The Road to a Healthier Life

The Journey to End Hunger

I decided to donate fifty dollars to World Food Programme (WFP) which is an organization who aims to prevent world hunger alongside the United Nations. Moreover, I  worked toward being a flexitarian and also reach to being a lacto-ovo vegan. First of all, I chose to donate to WFP because their strategic plan was absolutely trustworthy: “WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.” (WFP, Strategic Plan, para. 1) The reason why I strived to become a flexitarian to reach a lacto-ovo vegan is because I wanted to protect the environment by “reducing our ecological footprint, and this is probably the most effective step any individual can take” (Melina, V., & Davis, B. 2003, p.7).

The experience of donating was rewarding because it technically was my first time donating money to the people that needs help. This experience gradually changed and improved my lifestyle as well as my mind. Notably, my eating habits had changed. I started to prefer more leafy greens and the right supplements. I have been consuming nutritious seeds, vegan meats, high fibre and low saturated fat products. As a result, I witnessed internal and external changes within myself. My skin progressively started to glow and I have lost weight ever since I started to become vegan. Along with those changes, I learned how to save money. Since I was striving to become a vegan, I packed my food whenever I had to go out for a long time. I was not that productive, but felt responsible to be a positive contribution in alleviating world hunger. Throughout this experience, I felt ashamed of myself that even though I am a very blessed person, I tend to complain regardless of my fortunate surroundings. Feelings of shame conflicted me that millions of hungry children around the world without meeting basic nutrition, they still seemed happy. As soon as a tiny factor goes south, I started to complain regardless of the fact that I was not going to sleep hungry at night, living in a first-world country with endless amount of resources.

It was a definitely challenging using blogs effectively, thus I had to search and learn how to use the UBC blog. Blog posting was an enjoyable time and memorable.It was an eye-opening experience when reading articles about people suffering from hunger and posting them with my personal opinions attached to them. I did not know that “there are 795 million hungry people in the world and 98 percent of them are in developing countries” (Who are the hungry, 2015). It shocked me because it is equivalent to all of Canadians starving to death and millions more.

I definitely did not make a huge difference but the fifty dollar donation is helping people to consume their nutrition for the next three months. Ertharin Cousin, Executive director of WFP said “even one dollar can make a difference. We’re saying to people: For you it’s a dollar, for them it’s a lifeline” (JT, 2014). Moreover, I had helped motivate all others around me by blog posting, and this small change rapidly develops further success. I have created awareness to my friends in regards to the fact that becoming a vegetarian will stop acres of land being abused for raising cattle and how meat products affect the environment. Not only that, according to  Michael Chatham (2014), even though there is enough food to feed every human being in the world, the plant-based food products such as crops are fed to livestock to produce animal-based food. He also stated that “In 2011, 883 million tons of corn, and 260 million tons of soybeans were grown globally. However, on average, 40-50% of that corn, and 80% of those soybeans are fed to farmed animals, rather than being eaten directly by humans” (Chatham, 2014, para. 5).

As with any task there are limitations to actions. My limitation was that it was not tangible enough because I could only know how the money is being used but not who it went to and how it helped them specifically. Another limitation that I faced was I do not know if my blog posts were viewed by others and initiated a different mindset towards their eating habits.

The most important thing I learned is that I am very glad that I now know several actions to prevent world hunger. Around the world, there are innumerable people that needs help and if we do not plan out any actions to prevent world hunger, there will be no future for our next generation.  I am looking forward to making a further difference and will keep working towards being a vegan and planning to donate money or food once a year to food organization. As Ayres, B (2013) stated, purchasing a high product in sugar, fat, and salt canned food will lead people to have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, therefore it is better to ask organizations what types of food or supplements they need in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle to the people who depends on food drive.

References

Ayres, B. (2013, November 27). Ten Ways to End Hunger. Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-ayres/ten-ways-to-end-hunger_b_4351633.html

Chatham, M. (2014, September 1). Could Veganism End World Hunger? Retrieved March 27, 2016, from http://gentleworld.org/could-veganism-end-world-hunger/

JT. (2014, December 03). WFP launches aid appeal. Retrieved March 27, 2016, from http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/wfp-launches-aid-appeal

Melina, V., & Davis, B. (2003). Becoming vegetarian: The complete guide to adopting a healthy vegetarian diet. Summertown, TN: Book Pub. Retrieved February 4, 2016, from https://books,google.ca/books/id=8YvTaNOTr6UC&printsec=copyright#v=onepage&q&f=false

Who are the hungry? | WFP | United Nations World Food Programme – Fighting Hunger Worldwide. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2016, from http://www.wfp.org/hunger/who-are

“World Food Programme.” WFP. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016 <http://www.wfp.org/>.

What are the ways to prevent  world hunger? Volunteering or work for an organization? Donating clothes or food to local Salvation Army? Yes, these activities can help end world hunger too but some of the activities have been ineffective. Although, if one thing is assured, then that is what we must do.

Here are some activities that can prevent world hunger:

Stop the Meat FEAST

–> Meat production is increasing greenhouse gas emissions. As meat supply and consumption increase around the world, more sustainable food systems must be encouraging (UN Environment Programme) to consumers. The issue is that more than half of the grain products or plant-based products are being fed to livestock and fish. Therefore, even though there are plenty of food resources worldwide, it is a serious problem to prioritize feeding the cattle first.

Help the Next Generation

Bill Gates  stated “Eliminating malnutrition is achievable. It’s within our reach.” Giving proper knowledge of nutrition and education on how important it is to consume food is critical for a child and his/her mother to understand in order to halt hunger in their individual lives.

Empowering Women

Empowering women will prevent world hunger and this has been proved over history. When women gain access to food they become providers for their families which has had a major impact on food access and ability to change financial situations (Global Citizen).

Buy Fair Trade

If items that are marked with the International Fair Trade symbol, you should buy it! It is another way to help feed other people like Guatemalan farmers. How can this help? The company that buys the item from Guatemalan farmers also helps those communities to further develop their lives with your purchase!

Eating meats on a regular basis has scientifically been proven to alter your genes negatively and produce harmful substances within your body.

Lower your cholesterol

As you start to age, you are prone to great risk if you have high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It can lead to serious inflammation like stroke or heart disease. Animal-based products such as meats, dairy products like cheese contains high saturated fats that cause high cholesterol thus blocking your coronary artery. As saturated fats build up, not only does it affect your organs in a negative way, but it also impacts your emotions and personalities. A plant-based diet significantly lowers your blood cholesterol and are very low in saturated fats and high in fiber.

Lower the risk of disease

Most importantly, and dramatic effect by changing to a plant-based diet is that it reduces the risk of inflammation in your body. Chronic inflammation by animal products can lead to diabetes, strokes, heart attacks and more serious diseases leading to permanent disabilities.

Lose weight and watch your skin start to glow

By pursuing a meat-free diet, there are noticeable external differences in your body. The increase in the amounts of antioxidant, minerals, and fiber which are included in plant-based diets help your skin detoxify which will solve problems like acne and eczema. Moreover, choosing a plant-based diet helps you cut your fats. Finding the right protein with low calories but highly nutritious food sources such as tofu, beans, vegetables, whole grains, vegan-friendly products, and fruits lead to rapid weight loss.

Impact on the Environment

If donations are burdening on one’s financial situation, or if you are passionate about being part of the movement in solving climate change, choosing to stay away from meats and focusing on a plant-based diet allows you to contribute positively to society as a whole. Choosing a plant-based diet and spreading awareness can greatly reduce the amount of funds, resources and technologies that are utilized in animal agriculture. Animal agriculture has dire consequences on greenhouse gas emissions because the industry uses up valuable space and destroys nature within this world. This will permanently stunt natural growth and results in excessive production at uncontrollable levels eradicating future sustainability.

Chronic hunger is defined as missing more than one meal. It is extremely serious that almost one billion people are suffering with hunger. A lot of families in local or in foreign world are struggling with hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition which their bodies would not function properly and prohibits them from improving their lives. It is more serious than the people who cannot consume their nutrition due to environmental disasters. Moreover, chronic hunger inevitably leads to a continuous inheritance of both biological and social status. According to Dr. Francesco Branca, the director of the development department from World Health Organization (WHO) said “stunting-an indicator of chronic under-nutrition-seriously affects growth and development and its effects are irreversible.” Although, if we try to end child under-nutrition, it would prevent 45% of all hunger-related deaths around the world.

Why would they be suffering from chronic hunger? Even though there is enough food for everyone around the globe, a lot of people in impoverished countries who need food the most do not have access to food. To illustrate, dozens of families struggle to get the food that they need due to chronic poverty, poor infrastructure of roads and food storage facilities, war-torn zone, and they rely on farming that can be easily disrupted by natural disaster or climate change. It is somewhat understandable that families in impoverished countries have to depend on their livestock for both food and income, but even that is vulnerable to climate changes. Crucially, drought and increasingly unpredictable rainfall are the most common and serious causes of food shortages.

Chronic Hunger death rate is double the number of people who suffer from AIDS and malaria. Hunger-related diseases increase every year and every 10 seconds, a beautiful and innocent child under the age of five dies because they have not consumed  basic nutrients they need to function and survive.

How can we end or at the very least reduce chronic hunger? As many people know, donating to an organization or a cause makes a huge difference. Secondly, learn the facts and spread the word to the people around you. The more people are knowledgeable about these facts, the more that would become involved in the movement to end chronic hunger. Moreover, whether you have the money or not, volunteering is another great way to fight for world hunger to raise awareness of this inescapable issue.

Sources: Youtube, WHO

Food waste is a worldwide serious issue and it is past the average that one person can fight over. Therefore, I really wish that WE can work together and gradually reduce the food waste in the world

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① SHOP SMART

➳ It might sound simple, yet it is very important thing you should do. Not a lot of people are actually writing down their grocery list. Before you shop, check what you have at home. Plus, don’t ever shop when you are extremely hungry. I have made many mistakes on this and I ended up throwing leftovers. So, shopping with meals in mind will reduce food waste as well as saving your time and money!

② SAVE and EAT – LEFTOVERS!

➳ A lot of households throw out their food because they have overcooked their meals or ordered too much food at a restaurant. Try to love your leftovers and there is tons of ways to make leftover foods to fresh and delicious meals. Keep track or label the food of how long the they have been in your fridge or freezer This is very smart way since it will save your money and save the world!

③ STORE FOOD in the RIGHT PLACES

➳ It is often hard to think where to store food in the right place. I always get confused whether I should put the food at room temperature or in the refrigerator. BUT! I have found a great website which will help us get through this! Food Republic will show and help you spot where your foods should go. This website certainly helped me a lot.

④ DONATE to FOOD BANKS and FARMS

➳ Look into food banks and farms where you can donate the items you know you are not going to eat before the food passes the expiration dates. Share your food to the people who desperately needs it! Moreover, you can donate your scraps or other kinds of food to feed livestock.

⑤ TRY COMPOSTING!

➳ In the same vein, you can compost certain foods and feed your garden. It certainly can reduce the amount of waste and create a free, nutritious-rich fertilizer that helps your plants to grow more beautifully. Though, not all food waste can be composted. Only the uncooked vegetable scraps, fruit peelings, coffee ground, eggshells can be home composted. BUT, composting should not be top-of-mind because we should try to reduce the waste we create. We should donate food, try to feed livestock, use scraps for industrial energy and then compost.

Ever since I was born I did not have chance to eat peanut butter. More because my father was allergic to peanuts. However, during my food class in high school, I had an assignment to learn how to make a Peanut Butter sandwich. It was my first experience eating peanut butter sandwich. It was super delicious! As I moved out from my parents house, I always enjoy eating peanut butter sandwich. I do a lot of cooking with peanut butter. THE LOVE OF PEANUT BUTTER!

I have provided easy step-by-step instructions to make the perfect peanut butter and greek yogurt.

Step 1

Ingredients

• Peanut-butter of your choice
• Banana
• Pine Nuts
• Roasted Flaxseed
• QIA super food
• 1 slice of sandwich bread
• Plain Greek Yogurt of your choice

Step 2

Toast the bread. My toaster doesn’t have exact time, so while waiting for my bread to be prepared, I am going to make my greek yogurt.

Step 3

First, you need half scoop with your spoon for each of Pine Nuts, Roasted Flaxseed and Qia. Then, 3 scoops of plain greek yogurt onto a small bowl.

Step 4

Position the bread slice on the clean surface (I used my small cutting board). Using the bread knife, scoop peanut butter and spread it onto the bread. (Use as much peanut butter as desired).

Step 5

TA-DA! Isn’t it easy and quick? I love it. Enjoy your breakfast 🙂

It is THAT time of year when everyone’s a little under the weather. Cold season is very much upon us. But! there are a few ways to say goodbye to the common cold or at least lessen its viral intensity until it goes away!

Here are some ways to get rid of your cold.

Painkillers

Painkillers like aspirin, tylenol, and advil are the medication known to treat colds. Neocitran is also a strongest formula for flu. Personally, this helped me sleep extremely well and heightened my appetite.

Zinc

Did you know that taking zinc syrup or tablets could speed up recovery? It makes the symptom less brutal but it is not a good idea to take zinc for a long time. Overdose might lead to other side effects like diarrhea and vomiting.

Chickpeas and pumpkin seeds are very good sources of zinc. It will help you to boost up and reduce inflammation. If they are not available for you, drop by a drug store to buy zinc lozenges and consume that for a day until your cold becomes less intense.

Decongestant nasal sprays

This spray brings quick relief for a runny nose but overuse can irritate your nose and feel more congested. One product that has good effects on cleaning your nasal cavity is NeilMed’s Nasal Mist Saline Spray which is sold at your local drugstores. The Saline mist disinfects your sinus stuffings and also moisturizes your dried out nasal cavity from all the sneezing and nose-blowing that you have done!

Non-medicated option

Another way is to eat a low fat but high fiber diet including fresh fruit and vegetables. And for goodness sake, please wash your hands and try to sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow.

If you have sore throat, gargle with warm salt water or take menthol candies.

Elderberry syrup

Elderberries contains anti-viral properties and it helps you improve the immune system. This is also an alternative way for cold-flu pill. It can also prevent the cold if you were exposed to someone who is sick. Elderberries can be found at health food stores.

Everyone feels hungry and most people are able to satisfy their desire in all sorts of various ways. But did you know that there are still people who suffer from chronic hunger? They don’t have the option of eating when they are starving and if they do, they do not get enough calories from essential nutrients. As it is now commonly known that the cause of hunger is not due to shortage of food, people who suffer from chronic hunger have an ongoing problem with access to food. Some people might be hungry because in their area, they might have shortage in food resources or it might be due to poverty. Another fact is that some countries have an annual hunger season due to climate hardships or their harvest is not yet ready.

I will upload the solution near the end of my blog. So please stay tune!

Jesus said “you give them something to eat” – Matthew 14:16

Hello and welcome!

My name is Irene, a 3rd year University student attending University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. For the next couple of weeks, I will be posting regularly about various tips and informational advice on how to lead a healthier lifestyle.

I hope my blogs are enjoyable and educational at the same time. I hope that by reading through my recipes, advice, and my journey of eating healthy meals will strike an inventive for you to do the same!

I’m passionate about nutrition and a firm believer that living a healthy lifestyle should be the core priority for all beings. I started this blog to share my passion, provide resources for recipes that taste delicious and help others to enter their healthy eating lifestyle.

Thanks for stopping by!