Diet Fads

Diet is a defining feature of an individual’s lifestyle. Specific diets have evolved through the ages, from primitive eating habits to revolutionary weight loss diets. The idea of dieting is a more complex idea then what might be originally thought. I perceive ‘dieting’ as a concept which alters an individual’s specific eating habits. Dieting has been proven to have the potential to be harmful, to younger children. I believe that children should not be subjected to dieting, unless medical conditions require it (for example protein deficiencies).

On the contrary, I see diets having a huge impact in sporting scenarios. Manipulated diets can assist athletes in achieving the best results. The idea of youthful athletes, however, evokes a number of other ethical debates.

Getting back to diet fads, the following video is a representation of common views towards diets and exercise, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eA6CgzPJP4. A number of the more “comical” diet fads I have come across in my research include: The tapeworm diet (ingesting tapeworms to consume calories), the lemonade diet (only drinking lemonade for a period of time) & the amputation diet (loosing excess fluids to lose weight). These diets (and the image below) show the lengths people go to, to achieve a “healthy” appearance.

           http://www.flickr.com/photos/tontokidd/2403405095/

Food guide pyramid

The food guide pyramid is an easy way to learn about healthy eating. Just think of it as a puzzle of nutrients that your body needs every day, and the five major food groups are the puzzle pieces.

 http://www.livestrong.com/article/14196-nutrition/

Milk (3-4 servings) - Foods include milk, yogurt and cheese. The key ingredient is calcium, which builds strong teeth and bones

Fruits (2-4 servings) - Fruits are excellent sources of vitamin C, which heals cuts and keeps skin healthy, and fibre, which helps your digestion. So stock up on fruits - fresh fruit, dried fruit, frozen fruit, canned fruit... they're all good!

Vegetables (3-5 servings) - Veggies are also great sources of fibre and vitamin A. Just remember that darker coloured vegetables, like carrots and broccoli, have more nutrients.

Meat (2-3 servings) - Foods include meat (beef, chicken, turkey, fish, pork but not bacon), beans and nuts. This group provides iron and protein, which gives you strong muscles.

Grains (6-11 servings) - This food group gives you energy because it contains carbohydrates. Includes breads, cereals, rice and pasta.

The Food Guide Pyramid is updated every five years. When it was last updated in January 2005, the biggest change was to increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, grains and milk.

Eat 2 cups of fruit a day.

Eat 2 1/2 cups of veggies a day.

Eat 3 or more ounces of whole-grain products a day.

Drink 3 cups of fat-free or low-fat milk a day.

The updated Guide now includes exercise guidelines that recommend you work out for at least 30 minutes a day. But, it also allows you to eat sweets such as chocolate and ice cream, as long as you get enough nutrient-rich foods in your meals!

The Fast Food Revolution

The fast food revolution is a prevalent component of society today. Thinking back most people cooked the majority of their meals and take-away food was considered a special treat. However there is a new emerging trend in dinning, fast food. However today, eating out is becoming more frequent, and is even becoming accepted (and somewhat encouraged) by society. My opinion is that the monopoly of the food industry, by fast food outlets, is due to MONEY. The industry is rapidly expanding and as a result marketing is increased, which is promoting these products. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbyrnephotography/3376270130/

However I believe that there are a number of benefits of fast food. The biggest being the provision of employment. I believe those working in the industry would generally not be opposing the growth of this industry. Also as the industry is worth billions of dollars, there will be large groups of people opposing the introduction of regulations.

The documentary, ‘Super Size Me’ explores the extent of the fast food MONOPOLY within American society and highlights that children’s culture is heavily influenced by fast food corporations. For more information, please view this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V168xofxgu0.

Blog Design

Our original ideas for the blog layout

This picture shows how we wanted our blog to look after having a look at some of the functions available on blogger.com (such as polls). We wanted our blog to be easy to navigate and to read, so we kept our background simple and to either side of the page so it doesn't interfere with writing on the main blog, or with our poll at the top of the page. Our background image might change from time to time, but the main blog layout will remain the same. When we looked at fonts and font size, we decided to keep it neat and simple as well. Font within blog posts will change from blog to blog, making it easier to distinguish between blog posts, and maybe reflecting upon the specific topic of each blog.
Most blog posts will include images to draw more attention, and hopefully give a basic idea about what the post will be talking about- a picture paints a thousand words after all.
There are 4 members in our group: Ben, Simon, Ian, and Emma. We will all be adding posts to the blog over time, and hope you will enjoy what we're able to share with you about food when it comes to health, and well-being.

Welcome to the G3 Restaurant

Welcome to the G3 Restaurant blog! Food is an important part of society. This blog exists to show the impacts of food on society. There are a number of positives and negative impacts food has had on society. This blog endeavours to highlight these issues and recommend strategies to ensure food is enjoyed within an individual's diet. Also the issue of fast food and takeaway food will be addressed.

The G3 Restaurant Blog will also identify the different range of diets present in society. A number of the most common ones are shown in the blog poll. The results from the blog poll will be reviewed and we will talk about some of the diet options available to these groups. 

Bon appetit!