August 22, 2016

HEALTH
WHAT STARTED PROCESSED FOODS?

How did we get into a processed and preserved mess?

​ My idea of "the past" has farmers tilling the land on small farms that feed and maintain local communities. But how on earth did we jump from home made dinners to fast food drive thrus, isles completely lined with various chips and finger foods that would probably be crisp for another 10 years from now,  food with so much added salt, sugar and fat that they have contributed to our country being plagued with horrible diseases?
After the Second World War, early 1940s, there were some major socioeconomic shifts across the United States of America. Women who had previously done the food prep for their families entered to work force and meals stopped being cooked at home. The food industry capitalized on the need for fast food, and produced meals that were calorically much higher and processed. The Modern Western diet was born and consists, to this day, of high meat, processed foods and low grains, creating a food environment that fails to support our health. We now eat more salt, fat and sugar, combined with larger volumes of food.
With our population over eating, there was a push for makers of processed foods to reduce the fat content in their foods, which they did to meet demand, however, to keep flavor high they started to added more sugar and corn syrup which increased the shelf life of products as well as the incidents of obesity and diabetes. The balance between food availability and calorie expenditure has also been disrupted further by lack of consistent physical activity.

When food has no label, just one name, like broccoli, asparagus, wild rice, or black beans, you can have a higher chance at avoiding colorants, artificial flavors, stabilizers, added, fats, sugars, salts and other preservatives. 

​Love animals, love the planet, love your body <3
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The information in this blog post comes largely from the lectures of Maya Adam, MD, from Stanford Introduction to Food and Health by Stanford University.
Ruffles Tapatio images are from Walmart.com
Below are the Nutrition Facts for Ruffles Tapatio Limon chips, just in case you want to check it out :)

​Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Corn, And/Or Canola Oil), Tapatio Limon Seasoning (Maltodextrin [Made from Corn], Sodium Diacetate, Spices, Salt, Natural Flavors [Including Natural Lime Flavor], Modified Corn Starch, Monosodium Glutamate, Garlic Powder, And Artificial Color [Including Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake]).

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VEGAN FOOD DOES NOT EQUAL HEALTHY FOOD

Sitting on the couch, cradling a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos ...

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​The Vegan Tool Kit
Meat, Dairy & Egg Substitutes

Why would you Need Substitutes? 
You don’t need substitutes, eating whole foods is ideal for your body, but food is as much of a cultural and emotional event as a nutritional one ...