After I left China, my first meal in the United States consisted of an enormous plate of spaghetti, steak and french fries served in a bustling restaurant where I also observed many individuals with quite a bit of extra weight on them. At the time, this type of meal and portion size were a big shock to me.
A meal for me in China typically consisted of two general components: a carbohydrate source or starch, – typically rice, noodles, or mantou (steamed buns), accompanied by dishes of vegetables, fish or meat.
In China, high importance is placed on freshness and flavor of the food. Most Chinese people don’t consume large amounts of dairy products, substituting soymilk and tofu as sources of protein and calcium. Food preparation is meticulous, and eating is almost ceremonious. Inherent in our culture, from an early age we understand the connection between eating habits and good health.
It didn’t take much time in the United States for me to see the high degree of importance placed on convenience. I was also amazed at the cultural status of junk food and soft drinks.
Poor nutrition results in poor behavior, lower core strength, increased body fat, slower mental problem solving, less alertness, and slower muscle response time. Even more of a concern is that every year 800,000 people suffer from heart attacks in the United States. This is mainly due to two reasons: a poor diet and not enough exercise.
People have a hard time changing their diet because they have grown up with the diet that their parents introduced them to. This problem continues to worsen. I recently read a statistic that Americans are spending 25 more minutes eating per day than 30 years ago and often eating not just during meal time, but during some other activity like watching television.
In addition, there’s an abundance of additives in foods such as artificial coloring, flavors and preservatives which negatively effect us in ways we are still learning about it.
