Introduction to
Food and Nutrition
Take a minute to understand how food moves through your body
Life expectancy in the U.S. is between 77 and 80 years. The U.S. ranked last in life expectancy among developed nations through 2015 and is the only one of 18 countries with an average life span less than 80 years.
The leading causes of death in the United States are: (1) heart disease, (2) cancer, (3) accidents, (4) chronic lower respiratory diseases, (5) stroke, (6) Alzheimer’s disease, (7) diabetes, (8) influenza and pneumonia, (9) nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis, and (10) suicide (Heron, 2019). Unhealthy diet has been the leading risk factor for illness, death, and disability…worldwide for more than 2 decades. All ten of these causes of death are health-related. All causes of death are at-least indirectly, but substantially impacted by diet and exercise and at-best, all causes of death are directly impacted by diet and exercise. “Most deaths in the United States are preventable, and they are related to what we eat. Our diet is the number-one cause of premature death and the number-one cause of disability.”
Research is abundantly clear the the Standard American Diet is the number one cause of death in the United States. Research further conclusive proves that people who eat a whole food, plant-based diet, live longer, healthier lives. Whole foods are any foods that have not had any healthy elements taken from them nor any unhealthy elements added to them. Plant-based means getting 90 percent or more of calories from plant sources rather than animal sources. An animal source is anything that comes from something with a face that walks, swim, crawls, or flies.
There are many factors that impact our diet and nutrition. We believe an a comprehensive approach to nutritional wellness.
We do not just consider the diet and nutrition habits of the individual to be all that matters, but we take an approach called the "ecological perspective." Meaning we look at all of the factors that impact a person's diet and nutritional habits when providing program information regarding nutrition. It is not enough to simply look at the habits of the individual, but we must consider the context in which those habits were formed. For this reason, our diet and nutrition programming involves:
1. Public policy advocacy;
2. Goal-setting;
3. Social support networks; and
4. Education on the following: (1) habit forming, (2) affordable meal planning, (3) snacking, (4) diet and nutrition basics, (5) weight loss and management, and (6) any other topics the community considers relevant and helpful.
Access to Healthy Food
Food deserts are a real threat to health in the U.S. Whole communities go without access to healthy food and nutrition. Because of this, individuals rely on fast food and unhealthy food choices in order to get their daily energy. Since this type of food is usually calorie-dense, but nutrient-poor, individuals without access to healthy food and nutrition offer suffer from obesity.
Culture and Cuisine
The experience of poverty has impacted how many cultures developed their cuisine. Soul food is a southern cuisine known to originate among Black Americans. Without consistent access to many mainstream dietary nutrients, Black Americans developed delicious dishes based on the food available to them. Moreover, due to their enslavement, calorie-dense dishes were not necessarily a problem as the energy was needed. Fast-forward to present day, the Black community still maintains many of the dietary habits of those generations past; however, Black Americans today, for the most part, are not slaves. The caloric density of the cultural cuisine cause more harm than good. The story of the Black community is familiar to this particular author, but there are numerous examples of other cultures that have cuisines with deadly consequences.
Grubbin' on a Budget
Poverty and lack to employment result in food insecurity for many Americans on a daily basis. People eat what is cheap and not what is nutritious. For this reason, we see far worse health consequences in poor communities than we do wealthier communities. If access to nutrient-dense foods is not a problem, knowledge of them is. Grubbing on a budget does not necessarily have to mean eating unhealthy foods if individuals have better access to education on the role of nutrients v. calories on the functions of the human body.
Reading the Labels
Knowing how to read labels is an important start to cleaning up one's diet and nutrition. There are key areas to look for on the label: (1) serving size; (2) macro-nutrient information (fats, carbs, and protein); (3) micro-nutrient information (vitamins and minerals); and (4) ingredients. This information helps individuals determine if the foods they are eating are nutrient or calorie dense. This information should lead to better dietary decisions. When looking at the ingredients, keep in mind that they are listed in order with the first ingredient listed being what there is most of and the last ingredient listed being that which there is least.