Nutrition Class: An Introduction
In college there are certain classes that come highly recommended –they usually have some combination of an incredible professor and an interesting subject. One of those classes for my school was Health 103: Nutrition.
Now as I look back I realize that it was one of the most life-changing classes I ever took. It was a no-nonsense, holistic approach to nutrition and health. That semester changed the way I viewed food, what I ate, and in turn I found myself feeling, well, great. I had energy, I found myself more alert, and I won't lie... I looked the best I've looked in my whole life.
It's been a few years though, and I find myself getting foggy on the details. With the abundance of health zealots and health frauds out there it's easy to get a little confused. So I pulled out my old Nutrition notebook and started looking through my old notes ...and then I decided to share them here.
I don't want to get in an argument with anyone over this stuff. In some ways, diets have become almost a religion (not be confused with diets that are a part of a religious practice), and people can get quite evangelical about their own nutritious practices. Just a heads up: here is not the place to evangelize your specific diet.
So what did I learn in that first class? Well, besides the fact that my teacher came off as someone I would enjoy listening to for the rest of the semester.
Well, we –as a class– simply discussed food. Notes below.
Why do we eat what we eat?
Before, we left, though, our professor left us with something else to think about...
Warning signs of health fraud:
Now as I look back I realize that it was one of the most life-changing classes I ever took. It was a no-nonsense, holistic approach to nutrition and health. That semester changed the way I viewed food, what I ate, and in turn I found myself feeling, well, great. I had energy, I found myself more alert, and I won't lie... I looked the best I've looked in my whole life.
It's been a few years though, and I find myself getting foggy on the details. With the abundance of health zealots and health frauds out there it's easy to get a little confused. So I pulled out my old Nutrition notebook and started looking through my old notes ...and then I decided to share them here.
I don't want to get in an argument with anyone over this stuff. In some ways, diets have become almost a religion (not be confused with diets that are a part of a religious practice), and people can get quite evangelical about their own nutritious practices. Just a heads up: here is not the place to evangelize your specific diet.
So what did I learn in that first class? Well, besides the fact that my teacher came off as someone I would enjoy listening to for the rest of the semester.
Well, we –as a class– simply discussed food. Notes below.
Why do we eat what we eat?
- We like the way it tastes Yup!
- It's convenient
- Cultural/Religious practices
- Nutritional Content
- Which raises the question: Who defines nutrition? Our parents? The Media? That one person you assume knows what they're talking about?
- Comfort Oh so guilty!
- Discipline
- Availability This is why the vending machine at work became oh-so-dangerous for me...
- Psychological (e.g. superstitions)
- Rituals (e.g. sports)
- Cost A reason I've only recently encountered.
- Performance/Energy A reason I only paid attention to after this class.
- We are less physically active –for an abundance of reasons
- Increase in calorie consumption
- We've relatively stopped eating fruits & vegetables
- Family meals are a thing of the past (food isn't being prepared)
- Processed foods fill our grocery stores
- Pesticides can be found in our foods
- Sizes aren't the same - A size 6 isn't what it once was
Before, we left, though, our professor left us with something else to think about...
Warning signs of health fraud:
- The use of the words "all-natural"
- Testimonials (a favorite for TV marketing)
- False medical words
- Supplement sales
- Things targeted at disease
Why do you eat what you eat?
Comments
Post a Comment