Sustainable is big buzzword with the brightest minds of today looking for ways to feed an ever growing population in the face of an increasingly unstable and degrading Earth. People ignoring the environmental factor of the sustainable equation claim that GMOs are the answer to feeding the world’s people, but if you believe where people live is as important as what they live on, there has to be another answer.

Those bright minds have to be good for something; they are presenting some unusual, innovative, thought-provoking solutions. There’s evidence that conventionally icky stuff like bugs, pond scum, and strange fish offer a new notion of edible while also opening up a potentially bountiful source of needed nutrients.

Edible Creepy Crawlers

The idea of eating bugs is not unusual. Bugs are popular street snacks in Asia, and bugs like crickets have long been an important protein source for farmers in Africa. In North America and Europe, the idea of eating bugs remains squirm-inducing. But can we see past the ick factor to the nutritional and sustainable possibilities?

Grasshoppers and crickets are a commonly eaten in many parts of the world thanks to their ability to live everywhere, their ease of capture, and their neutral taste. Mealworms are also very popular, and in some countries eating ants and cockroaches isn’t uncommoin. As the gateway bugs of choice in the U.S., crickets are showing up as protein powders, supplemental flours, and at an adventurous fast food chain that is introducing milkshakes with cricket powder. Crickets and grasshoppers are a great source of protein (including essential amino acids lysine and tryptophan that are hard to find in conventional protein sources) and are recognized by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization as a good source of heart-healthy unsaturated fats. While chicken, pork, and beef might have more protein, they also require more space to grow and are responsible for egregious environmental degradation through increased methane gases, deforestation, and massive amounts of toxic animal waste.

In contrast, growing edible insects are far more efficient. To raise one kilogram of beef, you need eight kilograms of food, and you usually only eat about 40% of the cow. Crickets are 80% edible and only need 1.7 kilograms of feed to arrive at one kilogram of food. If you consider that someone somewhere is going to come up with the idea feeding bugs the 40% of food we waste in the U.S., it’s a sustainable slam dunk.

Strange Seafood

Our oceans are in crisis mode as more and more species die off. Soon the yellowfin tuna and the king crab we’re accustomed to seeing on our plate at seafood restaurants will be gone due to overfishing, fluctuating water temperatures, and increasing pollution. We’ll have to learn to adapt… and eat the food that already have adapted.

While the fish populations we’ve become accustomed to eating are dwindling, other invasive yet edible creatures are thriving in spite of the environment changes. Asian shore crabs, Asian carp, blue catfish, and lionfish are all experiencing growth as they displace native species.

In an effort to focus on managing an unbalanced fish population, some restaurants are adding these invasive fish to their menu. Even grocery giant Whole Foods is getting in on the action, announcing plans to make lionfish available to their customers over the next six months. With its venomous spines, lionfish doesn’t look too appealing, though it is popular in other regions of the world like the Caribbean. But with female lionfish laying 30,000 eggs every four days and a population so voracious it’s eating itself, this fish is a prime example of a new, sustainable seafood.

Starting at the Bottom of the Food Chain

Algae is a huge group of organisms that, odds are, are already available at your nearest grocery store. Sheets of dried seaweed abound in the ethnic aisles of the grocery store and at sushi restaurants, kelp is aking off amongst the health enthusiasts, and nearly every green nutritional powder has spirulina and/or chlorella in it. The health benefits of those two particular algae are impressive. Not only do they detox heavy metals and toxins from the body, and they contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids,antioxidants, and all of the essential amino acids which makes them complete proteins.

Seaweed is also a fantastically sustainable food. It can grow at a rate of almost six inches a day, and it doesn’t require any other resources other than the ones readily available to it. It also leaves the environment cleaner than it was before the it grew. People who understand the benefits of crop rotation will also appreciate the idea of farming seaweed opposite of shellfish season, which pairs two of the only farmed products that leave their environment cleaner than they found it. With its rapid growth, abundant nutrients, and cleaning habits, seaweed is a uniquely sustainable food.

It Will Become The Norm

Bugs are gross. Most people would sooner smash them under their foot than put them in a skillet. The green sludge found in ponds or the weird spiny fish that looks like a zebra pincushion don’t seem any better. But in the next fifteen years, we’ll have an estimated 8.5 billion people living on a planet that virtually everyone agrees we’re in the process of destroying. The “weird” and the “gross” are just foods we’re not used to yet, and these foods can provide for so many while slowing our negative impact on the environment. It’s time to get creative and do what we can to present sustainable options for everyone that might be little out of the ordinary. Here’s a good start, check out Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula and How To Grow Spirulina at Home.

Related Reading:

• Algae-Growing Nuns In Central African Grow Spirulina For Malnourished Children
• Health Benefits of Kelp

Sources

• The Nutrition Values of Edible Bugs and Insects – sfgate.com
• Why Should We Eat Insects? It’s the Future of Food – nature.com
• 7 Restaurants Where You Can Eat Invasive Seafood  – azula.com
• Whole Foods Will Sell an Invasive Fish Species in Six Months – grubstreet.com
• Top 5 Foods That Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins – With Protocol – organiclifestylemagazine.com
• Seaweed is Easy to Grow, Sustainable, and Nutritious. But It’ll Never Be Kale. – washingtonpost.com

How many of these nutrient dense foods have you incorporated into your diet?

Seaweed

Vegetables that are found in the sea contain essential omega 3 fatty acids, which can be great for your body. From combatting heart disease to strengthening your bones, the calcium, zinc and iron packed into seaweed will boost your day-to-day fitness – as well as keep your body healthy over longer periods of time. Seaweed is commonly used as an addition to sushi but, if you’re looking for other ways to get it into your diet, there are plenty of exciting recipes to try out – including some delicious snacks!

Recipe Idea: Seaweed Crisps

Ingredients

• 12 nori seaweed sheets
• ¼ cup of water
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275°F/140°C. Place nori seaweed sheets on a baking tray and sprinkle with water, adding another layer of nori each time. Use scissors to cut the sheets into your preferred shapes and sizes. Mix the garlic and sesame oil together in a bowl – adding salt and pepper to taste. Gently rub the mixture across the seaweed crisps and bake for around 20 minutes for a delicious snack you can enjoy any time of the day.

Coconut Oil

Many people are put off from incorporating coconut oil into their diets because they’re concerned about the calories it contains, but not all calories are created equal. By restricting your intake, you could be depriving your body of essential nutrients found in more calorific foods. Coconut oil can be used for just about anything. From adding it to a stir-fry to give your noodles an extra kick to injecting some flavour into your chicken satay, the options are limitless.

Recipe Idea: Protein Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 banana
• Handful of blueberries
• 30g oats
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 2 tbsp. flaxseed
• 1 tsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp of water

Instructions

Chop up the banana and add the flaxseeds, peanut butter, water and oats to a mixer and blend until creamy. Set your frying pan to medium heat and add the coconut oil. Pour in the mixture and cook for one minute on each side. Serve with blueberries for a quick, easy and protein-packed breakfast.

Chia Seeds

Noted as being one of the most healthy foods around, chia seeds are packed with fibre, fat, and protein – among many other healthy nutrients. Like blueberries, chia seeds contain antioxidants, which help to fight off diseases. If you’re looking for healthier after-dinner options, try baking some flapjacks and adding pumpkin and chia seeds for a delicious dessert alternative.

Recipe Idea: No Cook Peanut Butter Dip

Ingredients

• 1 pot Greek yoghurt
• 2-3 tbsps. peanut butter
• 2 tbsps. chia seeds
• 2-3 tbsps. honey

Instructions

Pour Greek yoghurt into a bowl and mix in peanut butter and honey, adding chia seeds as you go. Serve with fruit and use as a dip for a tasty after-dinner treat.

Açai Berries

When it comes to antioxidants, berries are among the best foods around. Açai berries are packed with fibre that’s proven to aid digestion. These berries also contain oleic acid, which is a healthy fat thought to combat heart disease. Açai berries are highly perishable – but you can mix them with other fruits to make tasty juices or shakes, which you can refrigerate.

Recipe Idea: No Cook Açai Berry Truffles

Ingredients

• ½ cup dried açai powder
• 1 tbsp. almond butter
• 2 tbsp. cacao powder
• 2 tbsp. palm sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp. coconut oil
• 8 dates
• 1 small plate of desiccated coconut

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and mix until you’re left with a doughy texture. Roll individual balls to a size of your choice and refrigerate. Once chilled, roll in a plate of desiccated coconut to dust and serve as a decadent dessert.

Avocados

Loaded with nutritional values, the avocado has a number of proven health benefits. Avocados are packed with vitamins K, C, and E – among others – and are extremely low in saturated fat. Avocados are an acquired taste – but try mashing up a ripe avocado and mixing in lemon juice and black pepper to make a tasty dip for your snacks.

Recipe Idea: Avocado Baked Eggs

Ingredients

• 1 avocado
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp. chives
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to.425°F/220°C. Half the avocado and remove the pit. Place both halves into oven-proof bowls and crack an egg into each half. Bake for around 15 minutes. Finely chop the chives and sprinkle on top, adding salt and pepper to taste, for a healthy, hearty breakfast.

Staying healthy doesn’t have to be about implementing strict diets or spending all of your time in the gym. By mixing some superfoods into your daily diet, you can put your body on the path to a healthier 2016.

Recommended Reading:

• 35 Things You Could Do With Coconut Oil – From Body Care toHousehold
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
  
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula

Kelp is a group of large sea algae that is commonly referred to as seaweed. This amazing plant species has been used for many years by sea dwelling cultures. It is renowned for its powerful nutritional benefits.

The Sea Vegetable PowerHouse

Kelp is part of the brown algae family in the order of Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera of this form.   In the 19^th century, the word “kelp” was used to describe seaweeds that were burned to form soda ash (sodium carbonate).

Kelp grows in shallow, underwater oceanic forests. It depends on cool temperatures between 43-57 degrees F (6-14 degrees C). Some kelp species grow well over a foot a day and can reach heights of 250 ft. These kelp species are easily harvested due to their surface canopy and underwater growth rate.

Kelp is Rich in Alkaline Buffering Nutrients:

Kelp is extraordinarily rich in alkaline buffering nutrients such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. It is also a phenomenal source of chlorophyll to boost blood cell formation and purify the body.

Kelp is considered the world’s most potent source of naturally occurring iodine. Some species have been known to concentrate iodine by up to 30,000 times the amount in sea water. Iodine deficiencies are becoming increasingly common throughout the world. The areas with the least amount of iodine deficiencies are typically coastal regions where seaweed is readily available. Iodine deficiencies are known to cause hypothyroidism and goiter formation. Kelp has been used for many years as a remedy for these problems.

Kelp Boosts Glutathione Levels:

The Japanese call several Pacific species of kelp Kombu. These cultures use Kombu in many traditional dishes such as soups, stews, and sushi. Kombu is a powerful source of natural glutamic acid which is a precursor to the body’s master anti-oxidant, glutathione. Kombu is often used to soften beans during cooking and help convert challenging sugars into a more digestible form and thus reduce flatulence.

Sea vegetables like kelp are also a great source of the mineral vanadium. Vanadium helps form the haloperoxidase enzymes that help provide a natural antioxidant defense that has allowed these sea vegetables to flourish. Vanadium is a critical trace mineral that enhances insulin signaling and blood sugar balance by inhibiting the tyrosine phosphatase enzyme. This process also reduces glucose formation and enhances the body’s ability to store sugar in the form of muscle and liver glycogen. This is an important adaptation that helps the body withstand stress more effectively.

Kelp Has Unique Sulfated PolySaccharides:

Sea vegetables also contain a unique group of polysaccharides called fucoidans. These fucoidans have a characteristic branching pattern with sulfur containing molecules. They are being widely studied for their ability to reduce inflammation within the body. These sulfated fucoidans have been shown to reduce pain, fight viruses, and prevent atherosclerosis.

Fucoidans produce their anti-inflammatory effects by blocking selectin production and inhibiting pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and enzymes. Selectins are glycoproteins (sugar-protein molecules) that are often used to signal inflammatory processes in the body. Fucoidans also inhibit the enzyme Pphospholipase A2 (PLA-2) that turns on inflammatory processes.

Immune Boosting Activity:

These sulfated polysaccharides have also been shown to block the typical binding sites for many viruses such as Herpes. By blocking binding sites, the virus is unable to replicate. Without adequate replication, the viruses are unable to survive.

These sulfated polysaccharides are also revered for their powerful ability to reduce blood clots. Heparin (Coumadin) is a popular medical agent used to reduce clots. Heparin is also a sulfated polysaccharide although it is a synthetically derived form. Both of these reduce platelet cell coagulation that forms blood clots. Heparin comes with a number of dangerous side effects while naturally occurring sulfated polysaccharides in kelp have no known side effects.

Sources for This Article:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp
• http://www.noamkelp.com/technical/handbook.html
• http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=135
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haloperoxidase