Social Media and Food: A love affair
Logging into my Facebook account leads down a journey of ‘food spam’, posts from individuals who feel the need to post endless pictures of their food, whether from their dining room or at a restaurant. Historically, food has often been depicted in art as a way of showing wealth or status rather than to display foods that were actually eaten. Rare delicacies like pineapples, hazelnuts and artichokes were very popular. The use of food in art declined in the 20th century but has been revived and reimagined for the social media and smartphone age. Today a photo of your plate as easy as taking out your smart phone and shared around the world before you’ve even finished your meal.
Certain places are often associated with certain foods. Think spices in India, kiwifruit in New Zealand, citrus in South America, and in the United States, well, we grow corn. In fact, no other country produces more corn than we do. South America, has a love affair with citrus, yet there are so many cultivated species of citrus that it can be found throughout the world. Three primary ancestors of citrus: citrons, pomelos, and mandarins, are all native to South and East Asia. Their ability to being sexually compatible and prone to mutation has led to dozens of commercially available citrus fruits; the navel orange to blood orange and Persian lime to limequat.
Yet the real love affair is the 9,000 year old love affair with alcohol. Although not one of the “4 basic food groups”, alcohol does provide 7 calories per gram. The drink isn’t just a mind-altering drink but has been a part of human culture from the arts to religion. Like some foods, drinks are also linked to places. Think beer in Germany, sake in China, wine in France, whisky in Scotland, and vodka in Russia. The people's relationship with their drink permeates their culture. Newlyweds toast their family and friends with champagne and friends gather with kegs of beer during Oktoberfest in Germany. Throughout history the fermented grain and barley that became beer often supplemented what was a very poor nutrition. Today, there is often the other side, those people who go on a bender and consume too much alcohol. You should put down your glass when intoxication is greater than the nutrient benefit.
Maintaining a balanced diet by consuming a variety of foods is essential to our overall health. Watch what you eat, use alcohol in moderation, exercise and consider adding Randy’s Remedy Daily to your routine.
