What is Regenerative Agriculture?

Climate change is affecting all our favorite foods—from avocado toast to acai bowls—and how farmers grow food matters more now than ever. One way farmers are improving their food-growing game is regenerative agriculture, or “regenerative ag,” a farming practice with the lofty goal of not just slowing, but actually reversing, climate change. Less than a quarter of participants in the International Food Information Council’s 2019 Food and Health Survey stated they were familiar with this term, so let’s dig in to some more details about regenerative ag practices and their farming impacts! Regenerative ag is all about “holistic land management,” meaning farmers employ techniques that give back to the land rather than take away. Practices are focused on building up high-quality soil, retaining rainwater, improving the water cycle, increasing biodiversity, and promoting both human and animal welfare. One way farmers can accomplish much of this effort is by working in sync with carbon, one of life’s most important elements. This fundamental element makes up all living things, including the building blocks of our food—carbohydrates, protein, and fat wouldn’t exist without carbon. Plants especially love carbon; they take it from the atmosphere and the soil to grow and produce nutrients. Carbon-rich soil not only nourishes plants, but also creates resilient soil that can retain water during a drought, doesn’t erode as quickly, and provides ample nutrition to growing plants. Carbon is important since it sustains all life, but when released into the atmosphere it can form the harmful greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and directly contribute to atmospheric warming and climate change. Capturing carbon from the atmosphere into the soil, a process called carbon sequestration, simultaneously pulls carbon dioxide out of the air and transfers it to the soil for nourishing. Many farmers are adopting carbon sequestering techniques because of this dual […]

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The health benefits of soy and other plant-based proteins.

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What’s Up with Protein and Protein Supps?

Chatter about protein and protein supplements have been getting a good deal of attention recently. With so much misinformation about amounts, timing and sources here are the answers to five common questions about this important macronutrient. Why is protein important? Protein plays vital functions in our bodies, including building connective tissues and supporting the immune system. Protein can also help us maintain a healthy weight by increasing satiety and preserving lean body mass. In addition, protein can support exercise and fitness goals since protein aids muscle growth and repair. How much protein is needed? While there are extremely rare conditions where protein intake should be carefully monitored, the large majority of us get significant health benefits from eating the right amount of protein for our needs. Macronutrient amounts, including protein, are determined by the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) set by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine (IOM)). The RDA for protein is 0.8 gram per kilogram of body weight per day (g/kg/d) for adults. However, a recent position statement from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) suggests that the majority of people who exercise should eat a minimum of 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg/d of protein. Training athletes, which most of us are not, may require even more protein than that. Now before you start busting out your calculator to crunch these g/kg/d numbers, let’s talk about what it means. The recommended amount of 0.8 g/kg/d was defined by the IOM as the intake level necessary to meet sufficient protein needs for an average healthy adult, which varies based on activity level, gender, weight and genetics. The amounts suggested by ISSN for exercising individuals and training athletes are designed to support building and maintaining muscle mass.   Additionally, the IOM has established Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) […]

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What is the Flexitarian Diet?

Download the Flexitarian Diet Fact Sheet Here Highlights The Basics Most Americans do not consume the recommended amounts of dairy, fruits, legumes (e.g., chickpeas, lentils and beans, including soy), seafood, vegetables or whole grains.1,2,3 While a complete diet overhaul may seem daunting, one style of eating—the “flexitarian diet”—attempts to make it easier to shift dietary choices by focusing more on what can be added to the diet rather than what should be taken away. The flexitarian diet is a play on two words: flexible and vegetarian. While no single definition has been adopted, the flexitarian diet can be generally defined as a semi-vegetarian, plant-forward diet that incorporates dairy and eggs and allows room for meat from time to time. The emphasis on plant foods is thought to contribute to the health benefits associated with a vegetarian diet without requiring compliance to the dietary rules of 100%-vegetarian or vegan diets. There are no set calorie or macronutrient goals in a flexitarian diet. Instead, the goal is to increase the consumption of plant or plant-based foods over time, keeping in mind that meat is not off-limits but rather that it is eaten less frequently and/or in smaller portions. Calories in the flexitarian diet mostly come from nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, legumes, whole grains and vegetables. When it comes to protein, plant-based foods (e.g., soy foods, legumes, nuts and seeds) are the primary source. Protein also comes from eggs and dairy, with lesser amounts coming from meat, especially red and processed meats. Due to the emphasis on nutrient-dense foods, the flexitarian diet encourages limiting one’s intake of saturated fat, added sugars and sodium. The Flexitarian Diet and Your Health A flexitarian diet can have a positive impact on health,4,5 while being less strict than a 100%-vegetarian or vegan diet. The plant-forward philosophy […]

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Does Your Diet Affect Your Sleep?

It’s no secret that a healthy diet affects so many different facets of daily life, and sleep is no exception. It’s recommended that adults get seven or more hours of sleep per night. Yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one out of three American adults get less than that. Since not getting enough sleep is linked with many chronic diseases and conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression, focusing on strategies to promote better sleep can lead to better health. While a variety of strategies including exercise, a consistent sleep routine and limiting electronic devices around bedtime can support quality sleep –considering changes to what you eat and drink are other important variables. Sleep 101 Before we dive into the effects of diet on sleep, let’s first discuss the biology of sleep. Sleep is controlled by a variety of hormones in the body, specifically melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin helps regulate sleep and wake cycles, while serotonin signals the body to make more melatonin. Tryptophan, an amino acid found in a variety of protein-rich foods, is a precursor to melatonin and serotonin, which is why tryptophan-rich foods are often recommended for better sleep. Tryptophan for Sleep Studies have also shown that low tryptophan levels in the diet can impair sleep. Some tryptophan-rich foods include meat, seeds, nuts, cheese, eggs and soy products. Interestingly, there’s not a wide range of tryptophan content among meats; Turkey, chicken and beef have about 300 milligrams of tryptophan per 3-ounce serving. However, ounce for ounce, pumpkin seeds pack the highest tryptophan punch, with about 60% more tryptophan than turkey, chicken or beef. Fruits like cherries and kiwis also contain these sleep-promoting hormones and amino acid. Clinical trials have shown that cherry and kiwi consumption improve sleep quality and duration. […]

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Labeling That Saves Lives: Understanding FALCPA

There’s nothing easy about living with food allergies. Having one or multiple food allergies can make grocery shopping, grab-n-go snacks, and casual lunch dates tricky if not confusing and frustrating — especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when, according to IFIC consumer data, “21% [of survey respondents] said that they were worried about their ability to provide enough food for their family.” Under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the U.S. food regulatory system ensures that our food supply is safe from microbial, chemical and other potential risks. But what about allergen risk? How do you know if an allergen is in your favorite foods? Thanks to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), we can all rest a little easier and have confidence in our food choices, even with food allergies. What is FALCPA? FALCPA is the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act. Congress passed FALCPA in 2006 as a way for consumers to easily recognize the presence of allergens in food. It makes grocery shopping a little less stressful in many ways because consumers can see which foods contain allergens and which do not. The law requires food companies to list—directly on food packages—each of the eight major food allergens they contain. This means that you can find any food containing milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans clearly marked on packages. According to the FDA, “More than 160 foods have been identified to cause food allergies in sensitive individuals. However, the eight major food allergens identified by FALCPA account for over 90 percent of all documented food allergies in the U.S. and represent the foods most likely to result in severe or life-threatening reactions.” What about sesame? Sesame labeling is not required under FALCPA, even though more and more Americans are […]

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Food Allergies Across the Globe

In the time it takes to make your bed in the morning or brush your teeth at night, a person has been admitted to the emergency room due to a food allergy. Food allergies are a major health concern worldwide responsible for sending someone to emergency medical care every three minutes. The cause of food allergies is unknown, but their mechanism is the same: A person’s body mistakes certain nutrients in a food as harmful, which triggers an inflammatory response that can threaten the person’s health—and even cause their death. Food allergies and adverse reactions can arise at any age and may come and go throughout a person’s life. The outcome of a reaction can range in severity from mild (causing rashes, hives, and other external signs of inflammation) to severe (for example, leading to difficulty breathing or causing swelling of the throat). In their most severe form, food allergies can even cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition in which the body goes into shock. Recent data estimate that between 1.1 and 10.8% of the global population has a food allergy, and the rates of food allergies appear to be increasing. Documenting food allergies can be difficult, since food intolerances (less-serious adverse reactions to foods that are not allergies but may cause symptoms like gastrointestinal discomfort) are often mistaken for food allergies; self-reported food allergies are prone to bias; and the diagnostic process for identifying food allergies in patients varies between countries. In the United States, about 32 million people report having a food allergy, and each year around 200,000 people seek emergency medical care due to food allergies. Food allergies are particularly common in youth, with about one in every 13 children being diagnosed with a food allergy in the United States (and around 40% of children with food allergies […]

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Celebrating a Scientific Changemaker for AAPI Heritage Month: Dr. Fan Qingsheng

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month—a wonderful time to highlight the many pivotal social, cultural, and scientific contributions of the people who have Asian and/or Pacific Islander lineage in the U.S. This year, we’re highlighting Fan Qingsheng, a dynamic scientist who accomplished a great deal in the realms of botany, antibiotic production, microbial pathogenesis, and public health efforts to thwart infectious diseases in both the U.S. and China. While the benefits Qingsheng imparted to these fields were all significant, his work was especially pioneering in the study of nitrogen availability in soil and the bacteria that positively contribute to it—helping the U.S. (and the world) make huge strides in the science of crop development. Beneficial Bacteria: Living Their Best Lives Healthy soil is a key ingredient for farming success and nutritious crop production. Fertile soils harbor a plethora of beneficial bacteria, constituting a unique ecosystem that aids in soil-water dispersal, nutrient cycling, and plant-disease suppression. In our everyday lives, we typically are taught to avoid bacteria in order to sidestep foodborne illness. But in the case of soil, there are many vital “good guy” bacteria that help plants and ecosystems thrive. In fact, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has noted that a teaspoon of productive soil generally contains between 100 million and one billion bacteria! Bacteria display varied activity in soil and are grouped into four categories: decomposers (which convert plant matter into forms of food for other living organisms in the soil); mutualists (which become partners with plants and convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into nitrogen for plants); pathogens (which can cause disease in plants but can also facilitate helpful antibiotic production in soil); and lithotrophs and chemoautotrophs (which obtain energy from compounds of nitrogen, sulfur, iron, or hydrogen instead of from plants or other organic matter). Nitrogen (which composes […]

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