Hw 26 - Looking Back & Forward In Unit

Insights:
- Health care systems are based solely on making a profit as opposed to the greater medical good of the people they are insuring.
- The U.S spends more money per person, per year on health insurance, yet in other countries such as England, less money is spent per person, per year and their citizens live longer, and have better success with their health care. (Sicko by Michael Moore)
- Although illness and dying are inevitable aspects of each of our lives, in our society, it is still a business of power, wealth and establishment. (i.e. doctors vs patients, health care companies vs citizens)
- Doctors treat patients as best they can, while also adhering to what the patients want as well as what they need. However, they have a preference and try to persuade the patients to share the same preference as them.

Out of the multiple sources we've gone through for this unit, the most helpful to me have been what I've seen so far from the film "Near Death". Although we have explored a lot on the people who encounter the problems with losing someone, or their own sickness, we haven't gone through the other side of the illness and dying "system", the doctors who treat sick patients. In "Near Death" I've gotten deeper insight into the doctors, and learned about how they go about treating illness and dying, they want to satisfy the patients needs along with their wants, however a lot of persuading and strategy is used as well.

I feel that we should explore deeper in to other institutions of illness and dying, and specifically, nursing homes. With "Sicko" we've explored the subject on a political level, and somewhat personal level; in "Near Death" we are exploring the subject from a doctors/patients aspect, and a major area we have left to explore is from the perspective of the elderly. I feel it is important to identify differences in the people who are old and sick, and, old and dying, from the people who are plagued at a relatively young age such as Morrie, from "Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom. To explore deep in to how nursery homes operate, we can search for a good book or film that identifies with nursery homes as well as "Near Death" did for hospitals. We can analyze the film/book and discuss it to gain an additional aspect on the subject of illness and dying.

Hw 25 - Response To "Sicko"

The movie "Sicko" is not a story about people without health care, but about people with health care. Comparisons are being made throughout the entire movie between the universal health care of other countries, such as Canada, England and France; and the United States.  The film exploits how the U.S.'s health care companies operate for their own profit, by rejecting thousands of people for their health needs. "Sicko" also explores the societies' views on their health care along with their thoughts about other countries' health care systems.


Evidence: 
1) Michael Moore used the fact that health care companies paid political activists to stay quiet and stop advocating for universal health care. 
This is important for Moore's argument because it shows that health care companies are aware that they are operating for profit over the well being of the people they're insuring. They pay off the politicians who advocate against them to get rid of any threat before they can no longer handle it, such as Hilary Clinton; who was paid over $800,000 to stay quiet.


2) Moore used doctors as a piece of evidence for his claim. He used a doctor who testified that denying health care, gave him a bonus, and that the same was true for every doctor working at his hospital.
By using this evidence, Moore has direct evidence from a doctor who works for the very same government that denies universal health care. 


Moore's response on CNN was fueled by the fact that CNN itself has its own bias on the health care situation in America, and he was bringing up that they would of edited his interview to make them look better, and that he wanted an apology for CNN's criticisms on Moore's film "Sicko".


According to (Wikipedia.org) Dr. Sanjay Gupta's claim that America spends about $6,096 per person, per yea on health care, is not entirely correct, but very close. Wikipedia stated that in the same year as Dr. Gupta's claim (2007) America spends $6,714 per person, per year on it's citizens' health care. Moore's claim seems disproven, since he stated on the CNN interview that the number is well over $7,000. Both Moore's and Dr. Sanjay Gupta's claims were inaccurate, however Gupta's claim was closer to the number given on Wikipedia.


 Sicko by Michael Moore strongly shifted my views on illness and dying. Prior to watching the film, I've never thought about my health care, I knew I had it, but I never imagined what if I didn't? Or what about the many other people who don't have health insurance? The strongest concept that the film made apparent to me, was that our health care system in the U.S., is for profit, and that as Americans we need to be aware of this. It was an amazing insight to me, that people's lives can be in the hands of companies that want their money before they offer it to you, even if it'll save your life. 

Hw 24 - Illness & Dying Book, Part 3

Tuesdays With Morrie
Mitch Albom
Published by Doubleday
Year of Publishing: 1997


It seems to me that Mitch Albom wrote this book with the intent on changing the way people view death. He took the reader on a journey that started with his healthy college professor, and ended with his demise. Throughout this journey, Mitch illustrates how Morrie seemed to slide easily in to his new life as a dying man. The wisdom of Morrie, and the unique point of view that he has on dying gets passed on to Mitch. Throughout the book, every so often a flashback of one of Mitch's classes with Morrie would be displayed to an even deeper analytical perspective of both Morrie and Mitch as Morrie faces his condition head on. An overarching theme of "Tuesdays With Morrie" can be that, even with the withering of your body, can come the strength of your heart and mind. Morrie is the perfect advocate for this theme. 


(Page 161) Morrie says: "Ted, this disease is knocking at my spirit. But it will not get my spirit. It'll get my body. It will not get my spirit."
This quote directly connects to my overarching theme, that even with the withering of your body, can come the strength of your heart and mind. Through the dozens of aphorisms  that Morrie has shared with Mitch, he seems to always make sure that the message of mind over body is stated. This quote was  said to Ted Koppel during Morrie's last interview with Nightline, and even during his worst times of his condition, he manages to still state that he will not let it get his spirit. 


(Page 167) Morrie says: "Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Don't wait, Mitch. Not everyone gets the time I'm getting. Not everyone is as lucky."
This quote was the second time in which Morrie used the word "Lucky"  to describe his situation, Mitch always questioned this, and in my opinion he is referring to the time he has. After his diagnosis, Morrie has had over 6 months to put his own ending on his life. He got the opportunity to spread wisdom and inspiration, and spend his last months with a person he cares greatly for, Mitch. A lot of people don't get a diagnosis that gives them time to choose there ending without being in a hospital, and Morrie was blessed with that chance. That can be described as lucky. 


(Page 175-176) Morrie says: "Lets see . . . I'd get up in the morning........." - " And then I'd go home and have a deep, wonderful sleep." 
This was the reply that Morrie gave to Mitch after he asked him what would a perfect day be for him if he was healthy. Stunned by the average response Morrie gave him, Mitch questioned it initially, and than realized that the sum of Mitch's aphorisms all lead to a greater message, that life shouldn't be occupied by material things such as exotic meals and trips around the world, but by relationships and the love that people should have for each other.


After finishing the book, and gathering in all of its messages, I believe that the books portrayal of illness and dying during the final - third of the book is, that dying does not mean the end of you entirely. The purpose of life is to build up things around you that do not "Die" with you. Inspire people, inform people, help people, and according to Morrie, love people. Illness and dying should not be viewed of as the end of everything, it should be viewed of as a test for what you have left behind. If you've lived your life to the fullest (according to the books portrayal) than your death should reveal the love you've left behind.  As Morrie said himself "Death ends a life, not a relationship" (Page 174).

Hw 23 - Illness & Dying Book, Part 2

Tuesdays With Morrie
Mitch Albom
Published by Doubleday
Year of Publishing: 1997


For the second- third of the book, Morrie's condition has worsened, meanwhile his "mind" and "soul" as he would say it, was just fine. Through his worsening condition, Morrie's calm demeanor seems to be providing Mitch with some much needed time to reflect on himself and take in even more of Morrie's life lessons. To sum it up the most simple way; along with the progression of Morrie's ALS, came the progression of Mitch's mind. 


(Page 116) Morrie says: "It's like going back to being a child again. Someone to bathe you. Someone to lift you. Someone to wipe you. We all know how to be a child. It's inside all of us. For me, it's just remembering how to enjoy it." 
Morrie is connecting his dependency on others and Charlotte, to being a child again. He is putting  his dependency in a positive spot for him.  


(Page 101) Charlotte says: "There's already so much food. He hasn't eaten any from last time."
I found this quote to be extremely significant because it was one of the first signs of Morrie's ALS slowly draining his life away. This was one of the first indicators to both Mitch, and the reader that Morrie is actually dying. This quote was almost a reality check on the actuality of Morrie's condition. 


(Page 126) Morrie says: "There's a big confusion in this country over what we want versus what we need,"...."You need food , you want a chocolate sundae"
I find that this quote by Morrie basically means Americans have a tendency to be materialistic, and go above and beyond what they need, and get a refined, upgraded version of what they need just to make them happier for the moment. This  message in particular can be directly connected to Mitch, because Mitch valued the power and money he gained with his job. He chose everything job related over the traditional values in his life, such as his family and even Morrie himself. I believe without a doubt, that Morrie intended to get this message in particular through to Mitch, and that Mitch got this message across the strongest of all of Morrie's messages.


In the second- third of "Tuesdays With Morrie", I feel that the portrayal of illness and dying has shifted slightly. Initially illness and dying was portrayed as something you need to make a positive out of, and do the best with your situation, however; now it seems that the insights Morrie is giving to Mitch is giving Morrie a deep sense of responsibility and relevance. I believe the message that "Tuesdays with Morrie" is sending across according to illness and dying is, with the rest of your time, it is necessary to hand down the information and experience that your life (along with illness and dying) has given you to a person worthy of the information. Mitch is this important person for Morrie. Morrie is aware of his allotted time, and feels that it is his responsibility to give Mitch every bit of wisdom and knowledge he has, in hopes that Mitch will do the same for someone else.   

Hw 22 - Illness & Dying Part 1

Tuesdays With Morrie
Mitch Albom
Published by Doubleday
Year of Publishing: 1997

During the chapter, "The Classroom", Mitch comes to the realization that his old professor, Morrie is an overnight media magnet. After the infamous "Nightline" interview that Morrie was the subject in, he was the target for many other interviewers and took the interest of many people after his diagnosis of ALS. Mitch criticizes himself as a man who is in want of nothing more than money and power, his values weren't as deep as Morrie.

(Pages 32-33) - Morrie said, "People see me as a bridge. I'm not as alive as I used to be, but I'm not yet dead. I'm sort of . . . in -  between."  This quote demonstrates that Morrie feels as if he can't be alive since he is soon to die, but not dead since he is still grasping on to life.

(Page 38) - Mitch said, "I promised I would, and I tried not to think about the last time I promised this."
Mitch said this after Morrie told him to visit him again, Mitch knows that he had let Morrie down once before already and has remorse for it. Mitch knows the type of person he is now, yet doesn't seem to necessarily be proud of it.

(Page 61) - Morrie said, "Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel."
This quote can be changed to an overarching theme. Applying this quote to Mitch, you can say that Mitch initially looked at Morrie as an old man dying and withering in to nothing, and suffering the entire time. However it is not until Mitch spends more time around Morrie, that he realizes that Morrie is not thinking about what he sees in the mirror, but more of what he feels inside.

The way that Tuesdays With Morrie portrays illness and dying, is through positivity. Morrie doesn't emotionally wither up and quit during his last months of life, instead he chooses to spread his insight and thoughts for the end of his life. This is pretty similar to how my family has handled illness before death. A very distant relative through marriage, had a lump in her breast found and during the time before they biopsied it, she chose to be much more at peace and giving to others. Both my relative and Morrie used the fear of death to give them much more value for their lives.

Hw 21b - Expert #1 - T/V comments.

To Jessica C. :


You should add some of your own insight, include your perspective. Explain a connection you may have to her situation, and if you don't have one than you can use a friends loss as an example. Just try to give a connection.




To Lora :


I think you did very good with your list of Ms Woods important insights, but just try to proofread your blog before you post it. "In-brace" should be embrace, on your list "Ounce" should be once, etc, and "granited" should be granted.

Hw 21 - Expert #1

List of Important insights shared by Ms Wood
- Her and her husband initially had no health insurance
- "Honeymoon from death"
- The idea of time passing by much quicker after her husband's diagnosis

The term that she used for the time passing by after her husband's diagnosis was "Snowballing", with reference to time passing by quick. I can deeply connect to this because I have had the sense of time passing by rapidly upon tragic news. Although just my pet, when I was 7 years old my beloved dog started growing ill. My grandmother took her in to the vet, and after tests and observations, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer. My dog was very old so she was on borrowed time before the diagnosis, however once I heard that she won't live for much longer, I wanted time to slow down so much just to get the most out of every last second but time did just the opposite. I felt that one day passing, was equal to three or four days prior to my dog's diagnosis. So I fully understand what Ms Wood meant when she said  "Time was snowballing".

I find her idea of health insurance something I think about whenever I'm at a doctors appointment. Ms wood and her husband had no health insurance available to them at first, which seems unacceptable for any American citizen, but it was a harsh reality in her case. Whenever I am at a clinic, and my grandmother goes to the front desk to handle the paperwork and sign in, the clerk behind the desk always asks her "What type of health insurance?" and my grandmother responds "Affinity". As a child, I  never thought about it, but as I grew older and learned about health insurance, I always find myself asking, what if I didn't have health insurance? How much money would be spent on my doctors visits? How much would have to be sacrificed? I grew opinions on health insurance, and to this day, I believe everyone that is a U.S citizen should have health insurance with no tolerance for the lack of it. Health insurance was always taken for granted by me, but listening to Ms Woods' story, I am thankful for having health insurance and can't imagine the struggle she went through.

Ms Woods' presentation pushed me to think more about the time that we have available with our loved ones and that we should make the most out of it. On a deeper level, I now find myself more prepared for the realization that although someone of astronomical importance and significance to you has become ill or passed away, the world isn't going to change around it. The world moves on, cars keep moving in traffic, stores stay open, emergency rooms get ready for the next set of people coming in, nothing changes.

Hw 19 - Family Perspectives On Illness & Dying

I questioned my grandmother using my personal opinions about illness and dying as a control, and using my grandmother as almost an experiment. I asked her, "Do you think illness and dying is talked about that much in society?" My personal opinion on this topic, was that it was actually avoided many times, and the topic of illness and dying makes people feel uncomfortable so they choose not to mention it when it isn't necessary. To round up what my grandmother stated, she thinks that people don't want to be reminded of the fact that death and illness exists everywhere around them. She also strongly felt that most people don't like to talk about death/illness because it almost always reminds them of a tragedy that has happened or is happening now within their family and friends.

My grandmother and I also agreed on one thing, however. We both felt that death and illness is an issue that people like to isolate from the living. An example my grandmother used, were cemeteries. The idea I believe she was trying to get at was that most cemeteries are out of the city, and never surrounded by much civilization, they're hardly any buildings neighboring cemeteries. I agreed with her because I feel as another good example, would be Elderly "homes" which are never seen in the city, nor come in much contact with the rest of society.

I believe the most interesting insight that my grandmother made, was that although cemeteries, along with hospitals and elderly institutes are companies, and offer jobs and are large organizations they never have advertising. You never see a commercial air for Beth Israel Hospital or a cemetery. Why would any television network want to air a commercial advertising something on a topic as negative as death and illness? Why is it that two of the inevitable things in life (death/illness) aren't advertised or spoken of widely in society?

HW 18 - Health & Illness & Feasting

During this Thanksgiving with my family, feasting and the idea of eating a huge meal with many options seemed to be the focus of the holiday. As each family member poured in to the large apartment, they each made a humorous comment about food. During the wait for the food, other pleasures were also being practiced. Once 8 o'clock hit, my oldest cousin Brandon, and his sisters husband both demanded we change the channel to channel 11 for the Jets game. Up until the food was served around 8:30, that's all everyone was watching. When the food was ready to be self-served, everyone wasted no time filling their plates up.

Their was a major background element of death within the family while we were having our thanksgiving celebrations. My Uncles' sister tragically had a miscarriage about a year and a half prior to this thanksgiving. Everyone in the family knew it, and we've mourned her loss with her last thanksgiving and Christmas. Although we all went through the initial shock of her loss already, we knew she was thinking about it, especially as the two new babies of the family were running around. During this Thanksgiving however, it can be said that the pleasures of being with the family, and feasting together while watching the football game, can be a source of comfort for her, and in many cases with death and illness, food is usually a comforter. The nutrition of the food was not a major concern for us, the major chefs of the family, my uncle, my aunt and my uncles mom, just wanted to create a meal with tons of taste and to fit what we all liked to feast on. My family is relatively healthy, so nutrition was not a concern for just that one day of gorging.

This thanksgiving seemed to be somewhat contradictory of the normal Anti body and body-centered social practices. Along with the other teens in my family, we all were actually working out with the tons of equipment my uncle filled the apartment with. In relativity to last years' thanksgiving, we all on average ate about one full medium sized plate of food, whereas I can remember from last year, that we on average ate about double that, and filled our plates as much as possible twice. Although we weren't making a conscious effort to eat smarter, it seemed like a subliminal message to eat healthier. 

Hw 17 - First Thoughts On The Illness & Dying Unit

Throughout my 17 years of life, I've gone through a couple of damaging losses. My uncle, Manny when I was just five, and my dog, Raven when I was 11. Amongst those major losses, I've heard of a few deaths that occurred with my more distant relatives, to go along with the losses, my entire family almost, has gone through a health scare. My uncle, was diagnosed with diabetes recently and my grandmother had a breast cancer scare.

Speaking entirely on my experiences, I believe that illness and dying in society is a pattern that people have learned to follow. I believe this pattern starts off with the initial shock and pain of a loss/diagnoses, followed by the realization of what has to change around the situation. After the changes have been put in to place, I have observed that people tend to continue their mourning and reflect back on the situation, and than once the mourning and shock period is over (However long it might be) the ones affected by the loss/diagnoses, continues on with their life. I am a great example of this pattern. When my dog Raven died, I had a long period of pain, and mourning, after a few months I than had to realize the changes around me that would take place, the realization that no dog will greet me at the door, the improved cleanliness of the house, etc. After that, the changes were put in to affect, and over time I continued life uninterrupted.

Although I've always had my own views on death/illness, I was always swayed slightly by both society and my family. Society has always shown me that dying should be a celebration of the accomplishments and the past of the person who passed while they were alive. I still up to this day find that to be ignorant. Why should someone be celebrated when they die, but not when they're alive? Does death make them a better person? Why does it take the worst case scenarios of death and illness to celebrate ones life? The news especially makes announcements of celebrities or important figures in the world, passing on and than usually plays a tribute or a montage of the persons past accomplishments. Society makes a passing almost a time for celebration and respect. My family almost taught me the opposite. I was told by my grandmother and my aunt as a child that; "They're in a better place now", "Don't worry about it, just keep moving on.". It seemed that they wanted me to acknowledge the death but not to celebrate it, but to put it in the past and continue on. Society's view and my family's views on the topics of dying/illness have helped give me my interpretation of the topics as something to understand, respect and acknowledge, but not to have as a distraction or an obstacle in continuing my life.

In general, what I've always found more interesting than people getting sick and dying, is the infinite opportunities and chances for death and illness to strike around every single person
 lives every single day. A simple walk to the corner store has infinite risks of death/illness, the walk down the stairs can result in a trip that leads to a head injury, if you manage to make it down the stairs alive, what about the hundreds of murders that occur daily in your neighborhood? Once you avoid the risks of getting attacked by a criminal, what about the actual groceries you get from the store? Who are you to know if the produce you've just brought doesn't have fatal bacteria on them? Now, lets not even talk about the small street you have to cross on the way back home. This very small scale example, produces tons of opportunities for accidents to occur, yet most people don't acknowledge this fact, no one chooses to live their lives worried about every time they walk down the street, or take a bath, or even play there favorite deadly sport. From what I've noticed around me, people "act" oblivious to the real world around them that is surrounded with death and illness. The main idea I have on illness and dying is that, the only reason people react in such a negative and hurt way to illnesses and deaths, is because we put ourselves in a world where nothing will go wrong, until it goes wrong.

Hw 12 - Final Food project 2 - Outline

Thesis: An individual in our culture must recognize and respond to the nightmarish industrial atrocities at the root of dominant social practices in order to live a morally satisfactory life.

Major claim:  According to dominant social practices, an individual must understand the nightmarish industrial atrocities behind their food in order to live a morally satisfactory life.

Supporting claim 1:  Individuals don't have enough financial means nor access to a change in dominant social practices. 

Evidence: Number of farmers markets vs Fast food restaurants.

Evidence: Poverty struck individuals have more fast food than the higher classes.

Evidence: Healthier, Locally grown and organic foods are relatively expensive. 

Evidence: Organic, locally grown and healthy foods are less advertised than unhealthier options.

Supporting claim 2: Individuals' social practices are altered by the government as well as other individuals. 

Evidence: The amount of former Monsanto workers with government involvements. 

Evidence: The Bush organization. 

Evidence: The governments lack of enforcement on safe meat production.

Hw 11- Final Food project 1

For this assignment, I chose to use an experimental approach. I chose to change one of my meals a day to include No meat, and to be a much healthier food choice. The meal I chose to change is breakfast. Prior to the beginning of my experiment, my typical breakfast's consisted of either chocolate chip waffles with syrup and orange juice, 2 eggs with salami and cheese on a roll with orange juice, or a very sugary cereal such as Froot Loops or Captain Crunch. For this experiment and hopefully permanently, I am having either    wheat toast with a banana and orange juice or 2 egg whites without cheese on wheat bread with orange juice. With the change in my diet, I feel much safer and at east mentally with the knowledge that I am having a healthy breakfast, and I know eventually the physical changes will be apparent.
During the food unit, I've learned more about the industrial process behind producing meat and the dominant discourses behind having such unhealthy food such as Mcdonalds over fresh vegetables and fruit.   My experiment is directly linked to what I've learned in this unit, because I intended to put myself in the category of healthier dietary habits and to see if its effects on my body are worth the change for.
I can safely say already within a week of my experiment, that I've learned even a small step to better eating habits, such as mine can really make a difference in a short time, and in the long term, it will pay off even more, for you and the environment.
The idea of eating healthy to help the environment is important for the entire world, because industrial farms that produce the meat that we consume through mostly fast food, can be rendered almost useless if people chose healthier ways to eat, and stopped promoting the need for fast food restaurants.

Hw 10 - Food, Inc. Response

In Food, Inc, the main ideas are the overwhelming dominance that fast food industries have on the food aspect of the economy, and the image that food industries are trying to project to the public.
The movie offers deeper analysis on the negative aspects of fast food factories, throughout the entire movie, only the negative aspects of industries were shown from the way they treat the animals to the way they treat the workers. However, the book, "Fast Food Nation" shows both sides of the spectrum, not only are the way the corporations run their business shown, but also the success of the owners of McDonald's are shown also. The movie does offer more points of view from different people, than Fast Food Nation.
I feel almost scared, that the fast food industries that are so "Bad" and "unhealthy" for you are so powerful and dominate so much of the economy and the worlds meat distributors. I also find it very interesting that the government knows so much about the way that fast food industries treat their workers and animals, yet, just because of the power the industries have, the government chooses to act almost neutral in the matter.
A few questions that still remain for me, are; If the consumer chooses to eat healthy, organic and locally grown food, won't the fast food industry try to change to appeal to the consumers wants and needs? What would need to be done, if anything, to get the government to change the way fast food industries manage their workers and animals?

Hw 6 - Food Diary

      Over the past 48 hours, I have had almost identical meal sets between the two days. Breakfast on both days was Whole wheat toast with a cup of orange juice, I had no lunch yesterday nor today, yesterdays dinner was General Tsaos chicken with white rice from the local chinese restaurant, and todays dinner was a Chicken and bacon ranch with lettuce from Subway. I had no junk food in between and drank nothing but orange juice for breakfast, and water with everything else. My serving sizes were quite large for both my dinners but small for breakfast. I believe my calorie intake was pretty normal, around the recommended 2000 calorie limit.
      The meals I chose were all among my favorite foods, so its obvious i enjoyed the smell, taste and texture of all the foods. My breakfast's which consisted of two slices of Whole wheat toast and about 10 ounces of orange juice are a relatively new breakfast that I'm now used to. I decided to switch from an egg sandwich or chocolate chip waffles every morning to a breakfast that i feel good about eating every morning, and that is much healthier for me. In all honesty, It feels much better knowing you're eating healthy rather than enjoying an unhealthy food with slightly better taste. Lunch has always been a sketchy meal to me. I have days when I eat lunch and days that I don't, however, my reason for skipping lunch the past two days is that I am still contemplating on what to substitute my usual lunch at Mcdonalds with. My dinners are something that I have trouble making healthy. I usually have take-out food for dinner from a local restaurant, and I believe this is a very common trend in American, and especially New York. Most of the people I know, and most of my family that i don't live with, order something from either a deli, the chinese restaurant or the local pizza place.
      In my opinion, healthier options should be just as accessible and common as "normal" foods. There should be a "Healthy" or "under 500 calories" section on a menu, there should just be a menu that is all around healthy, healthy foods just need to be less taboo.  The food I picked to eat over the last 48 hours were chosen mostly by habit. My breakfast has become a habitual meal of whole wheat toast and orange juice, and my lunch's and dinner's are take-out by habit. I chose the specific lunch's and dinner's on a normal day mostly based on how convenient it is for me, and my time restrictions. Altogether I feel good about my choice of food, however I feel that I can improve my dietary habits slightly more, specifically when it comes to dinner. Once I change that, I can feel 100% confident in my food choices.

Hw 5 - Dominant Discourses Regarding Contemporary Foodways in the U.S.

      The dominant discourses that apply to food ways in America is vaguely; healthy food is all you should eat, and fatty food and fast food is what you shouldn't eat. In mainstream society ( Modeling, commercials, and most food advertisements) being healthy due to food is the way to go. When it comes to advertising in the food industry, there is no company that doesn't show its healthy options. Even Mcdonalds for example; with all the negative assumptions placed on them, and the amount of awareness that the people who eat at Mcdonalds have about their food, they still dare to advertise their low-calorie options such as smoothies or a Filet-O-fish over their notorious Big Mac. Why is eating healthy the dominant discourse on food in America, when more Americans are obese than ever before?
      Dominant discourses are also quite contradictory, Why is it that even though a Dominant Discourse on food ways in America is, healthy food is what you should eat instead of fast food, Than why is it that vegetarians are looked down at? Aren't vegetables the healthiest option of food? Is it perhaps that healthy food is the dominant discourse, but still has to be looked at as "Normal" in society? It makes perfect sense, the media and food companies are who set the standard and dominant discourses on food, and they wouldn't want to advertise something as drastic as an all vegetable diet, therefore they throw in a healthier way of having your favorite meal, and there you have it, a "Normal" healthy meal that is excepted in society and is within the limits of the dominant discourse.
       A person who is very educated about food ways in America, and about what is the norm for food eating, would be looked at as a perfect example of what an American should be eating like. The dominant discourse on food, would be perfectly exemplified by that educated American. Dominant Discourses on contemporary food ways in America are that, everything you eat should be healthy, and that fast foods are bad. The media and food companies themselves are what create it, and we Americans are who should abide by those expectations.

HW 4 - Your Families' Foodways

    Up until I reached the age of 13, I ate almost entirely only what was put on my plate by my grandmother. I grew accustomed  to whatever it was that my grandmother fed me. She carved out my ideas of food, and of what I liked. However, at the moment our ideas of food are polar opposites. My grandmother looks at food as being something you eat to fill you up, and satisfy your hunger regardless of it's nutritional value. I, on the other hand feel like you should eat when your hungry, however I believe that the meal you choose should be a healthy meal that satisfies you as opposed to filling you up.
    I look at myself as a good example of someone who grew up with the same exact views of food as the person who raised them, but  than grew into someone who developed their own ideas, with their own knowledge of different foods. I believe that their are many Americans, who even as adults base their diets on what they grew up with. This is definitely a trend that is amongst all Americans, the real question is if these people change their dietary habits based on new things they learn about food. The media and the society around us is what changes most peoples' views on food and how they should eat.
The people who raise us are the people who set a standard for what we should eat for the rest of our lives. It is up to us to keep consistent with those ways of eating, or to change based on the influences around them.
    Overall, parents/guardians have arguably the strongest influence on what we eat, as children we don't know what is "Healthy" for us, we think food makes us big and strong and that's it. It's with knowledge that we grow older with different eating habits, which in my case is what occurred

HW # 3 Fast food insights, and green market realizations

In New York, the society thrives around the idea of convenance, and price. Is it easier to pick up a quick $6 meal that tastes good and fills you? or a few bunches of broccoli and kale for the same price?  Would you rather spend 2-3 minutes eating the very same meal you just paid for? or spend an additional 10-45 minutes preparing your own meal from the fresh vegetables you just got from the green market?
When it comes down to it, the fast food market thrives on the idea of getting attention in order to attract customers. As our class noticed on a field trip to the McDonalds on Union Square; they have small decorative flags in the front, big signs advertising themselves on the windows, colorful eating space, and even an ATM machine. "The food tastes good", a simple short quote from a man enjoying a McDonalds breakfast sandwich. Mcdonalds makes it seem as there is no excuse for why you shouldn't be able to drop by for a quick order of your favorite 600 calorie burger.
The green market however, has an almost conservative approach. All of the vendors there who ranged from egg and cheese vendors to fruits, vegetables and even wool, simply set up there tents, tables, a sign or two, and than sat back and waited for the customers to come to them. One can say that, whereas the green market vendors waited for the consumers to make the effort for their goods, McDonalds makes the effort for you, and tries to handle all of your needs. Making the battle for convenance easily won by McDonalds, But the final question that has yet to be answered is, Why in a battle for convenance, the unhealthier option is in the lead?