Mila Williams

Ethn. 3 Ruiz
MW 12:10-1:25
From Ancient Mayan Foods to Spanish, Mexican & American Fast Foods
The ancient Maya are knon !or their su"erior intelli#ence. They are knon !or their
architectural $esi#n% !or mathematics in hich they $e&elo"e$ the conce"t o! zero an$ !or
'$e&elo"in# an a$&ance$ ritten lan#ua#e an$ creatin# (ooks) lon# (e!ore Euro"e ha$ anythin#
com"ara(le. They also ha$ a #reat knole$#e o! astronomy hich le$ them to create a 3*5 $ay
solar calen$ar that only $i!!ers a(out 2 secon$s !rom hat is use$ to$ay.
+ome o! their !oo$s inclu$e% cacao% cala(asa% camote% chile% !ri,oles an$ !ruta such as
#ua&a% "a"aya% tomate an$ a#uacate. -thers inclu$e &ainilla% "otatoes% turkey% &enison% sea!oo$
an$ !oul% as ell as maize.
While e are aare o! some o! their sta"le !oo$s such as maize% e $on.t #i&e them their
$ue cre$it hen it comes to their 'a#ricultural izar$ry.) The Mayan health as clearly
im"ortant to them. They use$ their hea$s an$ some ho learne$ ho to #et the most nutrition out
o! their !oo$s. /or e0am"le% accor$in# to Wiki"e$ia% there are many nutritional (ene!its that
come !rom ni0tamalizacion hich is an alkali "rocess use$ on maize. 1t releases (oun$ niacin
an$ makes it a&aila(le !or a(sor"tion. 1t also #i&es access to more o! a (alance o! amino aci$s.
The minerals in an alkali su(stance% such as lime 2calcium hy$ro0i$e% not the citrus !ruit3 are
a(sor(e$ into the #rain hich can increase the amount o! calcium (y '4505 ith 655 (ein#
a&aila(le !or a(sor"tion% it can also increase the a&aila(ility o! iron% co""er an$ zinc hich are all
essential minerals that the (o$y nee$s. 1t also re$uces mycoto0ins in the maize (y 70 to 785.
These are to0ins "ro$uce$ (y mol$s hich in!ect maize. The to0ins inclu$e carcino#ens.
The +"anish !oo$s inclu$e$ such thin#s as (ee!% "ork% chicken% citrus !ruits an$ su#ar.
The +"anish a$o"te$ corn an$ took it to +"ain% (ut !aile$ to use the ni0tamalizacion "rocess $ue
Mila Williams
Ethn. 3 Ruiz
MW 12:10-1:25
to lack o! knole$#e. Many ere a!!licte$ ith a terri(le $isease the 1talians name$ "ella#ra
2"elle a#ra.3 9 ty"e o! le"rosy hich a!!ecte$ the skin. They later looke$ into ho the 1n$ians
"re"are$ their corn an$ ere a(le to #et an un$erstan$in# o! the im"ortance o! ni0tamalizacion.
1 #re u" ith hat 1 think o! as Me0ican !oo$. /oo$s in my home inclu$e$ chile%
chorizo% (eans% tortillas% tamales% !i$eo% "a"itas% "osole% tacos% salsa% #uacamole% mole%
enchila$as% menu$o% arroz% chile relleno% cal$o $e "ollo% cal$o $e res% canela% ca!:% atole% a&ena
an$ arroz $e leche. There as alays an a(un$ance o! !ruits an$ &e#eta(les as ell. ;ou can see
a lot o! the Mayan in!luence in Me0ican !oo$s.
Then o! course% there is 9merican !oo$ hich is a mi0 o! all o! the $i!!erent cultures !rom
aroun$ the orl$% (ut hat 1 am #oin# to $iscuss is 9merican !ast !oo$. 9merican !ast !oo$ is
lo in nutritional &alue at (est. 1t has a lot o! em"ty calories hich ten$ to cause o(esity an$
$ia(etes. 1t also has a #reat $eal o! so$ium content. 9 hi#h intake o! so$ium is knon to cause
hi#h (loo$ "ressure% heart !ailure an$ ki$ney $isease. /ast !oo$ an$ ,unk !oo$ ha&e trans !ats
hich are knon to cause $e"ression. /ast !oo$ may (e <uick an$ easy in our microa&e
society% (ut it is &ery $ama#in# to the human (o$y. ;ou are hat you eat=
1n closin#% e really nee$ to learn !rom history an$ make it our (usiness to kno hat is
(ene!icial to our (o$ies. 1 ha&e researche$ an$ $isco&ere$ ho im"ortant (ein# "> (alance$ is to
the human (o$y. ;ou can monitor your on "> at home ith "> stri"s. ;ou ill kno e0actly
here you are on the "> scale an$ then you.ll kno hat you nee$ to chan#e in your $iet.
We really nee$ to eat alkaline !oo$s to make our (o$ies alkaline as o""ose$ to aci$ic. 9n
aci$ic en&ironment actually is a "lay#roun$ !or "atho#ens. >i""ocrates% one o! the #reat ancient
Mila Williams
Ethn. 3 Ruiz
MW 12:10-1:25
"hysicians sai$% '?et your !oo$ (e your me$icine an$ your me$icine (e your !oo$.) 1 ha&e (e#un
to $o e0actly that. >ere.s to +alu$% 9mor y @ros"eri$a$===
Re!erences
10 Maya Foods that Changed the World's Eating Habits.9u#ust 2*% 2007.+an /rancisco
Ahronicle. htt":BB.s!#ate.comBc#i- (inBarticle.c#iC
!DB#BaB2007B06B2*Bme0icomi0062*07.ET?FaoDall
Ga$ Thin#s a(out Hunk /oo$ an$ /ast /oo$. Iicaela Ara!or$. Hul 6% 2011.
?i&estron#.com.
htt":BB.li&estron#.comBarticleB864*76-(a$-thin#s-a(out-,unk-!oo$-!ast-!oo$B
How You Rot and Rust.1776.Giome$0.
htt":BB(iome$0.comBmicrosco"esBrrintroBrrintro.html
FAQs A!te"# Maya# $ %n"a &oods and re"i'es. 2000. /oo$ Timeline.
htt":BB.!oo$timeline.or#B!oo$maya.htmlJmaya
(utrition and Well)being A)*.2012. /9K+.or#.
htt":BB.!a<s.or#BnutritionBAa-EeBAorn- or-Maize-Gase$-Eiets.html
(i+ta,ali!ation. March 16% 2012. Wiki"e$ia.
htt":BBen.iki"e$ia.or#BikiBIi0tamalization
-ellagra.9"ril 5% 2012. Wiki"e$ia. htt":BBen.iki"e$ia.or#BikiB@ella#ra
The Me0ican 9merican >erita#e.1778.Aarlos M. Himenez.