Resetting the Planet Means Resetting Our Food

By Deepak Chopra, ™ MD, FACP, Poonacha Machaiah, Rajnish Khanna, PhD

The way we eat has changed the planet. In this simple idea, which few of us consider when we go to the grocery store, lies immense hope for the future—if we pay attention. On the medical front a large number of people accept the notion, once thought of as a fringe belief, that “you are what you eat.” The decisions you make today about what you eat will have a huge impact in your future health. Food plays a decisive factor in modern lifestyle diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and all the damaging side effects related to the epidemic of obesity in this country.

The next step in our growing awareness expands on the same idea. The next bite you take adds to the health of planet Earth or pushes it a tiny step toward deterioration. Unconscious eating is bad for the environment. Conscious eating puts the planet on the road to renewal and wellness.

We can heal the environment by thinking from the ground up, quite literally. The health of soils around the world is essential to keeping the entire planet in balance. This truth has dawned with the rise of the word “microbiome,” which is gaining wide circulation. The microbiome is comprised of the genetic material of all microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and viruses) in a specific place, such as the human gut, in the soil, in water, or on the skin. Each local microbiome is intricately connected to other microbiomes, thereby linking all living organisms together.

Bay Area startup Trash Warrior eyes West Coast growth after securing new funding. Uber for Trash.

The San Francisco-based technology company, founded last year, is looking to make its mark in the area by competing on price and following a familiar “Uber for trash” dream.

Uber for Trash Concept – Circular Economy

The concept of creating an “Uber for Trash” has gotten plenty of media buzz in recent years. Now, a new West Coast player called Trash Warrior is also citing Uber as inspiration and has backing from venture capital firms.

Fittingly, this tech startup is based in San Francisco, the birthplace and setting for the ride-sharing company’s rise. Founded in 2019, Trash Warrior’s service offers on-demand removal of junk, furniture and cardboard through a platform linking to a network of third-party haulers, allowing residential and commercial customers to schedule pick-ups and pay online.

Bay Area startup Trash Warrior eyes West Coast growth after securing new funding

Expired Milk 100% Recycled

Expired Milk 100% Recycled

Resiliency Means Not Letting Anything Go to Waste
How Reinford Farms Turns Waste Into Energy

At Rubicon®, we believe it is important to highlight every aspect of our work, from the men and women who manage our waste and recycling, to our customers as they take the lead in the fight against COVID-19, to our city partners as they tackle the war on waste.

Last year, shortly before launching a line of perishable food products, a large national variety store chain approached us wanting to learn more about our organics recycling offerings. Up to that point, Rubicon had primarily worked with the customer on plastics, paper, and cardboard recycling. But the retailer understood that selling fresh food would present a different challenge. 

Prior to launching their line of perishable food products, the discount chain had only been selling packaged food. Their distributors would drop-ship the food items to them and take away expired product. After launching, the company became responsible for doing something with their expired products, including expired milk—a special challenge.

By: Ryan Cooper, Waste Diversion Manager and Organics Recycling Lead July 23, 2020

The circular economy

Of all the materials we extract globally, only 10% ends up in products. The rest is wasted along the supply chain or dispersed into the environment, before it even reaches the hands of consumers. Even then, 80% of products end up in our waste system within six months, where they have little chance of ever returning to products again (Girling, 2011). Out of all of the materials that leave the global economy each year, only around 10% is recycled into new products, while the rest ends up in an incinerator or landfill (Haas, Krausmann, Wiederhofer & Heinz, 2015).

Urban Lifestyle

Seattle will permanently close 20 miles of residential streets to most vehicle traffic. The streets had been closed temporarily to through traffic to provide more space for people to walk and bike at a safe distance apart during the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 20 miles of Seattle streets will permanently close to most vehicle traffic by the end of May, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Thursday.

Seattle will permanently close 20 miles of residential streets to most vehicle traffic.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattle-will-permanently-close-20-miles-of-residential-streets-to-most-vehicle-traffic/

New Eating Habits

A lot of people these days are buying produce in bulk. How to eat yummy and well organized healthy meals when you buy produce in bulk. It is easy if you keep your produce well organized. We can always keep our produce safe, fresh and ready for cooking and eating. To ensure that your produce stays fresh you have to cook it in bulk as well. Cook produce not just for one meal but for two or three meals at the time. That method will ensure your foods are fresh and appealing for eating. Refrigerate, organize and plan to consume your cooking during the same week.

For example, I bought a pack of white mushrooms today. I cannot really eat all these mushrooms at the same time. But I can cook all of them at same time and eat them during the same week.

Hm, how do you cook mushrooms so they are appealing to eat the next day and the next day? It is very easy to do if you like mushrooms. Cut each mushroom in two, plays them on a baking sheet; the flat halves go down and bake them in an oven. Before you bake them. Sprinkle salt, pepper and touch of your favorite vegetable oil that is useful at the high oven temperature like 350F.

Put baked mushrooms leftover in a glass sealed container and use it the next day as a site dish again. You will probably end up eating baked mushrooms 2-3 times during the same week. After that week you might not eat mushrooms for 2-3 weeks in a row. Which is totally Ok.

In case you’re a vegetarian or just exploring, the baked mushrooms is a great substitute for a cooked steak. Baked mushrooms are juicy with tons of flavor. Just something to think about. Also, when you bake your vegetables on a baking sheet you organized them well. They look nice on the baking sheet and they taste so delicious because you took a good care of them. Even children can bake vegetables on the baking sheets. It is safe, delicious, effective, and nurturing.

baked white mushrooms on a baking sheet up to 350F.
White Mushrooms and some red onion are ready to be baked in an oven. 350F

Frozen

It seems like everyone is feeling frozen right now.  It is OK to feel frozen, this is what your therapist would say, because this is a simmering time before you start boiling or doing things.

We are going through a natural progression of things. There are new developments, the new and familiar things to do in the near future.  Keep praying, keep staying occupied and positive and we will get through this in a better shape then when we started it.

I had this thought today, I can do this better.  I can do this better.  I can learn how to do this better.  I can learn how to do this better.

Exercises

Here are a few exercises for you to download.  Keep your energy moving and feeling positive.  Do these exercises every day, a few times a today.  Be gentle and respectful to your body. These exercises are very easy to do.  They are very nurturing.  Download this pdf file and feel better.  This is a free gift from me to you.  Feel better my friends.

Grounded

You are grounded.  We all heard that before. What does it mean to us as of right now? Almost all of us are grounded: children, adults and elderly.  How to use this incredible situation to our advantage? How to benefit from being grounded? How to improve our communities, families, work environments by being grounded?  One way to do this is by promoting self-discovery, self-recognition and self-love.  Accept this incredible living situation by feeling blessed and supported by Mother Nature and God.  

Every person has time to meditate, to contemplate, and to conduct self-discovery.  I know those are big words. Let’s find something small to think about in the mist of it.  Let’s think about how we eat, especially when we are single.  I’m sure a lot of single people are watching news or something and eat at the same time to stimulate their senses.  There is nobody to talk to; it is hard to focus on food.  This is how bad it is right now in the world.  People have hard time focusing on themselves.  They need somebody to distract them or they will become depressed and overeat every time.  They do not like what’s happening outside. They cannot except it.

For example, there are some news coming out of post-quarantined China displaying the high divorce rates.  We do not want to see these patterns in US or in any other country.  Divorces are very expensive and overrated.  In most cases when people get married they believe in forever together. We have to believe in that and work hard on our marriages.  Only time will tell if a marriage is successful. There are ups and downs in life and in marriages.

Exercise:

Let’s go back to the improving our eating routine. Turn off all your devices that are making noises and voices. Before you start eating take a close look at your plate; admire your plate. Smell the beautiful food. Chew slowly.  Use your senses to smell and enjoy the food.  Eat normal portions to let the food digest properly.  Leave the table a little bit hungry.  Look at your children this is what they do subconsciously.  Children usually do not overeat, they leave the table early.  Learn from them how to eat normal portions.  Breath, seep your favorite hot tea after an amazing meal.