Introduction
Our Food Habits
Have you ever wondered to yourself, "Why am I eating this?". Eating habits are formed in the early stages of life. Many of the eating patterns you have today were adapted from the time you were conceived up to 2 years of age (Nickalus). All food likes and dislikes are learned, and this learned behavior is likely to reflect into adulthood. According to Sophie Nicklaus, our ability to learn is optimal between 4 months to 2 years of age. During this time, exposure to new foods, textures, and tastes are what builds our future eating habits. Constant and repeated exposure to new foods create an eating pleasure. The pleasure of eating is a sensation learned from these early eating experiences and this is where our eating habits are formulated (Nickalus). It is known that leading a healthy lifestyle is beneficial in multiple ways, and eating healthier can decrease the likelihood of having diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and can decreases the risks of strokes and heart attacks. Eating healthy seems to be a no brainer. But why is eating healthy so difficult? As mentioned before, eating is a habit. What we eat, when we eat, and where we eat are all habits that are created over time. According to Lin, Wood, and Monterosso, once eating habits form, the practiced response is accessible in memory and people tend to act on the response in mind. For example, what do you do when you go the movies? Most people will buy outrageously expensive popcorn, which generally is stale, and a soda even if they are not hungry. This is a response to the experience of going to the movies. Our eating habits are formed early, but habits can be broken and a new lifestyle can emerge. In this article, I will expose you to 3 well known diets. I will inform you on their history, their benefits and disadvantages, and their restrictions as far as eating. In addition, I will include recipes that are "friendly" for the diet at hand. Hopefully after reading this article, you will be ready to make that next step to becoming a healthier you!
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Photograph: Weebly's Gallery
To proceed, click on the upper left hand button. Here is where you can navigate the webpage.
Photograph: Weebly's Gallery