The Ethics and Chemistry of Food and Cooking
During the last half of our second semester, we learned about the food industry in its entirety from the fields to the store. In humanities, we watched videos on how we get the final products that are available to us on the store shelf. Including the difference between farms that call themselves organic in more ways than one. In chemistry, we took trips to various places where they showed how the chemical structure of energy changes between physical portrayals. I went to the Fort Lewis College campus to learn more about their food disposal system in which they create discarded food waste into mulch for their gardens.
The choice to combine humanities with chemistry was one that went without error since we were able to translate our knowledge easily between the different branches of education without having to pick up and drop learning from day to day.
Studying food from an academic standpoint was one of my highlights of the year since it is knowledge that will impact my health for a better life. Before the project, I used to think that living the way I am now will not impact me much for my latter life. Afterwards, I am more focused on finding a balance on what I like to eat and what is for the better of me.
Fast Food Fanatic
Ever since I was born, I have been eating fast food, desserts, and triple bacon cheeseburgers. It never occurred to me to think about the process of creating the 2,400 calorie meal that I ate more than once a week. With the reading and viewing of the creation of my desired choice of food, I still would pick the greasy grade F burger than a freshly diced salad. It maybe the fact that I will defend the McDonald’s that is a perfect example of modernism when placed near a 138 year old transportation route. Or is way the way that I was brought up, in a family that had no choice but to purchase the “live happy until your fifty” meal.
My normal food course during a school day consists of: a strawberry Nutri-grain breakfast bar for breakfast, peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich, Kellogg’s rice crispy treat, Nature Valley peanut butter snack bar for lunch, and processed food for diner. I have been living this way ever since I have been in school and during the summer I only ate diner. I have only consumed processed foods all my life and because of it, I don’t think I am missing out on anything special. My life has been shortened by a couple years, but I cannot do anything about it.
When I have my own place, I will be living the same way since I like to save money. Hearing that, you will say that I am a greedy man who just wants to save up to buy his dream car, and that is right, to an extent. Eating to me is just a part of day to day life that cannot change, it is a task that I would like to spend as little effort as I can into it. In other terms, I am not into cooking for many hours just to gobble it down in minutes, I am just a fan of the taste. With the career that I would like to have in the future, this fits perfectly, being on call for a job that averages over twelve hours at the job site. Living by processed food, sounds like a dream where I enjoy every bite of the cheapest meal to me, to others a nightmare of hormones, pesticides, and never ending exercise.
If I was able to, I would like to change my sick habit, to be more healthy and lively like everyone else. Yet it is my stubborn attitude that will put me in the motorized wheelchair for the rest of my life. I like that, eating delicious burgers all day and having dessert at night, I am what I eat. It hurts though, having to find the cheapest choice on the drive thru menu, eating grease that gives my heart a second thought on stopping. Becoming sore with a limp for three days after engaging in simple activities that involve the use of the legs. Having a plate of only fat food while everyone else at the table stares at you. It is my way of life that I enjoy the least, finding out that my favorite processed beverage contains forty-two grams of sugar per can. That the orange juice that I drink to keep my immune system up has eleven grams of sugar per cup. I barely touch the vegetables when they are offered, only going after the green beans and broccoli. My family can barely afford fruit even, which I would be willing to eat for a side on a meal. I just seems that the way of living I was born into is too perfect, eating what I only like.
My overall belief is just my survival in the modern world, a place where it is hard to make a living. To have a good life, it is difficult without the necessary components like money to pay the taxes and mortgage on homes. I cannot be the person that I would like to be, a healthy strong adult that can accomplish anything that demanded elbow grease. It may be my lack of effort, but to me, it is the way how everything that you need to be in optimal condition requires more money than my usual paycheck.
Chemistry this year was by far the best year of science class I have ever taken. We got to conduct multiple experiments that helped us learn how chemicals and elements react with each other along with many demonstrations that mezmorized us. I reviewed material that I got to take revised notes on and new topics I had a great time learning. There were many assessments that helped me further grow my knowledge in the field of chemistry. Steve was approachable with questions that we had, even ones that were asked too many times. I liked the fact that the labs took place in a professional environment up in Fort Lewis College with professors who taught there were available to help us.
The choice to combine humanities with chemistry was one that went without error since we were able to translate our knowledge easily between the different branches of education without having to pick up and drop learning from day to day.
Studying food from an academic standpoint was one of my highlights of the year since it is knowledge that will impact my health for a better life. Before the project, I used to think that living the way I am now will not impact me much for my latter life. Afterwards, I am more focused on finding a balance on what I like to eat and what is for the better of me.
Fast Food Fanatic
Ever since I was born, I have been eating fast food, desserts, and triple bacon cheeseburgers. It never occurred to me to think about the process of creating the 2,400 calorie meal that I ate more than once a week. With the reading and viewing of the creation of my desired choice of food, I still would pick the greasy grade F burger than a freshly diced salad. It maybe the fact that I will defend the McDonald’s that is a perfect example of modernism when placed near a 138 year old transportation route. Or is way the way that I was brought up, in a family that had no choice but to purchase the “live happy until your fifty” meal.
My normal food course during a school day consists of: a strawberry Nutri-grain breakfast bar for breakfast, peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich, Kellogg’s rice crispy treat, Nature Valley peanut butter snack bar for lunch, and processed food for diner. I have been living this way ever since I have been in school and during the summer I only ate diner. I have only consumed processed foods all my life and because of it, I don’t think I am missing out on anything special. My life has been shortened by a couple years, but I cannot do anything about it.
When I have my own place, I will be living the same way since I like to save money. Hearing that, you will say that I am a greedy man who just wants to save up to buy his dream car, and that is right, to an extent. Eating to me is just a part of day to day life that cannot change, it is a task that I would like to spend as little effort as I can into it. In other terms, I am not into cooking for many hours just to gobble it down in minutes, I am just a fan of the taste. With the career that I would like to have in the future, this fits perfectly, being on call for a job that averages over twelve hours at the job site. Living by processed food, sounds like a dream where I enjoy every bite of the cheapest meal to me, to others a nightmare of hormones, pesticides, and never ending exercise.
If I was able to, I would like to change my sick habit, to be more healthy and lively like everyone else. Yet it is my stubborn attitude that will put me in the motorized wheelchair for the rest of my life. I like that, eating delicious burgers all day and having dessert at night, I am what I eat. It hurts though, having to find the cheapest choice on the drive thru menu, eating grease that gives my heart a second thought on stopping. Becoming sore with a limp for three days after engaging in simple activities that involve the use of the legs. Having a plate of only fat food while everyone else at the table stares at you. It is my way of life that I enjoy the least, finding out that my favorite processed beverage contains forty-two grams of sugar per can. That the orange juice that I drink to keep my immune system up has eleven grams of sugar per cup. I barely touch the vegetables when they are offered, only going after the green beans and broccoli. My family can barely afford fruit even, which I would be willing to eat for a side on a meal. I just seems that the way of living I was born into is too perfect, eating what I only like.
My overall belief is just my survival in the modern world, a place where it is hard to make a living. To have a good life, it is difficult without the necessary components like money to pay the taxes and mortgage on homes. I cannot be the person that I would like to be, a healthy strong adult that can accomplish anything that demanded elbow grease. It may be my lack of effort, but to me, it is the way how everything that you need to be in optimal condition requires more money than my usual paycheck.
Chemistry this year was by far the best year of science class I have ever taken. We got to conduct multiple experiments that helped us learn how chemicals and elements react with each other along with many demonstrations that mezmorized us. I reviewed material that I got to take revised notes on and new topics I had a great time learning. There were many assessments that helped me further grow my knowledge in the field of chemistry. Steve was approachable with questions that we had, even ones that were asked too many times. I liked the fact that the labs took place in a professional environment up in Fort Lewis College with professors who taught there were available to help us.