A Little Girls Potato Experiment Will Change The Way You Think About Food!

A little girl decided to do an experiment with a sweet potato, and her results will change the way you think about the fruits and vegetables you buy at the grocery store. - 

The Importance of "Organic"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBEFCiWyW0

Ethiopia’s teff grain set to be world’s next ‘superfood’

Mineral-rich and high in protein, teff is ideal for diabetics, and sought after by people with gluten intolerance.

• Image Credit: AFP
• A young Ethiopian woman making injera ( a spongy fermented pancake), a traditional staple from teff flour at Ada village in Bishoftu town, Oromia region of Ethiopia.

Debre Zeyt: Under a searing midday sun, a herd of cattle circles atop a pile of golden teff, thrashing the wheat-like grain, a method that has been practised by Ethiopian farmers for centuries.

The crop, mostly grown in the Horn of Africa, is a key part of the country’s heritage and a crucial food staple, but is also gaining increased interest abroad among health afficionados seeking a nutritious, gluten-free alternative to wheat.

“Ethiopians are proud of the crop because it is almost our identity,” said Solomon Chanyalew, director of the Debre Zeyt Agricultural Research Centre, a teff research hub.

“But these days, teff is getting global attention,” he said.

Relatively unknown outside of Ethiopia — for now — the cereal is predicted to replace quinoa as the latest global “super-food”.

But a ban on exports to control price hikes at home has left farmers tied to local consumers, limiting their contribution to growing markets abroad.

The poppyseed sized grain is renowned for its nutritional qualities. Mineral-rich and high in protein, teff is also a slow-releasing food, ideal for diabetics, and sought after by people with a gluten intolerance, or Celiac disease.

“Teff is not only gluten-free, which is an increasingly important aspect of foods that is being sought out, but it’s also incredibly nutritious. Many people consider teff to be a superfood,” said Khalid Bomba, CEO of Ethiopia’s Agricultural Transformation Agency.

In Ethiopia, teff is used to make injera, a spongy fermented pancake topped with meat or vegetable stew and consumed with an almost religious devotion, often three times a day.

In the West, however, where it is touted by celebrity chefs and health-conscious Hollywood stars, the grain is most commonly ground into flour and used to make biscuits, breads, pastas and even teff juice.

It is also a resilient crop; it can grow between sea level and 3,000 metres and is both drought- and flood-resistant, ideal for Ethiopia’s dry highlands.

But despite its versatility, Ethiopia’s 6.5 million teff farmers struggle to meet local demand — let alone growing demand from abroad — with limited access to seed varieties, fertilisers and modern machinery that would allow for higher yields.

Teff also suffers from a lack of research since it is considered an “orphan crop”, unlike global crops like rice, wheat, and maize, which are widely studied and well-funded.

“People don’t want to work on teff, basically, it’s not paying,” said Kebebew Assefa, one of only two full-time teff researchers in Ethiopia.

Regardless, productivity has climbed to bridge the supply gap, with the introduction of 19 new teff varieties and improved farming techniques.

In the last four years, yields have increased from 1.2 to 1.5 million tonnes per hectare, which Khalid said bodes well.

“The production increases are what gives us the confidence that Ethiopia will be able to compete at a global level when it comes to tapping into the increasing demand from consumers in Europe, in London, or New York or Brisbane,” he said.

An estimated two million tonnes per hectare is required to reach export potential. For now, the ban on exports remains in place to avoid the pitfalls of quinoa in Bolivia, where most people could not afford the staple crop after the surge in global popularity.

The price of teff — $72 (Dh264.46) per quintal — is already too expensive for the majority of Ethiopians who earn less than two dollars per day.

But farmers are eager to export their teff, well aware of the higher prices they can fetch.

“I want to sell it abroad because it’s going to have a good market and I will earn good money and it will bring good motivation for my work,” said Tirunesh Merete, 60, who has been growing teff for nearly four decades.

Neighbouring farmer Amha Abraham said he is keen to make more money, but recognises that local markets need to be fed first.

“If we export teff to other countries then we can get a lot of money, but we must provide first for our country’s consumption,” he said, standing near a giant pile of golden teff stalks, used for roofing and as cattle feed.

Until the export ban is lifted, Ethiopian farmers remain excluded from a growing international industry, with teff products appearing on shelves in health food stores across North America and Europe.

“Everybody has started talking about gluten-free,” said Rob Roffel, CEO of the Dutch company Cosenza, which produces gluten-free foods from teff grown in the Netherlands.

“The demand for gluten-free foods mainly was for Celiacs ... but what we see now more and more is other target groups interested in teff flour,” he said, adding that his business has grown 30 per cent annually since 2006.

In the meantime, Khalid said he has high hopes for teff.

“If you look at what’s happened with quinoa, it’s a $150 million market in five years and teff is actually much more nutritious and much more resilient than quinoa,” he said.

“So we think there’s a much bigger market opportunity for teff.”
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/other-world/ethiopia-s-teff-grain-set-to-be-world-s-next-superfood-1.1297896

Superfood fads: Super distracting for global farmers?

 

You may be sick of hearing about the virtues of foods like kale and blueberries. Superfoods, they're called -- so nutritious they're life-changing. But often they end up as fads. In a sense, this is happening in the developing world, too. Organizations have been promoting certain crops as panaceas to alleviate hunger and poverty. But they don't always work out.

Rosie Cabantac's farm is in Pangasinan, a northwestern province. It's an area known for rice. A few years ago, she started adding a tree called moringa. She heard about its potential: nearly every part, from roots to flowers, is edible or thought to be medicinal.

"Good for your body," she says. "Also, good medicine. Also, good for money!"

Cabantac says her monthly income doubled since she added about two and a half acres of moringa trees to her farm.

Moringa is one of many of these so-called superfoods. There's the grain, amaranth. The smelly jackfruit. Trendy quinoa. Even mungbean. If only farmers planted more of these, proponents say, hunger and poverty could be eased around the world.

"One tree can change a family's life for generations," said Josh Schneider, managing partner at Global Breadfruit, a company trying to get farmers to replace some staple crops with breadfruit trees. The fruit is more like a potato and can be made into french fries and flour. Gluten-free, of course.

"Tropical farmers can dominate this market," he said, "and it can really help grow their economies and lift these countries up out of poverty."

This gets at one of the biggest debates in international agriculture. On one side are people like Schneider, who believe that the secret to reducing hunger is to promote new and niche crops. On the other side are skeptics like William Masters: "People need to find the bright new thing to chase after," he said. 

Masters is chairman of the Food and Nutrition Policy Department in the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts. He says more often than not, so-called miracle crops like moringa or breadfruit are distractions. "Why [is] it that it didn't get identified as a huge success previously?" 

In other words, it's not like farmers haven't tried many of these crops before. Farmers experiment. They'll plant something new, and see how it does. And, over the years, many of these so-called superfoods failed for the most mundane of reasons. They take too long to grow, require too much labor or are prone to pests. It's not as easy to spread breadfruit as wheat.

"That search across all the available biodiversity has been going on for thousands of years," Masters said, "and it's led to a system that has found a half dozen or dozen major species that feed the world. And that's because those major species have some pretty amazing characteristics."

You know these: wheat, corn, rice and the like. Governments, foundations, and colleges should spend their money and time improving what farmers are already growing, he said.

That's not to say a niche crop can't ever explode and become a big part of the world's diet. Soybeans used to be regional. But in the last century, changes in breeding made it possible to grow them all over.

All of this comes down to economics. Do these new crops have a market, both at home and for export? Will fads lead crops to rise and fall? Moringa may be about to have its moment, winding up in teas and even bath gels.

That's partly why Cabantac, the farmer in the Philippines, is so excited.

"Eat more moringa!" she said. "Plant more moringa! And, that's it!"

Even so, she isn't betting the farm on moringa. Most of her acres still grow a boring old staple: rice.

Featured in: Marketplace for Thursday May 22, 2014

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/sustainability/superfood-fads-super-distracting-global-farmers

Superfoods you need now

 When it comes to getting healthy -- and staying that way -- there's no better place to start than your plate. All of the foods here are great for you at any age, but eat the right ones at the right times, and you'll have a natural defense against any problems facing your body through the years.
Your 20s

Boost bones with calcium. This decade marks your last shot at building bone mass. (Later on, eating well and exercising will help you maintain what you've got.) Yet according to government research, more than half of women in their 20s get less than the 1,000mg of calcium they need daily to do that.

Most healthy eaters easily bank about 500mg, says Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of "Eat Your Way to Happiness." Make up the difference with a daily 500mg calcium supplement -- either a pill or chocolate chew, whichever you like best! (Try not to take it too close to meals packed with high-calcium foods, since the body can only absorb about 500mg at a time.)

Star Sources: 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt (452mg), 1 cup calcium-fortified soy milk (368mg) or orange juice (267mg--347mg), 1 cup fat-free milk (306mg), 1 ounce cheddar cheese (205mg).

Health.com: Foods for healthy bones

Prep for pregnancy with folate. Up to 70 percent of neural tube birth defects (like spina bifida) could be prevented if moms-to-be consumed enough of this B vitamin.

Don't wait until you see those two pink lines: Folate (and folic acid, the synthetic form found in supplements and fortified foods) begins boosting babies' development in the days and weeks just after conception, when most women don't even know they've conceived.

The 400mcg you need daily (600mcg if you're pregnant) can come from food, but since it's better absorbed through a supplement, hedge your bets by taking a multivitamin, too. (Check the label to make sure it packs that 400mcg.)

Star Sources: 3/4 cup cereal with 100 percent DV for folic acid (400mcg), 4 spears asparagus (85mcg), 1 cup raw spinach (60mcg), 1 ounce peanuts (40mcg), 1 slice whole-wheat bread (25mcg).

Health.com: America's healthiest superfoods for women

Your 30s

Fight fatigue with iron. You're juggling work, relationships, and kids -- no wonder you're tired! But that fatigue may also stem from low iron stores, common among women in their 20s and 30s who don't eat much meat and, as a result, don't hit the 18mg recommended daily allowance. (Have heavy periods? You're at even higher risk.)

Though your body soaks up the most iron from animal protein, you'll absorb more from plant foods by pairing them with those rich in vitamin C, like red peppers or strawberries.

Consider swapping out your aluminum pots, too: A study in Food Chemistry found that leafy greens cooked in iron-clad pots packed more than twice the amount of iron as uncooked greens or greens prepared in other cookware.

Star Sources: 3/4 cup fortified cereal (18mg), 1/2 cup white beans (4mg), 1/2 cup cooked spinach (3mg), 3 ounces beef (3mg), 3 ounces chicken (1mg).

Help your heart with omega-3s. Eating these fats regularly can slash your risk for heart disease by lowering triglycerides. If you're pregnant, omega-3 fatty acids may improve your baby's brain and eye development and help stave off postpartum depression.

Meet your daily requirement of 0.5g to 1g a day by eating at least two servings a week of low-mercury fish, like the ones listed among our Star Sources. (Though walnuts and flaxseed contain heart-healthy omega-3s, too, seafood sources are better for brain health, says Frances Largeman-Roth, R.D., Health's Senior Food and Nutrition Editor and author of "Feed the Belly.")

Star Sources: 3 ounces salmon (1g--2g), 3 ounces flounder (0.5g), 3 ounces halibut (0.5g--1 g), 3 ounces shrimp (0.30g), 3 ounces canned light tuna (0.20g--0.25g).

Health.com: 10 best foods for your heart

Your 40s

Feel full with fiber. Having trouble shedding extra pounds? Your metabolism is dipping along with your muscle mass, so your calorie needs now drop by about 100 a day. (Yup -- bummer.)

Your new best friend: fiber, which can make you feel full while you're eating less. Plus, fiber helps fend off constipation, which becomes more common with age; it can also help reduce cholesterol levels. Most women get only half of the 25 grams they need daily.

Star Sources: 1/2 cup 100 percent bran cereal (9g), 1/2 cup black beans (8g), 1 small pear with skin (4g), 1/2 cup raspberries (4g), 1 ounce almonds (3g), 1/2 cup whole-wheat pasta (3g).

Lower BP with potassium. It's common for blood pressure to start creeping up with age, but if you take action now, you may never need meds. Potassium doesn't just help lower elevated BP levels -- it also works like kryptonite against sodium's BP-raising effects.

An extra perk: It may help lessen bone loss. Just make sure to hit 4,700mg a day to reap the rewards.

Star Sources: 1 medium sweet potato (694mg), 1 medium potato (610mg), 1 medium banana (422mg), 3 ounces pork tenderloin (382mg), 1 cup fat-free milk (382mg), 1/2 cup cooked lentils (365mg).

Health.com: Fill up on fiber

Age gracefully with antioxidants. There's solid evidence that eating foods rich in antioxidants may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline -- even dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a review from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. And these natural plant compounds may actively make your mind sharper by blocking reactions that can damage the cells found in brain tissue.

Our Star Sources have some of the highest antioxidant capacity among foods. Try to get 5 servings of these or other fruits and vegetables a day.

Star Sources: 1 cup blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries; 1/2 cup dried plums; 1 Granny Smith apple; 1 cup red grapes; 1 medium russet potato; 1 cup artichoke hearts; 1/2 cup broccoli rabe; 1/2 cup raw red cabbage.

Health.com: Fight aging: 6 secrets to staying young

Your 50s+

Fend off disease with vitamin D. Every cell in the body requires vitamin D to function, which may be why it's been linked to such a broad range of health benefits, from lowering cancer risk to warding off depression.

Getting the minimum daily 400IU is especially important now: By your 50s, you may be making as little as 30 percent of what you did when you were a kid from the same sun exposure, Somer says. Slathering on SPF a must for your skin cancer risk means you're getting even less D, since sunscreen blocks its production.

"I always recommend food first when it comes to nutrients," says Keri Gans, R.D., spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "But in the case of D, it's simply too hard to get enough in your diet."

Star Sources: 3 ounces canned light tuna (154IU); 1 cup D-fortified milk or juice (100IU); 1 egg (25IU). (Most basic multivitamins contain 400IU -- or take a D supplement of 1,000IU a day, an amount Gans and other experts recommend.)

Health.com: Why you need vitamin D now

Stay sharp with B12. A full third of adults over 50 don't make enough stomach acid to break down and absorb the vitamin B12 in foods, says Carol Haggans, R.D., scientific and health communications consultant with the National Institutes of Health.

That's a problem, because not only is this key vitamin needed to produce red blood cells, it's also involved in brain function which is why you may feel weak and fuzzy-headed if you're deficient.

Low B12 levels can also trigger high levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that's linked to cardiovascular disease. Ask your doctor for a blood test to check your status if you suspect you're deficient.

Note: At this age, you'll absorb the B12 in supplements and fortified foods more easily than the natural kind, so take a multivitamin or have a bowl of fortified cereal (one with 100 percent DV for B12) to get the necessary 2.5mcg a day if you're low in it.

Star Sources: 1 cup fortified cereal (6mcg), 3 ounces beef (2mcg), 1 cup yogurt (1.5mcg), 1 cup milk (1mcg).

 

Copyright Health Magazine 2011

 

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/24/health.superfoods.you.need/