Bacteria is all around us, so why are we so intimidated by it? Microbes are literally everywhere and our bodies are full of 99% bacteria, we just can't see them! 

instead of focusing on latest diets, we need to focus on our microbiome to really understand our health and make the best change to our health. The first documented food allergy was documented in 1969, but today 1 in 20 children have some kind of food allergy. What's changed since then, is our microbiome.

If we have healthy soil, we have healthier food, a healthier gut and a healthier mind. 

Checkout this book: The Diet Myth by Tim Spector to learn more on how what we eat affects our microbes. He talks about how focusing on the latest diets, we need to focus on our microbiome, not what carbs, sugars and other foods we should cut out.

• When did we start focusing on yield instead of health? What we're really doing when we're prioritizing yield is stripping all the nutrients from our soil - this is called monoculture; we are growing the same crop on the same land year after year after year.
• The produce we buy and eat are stripped of all their nutritional benefits. We may as well be eating wonder bread for the rest of our life.
   

My biggest little Farm is a documentary of a cinematographer-turned-farmer who brings a piece of land from dirt, back to a rich oasis of growth with veggies and animals all living in harmony. Whenever there's an issue on the farm, the solution is never produced with something manmade, it's something within nature. 

The future is not a new invention of a newly modified crop, the future is to be in-tune with nature.

The rules that govern life on earth is a fantastic YouTube video where Evolutionary biologist Sean B Carroll "reveals how a few simple rules govern all life on earth, from the cells in our bodies to populations of animals on the Serengeti."

Moral of the story? If we have a more diverse microbiome (which comes from eating well and being healthy), then our microbes can extract more nutrients from our food and we will benefit more from their nutrients in the first place. 

Has the thought ever crossed your mind that fresh-pressed juice is 'better' than cold-pressed?

Hate to break it to you, but that is far from the truth. Arleigh quickly debunks this myth about how fresh-pressed juice actually has less nutrients than cold-pressed.

Why, you ask? Well it's actually simple science. When things are heated up, they lose nutritional value. When you boil broccoli, they lose a considerable amount of their nutrients that they had when they were raw. 

The same concept applies to juicing. When you fresh-press juice, the blade is spinning at such a high speed that it creates a considerable amount of friction. This raises the temperature enough to decrease the nutritional benefits by a notable amount. 

Why is juice so expensive?

• Vegetables and fruits are just expensive! Imagine how much produce it takes to fill a 12-16oz cup.
• Carefully-sourced, nutritionally-dense produce is more expensive.
• There is a lot of labor behind on cup of juice.
• Prices of produce also dramatically change due to change of season and TRENDS (think of Kim Kardashian starting the celery juice cleanse).

Arleigh also likes to say, "would you rather pay now, or pay later?"

What is WOOF?

Worldwide opportunities of organic farming allows you to travel to host farms to work on the farms in exchange for a place to stay. This gives you the opportunity to work anywhere in the world and get your hands dirty if you have an interest or passion for farming.

Drinking juice is a great way to prevent health issues!

There is a plethora of different types of juices that can be catered towards health-related issues like diabetes, inflammation and gut issues. Juice is also great for cleaning your body of toxins and feeling refreshed!

Is the sugar in juice bad?

The sugar in juice is called Fructose. It is not added processed sugar. You still want to be careful drinking a lot of juice because it can still be a lot of sugar to hit your bloodstream, especially on an empty stomach, but no, it is the best kind of sugar you can have!

The misconception of organic juice

One misconceptions is that organic does not mean it is the most nutritional juice you can get. Another misconception is that a lot of farmers can't afford the USDA certification and can't be labeled that it's organic, even when the farms are practicing organic systems. It's just jacked up.

Be aware of juice that ISN'T organic

An interesting point Arleigh made was that juice bars who DON'T sell organic should be the ones who have to charge more and that there should be a disclaimer that the juice is conventional. As mentioned above, juice can hit your bloodstream right away. When this produce was juice and it has been sprayed with chemical fertilizers and synthetic poisons, that is what is hitting your bloodstream right away. POISON IN THE BLOODSTREAM is what you're paying for. You're welcome.

How can you support small farmers?
Do you research, branch out of your convenient lifestyles and BUY THEIR CSA's (Community supported agriculture). Point Blank.

We've all done it. You bring home parsley for taco night and you end up disappointing a lot of people. It's an honest mistake, but there are some tips & tricks to decipher the two.

Certainly, there's no definitive solution, being that there is a plethora of different varieties of both. But the most common variety of both that you'll see at the store are:

• Flat leaf parsley
• Leaf Cilantro

They both look similar in color and shape. However, here are some major differences between the two:

Flat leaf parsley:

• More crisp with sharp edges
• More visible veins/ribs
• A deeper, darker green
• Grassy aroma

Leaf cilantro:

• More rounded edgees
• Less visible veins/ribs
• A lighter green
• Cilantro aroma (c'mon it's like describing what chicken tastes like)

4-14% of the population thinks cilantro tastes and smells HORRIBLE. Quite like putting a bar of soap in their moth. This is from a very specific and unique quirk in your olfactory-receptor genes. 

Did you know cilantro is a more universal herb than you think? You don't just have to use it on tacos or in tex mex. It's a great refreshing herb to use in curries, stews, Middle Eastern & Mediterranean cuisine or a nice topping on salads and sandwiches. 

Have too much cilantro and you don't plan to use it? Don't let it go to waste! you can preserve it by drying it out. Here are the steps:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Wash your cilantro
3. Gently pat it dry
4. Lay it out at on baking sheet/sheet tray
5. Bake in the oven low and slow around 2-4 hours or more as need
6. You can leave the leaves & stems whole or blitz them in a dry blender or spice grinder
7. Seal in an airtight container and store in dry environment

Oh and speaking of cilantro stems...use them! Don't throw them away. I know that's what we all think we should do, but the stems are 100% edible & 100% delicious. Try them in your salad or chimichurri next time and let me know how it tastes. Be careful though, just a small amount can pack quite the punch!

Cilantro's counterpart 'coriander' has a very distinguished flavor and aroma. They are tannish brown seeds that are shaped like a more oblong sphere. I highly recommend toasting them as a whole seed until they become pleasantly aromatic. Then let them cool and use them as desired. These too can be used in a wide-variety of ways and I encourage you to experiment with them outside of a specific recipe you use that calls for them.

That's it for now folks, hope you were able to gain a tad bit of knowledge in this rather sillier than normal episode. You can always message me if you have any questions, comments or concerns. Or...if you just feel like talking to the Foodsplainer. :)