Choices in our diet and the foods that we consume are affected
largely in part of our culture and where we come from. For example, growing up
in an Italian household such as mine, my family ate a lot of pastas, bread,
beans, and fruits/vegetables. That can be very different from your traditional
American family who may eat more fried foods, burgers, hot dogs, etc. Due to my
family’s medical history, as an adult, I now changed a lot of my eating habits
to help fight off the diseases that have plagues my loved ones. High blood
pressure, diabetes, and cancer are the more major illnesses. I
now eat pastas made from whole wheat or vegetables and follow a very strict
Mediterranean Diet (when I am not away on mission for the military).
Here are a few links
to healthy recipes for Pasta alternatives:
https://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/6-healthy-alternatives-to-pasta/
https://inspiralized.com/6-healthy-pasta-alternatives/
Most
of the people I know have emotional or psychological connections to their food
because of comforting memories, or habits growing up. As section 1.4 states, a
person may choose to eat or not to eat certain foods because of that food item
being “eaten by someone you admire, or they indicate status, or they remind you
of fun.” On the other hand, they were “forced on you, or you became ill while
eating them” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E.
2017). People also can develop certain eating habits based off their
ability to eat what they can afford, or what is available to them. A huge
problem I have experienced, especially in the Army, is that people eat based
off fad diets or trends. One person may say they started a diet and they think
it is cool or the new thing that’s big in pop culture. People jump into a diet
and know nothing about it or conduct the slightest research.
Another
factor that may influence people to decide what to eat is their emotions. I
know that sounds silly, but we all know the term “stress eating”. The same
process can go into eating when an individual is upset. In the YouTube video,
“Weight of the Nation”, around minute 45, we learn about Dr. Epel’s study on
stress reduction and weight loss. “Mindful eating helps us recognize the
difference between eating when we are hungry and eating because we are stressed
or bored” (HBO Documentary Films. 2012). I for one, believe that for some people, food can be seen as a means of philosophical enlightenment. Food calms us down, makes us happy, and helps us relieve stress while cooking or enjoying a delicious meal. Unfortunately for most Americans who feel this way too, they go overboard and quickly spiral out of control.
As a nation, we are overweight, and it is in large part to
the complete ignorance on the caloric intake we consume when eating outside our
own homes. This goes together with the Psychological category or the way in
which most Americans think about their foods/diet. In the comfort of our home
we can measure and take our time reading the nutritional information. This
allows us to make informed decisions. However, while you are on the go, most
Americans just want to go as fast as possible and have a disregard to what they
are shoveling in their mouths. The second health concern is the jump in
diabetes in our country as well.
Regarding social impacts of our
Nation’s diet and views on nutrition, social media and gossip is probably one
of the worst contributing factors. Think about the last time you were at the
gym or talking to someone about their eating habits. So many of us jump straight
into a fad diet that we know nothing about, or just blindly go with the advice
that these individuals give us. I was a victim of this for the first year and a
half of taking the fitness journey seriously. I wasted so much time, money and
energy on diets that worked for others, but not for me. Either that, or I just assumed
because someone who looked in better shape than me knew what they were talking
about. Do your research people!! It is time for us to wake up and get back to
finding the information for ourselves.
There are three body types an
individual can fall under and each of them require very different, very
specific nutritional needs. Those three body types are: Ectomorph, Endo morph,
and Mesomorph. Without going into detail of these three body types, I will just
leave a link for you to gain your own knowledge. (This way we do not add to the
problem of following what someone says without seeing the proof for ourselves).
One of the biggest examples of
buying into what a horrible and inaccurate diet trend is when people warn you
to stay away from carbs “in order to see results and get the best body possible.”
Recently,
carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap in the health field. Carbs have been
accused of contributing to the obesity epidemic and causing chronic
illnesses. As a result, some companies have advised that we avoid carbs
altogether. When looking at the facts and health professionals, this couldn’t
be further than the truth. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy.
The definition in section 4.1 tells us that carbohydrates are the energy
“captured in a form that living things use to drive the processes of life”
(Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). This section even goes on to say that
carbohydrates form the first link in the food chain. Think about it, most of
the human diet come in the form of plants or animal protein. Both of which,
either are plants, or are eaten by the animals we will eventually consume. To
say that carbohydrates are bad for you would be ironic to what we understand
the nature of carbs wouldn’t it?
Works Cited:
1. Kennedy,
L. (2019). Reader’s Digest: Six Delicious
Pasta Alternatives That Won’t Make You Miss Carbs. Retrieved from: https://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/6-healthy-alternatives-to-pasta/
2. No
Author. (2018). Spiralized: Six Healthy
Pasta Alternatives. Retrieved from: https://inspiralized.com/6-healthy-pasta-alternatives/
3. Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
ISBN-13: 978-1-30563937-9, ISBN-10: 1-305-63937-5
ISBN-13: 978-1-30563937-9, ISBN-10: 1-305-63937-5
4. Snape,
J. (2017). Coach Mag: Ectomorph,
Endomorph, and Mesomorph: How to Train for Your Body Type. Retrieved from: https://www.coachmag.co.uk/lifestyle/4511/ectomorph-endomorph-or-mesomorph-what-is-your-body-type
No comments:
Post a Comment