What You Should Eat Will Stir Anxiety - 1230 Words

Life can be confusing while at the top of the food chain. For most animals, eating is simply habitual and is a subconscious choice. Monarch butterflies eat milkweed, koalas go for the eucalyptus leaves, and whales chow down on plankton. But we homo sapiens, hindered by a big brain and inventions such as agriculture and industry, face a bewildering array of choices, from scrambled eggs to Chicken McNuggets, from a bowl of fresh blueberries to the chemically complex yellow and white log of sweet, spongy food product known as the mystical Twinkie. When you can eat just about anything nature has to offer, Michael Pollan writes in this thoughtful, engrossing new book, The Omnivore s Dilemma, deciding what you should eat will inevitably stir anxiety. Nowhere is this anxiety more drastic, Pollan says, than in the United States. Wealth, abundance and the lack of a steadying, centuries-old food culture have conspired to make Americans dysfunctional eaters. We are obsessed with getting thin while becoming ever more fat, lurching from one bogus bit of dietary wisdom to another. Pollan diagnoses a national eating disorder, and he aims to shed light on both its causes and some potential solutions. In order to achieve this, he embarks on four separate eating adventures, each of which starts at the very beginning — in the soil from which the raw materials of his dinners will emerge — and ends with a cooked, finished meal. These meals are, in order, a McDonald s repast consumed byShow MoreRelatedA Sugary Debate1096 Words   |  5 Pagespounds heavier than average male of his height should be. Although, possible in the future, he was spared from daily injections of insulin. However, his battle with a new enemy was only beginning. In lecturing him on better eating habits, his doctor indirectly blamed sugary foods such as soda for his weight and overall health. Not knowing any better, my uncle took what he was told as grave warning. For the first time, he was forced to change what he eats. His life-long relationship with fast food andRead MoreAbstarct. This Paper Will Review And Discuss Michael Pollan’S1444 Words   |  6 Pageson our dinner table deciding what and how American’s should eat. OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA 3 Michael Pollan introduces us to the Omnivores Dilemma introduces, which is as he states â€Å"When you can eat just about anything nature has to offer, deciding what you should eat will inevitably stir anxiety, especially when some of theRead MoreSpeech Apprehension1463 Words   |  6 Pagesexperience some anxiety on the day of a speaking engagement (Thomas, et al, 1994, p. 311) and these are professional, well-trained public speakers. In a survey involving 3,000 people who were asked, What are you most afraid of? forty-two percent identified speaking before a group (Thomas, 311). In a study involving 140 students in an MBA program, oral communication was the most challenging communication arena and the communication skill most desired was controlling nervousness and anxiety (ThomasRead MoreAn Analysis of Advertisement1539 Words   |  7 PagesReid Fondren Dr. Pulling ENGL 1100 30 November 2010 An Analysis of Advertisement In the Hunter/Gatherer section of Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan talks about what it takes to accomplish the task of developing a meal on his own; consequently, the people of today’s society are so used to the abundance of food that they have no idea what all is involved in establishing a full meal. Americans take this great abundance of food for granted, which causes an increased craving for more. This is whereRead MoreThe Power Of The Tongue1377 Words   |  6 PagesPOWER OF USING WORDS Our words have power in them it can bring life or death, blessing or cursing, but the key is to say kind words because it will bring healing to the soul. All of us do many wrong things but it says in James 3:2 if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body. In James 3:3-5 it clearly states that the tongue steers the entire body. As it is set before a person, their tongue can direct their life for good or evil. In Proverbs 18:21 it says, DeathRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Body Image1453 Words   |  6 Pagesability to stir deeper admiration within us. †¦ But as development proceeds, children gradually become aware of their parents’ flaws†¦ (Immell, 86). These â€Å"false body image† ads, showing bodies that are not real at all or that are not very realistic or representative of the general population, have far-reaching effects. â€Å"These images are airbrushed versions of models who weigh 23% less than the average woman.† (â€Å"Self Image/Media Influence†). The constant viewing or unrealistic body images can stir up feelingsRead MoreThe Media And Body Image1453 Words   |  6 Pagesability to stir deeper admiration within us. †¦ But as development proceeds, children gradually become aware of their parents’ flaws†¦ (Immell, 86). These â€Å"false body image† ads, showing bodies that are not real at all or that are not very realistic or representative of the general population, have far-reaching effects. â€Å"These images are airbrushed versions of models who weigh 23% less than the average woman.† (â€Å"Self Image/Media Influence†). The constant viewing or unrealistic body images can stir up feelingsRead MoreWeRe All Pretty Familiar With The 5 A Day Rule. Five1598 Words   |  7 Pagescancer, heart disease and many more maladies. They are one of the most natural (unprocessed) foods you can possibly get, and studies have shown that it s easier for the body to pull nutrients from the original source than a vitamin tablet. Eating veggies can also control your weight! Vegetables are high in fiber, low in calories and provide a good source of energy. Fiber fills you up faster so you might be less likely to reach for that candy bar after lunch. They also have the added benefit of beingRead MoreChocolat Movie Review1420 Words   |  6 Pages None are allowed to see what Vianne is concocting behind the windows concealed with newspaper. Away from the public eye, Vianne paints the walls of her shop with Mayan designs and places tribal sculptures on the shelves with care. Young schoolboys peek through the miniscule slivers in between the newspaper; their only means to observe the magic happening within its walls. They watch as the grinding of the cocoa beans begins. With a knowing smile Vianne stirs the cocoa into a chocolatyRead MoreVegetarianism and Meat Eating in Food Culture Essay1923 Words   |  8 Pageshis own fault. He then started recognizing what he ate as a precious gift from the nature and called it â€Å"Holy Food† (Krakauer 168). Exploring relationships between human beings and other animals arouses many difficult questions: Which animals are humans allowed to eat and which ones are not? To which extent can humans govern other animals? For what purposes and on which principles can we kill other animals? Above all, what does it mean for humans to eat other animals? The answer may lie in its context