Dieting

Dying to Eat - Dying to Diet

The Pornography of Nutrition in the 21st Century. Gradually through the mid 20th through to the 21^st century, the nutritional value lessened considerably, as quicker growing methods developed. However this progress actually devalued food in more ways than one. Processed food has always been the pornography of natural wholesome food. Fast food debases and insults genuine food grown with love and respect.

In earlier times food and drink was totally different from today; most people ate and drank as routine practice to stay alive, except in some periods where gluttony was rife. But in general there were only a few who abused food. Alcohol has always been abused regardless of social status. Before the 60s most food was considered organic with few pesticides, colours and chemicals added. From around 1967 vitamins, minerals, natural colours and quality were taken out and then reintroduced.

Food Processing in Diet Food

To make food more palatable, large qualities of salt is added. To counteract the bitterness of salt, double or even treble the amount of sugar is added. Then a huge does of unnatural colours to make the slush more attractive. This makes a highly addictive substance. With all the chemicals added in the growing process our stomachs have a hard time digesting food like this, especially in large doses. The additives are intended make food palatable and agreeable, colourful and attractive and to feed a growing population. However the results are nutritionally deficient obese children and adults who find life hard because of the food consumed without exercising adequately.

The 1954 Woman's Diet

The 1954 woman consumed on average 2.450 calories and burned nearly as much through everyday activities. Today the modern woman eats the same calories and often much less if dieting, yet burns just 550 calories on average a day. Fast food is high in too many additives and while any of these in small doses are harmless, consumption over 1000 calories a day in snacks will increase weight, may cause digestion problems and certainly make you feel tired, sluggish and constipated.

A Grazing Mentality to Eating

The truth is eating junk food actually makes you fat, because you become addicted to the high sugars and salt. What the body needs is protein, natural carbohydrates, found in vegetables and grains, natural oil, water, vitamins and minerals. But what the 21^st body is getting is abused food that offers little in the way of natural content. Fast foods encourages’ people to ‘graze’ constantly. Once the domain of cows has now become the new byword of multi-tasking.

Liquid is no longer the natural thirst quencher; drinking has now become a social event and family meals around the table have long gone. Too many young people today cannot cook, or won’t cook or even attempt to understand a cookery book. And why should they when ready-made food is easy to buy? However by never enjoying the thrill of cooking something from scratch, something vital is missing in family life, a sense of togetherness! The art of cooking is now the domains of television cooks, who entertain us, more than inspire us to cook everyday.

The Humble Sandwich has become the Dieting Food

What we now consider snacks were first created by the fourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu (1718-1792). Depending on which writer you believe, John Montagu is reputed to have been too busy to have a formal meal. He instructed his cook to put something together to save time, so he could eat at the same time as working or playing cards. From households to takeaways the sandwich has become a masterpiece. The one filling on two slices of bread has changed to something hardly recognizable as the snack we once knew.

Dieting Deprivation

The human body is made up with almost 75% water and needs to be hydrated or the body will become confused and won’t know if hungry or thirsty. In reality water is the only liquid the body requires to maintain hydration, however the desire for sugary drinks has now become addictive. Reactive behaviour will invariably kick in when people feel threatened in any way. Whilst food and drink have always been consumed to the extremes of gluttony, starvation and malnutrition, there was never the opportunity for the average person in the past to purchase the convenience foods society offers today.

Today we rarely taste the food we consume. Snacking will have people seeking what the body requires most, which is rarely found in snacks. At one time eating in public, other than a restaurant or home was considered vulgar, and eating in the street, appallingly bad manners! Now people walk, talk on mobile phones, drive, drink and eat on the move. The nation has become like cattle, grazing and eating on the hoof – rarely sitting down unless in a restaurant.