Food Frenzy

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A new study found that high magnesium intake aids in lessening fear and anxiety. This discovery could pave the way for anxiety disorders and phobia treatments.

In the October 2011 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience , it was revealed that Magtein, a magnesium compound, could improve one’s cognitive ability to regulate fear and anxiety.

Magtein is a mineral that improves memory decline due to aging and “cognitive dysfunction.” It prevents the loss of synapses, which connect brain cells and create communication in the  brain.

“When the cognitive ability is enhanced, fear responses such as anxiety-like and PTSD-like behaviors, are controlled,” one of the study’s principal scientists, Dr. Guosong Liu, said in a press release.

Magtein is not the only way to increase one’s magnesium; many ordinary foods also contain a good amount of it.  Some foods that are high in magnesium include black beans, raw broccoli, nuts, oysters, scallops, cooked spinach, soy milk, tofu, pumpkin and squash seeds, and whole grain bread and cereal, according to AlgaeCal .

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Most students at Bowling Green State University say they want to eat a diet full of variety and nutrition, but eating healthy food seems to be easier said than done.

Fast-food restaurants are popular choices for students because of their inexpensive food, convenient locations and fast services. Instead of thinking about what is healthy, students usually make decisions based on impulse. That impulse is what leads many of them towards fast food restaurants.

Even though fast food restaurants provide some healthier choices, many customers choose burgers and fries instead, according to an article in The News-Herald .

Many students find it difficult to eat healthy both on and off campus because there is everything from McDonalds to Dunkin Donuts.

“Eating healthy is not always convenient when I am busy with school work,” said geography major Adam Couture, 24, from Fort Wayne, Ind. “There is no time to organize a decent meal.”

Between classes, homework and exams students said they are struggling to find the time and place to eat a healthy meal.

“Everyone is in a crunch and grabs the fastest items available,” said sports management major Zane Langdon, 19, from Akron, Ohio.

Some students eat fast food one to three times a week, while some said they don’t eat fast food at all. Fast food can be an easy fix since it seems to be less expensive, according to an article in The News-Herald. Many students said fast food is cheaper than making a healthy home cooked meal. A few said that it was just the opposite.

Most students considered almost all of fast food restaurants to be unhealthy. Students selected Subway, Pita Pit and Chipotle as the only relatively healthy fast food places around.

A few students said that there are no solutions for fast food menus to become healthier; on the other hand, most students said there was. “It would help if the calories were written on the menu,” said graphic design major Kallie Stuckey, 20, from Fremont, Ind. Other students suggested more high quality food, organic ingredients and better food preparations.

Some students said that there are so many fast food restaurants close to campus that are easily available to them. This becomes a problem when students are in a hurry to grab something to eat because for most of them fast food is the answer.

“Fast food restaurants are convenient money-wise. It just fits,” said psychology major Angel Williams, 20, from Detroit, Mich.

Most students don’t see fast food restaurants as being a negative aspect of college life. They see fast food as a more positive and convenient part of campus.

“The town is built on food, and college and food go hand in hand,” said special education major Alayna Webb, 19, from Ashland, Ohio.

This idea came about in the 1996 book “Eat Right 4 Your Type” that explained a theory that genes as well as blood type are for other proteins in our body and can relate to how our food digests, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.

The theory explains that Type O’s have the oldest blood type. They function best when their diet consists of lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables as well as some intense exercise, beans gluten and dairy products.

On the other hand, Type A’s do best as vegetarians, Type B’s as omnivores and Type AB’s as a combination of both.

Although, there are people who choose this diet as a lifestyle many professionals believe this to be nothing but another healthy alternative, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.

“The premise of the blood-type diet is wrong: The blood-type system, which predates humans, is far more complicated than just ABO,” Dr. Michael Greger, the founder of NutritionFacts.org said in the Chicago Tribune article.

“The connection between blood type and susceptibilities is not strong enough to be meaningful from a medical or public health perspective,” Dr. Ingrid Kohlstandt said in the Chicago Tribune article. Kohlstandt is the editor of the medical textbook “Food and Nutrients in Disease Management” (CRC Press) and an associate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Today nutrition labels are seen as very confusing and complicated to many people when in reality watching what you eat and understanding nutritional values should be much easier.

In a report to federal regulators, the Institute of Medicine http://www.iom.edu/requested an easier labeling system that would include the number of calories and three stars or checks to indicate how healthy that particular food is, according to an article in The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/business/a-plan-to-rate-nutrition-of-food-with-stars.html?ref=food

The stars and checks should be based only on three nutrients: added sugars, sodium and saturated fats or trans fats. Healthy foods can receive up to three stars representing their nutritional value. Foods such as soft drinks and candy will automatically receive no stars or checks because of their unhealthy content. The group chose these three nutrients because they can contribute to illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

“It’s simple,” Alice H. Lichtenstein was quoted as saying in The New York Times. Lichtenstein is a nutrition professor at Tufts University, who served on the committee that prepared the report. “It’s interpretive. People don’t need to look at numbers or do any calculations to figure out what they mean. Three stars are better than no stars.”

The Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Agriculture received the report for the star and check system. The report calls for a new labeling system to replace the old and complex labels customers are so used to seeing today.

The Grocery Manufactures of America, which represent the major food companies, said its members are going to come up with their own plan called Facts Up Front, according to an article in The New York Times. The Energy Star symbol will be used to show that the food meets governmental standards for efficiency.

The F.D.A. wants to improve on the current food labeling system, but does not plan on moving too quickly with the Institute’s idea. The topic of change is currently still being assessed.

Nutrition Labeling System: Pros and cons

Oxfam America is bringing more than 300 events across the U.S. supporting World Food Day on Oct. 16, 2011.

Oxfam America is a relief organization that focuses on solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice. http://www.oxfamamerica.org/ According to an article from http://www.eturbonews.com/25803/world-food-day-marked-300-events-across-us , renowned chefs are donating recipe cards to this organization to encourage conversation during family meals. Their hope is for us to understand where our food comes from and how we can become more sustainable. That is why the theme for this year is “Food Prices- From Crisis To Stability.”

The events that surround World Food Day are happening all around the world. Some of these include “a female food hero being recognized in Tanzania, picnics and breakfasts in Belgium, a youth food competition in Vietnam, cook-offs in Burkina Faso, a rural women’s assembly in South America, and a photo exhibit in El Salvador.”

World Food Day also happens to take place among a famine in East Africa. A documentary titled “View Change: Africa’s Last Famine,” has been created to explain food injustice and solutions for world hunger. The documentary is based on an Ethiopian family and their own solutions including weather insurance and the use of small farmers.

Although programs are being made to address crucial hunger problems some congress members seem to be focusing on the small amount of money from the federal budget. This money goes towards foreign aid for unequal cuts to allow for investments in small holder farmers. Negotiations are being made about the cut in the Congressional budget, however “now is not the time to slash effective programs that deliver more with less. Now is the time to invest in a better, safer, and more prosperous world without hunger,” said Vicky Rateau, Oxfam America’s GROW campaign manager.

Even though we are struggling as a nation to conquer the issue of hunger, World Food Day has made it possible for awareness to be spread. The events taking place all around the world during this day give us hope that change will be accomplished in the near future. World Food Day 2011