What we’re about
Do you ache to make a difference with what’s happening with our planet? Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and engage in effective activism in collaboration with a dynamic, committed community? Or, are you concerned about your own health and the health of those around you, and desire to make some changes!
You are probably aware that our dietary choices impact the environment by contributing to the climate crisis, species loss, deforestation, and many other challenges. Simultaneously, diet-caused chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease lead to disability and early death for far too many of our family members and friends. We can each take action to address these crises by transitioning to healthy, sustainable plant-based diets. Eat for the Earth aids that shift through education, tools, support, partnerships, and love.
Eat for the Earth Santa Cruz welcomes your participation!
Eat for the Earth is working to make it easier for people to eat more plants and less animal products, or to adopt and maintain an entirely plant-based lifestyle for those who are interested.
You might call yourself an environmentalist. Or a vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian. Or a lover of the earth or concerned citizen. Or an omnivore who aligns with our mission.
Whatever you call yourself, we are glad you found this group!
Whatever you call yourself, you are welcome to join this community. If you feel the call, then your unique skills and sensibilities are needed for this movement!
Our vision includes transforming Santa Cruz County into a model of sustainable eating. We offer education about the environmental and health benefits of plant-based and plant-strong diets, provide practical tools and nurture community with our nutrition education and food preparation classes, provide support with our dietary immersion program, and engage in advocacy to change systems. We hope you will join us!
To find out more information, visit the Eat for the Earth website.
Upcoming events
3
FATS in Action aka The Big FAT Story
Santa Cruz Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1024 Cayuga St, Santa Cruz, CA, USExperience an engaging evidence-based nutrition science class focused on fats, health, and diet. Sample a tasty plant-based dish. Yummers!
FATS in Action!
All FATS are LIVELY.
No, fats don't act like inert couch potatoes!
Each fat has a specific structure and function which dictates its important role in our body. Fats perform like dancers tightly synchronized in a major theater choreography, each dependent upon the other for cues and timing. The Fat dance might be likened to the continual movement of 4,000 Emperor Penguins of Antarctica who huddle together, constantly moving. While penguins move to keep warm, fat cells perform in ways that keep our body systems balanced. Fats and their dance affect our whole body health and wellness 24/7.
In this class, we look forward to delightfully delving into the dance of our fats so that you may be inspired to embrace a few "dance notations" yourself and enjoy the feel of being light on your feet (in sync with a relaxed blood pressure), quick in your thoughts (a high-kicking brain), and breathing easily (more rhythmical) throughout your days.
Nature's design is beyond brilliant!. Bring a friend and enjoy The Big FAT Story that just might change your life.
You will Learn:
- The evolution of fat science in the last 100 years
- The 3 types of fats
- The difference between essential and non-essential tats
- The difference between omega-6 and omega-3 fats
- Why there are now overweight and obesity epidemics
- Why heart disease and other chronic disease conditions are rising exponentially
- How to rebalance your fat intake
- And the best ways of fat-balancing one's body system
And there is much more you will be learning!
In this FAT class, you will learn strategies for fat balancing and improving brain, heart, eye, and fertility functions to include how to prepare & enjoy eating fats that love you back!
This two-hour class features a delightful power point presentation, a juicy discussion, and the opportunity to relish a "Fat Fabulous" plant-based dish (following a recipe demonstration).
This class is designed to provide an excellent overview of plant-based foods for total body-system health for all who dare to join the dance.
Expect to glean resources and recipes, as well as be able to ask your important questions in an informative Q & A session.
Don't miss out. Bring a friend(s) for this FAT Class presented by Eat for the Earth. See you there!
PLEASE NOTE: NO MEAL will be served. You are very welcome to bring your dinner to eat during the class, if you like.
About the Facilitator
Sandi Rechenmacher is a nutritional consultant, PCRM Food for Life Instructor, graduate of the eCornell Plant-Based Nutrition Certification Program, enthusiast of Eat For The Earth (non-profit), an environmentalist, UCSC graduate, CA credentialed teacher, professional entertainer, public speaker, and organic gardener. She has six grandchildren (1 yr- 11 yrs) who continually remind her that Life is JOY.
What to Bring
Please write down your questions that come to mind between now and then for the Q & A. Bring them (your questions), paper, and pen to take notes.
And DO please invite your friends. We'd like to meet them.
To Find Us
Drive towards the back of the parking lot. About halfway down you will see a smaller parking lot towards the left. We are in Sundean Hall, between the side parking lot and the street.
Donations are Appreciated.
All donations go to support the nonprofit Eat for the Earth.7 attendees
Rebellious Aging; Let’s Laugh at This. And Then Talk About A Different Way
Santa Cruz Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1024 Cayuga St, Santa Cruz, CA, USJoin Eat for the Earth for a plant-based potluck and an inspiring, fun, and spunky look into the joys of aging well!
You Will Not Want to Miss This!
Aging often comes with a confusing maze of tests, procedures, pills and bills, all humorously captured in Dr. Seuss’s, You’re Only Old Once!. In this lively and thought provoking talk Suzanne (Suz) Meinhardt uses laughter and storytelling to open a conversation about how we view aging and how we might do it differently.
Suzanne introduces Rebellious Aging and the role a Whole Food Plant Based Lifestyle can play in supporting vibrant health, confidence and energy. This talk offers awareness, perspective, possibility, and simple ideas for anyone curious about aging well, without perfection or pressure.
Let's Eat Together!
We will start our time together with a whole food, plant-based potluck. Please bring a dish to share that is made exclusively from whole plant ingredients and is free of added oil. Please avoid bringing dishes containing meat, dairy, fish, eggs, or other animal-derived ingredients.
Here are some recipe sites for inspiration:
- Forks Over Knives Recipe Collection (Please note that Forks Over Knives now includes some recipes with oil in their collection. Avoid these recipes or leave out the oil.)
- Monkey and Me Recipes
- Center for Nutrition Studies Recipes
If you are new to this way of eating, feel free to bring something simple like a fresh fruit platter or green salad.
Join Eat for the Earth for a wonderful presentation and a delicious, healthy meal!
About the Presenter
Suzanne Meinhardt is the creator of Rebellious Aging, a movement dedicated to helping women, 55-105, rethink aging with curiosity, confidence, and vitality. With a background in biochemistry, lifestyle coaching and whole food plant based nutrition, Suzanne combines evidence based knowledge with warmth, humor and real life experience.
At 83+ years young she is passionate about empowering people to take an active role in their health, embrace possibility, and challenge outdated beliefs about aging, and always with a little sparkle.
Please Invite Your Friends!
To Find Us
Drive towards the back of the parking lot. About halfway down you will see a smaller parking lot towards the left. We are in Sundean Hall, between the side parking lot and the street.
Donations are Appreciated.
All donations go to support the nonprofit Eat for the Earth.9 attendees
Your Trillions of Microbial Partners in ACTION!
Santa Cruz Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1024 Cayuga St, Santa Cruz, CA, USMeet your gut microbes & learn what makes them tick so you will "tock." These vital "bugs" provide key compounds we can't live without.
Microbial Partners in Action! Intestinal "bugs" have evolved along with homo sapiens from the beginning of time.
Yet, only 35 years ago modern scientific technology offered us a doorway to get to appreciate this vital symbiotic partnership, this otherwise invisible universe of the human microbiome.
Join Eat for the Earth and others as we "hike" our intestinal terrain, "meet" our microbes, understand how and what makes them tick and us "tock" as a result, and share a tasty microbe-friendly dish. The more we know about our microbes, the better stewards of our shared community (our whole body system) we can be. And it gets better!
Viruses, Fungi, and Bacteria, Oh My!
In this class you will learn:
- How scientists stumbled across the human microbiome
- The parameters of our symbiotic relationship with that of our microbes
- Why it might be more accurate to describe ourselves as "microbes"
- What microbes provide for us that is so very vital (why we can't live without them)!
- How we can help our microbes, so they can be most efficient in helping us
- And more, much more!
Walk away with notions of creative ways to communicate with our microbes. We can learn to fuel them in ways that help them grow and further their purposes. For when they grow stronger, we grow stronger. It's a win, win!
This two-hour class features a delightful power point presentation, a juicy discussion, informative Q & A, a listing ofresources and recipes, and the opportunity to relish a microbe-boosting recipe to get you started on diversifying your plant intake to up to 30 different types per week.
Don't miss out. Bring a friend(s) for this mind-bug-gling class presented by Eat for the Earth. See you there!
PLEASE NOTE: NO MEAL will be served. You are very welcome to bring your dinner to eat during the class if you like.
About the Facilitator
Sandi Rechenmacher is a nutritional consultant, PCRM Food for Life Instructor, graduate of the eCornell Plant-Based Nutrition Certification Program, enthusiast of Eat For The Earth (non-profit), an environmentalist, UCSC graduate, CA credentialed teacher, professional entertainer, public speaker, and organic gardener. She has six grandchildren (1 yr- 11 yrs) who continually remind her that Life is JOY.
What to Bring
Please write down your questions that come to mind between now and then for the Q & A . Bring your questions, paper, and pen to take notes.
And DO please invite your friends. We'd like to meet them.
To Find Us
Drive towards the back of the parking lot. About halfway down you will see a smaller parking lot towards the left. We are in Sundean Hall, between the side parking lot and the street.
Donations are Appreciated.
All donations go to support the nonprofit Eat for the Earth.6 attendees
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