One of my fondest memories from high school here in quaint Marquette was a delightful incident of free-speech persecution by the school administration. My crime? Violating the dress code for daring to wear one of the few good birthday gifts I’ve ever gotten, a shirt from the owner of my favorite coffee shop. Defunct for decades now, EmmaJoes AKA Common Grounds was where my first relationship and first of many terrible relationships started. Yet despite toxic and coercive then-friends and exes, despite spending days on a couch watching the entire run of Star Trek the Next Generation, despite the off-putting local poet ‘Crazy Larry’ hanging around until threatening to assassinate President Bush with a pistol he had in his suitcase, the brief life of the coffee shop was joyous. And my loyalty to the coffee shop led me to be rewarded with more diverse friendships, store credits for helping out at open mic nights, learning to rock climb with the cool college students who invited me to parties I avoided, and of course the infamous shirt.

The shirt itself said ‘McShit’, with a parodic-yet-accurate rendering of their Golden Arches, a perfect expression of my own vegetarian anti-corporate mindset. That was about twenty-five years ago and my attitude towards McDonald’s has only congealed like the contents of the grease dumpster they have out back. So let’s light that toxic dumpster fire with abridged tour of why I still hate McDonald’s. There are few places besides cathedrals that my heathen self loathes enough to avoid stepping foot in, yet McDonald’s could not pay me enough to repeat that mistake again! Why?

Related: microplastics in McDonald’s fruit pouches marketed to kids

The smell is always off-putting to me; according to the fringe astrological system called Human Design, my nose knows. In my music scene days, I could always smell a so-called ‘safety meeting’ from across the building like one of those poor police drug dogs trained to ruin innocent stoners’ days. The turbid reality of McDonald’s ingredients is no secret at this point. Putting my past PEtA associations aside, we all know that McDonald’s is less real than the intelligence in AI even if ChatGPT is not smart enough to take the job of making fast food burgers and fries even though it has been used in robotics; while whole PizzaHuts have been roboticized before, fast food work will remain the domain of poor humans for the indefinite future.

And the smell of McDonald’s certainly lingers worse than the two mice my poor cat killed, ate, and spat up yesterday; though frankly even to my near-vegan sensibilities the thrown up mice sound about on par with McDonald’s chicken nuggets, since unlike many vegetarians my visceral dislike for dead animal products far outweighs even more-rational my views of their drawbacks. It’s the lingering smell of failing to produce food meant for actual consumption, the smell of slow self-annihilation. Just like the smell of days-old curdled beef tallow in those fries lost in someone’s car on the floor behind the driver’s seat.

You might ask if my beef with McDonald’s goes deeper and it certainly does. Like the Amazon rainforest clearcut for fast food cattle, the environmental impact of fastfood in general burns the life and breath out of me. It’s not just animal cruelty, it’s destroying the very lungs of the Earth, planting soybean monocrops (note: which is where most corn and soy goes, to things like livestock feed as well as chemical industries, and not much to direct human consumption), relying on so much plastic and styrofoam waste, and the horrors only go deeper from there.

Related: (see fast food in Saudi Arabia)

And not that I have any sympathy for franchise owners, but those enterprising sellers of pseudofoods can’t even repair their own machines sine the corporation built them with proprietary secret sauce components years before McDonald’s executives even made weird racist rants on social media. If you think that’s a non-sequitur, it is and I’m mentioning it to highlight the perversely cruel irony of McDonald’s relying on poor people of color especially. While right-to-repair may be changing that it’s still painfully obvious that exploiting their workers, poisoning their semi-addicted customers, and destroying the environment is not enough for these fast food robber barons; they also have to quadruple dip on their feudal franchise owners. Yes, this is par for the gutter course of corporate techno-feudalism that we’re gurgling along in unless individual consumers become connected creators.

Finally, the most damning thing about McDonald’s is in how incredibly boring it is even compares to their competitors. While McDonald’s is ubiquitous, that ubiquity only makes their mediocrity all the more McShitty.

The post The turbid waste of McDonald’s appeared first on Green Prophet.

For generations, feeding a baby meant pureeing what you had at dinner, or if you were in a pinch opening a jar of Gerber, a small glass jar and scooping out mashed pears or applesauce with a spoon.

Today, many babies around the world skip the spoon entirely and suck pureed food directly from plastic pouches marketed as convenient, organic, and safe. These pouches are sold at organic stores, and Trader Joe’s as healthy options and they are put in McDonald’s Happy Meals so parents don’t feel guilty about junk food.

But a disturbing new report that Greenpeace sent to Green Prophet suggests that what babies may also be swallowing is plastic. A Greenpeace International investigation commissioned in 2025 found microplastics in every baby food pouch tested, including products from Gerber and Happy Baby Organics. Researchers estimate that a single Gerber pouch may contain more than 5,000 microplastic particles, while a Happy Baby Organics pouch may contain over 11,000. You can download the report here.

This is among the first studies to examine the food itself, not just the packaging.

Babies and microplastics

Microplastics are now everywhere. Green Prophet has reported on them in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and even in orthodontic products such as Invisalign. Scientists have detected microplastics in human blood, placentas, lungs, and breast milk.
Now they are showing up in baby food.

Babies are uniquely vulnerable. Their brains, immune systems, and hormones are still developing. According to Dr. Leo Trasande of NYU, early exposure to plastic chemicals is associated with obesity, reproductive disorders, and neurodevelopmental problems that can last a lifetime. ADHD, depression in kids? Maybe this is microplastics.

The Greenpeace report also identified plastic-associated chemicals, including 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, a compound linked to endocrine disruption.

From glass jars to squeeze-and-suck

Plastic pouches have exploded in popularity. Sales in the United States rose roughly 900% between 2010 and 2023, and pouches now dominate baby food shelves worldwide.
Parents were sold a vision of convenience: organic fruits and vegetables in BPA-free packaging.But “BPA-free” does not mean chemical-free.

And feeding directly from a pouch may create other problems. Health professionals warn that sucking purees can contribute to tooth decay, dental alignment issues, overeating, and delays in oral and sensory development.

The healthiest option may be the oldest one: Buy local, fresh, organic apples. Steam them. Mash them into applesauce. Store them in glass jars. Feed your baby with a spoon.
It is slower, yes. But childhood was never meant to be optimized for adults in a hurry.

Using a spoon teaches patience. There is texture, eye contact, conversation. Not sucking from a pouch while watching YouTube. And unlike plastic pouches, it doesn’t add thousands of invisible particles to lunch.

Until manufacturers prove these products are safe, parents may want to return to what worked for generations before us: real food, in real containers, prepared with love.

“For nearly a century, Gerber has been one of the most trusted names in feeding American babies. That trust has been shattered. They’re serving babies microplastics with every pouch. Gerber promises ‘anything for baby.’ We’re asking for one simple  thing: stop serving microplastics for lunch,” says Lindsey Jurca, Senior Plastics Campaigner at Greenpeace USA.

Greenpeace is filing a report on studies that have taken place earlier. In 2023 Kuzi Hussein from the University of Nebraska─Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska and colleagues looked at microplastics in the home, in food pouches and all kinds of plastic containers.

They looked at the release of microplastics and nanoplastics from plastic containers and reusable food pouches under different usage scenarios, using DI water and 3% acetic acid as food simulants for aqueous foods and acidic foods.

The results indicated that microwave heating caused the highest release of microplastics and nanoplastics into food compared to other usage scenarios, such as refrigeration or room-temperature storage.

It was found that some containers could release as many as 4.22 million microplastic and 2.11 billion nanoplastic particles from only one square centimeter of plastic area within 3 min of microwave heating. Refrigeration and room-temperature storage for over six months can also release millions to billions of microplastics and nanoplastics. Additionally, the polyethylene-based food pouch released more particles than polypropylene-based plastic containers.

Exposure modeling results suggested that the highest estimated daily intake was 20.3 ng/kg·day for infants drinking microwaved water and 22.1 ng/kg·day for toddlers consuming microwaved dairy products from polypropylene containers.

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Japan is a country that builds 100-year companies; while 50 years ago Made In Japan implied an inferior mass-manufactured product, the quality of Japan today says Switzerland of the East. Tokyo might fool you: it is a city that was so far ahead in the 90s that it still looks high-tech today but most of Japan is built on traditions of hand craft and a quality of design.

While so much has changed since the Iran war started, the stark image of a package of a once very colorful snack brand now in monochrome black and white in Japan throws us back to the feeling of Victory Gardens, and World War I and II when items were rationed and old flour sacks were turned into clothing.

The move comes in response to “supply instability affecting certain raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East,” the company said in a statement. “This measure is intended to help maintain a stable supply of products.”

Calbee stresses that what’s inside the bag remains the same and they say the black-and-white change will apply to 14 products sold in Japan. The new packaging will start appearing on May 25 and won’t affect product quality.

A spokesperson from the Japanese government said it had “received no reports of immediate supply issues regarding printing ink or naphtha, and we recognize that the necessary volume for Japan as a whole is being secured.”

Naphtha is a byproduct of the petroleum industry and sometimes used in parts of the ink manufacturing process.

Beyond fuel, crude oil is the foundation for thousands of everyday products. Petrochemicals are used to make plastics, synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon, printer and pen inks, paints, detergents, cosmetics, medicines, tires, asphalt, fertilizers, pesticides, and many components in electronics and medical devices.

The packaging around food, the foam in mattresses and car seats, the insulation in buildings, and even items like lipstick may contain oil-derived ingredients. In practical terms, if something is made of plastic, synthetic fibers, rubber, or industrial chemicals, there is a good chance it originated from the oil and gas industry.

Did you know that chewing gum is made from plastic and releases an estimated 3000 pieces plastic particles in a 10 minute chew?

The post Japan’s packaging turns black and white from Iran oil shortage appeared first on Green Prophet.

You don’t have to languish in jail to make Jailhouse Booze. It’s an easy, fun project you can make in your own kitchen, with fruit juice. Old-time jailbirds used to call it Pruno. We also have another, no-waste, alternative wine recipe: Pea Pod Wine.

It’s said that the merry prisoners used to save up their lunchtime fruit juice, float a slice of moldy bread on it (for yeast) and ferment it in a milk carton, or even a garbage bag. To hide it from the jailers, they’d stash it behind the toilet, and break it out at night for a soirée in the cell.

I doubt anyone makes Pruno anymore. Today’s jailers know all about it, and know where to find that milk carton or garbage bag bulging with illicit alcohol. But if you’d like to try, I recommend fermenting the juice in a clean glass or plastic jug. Stash it in a dark, cool place instead of in the bathroom.

To get that old-time feeling, keep it under the kitchen sink. Best, and most hygenically, make room in the pantry or garage for it.

Don’t make a lot. And don’t use moldy bread unless you’re willing to risk getting sick. (Or maybe inventing Penicillin.) Pruno’s pretty rough, and there’s no quality guarantee at all.

Pruno, Or Jailhouse Booze

Equipment

• A very clean plastic or glass jug of 7- cup capacity
  A long-handled spoon
• A funnel or large ladle
• A latex glove or a balloon, new out of the box
  A rubber band
  A saucer to put under the container in case of fermentation overflow

Ingredients

1-2/3 cup sugar
1 quart/ 4 cups/ 500 ml. fruit juice, any kind, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon baker’s yeast
1 small handful raisins or grapes

Dissolve the sugar in the juice, stirring well. Funnel or ladle the juice into the jug.

Add the yeast and raisins or grapes.
Fit the glove or balloon over the mouth of the container.
Tie the rubber band around the glove or balloon: fermentation will make it swell and possibly pop off the container
With a pin or needle, poke a hole in the glove or balloon. This allows fermentation gases to escape while keeping bugs and dust out.
Set the container on top of the saucer and put that bad boy away in a cool, dark place.

The Pruno will be ready when the glove or balloon deflates.
Pour it off the sediment, chill it, and enjoy.

Recommended: play Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” as you sip.

The post Jailhouse Booze For Home Bootleggers appeared first on Green Prophet.

This light, creamy cheesecake fits into your green Shavuot, especially if you make it with organic cheese and eggs. It’s also light on sugar.

The ancient Romans left a simple cheesecake recipe: ricotta cheese, honey, and eggs.  Pour into a clay saucer. Bake over coals. That still works, but for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, we favor this recipe. It’s  got just that hint of lemon and vanilla that makes you feel like you need another slice now, before someone else lays hands on it. And it fits into your domestic Jewish eco-activities, because it’s home-made – much healthier and more delicious than margarine-laden bakery products.

Have three bowls at hand, 1 large, 1 medium, 1 small. Prepare a cake pan either with baking paper or by greasing it with sweet butter and coating it with flour.

And do not preheat the oven: you want to start baking cold.

New York Cheesecake

6 servings: double the ingredients and bake in a larger pan for 12 servings.

Ingredients:

6 eggs

3 Tblsp. sugar, plus 6 Tblsp. later

500 grams – 1 lb. – 2 cups –  soft, creamy white cheese – here in Israel I use 9% white cheese

1 tsp. vanilla essence

Juice of 1 lemon

6 Tblsp. sifted flour

Method:

1. Separate the eggs.

Keep the whites in the large bowl.

Put 3 of the yolks in the medium bowl; in the small bowl, the other 3 yolks.

2. In the medium bowl, beat the 3 yolks with the 3 Tblsp. sugar and all of the cheese. Mix well till smooth.

3. Whip all the egg whites till stiff.

4. To the whites, add the 6 Tblsp. sugar and whip till the whites make smooth peaks.

5. Add the flour, the lemon juice, the 3 yolks from the small bowl and the vanilla.

Mix very well. This is the batter.

6. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the baking pan.

7. Mix the remaining third of the batter into the cheese mixture. Mix well.

8. Pour this new mixture straight into the center of the batter in the pan.

Bake at  300°F – 150° C for one hour.  Turn the oven off, but don’t remove the cake: just open the oven door a crack and let the cake cool inside. Once cooled down, store the cake in the fridge.

Enjoy!

More Green Prophet recipes for your Shavuot meals:

• Creamy Eggplant Soup
• Majadra: Middle-Eastern Lentils and Rice

The post Bake a New York Cheesecake for Shavuot appeared first on Green Prophet.

If you’re anywhere near Sri Thanu on Koh Phangan, Thailand, around the yoga centers: Zen Beach, Haad Yao, or Salad Beach—make time for Street Vegan. It’s vegan and so satisfying that one meal might convince you that eating plant-based is not a compromise. I suggest for any vegan restaurant owner or chef to come to this modestly-priced venue to learn from a master.

I’ve been to Koh Phanghan a handful of times but things there change fast. Street Vegan was recommended through our musician friend Harel Shachel, who spends a lot of time on the island performing (and eating), and it turned out to be one of those easy, memorable family meals you don’t overthink, you just go back.

Street Vegan is right on the main road and easy to reach by car, scooter or the shared taxi trucks. Inside, the vibe is relaxed but special. The upper floor feels like a treehouse, looking down onto the kitchen and you can actually see the food being prepared, which gives you confidence that nothing rushed, and everything made with care. You can say that about Thai food in general but this place is a cut above.

We went around midday, the hottest month of the year, with the kids and ordered a mix from the menu to share.

The tofu cubes topped with fried onions were a hit—crispy, savory, simple but really well done. Another standout was the sautéed tofu served in cabbage leaves, fresh and nicely balanced. My daughter ordered dim sum, which was light and well made and filled with mushrooms I believe, and we also tried the sweet potato gnocchi with pesto which surprisingly good. Everything in the restaurant is gluten-free and meat and animal-product free.

The highlight for everyone was the chocolate cake. Which I do have have a picture of, sadly because we attacked it.

I’ve made vegan cakes with coconut butter and tofu but this was hand-down taking the cake. I might reach out for the recipe. The cake was creamy, rich, with a delightful crust made from coconut and nuts, and honestly hard to believe it was vegan. One of those desserts you end up finishing even when you’re full.

The guy beside us ordered the Buddha bowl and he looked like a satisfied regular.

What stands out at Street Vegan is the quality of ingredients. Thailand has incredible produce—fresh fruits, vegetables, coconut oil, palm sugar—and you can taste it here. But it’s also the effort behind the food. You can see the kitchen working, step by step, and it shows in the final dishes. The chef told me it’s endless work when I thanked her.

Street Vegan not trying to be fancy or trendy. Just solid, flavorful vegan food in a great setting. It’s open many hours until the night. I hope the owner can hold her stamina because it’s a place worth protecting and sharing. I remember years ago telling everyone to eat at Mama Poos. Now it’s the mama at Street Vegan.

If you’re on Koh Phangan, especially around Sri Thanu, this is a must-stop.

Getting to Street Vegan

Street Vegan House is located on the west coast of Koh Phangan in the Hin Kong area (near Sri Thanu), known as a major vegan hub. It is situated along the main road, easily accessible by scooter or songthaew taxi from Thong Sala or Sri Thanu and offers Vietnamese-style plant-based street food (open Mon-Sat, 1 PM-10 PM).

The post Street Vegan in Sri Thanu is a must-stop family lunch spot on Koh Phangan, Thailand appeared first on Green Prophet.

Maggie Baird, best known as the mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, is stepping into a much larger spotlight, this time as a climate storyteller.

The founder of Support+Feed has partnered with WETA Washington, D.C. to launch a new public television series, Climate Kitchen, set to begin production later this year and air nationwide in 2027. The show will blend cooking, lifestyle, and documentary storytelling to explore how everyday food choices connect to climate change, health, and social equity.

If that sounds like another celebrity cooking show a la Meaghan, it isn’t. The premise is more ambitious: to bring climate action into the most familiar space we have, the kitchen. The book Think Eat Cook Sustainably covers this space. But so much more can be done, from teaching people how to forage, to using time-honored local and seasonal recipes, to learning how to grow our own victory gardens.

“Living a more sustainable, earth-friendly lifestyle can seem… overwhelming,” Baird said in the official announcement. “Climate Kitchen is about embracing progress over perfection… showing how small, simple behavior shifts can build toward lasting difference.”

The series will feature a wide-ranging lineup that reflects where climate conversations are heading, from Indigenous activist Xiye Bastida to oceanographer Sylvia Earle, alongside mainstream figures like Martha Stewart and Baird’s own children, Billie and Finneas. That should be fun. Veganism has definitely grown from being a trend to becoming a movement.

The idea is not to preach but to translate. Climate change, in this framing, isn’t just about policy or technology, it’s about food systems, affordability, and daily habits. Baird has long argued that what we eat is one of the most accessible entry points into climate action, even if it’s not the only solution.

For WETA, the series is part of its broader “Well Beings” initiative, which focuses on public health and societal challenges. Executive producer Tom Chiodo described the goal simply: helping people make a difference “one recipe, one meal… at a time.”

There’s something strategic here. Climate messaging has often struggled to connect with mainstream audiences. But food, personal, cultural, emotional, cuts through.

If Climate Kitchen works, it won’t just teach recipes. It may redefine how climate action is communicated: not as sacrifice, but as something lived daily, one plate at a time.

Want some climate-friendly vegan recipes? Why didn’t you ask? Vegetarian hummus is the best one to start. We picked up this recipe from peacemakers in Haifa.

The post Billie Eilish’s Mom Maggie Baird Launches “Climate Kitchen” on Public TV appeared first on Green Prophet.

April is National Garlic Month! We’re close to the end of April, but fear not: the North American garlic harvest lasts through July, and you can pick up the bulbs until Fall. Even after the green stalks wither and the bulbs are drier, your garlic will remain pungent for any months if you store it well.

The trick is to keep the fresh garlic in a well-ventilated, shady place away from steam and heat. Not by the stove, in other words. I place a tension pole in a shady spot in the laundry room, not close to the washer/dryer, and hang my year’s harvest from it by the stalks. I’ve also cut the stalks off and stored the garlic heads in wicker baskets, on a well-ventilated shelf.

Buy plump, firm bulbs wearing their sheath of papery outer skin. If it’s soft or shriveled, or feels light in the hand relative to its size, it’s not worth buying.

The little bulblets inside the stalks may be worth the trouble of extracting. Press the stalk and judge if the bulblet is big enough to bother with. Sometimes they are.

Now for peeling the cloves. One way is to crush a clove with the flat side of a knife. Just place the knife over the clove and bang your fist down on the knife, taking care to avoid the knife edge. This loosens the garlic skin and makes it easy to pull off. If you prefer to peel the cloves whole, pour hot water over them for a few seconds. The peels will come off with a little help from a paring knife.

A tip for crushing garlic: throw away the metal garlic crusher. You can reduce garlic to a paste on your chopping block in seconds by chopping the cloves coarsely, then scraping the bits with the edge of your knife. One less gadget to wash, and no time spent digging garlic out, blunting your knife in the process.

Where does American garlic come from?

Approximately 80% of the garlic consumed in the United States is imported from China. Prices have gone up with the current tariff war, but some pre-tariff produce may still be found. It won’t be fresh, though. You may find garlic imported from Spain, Argentina, Egypt, India, or Mexico in your grocery store.

California produces about 90% of American-grown garlic. Local garlic very much fresher and tastier than garlic imported from China, and here’s why you should prefer it.

A commenter on Reddit who goes by hamdunkcontest manages the garlic category for a fairly large industrial food ingredients company. These are his insights regarding what American garlic consumers can expect in 2027:

“Assuming the tariffs hold, for this year specifically, some amount of the demand will still be covered by Chinese garlic that was already imported into the US. The balance will likely be covered by Indian garlic.

“The US can’t feasibly cover their current demand with US-origin product. Even if we wanted to increase production, the land we’d use to increase acreage will also need to be considered for other crops that are also impacted by the tariffs.

“What we’ll instead likely see is a modest increase in US production for next year, with the balance of the gap being covered by: 1) Indian or other small tertiary sources, 2) demand being reduced by companies reformulating garlic out of recipes, and 3) Chinese garlic that is illegally dodging the tariffs, though things like falsifying the country of origin.”

It’s enough to make you uproot your lawn and plant garlic, isn’t it? Many in the US and Canada do.

Green Prophet’s editor, Karin Kloosterman, says that in her native Ontario, the local CSA brings the garlic harvest down to one July weekend when they announce that the garlic’s ready to pull. The news spreads around the community by word of mouth and that’s how home gardeners known when to start digging.

Here I go to the local open-air market and revel in the garlic abundance.

But I can’t hang around reveling too long, because the season is short, a month at the longest. I ensure a year’s supply of local garlic by buying a tad more than I’ll need, to account for some inevitable loss over the months.

Eating Garlic a Natural Medicine

People have been claiming health benefits from eating garlic for centuries. Today we include:

Eating a raw clove daily keeps your heart strong, as it reduces cholesterol and blood pressure, and prevents blood clots.

Garlic is known to be antibacterial and antifungal.

Raw garlic, freshly cut, works as a home-remedy antibiotic in a pinch. In other words, sliced raw garlic applied to an infected cut, scrape, or pimple will clear it up. Mashed cooked garlic also works. Obviously, a serious infection calls for standard medical help.

Is all this talk about garlic getting you hungry? We have some great garlicky recipes, like this vegan roasted cauliflower dish and creamy roasted garlic soup. I recommend the soup as a delicious pick-me-up for any time you’re tired and disheartened.

And if you’re not convinced that garlic is the answer to the world’s woes, try this decadent garlic bread recipe from the American food writer Ruth Reichl (taken from her Substack newsletter, La Briffe):

Make Decadent Garlic Bread

1 loaf sturdy French or Italian bread
1 stick sweet butter
1 head garlic
Zest from 1 lemon (optional)
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or chives (optional)

Begin by cutting the bread in half, lengthwise (a serrated knife helps). Preheat oven to 350⁰ F.

Peel and finely chop the garlic. Melt a stick of sweet butter, and add the garlic.

Slather the garlic butter onto the bread, cut side up, with a brush. Let it soak in. Use it all, and evenly spread the bits of garlic all over. Now is the time to salt it if you want to, and to sprinkle on the zest.

Bake the loaf, cut sides up, 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and wait to take the final step just before serving.

Turn the heat up to broil. Add cheese, if using. Broil for about 2 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. Sprinkle with herbs just as it comes out of the broiler and serve immediately.

My note: include all the optional ingredients. It’s the best garlic bread you’ll ever eat.

Happy National Garlic Month!

Cook on – Recipes that feature garlic

Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup — Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup

The Ultimate Hummus Recipe — The Ultimate Hummus Recipe

Ful Medames and Musabaha Recipes — Ful Medames and Musabaha Recipes

Vegetarian Haricot Bean Stew Recipe — Vegetarian Haricot Bean Stew Recipe

Noodles and Lentils Recipe — Noodles and Lentils Recipe

Baba Ganoush Recipe — Baba Ganoush Recipe

Grilled Vegetables With A Middle Eastern Accent — Grilled Vegetables With A Middle Eastern Accent

Spinach and Cheese Bourekas Recipe — Spinach and Cheese Bourekas Recipe

Shakshuka, Tunisian Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce — Shakshuka, Tunisian Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

Late-Summer Pickled Peppers — Late-Summer Pickled Peppers

The post April Is National Garlic Month appeared first on Green Prophet.

Chemistry professor Kevin O’Shea and PhD candidate Rodrigo Restrepo Osorio have developed a method that can capture PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and then release them on demand, allowing the cleanup material to be reused instead of thrown away. Their work, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, could offer a more practical way to deal with one of today’s most stubborn pollution problems.

The idea builds on earlier discoveries that ring-shaped sugar molecules, think tiny molecular donuts, can trap PFAS in water. These molecules act like handcuffs, grabbing onto the long-chain chemicals. But until now, getting the PFAS out again (so the material could be reused) has been the tricky part.

O’Shea’s insight? Let water chemistry do the work.

At a neutral pH, the sugar-based material holds tightly onto PFAS. But shift the water slightly—make it more alkaline, even with something as simple as baking soda, and both the material and the PFAS develop negative charges. They repel each other, and the chemicals are released.

It’s a bit like a door:

At neutral pH, the door shuts and traps the PFAS inside.
At higher pH, the door opens—and the pollutants are pushed out.

This means the same material can be used again and again, making the system cheaper and more sustainable than many current PFAS treatments, which are often expensive and require processing huge volumes of water.

O’Shea’s interest in PFAS started close to home, while looking at microwave popcorn bags his son loved. Many of those bags are coated with PFAS to resist grease and heat. That everyday exposure sparked a deeper dive into how widespread—and persistent—these chemicals really are. He certainly didn’t want his kid eating them!

Many microwave popcorn brands in the US now offer PFAS-free, non-plastic bags, including Black Jewell, SkinnyPop (Sea Salt), and 365 by Whole Foods Market. And as of January 2024, the FDA announced that grease-proofing PFAS are no longer being sold for use in US food packaging. Look for expiration dates on old bags to avoid eating forever chemicals!

(Top Tip: you can make microwave popcorn in a bowl, with some salt, and a plate for a lid. Microwave for 3 to 5 minutes)

Now, his team’s work points to a future where we don’t just trap pollution, we control it, concentrate it, and remove it more intelligently.

It’s not a full solution yet. PFAS are still everywhere, from industrial waste to household products. But a reusable, low-cost system like this could become a key tool in cleaning up contaminated water—without creating even more waste in the process.

And sometimes, the answer really does start with something as simple as changing the chemistry of water. And about yoga pants, wear cotton as it’s energetically more compatible to your body, and avoid microwave popcorn. Make it the old fashioned way with vegetable oil in a pot, topped with lots of real melted butter.

The post A baking soda trick could help clean “forever chemicals” from our water appeared first on Green Prophet.

Reading nutrition advice from 50, 40, and even 20 years ago feels like stepping into an alternate universe. It’s hard to believe how close-minded and definitive those tips were when we look at them in relation to today’s actual scientific studies. To say nutrition advice has changed dramatically over the past five decades would be an understatement. Personal trainer Peter Embiricos explains that understanding this evolution can help people make better choices today. “When you look at how guidance has shifted,” he says, “you start to see patterns, and you learn what actually stands the test of time.”

The 1970s: The Rise of Low-Fat Thinking

In the 1970s, dietary fat became the primary concern in mainstream nutrition advice. Health authorities and media messaging emphasized reducing fat intake to support heart health. Even today, you’ll still see older generations opt for low-fat products and Diet Coke, even though those foods have been proven to be highly processed and loaded with sugars, making them more unhealthy than full-fat products. This decade laid the groundwork for a long-standing belief that fat was the main dietary problem. While the intention was to reduce cardiovascular risk, the broader picture of overall diet quality was still developing.

One of the key misunderstandings was treating all fats the same. Natural fats found in whole foods were grouped together with heavily processed fats. This led to widespread avoidance of foods like eggs, nuts, and certain oils that can play a valuable role in a balanced diet. Embiricos notes that this era shows how focusing on a single nutrient can oversimplify nutrition. “When people fixate on one thing, they can miss how everything works together,” he explains.

The 1980s: Processed Low-Fat Foods Take Over

The 1980s built on the low-fat movement, with food companies introducing a wide range of reduced-fat products. Grocery shelves were filled with snacks and meals marketed as healthier options simply because they contain less fat. Many of these products compensated for flavor by adding sugar, salt, and artificial ingredients. While calorie awareness increased, overall diet quality often declined due to the rise in ultra-processed foods.

Despite the popularity of low-fat foods, health outcomes did not improve in the way many expected. Rates of obesity and metabolic issues continued to climb. This raised questions about whether reducing fat alone was enough to support long-term health. Embiricos points out that this period highlights the importance of looking beyond labels. “A product can be marketed as healthy, but that does not mean it supports your goals,” he says.

The 1990s: Carbohydrates Come Into Focus

In the 1990s, attention began shifting toward carbohydrates. Diets that emphasized controlling carb intake gained traction, especially as people looked for new approaches to weight management. At the same time, fitness culture started becoming more mainstream. People began connecting nutrition more closely with performance, energy levels, and body composition.

As more research emerged on blood sugar and insulin, carbohydrates became a focal point in nutrition discussions. Some approaches encouraged limiting carbs significantly, while others promoted balanced intake.

This decade introduced the idea that different macronutrients affect the body in distinct ways. According to Peter Embiricos, this helped move conversations forward. “People started asking better questions about how food impacts performance and recovery,” he explains.

The 2000s: The Rise of Diet Trends and Personalization

The early 2000s saw an explosion of popular diet trends, from low-carb plans to high-protein approaches. Nutrition became more individualized, with people experimenting to find what worked for their bodies. Technology also began playing a role. Online resources, fitness communities, and tracking tools made it easier to access information and monitor progress.

While some individuals found success with structured plans, many struggled with consistency. Strict rules and short-term approaches made it difficult to maintain results over time.

Peter Embiricos emphasizes that sustainability became a key lesson during this period. “If a plan does not fit your lifestyle, it is hard to stick with it,” he says.

The 2010s: Whole Foods and Balanced Eating

By the 2010s, there was a noticeable shift toward whole foods and balanced nutrition. People began prioritizing minimally processed ingredients, nutrient density, and overall dietary patterns rather than focusing on a single nutrient. Concepts like meal prep, mindful eating, and long-term consistency gained traction. Fitness professionals increasingly emphasized education and habit-building over quick fixes.

There was a growing understanding that health is influenced by multiple factors, including food quality, portion control, and daily habits. Instead of chasing trends, many people started building routines that support energy, recovery, and performance. People began to focus more on how they feel and perform, which is a much more practical way to approach nutrition.

The 2020s: Data, Flexibility, and Long-Term Health

In recent years, nutrition advice has continued to evolve with advances in research and technology. Wearable devices, personalized plans, and a deeper understanding of metabolism have made it easier to tailor nutrition to individual needs. Flexibility has also become a central theme. Many people now aim for balance, allowing room for enjoyment while maintaining consistent habits that support health and fitness goals.

Where Is Nutrition Advice Headed Next?

Looking ahead, nutrition is likely to become even more personalized. As research expands, people will have access to more precise guidance based on their unique biology, lifestyle, and goals. 

Embiricos believes the core principles will remain steady. “Consistency, quality food, and awareness of your body will always matter,” he says. “The details may evolve, but those fundamentals stay relevant.”

About Peter Embiricos

Peter Embiricos is a San Diego-based personal fitness trainer who focuses on helping clients build strength, discipline, and sustainable healthy habits. His approach supports both physical performance and long-term well-being, helping individuals develop confidence, resilience, and balance in everyday life.

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