Lean Chicken Or the Egg White...

Cultural norms versus exposure.

In this section of our delve into Food Systems, we will be looking to understand the connection to poor eating habits, grocers and culture. 

This is important, as these three play an intricate role in behavior change and asking the chief question; which one lays at the center of the problem? Grocers play a vital role in the health of our communities, this being said, we play a even more vital role in our health - meaning that at the epicenter of our health, it is our responsibility to be healthy. However, considering the systems, barriers, policies and environments in place, that's easier said than done at times. 
The questions I will be asking in this section are does culture perpetuate what foods are available in our local markets, or food deserts; or is it the lack of exposure to the right foods that shape our understanding of what we should eat? The idea that communities in need purchase poorer quality food and have higher prevalence to obesity begs the questions of whose driving here? 

We will jump right back into The Grocery Gap for more information and answers to guide this discussion. 

In the first scenario, we can see a community purchasing foods that are poorer in nutritional value based on factors of interesting in the type of food, or cultural connections. To be a little more clear, culture consists not only of heritage, but also understanding, perception, experiences and beliefs. These also don't have to have generational ties or have been present over multiple generations. This would paint that the behaviors in food selection are based on customer demand. 

I find this argument interesting; for the fact that in areas of need store owners (whether supermarket, or local corner store) are being guided by their customers to supply the products they are most interested to purchase. This scenario would also incite such ideas of education to the community on what to buy, and why, being the most effective way to change how and what the store owner buys to stock his or her shelves. 

In juxtapose, another scenario brings the idea that the store owner, based on designs and structures unknown (or not mentioned in the article), only supplies the communities in need with poor quality food, thus conditioning and rewiring eating behaviors and limiting how these communities connect or identify with healthy foods. 

This argument, in my mind, lacks a why. However, I do understand the system of racism and the model of perpetual poverty design. The lack of grocery stores in urban and rural areas has more to do with access to paying customers, cost of doing business and resources, as it does with poor equity. If poorer communities do not have the same buying power, or access to resources, the business decision seems calculated. However, this isn't by any means saying that the research doesn't show that there are gross inequities and that if you expose these populations to the produce and foods that are healthy, they will in fact eat it. 

If food deserts had greater access to healthy foods would that solve the issue? Or possibly having more grocery stores or supermarkets established in low-income areas would bolster healthy eating and weight loss? Or would giving communities more education on healthy eating and the benefits of produce, whole wheat and low-fat milk drive local markets to focus on providing healthier foods to buy? 

Cultural norms are very deep seeded and highly influential; that coupled with supply and demand, makes for a very difficult task to shift ideals on food, health and nutrition. However, exposure allows for new experiences, ideas and opportunities, allowing access to healthy foods could spark behavior change and pandiculation to better nutrition. The latter, of course, coupled with education - As in the words of Maya Angelou, "You can't do better, unless you know better", has shown to be very successful. 

The article mentioned the positive effect of higher produce purchased with the exposure of fresh fruits and vegetables in low-income communities of need, even when controlling for all the variables. If knowledge can change behavior, primarily when complimented with factors such as support, follow up, reinforcement and incentives, it is possible to argue that exposure has a greater impact on culture, than culture has on exposure. 

If you don't move on purpose, you will get lost on purpose.  - Jason Gillette 

Your Absences Makes Me Grow...

In our first entry into our food system, we will be looking at our local grocers and their impact on our health. It is not doubt that obesity and food go hand in hand; and why not, obesity is largely caused by consuming larger quantities of food.

So, the questions I had when reading more about this topic were: 1) is the presence of a local grocer a factor in obesity? 2) Is this a fruit or root (no pun intended) issue, where culture and knowledge drive the intervention as one is the byproduct or cause of the other. Also, does what drive sales drive product selection?

The term "food desert" has been used when defining areas, whether urban or rural, that have little to no access to nutritious foods. Though, these areas have access to food, in many cased the food is of little nutritional value and also high in salt, fat and sugar.

We will delve into the first question more deeply in this grocer section and see the many angles it has and how we can best think about the issue and its possible solution. From a prelusive perspective, culture, knowledge, and income are large factors that impact the availability of food. Or, is it the other way around?

I'm excited to continue learning and read more into the food system and how the grocer plays an intricate part in our health, obesity and community.

"If we do not move with purpose, we will get lost on purpose."

It's Alive!

From the depths of absence and distractions I return... It's been far too long and so much has happened in the time elapsed. So with little excuse for the delay and less time explaining why, let's get right back on board with more Movement Of The Mind.

Waking up can be hard, but is necessary... I think

As  a recap, MOTM is all about looking with the intent to better understand or hoist a different perspective towards your current thinking to facilitate deeper discussions, or paradigm shifts. My aim is to help you (and me) look at health in a way that impacts behavior (the Mind) which would spur change in how we address our health (the Movement).

So let's go. I left one series incomplete and will leave that as is. I'd like to begin anew; I'd like to start with looking at our food systems, what ails us as a society and the respective relations between them. I plan to look at five areas within our food systems (of which we could construct graduate level courses, but let's keep it surface for now) that impact society. These areas are:

- Grocers
- Student lunches
- Dining
- Demographic/Mapping
- Money

Again, of these we could pontificate to no end, but MOTM is about fostering stronger conversations and allowing for perspectives (without adding value) to permeate our understanding and build on current knowledge, or dispel common ignorance.

In our first area of Grocers, there are a lot of misconceptions, even for me, that I am interested in learning more about. This entity plays a vital role in the food system that shapes our lives, communities and our health. Objectively, I'd like to aid in assisting all of us to be more informed about what we need, where to find it and how to advocate for your own health.

So, we will delve into how Grocers operate, what is their objective, and empower us to look at them differently (again, without adding value). MOTM is all about health, I feel that our health is the main thing that we need to be better, feel better and deliver better to everyone we encounter in our lives. So, looking at our local grocer and relating that to how we need to think to in turn be healthier seems right up MOTM's alley!

I am excited to reembark on this journey and am eager to grow my fan base [...crickets chirping...], but this blog is for me primarily to learn more and build my knowledge base to be the best as what I do. So...

LET'S LEARN!

Happy 2016 everyone, let's make this one count!