Our Information Intake - Food For Thought

Nutrition is generally defined as ‘the process of providing food necessary for health and growth’. Nutrition is always referenced to food. This was born out of the increasing unhealthy consumption of food, the realization that the problem exists and the general consensus that proactive steps needed to be taken. We now need redefine Nutrition becoming ‘the process of providing INTAKE necessary for health and growth’, health and growth in this case being physical and psychological and spiritual.

Malnourishing Information

With industrialization, particularly in developed countries, access to food is generally not a problem. In fact perhaps that IS the problem. Food is cheap and it is abundant. The unhealthy calorie packed type being the most popular because our bodies are designed to crave the type of food that provides the most energy so that we can conserve it. Average calorie requirements are 2,500 and 2000 calories for a man and a woman respectively, but over 74 percent of North Americans exceed that followed by New Zealand with 68 percent and Australia with 74 percent. On the flip side, there are African countries such as Kenya, which has 40 to 53 percent of their population being malnourished. Both scenarios, that of plenty and that of lack, present a case for education and action on diet and dieting. Dieting is about finding the right balance. Its not just about reducing weight, it could be about increasing it too. It is about changing our consumption habits .

That said, the diet industry is BIG. In the U.S. alone, the diet industry rakes in over 20 billion dollars a year! The industry is probably ‘successful’ because it offers supposed quick fixes (I use the term 'successful' sparingly because the statistics above, tell a different story. You will hear of a ‘4 week slim quick formula’ here and a ‘2 week weight expunger' there but sustainability still remains questionable). There is a legitimate demand for ‘watching’ what we consume when it comes to food but little regard for our information consumption. But the mind runs every thing. We really should be more concerned about that. Nowadays with the information super highway and the world at our fingertips, we are faced with a similar problem when it comes to the information we consume. We consume a lot of information junk and the repercussions are just as adverse if not more so. Our main source of information has become television and the Internet. Reading has been lost ground dramatically since those two took over. Advertising finances television so it’s all about ratings. The numbers. Advertisers want time slots with the most viewers so logic dictates that producers, produce what is popular, not what is good for you. That’s like a parent giving a child chocolate cake for lunch because…well, they like it.

From the top of my head, I can think of one or two reality shows that the viewing public can do without. I must admit, I’ve watched quite a few them but at a certain point decided to ‘watch my diet’. We are bombarded with affirmations day in and day out and very little information. These affirmations are repeated confirmations of our pre-disposition. If the believe money determines the value of person, we listen to rap music that glorifies ‘bling and rims’ or television that send that affirms that message (Don’t get me wrong, I have absolutely no problem with rap music nor ‘stacking chips’ as the saying goes, but I just dislike the way ‘being rich’ is presented sometimes). Again, if we have a particular political inclination, we watch a news network that only affirms our beliefs. Media gives us the affirmations we want, and then we ask for more. The media knows that affirmations sell better than information just like chocolate cake would win by a landslide over spinach if your kids were voting. This overconsumption of affirmations or malnourishing information as I like to call it, just feeds ignorance and kills productivity and efficiency.

In all fairness however, media houses are not our parents. They market driven vehicles and we, the viewers and listeners, are the market driving them. The media presents art. Art is a reflection of the emotions, individual struggle, and the vibe of a society. It is not the media that has to take the first step, it is the society made up of individuals. Yes, it is the man (and woman) in the mirror. We are each ultimately responsible for the information we consume. We are what we consume.

Watch your information diet

Growth is a journey so we are constantly growing and learning. In my journey I encountered these helpful tips from Kevin Eikenberry. He suggests the following information diet for a healthier lifestyle, increased civic effectiveness, stronger relationships and higher productivity

Goal Reading – 20 minutes/day (23%)

Inspirational Reading – 10-15 minutes/day (11-18%)

Professional Reading – 15-20 minutes/day (18-23%)

Current Reading – 10 minutes/day (11%)

Serendipitous Reading – 1 hour/week (10%)

Fun Reading – 1 hour/week (10%)

Light Reading – less than 1 hour/week* (10%)

You have probably noticed that its all reading advise. Reading is, to the mind, what exercise is to the body. When you read, you exercise your imagination to the fullest. It’s a brain work-out. Television takes this part away. Television is like...mental fast food.