I have always had this preconception that food and its consumption went far beyond a means of survival. That it entailed a certain gaiety, lots of fun and could create exceptional, life long memories, which could cheer you out of any sour mood. Except, taking into consideration when one is being forced as a child, to gobble up boring looking, green vegetables; all for the sake of a balanced diet.
However, this notion of mine took a hit with an object far bigger than a pin and burst when I got here in spring of this year, moved into USI apartment complexes and met one of the most beautiful girls one could ever meet who alas, viewed food and its consumption, not as I did, but in a totally different way. She was my flat -mate, and Cassandra was her name.
Food and its practices are an inherent part of every culture, and it varies from country to country, all the way down to an individual level. Having visited a number of countries known to be the western world such as United Kingdom, Australia, France and Canada, I have gotten to understand that there is a great difference between how physical beauty is viewed back home in Nigeria as well as in most parts of Africa, and in these countries. These variations are at its maximum I believe, within the United States; both for the female and male, wherein the standards of these are pretty set; and conformity is expected and almost seemingly mandated.
While a female back home is generally expected to be well rounded, having all the female curves as it were, here, the opposite is the case. Physical beauty of a woman is depicted here, as being skinny, as is often portrayed by the media, in countless ways. The urge to conform to these standards of physical beauty, which is not being touted for the sake of being healthy, or for the medical benefits but more so for physical looks much to my amazement, is what drove my flat mate Cassandra to her extreme, bizarre, food practices.
Cassandra is not your average next door girl. She is pretty, tall, svelte, and athletic with a seemingly great outlook on life. She maintains one of, if not the healthiest diet regimen I have ever come across. She had oatmeal with non-salted crackers for breakfast; her mid day snack was either a banana or eight grape fruits or 2 strawberries, whichever suited her mood for the day. Her lunch comprised of lean turkey or chicken breast sandwich and dinner, which was eaten no later than 7pm, was almost always lean chicken with mixed vegetables and gluten free pasta. My eating habits however, were the direct antithesis of hers and she never let me hear the last of it. What with my eating a big mac meal at least five days a week, for the five months we were flat mates. She once likened me to the ‘devil sent to lead her into temptation.’
I noticed early on, that virtually after every meal Cassie ate, (she almost, always cooked her own meals), that she had the habit of going to the rest room and thereafter followed retching sounds which I could hear even though I was in a different room.
It went on and on for the first couple of weeks, until I asked her if she was pregnant. I can still remember her puzzled expression, as she could not for any reason understand why I asked her that, and I also remember her candid immediate response to my question was ‘oh my God I look fat right?’ I told her that was not the reason, after all she was slimmer than I am, an answer, which seemed to please her for a few seconds until I told her that the reason I asked was because
I always seemed to hear her throwing up incessantly and that I assumed that was tied to pregnancy.
This brought about a long discussion into our eating habits. Cassandra decided to enlighten me on food, its constituents, caloric content, good and bad food sources, the monster that is carbohydrate (‘carbs’ as she called it) and most amazing off all a calculator which she called ”weight watchers calculator” which helped do a caloric count of everything she ate.
Although I know it is beneficial, at least health wise, to try to maintain a healthy weight through monitoring what you eat and teaming that up with good exercise; Cassandra took it to another level.
For every food she consumes, she does a caloric count of it, and for every time she feels she has gone in excess of her projected caloric count, she makes herself throw up and then goes jogging or doing some other exercise routine to burn down the extra calorie. She even went as far as knowing how many calories she burnt by whatever exercise routine she did and the duration she had to endure to achieve the caloric loss she aimed for. Of note however, is that the few times she ever went over her projected caloric count, I led her to it with what she termed ‘tempting offers’, but what I regarded as regular food such as take outs from a Chinese buffet.
After this insight into her food and eating practices, I decided to probe a little deeper to find out her reason for this extremity. If I had found out that her reason was health wise, then it might have been a little bearable but to know that it’s all because she is trying to conform to the world’s standard of physical beauty; I decided to step in to give a little advice.
I went on to tell her about the fact that her self-induced bouts of vomiting were a sign of bulimia nervosa, a fact she refused to agree with. I disregarded her non-acceptance, and went on to tell her that the actions she was taking, especially her throwing up to achieve a particular weight goal, or beauty standard had negative side effects. Which effects could prove to be long term and even in some cases catastrophic. These effects include but are not limited to tooth decay, gum disease, metabolic acidosis and alkalosis and even osteoporosis when it becomes extreme.
Most fascinating however, is that while in the process of listing these effects, she joined in and added in some side effects that I was not even aware of. This puzzled me and led to my asking her, and wanting to know, why she then carried on this practice if she knew the side effects. Her response was even more puzzling. Her insistence that she was not bulimic was her answer. She claimed she knew she was not because she did not have all the characteristics that a person who was bulimic had, and that she knew the side effects associated with bulimia because she had done extensive research, just to reassure herself that she did not suffer from this disorder, by eliminating characteristics such as binge eating which is generally associated with it.
Although I persistently tried to make her imbibe my notions of food and its consumption as opposed to her view of eating as just a necessity for survival by having intermittent discussions about her food and eating habits; even while knowing that I am not the best possible role model with regards to eating healthy; I was unsuccessful. Cassandra up till when we parted at the end of the semester, kept up with her eating habits.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Food and Practices
I have always had this preconception that food and its consumption went far beyond a means of survival. That it entailed a certain gaiety, lots of fun and could create exceptional, life long memories, which could cheer you out of any sour mood. Except, taking into consideration, when one is being forced as a child, to gobble up boring looking, green vegetables; all for the sake of a balanced diet.
However, this notion of mine took a hit with an object far bigger than a pin and burst when I got here in spring of this year, moved into USI apartment complexes and met one of the most beautiful girls one could ever meet who alas, viewed food and its consumption, not as I did, but in a totally different way. She was my flat -mate, and Cassandra was her name.
Food and its practices are an inherent part of every culture, which culture varies from country to country, all the way down, to an individual level. Having visited a number of countries known to be the western world, I have gotten to understand, that there is a great difference between how physical beauty is viewed back home in Nigeria, most parts of Africa and in these countries, especially within the United States; both for the female and male. The standards of these are pretty set; and conformity is expected and almost seemingly mandated.
While a female back home is generally expected to be well rounded, having all the female curves as it were, here, the opposite is the case. Physical beauty of a woman is depicted here, as being skinny, slim, reed thin as is often portrayed by the media, in countless ways.
The urge to conform to these standards of physical beauty, which is not being touted for the sake of being healthy, or for the medical benefits but more so, for physical looks, much to my amazement, is what drove my flat mate Cassandra to her extreme, bizarre, food practices.
I noticed early on, that virtually after every meal Cassie ate, (she almost, always cooked her own meals), that she had the habit of going to the rest room and thereafter followed retching sounds which I could hear even though I was in a different room.
It went on and on for the first couple of weeks, until I asked her if she was pregnant. I can still remember her puzzled expression, as she could not for any reason understand why I asked her that, and I also remember her candid immediate response to my question was ‘oh my God I look fat right’? I told her that was not the reason, after all she was slimmer than I am, an answer, which seemed to please her for a few seconds until I told her that the reason I asked was because
I always seemed to hear her throwing up incessantly and that I assumed that was tied to pregnancy.
This brought about a long discussion into our eating habits. Cassandra decided to enlighten me on food, its constituents, caloric content, good and bad food sources, the monster that is carbohydrate (‘carbs’ as she called it) and most amazing off all a calculator which she called ‘weight watchers calculator’ which helped do a caloric count of everything she ate.
Although I know it is beneficial, at least health wise, to try to maintain a healthy weight through monitoring what you and teaming that up with good exercise; Cassandra took it to another level.
For every food she consumes, she does a caloric count of it, and for every time she feels she has gone in excess of her projected caloric count, she makes herself throw up and then goes jogging or doing some other exercise routine to burn down the extra calorie and she even went as far as knowing how many calories she burnt by whatever exercise routine she did and the duration she had to endure.
After this insight into her food and eating practices, I decided to probe a little deeper to find out her reason for this extremity. If I had found out that her reason was health wise, then it might have been a little bearable but to know that it’s all because she is trying to conform to the world’s standard of physical beauty; I decided to step in to give a little advice.
I went on to tell her about the fact that her self-induced bouts of vomiting were a sign of bulimia nervosa, a fact she refused to agree with. I disregarded her non-acceptance, and went on to tell her that the actions she was taking, especially her throwing up, to achieve a particular weight goal, or beauty standard had negative side effects, which effects could prove to be long term and even in some cases catastrophic. These effects include but are not limited tooth decay, gum disease, metabolic acidosis and alkalosis and even osteoporosis when it becomes extreme.
Most fascinating however, is that while in the process of listing these effects, she joined in and added in some side effects that I was not even aware of. This puzzled, me and led to my asking her, and wanting to know, why she then carried on this practice if she knew the side effects. Her response was even more puzzling. Her insistence that she was not bulimic was her answer. She claimed she knew she was not because she did not have all the characteristics that a person who was bulimic had, and that she knew the side effects associated with bulimia because she had done extensive research, just to reassure herself that she did not suffer from this disorder, by eliminating characteristics such as binge eating which is generally associated with it.
Although personal responsibility comes into play in association with food, its consumption and how one goes about it, the media has a very substantial influence on the practices people cultivate with respect to food especially on impressionable teenage girls, and young women.
However, this notion of mine took a hit with an object far bigger than a pin and burst when I got here in spring of this year, moved into USI apartment complexes and met one of the most beautiful girls one could ever meet who alas, viewed food and its consumption, not as I did, but in a totally different way. She was my flat -mate, and Cassandra was her name.
Food and its practices are an inherent part of every culture, which culture varies from country to country, all the way down, to an individual level. Having visited a number of countries known to be the western world, I have gotten to understand, that there is a great difference between how physical beauty is viewed back home in Nigeria, most parts of Africa and in these countries, especially within the United States; both for the female and male. The standards of these are pretty set; and conformity is expected and almost seemingly mandated.
While a female back home is generally expected to be well rounded, having all the female curves as it were, here, the opposite is the case. Physical beauty of a woman is depicted here, as being skinny, slim, reed thin as is often portrayed by the media, in countless ways.
The urge to conform to these standards of physical beauty, which is not being touted for the sake of being healthy, or for the medical benefits but more so, for physical looks, much to my amazement, is what drove my flat mate Cassandra to her extreme, bizarre, food practices.
I noticed early on, that virtually after every meal Cassie ate, (she almost, always cooked her own meals), that she had the habit of going to the rest room and thereafter followed retching sounds which I could hear even though I was in a different room.
It went on and on for the first couple of weeks, until I asked her if she was pregnant. I can still remember her puzzled expression, as she could not for any reason understand why I asked her that, and I also remember her candid immediate response to my question was ‘oh my God I look fat right’? I told her that was not the reason, after all she was slimmer than I am, an answer, which seemed to please her for a few seconds until I told her that the reason I asked was because
I always seemed to hear her throwing up incessantly and that I assumed that was tied to pregnancy.
This brought about a long discussion into our eating habits. Cassandra decided to enlighten me on food, its constituents, caloric content, good and bad food sources, the monster that is carbohydrate (‘carbs’ as she called it) and most amazing off all a calculator which she called ‘weight watchers calculator’ which helped do a caloric count of everything she ate.
Although I know it is beneficial, at least health wise, to try to maintain a healthy weight through monitoring what you and teaming that up with good exercise; Cassandra took it to another level.
For every food she consumes, she does a caloric count of it, and for every time she feels she has gone in excess of her projected caloric count, she makes herself throw up and then goes jogging or doing some other exercise routine to burn down the extra calorie and she even went as far as knowing how many calories she burnt by whatever exercise routine she did and the duration she had to endure.
After this insight into her food and eating practices, I decided to probe a little deeper to find out her reason for this extremity. If I had found out that her reason was health wise, then it might have been a little bearable but to know that it’s all because she is trying to conform to the world’s standard of physical beauty; I decided to step in to give a little advice.
I went on to tell her about the fact that her self-induced bouts of vomiting were a sign of bulimia nervosa, a fact she refused to agree with. I disregarded her non-acceptance, and went on to tell her that the actions she was taking, especially her throwing up, to achieve a particular weight goal, or beauty standard had negative side effects, which effects could prove to be long term and even in some cases catastrophic. These effects include but are not limited tooth decay, gum disease, metabolic acidosis and alkalosis and even osteoporosis when it becomes extreme.
Most fascinating however, is that while in the process of listing these effects, she joined in and added in some side effects that I was not even aware of. This puzzled, me and led to my asking her, and wanting to know, why she then carried on this practice if she knew the side effects. Her response was even more puzzling. Her insistence that she was not bulimic was her answer. She claimed she knew she was not because she did not have all the characteristics that a person who was bulimic had, and that she knew the side effects associated with bulimia because she had done extensive research, just to reassure herself that she did not suffer from this disorder, by eliminating characteristics such as binge eating which is generally associated with it.
Although personal responsibility comes into play in association with food, its consumption and how one goes about it, the media has a very substantial influence on the practices people cultivate with respect to food especially on impressionable teenage girls, and young women.
Friday, July 24, 2009
I am going to be writing an essay on food practices.
Food and practices associated with food, appeals to me more than the other options because, i experienced a great cultural shock on getting here, on discovering the differences between the ideals about food consumption, its effects on the human body, all of which therefore lead to the various practices by people, to thwart the effect that they deem unwanted.
During the course of my essay, i will attempt to compare and contrast the standards both societies (Nigerian - which is where i am from and America -where i am now), have with respect to physical beauty, and as such the practices that go alongside with trying to conform to these standards.
Thereafter, i will be narrating a brief experience i had with a previous roommate during the spring semester when i just got here and the seeminly bizarre (at least to me) practices and efforts she put into what she ate, how she ate and what she retained.
In the course of my narration, i will also be using illustrative measures, by using my flatmate as an example.
As mentioned earlier, the scenario that will be depicted in my essay will be my apartment here at USI and this involves my flatmate.
This is important for clarity in the diverse food practices of different people.
In writing essays, i think i probably have the greatest problem when i have to write creatively rather than based on experience. Being in this class howecer will definitely help me, as well as reading novels and books beyond my textbooks and bible.
Food and practices associated with food, appeals to me more than the other options because, i experienced a great cultural shock on getting here, on discovering the differences between the ideals about food consumption, its effects on the human body, all of which therefore lead to the various practices by people, to thwart the effect that they deem unwanted.
During the course of my essay, i will attempt to compare and contrast the standards both societies (Nigerian - which is where i am from and America -where i am now), have with respect to physical beauty, and as such the practices that go alongside with trying to conform to these standards.
Thereafter, i will be narrating a brief experience i had with a previous roommate during the spring semester when i just got here and the seeminly bizarre (at least to me) practices and efforts she put into what she ate, how she ate and what she retained.
In the course of my narration, i will also be using illustrative measures, by using my flatmate as an example.
As mentioned earlier, the scenario that will be depicted in my essay will be my apartment here at USI and this involves my flatmate.
This is important for clarity in the diverse food practices of different people.
In writing essays, i think i probably have the greatest problem when i have to write creatively rather than based on experience. Being in this class howecer will definitely help me, as well as reading novels and books beyond my textbooks and bible.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Family Cooking/Gathering
Being a Nigerian, and an African at large, can almost be seen as being synonymous with belonging to a traditional family. Growing up in what can be termed as a modern traditional family, (seeing as both parents worked) involved homemade meals, and less frequent outings to diners or restaurants.
I grew up amidst three other siblings. An older brother and two younger sisters. I ought to be the major 'chef' in my family, considering i am the oldest girl but alas, the case is different.
My younger sisters are the actual cooks of the family, cooking virtually Nigerian delicacy, but each having their own specialty.
my immediate younger sister has really perfected the art of cooking fried rice, a meal virtually identical to the Chinese fried rice, while the youngest of us all is really good at making 'Jollof Rice' a Nigerian delicacy that i am sure is foreing to most if not all of you.
These delicacies are frequently served at various celebrations, parties, reunions etc. back home in Nigeria.
However, the thought of these two dishes, brings to mind family gatherings at my maternal grandparents house, every first day of the year to have lunch/dinner, where other dishes such as pounded yam and vegetable soup, white rice and stew, deep fried chicken, to mention a few, are also served.
Each year always begins with this gathering, although, over the years, the number of people in attendance has dwindled, due to migration of family members, out of state or sometimes overseas, such as my being here in Evansville, begining of this year and as suh having to miss the gathering of this year.
These dishes are almost impossible to find anywhere here except at Chinese buffets, where i get to eat fried rice. Eating this, always brings back memories not just of my grandparents and family, but Nigeria as well.
Preparation of my favorite meal which is Fried Rice with deep fried chicken, is carried out just as it is named. RIce is stir fried with vegetables, lots of onions and thinly sliced cabbages.
Although it is a ritual for my family to gather at my grandparents house, i cannot lay claim to recipes being passes down generations, however, i can lay claim to the fact that mothers' have taught their daughters' to cook, thus i guess this might qualify.
I grew up amidst three other siblings. An older brother and two younger sisters. I ought to be the major 'chef' in my family, considering i am the oldest girl but alas, the case is different.
My younger sisters are the actual cooks of the family, cooking virtually Nigerian delicacy, but each having their own specialty.
my immediate younger sister has really perfected the art of cooking fried rice, a meal virtually identical to the Chinese fried rice, while the youngest of us all is really good at making 'Jollof Rice' a Nigerian delicacy that i am sure is foreing to most if not all of you.
These delicacies are frequently served at various celebrations, parties, reunions etc. back home in Nigeria.
However, the thought of these two dishes, brings to mind family gatherings at my maternal grandparents house, every first day of the year to have lunch/dinner, where other dishes such as pounded yam and vegetable soup, white rice and stew, deep fried chicken, to mention a few, are also served.
Each year always begins with this gathering, although, over the years, the number of people in attendance has dwindled, due to migration of family members, out of state or sometimes overseas, such as my being here in Evansville, begining of this year and as suh having to miss the gathering of this year.
These dishes are almost impossible to find anywhere here except at Chinese buffets, where i get to eat fried rice. Eating this, always brings back memories not just of my grandparents and family, but Nigeria as well.
Preparation of my favorite meal which is Fried Rice with deep fried chicken, is carried out just as it is named. RIce is stir fried with vegetables, lots of onions and thinly sliced cabbages.
Although it is a ritual for my family to gather at my grandparents house, i cannot lay claim to recipes being passes down generations, however, i can lay claim to the fact that mothers' have taught their daughters' to cook, thus i guess this might qualify.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Food
Food Pyramid is a list of dietary guidelines issued by the food and drug administration which has guidelines that instruct healthy eating from infancy, (includes healthy eating for pregnant women; so it actually starts from conception), through adulthood and includes choices made due to disease and medical advice.
Food pyramid can assist a person in making healthy choices by enabling one to create a diet diary, whereby you can trace and evaluate food consumed in their entirety, to fit the dietary guidelines issued by the administration.
Guidelines include, but are not restricted to portion sizes, caloric content, food constituents etc, all geared towards helping a consumer, in achieving a healthier status thorugh healthy eating.
More information can be found at www.mypyramid.gov
Food pyramid can assist a person in making healthy choices by enabling one to create a diet diary, whereby you can trace and evaluate food consumed in their entirety, to fit the dietary guidelines issued by the administration.
Guidelines include, but are not restricted to portion sizes, caloric content, food constituents etc, all geared towards helping a consumer, in achieving a healthier status thorugh healthy eating.
More information can be found at www.mypyramid.gov
Hi
Hi, I'm Mimi from Nigeria, my major is Nursing, my ultimate goal is to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist or go on to medical schol to be an Anesthiologist. I hope to have as much fun as possible in this class while maintaining an A.
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