Post on 28-Dec-2015
What’s in What We Eat?Fats, Carbohydrates, Salt
U.S. nutrition recommendations:
• less than 30% of calories from fat
• less than 10% from saturated fat
• 300 milligrams of cholesterol
• 2400 milligrams of sodium per day.
How Much is That???
Recommendations:
• If you eat 2000 calories per day:
30% of calories from fat(65 grams of fat per day)
• If you eat 2500 calories per day:
30% of calories from fat(80 grams of fat per day)
From McDonald’s http://www.mcdonalds.com/
Grilled Chicken / Big Mac:
Calories: 440 / 590Calories form fat: 180 / 340Total fat: 20 / 34 gramsSaturated fat: 3 / 11 grams Cholesterol: 60 / 85 mgSodium: 1040 / 1090 mg Carbohydrates: 38 / 47Protein: 27 / 24 grams
Foods, Moods, Our Bodies
• In a study of 200 people done in England, subjects were told to reduce mood "stressors" consumed and to increase mood "supporters."
• Stressors included sugar, caffeine, and alcohol.
• Supporters were water, vegetables, fruit, and fish.
Foods, Moods, Our Bodies
Results:• 80% reported
improved mental health
• 26% said they had fewer mood swings
• 26% had fewer panic attacks and anxiety
• 24% experienced less depression
How Moods are Fed or Starved• The chemicals that control mood are the neurotransmitters in the
brain led by the pleasure "drug" serotonin. • These substances determine whether you feel good and energetic
or tired, irritable, and spacey. • The idea is to maintain a stable blood sugar level through the day,
slowly feeding these substances into the brain. • Low glycemic carbs include whole grain bread, beans, whole grain
crackers, soy, apples, pears, peaches, and other fruits. Carbohydrates such as commercial granola bars, animal crackers, graham crackers, potato chips, cakes and pies flood into the system too fast and cause the body to order up a big shot of insulin, which then tips the balance.
• "You can see it when you've had a white flour pancake and syrup for breakfast," a nutritionist says. "By mid-afternoon, you're ready for a nap." This sugar alert/ insulin cycle gradually becomes less efficient and leads to diabetes, heart disease and other problems.
Hormones, Depression, Diet
• Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate the activity of certain organs
• Hormones govern the menstruation process
• Diet affects hormones• Hormone imbalances are
linked to depression• Inadequate diet disrupts
ovulation
The Diet Industry Feeds on Our Concerns
• Americans spend over $40 billion a year on diet foods, books, etc
• Half of Americans are overweight, and half (not necessarily the same people!) are on a diet
The Glamour Industry Feeds on Low Self-Esteem
• It begins with Barbie dolls, then Cosmo, boyfriends, and always The Mirror: setting the unattainable standard
• http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~kbrow01/essays.htm
• When did these ‘beauty standards’ begin?
History of the Diet
There have always been community ideals.
Miss America 1938
Miss America 1924
Miss America 1975
‘Venus’ of Willendorf25,000 BC
What Else is Added to Our Foods?
Hormones:Hormonal additives, such as those fed to animals to increase their size and rate of growth, have been linked to breast cancer, diminished sperm production, and genetic abnormalities.
Antibiotics:• Some people are allergic to certain antibiotics, which can pose
health problems since there is a relatively small number of antibiotic drug classes.
• Antibiotics (along with many other medicines such as birth control drugs) may be found in many foods we eat (they are fed to animals and accumulate) as well as municipal water supplies.
• Bacteria (following Darwinian evolutionary principles) can become immune to the effects of antibiotics.
Other Drugs:• Birth control, antidepressants, and many other drugs are in the
water supply.
Who Owns the Means of Production?
• MoP: Land, seeds, tools, labor• Increasingly food giants like ADM
and Monsanto assert intellectual property rights over seed stock.
• In Southeast Asia, the Green Revolution has diminished yields and increased dependence on multinationals
• In Iraq, farmers now must buy from global agribusiness:http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7915.htm
So What Do We Eat?!
Organically Grown/Pesticide- and Hormone-free foods face:
• FDA labeling problems http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2005/11/03/PM200511033.html
• Higher price, lower availability, lack of consumer knowledge
• Farmers’ risk of being sued by agribusiness
(Google or Wiki Monsanto vs. Schmeiser)• Global agribusiness bankrupting smallholders
http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/bcbrasil.html
Eating in Our Neighborhood
• Locally produced food• Properly labeled food• As little processed food as
possible
Carrboro Farmers’ MarketChapel Hill Creamery
Maple View Farm Dairy
Other Peoples’ Neighborhoods
• Poor neighborhoods pay more for food than wealthy neighborhoods
• There are fewer grocery stores in poor neighborhoods, so
• People have to travel further to the store
• There is less fresh produce in stores in poor neighborhoods