health Archives - Womens Post

Editorial March 28, 2019

The joy of Zumba

My daughter, Erin, loves Zumba. A 21 year old engineering student, Erin talks about her fondness for the fitness / dancing phenomenon with unfettered, uncharacteristic enthusiasm. Erin always returns from Zumba flushed, sweaty, and invigorated.

Every time, it’s the same. I ask, “How was Zumba?”

“Great,” she says and it warms my heart she enjoys such an enriching, positive experience.

Recently, Erin got her Zumba Instructor certificate, so she can lead classes. She’s lead 3, so far, and looking forward to more. Erin is not alone in her affection for Zumba: although it is only 20 years old, it’s estimated more than 14 million people, from 180 countries, participate in Zumba classes, moving and meditating their way to a happier, healthier self.

A high-energy exercise program, Zumba is dance and aerobic movements, put to lively Sambo, Salsa, Mambo, Merengue, and Hip Hop music. Listening to well-liked music is, of course, an affirming experience, on its own. Adding dance to music is like putting gravy on fries and Smarties in the ice-cream. Erin said, of the music and its variety, “I like all the styles used in Zumba, but Reggaeton is my favourite.”

(I had to look it up.) Reggaeton is a energetic genre, which started in Puerto Rico in the 1990s. It is influenced by homegrown sounds, Caribbean music, and hip hop. With the world at my fingertips, I went to the Internet and listened. I can hear why Erin likes it.

Alberto Perez started Zumba classes, in the 1990s, in his hometown of Cali, Columbia. In pursuit of the American dream, he moved to the US in 1999. Erin said, “Alberto couldn’t speak English, well, when he came to America, so Zumba only uses visual cues. Anyone can take a class and follow along, no matter what language they speak.”

Inclusivity is affirming.

I believe, wholeheartedly, in, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” Mindless, mindful, muted locomotion is therapy, beyond words. Invigorating beats can enhance the experience and benefits of exercise.

The lack of lyrics in Zumba music allows participants to write their own. Zumba dancers think and figure life out, without interruption or input, while moving and grooving, to groovy tunes. Zumba is meditation in motion.

Zumba provides a nice slice of variety; the spice of life. Erin said, “It’s fun, because the company (Zumba) is constantly coming out with new music and dances, on the instructor’s website, so it’s rarely the same class twice, for regulars.”

Inactivity is death: we are supposed to move, vigorously, and breathe hard. According to what I’ve heard, vigorous exercise can restore brain cells. As well, when the body burns fat, most of it is converted to CO2 and exhaled, so robust exertion is necessary to maintain optimum health. No guff: huff and puff until buff. It is important to find an enjoyable fitness program, in order to stick with it. Dancing is fun. Vigorous dancing is fun and aerobic.

Public fitness facilities can be cesspools of judgment, resplendent with withering, derisive looks. Passively hostile climates put, some, people off exercise, which is tragic: exercise is divine. Erin said, “Zumba is a supportive, positive environment; there’s no judgment. We’re all in this together.”

People are social animals, so prolonged, hearty, heartfelt dancing, with a group of like-minded Zumba enthusiasts, is an enjoyable path to a happier self. Erin said, “I met a lady, who is in her 60s, and has lost 50 pounds doing Zumba. Her name is Erin, too. She’s obsessed, and has been doing it almost every day for 2 years.” Earned, accurate, and inviting, Zumba’s motto is, “Ditch the workout, join the party!”

A universal, international celebration, there are Zumba classes for seniors, children, beginners, differently abled… Almost, everybody can Zumba. Music, movement, meditation, and comradely: Zumba is joy.

Featured December 5, 2018

Intermittent Fasting

Dr. Jason Fung is diabetes and obesity expert from Toronto. His work is transforming people’s lives; making them healthier and happier. Dr. Fung is a proponent of intermittent fasting (IF). I changed my lifestyle and began intermittent fasting the day I watched this video of Dr. Fung explaining his research.

I knew this was what I had been looking for.

I’m fascinated by intermittent fasting and Google it, regularly. Weight loss is the most obvious, desirous, and prominent result of IF, but temporary caloric abstinence helps everything; body, mind, and soul.

There is a growing body of research discovering how and why IF performs miracles, such as anti-aging and cancer curing. CNN asks if fasting is the fountain of youth.

The concept is simple: fast for, at least, 16 hours, each day. Eat. Stop eating. Simple. While your body is in fast mode, great things happen. When I started IF, weight loss began, immediately. It was freaky. I sleep better, breathe better, feel better, and, most importantly, look better.

Inflammation issues have been resolved, as well. I recently asked my family, “When was the last time I complained about my arthritic hips?” No one could remember. There’s plenty to complain about, but my hips have been cured.

In this podcast, George St Pierre, one of Canada’s finest athletes, explains to Joe Rogan, how meeting Dr. Fung and beginning intermittent fasting has changed his life.

As St. Pierre explains, his diabetes and colitis are better, his muscle density has gone up and his body fat is down. He feels ¨better, sharper, lighter…¨ Like George, I wish I’d known about intermittent fasting, years ago.

Fasting slows the mind and leads to contentment. It is not just food consumption, being re-evaluated. Thanks to IF, I have more time, more energy, I’m more productive, and I spend less money. I feel empty; less bloated and bogged down. ¨Oh, God, I´m hungry,¨ is now, ¨Oh, good, I´m hungry.¨

I like fasting because it is free. Almost, anyone can fast. Fasting is simple. There is no need to see an expert, buy supplements, record, count, restrict, exclude, follow a plan…. just stop consuming calories, for 16 hours. Unlike a diet or weight loss plan, the end of a fast is never far away. Each day, when I break fast, there is a sense of accomplishment; a sense of pride.

Food tastes better and is more satisfying, after a fast. For years, everything I ate or drink came with a sliver of guilt. Now, whatever is consumed feels earned and I enjoy eating and drinking, more than ever. As well, since I only have one or two meals a day, I prepare them better and eat healthier.

The eight hours of consumption is to each his or her own. I’ve read you shouldn’t eat before bed, but my feeding window is 4 pm to midnight, because I enjoy social time with friends, in the evening.

My new routine is get up, shower, and go to work. Not having to prepare and eat breakfast, then make a lunch, streamlines mornings and I leave earlier. I work or exercise during lunch break. A little water during the day is all I need. When I get home, in the evening, I enjoy a meal.

My 21 year old daughter, like many people, fasts from 7pm to 11am the next day. She doesn’t snack after dinner and skips breakfast. She feels better, has lost weight, and is, especially, happy her skin has cleared up.

Fasting is gaining in popularity, but it can’t be dismissed as a trend, fad, or craze, because it has been part of many cultures and religions for centuries. According to the infallible Internet, the Buddha said, ¨I, monks, do not eat a meal in the evening. Not eating a meal in the evening I, monks, am aware of good health and of being without illness and of buoyancy and strength and living in comfort. Come, do you too, monks, not eat a meal in the evening. Not eating a meal in the evening you too, monks, will be aware of good health and….. living in comfort.¨

Fasting is simple and effective, but it is not easy. A friend, who has been trying to lose weight for years, has started IF several times, but can’t see it through. By his own admission, he lacks the will power. Curiously, fasting, for all it offers, can’t cure that.

Featured November 3, 2018

4 Tools for Handling Loss, and Gaining Resilience

Women’s resilience always seems to be tested; from doing the bulk of the care giving for children, families, and elders, being the multi-taskers, the nurturers, the drill sergeants and the compassion experts. It is any wonder that this leads to reporting higher stress levels than men do?

Resilience comes from a Latin word meaning to leap back or rebound. My own resilience was tested in the last decade during a series of hard losses – my dad and husband, who died within three months of each other, followed by my mom, my dog, and my only sibling.

As a psychologist, but also as someone doing lots of caregiving during this time and coping with grief, I had to develop a set of skills to increase my resilience. These four tools helped me better handle the losses and the stress:

Engage in Meditation

Some believe that meditation may be the single most important tool for increasing resilience. A regular practice of meditation changes the brain, enhances the immune system, and induces a faster recovery from life stressors. Meditation induces calm and decreases ruminative thinking. Whether it’s a meditation that focuses on breath, or a mantra word like “Peace,” engaging in a bit of daily meditation makes a huge difference in being able to rebound from a challenging situation.

Practice Self Care

Self-care involves paying attention to three important things that impact the body and moods: sleep, exercise, and nutrition. These three factors go hand in hand – one has a synergistic effect on the other. Sleep rests the brain and reboots the immune system. Lack of sleep results in being more prone to illness and just plain grumpy!

It also impacts the gut, and most people usually reach for junk food,- which impacts brain and guts functioning- when sleep deprived rather than healthier foods such as fresh fruits, vegetable and nuts. Exercise or some form of daily movement, like walking, biking, swimming, or dancing, helps with better sleep, reduces appetite, enhances the immune system, and releases hormones that help feelings and mood states more positive.

Lack of sleep or proper nutrition and exercise, sabotages the mental and physical well-being as well as the ability to rebound from stress.

Recover and Recharge

It’s not enough to try and endure a stressful experience, as you develop resilience. Instead the focus must be on how to recharge in order to bounce back and move forward. Being in constant action is damaging to both body and mind, not to mention the spirit! When encountering a stressor, it’s important to take stress breaks or recovery periods that allow the time and space to heal, just like a runner does between training runs. Without these recovery periods, resilience doesn’t have a chance to grow.

Find Social Support

Chronic loneliness (not to be confused with “alone time” or “me time”) increases the levels of stress hormones circulating in the body, and also impairs decision-making and problem-solving skills, which are often critical when faced with loss and life stressors. From birth, you are hard-wired to have several close confidantes with whom they entrust your secrets and worries.

This is a particularly important tool in healing from loss because grief can feel so isolating. Joining a support group, or seeing a therapist is a great initial step in combating loneliness and finding a safe place to share your concerns. Finding a tribe of likeminded people, whether it’s joining a yoga class, a hobby group, a book club, or a sports team is also a great idea. Rumi says: “There’s a secret medicine given only to those who hurt so hard, they cannot hope. It is this: Look as long as you can at the friend that you love.”

The next time you feel stressed or overwhelmed, remember these seeds of resilience, and recall that in a garden, a healthy seed grows into a beautiful plant. Even though the plant may get assailed from time to time by blustering winds and heavy rains, the plant can bounce back and still survive, often blooming more beautifully than before.

Sherry Cormier, PhD is a psychologist, consultant and public speaker. Formerly on the faculty at the University of Tennessee and West Virginia University, she is the author of Counseling Strategies and Interventions for Professional Helpers (Pearson Education, 9th edition) and coauthor of Interviewing and Change Strategies for Helpers (Cengage Learning, 8th edition). She has cowritten and coproduced more than 50 training videos for Cengage Learning. Her new book is Sweet Sorrow: Finding Enduring Wholeness After Loss and Grief(Rowman & Littlefield).

News November 1, 2018

There must be more awareness on endometriosis

An American celebrity is calling for more awareness about the health risks endometriosis poses to women and especially those in the African American community.

When it comes to period cramps and women complaining of particularly painful ones, the consensus is usually to suck it up and keep going, because it is normal to have painful cramps when on your period.

In an essay published in OprahMag.com and WomensHealthMag.com, Tia Mowry-Hadrict, reveals that it took years for her to learn that the pelvic pain she had always dealt with was actually endometriosis, even going to multiple doctors.

“I’d been experiencing extreme pelvic pain for years and went to several doctors. Each one would brush me off. ‘Those are just really bad cramps, some women get them more severely,’ one told me. ‘Just put heat on it,’ one suggested. Another doctor simply said: ‘Get on the treadmill — working out helps,’ ”she said.

This is the story many women who experience the painful health phenomenon usually tell, until they are diagnosed accurately by a doctor who is well verse in the signs of endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a painful disorder in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus instead grows on the outside. The displaced endometrial (uterus) tissue continues to act as it normally would, however because it has no way to exit the body, it becomes trapped and can cause severe pain especially during the period, which can also lead to fertility challenges.

The primary symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain and is generally associated with the menstrual period.

Twenty-seven year old Yomi Perkins, an attorney in Barbados recalls her own battles with endometriosis stating that before her diagnosis, she would need to be on drips for the pain every month.

“I didn’t think anything of it as everyone always told me it’s normal to have cramps with your period. Years went by with these monthly cramps. I realized something was wrong when I was 21 my periods started coming every 2 weeks so I decided to see [my doctor], he did an ultrasound and told me my right ovary had a large cyst and he would have to run some test to ensure it’s not ovarian cancer.” She said in an interview with this magazine.

When the results came back, she was diagnosed with endometriosis and scheduled to have surgery to remove the ovary.

As most women with endometriosis can attest to, becoming pregnant is rare, and delivering a successful pregnancy can be extremely tough.

Recounting her experience with her now 4 month old twin babies, Perkins explained that every day she was still carrying was nothing short of a miracle.

“The pregnancy was a tough one I had to have an emergency cerclage in place as my cervix was practically nonexistent at 15 weeks and had to be on bed rest having weekly progesterone injections for the remainder of the pregnancy. I also had an elevated heart rate for the entire pregnancy my resting heart rate was 110. I was also on tender hooks as every day I felt like my period would come,” she said.

Tia Mowry- Hadrict, revealed that she revamped her diet and underwent multiple surgeries to not only relieve her pain, but also increase her odds of successfully having her two children.

“Compared to other communities, it feels like there’s a void when it comes to talking about healthy living and medicine from African American women, for African American women,” she said.

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News October 17, 2018

Legal cannabis in Canada has wild reactions

On Wednesday, Canada did what it said it would and became the largest country with a legal national marijuana marketplace, joining Uruguay to become the second country in the world to nationally legalise cannabis.

To the surprise of no one, sales began early Wednesday in Newfoundland with hundreds of customers lined up around the block at St. John’s by the time the clock struck midnight.

The atmosphere could only be described as ‘festive’ with some of the customers too excited to wait until they returned home, lighting up on the sidewalk and motorists honking their horns in support and they drove by the happy crowd.

Ian Power will go down in history as one of the first in line in the private store on Water Street to buy the newly legal national marijuana in Canada however, he told reporters that he has no plans on smoking it, instead he will frame it and hang it on his wall to be saved forever.

“Prohibition has ended right now. We just made history,” said the 46-year-old Power, who bought a gram. “I can’t believe we did it. All the years of activism paid off. Cannabis is legal in Canada and everyone should come to Canada and enjoy our cannabis.”

There was even more good news for cannabis aficionados, as hours before any retail outlets were opened, it was revealed that Canada would be pardoning all those with convictions for possessing small amounts of the drug up to 30 grams.

News of Canada’s firm decision to begin a national experiment that will alter their cultural, economic and social fabric in was met with calls for other countries to follow suit, expression of envy over Twitter and some backlash from other countries who are not willing to decriminalize the drug.

“Canada shows the way. When will the UK end the catastrophic prohibition of cannabis?” tweeted British MP Norman Lamb.

“Now that our neighbor to the north is opening its legal cannabis market, the longer we delay, the longer we miss out on potentially significant economic opportunities for Oregon and other states across the country,” said Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon in a statement, urging the U.S Government to follow Canada’s lead.

However just as there were thousands of excited tweets coming in, there were those who expressed their distaste with the legislation.

One such instance came from the citizen group the Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, which said Canada had declared a winner in the war on drugs, tweeting, “Congratulations Drugs. Better luck next time public health and saftey [sic]”.

The U.S has set up its own wall against the legalisaiton of the plant based drug by revealing that those who use marijuana legally in Canada could be banned from entering the country for smoking a single joint.

On the eve of Canada’s big day, U.S. Customs and Border Protection executive assistant commissioner Todd Owen told journalists, “Admission of illegal drug use are grounds to be found inadmissible into the United States.”

“It’s now legal in Canada, so a lot of it comes down to … whether the officer believes they may engage in the same activity while in the United States,” he said. “If somebody admits to smoking marijuana frequently in Canada, then that will play into the officer’s admissibility decision on whether they think on this specific trip they are also likely to engage in smoking marijuana in the United States as well.”

There are still many things that have to be resolved around the national legalization of the drug, including health and public safety as well as the threat of addiction and the effects it will all have on young people, including social pressure similar to what many already experienced with alcohol use.

Health & Fitness October 12, 2018

Easiest way to make cream of mushroom soup

Cream of Mushroom Soup

This cream of mushroom soup is easy and delicious. It is great all year round but especially now that the weather will be getting colder. There are numerous benefits to making this soup, including the fact that mushrooms are high in antioxidants that helps the body to improve its immune system and keep your skin healthy.

An added benefit is that this soup can also help you to decrease your risk for cancer as well as improve your body’s ability to fight off toxins overall. This recipe will serve 4-6 people.

Ingredients

1tsp Salt

1tsp Black Pepper

1tsp of Crushed Garlic

2 Tablespoons of Margarine/ 2 pats of Butter

8 oz Package of Mushrooms

1 Large onion

2 Ribs of Celery

1 Beef Bouillon Cube

¼ cup of Cooking Red Wine or Sherry

3 cups of vegetable stock

½ cup of milk or cream

Method

Rinse and clean the entire package of mushrooms, slice them and set them aside in a bowl, then dice the onion and celery. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of margarine to a medium size pot, then add all of the diced vegetables to the pot with 1 teaspoon of garlic.

Sautee gently on medium high heat until the vegetables become tender, the mushrooms brown, and the onions become translucent. Add 1 Bouillon cube to the vegetables then add ¼ cup of red wine or sherry. Give everything a quick stir then add 3 cups of stock and let the soup simmer coming to a boil for 20-30 minutes. Let the soup cool then blend in a blender until smooth. Return soup to the pot then add milk and simmer for 5 minutes.

If you wish to make your own stock, there is an easy recipe below that you can try.

Homemade Vegetable Stock

3 cups of water

1 tablespoon of butter

1 celery rib

1 small onion

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of pepper

Instructions

Dice celery and onion then add them to the pot with remaining ingredients. Let the contents simmer for 20 mins.

News October 9, 2018

Goop opens pop-up store in the UK

Gwyneth Paltrow is no stranger to the public eye, and with her company Goop, she catapulted even further into the limelight. She’s brought the goodness of Goop back to the UK for a short time, with a new pop-up store that opened its doors on September 25 in Notting Hill, London.

If you’ve no idea what Goop is, here’s a quick rundown: Goop is the widely successful lifestyle brand conceptualised by the actress. It started a decade ago as a newsletter in 2008, and has since evolved into a thriving lifestyle site, imprint, clothing line, with multiple products, and an estimated 150 employees as of 2018. Brand loyalty is impressive, and most Goop readers have an average annual household income of around $100k.

It is no surprise then that some prices found in the pop-up store may not match every budget. For example, you could pick up a few pretty shells from the beach or, get the “Goop Medicine Bag” for £76.99.

What’s in the bag? Eight healing crystals.

If you’re looking for something nice to catch your beverage sweat, why opt for any old coaster set when you can get a pack of four for £40?

Clothes shopping for the fall and winter seasons?

You can get anything from jackets to bras for as little as £90 or well over £1, 000.

Whatever catches your fancy is up for grabs if you’ve the budget to back it up.

Though the prices may be deterrent for some, that didn’t stop Goop fans, and interested shoppers from popping in throughout opening day, and making purchases of various products. This has continued and it’s safe to say that this could be the case until the pop-up store closes its doors on January 27.

Paltrow and her Goop brand have come under fire over the years from medical practitioners, and consumer advocacy groups to name a few, but this has not stopped customers from purchasing, enjoying, and promoting the brand’s products.

Some criticism was placed on the fact that many of the healing treatments and options purported by the brand, may be more a danger to users than help. This includes complaints that efficiency of these products is backed by no scientific proof and, they are not recognised or promoted by those in the field of medicine.

Some products that have raised eyebrows and can be bought in the UK Goop pop-up store are the £65 The Yoni Egg, which the brand recommends as a vaginal muscle toner, and the £40 “Inner Beauty Powder.”

Wherever you think about the Goop brand or its products, the store isn’t anything to sneeze at. Well laid out over four floors boasting pastels, coppers, and other colours and materials that match the brand’s theme, it offers other UK brands in the mix as well. Experience the Goop lifestyle, carefully sectioned into health and beauty, houseware, and clothing (fitness attire and closet essentials). This gives shoppers a wide range to choose from, while still getting all their favourite Goop products.

Health & Fitness October 5, 2018

Cream of pumpkin soup perfect for autumn

Cream of pumpkin soup is an easy and great soup all year round, but is especially a nice and warm addition now that we’re in the colder months. Pumpkin soup is a crowd pleaser which is filled with beneficial vitamins and minerals,that helps to improve skin, hair, prevents heart disease and helps to maintain healthy vision.

Ingredients

1tsp Salt

1tsp Black Pepper

1tsp of Crushed Garlic

2 Tablespoons of Margarine/ 2 pats of Butter

1 1/2 lb. Pumpkin

1 Large onion

2 Ribs of Celery

3 cups of vegetable stock

½ cup of milk or cream

Instructions

Cube the pumpkin and place in a bowl. Dice the remaining vegetables. Add margarine and the garlic to the pot, and Sautee for a minute. Then add the pumpkin and other vegetables and continue to Sautee. Next add vegetable stock to the pot and let soup boil for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Add the soup to the blender and blend until smooth. Return soup to the pot and stir in the milk. Reheat for 5 minutes. Serve.

Bonus:

I love making my own vegetable stock and it’s so simple, I added it to this recipe!

Homemade Vegetable Stock

4 cups of Water

1tablespoon of Butter

1 Celery Rib

1 small onion

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of pepper

1 Bay Leaf

Instructions

Dice celery and onion then add them to the pot with remaining ingredients. Let the contents simmer for 20 mins. Remove the Bay leaf and then the contents can be added to a soup.

Featured October 1, 2018

Woman of the Week: Janet Mohapi-Banks

Janet Mohapi-Banks is nothing short of a truly inspiring woman.

Hers is a journey of never giving up and of having the faith to continue to push towards your dreams, even when all the chips are down and hope is in very short supply.

In today’s fast pace and seemingly hectic culture, it is never easy to feel as if all of the time, effort and love you put into creating the life you were proud of, all seems to be crashing down around you; and it takes a very special, committed and brave woman to not only weather the destruction, but to also stand up and do it all over again.

Mohapi-Banks is one such woman.

She went from being at the top of her game as a Luxury Wedding Cake Designer,- even winning a Precious Business Award in 2010 to being burnt out and trying her best to manage a seemingly incurable digestive disorder as well as chronic fatigue in just under a two year span.

“By 2012 I had burned out so badly I was left literally at death’s door for nearly 5 years with a rare (and according to my specialist at The Royal Free Hospital) incurable digestive disorder and chronic fatigue.

As a result, I was forced to close my cake business which was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I moved out of the London area, got my affairs in order and prepared for the inevitable.” She said.

For any entrepreneur, being forced to say good bye to your ‘business baby’ is a very hard and painful process which can fill you with feelings of guilt, frustration, resentment and a lot of fear.

It was unbelievable to her that in only a span of 18 short months she had gone from delivering cakes to some of the most prestigious venues in the UK, including the Ritz Hotel Mayfair and winning awards for her fabulous designs, to being so exhausted and in pain that she was not able to even get out of bed to care for her children- a boy aged 12 years, and a girl 15.

A second chance on life came for Janet in the form of a chiropractor who by cracking her spine released her vagus nerve, thereby curing her and allowing her to grow back to optimal health.

With this new lease on life, Janet launched her coaching business in an effort to help other women to grow their ideal business without the stress that had nearly crippled her.

“Before I was critically ill, I used to overwork, which lead me to burnout. I now realise that my overworking was due to a lack of self-belief that I truly deserved my amazing successes,” the Transformational Life Coach for Entrepreneurs revealed.

Mohaphi-Banks, who is a proud and happy mother of two explained that women almost always tried to do everything by themselves and her biggest take away from her own experiences was to know when you needed help and to outsource reliable people for the job.

When I asked what got her through the day, she said it was her refusal to waste a minute of her second chance and her amazing children. She noted that while she had gone through some ‘incredibly challenging times in my life’ she continued to get back up with a smile on her face and a determination to face her challenges.

Environment September 30, 2018

Vegan meat is the future to a greener Earth

There was a time in my life when I tried to go vegan. I gave up meat and turned to tofu and a lot of soybean based products in the hope to replace the meats with a more plant based and healthier option.

I failed.

The tofu taste was disgusting to my sensitive palate and even now, the thought of its scent makes me very, very sad.

So imagine my amazement when I found out about Beyond Meat, the 2009 founded company that just won the 2018 Champions of the Earth Award, which is the UN’s highest accolade for the environment along with, Impossible Foods. Both are producers of revolutionary plant-based meats which are alternatives to beef.

What is even more interesting is that these plant-based meat alternatives are outperforming grass fed beef in the fast food arena around the world, including the USA and Canada.

This is great news for anyone who understands the need to preserve and nurture the Earth as livestock cultivation is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

This is a distressing fact in and of itself as greenhouse gases are basically responsible for and the hole in the ozone layer and thus climate change.

With the advent of these plant based meat alternatives having proven to be sustainable choices, it means that being ecologically conscious no longer translates into giving up on taste and enjoyment.

“This proves that positive climate action can taste even better!” Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment said. “Saving the planet requires something of a gastronomical rethink in some parts of the world, and Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods prove that this doesn’t mean our taste buds are making the sacrifice.”

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Impossible Foods Dr. Patrick O. Brown, explains that he knows that the big global problems are not the responsibility of someone else and agreed that in order to save the planet, it would be important to pleasantly appeal to the world’s tastebuds.

“This problem wasn’t going to be solved by pleading with consumers to eat beans and tofu instead of meat and fish. And it wouldn’t be enough just to find a better way to make meat; to succeed we would need to make the best meat in the world.”

The vegan meats by these companies have already outperformed grass-fed beef burgers by at least 40% at Luna Grill, and were sold out at Taco Bell in the USA, as well as at A&W locations in Canada and was recently added to a burger chain in Italy, called ‘WellDone’.

So how can a vegan meat switch really make any difference? Is it just because it tastes better?

Well not only has many reported that the vegan burgers actually still taste like burgers, but this seemingly simple food choice equates to a greener world.

Here’s how.

Americans switching from beef to plant-based patties would be the equivalent of taking 12 million cars off the road for an entire year–or saving enough electricity to power 2.3 million homes.

A study coming out of the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan, which conducted a ‘cradle- to- distribution’ life cycle assessment of the popular vegan burger, discovered that the Beyond Burger generates 90% less greenhouse gas emissions, requires 46% less energy, has 99% less impact on water scarcity and 93% less impact on land use than a quarter pound of U.S. beef. That means a 41-square-foot plot of land can produce just one beef burger for every 15 Beyond Burgers.