Bibimbap march 24

{bibimbap{ A Healthy Mix of EFL Teaching Resources, Information, and Korean Culture

Volume 2 • Issue 5

Are JLP Teaching Positions Rapidly Decreasing?

With the recent public school position cuts, there are concerns about JLP’s longevity. Program coordinator, Chris Devison addresses the issue. See page 10

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EST. 2013 • Volume 2 • Issue 5 • January 2015

For questions and comments concerning articles please contact the writer via their emails listed at the end of their articles

For general inquiries please contact: BibimbapNews@gmail.com general managment

Chris Devison chrisofficeofeducation@yahoo.com Dinh Nguyen d11nguye@gmail.com Lindsay Ross Ross6520@gmail.com copy editor

Edward Chaney edwardtchaney@gmail.com art director

Dinh Nguyen production team

Chris Devison Dinh Nguyen

The Editorial Team

{bibimbap{

Chris Devison is the Provincial Coordinator for the Jeollanamdo Language Program. He has lived in South Korea for almost 10 years, and has spent six of those years in his current position.

Aside from assisting public school teachers with their contract and school life, he has a keen interest in health and wellness. Having lived in both Western and Eastern cultures, he has a strong understanding of the healthiest practices of both worlds.

Before coming to South Korea, Dinh Nguyen was a Canadian journalist. He has 6 years experience as an editor, reporter, and desktop publishing designer. After obtaining his CELTA in 2012, he moved to Yeosu to follow his passion for teaching and traveling.

He recently completed the CELTA YLE. Copy Editor, Edward Chaney worked for the Hayden's Ferry Review, a literary journal published out of Arizona State University (ASU). He was exposed to the Jeollanamdo Language Program during an internship with ASU’s MTESOL program. Since then, he and his wife has moved to South Korea, and will be finishing up their first year come April.

After completing his degree and travelling around Canada extensively, Joseph Campbell recently moved to South Korea to teach English and immerse himself in a foreign and fascinating culture.

He is always looking for something new to learn, and you won’t find many topics that don’t interest him.

Kevin Flynn is an Elementary School Teacher in Mokpo who has lived in South Korea for 3 years. He obtained his B.A in Speech Communication in New Jersey, U.S.A, and is currently studying for his masters in Speech Pathology. Kevin likes to use his creative energies to inspire students to learn. He also coordinates the English program at the local orphanage with fellow teachers.

Edward Chaney Joe Campbell Kevin Flynn Lindsay Ross

Tyson Vieira is a native teacher of three years with an M.A. in TESOL from Azusa Pacific University in California. He is an active member of KOTESOL, serving as the Gwangju faculty staff and co-facilitator of the Reflective Practice SIG. He was involved as item writer for the National English Ability Test (NEAT), and is also a writer for the Gwangju News.

Richard Tang Tyson Vieira photographers

Joe Campbell

Lindsay Ross is a Canadian teacher in South Korea. After getting her bachelor of education in 2011, she moved to South Korea, and has been living in Mokpo since. She has taught at the middle and high school levels. Among other articles, Lindsay also researches and put together the Holiday schedule and events calendar for Bibimbap.

Richard Tang front cover photo :

Richard Tang

All non-credited photos, courtesy Wikimedia creative commons.

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Starting off in Hong Kong with a Canon 550D, Richard Tang ventured out to experience Asian culture. 3 years later, he is now carrying his Olympus E-M10 across South Korea. As a NET and photographer, he hopes to share the views and culture he experiences with anyone who is interested.

Behind the cover

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Upcoming holiday and event calendar

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Tips for surviving last minute lesson changes A second look at the presentation phase

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Letter from the Coordinator: Are JLP teaching positions rapidly decreasing?

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Photo essay: Beyond the City Limits

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Healthy Musings: Misleading labels, trends and buzz words in health and wellness

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Upcoming holidays and events Holidays

March 21 – April 3:

March 28 - 29:

May 1 Labour Day

(서천동백꽃주꾸미축제;

(서귀포유채꽃국제걷기대회; Jeju-do)

May 5

Childrens’ Day May 1 Buddha’s Birthday

March 19 to 29 March 19 – 22:

Gwangyang Flower Festival

(광양꽃축제; Jeollanam-do) March 20 – 23:

Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival (진도신비의바닷길축제; Jeollanam-do)

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Seocheon Camellia Octopus Festival Chungcheongnam-do)

March 21-29 :

Gurye Sansuyu (Spring Flower) Festival (구례산수유꽃축제; Jeollanam-do)

March 27 - 29:

UiseongSansuyu(Spring Flower) Festival

(의성산수유꽃축제;

Gyeongsangbuk-do)

March 27-29:

Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival (제주왕벚꽃축제; Jeju-do)

Seogwipo Rape Flower International Walking Festival

April 1 to 26 April 1 – 10:

Jinhae Gunhangje (Cherry Blossom) Festival (진해군항제; Gyeongsangnam-do)

April 1-5:

Nonsan Strawberry Festival (논산딸기축제; Chungcheongnam-do)

April 2 – 5:

Yeongdeok Snow Crab Festival (영덕대게축제;

Joe Campbell

Gyeongsangbuk-do)April

April 3 - 5:

Yeongchwisan Azalea Festival (영취산진달래축제; Jeollanam-do)

April 3 - 5:

Hwagae Cherry Blossoms Festival (화개장터벚꽃축제; Gyeongsangnam-do)

April 3 - 8:

Yeongdeungpo Yeouido Spring Flower Festival (영등포여의도봄꽃축제; Seoul)

April 4 - 6:

Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival (석촌호수벚꽃축제; Seoul)

April 4 - 5:

YangpyeongSansuyu(Spring Flower) Festival (양평산수유축제; Gyeonggi-do)

April 4 - 12:

Mokpo Yudalsan Mountain Flower Festival (목포유달산꽃축제;

제; Gyeonggi-do)

April 18 - 19:

Silk Town Mountain Cherry Blossom Festival (산꽃나라걷기여행; Chungcheongnam-do)

April 24 – May 31:

Jeollanam-do)

Gyeonggi International CeraMIX Biennale

April 5 - 12:

(경기세계도자비엔날레; Gyeonggi-do)

Seoul National Cemetery Event with Weeping Cherry Blossoms (수양벚꽃과함께하는열린현충원 행사; Seoul)

April 9 – 12:

Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival

April 24 - May 17:

Yeoju Ceramic Festival (여주도자기축제; Gyeonggido)

April 24 - May 17:

Icheon Ceramic Festival

May 2 – 9:

Mungyeong Traditional Chasabal(Tea Bowl) Festival (문경전통찻사발축제; Gyeongsangbuk-do)

May 2 - 10:

Korean Expressions:

Classroom Commands In the March 2014 issue, we the learned phrases: 1. Please sit down:

HapcheonHwangmaesan Royal Azalea Festival

앉아주세요. (anjajusaeyo)

(합천황매산철쭉제; Gyeongsangnam-do)

2. Please stand up:

May 15 - 17:

Ulsan Soeburi Cultural Festival (울산쇠부리축제; Ulsan)

일어서주세요. (ileoseojusaeyo) 3. Please be quiet:

May 15 – 17:

조용히해요. (joyonghee hey yo)

(연등회연등축제; Seoul)

4. Please repeat after me:

Lotus Lantern Festival May 22 - 25:

따라하세요. (tta la ha sae yo)

(영암왕인문화축제; Jeollanam-do)

(이천도자기축제; Gyeonggido)

NamwonChunhyang (Historic Love Story) Festival (남원춘향제; Jeollabuk-do)

5. Are you ready?:

April 9 – 12:

April 24 – May 10:

May 24 - 31:

준비했어요? ( joon bi hesseoyo?)

Goryeong Daegaya (Historical) Experience Festival (고령대가야체험축제; Gyeongsangbuk-do)

April 10 - 12:

GimjeMoakMountain (Cherry Blossom) Festival (김제모악산축제; Jeollabukdo)

April 15 - May 19:

DaeguYangnyeongsi Herb Medicine Culture Festival (대구약령시한방문화축제; Daegu)

April 17 - 26:

Shinan Tulip Festival (신안튤립축제; Jeollanamdo)

Goyang International Flower Show (고양국제꽃박람회;

Nakdonggang Youchae (Flower) Festival (낙동강유채축제; Gyeongsangnam-do)

April 18 - May 31:

Spring Festival of The Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원봄나들이봄꽃축

(춘천마임축제; Gangwon-do)

Gyeonggi-do)

April 24 - 26:

Danjong Culture Festival April 24 - 26:

Jeju Canola Flower Festival &Udo Trumpet shell Festival (제주유채꽃잔치 &우도소라축제; Jeju-do)

Want to get involved with Bibimbap?

Good news, we’re accepting new writers.

May 1 to 31

Gyeonggi-do)

책 10쪽을펴세요 (chek ship-jjok-eulpyeo-sae-yo) 7. Do you understand?: 이해해요? (ee-hae-hae-yo?)

8. Shall I explain again?:

May 1 - 3:

Ansan Street Arts Festival

For the upcoming school year, you could consider using these new phrases in your classroom: 6. Please open your books to page 10:

(단종문화제; Gangwon-do)

(안산국제거리극축제;

April 17 - 21:

Chuncheon International Mime Festival

For more details contact: bibimbapnews@gmail.com

다시설명해줄까요? (da-shiseol-myeong-haejool-kka-yo?)

9. Good job:

May 1 - 10:

Sancheong Medicinal Herb Festival

(산청한방약초축제; Gyeongsangnam-do) May 2 - 3:

Seoul Friendship Fair (지구촌나눔한마당; Seoul)

To list upcoming events for your organization, please contact Lindsay Ross, or :

잘했어요. ( jalhess-seo-yo) 10. Please try one more time: 다시한번해보세요 (da-shihan-beonhae-bo-sae-yo)

Bibimbapnews@gmail.com by lindsay ross ross6520@gmail.com

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Being Clutch in an ESL Setting Tips for surviving last minute lesson disasters and changes kevin flynn writer

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ou arrive at school. You have prepped for your classes for the day. You have your worksheets laid out and your Powerpoint game queued in the grade 5 classroom. The activity you’ve planned even has laminated flashcards! You are set for the day when suddenly you’re told that the janitor threw out your worksheets, the computer stopped working in the classroom, and all you have left are some shiny flashcards.

What next?

Preparedness is seldom taught but rather learned in life. However, for most of us traveling across the world to teach, we expect the same preparedness from our school that we expect from ourselves. For the times when this isn’t the case, here are some great ways to ready yourself for any of the ever-changing schedules and situations that exist in the public school system.

Education

Back Up Everything

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Most of the time, a USB would suffice.

But, let’s face it, sometimes the computer in your classroom just won’t work. Yet, the show must go on. Along with the USB, keeping hard copies is a great idea.

Google drive has saved me over the years for when your Powerpoint files won’t transfer from USB to the computer. Backing up your documents and Powerpoints to an external hard drive is also prudent and useful if you ever need to just show a movie to cover for a sick teacher.

Develop an Arsenal of Games People sometimes complain about “desk warming” in Korea, but I try to use this spare time to create new power-point games, learn new games, or expand upon

old games I’ve already used in class. New versions of your games will keep the lesson plans fresh and the students’ minds intrigued. Not enough time to create your own games? People are always posting new ideas to the Jeollanamdo Teachers Facebook page, or you can find free material out on the interwebs at Teacherspayteachers. com or even Waygook.org.

Vocab/Focus Point Flashcards Are Your Friend Teaching a lesson and you don’t have any materials? If you have paper or scissors, making vocabulary cards/focus points on the spot for students can lead to simple games like slap jack, memory match, or hot seat. I have found that sometimes if your lesson isn’t panning out the way you wanted it to go, these games can often save your class, as well.

Keep a Ball or Tossable Object Around to Facilitate Participation Keeping a squishy ball or suction cup ball at your desk or in your bag can sway a bored class towards happiness and learning. Some students need that tactile/physical learning structure in order to be fully engaged. A suction cup ball (sometimes referred to as a sticky ball in Korea) can be used for menial tasks like roll call. You can also use it to review vocabulary by simply writing the vocabulary on the board and having the students aim at the terms they wish to define. For me, this is a must-have when I check my teaching materials in the morning.

Have Alternate Methods In Your Lesson Plans Maybe you have a textbook activity where the students have to listen to

a dialogue but the CD isn’t working or you want a little variety in your LPs. Try creating multiple activities in your lesson plan to fight off stagnation, for you and your students. Instead of just listening to a CD, you could review the dialogue and then have the students write it out in sections on paper. Cut up the sections and then mix the strips of paper.

In teams or individually, you can time students to see who can assemble the dialogue the fastest.

There are many ways to back up your lesson plans with supplemental materials, but I would stress honing in on creating different skill sets (reading, writing, speaking, physical response) to keep your students learning and your back up exercises interesting.

These are just a few suggestions for how to perform in what I like to call “clutch” mode. For us, being an ESL teacher is both stressful and rewarding; and, with the right mindset and preparation, schedule changes, technology crises, and bored classes can be avoided or hopefully turned into some of your best teaching stories and experiences here in Korea.

Being a little over-prepared is better than not being prepared at all for when things suddenly change. Try taking a little time to prepare some “clutch” materials to see for yourself how useful they can be when things don’t turn out exactly as planned.

And, more importantly, remember that even when things get a bit hairy, being resourceful with the materials you are given could change a seemingly unavoidable catastrophe into a viable and exciting day for you and your students. kbetter1@gmail.com

Dinh Nguyen

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Richard Tang

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Giving Instructions in the Second Language Classroom Another look at the presentation stage tyson vieira writer

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ou plan an activity for your lesson. You are really excited about it and have spent a lot of time making it fun, contextual, and appealing. Your co-teacher approves andclass begins. You prepare your students and its then time to teach them the instructions needed to complete the activity.

You do so and their immediate response is a blank stare followed by an occasional “What?” After a moment or two of confused silence, your co-teacher, or your highest star-leveled student, translates exactly what you just said and everyone goes “Ah!” University professors and other professionals who do not collaborate with a Korean teacher must deal with this issue of communication in different ways, such as translating the instructions themselves, or explaining it again in simpler terms or for an extended period of time. This can ruin the flow of the lesson, the time management, and student motivation. It is a common issue on all levels of ESL, but one particularly felt by teachers in Korea. Many teachers spend copious amounts of time planning their lessons, arranging activities and exercises with great care for detail; but perhaps not as many plan how they will introduce every phrase of the lesson. During my first few months of teaching, I noticed the aforementioned scenario occurring often. At that time, I accepted this communication issue as a normal part of co-teaching L2 students. Since communicating instructions is an essential element in every lesson we should take the time and the research to focus on what I find to be a com-

monly overlooked problem in the TEFL field.

An Important Note Communicative activities, student centered teaching, and taskbased language learning have in the classroom have been increasing in the TEFL community for years, even in the more traditional, teacher-centered education countries. As a result, the presentationstage in the EFL classrooms hasatrophied.

Thisshouldn’t mean that the phase should be ignored— quite the opposite.Language teachers need a greater focus on the presenting phases in order to communicate instructions as precise, effective, and tactically as possible in a short amount of time.

Guidance on effective classroom management is one of the most requested topics from both beginning and experienced teachers as providing clear instructions to students can improve overall classroom management.

Instructional time can be viewed as the “transition period”between phases, such as from lecture to activity or activity to review game.

These transitional periods are crucial to maintaining student attention and the flow of the entire lesson. If the transitions fail or are unclear, then the following phase could easily be affected as well. Sometimes, this can lead to a domino effect through the rest of the lesson, miring the lesson in confusion rather than facilitating learning. Therefore, planning and reflecting on instructionaltime can be an easy and practical way to help guarantee a successful lesson.

There are several elements to improve instructional communication, such as: using visuals,

specific gestures/movements, careful word usage, clear voice quality, effective concept questions, and more. However, there are two challenging elements that teachers seemto bypass when giving instructions to L2 learners: time and words. In researching and reflecting my instructions, the reoccurring theme “Say More with Less”tends to be the truest, although the power of simplicity can tend to be forgotten.

Lindsay Herron, from the Gwangju National University of Education, wrote in her article, “Honestly, I have encountered very few activities that could not be explained in 15 words or fewer, not counting the modeling of the target language.”

Some instructors might find this extreme, but if you try cutting down the number of words through modeling the activity, showing visuals, and using simple, short expressions and questions; it certainly is not impossible. Once an activity’s words are reduced, using models or other instructional techniques can become more routine and the improvement of timing will follow.By using these techniques, the information will also become more comprehensible, allowing studentsto feel less overwhelmed by theteachers speaking.

Some Tips Here are some tips that have dramatically improved my instructions:

Team Effort Try to break the habit of Korean translation in class. I know it is convenient for both teachers and co-teachers, but a habit will start to

develop in which students will not listen carefully to you and will wait for the translation to begin instead.

This can weaken the student’s listening skills, the NESTs power of motivation, and even the students’ respect for the NEST. Discuss this with your co-teacher and develop a plan. I told my co-teacher to just “translate”everything into English, which caught the students off guard and made them listen to me again. It took more time, but it made them listen to me carefully from then on.

Familiar Routine Changing your instruction style will have hiccups and seem slow at first, but once a routine is set, it will become easier. Use the target language for the lesson and give common words and phrases often. There are many different ways to say an action or ask a question. Be sure to use the same phrases and target language as often as possible during these instr uctional phases so the students can learn the common phrases you use and understand your future instructions more easily.

Use Body, Not Just Words Instead of describing what the students will do, model it. Instead of saying, “I’m going to give you a paper,”just give it to them. The less words you use, the less traffic entering the students’ minds. 15 words or less (not counting the target language) seems daunting, but when considering all the ways a teacher can show instead of describe, it is possible. A general rule that I am trying out: “If I cannot instruct students in an activity in less than 15 words, toss it.” tyson.vieira.esl@gmail.com

Further Reading For more tips and information, on instructions in the classroom I highly recommend Lindsay Herron’s article in the Gwangju News.

Check out “Tips and Techniques for Communicating Instructions.”

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How much longer can we expect to have public teaching positions in Jeollanamdo?

JLP Coordinator, Chris Devison addresses the recent cuts in 4 counties and Mokpo

Letter from the Coordinator

I

wrote about this issue approximately 1 year ago. However, with the recent cutbacks and the commotion they’ve caused, it is necessaryto revisit the issue again.

Last year, a teacher had heard a rumor that all the positions in Jeollanamdo would be cut within one year.

I responded to themand explained the true reality of what they heard,or at least what my office knew of it.

Well, we’ve made to 2015, and, as I predicted, many of us (actually the majority of us) are still here. There were some recent cutback announcements with Jindo, Shinan, Gokseong and Jangseong counties cutting all positions and Mokpo cutting secondary positions only. As expected, the reason given for these cuts was financial. Some of the counties have been struggling and feeling the economic crunch lately. With a single NEST costing the local offices of education over $40,000 USD a year, the simplest solution was to make cuts in this area.

In my previous article on the issue I posted a chart from the Korean Times which listed the amount of positions at 442 for South Jeolla 10

province. With these recent cutbacks, Jeolla lost about 15 positions with our April intake and expects further losses of about 15 or 20 positions for those same areas in August. That would reduce the total NEST positions in the province by about 35 positions, which, when we compare it to the total of 442, is about eight per cent of the positions if my math is accurate.

On a brighter note, though, just two days after those cutbacks were announced, our office received notice that we would be receiving a total of 10 new positions spread across 4 counties, putting us at a loss of only 25 or six per cent decreasing the overall number of cuts. In addition, Jangseong decided to renew contracts for a further eight months with the hopes of being able to sort things out more permanently for teachers and a few other schools were looking at alternative plans to fund NEST positions.

Of course, there is potential for further cutbacks in the future, especially considering Korea and Jeollanamdo in particular has a very aged society and a declining number of students overall, but the point is that there will be positions available for some time yet. Our office doesn’t expect, and has no reason to believe, that our positions will be drastically cut at a future date. We do, however, expect a natural decline overtime which is unavoidable.

With pressure from parents, more schools are looking to

finance NESTs themselves. Businesses are getting more involved in an attempt to be better received in their communities and what is known as “English Fever” is still alive and well in this country. Our office expects the NEST program to endure for some time and will continue to work to make this happen.

You are going to hear a lot of different things about cuts. I been receiving almost daily messages on the matter for the past year, but, rest assured, as soon as our office knows something, you will be informed. I can’t predict what any one county will do, but will let you know anything I can when I do. As with past cutbacks, our office will make sure that anyone affected by future cuts, whatever they may be, will be taken care of before we hire new teachers. chrisofficeofeducation@yahoo.com

Map Below A map of Jeollanamdo from wikiedia.

The red Xs are counties are no longer funded for JLP. The blue X is Mokpo where only elementary positions remains.

photo essay

Photo: The iled, granite alleyways of Hongdo, a small village where the only motorized vehicles were modified motorcycles.

Photo by: Joe Campbell

Searching for Solitude

Joe Campbell takes his bike beyond the Korean city limits to catch his breath

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photo essay

Searching for Solitude joe campbell photographer

W

ith roughly 50 million people living in South Korea, it’s hard to imagine finding a space to stretch out and enjoy some silence and solitude. That’s what I intended to find over my winter vacation. I had been in Korea for nearly four months, and I needed to catch my breath and reflect on my time here thus far. It’s so easy to forget about the world beyond the city limits, especially during winter.

After a little research and some rudimentary preparations, I hopped on my bike, rolled out of Gurye, and pointed myself westward. My destination was Heuksando, a small island about 100km off the west coast of Korea. I knew little about the place – just a few pictures of some challenging switchbacks – but it was enough.

There are many types of roads in Korea, from expressways to back country roads. These allowed me to trace a fairly discreet path through Jeollanamdo, avoiding most of the bigger cities. Once I reached Heuksando, I followed its only road as it looped around the island.

Hongdo, a last minute side-trip I took, didn’t even have roads.

During the day the temperature averaged around 5 degrees Celsius. At night, it usually dropped below zero.

The weather ranged from clear and crisp to muggy and windy. Should you decide to backpack, bike tour, or camp during the winter in Korea, keep the unpredictable weather in mind. One morning, I woke up to frozen water bottles and a frost-covered tent.

Did I find silence and solitude? At times, yes— especially on Heuksando, where I would often go over an hour without seeing anyone. But Korea is densely populated,and its landscape bears witness to this. It was a rare moment when I would find myself alone with the road. This isn’t necessarily something to complain about, though, because nearly every encounter I had while travelling was positive and heartwarming. I’m not sure about other cultures, but Korea is the first place I’ve travelled where locals profusely apologize for not speaking my language.

If you have an itch for unconventional travelling that needs scratching, I can’t recommend bike touring enough, especially in Korea, where thousands of roads and trails are at your disposal.

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goflowjoe@gmail.com

Photos Top Left: Although some tunnels are better than others, there isn’t much breathing room on the shoulders. Take this into consideration should you choose to ride on slightly busier roads.

This tunnel was fortunately only 1km long.

Middle Left: A moment of peaceful beauty in Heuksando, a place surrounded by countless smaller islands, some inhabited and some not.

Bottom Left: Dinner preparation by the road. These rest stops were often disgustingly dirty, with piles of garbage wantonly strewn about.

Roadside waste management doesn’t appear to be a high priority in Korea.

Right: “The smaller the town, the faster the friends,” I’ve found; and Seji, with about 3,000 residents, was no exception. This family (and friends) invited me to their home for lunch after a brief roadside conversation.

Photos by: Joe Campbell

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Are We Being Duped?

Misleading Labels, Trends and Buzz Words in Health and Wellness and take the route of convenience instead of one of health and wellbeing.

They use sneaky strategies such as “bliss point”: studying the exact amount of unhealthy fats and sugars they can put in their products to keep us addicted to it. They study how they can maximize our desire for their product because addiction equals maximized consumption which in turnequals maximized profits.

Healthy Musings with Chris Devison

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oday I read a research article, in which, the subjects of a study lost more weight when drinking diet cola than water. Even if this was true, the article neglects to mention any other side effects that drinking only diet cola may have caused.It also didn’t provide any scientific evidence as to why the subjects lost more weight or what was happening to their bodies over the course of the study.

Ironically, I did little research on the article due to time restraints, but I’d expect that, with further digging, I’d find that the study in question was funded by someone involved with one of the larger beverage companies in some way or another. I’dprobably alsofind countless otherresearch that refute the original study’s claim— research that provide scientific evidence and discussthe negative effects of drinking only diet beverages as well.

It is easy to find articlesfor, or against any subject matter, that contradicts each other.You might read: “Running is Good for You”on Monday’s, but an article on another site tells you “Running is Bad for You” on Wednesday.

We are bombarded with so much information that it is often difficult to keep anything straight. The megacorporations do everything they can to confuse us so we will just give up 14

An even newer term, “stomach share,” is a telling phrase used by large corporations when selling us products which, I think, shows their point of view when it comes to our health. “Stomach share” is how much of their product takes up your diet as opposed to their competitors— how big theirslice of our pie is.When we see the products being marketed to us or hear these sorts of phrases, it’s easy to accept that profit is what is most important to many major food companies, not our well being.

I remember the fat free era, where it seemed like every food was “reduced fat,” when really, this fat was replaced by sugar which naturally then was converted into fat in the body anyway; along with causing a whole host of other associated problems. During this time, rates of obesity increased. This is now known as one of the biggest cases of misleading the general public in healthy eating’s history and the deceit unfortunately continues.

As consumers we need to be careful in our choices and suspicious of what is being presented to us. Words that may entice us to buy certain products because we believe them to be healthy, may not be necessarily so. We can be tricked to feel good by pictures of beautiful farms and trendy buzzwords, which sometimes don’t mean what we think. Marketers know labeling and presentation affect our choices of what to buy so they make their prod-

ucts as appealing to us as possible even if it means bending the truth. If they can get away with labeling a product something it isn’t in order to sell it, they will.

With the mess nutritional articles are in these days, it is now to the point where it almost seems like we, as laymen, need a degree in nutrition to understand it all; which can leave many people discouraged and pessimistic. This doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.

By simply going back to the basics, we can begin a journey to better health and fitness. The fact is that the further we get away from eating a natural diet of unaltered, locally-grown food, the further we are getting away from our true potential of being healthy. We have to stop seeking instant gratification and looking for an easy fix. These new trends: diet patches, super chemical-laden shakes, or who knows what; may lead to some short term benefits, but statistically, will likely end with failure.

The key is to bring in small sustainable changes to your daily life that when combined make a noticeable difference over time. They can be as simple as adding an alkalizing glass of lemon water every morning or pure green juice every afternoon (you can choose your own greens). These are simple and much more sustainable. Sure, you might not notice a big difference immediately, but all the little differences you incorporate can add up to a big difference in your overall wellbeing in the long run.

By adding in healthy options, you replace unhealthy ones; and by keeping them simple, they are more likely to become habitual. In addition to eating unprocessed foods, we can simplify our diets and begin down an a lot less confusing path to better health. chrisofficeofeducation@yahoo.com

Futher Readings For information on the original diet soda and weight loss study, click here.

To read more about diet soda and wightloss studies, see here and here.

For further reading on stomach share and bliss point, visit here and here.

To read more on why the fat free era lead to weight gain, click here.