Corresponding transcribed slides to the project By Lindsey Hoover
• For the first few slides I would say almost exactly what is written on the slides.
Broad Topic • Since there is so much to discuss and the amount of work to organize this topic into sections which tie together neatly would be the equivalent of a book, I will focus on a few major concerns. I will also analyze what I believe is the negative cycle responsible for the imbalance. These subtopics will meld together the three categories of the environment, health and culture and demonstrate my concerns nicely.
High Fructose Corn Syrup • Although there is much debate over the health effects of in taking this product, I will give some facts. • • Health: Corn is not a tremendous source of nutrition. After non organic farming practices, food travel, and other food processing, the nutritional value is dramatically less. It is a high glycemic sweetener which means it causes blood sugar spikes. It is chemically altered to be different than sugar. HFCS is approximately 55% fructose and 45% glucose, where as in sugar the ratio is 50/50. A quote from "Effect of fructose overfeeding and fish oil administration on hepatic de novo lipogenesis and insulin sensitivity in healthy men" by Faeh D, Minehira K, Schwarz JM, Periasamy R, Park S, Tappy L written in July 2005 reads as follows: “Large quantities of fructose stimulate the liver to produce triglycerides, promotes glycation of proteins and induces insulin resistance. ” HFCS is used in an immeasurable amount of processed foods. Environment: It is not only toxic to humans, contributing to obesity and diabetes, but the production of high fructose corn syrup emits more CO 2 emissions than any other food product. I attended a lecture at Hosler this semester where a PSU professor gave a chart indicating this specific information. Culture: When I first started reading Slow Food Nation a book by Carlos…. . I admittedly thought it was going to be dry. The book begins by discussing the cultural relationship we all have to food and I thought to myself that besides culture there are more important issues to discuss. However, I realized from reading farther than the dissonance we have experienced between food and culture contributes inherently to the other issues of health and environmental concerns. He provides a story discussing the a farming culture in Mexico that has been stripped of its traditional knowledge, which was formed over thousands of years. The united states infiltrated themselves into these countryside's of Mexico City, promising new products and jobs. However, in this process America purchased almost 80% of the indigenous varieties of corn in pursuit of new hybrids. The new found American hybrids started replacing the indigenous varieties, which need more water, and in Mexico, that is not sensible. Also, these strains had far less nutrition and taste. In his journaling story, Carlos visited a poor farming family in Mexico. Throughout his stay it was pointed out to the lady of the house that wild herbs were growing all around her house that have been used by her ancestors for nutritional and medicinal purposes. The odd thing though, it was not her family that pointed this out, they did not even know it was edible. It only took two generations of the cultivation of the new corn hybrids which did not thrive in the arid environment to erase valuable cultural knowledge of the gastronomically important traditional Mexican food. • •
Excessive Meat Intake • • Health: This still disturbs me to think about, however, it is important information. The FDA recommended serving for meat is 3 ounces which looks like this. A typical restaurant serving is 12 ounces which looks like this. 3/12=4… 4 servings of meat in one meal. What does this mean for our health? High cholesterol, obesity, indigestion and the list goes on from there. Our bodies produce Hydrochloric acid to break down proteins. If we are taking in four times as much protein as per healthy for digestion, our bodies are producing a lot more HCL than typical. As with every system in our bodies, there is a delicate homeostasis and when we consume this much meat the feedback cycle is disrupted. Our bodies keep calling for HCL and we end up with heartburn. Also, if this system is disrupted that means we may not get enough when we need it and too much when we don’t. This causes indigestion further and intestinal damage. Environment: Livestock and meat production is extremely detrimental to the environment. I will sum it up in one sentence that gave me a moral reason to not eat meat other than just a health reason. Eating one Kg of beef is the CO 2 equivalent of driving 155 miles in an energy efficient car. Culture: In my readings of Slow Food Nation, Carlos gives another vivid example of how the food industry is not being sustainable in regards to culture. He has an excellent way of showing the illogical procedures that go along with business. The European city of Laguouli had been traditionally known for its grazing cattle, tremendous cheese and knives. In the 1960’s, this city experience agro hardship and a few farmers were persuaded to purchase new breed of cattle which held more promise for milk production and also they were able to sell these cows to America to fatten them up with growth hormones for meat production. In a short time, the local cattle were almost entirely replaced. The problem arose when it can time for cheese production and it was found the milk from the new cattle was worthless to make the traditional Laguouli cheese. Within 20 years a cultural icon, what the city thrived on was at the point of extinction.
Typical American Consumption Scenario • As you can see, this is your average getting all hopped up over greasy food.
After Eating • Call it whatever you want. • Many people experience discomfort after eating unhealthy foods. Whether its that “brick” feeling you get in your stomach after Mc. Donalds, or feeling frustrated because you want to unbutton your pants but are not in a place to do so, these things are indigestion.
Negative Cycle • • • I am going to talk about what I believe is the negative cycle behind all of this imbalance, starting from the ground up. Non organic practices led to soil nutrient depletion. Also, it disturbs and displaces more ecosystems. “During the last hundred years, the coefficient of species extinction has increased a thousand fold compared with the average over the whole history of our planet. ” This quotes comes from the Slow Food Nation book which gathered it’s information from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Factory farms which typically need to transport there food for long distances pollute and give time for the nutrient content to lessen even further. Food processing adds chemical flavor enhancers because the nutrient content is now so low that flavor is diminished. Some such as aspartame and MSG have been documented to cause health issues in individuals. MSG or Mono Sodium Glutamate is considered a safe food because the blood brain barrier will block potential negative effects on neurotransmission. However, parts of the brain are not protected, such as the brain stem where many people report symptoms. Also in the developing brain the BBB has not fully developed and I can not find any documentation addressing this issue from the FDA. However, others scientific documents have: “Glutamate levels are carefully regulated during early brain formation and disruptions in glutamate levels can result in alteration leading to either subtle or profound effects on brain function” The Role of Excitotoxicity in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Dr. Baylock Also added is synthetic food coloring because the produce is unrecognizable and preservatives, many of which are up for debate as whether or not they are carcinogenic. Large amounts of sodium and sweeteners are added and viola indigestible mush.
Neg. Cycle Cont. • • • We crave foods filled with food additives which enhance flavor. Also, we crave the foods which are most detrimental to our health. If we eat greasy foods, the grease halts our enzyme functioning. Digestive enzymes are what help our bodies break down food so that the nutrients can be absorbed. When our enzymes are not functioning properly food does not get broken down to the degree necessary for successful digestion. The undigested food is left in the gut and produces health issues. The bacterial flora is a community of bacteria which reside in your gut. The food segments not denatured and absorbed feed the bad bacteria and cause an imbalance between the good and bad. This bad bacteria causes a host of digestive issues from gas to intestinal inflammation. If the flora is continually disrupted, intestinal damage can ensue leading to serious health concerns that range from depression, to nerve damage to cancer. Damage to the gut can cause symptoms in every other region of your body. The World Health Organization in 2006 that the number one killer in the world was chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. The organization went on to discuss how the western diet is much to blame. Other hard to digest foods include proteins from meat, dairy and wheat. Also lactose gives many people issues. Every single person is going to digest food differently, it is up to us to experiment to find out what the best fuel for our tanks. Some food proteins denature into peptide which contain opioid characteristics. These come from wheat and dairy. If a person with intestinal damage consumes these foods they are risking absorption of gliadorphin and casomorphin which have been documented to attach to mu opioid receptors in the brain and cause alterations in neurotransmission. Coincidence that ice cream and macaroni and cheese are such good comfort foods? There are many reasons why we crave unhealthy foods, but this is a less researched theory which is making some noise in the autistic community.
Cartoon slide • Doctors are doing something about your health in regards to digestion. They may mention to eat healthier as you are walking out the door, but primarily they are prescribing drugs. Because this is what is profitable to the health industry. Ignoring problems, by covering up symptoms is more financially beneficial than giving actual health advise.
What can we do? • This slide is straightforward. I do not need to elaborate otherwise.
What PSU is doing • Penn State has designed a type of farming which will allow carbon to be emitted back into the soil where it is needed for nutrition, rather than into the atmosphere creating pollution.
Final Thoughts • Thanks for listening! • I know this has been a lot of information and I was so happy to share my opinions and insight. I hope that you can take away a feeling of concern but also of empowerment to help yourself and make a difference in the world.
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