Britta Riley: A garden in my apartment

Pointing Fingers

I remember last year for my anatomy class, the class was assigned a food log and questions to answer and one of the questions was concerning fast food. I can’t remember the exact words of the question, but I remember that it questioned whether fast food was to blame for people’s food habits?

My opinion is that fast food shouldn’t be blamed for people’s food habits. Fast food and junk food are always targeted when it comes to the rising obesity rates in our country, but it is not the companies’ fault. I believe that the one is fault is the consumer. Yes, the food companies present us with mouthwatering advertisement of the food they are selling, but I think that it is not the problem. I have been reading a couple of articles and even posts on the blog saying that people get fast food because it is the easiest way to get food and fulfill our hunger or cravings, which I believe should be the blame for people’s food habits. We, the consumers, have the ability to chose not to buy and eat fast food. We can decide to not to be the cliché of the food industry always buying fast food because it is so accessible. If people start finding time during the day to cook their own food, there might be a decrease in people buying fast food. Plus with cooking your own food, you have the choice of adding whatever ingredients and flavors your preference desires.

What do you guys think? Should the fast food chains be to blame or should the consumers be blamed?

The Worlds Top 10 Most Innovative Food Companies

Yeah, that's right.

Click here.

Obesity-parents the cause and solution?

I really like the Ted link that Ms. Fletcher posted called “Teach Every Child About Food”. He says that diet related disease is the biggest killer in America. The fact that it’s diet related means that we can control our diets and change it to reduce the amount of people dying from this disease. Many people believe that the parents are the main cause of the obesity epidemic. The reason for this is because they are the ones who feed them and are supposed to do what’s right for their kid. But many parents don’t know what to feed their kids or are too busy to cook or they just don’t know how to cook. What ever the reason, they give their children fast food and processed foods because it’s fast and cheaper than going to a grocery store and buying produce, which in my opinion shows that parents are the main cause for the obesity epidemic. There are many factors that caused the obesity epidemic, such as the fast food restaurants, and the government, and the way our society has evolved, but I believe that parents are the main cause and are the main solution to this problem. One solution for this would be, as Jamie Oliver said, to teach parents how to cook. He also said that kids should learn about food and what they are eating. They don't eat their vegetables because they don't know what it is. In the video, he asked elementary school kids to name the vegetables that he was holding, and they didn’t name any of them correctly.

Another cause for obesity is that if the parents are obese then most likely their kid will end up becoming obese because if their parents have poor eating habits and don’t exercise, then they will most likely raise their kids in this way. If parents are ignorant then their kids are more likely to become obese, so parents need to be taught about what to feed their children and how much to feed them. They also need to be taught how much daily exercise their kids should get.  Do you think that parents are to blame if their child is obese? If so, then what do you think parents should do to prevent/solve obesity? What do you think about this and how should we deal with this problem?

Improve School Lunches

Many of us get free lunch and the problem is that we don't care how unhealthy the food is. The fact that pizza is one of the food choices everyday just shows how messed up school lunch programs are. I mean don't get me wrong, I love pizza but honestly I never realize that they serve pizza almost everyday until I read  "No Lunch Left Behind" by Alice Waters and Katrina Heron.  What interest me the most is when they mentioned that most people don't recognize that very little of the $9 billion goes to the food they eat, most of it goes to utilities and custodial services. This is where the issue comes in because our health is important but if we put in all the money to our food then our school would not be what it is today. The floor would probably be full of trash all the time and restrooms would be much more worse than it already is. Heron and Waters also stated that the ingredients found on school lunches are the same as the ingredients on fast foods. If this is the case then what is the point of the whole program? I'm really disappointed with this school program because they fail to meet the basic nutritional standards. I mean I love fast food and I think they're the best but these program needs to start putting more money on healthy food. I think that if they choose salads and other low calorie food as their everyday food choices, a lot of students would actually be forced to eat them because they can't just go on a day without eating. I know a lot of people who come to school without eating breakfast before they leave their house. If schools started feeding students healthy food, many students would have no choice but to eat those healthy food. Starting from scratch and producing locally grown food is the best way to improve school lunches because if we just added more money to these programs and leave it like that nothing is going to change. There has to be some restriction on where the money will be spent. Eating healthy food can be expensive but if you think about it, the outcome would all be positive: long term savings, healthy and dietary habits, food safety, and environmental and energy conservation. So, who needs to take part in changing school lunch programs? According to Waters and Heron, the Agriculture Department has to create a separate program for delivering food and also to provide for healthy meal planning. The Department of Education needs to do most of the job because not only will they have to educate the students on healthy food, they will also have to educate them on  how the food will affect their health. Heron and Waters concluded that everyone deserves to eat an organic food and that the government should contribute more on this instead of the increasing epidemiology of obesity. So, what do you think needs to happen in order to improve school lunch programs?

McDonald's Pink Slime?

    So, since we're on the topic of food politics, have you guys heard about the pink slime contained in McDonald's hamburgers? I know its kind of an old topic, but I'm still surprised by it. Personally, I LOVE McDonald's, but when I saw this it didn't really affect me as much as it should have. I just swept it off and chose to ignore the fact that there was something unknown going into the processed meat I was eating, but at the time, I truly didn't care. Did it affect any of you or make an impact on whether you ate McDonald's or not?
    Now that I think of it, even if I did make a choice to stop eating it because of that, I still would have bought McDonald's a couple of times, not only because I like the McChicken Sandwiches, but because when my family is on the rush, McDonald's is the go to place while on the road. I know its not the healthiest choice, but when its fast and cheap, there's no going wrong with it, other than your health. But I never really paid too much attention to the politics behind food until we started studying this unit.
    Anyways, I recently looked into the whole Pink Slime theory and actually discovered a lot of things about it that I didn't know before. According to ABC News, the pink slime is actually boneless lean beef trimming, which is pretty much all the meat left over after all the good cuts are taken to be sold as beef. The reason it looks like pink slime is because it is treated with ammonium hydroxide to get rid of bacteria in the meat. Ammonium hydroxide may sound familiar, because it was also mentioned in Food Inc. It is what is used on crops, such as corn, to get rid of bacteria like E. Coli. So, although it may be disgusting and questionable, this "pink slime" has been used in their burgers and haven't caused any issues yet. But, McDonald's has publicly said that they will stop producing the boneless lean beef trimmings in their food, coincidentally right after the rumor of the "pink slime" in the food was brought to the public eye on the show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.
     No matter what the reasoning behind McDonald's stopping the use of pink slime was, it has been removed as an ingredient and is no longer produced in their meats. But what do you think about this whole issue? How is it that a huge corporation such as McDonald's could go so long without anyone every discovering what this ingredient in our food was? The fast food industry has a lot of power in this economy, yet we don't' look into it as much as I think we should.

Unhealthy School Lunches

Processed foods that are high in fat, sugar, and salt have become a great component of  school lunches in schools across America. Experts say these unhealthy school lunches are a contributing factor to the childhood obesity epidemic. A movement is  to bring change to school lunch programs across the country. What’s wrong with school lunches is what is wrong with all the food we’re eating. It’s not just in the schools one of the biggest deficits is the lack of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. While its still a big problem unhealthy  school lunches and childhood obesity situations are getting attention and there are some positive change happening.

Undeniably Us

Look at us – always at rush, always late. We spend more time at work, but we do not have time to prepare our food. Guess what we do? We go to fast food because it is cheap and fast service, but most of us do not know what’s in it. We care more about the taste and looks, but we do not care where the food comes from, or how the food is made. This is undeniably us. We just eat whatever food is available even we know that they are unhealthy. In the article “The Pleasure of Eating”, Wendell Berry stated that eating is an agricultural act, but most of the people do not think that they are the participants of this act. They view themselves as a customer or consumer, in which they not care how the food is made, where the food came from, or how food is prepared. I somewhat agree with Wendell Berry because if you ask me how the food is made, my answer would be “I don’t know”, and if you give me money to buy something to eat, I would just probably buy the cheapest food in store, or I will just buy microwavable food or fast foods, so that I do not have to prepare it. Berry also stated that eating is a pleasure, therefore, we must know how is the food is made. He suggested that we should grow our own food and take our time to prepare it. This is a very hard thing to do, especially for busy people because it takes a lot of time and effort to do it just to have healthier, more enjoyable and more pleasurable food.

research topic

While attempting to decide what my research topic was going to be, I had a difficult time understanding what had to be done. I came up with a topic but I am not sure its worthy enough or if I can find enough information to successfully complete this assignment. I have many questions and I feel sort of stressed out regarding this. Hopefully I am not the one struggling. If anybody can give me some insight I would appreciate it greatly.

Stalk Your Food

Wendell Berry states that in order to have pleasure in eating we must have an “extensive pleasure” in which we have knowledge about our food. I have noticed recently, people in urban areas have been taking precaution with their food habits. I do not know if it is due to the growing obesity rates in the world or its just a fad that has struck the population, but there has been an awareness in making conscious decisions when it comes to food choices. I think the rise for this health kick is due to the Internet, which is the hub for everything and anything. I am always on the Internet and I realized there has been so many articles and blog post that empower people to live a healthier lifestyle. People would share their advice on what types of food to buy and talk about being aware of how the food is produced, raised, and whether it contains chemicals or pesticides, which is why I come to the assumption that there has been an increase of people shopping at farmer’s markets and health food stores such as Wholefoods. There has been a growth of people deciding to become their own farmers and harvesting their own fresh produce, and the Internet as well comes in handy for you can find tips on gardening and cultivating the land.  I do agree that in order to have pleasure in eating we must know the origin of our food and know how our food is being produced. If people have knowledge about the food they eat, finding out how it was made and how long it took to be created or produced, people will appreciate the food they are consuming and eating won’t just be a simple task we need to do on a daily.  So the next time you buy something in the grocery store read about it first, learn the identity of the fruit or vegetable or meat, and find out whether its worth spending money on and consuming. 

The struggle to eat healthy and stay "well"thy

For me, the article that stood out the most is “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause" by Jane E. Brody. The article talked about the reasons why obesity epidemic happened in the first place. Brody stated that vending machines, food courts, and countless television food commercials did not exist when she was growing up. What struck me the most was when she talked about how feet used to serve as a main means of transportation and people had to walk 2-3 blocks just to buy chips or soda. Today, all you have to do is tell your parents and they will drive you to get food and in a matter of minutes your cravings would be satisfied. Brody declared that women played a role in the high percentage of obesity because when they entered work force, food markets started mass producing foods with “palate appeal” just to make food more readily accessible for everyone. Because the stay-at-home mom status is now gone and many women today are too busy trying to make ends meet, they don’t have time to cook and take care of their children. Most of the time, my parents would get home late at night and they have no choice but to eat at a fast food restaurant. We all love eating out and satisfying our cravings but what we don’t realize is the effect of the food in our health; we only focus on satisfying our cravings and not on maintaining a healthy diet. In addition, I think that stress eating is also one of the causes of obesity in many teenagers. In my case, I would sit and munch on a party size chips while I do my homework because it helps to keep me going and finish all my homework. I’m sure that if I keep doing this I would end up being obese but sometimes I just can’t help it. To reduce our calorie intake, Dr. Gortmaker, a sociologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, suggest putting 10% tax on unhealthy foods, placing more apparent labels on packaged foods, and reducing advertisements of junk foods and beverages. Brody concluded that just like smoking, it will take a lot of time and effort to reduce the percentage of obesity. So, who do you think is to blame for the epidemiology of obesity? Do you think Dr. Gortmaker’s solution is a good idea?

No Lunch Left Behind

     Out of the 5 articles we were given to read, "No Lunch Left Behind" was definitely the one that was most interesting to me. Alice Waters and Katrina Heron mention a lot of details and facts about the National School Lunch Program and how it works, and honestly I don't think its working out so well. I think their points are proven just by looking at the lunches we are served at Mayfair. I don't know about you guys, but I have chosen to pack my own lunch because I refuse to have greasy cheese pizza or soggy grilled cheese every day. In certain aspects, our lunch program isn't too bad; I mean, they do offer salad as a choice and provide fruits, such as apples and pears. But how many students do you see that actually reach for the fruit, or choose the salad over the pizza instead?
     Waters and Heron mentioned that the program costs around $9 billion, but that little of that money is even used on the food that is provided for us to eat. To make up for the cost, "schools are entitled to receive commodity foods that are valued at a little over 20 cents per meal". So on top of the fact that our lunches are "low grade meats and cheeses and processed foods", we are paying $2.50 for lunches that are only worth 20 cents! Sounds a little silly to me, given that a chicken sandwich from any fast food restaurant runs for half that price. But that is also part of the problem. The National School Lunch Program is receiving billions of dollars to provide healthy meals for students, but instead we are being served food that is equivalent to, if not worse, than fast food itself. Clearly, a little more effort should be put in providing healthier foods to students, especially since health rates have been declining every year.
     Waters and Heron suggest buying locally grown food to provide for students in school, although it will cost a little more money. Do you guys think the cost is worth it? Should the government be willing to give a little more to provide healthy meals for us? And as mentioned, should the Department of Education be involved and also be required to pay for part of the lunch program?

Cornstalks Everywhere (but nothing else)

Check out this review of the book A World in One Cubic Foot by Robert Krulwich of Radiolab!  This is cool because it communicates so well, but it's awful, tragic, devastating information.  It worries me.  

The Pleasures of Eating

While shopping at the grocery store with my dad, I would walk up and down the aisles, dreading every minute, wanting all of the food that I saw. I asked my dad if we could get this and that, of course it was hot Cheetos, or junk food and he would always say no. I never paid attention to what was in the meat my dad purchased, or any other type of food we bought. I just saw it as its there so might as well eat it. After reading Wendell Berry's "The Pleasures of Eating" I got an uneasy type of feeling in my stomach. What have I been putting into my body all these years? How are these animals being treated and raised? A whole bunch of emotions came over me and I wanted to stop reading, but I continued and his words opened my eyes. Now when I go to the store I will take this things into consideration. In the seven steps he listed, I know I can prepare my own food, and become more informative regarding farmers and gardening. I think we should all attempt to try at least one of his steps. It will never hurt to try. :)

Age of Power!

Many of us are reaching the age of noticeable power…18. At 18 we can register to vote and “make our voices heard” on issues that we find important. We can have our say in the food movement and decide where the power lies: with the big businesses controlling our conscious decisions or with the consumers making informed and intelligent choices. For example, I think taxing unhealthy foods and drinks and more obvious nutrition labeling are huge measures that can attack the obesity epidemic (Jane E. Brody) and stand up to the big businesses like Monsanto. In order to really address the politics of food, we have to make changes to the lack of transparency for consumers and the lack of choice for farmers. The consumers need to know what they are consuming and how it came to be what they see in the package. Labeling and information provided on food are practical requirements and we need the right information to choose intelligently. The lack of choice does not end with the consumers; the farmers suffer the suffocating fist of big business that does not allow for the healthy, “right” way of growing food. I think it’s worth putting our money towards promoting healthy lifestyles with taxes on bad food and creating healthy school lunch programs (“No Lunch Left Behind”). By investing in these kinds of steps we not only can show our power by taking control through our informed and intelligent choices in the food industry, but save lives. What is the extent of your role in the food movement? Now that we have read these articles, do you plan on making changes to your food choices and understanding as a consumer?

Politics of Food

This is a wide open topic with multiple fascinating avenues to explore.  Don't get stuck.  Find a research question you are genuinely interested in, and follow your research in a direction that matters.  It makes the work fly by; it's interesting and real when the writer really wants to know something.

Here are some websites you can explore:

Michael Pollan has his own web page
Here's the Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley
The Food Inc. documentary has a website
The Edible Schoolyard -- wouldn't it be cool to plant a garden here at Mayfair?  What would it take?
Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

The fourth talk here (all about ecosystems) is about our dwindling bee populations.  Galvanizing.
Ron Finley inspires me:  a TEDTalk about guerrilla gardening
Jamie Oliver's TEDTalk called "Teach Every Child About Food"
Another TEDTalk:  "My (subversive) garden plot"

I planted last year in hay bales that I purchased up the street at Bellflower Feed.  You could put one of these bales almost anywhere, even beside a driveway.  I'm going to try this again this year -- it was easy, cheap and fun -- my idea of a good time.  Last year, I planted four; this year, I'm gonna double that.  (Twice the fun.)

Early:

Later:

Audre Lorde

I just wanted to discuss Audre Lorde and her article we had to read. She really opened up my eyes to problems that we are surrounded by but don't pay attention to. I never realized how many people face the same problems she did. I find it very inspirational that she was brave enough to speak up, which made a difference in many individuals lives. Hopefully your mindsets changed after discussing and reading her article. :)

Hello everybody. I hope second semester is going well for you all. We are getting closer to the end so lets keep working hard. :)