Blog #5

This week we talked alot about food. In chapter 5 of Eating the landscape Salmon talks about the benefits of an indigenous traditional diet such as lower cholesterol levels, high in fiber and prevents high blood pressure. Salmon presents the benefits by talking about some of America's highest rated diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity. Salmon states “Cancer and ulcers are virtually unheard of for people who subsist primarily on traditional foods”. Illustrating the healthy diet they consume. The benefits that their diet hold are crucial to any society that wants to maintain healthy. Food is important but the way we consume it is vital.

If the United States was to adapt to the traditional diet there would be millions of American lives saved a year. Thousands of dollars are spend a day at local fast food restaurant. Food advertisements are everywhere from  television , radio, billboards etc if it's not the new deals then it the new bigger and better burger. Americans have been sunk into this fast food world where to the point  parents don't want to drive by a mcdonalds because children as young as two years old are able to recognize it as “ fries”. The mom that's been at work all day has no energy to prepare dinner for her kids so why not pick up something on the way home? The mindset of an average american. Your workplace is surrounded by numerous fast food places and you have no time to go home on you hour break , what does the average american do? Fall into the trap of standing in line ordering a four for four. Fast food places are impossible to avoid there on every corner, in every major building.

Food is critical to the human being but to maintain life you need to eat the right food. This part in this week's reading sttucked to me the most because its a relevant ongoing problem in our society today. Many people don't realize the dangers of food until their in the hospital bed then that is what inspires a healthy eating habits lifestyle to them. This shouldn't be the case. Fast food is good but dangerous when consumed on a regular bases.