Greens and Genes

The Green Genesthe basic physical unit of heredity; a unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to an offspring, and is held to determine some characteristics of the offspring topic is about getting to know the major greensconsisting of green plants or of the leaves of plants; having the color of growing grass;  in the context of Culture and Food, we are specifically talking about green leafy plants that have high nutritional value for humans that should be eaten for health. This lesson is designed to take approximately one week, which is enough time to grasp the concepts with adequate attention and study.

Greens are the primary plants we should focus on for our daily health requirements.  An article in Scientific Daily (October 2011) reported that eating greens can actually change the effect on heart diseasea disease is a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant that produces specific signs or symptoms, or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.  You will have an opportunity to read and comment below on this article.  The Green Genes lesson helps you realize that foodany nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth should be anything we take into our body that is nourishmentfood or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition – in other words, it should be life-giving.

We might ask ourselves, why do we eat anything else?  The reason we eat things that are not good for us, or that have little nutritional value, is because food choices are more often about cultural choices than what we actually want to eat, or what we need for nourishment.

Food choices may have to do with the company we keep, the holidays we celebrate, or even ritualsthe prescribed order of performing a ceremony or act, especially one characteristic of a particular religion or church; rituals are usually collectivistic behaviors and most often include a specialist overseeing the activity or activities we participate in with others.

Quinoa Salad as a Main Course
All Organic Ingredients

The first lesson in this series about Cultureculture is not genetically inherited, it is shared, learned, and dynamic- never static and Food was about origins and changes in human diets and non-human-primate diets.

Studying primatea mammal of the order of Primates, which includes the anthropoids and prosimians, characterized by refined development of the hands and feet, a shortened snout, and a large brain; typically having flexible hands and feet with opposable first digits (thumbs), good eyesight, and in the higher apes, a highly developed brain; includes lemurs, lorises, monkeys, apes, and humankind diets is important because humans are primates and the diets of both humans and non-human primates have evolved in much the same way.

The non-human primates: gorillas, monkeys, and chimpanzees are our nearest relatives.  It makes sense to study their diets to understand our own capacities, and nutritional requirements.

Learning Objectives

After completing Greens and Genes, Lesson 2, you will be able to:

1) Understand that eating certain foods may change genes and affect outcome of a disease

2) Understand that food culture work together for both good and bad

3) Understand that food, which humans incorporate into diets are products of naturethe phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans and or human creations transformed into culture.

4) Realize the cross-culturalof or relating to different cultures or comparisons between them way that food affects identitythe name of a person, along with the qualities, beliefs, etc., that make a particular person or a group different from others

5) Understand that enculturationlearning culture begins at birth; it is both conscious and unconscious learning, and both informal (within families) and formal (within institutions, as in church, or school), but most importantly it is passed down from generation to generation and socializationto convert, adapt, or adhere to the needs of society - this also relates to acculturation when in consistent contact with a different culture than your native one is focused on food acquisition, preparation, and consumption and social groups are formed around these ideals

 Study Plan: Culture and Food – Greens and Genes – Lesson 2

Step 1.

Watch the following short video by Professor Katherine Milton, Professor of Physical Anthropologythe branch of anthropology that deals with human evolutionary biology, physical variation, and classification; also called biological anthropology at University of California Berkeley.  She discusses the  of human diets and the misconceptions that many people have about what a proper dietthe kinds of food a person, animal, or community habitually eats; a regiment of eating may be designed for special medical or health benefits and may be called a "diet" consists of for human beings.  She debunks some of the most inaccurate statements and theories by the media.  One trend, in particular, that she points out is completely wrong is that the “Paleolithic Dietthe paleolithic diet is a modern nutritional plan based on the presumed diet of Paleolithic humans, which relates to the cultural period of the Stone Age beginning with the earliest chipped stone tools, about 750,000 years ago, until the beginning of the Mesolithic Period, about 15,000 years ago,” which is being hailed as a good diet, consists of primarily eating protein found in meat-based nutrition.

Nowadays food seems to be such a wide-ranging interest because of all the misconceptions, myths, and various kinds of diets that are being advertised by the media.  This kind of soft powerinvolves the use of cultural influence, political values, and foreign policies to persuade or attract others to support or adopt similar views or actions More can be very detrimental to human health.  A plant-based diet is the most optimum diet for humans as you shall see as we continue following this path to better health and better health decisions.

Step 2.

Think of some of your most treasured food memories and post a comment below on what these memories hold for you.  Are they happy, sad or indifferent?  Do they involve birthdays, religious holidays, or other celebrations?  What people do you associate with these food memories? Recalling this memorythe power or process of remembering what has been learned; something remembered, kept in the mind for later recall; something remembered from the past; a recollection should be both a learning experience and a fun experience.  It may also be nostalgic.  If so, express the emotions that go along with the food memory.

Step 3.

Watch this fun video about how to make “Green Smoothies” and incorporated them into your diet the easy way.  This lady also says it is a great way to lose fat and tone muscle.  Most people have a problem eating greens because they think they are bitter, tasteless, ugly, and there is no way to fix them so that they taste good.  This film shows you a sure way to get your greens everyday.

After watching the above video on an easy way to get your greens, go to YouTube and search our the short videos on longevity and health.  I hesitate to embed one here due to not wanting to promote any one health regiment.  As we have discussed, every person is different, in genetic disposition, exercise and energy proficiency among other things.  However, getting different views from various “experts,”  gives you much to think about in decision making choices of food.

Step 4.

Watch this video on greens and how to grow your own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhXSRd6iUFY

Step 5.

Study the Power Point Presentation, “What Are Greens?”  A good way to do this is to take notes and go to the grocery store or farmer’s market and find and visualize each of these types of greens.

Step 6.

Try finding some collard greens and using them in recipes, which you can find on Martha Stewart’s website.  The recipes are for soups, smoothies, main dishes, and snacks.  Here is just one.

https://www.marthastewart.com/344829/sauteed-collard-greens-with-garlic

Step 7.

Read the Greens and Genes Lecture. Take notes and plan a shopping trip to a farmer’s market to find some of the greens mentioned.  Buy only the freshest and most hardy greens.  If they are wilting or have white mold, or dark spots, or do not smell exactly right then don’t buy them.  Try just one of the recipes today; or make a smoothie using kale or spinach.

Step 8.

After studying the Power Point Presentation on “What are Greens?” and reading the lecture on Greens and Genes, you should be able to answer the following questions with certainty. Write down the questions and the answers.  You should be able to add content to the answers. If not, go back and repeat Steps 5 and 7.

1.  Are genes that have markers for certain diseases changeable?  If so how?

2.  What does it mean for humans if plants do not get the right balance of nutrients while growing?

3.  What is the HEC and why is it important for our health?

4.  Name four radical changes in our food supplies over the last 50 years.

5.  After gaining important knowledge about food and health, what if any changes, do you plan to make in your own personal food choices?

This step is an assignment that only you will complete and only you will see; so responses can be changed and you can answer question number five with perfect honesty.

Step 9.

Watch the following films to discover how culture and identity go together to form a picture of our thoughts, actions, and responses to food stimuli.  You will see how the phrase turning nature into something culturally constructed plays out in real time. The films give you some cross-cultural viewpoints about food, some information on GMOgenetically modified organism; one whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there (genetically modified organisms) and what some of our food practices and food companies, that we don’t know much about, like the Monsanto Corporationthe world's largest grossing seed company; a major producer of GM (genetically modified) seeds, hold for the future of agriculturecultivation of soil to grow food plants using technologies such as plowing, irrigation, terracing, fertilizers and harnessing power of domesticated animals and feeding large populations.  (You might want to research about Monsanto and seed production.)

Step 10.

Review the Learning Objectives.Make sure you grasp all the terms and concepts before continuing to Step 11.

Step 11.

Take the Greens and Genes QUIZ.

Step 12. Optional

Green Genes Project – Fun Assignment

You must complete the Quiz before continuing on to Culture and Food, Lesson 3.