3 . “In high school, I decided to stop eating meat. I love animals. I couldn’t see them suffering.” Babulski says, who is a biologist at Monroe Community College in New York. Teenage Babulski initially lived on starches (淀粉食物) and salads. Eventually she learned to eat a more balanced vegetarian (素食者的) diet. But, Babulski remembers, her mom still wished she’d give up the madness. Mom thought she was going to straight up die.

The decision by Babulski and others to go vegetarian can be threatening to those who view eating animals as typically American. Eating meat is the norm in the United States, even though medical experts have long encouraged people to eat less processed and red meat for health reasons. What is becoming clear is that a meat-heavy diet is also terrible for the planet.

Shifting demand from meat to beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts could have many benefits for the climate. A more recent April report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC, suggests that the world’s wealthiest individuals could greatly decrease emissions (排放) through lifestyle changes. That’s because households with incomes in the top 10 percent produce roughly 36 to 45 percent of global emissions, while households with incomes in the bottom 50 percent contribute just 13 to 15 percent. Therefore, wealthier individuals, who adopt a low-carbon lifestyle, can help establish new, more sustainable social norms.

Babulski learned about the environmental impacts of meat production. She now shares her personal journey with students in her environmental science course. Many of her students come to realize the power of their individual choices. The little things they do actually do add up and make a difference.

6 . We all know eating ultra-processed foods that make our lives easier — such as sauces, and frozen pizza — isn’t good for our health. Studies have found they can raise our risk of obesity, heart problems, diabetes and cancer. They may even shorten our lives. Now, a new study has revealed eating more ultra-processed foods may contribute to overall cognitive decline, including the brain executive functioning — the ability to process information and make decisions.

“While in need of further study, the new results are quite compelling and emphasize the critical role for proper nutrition in preserving and promoting brain health and reducing risk for brain diseases,“ said Tanzi, professor at Harvard Medical School. He was not involved in the study but he said in his book, “They, are, very high in sugar, salt and fat, promoting systemic inflammation, perhaps the most major threat to healthy aging. Meanwhile, since they are convenient and quick, they also replace fiber foods important for maintaining the health and balance of bacteria in your gut,” he added, “which is particularly important for brain health and reducing risk of age-related brain diseases like Alzheimer’

The study, presented at the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, followed over 10,000 Brazilians for 10 years. “In Brazil, ultra-processed foods make up 25% to 30% of total calorie intake. We have McDonald’s and Burger King. It is not very different from many other Western countries,” said coauthor Dr. Suemoto. Ultra-processed foods are defined as ”industrial formulations of food substances containing little or no whole foods and typically include flavorings, colorings and other chemical additives“ according to the study.

“People consuming over 20% of daily calories from processed foods had a 28% faster decline in global cognition and a 25% faster decline in executive functioning compared to people who not,” said study coauthor Natalia. Those in the study who ate the most ultra-processed foods ware “more likely to be younger, women, White, had higher education and incomes, and were more likely to have never smoked,” the study found.

“People need to know they should cook more,” Suemoto said. “And it’s worth it because you’re going to protect your heart and guard your brain,” she added.

7 . While there are many milk substitutes (替代品) on the market, most fall short of imitating dairy milk. And while vegetarians around the world have grown accustomed to these substitutes, millions of milk drinkers are unsatisfied with these options, which don’t often taste, look, and blend like dairy milk. That accuracy is exactly what Impossible Foods has set out to develop. “We want milk that a dairy milk consumer will choose,” said CEO Pat Brown at a virtual conference call.

Like the famous Impossible Burger which tastes, cooks, and bleeds like real meat, Impossible Milk will also most likely be soy-based, giving it a protein profile (外形) like dairy milk. While the product is still in development for at least another year, Brown said in the conference call that soy is a very good choice from a nutritional standpoint and a supply chain standpoint, and for those reasons he thinks there’s a great chance that it will be the base protein for their product.

Plant-based milk, meats, and other products have been rising over the past several years as environmental and health concerns have grown, especially among millennials (千禧一代). According to a study by YouGov, approximately 55 percent of millennials surveyed agree with the statement “I am open to substituting meat or dairy products with healthy substitutes”.

And the market is seeing this preference take shape. According to the Dairy Farmers of America, milk sales dropped by $1.1 billion between 2017 and 2018. While at the same time, the Plant-Based Food Association revealed that the sales of plant-based milk increased a lot, making up 15 percent of the total milk market.

As the trend towards choosing plant-based substitutes grows, so do the products, which can now be found in supermarkets throughout the world. With no plans of slowing down, plant-based food substitutes are a micro revolution that is changing the very culture of our food consumption from the bottom all the way to the top.