In 2009, I had just completed my annual physical for the fire department and was unhealthy. The doctor said I was pre-diabetic, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Coincidently, my wife also received similar news from her doctor during that same time frame. A short time went by and I happened to be working with an old friend, Kevin, at the firehouse. I hadn 't seen Kevin for a few months so I was surprised to see that he had lost weight and was in great shape.
The Third Plate by chef Dan Barber is a non-fiction book that examines agriculture, food, and sustainability, which he argues for a new way of thinking about America’s food system. Barber explores how our current system is unsustainable and unhealthy for American’s, and tries to find new ways to change the system by visiting several farms, restaurants, and high class chefs. Barber used a storytelling technique in his writing to convey his viewpoints and facts from a historical illustration, personal experiences, and modern day systems. In the opening part of The Third Plate, Barber tells a historic story about a farmer from Spain who created new ways to modify his wheat in a healthier and tastier way. This opening set a tone for the rest of the book by establishing his approach to exploring sustainable agriculture.
America is one of the most obese countries in the world, known for apple pie and an excessive amount of McDonald’s. As a culture, there is a lack of self control when it comes to the foods we consume. People often over consume and over indulge, which has wreaked havoc on the health and well being of those who give in to these temptations. The issue is that large corporations and even our own government play a role in helping feed the problem; they care more about profitability and benefiting the business than the health of the consumer. The health of Americans is declining and more chronic diseases and health problems are appearing as a result of unhealthy diets, but there are many different methods that can help fix this issue.
Dennis Rader—self-proclaimed the “BTK Killer”—is a serial killer responsible for ten murders in Wichita, Kansas from 1974 to 1991. Rader’s childhood seemed normal, and he lived a relatively average life as an adult. He blended into his community as a government employee, church leader, and Boy Scout troop leader. This seemingly picturesque life allowed him to execute his killings without initial suspicion. He murdered various people through selection, stalking, and finally killing them in their homes.
Several individuals from different ethnicities, races, and citizenships, compose a society. The United Sates allow us to have a close interaction with numerous individuals from diverse backgrounds. In my own case I have been able to interact with many incredible individuals from all over the world who come from extremely different backgrounds. I am a proud Mexican who cherishes respect towards diversity. Coming from a very suffered country I am able to understand not only what does it means to feel proud to be a Latino, but also I can feel acquainted with the pain and struggle that our community has to face every day.
Pollan claims that Americans spend more on healthcare, or more appropriately “sick care,” than they do for food. By spending more on healthier food, he contends people will ultimately spend less on sick care. He also recommends avoiding fast food, even if it’s “home” cooked such as in the
In an article from national society they mention that the foods that are killing people slowly isn’t only the fast food or the high processed foods that is found in the grocery store but the extremely processed salts, and refined sugars. It is mentioned that because of that it can cause autoimmune diseases. Schlosser also mentions one of the diseases that are deadly if not treated properly, “ More than half of all American adults and about one-quarter of all American children are no obese or overweight”(240). All this had started since the late 1970’s and its still going on in this day in age, but many do not want to realize that it is something that n one should be proud of. Obesity happens because many people tend to consume fast food because it is the easiest option than taking time to make a nutritional meal.
As Woolston (2015) clearly conveyed, “Fatty, unbalanced, and oversized: That, in a nutshell, is the American diet.” With an escalation in fast food restaurants numbers, health food prices, and portion sizes, the typical American diet relics as a death sentence, encompassing fat, cholesterol, and sodium filled meals. Americans typically consume food that occurs quick and inexpensive, not comprehending the effect that this food deposits on their health. Apprehending the impact that the American diet places on health, the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans" serves as a guideline to help Americans rid of their old habits, reaching towards a healthy diet and weight.
Cultural competency is defined as having the appropriate understanding of different cultures which allows one to effectively interact with different individuals, to ensure all diverse needs are addressed. Having cultural competency helps one to recognize some of the following things, and as a result, it helps improve trust and acceptability. One of which is understanding food habits. By understanding food habits, one will have a better inclination of what might be at the core of many illnesses and diseases, and will be able to advise care and treatment plans that the patient will be more likely to successfully implement. If the physician is culturally competent, they might catch a deficiency, for example, and they would have the ability to suggest all the correct foods to supplement it.
Over the years in America food and how it is consumed has changed, and we seem to actually be eating more unhealthy despite advances in modern science and technology. In Michael Pollan’s book, “In Defense of Food”, Pollan talks about this idea, and how food itself has been replaced by the nutrients in them. Today’s development of food science has done more harm than good, and the food industry has become industrialized. People have to avoid the new “Western diet” and need to go back to the natural way of eating healthy foods. When I arrived at college, I completely changed my diet for good after just a single week in, as I had a realization I needed to eat healthier to transform my relationship with not only food, but with my body and mind.
Sugar Detox Results The 21-Day sugar has been growing in popularity recently. I had always been curious about trying it but hesitant of jumping on the wagon. I wasn’t quite sure if it was legitimate or a trend. Ever since I entered college, I lived a life of sitting in study halls and eating top ramen.
Heidi Stevens' article A problem of grand proportions for the Tribune Newspaper, daringly quoted Brian Wansink "affordability isn't what's driving us to overeat, the three biggest drivers that mess us up are: how big our portions are, how frequently we eat and what we eat". We are mindlessly eating away our health with each and every bit of processed, unhealthy foods. Modifying our choices and stretching every dollar the healthy way can reverse a health disease that is on its way. You're hungry and you eat anything that entices your taste buds without evaluating the risks of health consequences in the future.
When the dinner bell rings in America, many families are not flocking to the table, but running to the car and the call of the “Golden Arches”. In today’s over-scheduled world, food has now become an afterthought and America is paying the price, literally. Obesity is now an epidemic and a crisis that is not slowing down. The nation is not only paying the price with sky-rocketing medical bills from the effects of the American diet, but also with the deteriorating health of its citizens and for the first time in history, a generation with a shorter life expectancy than the generation before. Food today looks nothing like the food of just 40 years ago, and now instead, is making people sick and obese.
“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food” (Hardy, 2006). The Greeks followed this idea by the philosopher Hippocrates, but today’s society does not take the message seriously. A majority of people eat harmful foods and do not receive the nutrition they need to stay healthy. There are a number of reasons why nutrition is lacking. A lot of teens and college students eat snacks that are not healthy such as chips, pop, candy, etc.
Before beginning my 24 hour fast, I was mostly concerned about the idea of being hungry and how I would cope with that because I love food. I was doubting my ability to successfully make it through the day without faltering. For my week long fast, I was worried about keeping up to date about what was going on in my friends’ lives. I was worried I would miss out on things that everyone else got to experience through social media. I was also concerned with how I would spend my time without social media because if I am being honest, most of my time that is not spent on homework or with my family is spent on my phone.
