AMERICAN DIET Americans usually eat three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Certain foods are typical for each meal. A typical breakfast usually consists of toast or cereal (either hot, or cold with milk), orange juice (commonly referred to as "O.J."), and coffee or hot tea. Many Americans also have eggs (scrambled, fried, or poached) and bacon or sausage For lunch, many Americans will eat a sandwich, which consists of any number of fillings that can include meats such as ham, roast beef, turkey, or chicken, tuna or egg salad, cheese) or peanut butter and jelly. Dinner, or supper, is the main meal in the United States, and most Americans usually sit down to eat this meal between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Dinner often consists of a main entrée of meat, chicken, or fish, with side dishes of rice, potato, or pasta and a vegetable or salad. Most people drink water, juice, soda, wine, or beer with their evening meal. After dinner,, a special dessert and coffee are served. Many Americans also eat between meals; these are called snacks. Generally, snacks are not very nutritious, and consist of items such as candy, cookies, chocolate, crackers, and potato chips. The typical American diet is too high in saturated fat, sodium, and sugar and too low in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, calcium, and fiber. Such a diet contributes to four of the six leading causes of death and increases the risk of numerous diseases
THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET
There's no one "Mediterranean" diet. At least 16 countries border the Mediterranean Sea. Diets vary between these countries and also between regions within a country. Many differences in culture, ethnic background, religion, economy and agricultural production result in different diets. But the common Mediterranean dietary pattern has these characteristics: • • • • •
high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten eggs are consumed zero to four times a week wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts
The incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States. Death rates are lower, too. But this may not be entirely due to the diet. Lifestyle factors (such as more physical activity and extended social support systems) may also play a part.
THE CHINESE DIET The Chinese diet is generally regarded as a healthy one. The Chinese are very concerned about eating habits which are seen as an important factor affecting health. There is a Chinese proverb "Illness starts from what goes into one's mouth while trouble starts from what comes out of it." A typical Chinese diet, which vegetables, fish and seafood dessert, is proved to be and deep fry, the Chinese use methods: steam, boil, stew, avoid excessive greasy food.
includes a lot of but very little sugar or healthy. Besides stir fry a wide variety of cooking roast, bake, and generally
The majority of Chinese are not vegetarian. Some are vegetarian because of personal choice and some because of their religion. There are several Chinese concepts of healthy eating habits. The most basic one is the balance of yin (feminine) and yang (masculine). Failure to maintain this balance is the root to many illnesses: excessive yin leads to weakness and excessive yang to restlessness manifested in inflammation and ulcers. Yin food includes fruits and vegetables whilst yang food includes meat.
THE JAPANESE DIET The Japanese are, by all accounts, the people with the least obesity problem, the highest longevity rate, and best health record. What are they eating? The importance of rice Rice is the main carbohydrate food in Japan, consumed with every meal. However, the real basis of the Japanese diet is not rice but fish, consumed at more than 70 kilos per person per year—which means 190 grams daily. This combination of rice and fish, as their staple food is far superior to the American meat and potato, the European little of this, little of that diets, and light years ahead of the Russian pork, potato and mayonnaise daily fare. Let’s see what else they eat. Miso and other soy products! Miso is a fermented soy product, and a soup is made from it that is light tasting and easy to digest. One gets all the benefits of soy from it. Also, the famous soy sauce. Japanese people, on the average consume about 200 grams of soy products daily.
SAY IF THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES ARE TRUE OR FALSE TRUE FALSE 1 The Chinese worry about their diet 2 Most Chinese are vegetarian 3 Chinese cook in many different ways 4 Yin food includes meat 5 Diet in Mediterranean countries is very similar 6 Olive oil is important to cook meat 7 Heart diseases in Mediterranean countries are 8 9 1
lower than in the States because of the food Breakfast is the main meal in the USA Most Americans have lunch at home They consume a lot of olive oil
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Many of them have snacks between meals
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Many diseases in America are related to their
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diet