My Eighth Week of MANGETOUT MOMENTUM

Hello, 👋

This is the last week for my mangetout momentum. So, this would be my last entry for this assignment.

For this final week, other than doing the same things, I also revised all of previous entries that I had written so far by which I will provide something that might help society to understood how avoiding wastage of food can actually helps economic, environment and humanity. I actually advised my friend and told them everything that I had found during writing those entries which I think can be included as one of my mangetout momentum.

These acts during my mangetout momentum are actually related to my study on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that were learnt during my Sustainable Innovation class in my opinion. What is SDGs and which SDGs could relate my mangetout momentum so far?

First, I'm going to explain a little bit introduction of Sustainable Development and the goals. Sustainable development is ‘Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. The term ‘sustainable development’ redefined to cover many aspects of society-environment relationships that there are now ‘doubts on whether anything good can ever be agreed’ through Agenda 21.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jan/19/sustainable-development-goals-united-nations

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a new, universal set of goals, targets and indicators that UN member states will be expected to use to frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years. There are 17 proposed goals for sustainable development which are:

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (taking note of agreements made by the UNFCCC forum)
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development.

Out of 17 SDGs, at least four of them can be relate with my mangetout momentum which are SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

SDG 2:
Source: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/blog/2017/la-mejor-receta-es-no-desperdiciar-alimentos.html

The source said that by reducing food waste, we can advance critical conservation efforts and help fight for food security worldwide. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that one-third of the world's food production (1,300 tonnes) is lost or wasted. In developed countries, food wasted by households, distribution industries and the catering sector releases large amounts of greenhouse gases. Pests, defective storage structures and inefficient supply chains also contribute to food loss. This reality is especially painful given that nearly 800 million people are hungry. It also comes with a loss of labour, water, energy, land and other inputs used in food production. If we could save just a quarter of the food that is currently lost or wasted around the world, we could feed all people suffering from food insecurity (UNDP Org., 2017).

Therefore, by making small acts on avoiding wastage of food, we are not only lead to healthy lifestyle, but reduce food waste and help eradicate hunger.

SDG 3:

From previous entry I had mention how drinking while eating could affect our health and of course it can lead to wastage of food. Since SDG 3 is about good health and well-being, I think my mangetout momentum should relate this. Therefore, in order to achieve good health and well-being, preventive measures should be taken such as campaigns of awareness on the harms in drinking water during eating which can leads to digestion problems (wrote about this in previous entry).

SDG 8:
Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/food-waste-a-tremendous-economic-waste_us_5943ca03e4b024b7e0df4afb

Based on the article, roughly one third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted or lost, accounting for nearly 1.3 billion tons of food. Food waste and loss also implies the waste of all the resources that went into producing it, this cannot continue. It is simply unsustainable. Right now, the resulting economic loss is somewhere between 780 billion and 1 trillion dollars a year, while with approximately the same amount of money, or less, all of the nearly eight million people who are going hungry every day, could be fed.

Therefore, with food waste and loss costing the global GDP nearly one trillion dollars per year, is should be accounted as business concern that cannot be ignored. Eliminating this economic loss in vulnerable developing countries also considerably impacts the fight against poverty and hunger. The enormous economic value, societal value and environmental value to be gained by focusing on solutions to food waste and loss is worth our attention.

SDG 12:

Source: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-consumption-production/

Each year, an estimated one third of all food produced – equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes worth around $1 trillion – ends up rotting in the bins of consumers and retailers, or spoiling due to poor transportation and harvesting practices. While substantial environmental impacts from food occur in the production phase (agriculture, food processing), households influence these impacts through their dietary choices and habits. This consequently affects the environment through food-related energy consumption and waste generation. 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year while almost 1 billion people go undernourished and another 1 billion hungry. Over-consumption of food is  detrimental to our health and the environment. Also, 2 billion people globally are overweight or obese.

All of these are the things that are mentioned relate to wastage of food. That is why, everyone should play roles in avoiding food wastage which can be taken as one of effective measure against hunger, bad health, economic crisis and non-sustainable consumption and production.

This should be all of my efforts. Thank you for coping with my 8 weeks long entries of mangetout momentum.😊

My Seventh Week of MANGETOUT MOMENTUM

Hello, 👋

It has been quite some times since I started my mangetout momentum. So, for this seventh week, the new thing that I did recently or I might have done it previously but did not mention in any previous entry is that I tried to avoid sipping a drink during my meals. As you all know, drinks while having a meal can make your stomach full immediately. Also, I found an interesting article about facts having drinks while eating.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Say-no-to-water-between-meals/articleshow/10841125.cms

According to the article, glugging water during meals severely hampers your stomach's digestive powers and causes insulin levels to fluctuate significantly, warns Microboitic counsellor, Shonali Sabherwal. 

Also, from the source, Macrobiotic counsellor, Shonali Sabherwal explains why you should not drink water during your meal. "Most Indians have water along with their meals. The usual theory is washing down the food while eating. People have no idea how wrong this practice is and how difficult this can be for their digestion. For those suffering with digestion problems, the ramifications are manifold. Our stomachs have a knack of knowing when you will eat and starts releasing digestive juices immediately. If you start drinking water at the same time, what you are actually doing is diluting the digestive juices being released to digest your food, thereby hindering them from breaking down food."

Based on the article, elaborating on what exactly happens inside you when you glug water during meals, Sabherwal says that it gets absorbed by the intestinal walls of the stomach. "This absorption continues till it becomes concentrated enough for the digestive juices to begin digesting your food. However, due to it getting mixed with water, this concentrated substance is now thicker than the food contents present in your stomach. So less gastric juice will be secreted to digest your food. The result is, undigested food leaks into your system as it gets absorbed through the stomach walls. This will also lead to acid reflux and heart burn." Drinking water with meals can also cause a surge in your insulin levels, almost like the way high glycemic food would affect you, Sabherwal cautions. "The more insulin is released in to your blood stream, the higher the chances of you storing fat in your body."

Source: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/07/02/is-drinking-water-while-eating-good-for-you/

From this article, it also mentioned the harms of drinking water while eating. It is said that there is no doubting the fact that drinking too much water during meals can interfere with the natural and necessary levels of bile and stomach acid. This would slow the digestion process and reduce the body’s ability to produce enough digestive enzymes to digest foods properly. Without proper digestion, a build up of toxic waste can occur no matter what you are eating.

The fact that drinking water while eating not only making we feel full before finishing our meals but also bad for digestion could make we stop doing so. Well, I am not usually sipping a drink while eating but since I sometimes eat something spicy, that made me glug some water during the meals.😅

Therefore, since I have known these facts, I would absolutely need to stop drinking while eating.

My Sixth Week of MANGETOUT MOMENTUM

Hello, 👋

This week, practically, I almost did the same things as what I have done in the previous weeks (written in the previous entries).😅 Except that I don't eat when I don't feel hungry (in terms of heavy meals).

Usually, when I'm going out with my friends; eating outside of campus, even when I didn't feel hungry yet, I tend to follow my friends; having a meal. Hence, I always end up having leftovers. Therefore, this time, I just had a drink while my friends had their meals since I already had my lunch before my friends asked me out.

Later on, after walked around for several hours finding our needs, when dinner time, we had another meal and this time, I managed to finish everything.😁

This is why we should not eat when we don't even feel hungry. This way, we can save our budgets from purchasing unnecessarily and avoid food wastage.😉

My Fifth Week of MANGETOUT MOMENTUM

Hello, 👋

For this week, I had some innovation from the previous failure (I had mention about this in the third week entry). One of the failure is caused by the amount of food served that is too much. In fact, it has been quite some times since I ordered fried dish such as fried rice which I cannot predict the amount served.

At first, I intent to ask the vendor to lessen the quantity of rice since I cannot finish it in every means. But then, I thought of something wiser by which my friend and I can save more money that way.😁

Therefore, last Wednesday, I ordered one plate of fried rice and shared it with my friend. Before this, when we ordered one plate for each of us, even my friend was not able to finished it as the quantity is too much (estimated: 2 pax per serving) thus, we agreed to share one plate which is cheaper and avoid wastage of food. Of course, it is a lot cheaper since we shared the cost of a plate of fried dish 😉 and we only have a bit leftover of some vegetables that we couldn't actually eat.😅

 

My Fourth Week of MANGETOUT MOMENTUM

Hello, 👋

This week is the fourth week since I started my mangetout momentum.

From previous entry, I had mention about finding out the reason why I always end up having leftovers. One of the reason is that I always have something to munch when I'm doing my assignments, or whenever I don't have anything to do. I don't really feel hungry but I just feel like munching snacks or something light.

So, this time, I tried not to have snacks before having a proper meal. The outcome from this perseverance is that I tend not to have leftover anymore. Thus, I think having snacks before meals can make you eat less than you suppose to eat. Then, I did some research on why snacks is bad on empty stomach and this is what I got:

Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/worst-foods-to-eat-when-hungry_us_55e8bac5e4b002d5c0757d05

From the source:

Why you shouldn’t eat it right now: Despite what we all want to believe, 100 calories of anything isn’t likely to satisfy when you’re really hungry, which is the main problem with these types of mini-pack snacks, says Melton. They’re usually foods like crackers or chips, made with simple carbohydrates, which get digested the fastest, leaving you hungrier soon after. 

Make it better: You’re better off eating a little bit less at your next meal and having a satisfying 250-to-300-calorie mini-meal right now, with a mix of carbs and protein, like half a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread.

Therefore, it is just right to avoid taking any snacks before having a proper meal which is good for our health and also can avoid leaving any food behind that leads to food waste.

My Third Week of MANGETOUT MOMENTUM

Hello, 👋

this is the third week of my Mangetout Momentum.

For this third week, I applied the fourth tip (I have wrote the tips in my previous entry), 'Donate'. It is not the exact term to emphasise what I do but basically has the similar act. During this whole week, I frequently eat together with my friends. I do eat with friends everyday but they are one of least eater as me. Thus, I cannot really offer them my food since they are also struggling to finish their own.😅

This time, I frequently have meals in a large group which include friends that can eat a lot. It does help in order to achieve my mission which is not to have any leftover food.

I managed to avoid food waste this time 👏👏👏. But later I'll try other methods and find out the reason why I always have leftover food.

My Second Week of MANGETOUT MOMENTUM

Hello, 👋

this is the second week for my mangetout momentum.
During this week, other than reducing my quantity of my food on my plates (I have wrote about this in my previous entry), I also do some research on how to avoid wastage of food as a student.

One of The Articles Found:
Source: https://spoonuniversity.com/how-to/4-easy-ways-to-reduce-food-waste-as-a-college-student

The tips in reducing food waste are:

1. Take it home
2. Eat leftovers first
3. Don't overbuy
4. Donate

The first tip which is 'Take It Home' is very effective as I just pay 20￠ for a biodegradable plastic container and got to take my leftover food back to hostel. By using this method, I can kill two birds using one stone which are cost-wise and avoid producing food waste.

For the second tip, 'Eat Leftovers First', of course I would do it to avoid my leftovers from spoilt. This way, I bought lesser than I usually did and thus, I practically applied the third tip as well which is 'Don't Overbuy'. This three tips are very doable and simple yet cost effective and food waste preventable.

Even by doing these, I still face some failure where I had to dispose my leftover since I sometimes, still full from earlier meal and did not finished my leftovers. Also, the amount of food served is just too much since I sometimes ordered fried dish which I just cannot predict the amount.

Therefore, I need to come up with solution for next meals.😕