The time I have spent inside of this core and the amount of knowledge I’ve already taken away from it really shows that this system works for me. I come into this classroom ready to learn and tackle new lessons and assignments along with our projects we’ve been working on these past few weeks. The fact that we get so much freedom inside of this core motivates me to do my work and I’ve really adjusted to getting my work done quickly, yet still doing my best, and setting my priorities straight in school. Before I entered this program, that was often something I would continuously struggle with.
Nutrition has always been a topic that I’ve been interested it and once we started learning about how different foods are made and how they can potentially affect our bodies, I was hooked and wanted to learn more. We’ve had guest speakers come in and talk about how different foods affect our bodies in different ways which has without a doubt changed my eating habits and what I take from the grocery store now. While reading Omnivore’s Dilemma, I have learned an immense amount of information and can not only use it for my own life, but also for my family’s and their eating habits. Something that has stuck with me is that organic really hasn’t been defined and/or been confirmed to be what society views it as. Before reading this book, I thought that organic products were all natural and never had any type of added chemicals or hormones. Afterwards, I learned that the USDA has set certain standards that imply organic companies must have a certain amount of something in order for it to be considered “organic.” Even if a food has a small percentage of trans fat or something along those lines, they don’t have to include that on their label and can still use the organic name on the product if they remain below the limit. The foods that you really should be eating, according to Pollan and many other nutritionists and scientists, are the ones that are grown naturally and inside of gardens where there aren’t any pesticides or added hormones. Below is a picture that was taken at the farmer’s market that is an actual representation of how the majority, if not all, of farmers feel about pesticides and GMO’s.
Natural produce isn’t that hard to find, either. It may take some research and looking into, but if you really want to eat healthy and live a long life, you’ll care enough to look. Here is a picture of some natural produce that farmers from the market we went to grew themselves:
Another process that we do in here is record our progress and document what we’ve done in our digital notebook. Inside of our notebook online, we can upload pictures of labs and projects to show our understanding of topics we’ve been introduced to. Inside of my vocabulary tab, I’ve written about what I’ve learned in our labs. One lab that has stuck with me is the Digestive System lab. In this, we learned the functions of the mouth all the way down to the rectum. Throughout this process, the body extracts nutrients from the foods we consume and gives it to our cells and then the waste is sent towards the rectum and becomes poop.
Here is a picture of what we used to represent the large intestine. This picture shows us that when foods go through the large intestine, the nutrients are put out into the body while the waste remains inside to be sent out. Throughout this process, enzymes are used to help make this process possible and make it go at an efficient pace. Enzymes are what help two substrates combine quickly and the product is what comes out of it and what is now formed.
Here is a picture of what we used to represent the mouth. The cups are the molars which help crush the food and the scissors represent the incisors that grind up the food which makes it easier for it to go down to the esophagus. The enzyme that helps break down the food is amylase.
Soil is also a huge factor that affects the nutritional value of our food. Where crops are planted and the time of year they are put into soil really determines if it will be a good choice or not. Foods, like fruits, have certain times of the year in which they can prosper and grow.
Here are different soils we used to measure the pH levels. The soils that are moist, yet not runny, are the soils that are ideal for farming and growing crops. However, according to many researchers, the soil is where the healthy produce starts. Like I’ve previously mentioned, if there are no added hormones, GMO’s, and/or preservatives, the produce is good for the body. If there are, the food that you consume which contain these can affect the body in a negative manner and be crucial for your future health. If you continue to eat unhealthy foods and develop bad eating habits, they will carry into adulthood and can really cause defects on how you live and function in life. Something that can affect the body is sugar intake. The amount of sugar an average person should be consuming on the daily is six to nine teaspoons which is equivalent to about 36 grams. However, in 2008, there were studies that confirmed people ate approximately 76.7 grams of sugar per day. This can be connected to different types of cancers and diseases such as diabetes because the body cannot handle an excess amount of sugar at once.
Here is a representation of the different amount of sugars. On the very left, is one gram. In the middle, there is about 36 grams of sugar and on the very right, there is 76.7 grams.
This unit about nutrition has changed my lifestyle and without a doubt, how I view my diet completely. I really enjoyed learning about how different foods affect my body in different ways and how healthy eating habits can contribute to a long life. Before this core, I thought I knew all I needed to know to be healthy. However, that was not the case at all. I’ve learned how the digestive system works along with how we breathe and how plants supply oxygen for us to survive. “Omnivore’s Dilemma” is such an eye-opening book that has shown me what to really look for when I’m shopping for food and looking for meals to eat inside of my home. I’m going to not only take this newfound knowledge for myself, but also my family and friends to keep them on track and healthy.
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