The Food Phoenix Blog

By Dr Catriona Walsh Photo by  M. Zonderling  on  Unsplash This is an article that challenges you to think about where your food comes from, and how ethical it is. How did we farm before the agricultural revolution took a firm hold? Last autumn I was invited to write an article for the Maghera Times (a local magazine that is run by the Maghera Historical Society , a super charity that is very active, has a lot of talks and social nights, and is great at reflecting on some of our local history. Guest speakers have also come from further afield, such as when Race Amity visited form the USA). I really wanted to take an approach that honoured what the Maghera Historical Society does, but also drew on my training and experience as a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach. So I decided to reflect on how our food landscapes have changed over the past several decades. I asked my mum for help in recalling what it was like for her growing up, and we got to reminiscing a lot about what it was

By Dr Catriona Walsh In January 2019 the most recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey for the UK was reported on. It analysed dietary intakes, and some blood and urine results for the UK population for the 9 year period from 2008 to 2017. Each year a sample of 500 adults and 500 children over the age of 1.5 years was selected to participate in the study. Assessment involved an interview, a 4 day food diary, physical measurements, and urine and blood samples. People were analysed in age groups which roughly fell under the categories of: preschoolers, primary school age children, secondary school age children and young people, working age adults and seniors/retired adults. The British Dietetics Association (BDA) were overall rather pleased with the report , because it shows that people do listen to Public Health advice and attempt to modify their diets accordingly. Summary of the main findings Energy intake fell ever so slightly, especially in primary school girls and secondary