting used to trying new things. The kids are learning to enjoy trying new things and expanding their taste-buds beyond rice and pasta.  The kids are also learning not to be food perfectionist. For example, the other day at breakfast we were unable to "blend" their bulgur smoothies like they usually prefer because the blender was broken. The kids had to eat the bulgur whole with milk and spice, but they didn't complain like I would have expected them to several months ago. That same morning, I brought out a big bag of flax seed and asked the kids if they wanted to mix it into their bowl of food. I was surprised by how many said yes! I had kids swarming around me-- hands reaching out for me like I had a big bag of candy. I was shocked. They were eager to try the flax seed. I guess that's what happens when you are persistent with the kids and you allow them to participate in meals... they learn to adapt, to appreciate, and even seek-out "new experiences" with food.

The adventurous kids.

The need for PREVENTION  of disease is present here in Haiti. There is elevated cases of chronic disease existing in the same context of malnutrition. When people have access to food, my concern is that they are choosing to eat what they know and  like, but not necessarily what their body needs in order to ward of disease, increase immunity, and potentially save  money.

No Maggi in the food for almost two weeks!! I am happy! No more Maggi!

My daily medicine. 

Nutrition EDUCATION is the "food" for the people. Knowledge is power and it can help individuals make informed decisions about their life. Without knowledge, especially as it relates to survival skills (which include eating and eating behaviors/ patterns), an individuals' quality of life will greatly suffer. Malnutrition has a  cyclic effects--- lack of a well-balanced diet decreases immunity and increases risk of disease, which can further cause an increase in expenses for medical visits and medications, and inability to work or go to school......which further drives the cycle of poverty.

I love Haiti.

Now watch this--- A TED talk by Jamie Oliver. He places a lot of emphasis on obesity, however, anyone (regardless of weight or size) is at risk for chronic health problems with poor lifestyle choices. The video is worth watching. His most important message: TEACH KIDS ABOUT HEALTHY FOODS AND TEACH THEM GOOD "OLD" HOME COOKING.

Sustainable Food for a Sustainable Vision

After returning home from Haiti last week, I decided to take on the challenge to intentionally exclude all animal products (dairy, eggs, meat, fish...) in my daily dietary intake (including packaged and prepared foods made with these ingredients). The result of this: my dietary intake will only contain plant-foods (technical word: vegan or whole plant-based). I have been a lacto-ovo-vegetarian (consuming dairy and egg products, but not eating any meat, poultry, or fish) for about 10 years, so in reality this isn't much of a dietary change for me. 

In the past, the terms vegan and vegetarian have often been given a bad name from the media or from those who have tried the lifestyle and have had poor health problems because of it. The lifestyle, however, is becoming more popular around the globe as individuals are becoming more educated about both the environmental and health benefits surrounding the lifestyle. Plant-based eating is a lifestyle that requires a shift in paradigm to the way you view food groups. In school and throughout society (at least in America), we are taught that protein comes from animals and calcium comes from dairy products. A vegan/ vegetarian, however, will identify protein sources a bit differently. Protein comes from beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and a variety of different vegetables. Calcium comes from foods like kale, bok choy, broccoli, okra, beans, almonds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, oranges, and calcium fortified juice/ plant-based milks. Like any life event or new lifestyle patterns, the change in the way you eat requires adjustment and a bit of careful, focused attention. 

Changing the way you eat is like buying a new car. Before you invest in the new vehicle, you might shop around, do your research,  ask questions, and then maybe try out a few different styles before investing. Being educated helps make you an informed consumer. The same is true with a change in dietary intake. Being educated about a change in the way you eat will give you more satisfying results! 

Meat eater or non-meat eater, I strongly believe that every human could use some education about nutrition. No matter how you choose to eat, you may be lacking in vital nutrients and food groups that result in undesirable health conditions. The key to healthy and balanced eating is learning about the 3 big macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins), monitoring your portion sizes, and eating whole foods (consuming a food closest to its most natural state). 

So let's move on to more plant-based eating. 

Happy produce in Haiti! :) 

Why have I decided to attempt an all plant-based lifestyle?

I will highlight some of my main points for the change in my lifestyle. If you want to dive deeper into the subject, I have provided a variety of resources for more information.

1.  There are many health advantages to following a plant-based diet. Lower rates of heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lower rates of hypertension, decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, and decreased risk of certain kinds of cancer. These all may be attributed to the fact that plant foods contain fiber and phytochemicals that are not found in animal products. A diet rich in plant foods, regardless of animal consumption, may increase your overall health.

A few resources about the health benefits of a plant-based diet:

1. Position paper on vegetarians from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
2. The Academy's Evidence Analysis
3. Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Body weight of vegetarians
4. Nutritional update for Physicians: Plant-based Diets
5. Vegetarian Dietary Patterns and Mortality in Adventist Health Study 2
6. Plant-based Eating for optimal Health

At the Market in Haiti buying produce! 

2. There are many environmental implications with high consumption and demand for animal products. This topic can get pretty deep and debatable at different levels, but the bigger picture is that we could have more quality resources (food, water, energy, land) if animal products weren't in such high demand. Environmental groups have indicated that many of the world's nonrenewable resources (such as water) are being depleted. The rain forests (like the Amazon) are being cleared for animal production and growing animal feed. Dead zones are now being created in the oceans. Wildlife are becoming extinct. There has been rapid shifts in climate change (which can result in undesirable conditions for food production) and pollution from the Co2, methane... etc. There has been an increase in zoonotic diseases (transmission of diseases/infections between humans and animals. Like the avian influenza, E.Coli, parasites). Factory farms are now a huge problem in America and other developing countries.

A simple change of focus from meat being the center of a meal to a meal centered around beans, legumes  nuts, seeds, grains and produce could actually provide major environmental and global public health impacts. The food market follows the demand of the consumers.

Mark Bittman: What's wrong with what we eat (environment and food connection):

Birke Baehr's (11 years old) perspective on the Food System:

Resources about the environmental issues: 
1. The University of Minnesota: research about producing animals for food and environmental impacts
2. Why we need to redesign our food system
3. The Human Society's position on a plant-based diet
4. The FAO's LIVESTOCK'S LONG SHADOW: environmental issues and options
5. Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change and Health
6. Beef has a higher water footprint greater than vegetables and grains
7. Vegan's carbon footprint estimated to be 41.7% lower than non-vegetarians
8. October 2012 Trend report for meat consumption: Meat Production and Consumption

9.  Facts about hunger and agriculture

10. Why make it a Meatless Monday?

11. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic's Hunger and Environmental Nutrition
12. Environmental Working Group: Everyone has something to say about meat...
13. Sustainable Diets by the FAO 2010 
14. Overfishing: a threat to marine biodiversity
15. UN Urges a global shift in diet
16. The oxymoron of the sustainable animals products
17. A perspective on the future of our world
18. Environment and Public Health concerns for raising animals with potential exposures of various infectious diseases, viruses, parasites, and contaminants
19. Food is Power: things you may not know about the foods you eat

A few suggested readings and documentaries:

1. Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition 
2. Stuffed and Starved
3. Comfortably Unaware: What we choose to eat is killing us and our planet 
4. Forks over knives (documentary)
5. Inspirational TedTalks

The Double Food Pyramid by Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition is a nice visual representation of food sustainability. The pyramid displays the amount of environmental impact with recommended dietary consumptions. If we eat more of the foods on the lower base of the pyramid (mainly fruits, vegetables, nuts/beans/ legumes, and whole grains, we actually have less of an impact on the environment. The site also has a few interactive tools to see the impact your food choices have on the environment. http://www.barillacfn.com/en/bcfn4you/la-doppia-piramide/

check out the carbon footprint of different food choices: http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/eat-smart/


3. You can still obtain an ample supply of nutrients (calories, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals) from plant-based foods.  The well-educated and all-encompassing vegetarian/ vegan can have a very diverse dietary intake. Any diet, meat or no meat, requires planning. You could be following a animal-based diet and be missing out on key nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium.....  Or you could be getting too much of some nutrients that are diminishing the affects of others (ex. too much salt creating a depletion of calcium in the body). So regardless of the dietary patterns you decide to follow, getting nutritional education can be vital for your health. 

A few resources for those interested in vegan, vegetarian or even plant-based lifestyles:

1. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics's Vegetarian Nutrition focus page with evidence based answers to all your questions about iron, calcium, soy, B12, zinc, safety for children, pregnancy, athletes

2. The Vegetarian Resource Group
3. Adapting a plant-based diet (PDF Handhout)
4. Vegan RD Jack Norris
5. Vegan Health
6. The Youngest vegetarians-- a peer reviewed article on feeding vegetarian infants and children
7. Sprout'd
8. Plant-Powered Diet

9. The USDA'S Guide to Vegetarian Eating

A few animals roaming and eating off the land in Haiti. 

 4. My professional factors for the decision of going plant-based. 

First, being a dietitian that serves in one of the poorest countries of the world, I figured it was one of the most sustainable, environmentally impactful, and stimulating activities I could do to really challenge myself in one of the largest, fast-food developed countries in the world. My experience in Haiti has taught me a lot about being creative with my food resources and making things from scratch. It has taught me that not everyone in the world has access to the same resources we have so readily available to us in the United States. Animal products, at large, are not cheap nor affordable for many populations around the world. So realistically, finding sustainable food practices might mean looking lower on the food chain to find suitable dietary needs to feed a starving world.

Second, I want to expose people, all over the world, to an alternative lifestyle compared to the typical "Westernized" and/or "higher class" way of eating. I want to show people that it is possible to be healthy and eat delicious food without having a major impact on the environment. As a nutrition professional and future public health professional, I believe it is my responsibility to consider not only the nutrition of the foods that humans put into their body, but also the safety of the foods and the impacts the food system has on the future food supply, the environment, and all living species. Environmental researchers suggest that our food system and they way we currently produce food is not sustainable. The food system is more environmentally straining than transportation or any other industry (see all my links above).

Third, the World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 870 MILLION people in the world are hungry with about 98% of these people living in the developing countries. WFP reports that the climate change, which is a result of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, could put an additional 24 MILLION children into the "hunger" category.  Globally, it is estimated that livestock production accounts for over 51% of all greenhouse gas emissions (worldwatch.org). In addition to this, the way the world currently produces animal food for human consumption is completely insufficient. We grow more plant food to feed the number of animals we raise for food than we grow for human consumption. The United states, alone, uses about 70% of grain production for animal feed. These animals eventually become consumed by humans. It is estimated that 80% of all the agricultural land is used for livestock (animal production) and for grain to feed them (Check out the Facts from One Green Planet). Let's just be real here. If the world was to consume resources like Americans, we would need 4 more planets for the entire human population! (Check it out here). The unfortunate part is that the trend of the animal based foods is growing around the world, especially as people increase in their income and countries become more developed (Meat Production).

 Just imagine how many thousands of pounds of plant food, globally, could be produced for human consumption if we placed more priority on plant-based diets. We could feed more people, have less environmental impacts, and the world will be a lot healthier because of this shift in the food system.  

5. The Power of Plants! There are so many plant foods out there that have been able to withstand some pretty harsh environmental conditions-- I just don't think we can underestimate the power of plants!! There are so many parts of plants that we can actually eat. Let's take a look at a squash--not only is the squash a good source of carbohydrates, fiber, and beta-carotene, but it can also be a great source of protein, fat, fiber, iron, copper, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium.... How do you ask? The seeds in the middle of the squash provide an excellent source of plant-proteins, fats, vitamins, and mineral. The whole produce itself has some great nutritional aspects!

Hello, Squash. 

So basically, if my long term goal is to be a dietitian that can help communities establish a sustainable food system using resources available to them, then I really have to look at food through a whole new set of lenses.

Modifying the way I eat to reflect a vision of sustainability.

 The questions that drove my decisions were: what food practices are sustainable to feed the world, what kinds of foods might many populations in the world not have access to, and how can I be creative with limited, but nutritiously dense foods to make edible and nutritional meals. Being vegan is giving me tools to change the way myself and communities think about foods and how to use food components.

A dish made of beets, carrots, and white sweet potatoes 

This is a traditional soup the Haitians used to make. A "lost treasure" of Haitian cuisine.

Furthermore, I am finding that the western diet--quick, fast, and convenient-- has had incredible impacts on developing countries--Haiti included.  The influence of the Western diet and food-aid has been far more impactful than I think many people want to admit. I can't stand a drive into Port-au-Prince where all I see are stores filled with bottle pop, corn flakes, condensed milk, overly salted seasoning packets, bags of chips, and bottles of oil (which I would assume is for frying foods).

Fast-food (aka street food) in Haiti. 

A lot of imported food items.  

Bottle pop and juices are loaded with sugar. 

packaged chips, cookies, crackers with high amounts of refined carbohydrates and sugars.

Now this is where the real, nutritious goods are at! 

White sweet potatoes!

Fresh fruit (this is Corsol  in Creole.. soursop in English). 

Shopping at the markets (or famers markets as they are called in America) supports the local agriculture and the local communities! 

. In February, my team purchased fresh oranges from the market to share with kids at a few orphanages we visited. Our short visits might be more impactful than we really think... 

Resources about the Nutrition-transition occurring around the globe:
1. University of North Carolina
2. Harvard
3. Nutrition Transition and Obesity in the Developing World
4. The World Health Organization

BEANS!!! A great source of protein, fiber, iron...... check out: the nutritional value of dry beans.

Don't underestimate the value of the bean.

These are bean plants growing not to far from our location in Haiti! 

Using white sweet potatoes and coconut milk with some fun spices! 

A garden in Haiti! 

Eating a real traditional Haitian meal made of squash, beans, corn, and vegetables.

The plant-based approach to eating falls in line with the traditional eating patterns of many cultural groups around the world. In particular, we will look at the African Heritage Pyramid pictured below. The pyramid is based on plants (fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, roots and tubers). Using native resources in similar patterns to what the early African Decedents originally did, is bound to have long term health benefits on this selective population's health, environment, and sustainability. Here is an article about the African Health through Heritage: http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/030612p26.shtml






 Oldways  has done interesting work studying groups of people, health problems, and eating patterns to develop food pyramids and programs to fit with traditional ways of eating. It is another way to look at the plant-based lifestyle approach. At the base of every culture's food pyramid is the basic message I am trying to address: EAT MORE PLANT FOODS.

 Oldways Website





My take-home message for you! 

I am not telling you that you have to be vegan or that you have to even be vegetarian for the matter of fact. The kids I work with in Haiti still eat meat and fish, but their diet is based on foods with roots, seeds, leaves..... PLANT FOOD!

 My message is that you start looking at food from a few different lenses. That YOU start to think about your food choices from a health and environmental stance. We live in an "out of sight, out of mind" society where we don't see the impact of our food choice beyond our wallets, restaurants, fast food chains, and grocery stores. 

The health of our planet is important for the health of the people, plants, and animals that inhabit it. 


If you choose to still eat animal products, I suggest you get educated about the animal products you consume. Here is a good resource to start with: http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/

Going plant-based doesn't mean you need to give-up animal products entirely. Plant based means that you switch your way of thinking about food: centering your meals around the PLANT-FOOD rather than the meat/ animal products. Increasing the portion of your plant-foods and using animals products as garnishes or flavor components. If you are running on a budget, eating produce doesn't have to be expensive (eat in season, buy frozen, or even substitute a bag of chips or cookies for a bag of oranges or apples). You might actually find that eating more dried beans, nuts (peanut butter included), and whole grains to be cheaper than buying meat products. Get savvy and educated. 

Here is a list of more Plant-foods to add to your diet (the list extends beyond the scope of the blog and depending on where you live, things might not be available to you). 


1. Vegetables (kale, spinach, cabbage,  collards, chard, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, lettuce, peppers, zuhnni, summer squash, eggplant, beets, brussel sprouts, asparagus....)
2. Starchy Vegetables and Tubers: (sweet potatoes  butternut squash, spaghetti squash.. all kinds of squash, pumpkin, plantains, yams, cassava, yucca root, taro root, rutabaga....)
3. Fruits (pineapple, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, melons, mangos, grapes, apples, bananas, cherries, cranberries, plums, peaches, oranges.... )
4. Whole grains: (bulgur, millet, quinoa, wheat berries, oatmeal, sorghum...) http://wholegrainscouncil.org/
5. Beans and legumes: (soy beans, black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, cow peas, split peas....) http://beaninstitute.com/
6. Tofu, tempeh, seitan
7. Nuts: (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts... many of these can be made into butters or spreads)
8. Alternative milk sources (almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, hemp milk...)
9. Seeds (chia, flax, hemp, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin..)
10. Nutritional yeast! A fortified yeast that has a complete amino acid profile--an excellent source of protein! It gives food a cheesy taste. Use it in sauces, "mock" mac and cheeses, sprinkle on popcorn, mix with tofu for a vegan ricotta... 
11. If you choose to go vegan, be sure to read about Vitamin B12:  http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.php

mmmmm fresh veggies! 

Try a Meat-less Monday (or tuesday...wednesday..) by incorporating beans, tofu, nuts, whole grains, and/or seeds into your meals for meatless protein. Add more vegetables to your plate to add more color, flavor, micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), fiber, and phytonutrients!

Resources for plant-powered cooking:

1. My pinterest page
2. Nom yourself 3. Kris Carr 4. Vegetarian Recipe Club 5. The Post Punk Kitchen 6. Meatless ideas for school lunches
7. Ripe
8. Meatless Monday
9. Plant-powered Kitchen
10. Oh she glows
11. Vegetarian ideas from around the world
12. Vegan Soul Kitchen

I wish you the best of luck on your plant-powered journey!
If you have questions, let me know! 

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."- Albert Einstein