Why Americans Love Fast Food, You Are What You Eat - Coursework Example

Healthy Eating on the Go Today, most people have heard that it is very important to eat well and exercise. Most will attempt to eat at least one meal at home but many say that they are too busy to eat well when they are on the go. With hectic schedules, kids to take to games and busy schedules at work, getting time to sit down to a meal can become irritating and increases the chances to grab something and go. Many parents and single people have given up trying to eat well because they do not know hot to do it on the go: they are discouraged and finally give up with "why bother?" As their question. What most people do not understand is that with a little ingenuity and creativity, they can still eat healthy when they are on the go. Americans Love Fast Food In an article by CBS News Health, Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal spoke about the fact that Americans are obsessed with fast food because it is easy and cheap. Americans also like it because it is a food they can eat on the go while driving. According to Schlosser, over 300,000 people die of obesity or being overweight each year (para. 10). This seems to be an alarming figure especially when it is added to the inference that obesity has risen as fast food has become more popular. This has created a country where people are more prone to obesity then ever before; it is also affecting children. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), obesity among adults has continued to rise over the last 25 years. Over 400,000 adults are obese and this rate has "increased to 26.1 percent in 2008 compared to 25.6 percent in 2007" (para. 1 and 3). The challenge is that as obesity is rising, doctors are finding that chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease are being seen in younger adults. Why is this happening? Is often the question asked. The reason it is happening is because many people rely on fast food for most of their intake and they lose valuable nutrients that they would get from other types of food. Gone are the days when everyone sat at the dinner table together and where mom or dad prepared a home cooked meal that include the essential foods that are necessary for the body to develop. Eating on the go has become a national past time with no end in sight. Proper Nutrition: You Are What You Eat There was a time when poor nutrition was presented as a disease of other Third World countries. Today, it is happening all over the world and in the United States it can happen without people knowing they have poor nutrition. Good nutrition is important for optimal health. According to Lerner, Loman and Majors (2008), diets of high carbohydrates (fast food and prepackaged foods) "leave a constant level of insulin in the system, which lowers serotonin levels and causes inflammation" (p. 29). This fact is a challenge for many people because low serotonin levels can create depression and other illnesses. Although many diet programs help people lose weight, they do not help them become healthier, according to Lerner, Loman and Majors (p. 61). Lack of time is generally the reason why many people have difficulty with eating well. Their day consists of grabbing whatever fast food is closest and moving on to the next appointment. Many people have developed a lifestyle that is entirely made from fast food and prepackaged foods instead of learning to cook at home and preparing food that can be eaten on the run. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed a food pyramid that describes the different food groups and the amount of food that is "best" for adults as well as children. There are thousands of websites that suggest that eating less than 55 on the Glycemic Index will help people lose weight; the challenge is that with these two products no one has told people how to eat well no matter what they do. Many doctors will suggest (including this writer's doctor) that to have good nutrition, people should eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts and drink more water. All of these ideas assist with balancing nutrition and will help point in the direction of eating better. Proper Nutrition When You're on the Go As stated before, it can be difficult to get the nutrition needed when you are on the go. Many students and parents are rushing from one place to another and do not have time to stop and eat. Usually this means that they are eating on the way to their next appointment or the next class. Healthy eating on the go must be planned ahead of time and when this happens, the individual can still "grab and go" but in a different way. Taking a few hours to plan what is going to be eaten for the entire week (or at least a couple of days) will be worth the effort. In this way, the individual is assured that they are eating healthy no matter where they are at any time. Planning ahead means several things: It is important to have healthy choices in the house instead of pre-packaged foods. The night before leaving the house, it will mean packing a lunch or preparing a breakfast food ahead of time. If there is an early morning appointment, it's a good idea to have everything packed and in one place so that it can be grabbed going out the door. If a mini-cooler is going to be used, it is a good idea to have it ready the night before by having perishables packed in the cooler and non-perishables near the refrigerator so you can load the cooler quickly (Sterns, 2008, p.1). In the morning, there are several choices that can be made instead of coffee and donuts. Tea, whether it is hot or cold is a very good choice. Since there are so many different kinds and varieties, you can find many delicious flavors to use each day. Tea can be carried in an insulated thermos or water bottle. Yogurt is a good alternative in the morning or a smoothie can be made at home easily (Tiner, 2008, p. 1). Snacking can be easy to do on the run because it is very simple to mix and match foods. As an example, some of the best trail mix is made by mixing the types of nuts, dried fruits or popcorn that you like and separating the mix into plastic bags. This is a great way for snacking around the house as well. You can do the same with pretzels or whole wheat crackers (Sterns, p. 2) and if you use low-fat or fat free foods this can also help. When you are not sure what to put together, there are hundreds of recipes on the Internet that will help you eat healthier. Many of them are "grab and go" recipes after a little preparation. One easy recipe for breakfast is listed here: Oatmeal Smoothie Mix the following in a blender: 1 small ripe banana ½ cup frozen mixed berries ½ cup skim milk ½ cup plain yogurt 1 tablespoon ground flax seed ¼ cup of rolled oats (Younger, 2009, p. 1-2). This recipe is filling, gives fiber and also is delicious so that having one in the morning will be a delight. This type of drink can be carried in a coffee mug or a water bottle depending on how much is made. When you have the time it is a good idea to try new foods. This will not only expand your palate, but it will also expand the variety of foods you have for healthy eating. As an example, there are a variety of pastas that are made out of rice, spinach and tomatoes that can be a tasty treat for the family. Leftovers can be taken for lunch the next day. There are different kinds of fruit in the frozen food section of most grocery stores or different types of fresh fruit in season. Trying new foods can create more food choices so that you do not get bored with the menu. There are many snacks or treats that can easily be made at home with better ingredients than what you would get in the pre-packed store bought foods. As an example, instead of purchasing fruit bars in the store that can be mostly sugar (see the individual ingredients on the package), make a nut, seed and fruit snack bar at home. You will need to take time to make these at home because they require baking, but you can make an entire tray at one time. At the store, you may have eight bars in the package, but at home a standard tray may make about 100, depending on how large you make them; you can also control the ingredients that go into them when you do this at home. Another good idea is to make a parfait for the morning that can become a nutritious substitute for bacon and eggs. If you like yogurt, you can use plain yogurt and layer it with your favorite fruit. In other words, put one layer of yogurt, fruit, yogurt and so on until you fill your container. Hummus is also a good food and comes in many flavors. It can be used as a dip for bread, carrots or just about anything else (Sterns, p. 2). There are so many different ways that eating well can be done, and with these suggestions, anyone can get started. Changing Your Lifestyle Everyone has heard that in order to adopt change in their lives, a change in lifestyle must be done. Lifestyle changes can be difficult when starting out because it is a total change from what the individual is used to doing. When the individual is learning healthy eating on the go, it is important to start out slowing. The idea is to start out by changing a few things at a time. As an example, changing what is eaten in the morning is a good start. Instead of coffee and donuts or a quick fast food sandwich, try making something at home that is similar or very different to what you would normally purchase. Pack the cooler with fruit, bottled water, a few sandwiches for lunch and some soy chips or other healthy choice. Next, add more fruit and vegetables that can be dipped and see how this feels with some yogurt. All of these methods can become more fun than rushing out the door to the nearest fast food restaurant. Eating on the Go: Fast Food As humans, most people do not want to change their habits because they have a certain rhythm going that works well for them. In this case, there are still ways to eat healthy when going to a fast food restaurant. Believe it or not, most fast food restaurants are attempting to present menus that are more nutritional than what people traditionally expect. These new menus can help you begin to slowly move away from fast food altogether. As an example, you can choose to eat a salad instead of a hamburger or something fried. You can also choose in the morning a fruit cup instead of a breakfast sandwich. Some restaurants have baked potatoes that can be chosen over French fries. Fruit can also be substituted instead of fries (U.S. College Search, 2007, para. 5). Another important aspect of eating healthy is also to change the things that you drink. Soda is not good for anyone and even diet soda is lacking for healthy eating. There have been many recent studies that showed diet soda is not all that people think. According to Zinczenko and Goulding (2009), diet soda is not necessarily the best choice because it is free of nutrition, it can lead to eating more sugary drinks, and it takes away from getting the right nutrients in your system (p. 1). In reality, the best drink is still purified water. The most important reasons to drink water are because "water energizes and cleans out your body. It also lubricates the joints and organs and helps maintain muscle tone (U.S. College Search, p. 2). In addition, it can also keep the skin softer, regulate body temperature and eliminate toxins from the body. Conclusion Although many people find that eating healthy on the go is difficult, it is very easy to do. Making decisions about what to eat is a choice that is either important or not to someone. A fast paced lifestyle can prevent someone from choosing to eat healthier, but in the long run this choice is important to life in general. There are many studies that show that eating more fruits and vegetables, with proper exercise can decrease obesity and keep an individual away from chronic diseases like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Although eating healthier on the go takes some time because it has to be prepared, the extra time it takes can be rewarding. Many people find that as they begin to make healthier choices about what they eat on the run, that their energy and stamina to get through the day increases. They find that with exercise, they are also more pleasant to be around and they are calmer throughout the day. There are so many benefits to eating healthier it is difficult to understand why people would not try to do it more often. References CBSNEWS. (2001). Interview with Eric Schlosser. Retrieved September 3, 2009 from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/31/health/main326858.shtml. Center for Disease Control. (CDC). (2009). Obesity Among U.S. Adults Continues to Rise. Press Release. Retrieved September 3, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel /2009/r090708.htm. Lerner, B., Loman, G. and Majors, C. (2008). Maximized living makeover. FLA: Maximized Living Publishing. (can find at www.MaximizedLivingHealthSite.com). Sterns, O. (10 November 2008). Healthy eating on the go: Tips, tricks and snack ideas to help travelers keep their diets on track. ABC News online. Retrieved August 31, 2009 from http://abcnews.go.com/pring?id=6206375. Tiner, S. (2009). Healthy eating on the go: Strategies for ensuring balanced nutrition in a fast- food processed world. To Your Health Online. 3(8). Retrieved August 31, 2009 from http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php? id=1215. United States Department of Agriculture. (2009). MyPyramid.com: Steps to a healthier you. Retrieved September 3, 2009 from http://www.mypyramid.gov/. U.S. College Search. (03 February 2007). Healthy eating on the go? Retrieved August 31, 2009 from http://www.uscollegesearc.org/blog.cover-stories/healthy-eating-on-the-go/. Younger, K. (05 February 2009). Healthy eating on the go. Breathe Magazine Online Edition. Retrieved August 31, 2009 from http://www.readbreathe.com/healthy-eating-on- the-go/. Zinczenko, D. and Goulding, M. (2009). The truth about diet soda. MSN Health and Fitness. Retrieved September 4, 2009 from http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp- documentid=100236887. Read More