Author: Danielle Moore (Page 1 of 2)

Aspartame is one of the worst chemicals in diet soda, making it a national problem. On a personal level, there was a teacher at my high school that actually had a heart attack due to this chemical, so this is an important issue to me. In a recent study, it was shown that people who drank at least 2 sodas a day were more prone to heart disease. Thankfully, the records show that diet drink sales are decreasing. This could be a good sign, since it would make high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweetners less prominent in our diets and could lead to other changes as well.

http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/12974-is-this-the-end-of-diet-soda.html?c=tca

Ronald McDonald isn’t just a representation of the brand- he is the brand. 96% of children recognize him, and since brand recognition begins at two years old, taste perceptions are also formed early. In a study where children were given the same food but one was unlabeled and one was in McDonald’s packaging, the children overwhelmingly liked the McDonald’s better even though there was no difference. For adults, it’s marketed in a way that shows these corporations are doing good deeds (like the Ronald McDonald House). None of the advertising roots out of actually having healthy food, which is a problem. Possibly the only solution is to change marketing, but this is difficult due to so many different factors that it is nearly impossible at this time.

http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/13057-it-s-time-for-ronald-mcdonald-to-hang-up-the-red-wig.html?c=tca

I see articles like this all the time- stuff that debunks every piece of health advice ever given. This one hits some important points, like the nutrients in egg yolks and that obsessing over calories makes no sense. It’s interesting how health is catered to profit now; the facts are so mixed up because every company wants to make money by claiming low calorie, low fat, and other things that make it attractive in the market.

http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/12863-the-worst-nutrition-advice-in-history-here-s-top-5-contenders.html

(As you can tell, I spend a lot of my time watching food documentaries)
This one was specifically on the obesity crisis in America, but some parts of it were striking in terms of what foods are made available to people. One part of the documentary has a spokesperson for General Mills saying that they won’t change their products or bring out actually healthy products, but the plan was to add Omega-3s, whole grains, and other nutrients to make a set of “better for you” foods. This was a complete advertising scheme that does nothing to help the children who want these products and don’t know any better. It’s so interesting how companies are willing to ignore the well being of their consumers so that they can continue to rake in a profit.

“Vegucated” is a documentary where director and vegan Marisa Miller Wolfson gets three “meat and cheese loving” people together to try a vegan diet for six weeks. She picks by interviewing many people, and choose three from different backgrounds who want to do it for the same reasons: to lose weight, to feel better, and to be healthier. Brian, Ellen, and Tesla meet up with Marisa and they begin their journey by going to a physician and getting stats on their blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight. Over the six weeks, they learn to make new kinds of food, shop smarter, and learn the ethical reasons behind going vegan. One of the most moving parts for me was when the four went to a farm/slaughterhouse and walked around the perimeter to find a dead, rotting pig. The image was shocking and humbling, reminding me and other viewers that each animal has a life and how that’s thrown away since policy does not give rights to food animals. Some parts were a bit preachy and I found it almost cheating that Brian bought a lot of processed meat substitutes, but what was important was the education each of them had gained and that it is truly possible to be a vegan and not suffer health-wise (each of the three lost weight and came back with lower cholesterol and blood pressure) and socially with cooking and going out to eat.

A new study has shown that while growing, plants in fact can sense fear. At the University of Missouri, scientists found that the Thale Cress (a plant related to broccoli, kale, and cabbage, sends out vibrations when a caterpillar tries to eat it. These vibrations cause the plant to produce mustard oils and send them throughout the plant. This only works if the plant is still on the vine, but it’s quite a dynamic discovery showing that plants aren’t simply sedentary organisms.

Vegan because plants don’t have feelings? You’re going to need a new reason.

In today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, there was an article about how a recent farm bill is cutting off small businesses from providing food stamps to poor families. The goal is for the government to save money (154 million over a decade) but puts many everyday people in trouble. What’s going on is that the government does not want to pay for the EBT machines that allow food stamps to be processed, meaning that these mom and pop stores will have to pay $1000 a year for them, and then they barely make profit as is off these customers. This means that small grocery stores will either stop accommodating for SNAP or will go bankrupt more quickly. Either way, it’s a bad path for small business and the country’s poor.

What I find interesting is how interconnected everything is, since a farm bill is connected to a machine that connects to the downfall of small business and the increase in the wealth gap. It’s unbelievable how almost inhumane policy is, when it is supposed to be written for the people.

Once again, nutritional advice that makes nothing but sense.

The article, titled “Why Your Grandparents Didn’t Have Food Allergies… But You Do” outlines common sense reasons why our bodies are not in the shape that our grandparents’ were. We spend less time outside, process our food out of its nutrients, eat out of season, and have doctors on speed dial when the body’s healing process is a strong force in itself. Because of all this buildup of gunk in our food and medicine, it deteriorates our health and we end up with side effects like allergies. I’m sure there are exceptions to this rule, but it really opens up the differences in two generations and their lifestyles.

Why your grandparents didn’t have food allergies…but you do

Obviously I’m not the first one to say this, but as I learn more and more about our food I’ve been wondering to myself “why do I eat meat anyway?” So at this point, I’m looking into becoming closer to a vegetarian (probably will end up flexitarian, so that I don’t have to cut out everything permenantly). Before I do this, I decided to look up some tips. What I’ve come across is this-
-Going without meat means you have to look out to make sure you’re getting certain nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, not just protein.
-It’s not just meat that’s not vegetarian- certain thickeners and flavoring contain animal products, such as gelatin.
-It only takes a few weeks to eliminate meat cravings!
The last fact is pretty exciting, since I’ve spent my whole life living off meat. I’m hypoglycemic, which means my blood sugar gets low very quickly, so I was raised on the ideal of eating a lot of meat. If I can balance my blood sugar and help the environment/my morals by not eating meat, or at least less, that would be a huge change but mostly for the better!

For her master’s degree, Leann Brown made this cookbook where you only have to spend four dollars a day to make filling, healthy meals. The meals aren’t bland either- they mix flavors in a way that you get everything you need and it tastes good too! Brown starts off the free book with tips on how to get good food for cheap, which is super helpful in terms of changing food habits for both health and the environment.

http://www.endoriot.com/2014/08/free-cookbook-teaches-you-how-to-eat.html
https://41aac1a9acbe9b97bcebc10e0dd7cb61ef11502c.googledrive.com/host/0B9c5aT4eSlRfMzVpbC0xemtkSlE/good-and-cheap.pdf