Nutrition Final Reflection
Genna Slayton
CHEF-260 D01
When I take time to reflect on the knowledge I have gained from this Nutrition Class, I can’t help but think about where I was when I started this course. I initially thought I would just be learning about food products you shouldn’t mix when serving people food, carbohydrate and protein contents; however, nutrition for chefs is so much more. I gained deep insight both a personal and business level. The content that I learned most about were my own personal health needs, and that of my family, how serious allergy issues can be for anyone and the seriousness that comes to adapting menus for these specific individuals, and a business marketing model behind the restaurant industry.
I stand by the statement I made that cooking is an amazing science, and initially I was under the impression that I would be able to cater to others with dietary needs; however, in the long run I would have a great understanding of how to cater to myself after being diagnosed with thyroid problems early in the semester. This class worked hand in hand with things that I needed to know desperately. Since food is fuel for are bodies there were items I was becoming more and more familiar with through our vocabulary research, like Cruciferous Vegetables, due to the goitrogens interference with taking iodine. I do understand that eating them raw is what causes it more so, and even though they lose more nutritional value when cooked; it’s the right thing for me and my body. A lot of this I have learned from different websites, and our discussions, but an easy article from everydayhealth.com helped me comprehend the entire notion easier. There Dennis Thompson states, “Hypothyroidism can be a tricky condition to manage, and what you eat can interfere with your treatment. Some nutrients heavily influence the function of the thyroid gland, and certain foods can inhibit your body's ability to absorb the replacement hormones you may take as part of your thyroid treatment.” (Thompson, 2017) So now I have much better understanding about how to help my health issues along with maintain and balance out medications for proper absorption all through nutrition.
Secondly, allergies are no joke. We all had a lot to talk about in Discussion 9 about how restaurants and hospitality centers manage food allergens and alert their guest. Lack of doing so can cause others to hives, metallic taste in mouth, itching, closing of the throat and more seriously shock. These are normally noted on menus when certain dishes are produced with the “The Big 8” allergies cause: eggs, wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, cow's milk, and milk products, fish, and shellfish. Foodallergy.org is a great source to learn further about all food allergies and their symptoms and remedies. With gluten being such a hot topic these days, from Discussion 5 and our book, I have also learned more about gluten allergies and what celiac disease is, and the affects of it on those who are gluten intolerant. I find it important to think further into items you may be cooking for other people and making sure we are being cognizant of what we are cooking and for who and staying in constant reminders of The Big 8.