A solid understanding of an individual’s food habits begins with an understanding of his/her background, lifestyle and family values. Why do I eat this or that? What is the reasoning behind my emotional enjoyment of indulging specific foods? Questions that are rarely thought about by the average person, spark interest in the mind of few. Hungry to know the foundation behind my tastes, an analyzation of my life & values that shaped who I am must take place. As a child, breakfast was always my least favorite meal. It was either skipped entirely or satisfied with a convenient small item, usually a processed frozen item that could be quickly heated in the microwave. Why was this so? It may have been my poor morning habits, for I was not an early riser and could not force myself to eat as soon as I woke up. Typically, I would have to wait at least an hour after waking up before I could force myself to eat something. Being that I often woke up late, there was always a rush to get to school, practices, or other activities. It makes sense as to why I often missed out on breakfast, and when I did eat it, I was indulging in a convenient microwavable processed item. With myself and my siblings involved in a variety of extracurriculars, convenience was a necessity, as our freezer was always stocked with frozen microwavable meals. As I entered the teen years, my viewpoint on the first meal of the day changed, and I was eating healthy portions for breakfast. I cared more about my image and success in sports, which meant I needed to be successful in both the weight room and the kitchen. I was beginning to take into serious account the importance of my caloric intake, especially when trying to put on lean muscle for football. I learned to understand the impact breakfast can have on the brain, and how it can better one's metabolism. High school was when my perspective on food, specifically overindulgence, changed. During a health class, we analyzed the documentary, "Super-Size Me,” A film that investigated the effects of overeating fast food. From then on, my whole perspective on food, its industry, and what we know about the food we eat has changed. I’ve been taking better care of monitoring the food I eat and have been paying more attention to the ingredients that go into them. I recognize this time frame in my life as the enlightenment, as I realized the importance of an all-around healthy diet. In today’s world it is normal to be picky, but not for me. I will eat anything you put in front of me, and I ask myself why every time I try something for the first time. I believe it is the cause of my family lifestyle and the values I was raised on. My father grew up on food stamps, with 11 other siblings’ mouths to feed. Whatever my grandmother had made for dinner, you ate. You never asked what was for supper, you never asked for something else, and you ate everything on your plate because you understood the situation. My father raised me upon similar values, you ate whatever your mother made for that meal, and you didn't say anything about it. You understood and respected the work that went into making the money to pay for the items mother prepared. My mothers’ side of the family is where I get my craving for unique tastes, fresh killed game and fish are a few personal preferences. Whenever I was with my grandma, like most people, I was always eating. But, I never really thought about why the meals were often snapping turtle soup, fresh venison steaks, or rabbit stew. Meals that many Americans would see as weird or unusual, not many people can say they have eaten freshly caught turtle or whole fried catfish. Looking back, my mom’s side of the family was mainly farmers, and it was a lifestyle that held many struggles. Hunting and trapping were primary sources of income for the family, and whatever they killed they ate. Whenever they weren’t farming, they fished, and when it got too cold to fish, they hunted. Not only do I understand this way of life but have an immense appreciation for the males in the family who provided food and the females who prepared it in appealing ways. As a result, I’ve come to love snapping turtle soup and meals alike. Being around that lifestyle and its food has formed my attitude to be open to all varieties of tastes. There was another aspect of food I enjoyed, large quantities. The thought of an endless meal was always running through my brain when I was younger, it would excite me. I used to reason that it was because I was very heavy at that time. But, what I came to understand that it too reflected my family and culture. Having a large close family meant coming together every week for one reason, to eat. My family was huge, and events had to accommodate enough food for everyone, meaning large portions and variety. There is a specific memory that I can always recall as an example, Camp. The family camp was a getaway, a place where the family came together and bonded. Normally, over a spectacular display of food at the Saturday night feast. An opportunity to eat as much as you wanted with no judgment at all, pure glutton. Influenced heavily by my male cousins, I learned to become obsessed with the event just as they were. I can remember trying to challenge my cousins on who could eat the most catfish fillets, or ears of corn. It was a competition, a bonding event. I believe that is why I enjoy the thought of an endless buffet or a scene of large quantities of food so much, it reminds me of my whole family together, eating and telling stories around the fire. It is large family events like camp feasts, which engraved my attitudes towards food and eating. If It weren't for my family and the core values surrounding us, I wouldn't be eating what I do today. Our attitudes toward food differ in many ways, all of which can draw back to specific reasoning. For me, I believe my current attitudes towards foods and tastes are shaped mainly by the values of a large and diverse family culture. Whether it’s a backwoods rural lifestyle and low economic family background or poor morning habits and rush for time, the values that reflect how me and my family were raised will forever have an impact on my attitude towards eating.
Re-written Food auto bio
A solid understanding of an individual’s food habits begins with an understanding of his/her background, lifestyle and family values. Why do I eat this or that? What is the reasoning behind my emotional enjoyment of indulging specific foods? Questions that are rarely thought about by the average person, spark interest in the mind of few. Hungry to know the foundation behind my tastes, an analysis of my life and values that shaped who I am must take place. As a child, breakfast was always my least favorite meal. It was either skipped entirely or satisfied with a convenient small item, usually a processed frozen item that could be quickly heated in the microwave. Why was this so? It may have been my poor morning habits, for I was not an early riser and could not force myself to eat as soon as I woke up. Typically, I would have to wait at least an hour after waking up before I could force myself to eat something. Since I often woke up late, there was always a rush to get to school, practices, or other activities. It makes sense as to why I often missed out on breakfast, and when I did eat it, I was indulging in a convenient microwavable processed item. With myself and my siblings involved in a variety of extracurriculars, convenience was a necessity, as our freezer was always stocked with frozen microwavable meals. As I entered the teen years, my viewpoint on the first meal of the day changed, and I was eating healthy portions for breakfast. I began to care more about my image and success in sports, which meant I needed to be successful in both the weight room and the kitchen. Now I can see my attitude toward a successful high school sports career and a lean athletic body was a product of 21st century male gender expectations. During those years it was important to be good in sports and look good, at least that’s what I thought. To me, if you were good at sports you had friends and popularity, along with an athletic fit body which I lacked leading up to 10th grade. I was beginning to take into serious account the importance of my caloric intake, especially when trying to put on lean muscle for football and slim down. I learned to understand the impact breakfast can have on the brain, and how it can better one's metabolism. High school was when my perspective on food, specifically overindulgence, changed. During a health class, we analyzed the documentary, "Super-Size Me,” A film that investigated the effects of overeating fast food. From then on, my whole perspective on food, its industry, and what we know about the food we eat has changed. But I can thank male gender expectations for initially causing me to make the change from an awkward chubby body to a healthier lean one. I’ve been taking better care of monitoring the food I eat and have been paying more attention to the ingredients that go into them. I recognize this time frame in my life as the enlightenment, as I realized the importance of an all-around healthy diet. In today’s world it is normal to be picky, but not for me. I will eat anything you put in front of me, and I ask myself why every time I try something for the first time. I believe it is the cause of my family lifestyle and the values I was raised on. My father grew up on food stamps, with 11 other siblings’ mouths to feed. Whatever my grandmother had made for dinner, you ate. You never asked what was for supper, you never asked for something else, and you ate everything on your plate because you understood the situation. My father raised me upon similar values, you ate whatever your mother made for that meal, and you didn't say anything about it. You understood and respected the work that went into making the money to pay for the items mother prepared. My mothers’ side of the family is where I get my craving for unique tastes, fresh killed game and fish are a few personal preferences. Whenever I was with my grandma, like most people, I was always eating. But, I never really thought about why the meals were often snapping turtle soup, fresh venison steaks, or rabbit stew. Meals that many Americans would see as weird or unusual, not many people can say they have eaten freshly caught turtle or whole fried catfish. Looking back, my mom’s side of the family was mainly farmers, and it was a lifestyle that held many struggles. Hunting and trapping were primary sources of income for the family, and whatever they killed they ate. Whenever they weren’t farming, they fished, and when it got too cold to fish, they hunted. Not only do I understand this way of life but have an immense appreciation for the males in the family who provided food and the females who prepared it in appealing ways. But why was this so? Now I see that I was raised on the idea that men in the family go do the dirty work of hunting and cleaning the game while the women stay in the kitchen and cook and clean the house for when the men got back. It made sense to me, I looked up to the male figures in my family solely because of hunting and fishing. I wanted to go to hunting camp and drink beer and swear and play cards then come back home with a truck bed full of venison. All of this made me think about the article by Laura Shapiro, something from the oven, and the typical American housewife and culture back then. Being raised by an old-school family, those are values I was raised with. The men went and hunted and provided food, and in return as expected the women cleaned and stayed in the kitchen. As a result, I’ve come to love snapping turtle soup and meals alike. Being around that lifestyle and its food has formed my attitude to be open to all varieties of tastes thanks to a father and mother who raised me with ideas and values associated with post war old-school gender expectations. There was another aspect of food I enjoyed; large quantities. The thought of an endless meal was always running through my brain when I was younger, it would excite me. I used to reason that it was because I was very heavy at that time. But, what I came to understand that it too reflected my family and culture. Having a large close family meant coming together every week for one reason, to eat. My family was huge, and events had to accommodate enough food for everyone, meaning large portions and variety. There is a specific memory that I can always recall as an example, Camp. The family camp was a getaway, a place where the family came together and bonded. Normally, over a spectacular display of food at the Saturday night feast. An opportunity to eat as much as you wanted with no judgment at all, pure glutton. Influenced heavily by my male cousins, I learned to become obsessed with the event just as they were. I can remember trying to challenge my cousins on who could eat the most catfish fillets, or ears of corn. It was a competition, a bonding event. I believe that is why I enjoy the thought of an endless buffet or a scene of large quantities of food so much, it reminds me of my whole family together, eating and telling stories around the fire. It is large family events like camp feasts, which engraved my attitudes towards food and eating. If It weren't for my family and the core values surrounding us, I wouldn't be eating what I do today. Our attitudes toward food differ in many ways, all of which can draw back to specific reasoning. For me, I believe my current attitudes towards foods and tastes are shaped mainly by the values of a large and diverse family culture. Whether it’s a backwoods rural lifestyle and low economic family background or poor morning habits and rush for time, the values that reflect how me and my family were raised will forever have an impact on my attitude towards eating.
Pandora's Lunchbox Email
Mom,
How often do you think about what you eat? Every day I ate food, and never put into thought what was really going into my body. For my Honors ISS 310 class, Industrial Eating, I have been reading a book that outlines the background behind the food we eat. Melanie Warner's Pandora's Lunchbox, gave me a new perspective on the food we eat every day and the hidden facts behind them. For an assignment, I must write an email to someone about the book, what I've learned, and its importance. I thought you would find it interesting. Overall, the book gave me an overview of processed foods, the big corporations running the industry, and how it all ties together. The processed foods we eat are stripped of nutrients and pose a threat to our health if consumed in excess (Warner 78). Yes, some processed foods may make life more convenient, but we must be cautious about eating them. The most significant question for me is if the foods I eat are good for me. I've come to realize that what we eat isn't what we think. There are many cons to processed foods. To me, the fact that they contain handfuls of additives with many unknown and untested chemicals is mind-blowing (Warner 110). How are we able to trust these companies and products knowing many additives and chemicals go untested? The fact that these companies don't know what these chemicals can do is frightening. Why would I eat something if I don't know if it is safe? I'm sure you didn't know that many foods you eat contain an additive that is derived from the grease of sheep wool (Warner 75). Not so tasty, right? Think about how many times we went to Subway. We always get the sweet onion chicken teriyaki, and each time I eat it, I am fooled that I am making a healthier decision. Completely overlooking the breakdown of the Sandwich. The exact Subway sandwich we eat is made almost entirely of highly processed foods with a list of additives that is shocking, bread and all (Warner 100). A main additive in Subways bread is Azodicarbonamide, and Warner states “Its biggest uses are not in other areas of the supermarket but in the production of rubber and plastics.” (Warner 103). This was eye-opening to me, knowing that majority of the processed foods we consume are created in labs with these additives. But, processed foods are convenient, and we live a fast-paced life. In my opinion, the struggle to stray away from a processed diet is challenging and will take awareness at all ages of life for change to occur.
The companies behind these processed foods amazed me, just the amount of time, money and research spent on creating a perfect selling product is astonishing. Cheetos, for example, are made by scientists in a lab. These scientists have perfected the chemical breakdown of the product, so it melts perfectly in your mouth when it hits your tongue. This allows the consumer to feel like they aren't eating anything at all, so you can keep consuming more without the thought of overeating or getting full. With the awareness of processed foods rising, companies attack impoverished nations with their products (Warner 231). They also strategically attack kids, spending 2 billion a year on marketing towards the younger generations (Warner 229). Think about how many cereal commercials are on during SpongeBob, or how the cereal boxes are strategically placed in the grocery store at perfect eye level for kids. It is incredible to see what these companies will go through to sell product and increase margins. The sad thing is scientists have the technology and knowledge to make processed foods healthier but are often bogged down by companies and their strict budgets to maintain profits. It crosses my mind whether these companies are here to make food and help the world like so many of their brands' press, or do they care only for money and margins. Walmart for example, everything is all there ready to eat and reasonably priced, why? The company kills its suppliers with strict contracts that force processing companies to use the most cost-effective ingredients as possible (Warner 233). It is essential to understand food is made to be sold, and companies will go to any lengths to keep product selling on grocery store shelves. My hope for food is high, as the future can hold many great things in the food industry. With technology getting stronger every day, healthier and more sustainable solutions to feeding a large population with limited land and resources are being discovered (Warner 228). But, as of now, I believe the weight falls on the consumers to make a change in this world of highly processed fake foods. Companies must adhere to consumer needs, and if the change occurs in our own kitchens and diets, then the companies will change the product to sell it. It's simple supply and demand. The awareness of the processed food world is growing, and changes need to be made for the sake of the future. Parents must become aware of these issues, and their children informed to understand what they are eating. Most food habits are created at a young age and passed down by their guardians, and if awareness grows within the young generations, it can lead to a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle for future generations (Warner 228). We should understand what we eat, where it comes from, and how it is made. Like many people, I was eating and not thinking. Now, my awareness of processed foods and eating have morphed. I will give you the book when I come home so you can form your own opinions, but I just thought you would enjoy this knowing your interest in dieting, specifically the fat flush program you do every year. Let me know what you think.
Best,
Keith
Topic Explorer: Beef Sustainability
Documentary: Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret The documentary, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, explores the adverse effects that raising livestock can have on the environment and questions why the topic is not one of central concerns regarding environmental sustainability. Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn interview numerous environmental professionals and organizations, addressing concerns over environmental problems and the impact livestock plays. As the tag team crew interviews person after person, we learn that raising livestock affects global warming, water consumption, and deforestation. Livestock can do massive damages to the environment, as they produce more greenhouse gas emissions than the whole transportation sector altogether. Not only do livestock exceed transportation emissions, but the methane emissions are also 86 times more destructive than carbon from exhausts. These emissions impact global warming, and Kip makes it known that something must be done. He addresses how water consumption is also of high concern regarding livestock, and we learn that it takes 2500 gallons to produce 1lb of beef. As a result, animal agriculture is guilty of using 55% of the worlds water usage. Lastly, Kip addresses rainforests, a topic that rarely comes to mind regarding livestock. During an interview, we learn that 91% of rainforests are being cut down for agribusiness at an alarming rate of an acre per second. If you’re human, that should put an uneasy feeling in your gut. This documentary is an excellent resource, as Kip and Keegan use interviews to show how raising livestock impacts three different areas of the environment. The two also bring up a compelling argument as to why this topic is not the primary concern evolving around environmental sustainability efforts and to the organizations who back them. The piece contributes a solid understanding of environmental concerns that arise around raising livestock, while also questioning why organizations do not recognize the topic as one of central concern regarding sustainability. Book: The Art and Science of Grazing: How Grass Farmers Can Create Sustainable Systems for Healthy Animals and Farm Ecosystems In this book, Sarah Flack outlines the details of managing a sustainable grazing system that can raise producing livestock. This source has relevant information on how to create a well-managed grazing pasture, which I believe won't be much help, based on previous research and understanding. I was looking to find information about the impacts of doing so, rather than creating a system. However, there still were several things I believe would add value and substance to this research topic. The first is how Flack explains the complex relationship between land and livestock, and how a poorly managed grazing pasture can have several harmful effects on the environment and animals. Flack emphasized the importance of creating a reliable system that benefits both the environment and livestock. For example, grazing cuts the need to mow pastures and cows spread their own manure, both events save farmers on fuel, time and oil. Flack also states how livestock grazing systems can transform ecosystems. A pasture could go from an empty field to a thriving ecosystem with soil variety, vegetation, and aquatic life. All of which, with the cows' help, supports each other. A well-managed grazing system creates an ecosystem that is well-flowing and holds large variety, while creating a healthy relationship in the environment that is good for everyone. Although this book has only a couple of chapters on the impacts of good pasture management, I feel that it would not have enough usable content to base a research project around. It does however show that there are ways to sustainably raise livestock and proves that well-managed pastures and grazing would be better for cows, people, and the environment. These contributions in combination add value to determining whether beef is sustainable. News Articles: Meat is Horrible; Rachel Premack, July 3, 2016. The Washington Post In this article, Premack establishes the negative impact red meat has on the environment, what we should do about it, and the problems arising around political actions to fix it. Premack explains how half of greenhouse gas emissions generated from agriculture come from livestock. Not only do they produce large amounts of emissions, but the methane is far more destructive. She then talks about the actions we should take to fix this problem, like taxing producers or cutting meat from diets. Although a global tax from the UN would work, food is political and imposing anything in the American diet is dangerous, as lobbyists support and control many decisions. Overall, this article could play a significant role in supporting an argument on this topic, as it contains information about both problems and solutions we could face and implement.
Low-Emission Cows: Farming Responds to Climate warning; Jonathan Watts; October 12, 2018. The Guardian Watts explains the response that farmers are taking to a UN warning to cut meat consumption or face complete climate destruction. He explains how this warning has caused individuals to make farming and agriculture a high priority in efforts to reduce emission. Specifically, Watts shows how farmers and scientists are using technology and breeding to produce low emission cows that produce less methane while being raised. Being that there are already cows that produce considerably less methane than others, if we could breed them all together, we could create farms that only raise low emission livestock. This source is active in providing a solid example of how farming can be changed to address emission problems. It also lays out essential evidence that shows that this a topic of high concern for government officials and climate researching scientists.
A massive reduction in meat eating: ‘essential' to avoid climate breakdown; Damian Carrington; October 10, 2018. The Guardian This article lays out the importance of reducing the amount of meat consumed globally. Carrington explains that to avoid future world hunger problems, western countries must cut consumption by 90%. This source does a great job at emphasizing the importance of quickly acting on this problem. With the population expected to rise 2.3 billion by 2050, Carrington establishes that a solution must be implemented soon. The source does a great job at directing attention to the importance of this problem, and how quickly the world needs to act to ensure we do not hit an environmental crisis in the future. Summary of topic potential Not only do I find this topic very interesting, but I believe it could be of very high potential for a more in-depth research project. The problem at hand is serious, very complex, and intertwining. The actions to fix these problems are hindered by policy implications and political alliances. Because this topic is vital to the environment, it is crucial to the future as well. There is a lot more knowledge to be learned on this problem, specifically the current political actions taking place to address the topic. Regulations on farming would also be an area where research could be done to gain an understanding of how farmers currently are strangling under government emission regulations. Personally, I am interested in learning about the lobbying and political alliances that control agricultural decisions that affect farming and the environment. Politics is corrupted by teams of partnerships that have the power to enforce or not enforce certain decisions in office, and this has a tremendous impact on the toxic situation. The fact that this topic should be of high concern and is often looked over as the main problem to environmental issued proves that an in-depth research assignment could be essential to allowing others to gain knowledge and form viewpoints on this topic.
Walmart. A melting pot of cultural backgrounds and tastes. What makes Walmart different from other stores is the extensive selection they offer. The store has a wide variety of products for a wide range of people. As I walked into Walmart, I saw many kinds of people. So, I began by asking myself why these people are shopping here. I saw a family of three, mother and two kids, getting groceries and the son was wearing a football uniform. I thought maybe they could be stopping in quick for snacks before the game. I followed them around a little and saw the son's eye get caught on the Halloween display that was near the produce. It had pumpkins, apple cider, candy. Mainly all the things a kid would want. I thought this was interesting, a smart move by the store managers. This display was placed in an area of primary traffic, next to the produce and Beef section. No matter where you are in the store you must cross these sections and this display, which means all the kids who come shopping with their parents will walk past the display. Our culture determines where the display is in the store, and what it contains. Since American culture is centered around beef and lunch meat and cheese, it is a smart move to place this display by these sections. As most American families would have to go through this section and see the Halloween display. Halloween is a cultural passion across most of the United States, and our lives and our whole fall season is based around it. The fall foods we eat, are almost always paired up with Halloween treats and costumes. Entire grocery stores are transformed to sell more Halloween based food items. Think about the alcohol section in Walmart; I saw a display in there with fireball whiskey, apple cider, apples, caramel flavoring. All things needed for a beautiful warm fall hard apple cider to enjoy at your Halloween party. Even the size of the alcohol section, and the other displayed deals they have going on reflect our culture. Take the 14.99 sales on a case of HAMS light beer, why is it the main display? Well, this Walmart is close to a college town, and the owner knows students are looking for cheap alcohol. The store is set up for college students, as soon as you walk in you are greeted with tailgating gear and then dorm room decorations and furniture. Overall, it was easy to see how this Walmart is designed to adhere to their target market of college students. A completely different style than what the Oriental Mart had going. Oriental Mart was unique to me, as it was my first time being in one. Although different, it was set up like a regular store. It was much smaller than a Walmart or Kroger, and it seemed to me that there were not as many options as the two. Culture runs the decisions behind this store, what they sell, and who buys it. For instance, I saw some dried squid snack or treat thing, resembling beef jerky. I thought it was kind of gross, but I thought back to our class reading from, "That's Disgusting," and remembered that many different cultures have tastes that would be out of the ordinary from my culture. This store is less likely to have someone run in and grab a pack of hot dog buns or can of beans for the tailgate. This store is for the people who eat and have been eating Asian meals for a long time. They are the individuals who have a strong cultural background with these items and tastes. I didn't see many people shopping while I was in there, but the people whom I did see all looked like college students. This made sense, as we were close to a college campus that holds a very dense and diverse population of international students. I was trying to get a feel for the setup of the store, but I didn't know too much about the items being sold to figure out its marketing set up. Like how the dairy aisle in Walmart is all the way in the back, it makes people travel across the entire store, ensuring marketing displays are seen. This mart though was hard to figure out. There were no huge main displays just smaller ones of which I did not know what the items where. Overall, it was interesting to see the differences between Walmart and Oriental Mart as far as size and selection goes. The differences show that both stores are aimed at two completely different cultures. The Okemos Farmers market was an exciting experience. It was not like the other produce stores. It was much smaller and mainly all vegetables and some fruits. What caught my eye specifically was the prices, as they were a lot higher than I expected them to be. I expected a lot of lower-income backgrounds and family's to be shopping here and a lot of lower more affordable prices. However, to my shock, the prices were kind of high. I thought this was weird, but then I thought about the reading, "In America, you are what you eat: Education and income matter more than party affiliation," and thought about how cultural preferences vary by social class. Then it made sense. The market was targeting people that had that knowledge of fresh organic produce as a healthy alternative to store food. These people generally have higher education levels and higher income. The culture affects the consumer. In this case, the consumers, in my opinion, are the better-educated people that see organic produce as the better way to attain vegetables. Overall, the experience was enjoyable. I got the chance to make cultural connections across different levels of food markets. It will aid in my understanding of culture and the impact it has on the food we eat and where we get it from.