Introduction to Food and Health
Mayra Lopez & Robert Siegel
Around the world, we find ourselves facing global epidemics of obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and other predominantly diet-related diseases. To address these public health crises, we urgently need to explore innovative strategies for promoting healthful eating. There is strong evidence that global increases in the consumption of heavily processed foods, coupled with cultural shifts away from the preparation of food in the home, have contributed to high rates of preventable, chronic disease. In this course, learners will be given the information and practical skills they need to begin optimizing the way they eat. This course will shift the focus away from reductionist discussions about nutrients and move, instead, towards practical discussions about real food and the environment in which we consume it. By the end of this course, learners should have the tools they need to distinguish between foods that will support their health and those that threaten it. In addition, we will present a compelling rationale for a return to simple home cooking, an integral part of our efforts to live longer, healthier lives. View the trailer for the course here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7x1aaZ03xU
More resources on Healthy Eating Habits
MyPlate.gov
The USDA's official dietary guidance site, with food-group targets by age and activity level, printable plans, recipes, and a quiz that generates a personal daily plan. Useful for translating the Dietary Guidelines into concrete portions.
NutritionFacts.org
Nonprofit site founded by physician Michael Greger that summarises peer-reviewed nutrition studies in short videos, articles and podcasts, searchable by food and disease. It argues consistently for plant-based eating, so readers can follow the research behind that position and check its sources.
eatright.org
EatRight.org is the consumer site of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, offering evidence-based nutrition guidance, healthy eating tips, meal planning ideas, and resources to locate a registered dietitian.
Harvard T.H. Chan Nutrition Source
Harvard nutrition researchers present a meal-composition guide built from the evidence, with the reasoning for each portion of the plate and where it departs from federal guidance. You come away able to assemble balanced meals and defend the choices.
Nutrition Facts
Have you ever wondered if there’s a natural way to lower your high blood pressure, guard against Alzheimer’s, lose weight, and feel better? Well, as it turns out, there is. Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM, founder of NutritionFacts.org and New York Times best-selling author of How Not to Die, How Not to Diet, and the just-released How Not to Age, uncovers the best evidence-based nutrition that may add years to our life and life to our years.
The Blue Zones American Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100
Cookbook of 100 plant-forward recipes drawn from American regional and immigrant cuisines, framed by Dan Buettner's Blue Zones research on long-lived populations. Readers learn the dietary patterns linked to longevity and how to cook beans, greens, whole grains and vegetables daily.