Kuni Araki

Araki 1

English 220-023
Ms. Alapin
29 November 2015
Personal Diet Change Manifesto
For most of my lifetime, I have been filling my stomach with food that is not good for my
health. With my current junk food diet, I often find myself getting stomach aches and feeling a
lack of energy. While I can handle these short term effects of eating unhealthily, it is the long
term health effects that I am worried about. If I continue to eat to eat junk food, I will increase
my risk of getting cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association explains that
cardiovascular disease involves the formation of plaque building up on the inner walls of the
arteries, which can slow or stop blood flow, leading to a heart attack or stroke (What). In order
to decrease my risk of developing cardiovascular disease, I need to improve my diet to one that is
more healthy and balanced. By following a diet that is more healthy and balanced, I will live a
longer and better life. My ultimate goal is to follow Harvards Healthy Eating Plate for a
balanced diet.
My current diet consists mostly of junk food. This includes foods like pizza, ramen
noodles, microwaveable food, Chinese food, sugary treats, and fast food on occasion. While
most of these foods taste good, are cheap, and are convenient, they are extremely unhealthy
because they are packed with fat and cholesterol. In the article titled Diet on the World Heart
Federation website, it discusses fat, stating that, Abnormal blood lipid (fat) levels have a strong
correlation with the risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack, and coronary death (Diet).
This means that high levels of fat are associated with problems with the arteries and the heart.

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Furthermore, the article describes the different kinds of fat, such as saturated fat and trans
fat, which are often found in junk food. It states that Saturated and trans fats raise cholesterol
levels in the blood, which in turn can lead to atherosclerosis (Diet). Atherosclerosis is the
buildup of plaque on the inner walls of the arteries (What). So in other words, these fats and
cholesterol are harmful because they lead arteries to become narrow or clogged, which can
decrease the amount of blood flowing to the heart or brain. The narrowing or blockage of the
arteries is very dangerous because it can cause a devastating heart attack or stroke. This is one
reason why I need to stop eating junk food. Another reason why I need to stop eating junk food
is because it is very high in sodium. It is stated that with a diet packed with sodium, blood
pressure increases, which can lead to cardiovascular disease (Diet).
I saw these effects in Super Size Me, when Director Morgan Spurlock develops some
health issues during his thirty day McDonalds diet. In the film, his cholesterol levels rise sixtyfive points and he nearly doubles his risk of developing coronary heart disease (Super). Since
fast food is junk food and I eat it on occasion, there is no doubt that I risk developing
cardiovascular issues like this in the future.
Although my current diet consists mostly of junk, I sometimes eat healthy foods like
leafy green vegetables or fruits. For example, some vegetables that I can enjoy are broccoli and
asparagus, and some fruits that I like are oranges, bananas, and watermelons. I know that I can
follow a more balanced diet because I have enjoyed many fruits and vegetables before. The
problem for me is that I prefer to eat junk food because it is quick and easy to make and it
surrounds me at home. Also, cooking a healthy meal is not as simple as sticking a microwave
meal in the oven for a few minutes. However, there are far more benefits than costs to eating
healthy and balanced. By eating a healthier diet, I will feel better, live longer, and reduce the risk

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of being diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease. This is why I have decided to follow Harvards
Healthy Eating Plate.
The Harvard School of Public Health as well as the editors at Harvard Health
Publications created the Healthy Eating Plate to correct issues that they found with The USDAs
MyPlate (Healthy). The Healthy Eating Plate is a simple, yet easy to follow diagram that will
help me to decrease my risk of getting heart disease, which is a cardiovascular disease
(Healthy). To follow this diet for all of my meals, I will make sure that one-half of my plate is
made up of vegetables and fruit. I will also make sure that whole grains make up one-fourth of
my plate, and that protein makes up one-fourth of my plate. Furthermore I will eat a variety of
foods from these food groups so that I can consume a wide range of nutrients from my meals.
One important action for me to take will be to make sure that I do not indulge in foods full of oils
and sugars.
Following a healthy and balanced diet like the Healthy Eating Plate would have countless
benefits for me, and these benefits will be my motivation to start eating healthier and continue to
eat healthy once I start. I want to follow this diet because based on Healthlines 5 Benefits of
Healthy Habits, eating a balanced diet helps to keep weight down, improves mood, prevents and
fights against diseases, increases energy, and increases lifespan. My junk food diet needs to end
because the opposite is happening. My weight has increased over the past few years, I find
myself in a stressed mood on occasion, I am increasing my chances of getting sick with a
disease, I have low amounts of energy throughout the day, and I am shortening my lifespan.
Aside from the being motivated from the benefits listed in 5 Benefits of Healthy
Habits, I have also been motivated to eat healthier from readings assigned in my English 220
class. One such reading is an article titled The Pleasures of Eating by Wendell Berry. In this

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article, Berry discusses how knowing where our food comes from allows us to enjoy our food.
He states that many eaters do not ask themselves important questions about their food. Some of
these questions include How fresh is it? and When the food product has been manufactured or
processed or precooked, how has that affected its quality or price or nutritional value?
(Berry). These are questions that are very hard to answer about junk food. For example, I do not
know how fresh ramen noodles are, how they are processed, and how the processing has affected
the price. On the contrary, healthy food is often fresh and less far less processed than junk food.
For example, the Healthy Eating Plate states that one-half of my plate should be vegetables and
fruit. If I get my vegetables and fruit from a local farmers market, I will be able to know how
fresh my food is, how it was produced, and how nutritious it is by asking the farmers who
harvest the food themselves.
Another reading from my English class that has motivated me to eat healthier is a book
called The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. In this book, Waters discusses how good
ingredients are the key to good food. She states, When you have the best and tastiest
ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like
what it is (Waters). In order for me to eat healthily, I need to learn to cook a little. What this
book has taught me is that it is not extremely difficult to learn to cook. Because of this book I am
more motivated towards using fresh and healthy ingredients to make food that makes me feel
better and live longer.
Following the Healthy Eating Plate will not be easy, I will be faced with the challenge of
breaking my habit of eating junk food. Furthermore, the process will take time, but it will be
worth it. I plan on gradually fixing my habit over time by adding more fresh fruits and vegetables
to my diet, while also cutting out junk food. By changing my diet to one that is more balanced, I

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envision my life to be much happier, healthier and longer. I know this because eating by the
Healthy Eating Plate guidelines will improve my mood, decrease my risk of getting a
cardiovascular disease, improve my health overall, and increase my lifespan. I am confident that
I can achieve my vision because I sincerely want to live a healthier life.

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Works Cited
Berry, Wendell. "Wendell Berry: The Pleasures of Eating." Center for Ecoliteracy. Center for
Ecoliteracy, 29 June 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.
"Diet." World Heart Federation. World Heart Federation, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.
"Healthy Eating Plate & Healthy Eating Pyramid." Harvard T.H. Chan. Harvard University,
2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.
Super Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Roadside Attractions, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Showtime
Independent Films, 2004. DVD.
Waters, Alice, Patricia Curtan, Kelsie Kerr, and Fritz Streiff. The Art of Simple Food. New York:
Clarkson Potter, 2007. Print.
"What Is Cardiovascular Disease?" American Heart Association. American Heart Association,
Inc., 18 Dec. 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.
"5 Benefits of Healthy Habits." Healthline. Healthline Networks, Inc, 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 29 Nov.
2015.