Reflection 3: Going Without—The Seven-Day Food Fast Challenge
Your third reflection challenges you to go one week without either processed foods, coffee, or sugar.
Your reflection should contain two parts:
- A minimum three-to-four sentence daily log of your journey without these foods (totaling seven entries)
- A 10-to-12 sentence paragraph summarizing the experience*
Choose only one of the following options:
Option 1: Faking It—Going Without Processed Foods
Since WWII, America has come to rely heavily on processed foods—those foods that have, in some way, been altered from their natural state. Low costs, ease of use, and wide availability have made processed foods convenient and popular options at every meal. However, in recent years many have begun to rethink the place of these foods in the American diet. Now, as people are again recognizing the value of whole foods, processed foods are increasingly under fire for their role in everything from obesity to malnutrition to diabetes. How difficult would it be for you to avoid eating any prepackaged or processed foods for seven days? Can you abstain from eating anything that comes frozen, in a box, a can, a bag, or any type of packaging, instead eating only whole, natural foods? For this reflection, attempt to eat only whole foods for one week, excluding certain dairy, meats, grains, coffee, and teas. Use your best judgment navigating a processed foods-free diet.
Option 2: A Cup of No—Going Without Coffee
Americans drink a staggering 400 million cups of coffee a day—with most coffee drinkers consuming an average of three cups daily. It’s no wonder then, that coffee is one of America’s favorite addictions. In fact, for many of us, the day can’t begin without that first (and second and third …) cup of coffee. Of course, coffee—either a simple drip or mixed into a hot or cold concoction—comes naturally loaded with its star player, caffeine. And if you’ve ever tried to kick the coffee habit, you know that it’s often the caffeine that the body doesn’t give up willingly. Headaches, jitters, and irritability are just a few of the symptoms that can come from denying the body coffee and caffeine. How easily could you give up coffee for seven days? Is it a change you welcome? What aspect of a week without coffee will be the most challenging? Longing for the taste? A change in routine? Your body’s revolt? For this reflection, refrain from coffee—in all its forms—for one week.
Option 3: Sweet Nothings—Going Without Sugar
Unfortunately, the American obsession with sugar has come due. From chronic inflammation to cancer, sugar is the likeliest culprit in a number of our ailments. The challenge for health-conscious Americans, however, isn't simply to avoid ice cream and cookies. The real challenge comes from the fact that sugar is so pervasive in our foods. In fact, a number of everyday foods, ranging from fruit juice to yogurt, contain surprising amounts of sugar. Thus, the process of eliminating sugar from our diets can feel less like eating better and more like detoxifying from a harmful drug. For this reflection, avoid sugar for seven full days. As you do so, consider what urges you must fight. What are the hardest foods to avoid? And what does going without sugar reveal about your everyday diet?
*If you fail at any point, reflect on why you failed.
Requirements:
- MLA Style
- Approx. 375 words (1.5 pages)