Diets
Diets Intro
Some cultures and religions have restrictions concerning what foods are acceptable in a diet. For example, only Kosher foods are permitted by Judaism, and Halal/Haram foods by Islam, in the diet of believers. In addition, the dietary choices of different countries or regions have different characteristics. For instance, Americans eat more red meat than people in most other countries, and Japanese eat more fish and rice.
Rice and beans are typical parts of a diet in Latin-American countries, while lentils and pita bread are typical in the Middle East. This is highly related to a culture's cuisine.
Concerns about food borne illness have long influenced diet. Traditionally humans have learned to avoid foods that induce acute illness. Some believe that this is the underlying rationale behind some traditional religious dietary requirements.
Individual dietary choices
Many individuals choose to limit what foods they eat for reasons of health, morality, or other factors. Additionally, many people choose to forgo food from animal sources to varying degrees; see vegetarianism, veganism, fruitarianism, living foods diet, and raw foodism.
The nutrient content of diets in industrialized countries contain more animal
fat, sugar, energy, alcohol and less dietary fiber, carbohydrates and
antioxidants. Contemporary changes to work, family and exercise patterns,
together with concerns about the effect of nutrition and overeating on human
health and mortality are all having an effect on traditional eating habits.
Physicians and alternative medicine practitioners may recommend changes to diet
as part of their recommendations for treatment.
More recently, dietary habits have been influenced by the concerns that some
people have about possible impacts on health or the environment from genetically
modified food. Further concerns about the impact of industrial farming on animal
welfare, human health and the environment are also having an effect on
contemporary human dietary habits. This has led to the emergence of a
counterculture with a preference for organic and local food.
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