• Medieval munchies - Medieval diet aids healthy eating message
    38 replies, posted
[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11161525]Thy Source[/url] [release][B]The Horrible Histories series has been a great success in teaching children about the lives of the Romans, Aztecs and Egyptians, among others.[/B] [QUOTE][tab]Food historian Caroline Yeldham says the medieval diet was largely a heathy one.[/tab][IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48951000/jpg/_48951957_food.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] But could history also hold the key to encouraging our children to eat better? Dr Iona McCleery, a lecturer in medieval history at Leeds University, believes it could help experts tackle the growing childhood obesity problem. Armed with plastic skeletons, Iona and her team - who are funded by the Wellcome Trust - will be travelling round schools in the Wakefield area of Yorkshire, to teach about the effects of a medieval diet as part of the three-year "you are what you ate" project. She said: "We will use history to develop a less preachy approach to modern health. [quote][B][I]"Snacking was much less socially acceptable so that is something we can learn from"[/I][/B] Caroline Yeldham[/quote] "We'll be asking questions such as 'how do our relatively low activity levels interact with our diet in contrast to soldiers and labourers of past times'? "This project will completely transform public perceptions of the past. We'll be looking at things like how fruit and vegetables were at one time considered unhealthy and how we used to have a much spicier diet than we do now. "Through food festival stalls and cooking demonstrations we will also reach people who don't usually go into museums to encourage them to think about how the past affects their own eating habits." [B]Peasant role models[/B] Dr McCleery said that, whereas in the past it was the rich who risked weight gain, today poorer people are more more likely to become obese. "Interestingly it was the peasant class, whose diet would class today as healthy," she said. "The poorer you were, the higher chances you ate more vegetables and had more mixed grains in your diet. "The poor were semi-vegetarians who simply could not afford meat and social status. Wealth is very much associated with diet." Food historian Caroline Yeldham agreed, saying that highlighting modern eating patterns and contrasting them to medieval diets would make people think about what they ate. "The medieval diet was very fresh food. There were very few preserves so everything was made fresh and it was low in fat and low in salt and sugar." Meal times were more a family and community focus in medieval times and Caroline said this was a positive force. "Dining was very ritualised either in the family or household and was a formal activity. People were eating together regularly so although snacking was available, it was not a focus. "Snacking was much less socially acceptable. "There are certainly a much wider range of ingredients than we tend to eat today - more herbs and fish, rather than imports which were a small part of the diet and used as flavourings. "There are some very famous people who became obese such as Henry VIII and Wolsey. But you did not see young people who were obese. [QUOTE][tab]Most food in medieval times was seasonal.[/tab][img]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48952000/jpg/_48952079_food2.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] "Medieval people were much more physically active than we are. "They were like rugby players. When they were very fit and active they used up the calories, but after an injury or illness, that was when their activity level went down and they became obese. Child health experts at Mend, a programme which aims to encourage obese children to be more healthy, praised the scheme. "Being creative with food is a great way for children to learn about different foods," they said. "Looking at what our medieval ancestors ate is an interesting way to get children to think about how their diets differ from their ancestors."[/release] Very interesting indeed [editline]09:29PM[/editline] But I'm not changing my diet, I'll die a carnivore man :smug:
I think the Medieval diets were healthier because of the lack of choice for the majority. Compared to the rich whom were generally fat asses.
Well, I already have one of the steps down. I think I can speak for a lot of us when I say that I'm poor.
Also this artical is kind of stating the obvious. Most food in the medieval times were seasonal? No shit?
No shit medieval people were more physically active than today's people, they actually used their legs. :rolleyes:
[img]http://i.imgur.com/hAvhY.jpg[/img] "hey baby"
That's why everyone lived to the healthy age of 40
[QUOTE=HolyCrusade;24602785]That's why everyone lived to the healthy age of 40[/QUOTE] Exactly. Their diets were shit and a massive proportion of them were malnourished.
[QUOTE]"They were like rugby players."[/QUOTE] Actually I'd say it was more likely your average peasant was comparable to a holocaust survivor.
I love the way the 'food historian' is actually a fat cow. Irony.
[QUOTE=erazor;24603149]I love the way the 'food historian' is actually a fat cow. Irony.[/QUOTE] It's my thyyyyyrooiiiiiiiiiiiiiid
I loved the Horrible History books
Horrible History is sometimes fun.
Using scare-tactics to get rid of a problem mainly caused by low self-esteem? Fucking genius! :v:
Never knew barely eating anything was healthy. Most of the time, they would only get what ruler of the land, and the general populace didn't eat. They would be lucky if they could get a single meal on a table in a day.
worst article ever you wanna eat little and lean as often as possible, snacking is a good thing
I've cooked using ancient Roman recipes before, that stuff is awesome, I've never eaten anything with so many different flavors in it before. Don't touch the Garum unless you like fermented fish sauce though.
[QUOTE=erazor;24603149]I love the way the 'food historian' is actually a fat cow. Irony.[/QUOTE] "It was that goddamn thesis paper on the ecclair. The research was....extensive. I used to be skinny!"
We don't even have the means to have this diet today : Fresh vegetables are expensive.
Seasonal food is healthier though... its usually fresh, tastes good, comes from nearby, etc...
Hmm, I guess they never addressed the whole thing about medieval times when the rich would eat so much until they had to puke it out into a pale in order to keep eating out of sheer lack of anything else to do except for eat
[QUOTE=erazor;24603149]I love the way the 'food historian' is actually a fat cow. Irony.[/QUOTE] It doesn't really disqualify her from doing her job. If a doctor who smoked told you that you had to quit smoking due to a lung problem, would you be a baby and disregard his advise on the basis of hypocrisy or would you just listen to the expert? [editline]08:40AM[/editline] [QUOTE=Ickylevel;24610772]We don't even have the means to have this diet today : Fresh vegetables are expensive.[/QUOTE] Poor people sure don't.
[QUOTE=ZekeTwo;24613938]It doesn't really disqualify her from doing her job. If a doctor who smoked told you that you had to quit smoking due to a lung problem, would you be a baby and disregard his advise on the basis of hypocrisy or would you just listen to the expert[/QUOTE] I'd probably be less prone to taking health advice from some fat woman then if she were fit.
[QUOTE=Rooster Assassin;24618997]I'd probably be less prone to taking health advice from some fat woman then if she were fit.[/QUOTE] Even if they have been educated in their field? That's retarded.
[QUOTE=RR_Raptor65;24607760]I've cooked using ancient Roman recipes before, that stuff is awesome, I've never eaten anything with so many different flavors in it before. Don't touch the Garum unless you like fermented fish sauce though.[/QUOTE] No way dude, that shit tastes like anchovies. And anchovies are the shit.
[QUOTE=ZekeTwo;24621812]Even if they have been educated in their field? That's retarded.[/QUOTE] Follow what you preach.
[QUOTE=ZekeTwo;24621812]Even if they have been educated in their field? That's retarded.[/QUOTE] I don't think that's retarded, If I had the option to hear a lecture about health from an overweight person compared to a healthy person, I'd pick the healthy one, because they seem to know what they're doing.
[QUOTE=Rooster Assassin;24622448]I don't think that's retarded, If I had the option to hear a lecture about health from an overweight person compared to a healthy person, I'd pick the healthy one, because they seem to know what they're doing.[/QUOTE] Overweight does somewhat go hand in hand with unhealthy but it does not always mean that the person is unhealthy. Nor does being slim imply healthiness.
[QUOTE=Perfumly;24622507]Overweight does somewhat go hand in hand with unhealthy but it does not always mean that the person is unhealthy. Nor does being slim imply healthiness.[/QUOTE] I think the problem here is that this guy would rather choose who he listens to based on appearance over expertise I kind of get this when deciding who to fuck but this is a whole new level of shallow
[QUOTE=ZekeTwo;24622607]I think the problem here is that this guy would rather choose who he listens to based on personal appearance over expertise[/QUOTE] That too is a problem.
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