Category: Eating Habits

Houston, Texas, is known for its vibrant food scene, offering a diverse range of culinary experiences. Among the popular food options in Houston, fast food holds a significant place. In this informative essay, we will explore the world of Houston fast foods, highlighting some of the popular chains and local favorites that contribute to the city’s dynamic food culture.

Houston, being a large metropolitan city, is home to numerous fast food chains that have become household names across the country. One of the most iconic fast food chains in Houston is Whataburger. Established in 1950, Whataburger has been serving up its famous burgers and signature orange and white striped cups for over seven decades. With numerous locations spread throughout the city, it has become a go-to spot for locals and visitors alike.

Another fast food chain that has made its mark in Houston is Chick-fil-A. Known for its delicious chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, Chick-fil-A has gained a loyal following in the city. Its commitment to quality ingredients and exceptional customer service has contributed to its popularity and success.

In addition to these national chains, Houston boasts a thriving local fast food scene. One such example is Frenchy’s Chicken, a beloved Houston institution renowned for its mouthwatering fried chicken. Founded in 1969, Frenchy’s has become a cultural icon in the city, serving up flavorful chicken and soul food dishes that have garnered a devoted fan base.

Taco trucks and food carts also play a significant role in Houston’s fast food landscape. These mobile vendors offer a variety of affordable and delicious options, showcasing the city’s diverse culinary heritage. From authentic Mexican tacos to savory BBQ and fusion cuisine, Houston’s food trucks provide a unique dining experience for those on the go.

Furthermore, Houston is home to a plethora of international fast food options, reflecting the city’s multicultural makeup. Asian fast food chains like Panda Express and Pei Wei Asian Diner offer quick and tasty meals inspired by Chinese and Asian cuisines. Tex-Mex fast food joints like Taco Cabana and Freebirds World Burrito cater to those craving flavorful Mexican-American fare.

It is worth mentioning that while fast food offers convenience and accessibility, it is essential to strike a balance between indulgence and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As with any fast food, it is important to be mindful of the nutritional content and portion sizes when consuming these foods regularly.

In recent years, Houston has also seen a rise in healthier fast food alternatives. Several fast-casual chains have emerged, offering fresh and customizable options to cater to health-conscious consumers. Places like Salata and Freshii provide an array of salads, wraps, and bowls, allowing individuals to make nutritious choices while still enjoying the convenience of fast food.

In conclusion, Houston’s fast food scene is a vibrant and integral part of the city’s culinary fabric. From iconic national chains to beloved local establishments and diverse international options, there is something to satisfy every palate. Whether you’re craving classic burgers, Tex-Mex delights, or international flavors, Houston’s fast food offerings provide a convenient and tasty way to experience the city’s diverse food culture. However, it is important to make mindful choices and strike a balance between indulgence and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Houston fast foods offer a delightful and diverse range of options for residents and visitors to explore and enjoy.

Many people are concerned with their appearance these days and want to keep a healthy diet, but eating too healthy can be a sign of trouble. Over-dieting is faulty because it can cause a lot of harmful outcomes for insistence: mood swings, disordered eating, orthorexia nervosa, metabolism problems, and life-threatening medical conditions.

Changes in attitude are an effect of dieting. According to the Journal of Health Psychology, there was an experiment where some females dieted and some did not. For example, in this article, it mentions that “couples where both dieters reported higher anxiety, depression, and eating disorders than couples who dieted alone” (Incollingo et al., 1). This quote shows that the two girls that dieted had a result of different mood swings and disordered eating. Another example of how dieting can alter mood in a person: “Research suggests that low-carb dieters are more likely to feel tired, angry, depressed, and tense than those who get the recommended amount” (Haupt, 2). So, that means carbohydrates are important for a person’s diet and low-carb diet limits carbohydrates which are sugars. Sugars have for some time been slandered, however, your body needs carbs to deliver serotonin a feel-good chemical that goes to the brain, that hoists state of mind, hunger, and has a quieting impact. A person who starts a diet and reads online of what people do and what to be eating sometimes these diets will neglect certain nutrients that a person needs. After a while when you don’t have nutrients in the body one can get low iron. This can cause one to feel gloom, weariness, and absentmindedness, as stated by research. Even though healthy eating is usually considered a good thing, doctors beg to differ and say that it can lead to an eating disorder called orthorexia nervosa.

Orthorexia nervosa is an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy. Somebody may start making a way of life changes by adjusting their eating routine to just improve their wellbeing, yet in the individuals who develop orthorexia, this center can turn out to be progressively outrageous. “Research on the causes of orthorexia is scarce, but obsessive-compulsive tendencies and former or current eating disorders are known risk factors” (Petre, 1). Also, other hazard factors incorporate propensities toward compulsiveness, high tension, or a requirement for control. People who generally have orthorexia nervosa have a fixation on consuming pure foods and obsesses over keeping an ideal diet instead of weight. Somebody with orthorexia doesn’t like to eat foods that contain preservatives, artificial flavors, and so on. Orthorexia nervosa conjointly differs from a lot of wide proverbial and recognized consumption disorders, like bulimia nervosa and anorexia, that area unit characterized a lot of by an unhealthy fixation on the number of food consumed, furthermore as weight and body image, then the condition or supply of food consumed. However, researchers have found that people who suffer from orthorexia share several of constant psychological and behavioral traits with people who suffer from alternative consumption disorders. Many people that eat obsessively too healthy can lead them into a lot of medical problems in the future.

Another reason why over-dieting can be harmful to a person because it leads to metabolism problems, rebound weight gain and life-threatening medical conditions. Metabolism is the measure of calories expected to fuel our bodies to play out the most fundamental capacities forever. At the point when we eat more, our digestion increments. At the point when we eat less, our digestion diminishes. So, when someone diets and stop eating the calories that the body needs to progress than metabolism subsides. If a person puts their body on an extreme diet the muscles in your body can slowly break down. “If weight loss is extremely fast, the muscles of the heart can atrophy. Extreme low-calorie liquid diets, … have been linked to ventricular arrhythmias and death” (Fetters, 1). This is saying that if someone is having quick weight loss the muscles in your heart can weaken and that can lead to them dying. When dieting to a maximum it can be common to have memory problems. According to an animal study from journal Pediatric Research, “it can result in long-term impairments in visual-spatial memory and decreased brain growth” (Fetters, 1). A study showed that three years after members closed a get-healthy plan, just 12% had kept off in any event 75% of the weight they’d lost, while 40% had restored more weight than they had initially lost (Spritzler, 1). This presents that dieting doesn’t necessarily mean that it works all the time and it can cause a person to gain their weight back or more. The result of excessive dieting is that it can have numerous problems with mental and physical health.

Consuming fewer calories can cause a ton of destructive results, from how it affects mood swings to health problems. The outcome of research found that dieting forces the body into starvation mode. It responds by retardation down several of its traditional functions to conserve energy. This means the natural metabolism slows down.

There are multiple health risks involved with dieting. I’m going to show you the right way to diet as well as the requirements to improve your life. It’s going to involve a step-by-step process and different eating strategies that you can implement into your daily life. Inform you about the benefits of good nutrition and what it has to offer.

A healthy diet can help improve your mood and energy by taking a balanced number of vitamins every day. Also, our bodies get energy from the foods and solutions we consume. The main nutrients our body uses for energy are carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Carbohydrates such as whole-grain loaves of bread and starchy vegetables are the best for prolonged energy since they are digested at a slower rate. There is prove that show that if you eat healthier your health can be improved if you eat the right foods and the correct amount of calories. Another thing that can improve with healthy dieting is our mood. Not only does it affect our mood, but it also affects our food choices it leads to a chain of bad habits that affects our health overall it states in the article. “Diets low in carbohydrates increase feelings of tension whereas diets high in carbohydrates have a more uplifting effect on mood. A diet rich in protein, moderate in carbohydrates and low in fat will have a positive effect on mood because it leaves an adequate supply of iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and iron” (UnityPoint, 2015). A happy mood is a happy stomach.

When following a ketogenic diet, meals and snacks should center around the following foods: “Eggs, chicken, and turkey. Wild-caught salmon, herring and mackerel. Meat could be grass-fed beef, venison, pork, organ meats, and bison. Full-fat dairy: yogurt, butter, and cream. Full-fat cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, brie, goat cheese, and cream cheesiness and seeds” (Kubala, ‘A Keto Diet Meal Plan and Menu that Can Transform Your Body’, 2018). These are some of the foods you should try to consume. If you consume foods like these your diet and health will make you feel like you have more energy throughout the day. Next should be a food you should try to avoid at all costs, for example, any type of bread white or wheat bread. Any type of food that is very unhealthy like ice cream, pasta, high carb sauce. If you avoid these foods, your diet will improve and become a healthier person overall. This can also help you with weight loss and other benefits like getting better cholesterol instead of bad cholesterol. If you have those that means that there is less of a probability having heart problems or high blood pressure. The last step is choosing the right drinks that will go with your diet when choosing a drink, you are looking for drinks that don’t have sugar or anything that has sodium in it. “Unless you’re going through some truly grueling workouts, skip the sports drinks. These beverages contain electrolytes (mostly sodium) to fuel you through even the toughest exercises, so unless you’re playing an intense sport, there’s no need. Otherwise, you’ll be ingesting nearly 100 milligrams of sodium per cup that you could do without” (Weiler, ‘High-Sodium Foods and Drinks You Need to Avoid if You Have High Blood Pressure’, 2018). In other words, try to drink water tea without sweeteners or any type of artificial flavor. Because it all contains sodium and sodium is sugar which turns into carbohydrates. The keto diet consists mostly of foods with no sugar. This should complete all the steps needed to complete the keto diet.

The importance of healthy dieting is stated in the article ‘Reaching and Maintaining a Healthy Weight Is important for Overall Health and Can Help You Prevent and Control Many Diseases and Conditions’. If you are overweight or obese, you are at a higher risk of developing serious health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers. That is why maintaining a healthy weight is so important: “It helps you lower your risk for developing these problems, helps you feel good about yourself, and gives you more energy to enjoy life” (National Heart Institute, ‘Maintain a Healthy Weight’, 2016). “Healthy diets will prevent risks from happening to their health if everyone followed a diet plan, but that’s not possible. Another reason why it’s important to balance your diet is that it improves your mental health. Getting the right mix of nutrients can help to ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Looking after yourself by eating well is essential as you take steps to good mental health. It is good for growth. A balanced diet is crucial for children and adolescents, as the body grows it is important to receive the right nutrients so that cells are built and maintained, and the body grows at the right place. It impoves skin and hair. A healthy balanced diet also improves your looks. Eating well contributes to healthy skin and hair, and a ‘glow’ that makes you look younger” (Innovativehealthandwellness.net, 2019). Everything considered good nutrition is very important in someone’s life because of the benefits it gives. This process will help guide people on the right path towards good nutrition.

References

1. Clinic, Unity Point. “10 Reasons Doctors Talk About the Need for Good Nutrition & Diets (Infographic)”. 10 Reasons Doctors Talk About the Need for Good Nutrition & Diets, UnityPoint Clinic, 31 2015, https://www.unitypoint.org/livewell/article.aspx?id=ff0de079-682c-4f1a-b686-6b5b50e2f541
2. Kubala, Jillian RD. “A Keto Diet Meal Plan and Menu that Can Transform Your Body”. A Keto Diet Meal Plan, 21 Apr. 2018, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/keto-diet-meal-plan-and-menu
3. Weiler, Lauren. “High-Sodium Foods and Drinks You Need to Avoid if You Have High Blood Pressure”. Showbiz Cheat Sheet, 4 Oct. 2018, https://www.cheatsheet.com/health-fitness/high-sodium-foods-and-drinks-you-need-to-avoid-if-you-have-high-blood-pressure.html/
4. “Maintain a Healthy Weight”. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/index.htm
5. Innovativehealthandwellness.net. (2019). Innovative Health & Wellness. [online] Available at: https://innovativehealthandwellness.net/5-reasons-why-it-is-important-to-have-a-balanced-diet/ [Accessed 11 Oct. 2019].

Picture this, you have eaten half a pepperoni pizza, chugged twelve ounces of soda, and realize that you probably should not have eaten that last brownie. In a moment of discomfort and guilt from your gluttonous act you proclaim, ‘Tomorrow I will be starting a diet!’ But wait, isn’t this already your diet? Or will you be changing your current diet for a different diet? What exactly is a diet? Well, it is funny you should ask. According to Merriam-Webster it is “food and drink regularly provided or consumed”. However, it is also “a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight”. This would definitely not be the kind of diet we have just described. I find this word very inconsistent which is why I have decided to elaborate on it. Although dictionaries have other definitions for diet, these will be the two that are focused on. So technically, aren’t we always on a diet?

You can consume a vegetarian diet, dairy-free diet, high protein diet, and so on, but why would we decide to choose a word so vague when explaining the consumption of food plus the exclusion of food? It seems quite contradictory. Possibly not as contradictory as the word buckle, but enough to make you think. Diet in our society can be used in either way to let someone know you are actively dieting, or you consume a specialized diet, although the word itself just tells us that this is what we regularly consume. So, if you are only eating a specialized diet for 3 weeks before reverting to your previous way, would it even be a diet?

The word diet derives from the Greek ‘diaita’, ‘a way of living or regimen’. With that translation, regimen is a “systematic plan especially when designed to improve or maintain the health of a patient”. To me, this sounds like diet was originally referred to as a healthy way of living. Perhaps we have gotten so mixed up on this term because society is constantly trying to find the next best way to be healthy. One day it is low carbohydrates, the next it is low fat, some people swear by a vegan diet, perhaps just a vegetarian diet is best. Whichever diet you may choose, we can sum up by saying that ideal diet is pure conjecture.

So how did a term we took from the Greek, meaning a way of living, become something that meant you would be cutting out sugar and carbohydrates this week? There really is not too much history of how diets became diets. You can find large amounts of previous fad diets, which just goes to show how the definitions for a term like ‘diet’ are so contradictory. Fads, they come and they go and if they are lucky there will be some nostalgic post on social media that reminds you just how cringe-worthy your past choices were. My point here though is that fads are not regular ways of doing anything; they are temporary.

So why does any of this matter? Maybe because we have become so comfortable with changing the way we perceive things that we do not even take a moment to actually consider what the word means. This happens every day with slang terms as well. We have created a category of words that mean something different from their actual meaning. If we do not understand the meaning of a word, how can we use it in the correct context? Maybe we should be looking at using a term such as diet with more explanation. Since we know that regimen is a systematic way of improving or maintaining one’s health, maybe we should say that we will be starting a new dietary regimen, and with this people could be more precise. You could always elaborate on what you will be changing and the goals you plan to achieve. I am sure you are thinking that this is nonsense; why change how we say things if someone understands already? You could be right, and maybe it is pointless, but one of the biggest problem’s society faces is misinformation. Maybe we understand what a diet is when you use it in a particular context, but what if we could improve our language altogether? Getting in the habit of clarifying what you mean can prove to be a valuable trait.

I think that the distinction between these two meaning of diet is large enough issue to create a paper about. How could a word mean your regular way of eating but also a special way of eating? Why have we not taken the time to develop a new word or phrase that better suites the meaning? I think the biggest problem with such terms is comfort. We know what is meant and that’s fine with us, but what about someone visiting from a different country or even if we decide to visit somewhere else? When using this word interchangeably if makes zero sense. When we do not spend our time critiquing the definition then it does make sense. Funny how that works, isn’t it? The next time someone you know decides to go on a ‘diet’, make sure you remind them they are really going off their diet to achieve a new, hopefully improved dietary regimen.

In the food and beverage sector, food additives are commonly used in foods to add more savory, as well as to improve it texture and appearance. Some additives can be natural or artificial in another term used of food preservation. Popular flavor enhancer which is MSG regulatory added in Asian cuisine, where as an oxidant is used to keep foods fresh. Although, it is often put in food it can also affect consumers’ health while as at the same time it can be an advantage too. Tasty foods that people consume nowadays results from a mixture of additives and preservation added for a better taste and look. Not all people would think twice before intake the amount which could lead them to face some effects. Nonetheless, with the benefits of food preservatives extension of expiration will be schedules, especially for medium size to large size food manufacturers.

Food additives are widely known as an element put in food intentionally or unintentionally which affect the quality of food. Examples of additives include artificial colorings, monosodium glutamate (MSG), antioxidants and preservations. The purpose of these different types of food additives are used to make food taste better as well as keep it fresh. One of the most common additives is MSG, used to intensify and enhance the flavor of tasty dishes. It is listed in nature identical synthetic substances which function is to add flavor to processed food. According to Food Standards (2017), MSG is considered safe but can still results consumer with some side effects. This means the amount of usage should be limited depend on the different purposes.

For some people, consuming too much MSG can result in facing with several side effects, especially for sensitive people that has reaction. FSANZ states in Health Engine that most like it will occur on some individual that are responsive to certain food additive types verily. Based on a study, people who intake a meal that consist of 3 grams of MSG are likely leads to dealing with symptoms such as tingling sensation, drowsiness, muscle tightness and numbness, and hyperactivity. Moreover, if the amount exceeds a daily dose of consumption, the chances of experience high blood pressure can occur. On account of this, MSG intake should be considerably to avoid any severe symptoms and unnecessarily illness cause by it.

Preservations in foods can be huge advantages for hospitality sector, since it’ll help to keep most garments fresh. In general, food preservation plays a useful role to obtain the quality and lifespan of food in a longer period of time. It is use to assure that food is edible and safe (Food Additives World, 2010). There are two categories of preservation which are chemical and physical. Foods are frequently stored in a way that performs as a physical preservative to assure that we have safe foods to remain for a longer time. Usually, physical preservation method means using cool refrigerator to store and dry foods while chemical means using elements to a food in order to control any undesirable expiration causes by fungus or bacteria growth, oxidation and unpleasant rancidity (Zelman, 2017).

The positive benefits of food preservation have significantly help food waste reduction in food and beverages field. Martindale (2014) states in NCBI that lessen out food waste results in better food system, especially for both restaurants and households. As food preservation have the ability to control the amount of cutting out waste, because it advances the food progression of food. The safety of food preservation has been asked consistently by people, which results it in being one of the major advantages. Since microorganisms responsible for producing toxins in foods that can cause risky illness such as botulinum poisoning, antioxidants are use as one of food preservation chemical method toxin to slow down toxins spread (Food Insight, 2017). More importantly, food preservation has maintained a safety food regulation in hospitality field because as a dining and meal provider, all companies and restaurants should ensure good food hygiene and quality are well prepared and safe for customers to eat. Furthermore, it will help to keep track of ingredients storage on budget and evenly. As consequences of these reasons mentioned, it is verified by FDA as generally confirmed safe with a proper evaluation. On account of this, preservation in foods aimed to assist the way that restaurants or food businesses of meal preparation in a hygienic form and unthreatened by illness.

In conclusion, food additives in general consist of both advantages and disadvantages that are responsible for consumers’ health, safety and act as useful process of keeping food lifespan in a longer time. Food additives may contain adverse side effects to consumer, but if it is meant to use with proper understanding of what causes arise when overdose and limit the amount of consuming, no harm happens. Unless, people keep consuming relatively, they will have to face side effects such as headache, muscle tightness and hyperactivity feelings. Whereas, preservatives are way more decent to use in foods due to the fact that the contexts are irreverently safe, advantageous in food and beverage businesses. Because as example used which is antioxidants use to slow down toxins in processed meats from growing microorganism, it is reasonably essential for consumer health while saving gourmets budget on track. Overall, food additives and preservatives may earn further benefits such as food efficiency, improved food quality in order to resist any health problems cause by those elements.

These days, food industry is a topic of social concern. Dwellers confuse and want to have a better knowledge about food additives. This essay will discuss about the causes and the effects of preservative on inhabitant’s health.

The first reason why producers using artificial additives is keeping food fresh over a long certain period of time. Food additives are ingredients added to food for specific functions such as enhancing its taste and appearance. With the development of technology and chemical substances these days, more and more preservatives are produced. Although, some food additives have been used for centuries; for instance, keeping food in good condition by pickling (with vinegar), salting – such as bacon, or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines. To improve the keeping quality or stability of food, there are some classes of food additives that producers use, for example: anti-caking agents (400,500 and 900 ranges) block elements from sticking together and forming lumps; antioxidants (300 range) avoid the oxidative degradation of foods; glazing agents (900 range) enhance the appearance of food by imparting a coating to the surface and to protect it; preservatives (200 range) slow the deterioration and the spoilage of food by microorganisms. All food additives used in Australia have to be censored by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). As a result, these fresh foods will occupy the sympathy of customers and promote them to purchase, increasing profits for companies and producers.

Enhancing food’s colors, flavors and textures is a further cause of utilizing food additives. A great deal of food additives for these functions are including: artificial colors to make it more impressive; preserving the uniform dispersion of substances in solid and semi-solid foods by firming agents; flavor boosters raise the existing taste and odor of a food; gelling agents adjust the texture of the food through gel formation; reducing humidity loss in foods by humectants; raising agents liberate gases, thereby enhancing the quantity of food and are often used in banked products; sweeteners increase sweetness, and thickeners rise the viscosity of a food. Adding these preservatives not only builds the appearance of food up, but also makes it more attractive to purchasers. The inviting looks bring the fresh sensation for the customers, resulting the larging purchase volume. It leads to the increasing in gross domestic product of the country. Besides, the good foodstuffs can be exported in other countries and have opportunities to expanding into the international market. In addition, it will be more suit for the customer’s tastes. Since the taste of food depends on many external factors such as crop, seed and weather, producers tend to utilize a permitted amount of food additives to keep the perfect food taste.

A consequence of adding permitted food additives is contributing to regulating the source of raw materials for food production plants, enabling the plant to operate year-round, helping products are distributed around the world. Producers can reduce pressure of finding raw ingredients because of the popular of food materials from other countries. Food production plants can operate the whole year and produce products for customers. Furthermore, it is one of the beneficial techniques to integrate the globalization. Food goods are exported around the world by many methods of transport. As a result, manufacturers have opportunities to expand into the international market and make the countries more widely known. Owing to these benefits, there are numerous chances to purchasers. The consumption is more and more increase, so producers have to create and import many food goods to meet the requirements. These days, buyers can enjoy foreign cuisine by purchase in their countries. It is better for people who enjoy finding out the new food culture. Moreover, because food additives can last the expiry date, it will have many kinds of ready-made food. It is convenience in hurried cases when people not have enough time for lunch.

On the other hand, some food additives can cause reactions and have negative effect with health. Food Standards Australia New Zealand is responsible for approving food additives used in food products. For most people, additives are not a problem in the short term. However, 50 of the 400 currently approved additives in Australia have been associated with adverse reactions in some people. Some individuals are sensitive to specific food additives and their sensitivity levels is different. Some of these hypersensitive reactions including: digestive disorders (diarrhea, colicky pains), nervous disorders (hyperactivity, insomnia and irritability), respiratory problems (asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis) and skin problems (hives, itching, rashes and swelling). Some food additives that may cause problems for some people including: flavor enhancers – monosodium glutamate (MSG) 621; food colorings – tartrazine 102; yellow 2G107; sunset yellow FCF110; cochineal 120; preservatives – benzoates 210, 211, 212, 213; nitrates 249, 250, 251, 252; sulfites 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225 and 228, and artificial sweetener – aspartame 951. For example, reactions to tartrazine (E102, a yellow food color) and carmine (E120) have been reported occasionally in sensitive individuals; in sensitive (asthmatic) individuals, sulfites may trigger asthma characterized by breathing difficulties, shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing.

In summary, food additives are necessary to enhance the appearance, flavor and contribute to promote international food market. Sensitive people should be careful with harmful food additives to protect health. In my opinion, there might be more types of food additives produced in the future.

Energy drinks are becoming frequently used today especially by younger generations. They are widely known as energy boosters, so many people turn to them when they have a long day at the office ahead, long nights to study, or even on car drives back home. A lot of people have turned to energy drinks to solve their problems due to lack of energy, however many people do not even realize what is being put in these drinks and how it could affect them in their future. Lots of studies have shown that energy drinks, such as Red Bull, contain drugs that can seriously damage our body. Even though sometimes we need the extra kick of energy or we just enjoy the taste of energy drinks, most of the time, people do not realize that there are hidden ingredients that can cause severe illnesses later on.

The first energy drink created was made back in the 1960s called Lipvitan-D. Taisho Pharmaceuticals made the first drink targeted at increasing energy. After the introduction of the first energy drink, many followed afterwards such as the invention of Red Bull in 1987, which made its introduction to America in 1997. Monster Drinks, 5-hour Energy, and Four Loko all made it into the American market subsequently as well. Even before the creation of energy drinks though, people were already in favor of the energy rush in drinks. The famous soft drink, Coca-Cola, contained a significant dose of cocaine for a while which many people seemed to enjoy up to 1903. Cocaine-infused beverages were common in the late 19th century, so it is evident that people enjoy having that extra kick of energy in their drinks. However, a common pattern that also shows throughout history and up to modern day is the legal, ethical, and health concerns about these products being consumed.

Even though these drinks have been proven to cause health issues at some point in people’s lives, they are still taking over the market and gaining a lot of profit for these companies. Since 2013, there has been a five percent boost in the energy drink industry and it is even surpassing soda as the drink of choice for many consumers. Red Bull profits over $3.4 million each year and Monster Energy Drink sells over $3 million, but these are just two of the most famous energy drinks. College students, especially, have been one of the main audiences that these industries have been targeting. Because they have been advertising their drinks as safe energy boosters, many of these college students that lack sleep and energy, find it easy to drink them. Despite the fact that it does provide that extra kick of energy for their consumers, it also provides other ingredients and drugs that will affect these people sooner or later.

ER visits for energy drink-related incidents have doubled in the last several years. In 2016, there were more than 20,000 emergency room visits due to the consumption of energy drinks. There have been different events where students have collapsed due to the fact of a high ingesting of caffeine coming from coffee, soft drinks, and energy drinks. There was an incident where a South Carolina high school student collapsed and died after consuming a very high dose of caffeine in a short time: coffee, soda, and an energy drink. The student died from a caffeine-induced lethal cardia arrhythmia. Even though the energy drink business continues to be a multibillion-dollar industry, it has also been one of the leading causes of medical conditions and it has also caused many people to die from having too much caffeine.

People continue to drink these energy boosters without even knowing what exactly is in these energy drinks. It is true that energy drinks are loaded with caffeine which explains the extra kick of energy, but many people are not aware of the other additives such as vitamins, minerals, taurine, herbal supplements and guarana. Most people do not even know what some of these ingredients are. Caffeine is the primary ingredient in energy drinks; it usually ranges from 50 to 500 milligrams in these drinks. Guarana is a plant from Brazil that contain a high concentration of something similar to caffeine. Furthermore, 1 gram of guarana is equivalent to 40 milligrams of caffeine. Sugar in energy drinks is anywhere from 21 to 34 grams per 8 ounces. Two energy drinks per day already makes a person consume nearly six times the maximum daily recommended amount of sugar putting these people at a high risk for obesity and dental problems. Taurine and ginseng are also found in energy drinks which have both been found to not benefit our body in any way. Lastly, there is also B vitamins in energy drinks, however, there has been no evidence that if a person takes larger amounts of these vitamins, it will impact a person’s overall health. From a medical standpoint, there is absolutely no nutritional value to these drinks, only numerous deleterious health issues and calories.

Even though evidence indicating adverse health effects of energy drink intake is growing, energy drinks continue to become popular and frequent especially among adolescents. In the United States, the average adolescent caffeine intake averages 60 to 70 mg/day and ranges up to 800 mg/day. Although some healthy people can tolerate caffeine, heavy caffeine consumption has been associated with serious consequences such as seizures, mania, strokes, and sudden death. Even though the US Food and Drug Administration does limit caffeine content in soft drinks, there is no regulation like that for energy drinks. In a survey of 496 college students, results showed that 51% of those surveyed regularly consumed more than one energy drink per month, and majority of them consistently drank energy drinks several times per week. Some of the effects seen because of caffeine include increase in blood pressure and sleep disturbances. This study showed that energy drinks do not have therapeutic benefit and that it puts people for more serious health issues in their life. In another study done by Dylan B. Jackson and Wanda E. Leal, it was found that people who were associated with energy drink/shot consumption were also associated with significant increases of drug use and failing to disapprove of drug use as well. This means that energy drinks have also changed people’s attitude about illegal activities, but the reasons this happens is not clear yet. Both of these studies showed that energy drinks are not only causing medical issues, but it also begins to mess with people’s behavior.

In another study done by Jana Holubcikova, Peter Kolarcik and other researchers, they sampled a group of 8977 adolescents to see the results of energy drink consumption. The results showed that regular energy drink consumption was more frequent among boys and increased with age. The results of the logistic models showed that regular energy drinks consumption was related to negative health and behavioral outcomes and negative school experiences and problem behaviors. Some examples of these behaviors include daily health complaints, poor self-rated health, school dislike, low academic achievement, truancy, fighting bullying, smoking, and drunkenness. Overall, this study also proved that energy drinks cause many health implications from more severe illnesses to thinks such as headaches. Not only did this study prove for energy drinks to cause health problems, but it also proved that it affects adolescent’s behavior because they were exposed to behaviors such as bullying and smoking. The effects in general show they all affect the person in a negative way and there are no benefits to regular intake of energy drinks.

Even though most of the results showed that energy drinks cause negative effects on people, there has been some positive things about these drinks. The obvious pro of energy drinks is that it gives people an energy boost, so they can keep going with their daily routine. They are common drinks found in vending machines or gas stations which makes it easily accessible to people when they need something on the go. Even though having a lot of vitamin B does not make it improve health more, having some of it improves people mood and can even fight cancer and heart disease. Other ingredients in some energy drinks, such as niacin, also help relieve arthritis pains and lower blood lipids. Despite the fact that not everything about energy drinks is bad, the negative outcome outweighs the good. Having one energy drinks here or there is not a bad thing, but when people consume more than the maximum amount of caffeine they are supposed to, it starts to mess with people’s body and health. Once people get addicted to drinking energy drinks, it is hard to go on with daily activities without it. Sometime what is bad for people seems like the easy way out of a problem, but people should begin to realize the effects that energy drinks can have on their bodies before they start having issues.

The main point that energy drinks have been proven to be consumed is because people lack energy and look for a quick boost to help them get through the day. People do not realize the effect of energy drinks because most of the time there is no awareness to spread the effect it can have on our health. Energy drinks are accessible anywhere you go; people can get them in gas stations, vending machines at school, drug stores, etc. There is no age regulation for energy drinks either which also allows anybody to buy and drink them. I believe that more awareness should be brought to this issue because there is really no evidence when it comes to the negative outcome of energy drinks. Because college students are more prone to ‘need’ these drinks, this is where universities should start spreading awareness. Maybe more posters around the school that talk about the negative effects of these drinks could help people realize what these drinks can do. Like there are groups for depression and drug use, there should also be groups that talk about how regular energy drink consumption is associated with risk of health and even behavioral problems. Because evidence of energy drinks being bad is growing, then people who understand the cons of energy drinks should put that research into use and talk to others who consume these drinks daily.

Because energy drinks are mostly bought for an energy boost, there are different solutions that can take place instead of consuming these drinks. For one, people can start managing their time more wisely during the day, so when it come to their time to sleep, they can actually rest and be ready for what the next day brings. College students are known to have all-nighters to study or to do work that’s due that morning, however, most professors give a lot of time for these assignments to get done. I do not believe that a professor would give a test the next day without giving students time to study. Procrastination has a big role in college student’s life, so if people would start to have more motivation to get their work done earlier, it could avoid losing so much sleep later on. Sometimes people do need to pull an all-nighter because of work, family crisis, or other life problems, but making it a routine is where it starts to become a problem.

In conclusion, even though people may think that energy drinks are helping them by getting them through the day, it is not worth the consequences they can suffer later on. Even though it may not directly lead to death, there are other horrible side effects that people can have because of energy drinks. Since the main reason found of which why people take energy boosters is because of a lack of energy, people should start fixing their schedules or looking for exercises or meditations that can help improve their energy as well. People should not depend on a substance to regulate their energy especially one that come with many harmful results later on. Caffeine is not bad when people take notes of how much is being ingested, but when it becomes the go to drink, this is where people need to pay attention what goes in their body.

Across the world milk is considered one of the most essential and perishable foods. Also, in the food pyramid counts as part of one of the most important foods of a well-balanced diet of your five a day to eat. Milk contains a high percent of calcium and other vital nutrients that the body needs. Although milk is in the food pyramid and has its benefits, since the 90s it has not been a favorite product of many people and the consumer behavior has dramatically changed a lot with reports of other drinks such as soft drinks, sports drinks and different types of waters. Although these drinks have sugary ingredients, they covered their trace with natural offerings such as vitamins. Since milk is a perishable good it does have a volatile market meaning that it has the tendency of a market to rise or fall rather quickly in a short period of time. Since 1990 to today milk has had a significant number of policies to market it and as well consumer change has been drastic.

In the early 1990s milk has been produced almost entirely by 10 states and those 10 states was covering two-thirds of all milk that was being produced in the United States. In the decade of 90s milk went into heavy marketing because it was not getting the attention it was needing from consumers as they thought it should have and continuing to insist it was the healthiest drink option on the shelf was no longer working so this led to the creation of the Fluid Milk Promotion Act in the year of 1990 and was not approved until 1993. This act was to promote the sale of milk and allow generic milk advertising only. In this act they preached that milk was in the category of primary foods one needed as a source of nutrients. In the act it also stated that Congress in the interest of the public needed to keep carrying a coordinated program of research and consumer information about milk. As well this promotion act was created for milk because although milk is used to make many products, in the dairy industry milk in its current state form is the back bone and heart of the dairy industry and does not take much to keep it in its current state of form meaning it takes way less money to keep it a liquid than to convert it to a solid such as cheese or ice cream.

Following the Fluid Milk Promotion Act in 1993 was the creation advertising campaign of the ‘Got Milk?’ slogan. This advertising campaign is also one of the most widely known of them all. This slogan also got registered as the federal trademark by the dairy board and it went national getting 90% nationally recognition and it is known as the most successful campaign in history. Everyone and their grandma knew about this campaign. This advertising campaign came to be because milk was not (still isn’t) an item of very high interest to people’s lives and so how would you get people to pull it out of their refrigerators and drink it more often? Get celebrities to wear milk mustaches on their face. Although milk is not a go to drink for people when it is gone you notice it is missing and realize it is an essential because you find yourself going to the store and buying it, so with celebrities endorsing the ‘Got Milk?’ ad, it helped bring up or stable the numbers of sells for milk as it was on a steady decline by consumers. For example, to show how successful this ad was, in 1994 in the state of California milk sales was at 755 million gallons when in 1993 the sales were at 740 million gallons.

Although the advertisement of ‘Got Milk?’ was successful and increased milk sales, or basically help slow down the decline of milk, people were still not consuming enough of it and were drinking less and less of it. What was at about 240lbs of milk consumption per person in about 1985 in about early 1990 that number was about 235lbs of milk consumption per person slowing down the decline because in previous years it was dropping from about 10 to 15lbs. This was showing the effect of the promotion act of 1990 and the ‘Got Milk?’ advertisement campaign of 1993. But if you take the trend of milk and follow it from 1996, it had dropped back down and slightly more than previous downward slope of about 20lbs of consumption per person. Although milk sells were still going down, dairy men were still pumping out the same numbers of milk or even slightly more since data shows that every year dairy men are pumping more and more milk into their tanks.

Now fast forward almost a decade after the ‘Got Milk?’ slogan, milk was still on a downward slope but in 2000 milk was at slower declining slope almost staying the same. In 2005 another ad campaign was made ‘3-A-Day. Burn more fat, lose more weight’. But this advertisement did not stay long or even make a dent in the consumer eye catcher to make them want to buy milk. Ironically in the following months the sales of milk had dropped by 8 percent because organic milk became a popular thing. People wanted milk from cows that were grazing in fields the majority of their life and following that they were better than regular cows. People were paying $5 or a little more for a gallon of organic milk while nonorganic milk was at about $2 and half. Part of the effect of this was the fault of the FDA approving hormone use in the cows as ‘safe for consumption’ in the 90s so helped organic milk grow in popularity and nonorganic lose sells to them.

In the year of 2005 the consumption of milk was at about 186lbs of consumption per person and following the years up to 2014 milk consumption was down to 159lbs of consumption per person. Which means that every year since 2005 people were consuming about an average of 3lbs of milk per consumption every year. As well in 2014 the slogan ‘Got Milk?’ was dropped and was changed to ‘Milk Life’ for the advertisement campaign. This new slogan was set to focus on the protein content found in milk (which milk has high protein) and the nutritional benefits it came with. Since the belief was that a lot of people did not know milk had a lot of protein and that was all you saw on the news and around consumers ‘we have to get our protein in’ making the connection of milk in protein was a big deal. As the connection of protein was getting made to milk for the consumers attention, in 2015 plant based or non-dairy milk products were making a fast-growing market for themselves in the consumer choice for drinks at home since people believe it is milk (when in theory it is not) and it holds less calories than your traditional milk. This caused traditional milk to drop about 7 percent of sales and non-dairy alternatives to grow up to about 9 percent. In order to combat the growth in popularity of non-milk products, brand companies are finding ways to infuse flavors to attract consumers to the taste of milk. An example of that is when you go to the store you will find banana flavored or vanilla flavored milk drink. As the years continue milk consumption or sales has not gone up or seen numbers that it has seen in the past and each year it is less. It was reported that in 2017 and 2018 people only consumed about 148lbs of milk yearly since now there is a wide variety of soft drink products to choose from.

As of today, in 2020 milk consumption and sells are set to drop and it is not due to people choosing other alternatives to milk, but because the farmers are forced to dump milk down the drain due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Dairy farmers across America are predicted as a whole to dump around 3.7 million gallons of milk down the drain. With schools and restaurants closed, the demand for milk has dropped, but the wild thing is that a lot of cities and towns are seeing empty refrigerators and it is raising questions as to why if there is an ‘excess’ of milk in the industry. Dairy farmers are meeting production limits that are imposed on them do the result of dumping which is going to result to a shortage of dairies, although the farms are going to get bigger and more milk will get pumped into the market since every year growth of milk production has been seen. Will this be the new normal for dairy farmers if the cap is still in place to prevent milk from flooding the market and help stabilize milk sales to consumers? Or will the dairy industry find new marketing tributes for milk as the government tries to protect the milk industry with its new policies to help them stay afloat until all this clears up?

For the past few years, entomophagy – the act of eating insects – has increased significantly. With the first pop-up ‘Pestaurant’ – pest-only restaurant – appearing in London it is only natural to wonder if insects will become a common food source in the Western diet (Fill, 2016: 662). All around the world the entomophagy culture is growing rapidly with many restaurants and shops sealing insect-based food, drinks and groceries. It is still a very controversial topic for a large part of the population but its growing in popularity each passing day thanks to the understanding of the ecological, financial and nutritional potential (Ali, 2016: 392).

For some continents such as Africa, Asia and Latin America the practice of entomophagy is very common, given the high percentage of edible insects (Huis, 2014: 15). Even though not all, there are many species of insects that hold mostly protein, fiber and fat, which makes them highly nutritional for any diet (Huis, 2014: 67).

It is very hard to further evaluate insects nutritionally wise since there is a great deal of different species. The general insect holds between 35% to 77% of protein, is rich in B vitamin and fulfils the amino acids requirements set by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations University (UNU) (Nadathur, 2017: 345-346). In fact, insects are generally so nutritious that FAO suggested their consumption to replace the ‘normal’ protein (Patel, 2019: 354).

As consumers, Western culture does not see insects as a food source. Insects are still seen as pests, annoying or even disgusting which causes an immediate discomfort when presented with the idea of it becoming a protein source (Nadathur, 2017: 347).

Despite the fact that entomophagy is considered to be a taboo subject or looked down upon by many people, it is hard to ignore the amount of advantages that it brings especially environmentally and financially. For starters it is much easier than the traditional livestock. Insects reproduce faster, they do not require nearly as much water and they do not need to be fed. This makes the whole process not only cheaper but also much more environmentally friendly when compared to traditional rearing (Gahukar, 2011: 130).

Entomophagy can also be profitable when thinking about the future. With the estimated population growth and the increase of meat consumption, food security will be at risk. If insects were added to the Western diet as a sustainable protein source that would prevent the possible world hunger (Gahukar, 2011: 129; Nadathur, 2017: 383).

Although the Western diet could benefit greatly from adding insects as a food source, there are also some things to be aware of. Infections and toxins are what when farming insects should be looked out for. When insect rearing is not done properly it can become a risk for human health (Nadathur, 2017: 345). Nevertheless, there are various cultures and populations that already see insects as a delicacy. For example, in some parts of China it is normal to eat fried honey bees, and in Japan there are many popular insect-based dishes, such as, hachinoko, which consists of boiled wasp larvae, fried silk moth pupae (sangi) and aquatic insect larvae also known as zazamushi (Patel, 2019: 354).

In the final analysis, practicing entomophagy would be very beneficent, not only nutritionally wise, but also environmentally and financially. With the growing popularity and with the increase in awareness for a need of a new sustainable protein source it seems very likely that insects will eventually become part of the Western diet. Just as happened with all the different types of veganism, people will start to adhere more and more once they notice the massive impact it has on the world.

References

1. Ali, A. (2016). ‘A Semiotic Approach to Entomophagy’. Perspectives on Global Development and Technology. 15(4), 391-405.
2. Fill, C. (2016). Marketing Communications. 7th edition. Pearson.
3. Gahukar, R. T. (2011). ‘Entomophagy and Human Food Security’. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science. 31(3), 129-144.
4. Huis, A. (2014). Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
5. Nadathur, S.R. (2017). Sustainable Protein Sources. Netherlands, Amsterdam: Academic Press.
6. Patel, S. (2019). ‘Edible Insects as Innovative Foods: Nutritional and Functional Assessments’. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 86, 352-359.

Life gets developed every day than the day before. New discoveries and inventions are found each minute. One of these inventions is energy drinks. According to the scientific research, energy drinks were first found in Japan. In the post-war period, amphetamines were very popular until laws were passed to limit their use in the 1950s. One of energy drinks definitions is: a soft drink that contains a high percentage of sugar, caffeine, or other stimulant, typically consumed during or after sporting activity or as a way of overcoming tiredness. Who can believe that a human can rely on a drink to have more energy for his body, but the real questions that should be answered are: ‘Are energy drinks really healthy for our bodies? And what is the truth behind energy drinks facts and effects?’. Many people may conflict on this point, despite the fact that some opponents think that energy drinks can really make them lose weight and keep them awake because of the caffeine found in them. I believe among many proponents that energy drinks damage out body parts, especially our heart muscle and beats. It also may lead to sleep disturbance.

Some people say that energy drinks can make people lose weight. They believe that energy drinks have the ability to make them burn fats and calories in their bodies. It is also able to give them the satiated feeling, so they don’t have to eat food. It might seem that these persons’ point of view is terribly wrong, however, what this argument failed to consider is that energy drinks do not help you lose weight on the contrary, it may lead to weight gain. According to Amy J. Jeffers, Katherine E. Vatalaro Hill, Eric G. Benotsch (2014), people who consume energy drinks for weight loss may suffer from disordered eating behaviors such as vomiting or using diet pills and engaging in other unhealthy weight loss. One of the main factors of weight gaining is high consumption of sugar, which is one of the main components found in the ingredients of energy drinks so how can it be a losing weight drink?! With reference to Amy J. Jeffers, Katherine E. Vatalaro Hill, Eric G. Benotsch (2014), individuals with high energy drink consumption were reported by taking diet pills to lose weight. To sum up, energy drinks may be the main reason for a person being fat. Consuming high percentage of energy drinks lead to high consumption of sugar for a human body that definitely leads to corpulence.

Some experts believe that energy drinks help you to stay awake for a long period. They say that due to caffeine that is found in several energy drinks is a main reason for keeping you awake and alert for many hours. Therefore, they say the more you have energy drinks in your day the more awake you stay in a day. However, this is so wrong. Energy drinks can help you to stay awake, but that happens at the expense of many others things. It also has several side effects. According to Ahmed A., Ahmed B. (2011), side effects that are in relation with caffeine consumption in amounts greater than 400 mg may include stomach ache, irritability, arrhythmia, increased urination, sleeplessness, and nervousness. Therefore, drinking a huge amount of energy drinks in one day for certain will lead to harm for your body. You will stay awake, but you will feel fatigued. Consequently, you will have a sleep disturbance and lack of sleeping. High consumption of caffeine will also lead to a disease in your body. With reference to Ahmed A., Ahmed B. (2011), overuse of caffeine consumption increases means arterial blood pressure and reduces insulin sensitivity. To sum up, caffeine is highly involved in heart attack deaths and serious other factors that may lead to death.

It is clear that we have been fouled by the hidden fact and truth about energy drinks. In my point of view, I clearly believe that energy drinks harm our bodies in so many different ways. Because of the unnatural ingredients found in these energy drinks, our bodies’ response to it as if it is a harmful substance inside our body. One of the main bad effects is affecting our heart muscle and heart beats. According to scientific research, we found that energetic drinks are most commonly the reason for chest pain, fast heartbeat, jitteriness, headache or gastrointestinal effects. For sure this scientific research was able to answer our question about youth people death by heart attacks. It is commonly because high consumption of energy drinks that lead to fast rate heart beats that caused heart attack death. With reference to Anatol J. Cardiol (2018), caffeine causes sympathomimetic effects, increasing blood pressure and concentrated heart activity. Caffeine is a highly involved substance that causes blood pressure and increase heart activity, it is found with a huge amount in energy drinks so we can consider these drinks harmful not useful. To sum up, we drink energy drinks without knowing its side effects and how it may heart our body natural circuit.

Many of us may have uncomfortable sleep at night and suffers from sleep disturbance that can lead to a lack of sleep. Unfortunately, that is caused by energy drinks. According to Subin Park, Yeeun Lee and Junghyun H. Lee (2016), energy drinks that contains caffeine may also cause activation of methylxanthines, which may be related to psychological condition that includes sleep anxiety or memory. So, it is clear that energy drinks are negatively affecting our man’s nature and the bed time sleeping. If we say the human should sleep frequently 7 to 9 hours a day, we see that a high consumption of energy drinks may lead to fewer hours of sleep. Many people go to energy drinks so they can stay awake for the longest hours they can to work more and sleep less so they can earn and have more money. But no one ever thought about these drinks may affect their body health. Imagine having more hours of sleep than a normal person that for surely will lead to disruption of body organs like brain stomach. You will always feel tired and lack of concentration. With reference to Subin Park, Yeeun Lee and Junghyun H. Lee (2016), high consumption of caffeine has been associated with difficulty in sleeping and tiredness in the mornings. To sum up, we consume energy drinks by thinking that it may help us to stay awake unconscious of its harmful effects that may include sleep lack and tiredness.

In conclusion, now that two opinions about energy drinks are useful and healthy for our human body, one of them being against it by using arguments such as helping to weight loss and fat burn that can make us rely on drinks for gaining our energy and no need for food, also the ability of energy drinks to help us to stay awake for the longest time without effecting out bodies in a harmful way. It was explained why these arguments were weak, and how they were based upon insufficient and nonclear information. The other opinion being supportive of stopping the use of energy drinks, as it has been proved by several researches provided in this essay that energy drinks causing the change of heart beat rate that may lead to death, it also leads to lack of sleep and tiredness. It plays a major role in changing a person’s way of life. So, I recommend authorities to increase its supervision over energy drinks ingredients and its factories.