Food for Thought

Food for Thought is a blog site that offers recipes with nutritional information on many foods. The old adage "You are what you eat" is a very true statement. What goes into our bodies will have an impact on how we feel, how we behave, and have influence on our overall physical and mental health. The food, medications, vitamins and herbal supplements, and the air we breathe that go into our body’s impacts the way we feel physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.  

Cultural Influence

There are many factors that will influence our nutritional intake, such as our eating habits, the ability to pay for food, and awareness of nutrition on the body. Everyone comes from a unique culturally diverse background which includes our cultural and ethnic influences. 

Every country has their own unique cuisine which played role in our diets from the time of conception, during our childhood, and into our adult lives. Cultural influence plays a significant role in what we eat. For example, if you grew up in an Asian culture, chances are you are lots of rice and fish. As research has evolved we have found that Asian diets are rich in rice, fish, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and low in red meat. They have a lower rate of cancer, heart disease, and obesity than American diets. On the other hand, if an Asian family grew up in America, then American influence would have a significant influence on their diet. They may eat foods from both cultures.

Affordability and Poverty

Let’s look at yet another factor which plays a role in nutrition, finances. If the Asian family who grew up in America were living in poverty, then that too would play a role in the family’s diet. Families in poverty are known to eat poorly, no pun intended. Poorly as in poor in vitamins and minerals. Some reasons include the price of processed foods versus fresh foods. For example, a family may have no car and they will purchase items at the nearest convenience store, or dollar store. 

Many of the products at dollar stores and convenience stores sell packaged foods 

loaded with preservatives and provide little nutritional value and have a high fat content. It is rare to see fresh fruits and veggies at these stores. Some options include 100% juice, however, again due to the price of fresh 100% juices verses a drink with only 10% juices will determine whether someone will purchase the 100% juice. 

Ramen noodles and Kool-aid are common foods purchased by those on a tight budget, including students in college or those on welfare. Why? because they are inexpensive and taste great! You can get 6 packages of Ramen for $1.00. That can feed 6 people. You can get kool-aid on sale for $1.00 and it has about 32 servings per container. Kids love it and parents can afford it. However the products are loaded with sodium and sugar. High intake of sodium is linked to high blood pressure and water retention, and high intake of sugar is linked to obesity and diabetes. Our ancestors were on to something when they said "Everything in Moderation." Like all things if in moderation, then chances are it won't have a significant impact on overall health. However, moderation means something different to everyone, therefore understanding the basics of nutrition will help in determining what that means to each person. 

Nutrition Education

Many individuals in poverty were raised in poverty and do not know better, repeating the cycle of poor nutritional choices that their parents did; making awareness and education a priority. The USDA and other government agencies are recognizing this and are helping those who have less money to purchase fresh foods. In Detroit Michigan, the Eastern Market provides individuals with “double up bucks” a program that offers individual who have a bridge card (food stamps) to receive double amount of fresh fruits and veggies if they use their card, there is a limit. For example, if the person purchases $20 in fresh fruits and veggies they will receive $20 in additional food bucks to purchase more fruits and veggies. The goal is to encourage healthy eating and improve overall health. Other programs include community gardens for individuals who cannot afford fresh fruits and veggies. Typically these are held at church gardens and community centers.

This website provides nutritional information, in addition to many recipes for all budgets. Nutrition can be fun, informative and has an impact on how we feel. Many of the diseases and mental health issues experienced by so many are related to nutritional intake. This is a result of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, high sugar and fat content, making us feel sluggish, tired and depressed. Nutrition can be a domino effect that turns into diseases and misdiagnoses. Proper nutrition begins at conception and throughout the lifespan. Our bodies have different nutritional requirements throughout our life. Please read, nutrition across the lifespan here.