Feminine Food

At the grocery yesterday, I was browsing the aisles of the grocery store when I came across something strange. In the energy bar section, next to the famous Clif Bars, I found something called a Luna Bar: the Whole Nutrition Bar for Women. As a product of Clif Bars, these Luna Bars are specially designed with unique vitamins and minerals for women.

While the idea seemed to have good intentions, this irked me quite a bit. Why should women have to have a different energy bar then men? Why was the original bar made for men, and had to adapted to fit the needs of women? From a feminist lens, this phenomenon can prove to be quite troublesome.

Upon further examination of Luna Bars vs. Clif Bars, the distinctions between the two become quite clear. The packaging says a lot about the product, with Clif Bars bolstering a tough man rock climbing in the mountains, while the Luna Bar displays a calming scene with night skies and people doing yoga. For a company to have to tone down the so called 'manliness' of their original product to fit the needs of women shows the male domination of this industry.

It seems as though most foods are geared towards one gender over another. For example, a nice and juicy steak is considered a manly food, while a chopped salad is considered feminine. A man would be caught dead ordering a light salad for their dinner, while a woman would most definitely frowned upon if she were to order a large steak. In many languages, such as French and Spanish, all nouns, including all foods, are assigned their own gender. This may be interesting to examine: are the gender assignments in other languages reflective of their societal tendencies?

In French, the word salad is in fact feminine: la salade. And as you might guess, the word steak is masculine: le bifteck. This shows that our language matches the way this food is thought of. Maybe the language usage has something to do with it and maybe it doesn't, but all I know is that the way in which we speak about things certainly reflects their societal norms.

Peace out, and rock on.

Counting Calories

My best friend has just begun an incredibly daunting task: counting calories. Whatever the end goal may be, from losing weight to looking good for spring break, we soon learned that counting calories can take over your life. No more random snacking throughout the day, no more chocolate chip cookies, and no more late night snacks.

When you count your calories, you become extremely aware of how much you really eat in one day. Everything really adds up by, which made it seemingly impossible for my friend to stay under 1220 net calories a day. She has to record every little thing that she consumes, from every sip of coke to each meal, and is constantly thinking about it.

So this got me thinking. Why does dieting or counting calories take over our lives? Why is it that when we diet, it is all that we think about? What gives it that power?

In short, we are controlled by the food that we eat, and cannot eat for that matter. Most of us who diet or count calories have an end goal in mind, like a specific weight or a size to fit in to, and will do anything, even count every single calorie consumed, to achieve it. I hope that my friend doesn't get too obsessed with counting calories, as it can easily spin out of control.

The thing that can be the most dangerous about counting calories is the guilt that it causes. Having a bowl of ice cream after dinner makes you feel awful when you are finished, or going 100 calories over you limit can ruin your whole day. Guilt or bad feelings can lead to more serious issues that may even risk your life.

So a word of advice, when you decide to count calories or diet, know that you are in control of your food, and your food is not in control of you.

Peace out, and rock on.

Our McDonald's World

Yesterday, I had a chicken nugger Happy Meal for lunch. And a couple of weeks ago, I also had a chicken nugget Happy Meal for lunch. They were practically identical; each had salty, hot fries, and four crisp nuggets complimented with a refreshing Diet Coke. But there was also something starkly different between the two: I had one in India and one at home.

While in India, I craved the comfort of American food, and was overjoyed to to enjoy my happy meal. Somehow, I was able to have the same food in a foreign country that I could at home, and it tasted exactly the same. It seemed odd that I could travel over 7,000 miles to a whole different world and be able to order the same chicken nugget Happy Meal, and I wondered what could have caused this.

Globalization.

Our world is becoming increasingly globalized everyday in almost every aspect of life, including our food. McDonald's, for example, has globalized its business so that one can eat a Big Mac almost anywhere in the world. The phenomenon of the globalization of food brings up many issues, and I would like to address some of them in this post.

First off, the globalization of the food industry can be viewed both positively and negatively. Check out this article for more information on these views. On one hand, the increasing globalization of food can overrun the local and traditional foods of certain areas, becoming overpowered by the presence of the common food in chain restaurants. When custom food or small restaurants are replaced with large, globally recognized chain restaurants, traditions are being threatened. Unique food habits can die out, creating a lack of individuality and an increasing amount of uniformity.

On the other hand, the globalization of the food industry can be viewed as positive change. Globalization can serve as a unifying force, a trend that brings us together all over the world. We can begin to experience the same things, eat the same food, and begin to live in more similar matters. Overall, we are more connected as a planet.

I'm not sure what to think of the globalization of our food industry. It could create problems, it could prevent them, but most importantly, it must be recognized. You may not always be aware that it is happening, but it is. It took me grabbing some fries in India to recognize it, but now I am aware of the power and the influence of global food companies.

My Indian Happy Meal!

Peace out, and rock on.

Weight: a Paradox

Recipe of the Week: Poori - my favorite Indian food from my trip!

During my trip to India, as incredible as it was, one of the most heartbreaking things I experienced was the poverty. It was hard to see little kids running up to me and pull on my shirt, begging for money and motioning to their mouths for food and young mothers using their young babies to evoke one's sympathy and therefore money.

But something that I noticed about the poverty in India was their weight. Everyone was extremely thin, showing evidence of their malnutrition. In addition to this, you could tell which people were wealthy, also by their weight. People with enough money to adequately feed themselves were heavier and sometimes even overweight, while the people in poverty were thin. Now, this isn't always the case, of course, but it seemed to be a general trend.

I found this extremely interesting, because back at home, it seems to be just the opposite. People who don't have enough money to feed themselves are resorted to buying the cheapest foods, which often is unhealthy and heavily processed. On the other hand, wealthy people can afford to buy much healthier foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, and can therefore afford to stay thin.

This trend is not something radically new; in fact it is described in the book The Fattening of America: How the Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters, and What to Do About It by Eric Finkelstein and Laurie Zuckerman. The book covers many, many topics regarding the power and influence of food and obesity in our society today, but relating to this post, it specifically discusses how much cheaper it is to be fat than it is to be thin. In tough economic times, more and more people are turning to the cheapest food out there: unhealthy, greasy, and overall fattening.

A little more about the book, its main message is the link between America's obesity and our economy. According to the authors, obesity is actually improving the economy. The book coined the term "the ObesEconomy" which refers to the new markets and services caused by the increase in obesity.

Overall, I found the book to be extremely informative, giving a new and fresh perspective on the fattening of America, and filled with fun stories from the authors. It is definitely worth the read.

Peace out, and rock on.

Holiday Travels

Recipe of the Week: Hello Dolly Bars - currently in my suitcase!

It has always been my dream to travel to the wonder and beauty that is India. And on Friday, I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to do so with my friend Nirali (check out her blog). We will be staying with her family in Ahmedabad, and also traveling to Delhi and Mumbai, for a total stay of 13 days.

And I couldn't be more excited.

But a lot of preparation goes into a trip like this. I had to go to the doctor to have some vaccines and malaria medication, read up on all the places we are going, and, most importantly, pack my bag. I have already packed the basics: my jeans, t-shirts, toiletries, electronics, and all that miscellaneous stuff that I think that I will need. But amongst this plethora of goods, I have packed something that may seem odd.

Food.

Beside my camera and my reading materials in my carry on, I have a package of pretzel goldfish, a box of fruit leather, and a plastic bag of cookies that my grandma made for me. Typical, processed, American snacks.

For some reason, this stuck out to me. Out of all the things to bring to India, why did I feel that need to bring my own food, food that I was comfortable and familiar with? Why did I need the 'safety net' of processed goods? There would be food in India, good food for that matter, but why did I pack my own?

I have decided that in this situation, I unconsciously needed this type of 'safety net' in my travels. I am going to be thrust in an entirely new world and culture, and I needed something familiar to cling to in times of need. They may just be little goldfish, but to me, they can represent much more.

This idea of a 'safety net' is actually something very relevant to Reading Lolita in Tehran. Author Azar Nafisi finds solace in her literature, books that she knows and loves, and uses them as comfort in hard times. While bombings in Tehran are rampant and a potential harm to her family and loved ones, she simply reads. Reading to her, like bringing that food along with me, provides her with comfort and a seemingly safe environment.

Most people have safety nets, but just in different mediums. For me, it was food. For Nafisi, it was literature. We all like to cling to something of comfort and familiarity, so what is yours? What is your safety net?

Peace out, and rock on.

Panda-monium!

Recipe of the Week: Bok Choy with Ginger

Yesterday, at lunch, I was hungry after a grueling math lecture, and needed something filling. So, upon informing my friends of this, we sped off to Panda Express, a fast food joint that serves Chinese dishes. But as I looked through the glass that covered, at the Orange Chicken, the Krispy Shrimp, and the Beijing Beef, I wondered if this food was really representative of traditional Chinese cuisine. Almost everything here seemed deep fried, seemed unnatural, seemed American.

Now I am not one rat on fast food, trust me, I eat it all the time. But something about this lunch at Panda Express stuck out to me. It was labelled as 'Chinese food,' but seemed American enough to me.

Upon minor research, I discovered that Panda Express was in fact not how people in China eat regularly, and no, they don't constantly eat the deep fried Orange Chicken I had craved for lunch. But this begs a deeper question: what does this scenario represent?

The traditions and customs of another country were brought to America, and were adapted to fit its needs and demands. Americans wanted deep fried meat rather than rice dishes, and that is what they got. Americans want fast, easy, and cheap, and that is just what Panda Express has turned Chinese food into. Panda Express shows us the epitome of Americanization.

This may seem like an awful thing, but I don't view it that way. I wasn't going to Panda Express that day to experience traditional Chinese dishes and culture, and I don't think other people do either. I wasn't expecting food from China, I was expecting my normal, deep fried Orange Chicken. As long as people don't go into Taco Bell believing it is just like real Mexican food or Sbarro believing it is Italian food, this Americanization does no harm. It is only when one's expectations change, when they truly believe that are experiencing another culture, that problems can occur.

So go ahead and order the Sweet and Sour Chicken, but know where it comes from, and what it really represents.

Peace out, and rock on.

Muslim Food: Halal

Recipe of the Week: Check out these traditional Muslim dishes!

We just started reading Reading Lolita in Tehran in our English class, a memoir that takes place in Iran under the regime of the Islamic Republic. The book follows an informal class of women who discuss banned literature, such as works by Jane Austen, Scott F. Fitzgerald, and obviously Vladimir Nabokov. The women all have interesting and different perspectives, often discussing issues that they have with their government, the Islamic rule, and how the post-revolutionary world has affected them.

This got me thinking into the food traditions of Islam in general. The Qu'ran gives Muslims a certain dietary law to follow. According to this law, Muslims can eat what is considered to be pure, clean, and fresh. This is refered to as halal, which literally means permitted. Almost all foods are considered to be halal, and can be eaten freely.

The foods that are forbidden are called haram, which literally means prohibited. Some foods which are considered to be haram include pork, alcohol, or any animals that are improperly slaughtered. These types of foods are forbidden to maintain one's purity and cleanliness.

This dietary law is what the women in Reading Lolita in Tehran live by, which may seem distant to us, but these traditions are not extremely foreign in America. In fact, many religions have a dietary code similar to this one, all in hopes of maintaining one's same purity. Food is prominent in one's religion. For example, it is Jewish dietary code to keep kosher, which allows certain foods and not others like that of Islam.

Through this blog, I have hoped to expose the power and influence of food around the world. In this case, we have seen the role of food in religion, and how Islam has reacted to food in the world. Food can determine one's purity, and therefore food is powerful.

Peace out, and rock on.