Kent State Interns

 The holidays can be filled with so many great emotions: joy, relief, relaxation, and others. But the holidays may also be occupied with some not-so-fun feelings as well: stress, depression, anxiety. These latter feelings are potentially even more prevalent this year more than any other year in recent memory due to the pandemic among other things. But what about food? Surely knowing that you have so many comfort foods to come home to after a long day at work gives you a peace of mind every day. Right? Cookies, pies, candy canes, popcorn tins, fruitcake (for some people) and so much more have become holiday staples and are all but expected come this time of the year. Well, it turns out that these foods may not hold as much solace and comfort as we might think. In fact, a recent study indicated that one of the most common feelings that come from indulging in these foods in guilt - so we're eating these foods that are meant to inspire feelings of joy and happiness but instead we feel ...

  The Cultural Cuisine Passport Challenge   This year, 2020, has shown to be a terrible year for travel. With COVID-19 having achieved a “pandemic” designation, people all over the world have canceled their plans to fly, drive, cruise in a ship, or ride in a train. With these cancellations, people are no longer adventuring in far off lands to sate their pallets with foreign cuisine and delicacies. According to one survey, 88.2% of travelers stated that gastronomy and food were the primary choice for their travel destinations. This does not come as a surprise though, does it? I mean people travel for all sorts of reasons – historical significance, architecture, art, sporting events, business, outdoor activities, and so on – but what are people usually most excited about? You got it – the food! To compound the problem, local restaurants that offer foreign culinary options may no longer be in operation or may have their offerings altered. So, without the ability to trav...

  Let’s Talk Fat Fat is one of the three macronutrients that I believe gets a bad rap. Looking back on previous generations, fats contribution to one’s health was contradicting. Back in 1980’s, fat was viewed as a poor component to health. This sparked what some dietitians called the “the fat free movement”. Manufacturers altered their food products to strip away all the fat that was originally found in their product . Recent research has shown that consuming the right types of fat and an appropriate amount is actually recommended to sustain a healthy diet. Research and health care professionals have developed an understanding of the different types of fat available to consumers. Let’s start with some of the fats that should be limited/avoided. Saturated fat - most commonly found in animal products (beef, lard, butter, chicken skin, cheese, hard whipping cream, coconut oil, etc.) The current recommended intake for saturated fat is 7-10% of total calories. How do you calcula...