Reflection: Stanford Mindful Eating Specialization
I recently completed a specialization on food sustainability and mindful eating delivered by Stanford Online and realized how the food industry changes us and cuts us away from our health. Below is my reflection on the course with some facts and key takeaways inspired by remarkable experts at Stanford; a huge shoutout to Dr Michael Pollan and Dr Maya Adam.
In developing countries, approximately one third of people are affected by global epidemics of obesity and diabetes, both diet-related. We come into this world hard-wired to love food — it’s a deep part of our history and cultural heritage. Unfortunately, food manufacturers are damaging our relationship with food. They, quite understandably, believe in “a reasonable rate of return,” and are rarely concerned about the impact their produce really makes in the long run. Fast and “convenient” food may seem beneficial, yet it is harmful not only to us but also to environmental health, with existing food systems requiring significant changes to encourage the production, processing, packaging, storage, distribution, marketing and retailing, and consumption of foods to be aligned with sustainable diets instead of what we have now. Health and environment are linked, so if we get mindful about what we consume, it improves our well-being a lot. Simple reduction in man-made unsaturated fats that easily flip into transfats can stabilize LDL cholesterol, minimize the risks of arterial plaques and heart disease. On the opposite end of the consumption chain sit global food production systems that are largely responsible for increasing the level of global greenhouse gas emissions and for depleting the Earth’s resources like fresh water and forests. Imagine what will happen to intergenerational health if we continue to support major causes of earth disasters. Modern food, right on.
Over the decades, our society has been gradually forgetting a vital skill — preparing food, cooking. After World War II, the fast food industry expanded in response to the rising need for convenient and cheap food. Now, it has become so deeply rooted in daily life that people consume such a food daily without giving it a second thought and believing it saves time and money. Bad news: it doesn’t. This lack of awareness makes them suffer and spend more: cutting budgets on food they also cut quality of life and eventually increase medical bills. Malnutrition caused by fast food eventually leads to obesity as well as increases the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers (WHO, 2010.) For each dietary factor, the Global Burden of Disease Study by the World Health Organization quantifies that “…a certain percent of each disease could have been prevented if an optimal intake of each component of diet had been achieved.” A healthy diet should contain minimal levels, or none if possible, of pathogens, toxins, and other agents that cause foodborne disease; include wholegrains, legumes, nuts, and an abundance of fruit and vegetables (WHO, 2010). Fast food, on the other hand, is high in calories, and many frequent consumers mistakenly believe they are saving money and feel the taste — but that’s not the case. Fast food is low in nutrient content and just gives fast energy while its nutrient density is low. For a comparison, a bunch of fresh spinach has good nutritional value and low caloric content whereas a burger is an empty shell — it looks like food, tastes like food, but there is nothing real inside. As convenient food consumption has increased, so has the number of people suffering from obesity and diabetes. According to Worldwide trends in diabetes since 1980: a pooled analysis of 751 population-based studies with 4.4 million participants, the number of adults with diabetes in the world increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, 2014).
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“Optimal intake” implies mindful cooking, which might be difficult to arrange for a modern family. Shopping, chopping, storing, and processing do take time. However, these shouldn’t be left to just one person in the family to save time and energy. It’s better to share responsibility among everyone and avoid adverse gender-related impacts, especially when it comes to time allocation for buying and preparing food, water and fuel acquisition (WHO, 2010). This is one of the reasons fast food developed — since the 70s, many people have been so busy working that there’s been no time or energy left for cooking for the family. Still, simple meals at home can be made in an easy, affordable, and enjoyable way to live healthier, improve quality of life, and reconnect with others — even basic cooking skills can make a big difference for your overall well-being. For example, choosing the best available ingredients and preparing them at home yourself can reduce the risk of consuming contaminated foods that are known to cause more than 200 acute and chronic diseases (WHO, 2010). Foodborne hazards include bacteria, virus, fungi, or parasites, and chemicals originated from pollution, processing, or packaging of foods, or occur as natural toxins. According to WHO estimates in 2010, 31 hazards in foods resulted in 600 million cases of illnesses and 420,000 deaths (WHO, 2015). These diseases led to approximately 33 million years of healthy life lost globally, making them as serious as major infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis (Havelaar et al., 2010). In the other words, if you want a good burger, it would be way more sustainable and healthy to make it yourself. At home.
What do you need in your kitchen to easily get cooking going with variety? The world’s top nutritionists would recommend olive oil — one of the best choices of “good” unsaturated fats. Next are garlic and onions. Onions are the basis of so many dishes, and sauteed onions are the first step to an amazing number of meals. They give the meal a nice smell and taste, just like ginger root. Spice collection is another important detail to make food taste special. In addition something sour: vinegar, lemons, and something sweet: sugar, honey, or maple syrup. Eating a variety of foods is more enjoyable than eating the same thing again as it increases our enjoyment. Imagine eating the same fried eggs every morning — in time, you won’t even want to look at them. Interestingly, each subsequent bite is less exciting than the first. Sensitivity Drift explains why the first bite is the most intense, and rich food experience helps with it, too. Eating a variety of food also decreases the potential toxicity of any contaminants that might be found in a single food. We should keep in mind that leading risk factors for NCDs include low intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, milk, seafood n-3 fatty acids, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), calcium and fibre; as well as high intake of red meat, processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, trans fatty acids, and sodium (GBD 2017 Diet Collaborators, 2019). Better food variety starts with better shopping habits, and every home cook who makes tasty and healthy food has these habits. You won’t find truly healthy, nutritious food in supermarket packages with a nutrient label. You will, however, find it at home. When you make it on your own. Eating a variety of food maximizes our nutrient coverage. It is suggested buying fresh fruit and vegetables at least once a week, visiting local farmer’s stands on weekends and choosing seasonal produce. As a storage tip for vegetables, you can try wrapping them in paper towels before putting them in the fridge and using quick-spoiling veggies first, like lettuce, spinach. There are many adults who can’t cook because they don’t have enough time. But there is a solution to this problem: sauteed onions. These are a fundamental base for many recipes. You can chop and freeze onions with vegetables in your free time during the week, and cook whenever you want. This approach works not only with vegetables, but also with other foods. For example, you can prepare and freeze portions of hummus or cooked chicken. These small preparations save time, reduce stress, and help you maintain a nutritious diet even on the busiest of your days.
Food prepared by someone we know and food made in factories often serve different purposes. A person who cooks at home usually wants to provide us with nutrition and make the food taste good while factories are mostly focused on making profits. Ultra-processed food is convenient, and many people consume it without thinking about the consequences for the health or environment, forgetting the values of real food. Processed food can sit on shelves for years thanks to heat treatment, preservatives, additives, and whatnot — all engineered to resist spoilage for convenience, nutrition and freshness set aside. If highly processed food is so low in nutrients, that the pests don’t even want to eat it, how healthy can it be for us? In the world, where over 800 million individuals remain undernourished and about 2 billion suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, there should be no room for unsustainable eating habits. Introduction of mindful eating can not only support functioning and physical, mental, and social wellbeing at all life stages for present and future generations but also preserve biodiversity and planetary health, including that of crops, livestock, forest-derived foods and aquatic genetic resources.
