Welcome to Episode 4 of The Sweet Urchin Podcast, where we discussed living a balanced diet.
We are back!!!
college course; ethics to agriculture
I took ethics to agriculture in college; it felt like another class I had to pass, but there were some valuable lessons; be mindful of what we consume and where it came from.
There was a cool field trip (yes, in college) where we visited a village that focused on sustainability and using less.
having an appropriate balance
Balance is important; some foods are bad for you that you can’t get away from. For me, that’s Hot Cheetos. I should be fine if I have it once in a while (aka… once a season) (low likelihood). If you’re eating Hot Cheetos every day, there might be health problems coming your way.
reading the ingredients label
Do you understand what the ingredients are when you read the ingredients label? Is it a coloring, preservative, or carcinogen (a substance that causes cancer).
Be informed and make a sound decision that is best for you. What will make you happy that won’t negatively affect your health?
government control over ingredients
Is it right for the government to ban certain ingredients? It could be if there is overwhelming evidence that it is absolutely harmful (high likelihood). Or it could’ve been based out of lobbying efforts, where a company is trying to beat out its competitors? It is good to understand the intent of the ban.
Companies should make every effort not to include harmful ingredients. Certain countries ban them for a reason, and they can find alternative ingredients. Alternatives can be expensive.
Everyone’s body react differently between different ingredients. Some can withstand a lot of spice… There may be a few who absolutely cannot have a hint of it.
processed foods
Processed food is basically the steps taken between an item’s original form and its final form.
Potato chips should be fairly straight forward. Slice the potato, deep fry it (in what kind of oil, though?), and add some salt. Companies are getting creative and adding more ingredients to stand out.
Hot Cheetos, though, has grounded corn, aggressive food coloring for that hot red look, preservatives, MSG, and a bunch of other ingredients.
I went to Italy last month, and they are BIG on salami. It has been around for centuries and was a way to preserve ready-to-eat pork without the refrigeration process. The pork meat goes through a grinding process, gets a healthy balance of lean meat and fat, gets cured/fermented, and is eventually ready to serve. It’s only high in sodium.
Hamburger patties, chicken nuggets, frozen dinners, and especially the McRibs are highly processed.
whole diet
Eat less processed foods, eat more whole foods… Unless you’re going to process it yourself. That way, you know what the process is.
If you can eat a ton of junk food and still remain healthy, I am jealous of you.
Power to all vegans, vegetarians, and all diets. However, when someone says they don’t eat XYZ for health reasons but still eat unhealthy (high carbs/fat) and do not exercise, it kind of defeats the purpose. That energy is stored up in your body!
paying a premium at a supermarket
Do you pay more to go to a supermarket that is “cleaner” or has a nicer presentation? I’ve seen some of the same brands between Erewhon and Walmart/Target. I’ll still go to Erewhon and Whole Foods, but for certain ingredients.
I prefer shopping at the deli because I can be picky about what I want. I have trust issues with already-packaged meat. Has it been frozen, thawed, then frozen again? Where has it been? It is even worse if I can’t see through the packaging (I am talking about you, Trader Joe’s).
living a balanced diet
I’m all for cheat meals, but consume them in moderation to achieve a balanced diet. If you’re going to eat for two people, you better burn the calories for two people. Fulfill that craving and live happily. At least be informed of what you’re getting yourself into, so at least whatever risk it is, you’re already aware of it. Make your own decisions!
Warning: I am not a professional in nutrition and agriculture; consult a professional and make your own risk-based decision before committing to a specific diet.
Check out the previous episode.