Food is fuel. Our minds and bodies depend on them for the energy to be healthy and strong. What is a healthy diet? What do our minds and bodies need? The answer is - carbohydrates, protein, fat,

Topic 42: FOOD

(What is a healthy diet?)

Food is fuel. Our minds and bodies depend on them for the energy to be healthy and strong. What is a healthy diet? What do our minds and bodies need? The answer is - carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and fibre. Different foods contain different amounts and combinations of these six components.

Fibre helps the digestive system to work properly. It protects it against diseases like cancer. Adults need 30 gm of fibre per day. The foods which have a high fibre content are fruit, vegetables, nuts, cereals, beans and pasta.

There are two kinds of fat - saturated and unsaturated. The healthy kind is unsaturated. You can find it in fish, nuts, soya oil and in some kinds of margarine. Saturated fat is found in meat, dairy products, crisps, cakes, biscuits and chocolate. Too much saturated fat may cause your body serious problems. To reduce the amount of saturated fat in one’s diet, it is necessary to grill food rather than fry it.

Sugar contains energy in the form of calories. Very sweet foods don’t give you any vitamins, minerals, fibre, fat or protein. Although sweets, cola drinks and chocolate are delicious, they are not very healthy. To reduce the amount of sugar in one’s diet, it is necessary to eat more fruit and reduce the amount of sugar one takes in tea and coffee.

It is estimated that we need one gramme of salt per day. Too much salt causes high blood pressure. It increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Consequently, the less salt you consume the better.

In summary, to be healthy we should eat less salt, sugar and saturated fat. We should eat more raw fruit and veggies and other foods rich in fibre. It is also necessary to eat regularly, because our bodies need a steady flow of energy. Doctors recommend drinking five or six glasses of water per day. One should also get plenty of variety in one’s diet and enjoy one’s food.

Topic 43: MEALS IN RUSSIA

(What are the most common eating habits in Russia?)

Russians generally eat three meals a day. Breakfast typically includes porridge, scrambled eggs or pasta. However, some Russians have only tea and a couple of sandwiches for breakfast. Dinner is served in the afternoon. It is the main meal of the day. It often begins with soup, such as borsch served with sour cream. Other popular kinds of soup include shchi, rassolnik and noodle soup. Okroshka is typically served on hot summer days. The main course is typicallly made with beef, pork, or chicken. Popular dishes include pelmeni (meat- or vegetable-filled pasta) accompanied by sour cream, and bifstroganov (cubed or sliced beef in a sour cream sauce) over noodles or mashed potatoes. Supper is the evening meal, which usually consists of mashed potatoes or pasta and sausage or fish. The most popular beverages in Russia are tea, coffee and compote and kvas.

Topic 43 MY MEALS

I usually eat three meals a day. I always have breakfast at home. My mum usually fixes it for me. My breakfast typically includes porridge or scrambled eggs or pasta and sausage. Sometimes I have only tea and a couple of sandwiches. I usually have dinner at the school canteen. My dinner usually includes three courses - some soup (borshch, fish soup or noodle soup), pasta with meat and tea. In the evening my family and I have supper. It usually includes mashed potatoes or cereals, fish, meat or some salad and coffee. My mum is a terrific cook. All things she cooks are just yummy.

I enjoy our family dinners at weekends. Our weekend dinner usually starts with a salad- a cucumber salad, a tomato salad or a mixed salad. For the first course we usually have some soup - noodle, mushroom, cabbage or fish soup. For the main course we have meat, chicken or fish dishes with spaghetti or mashed or fried potatoes. For dessert we have some fruit, juice or a cup of coffee with cookies.

I try to make my diet healthy. I try to eat regularly so that my body could get a steady flow of energy. My diet includes a lot of raw fruit and vegetables. Raw fruit and vegetables contain a lot of vitamins and fibre. Fibre helps the digestive system to work properly. Fibre also protects us from such diseases as cancer. Other foods which have a high fibre content are nuts, cereals, beans and pasta.

I know that food which contains sugar is not healthy. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I dislike sweets, cola drinks or chocolate. However, I don’t take any sugar in my tea or coffee.

I also try to consume less salt. It is estimated that we need one gm of salt per day. Too much salt causes high blood pressure. It increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. So, the less salt you consume the better.

I also try to follow health experts’ recommendations to drink five or six glasses of water a day. I usually drink Lipetsk mineral water which is very wholesome.

Write essay 1:

Some people keep to a healthy diet because they believe that we are what we eat. Others eat whatever they wish and stay healthy and active. What is your opinion? Do you keep to a healthy diet?

(Muzlanova,Task 14) Many people believe that the only way to lose weight is following a special diet. However, doctors consider dieting harmful to our health. What can you say for and against following a diet? Which way of keeping fit do you prefer?

Nowadays many people think they are too fat even if their doctors disagree. They think the best way to improve their fitness is following a diet. But is dieting really so effective and healthy?

On the one hand, if you want to lose weight it is very important to keep your eye on what you eat. To begin with, you should cut out snacks and desserts, which add weight without boosting energy levels. Besides, you ought to cut down on fat as it is believed to be one of the major causes of obesity. Finally, you may count the number of calories you eat every day, which may substantially re­duce the amount of food you eat and help to lose weight.

On the other hand, strict dieting may be dangerous. Firstly, the lower the calories eaten per day, the harder it is to get the daily requirements of proteins and vitamins. In addition, excessive di­eting causes muscle loss and this loss may be from your heart with severe consequences. Moreover, dieting lowers your metabolic rate, so when you return to your normal food intake, you will put on weight even faster than before.

To conclude, I believe that to stay healthy everybody should follow a sensible, well-balanced diet that gives their body exactly what it needs. However, I think the best way of keeping fit is doing sports. If you take regular exercise, you can eat and drink whatever you want because you are burning it all off.

Write essay 3:

Many people believe that the only way to lose weight is following a special diet. However, doctors consider dieting harmful to our health. What is your opinion of following a diet? Which way of keeping fit do you prefer? What should people do to lose weight?

(Aphanasieva task) More and more people are becoming vegetarians. However, many people think that it is not a healthy way of eating. What can you say for and against becoming a vegetarian?

Recently more and more people have been choosing to eat vegetarian dishes rather than meat and fish. They think it is better for their health. However, many nutritionists say that following a vegetarian diet exclusively is not actually such a healthy option.

It is generally believed that a vegetarian diet provides more vitamins, minerals and fibre than a meat-based diet. In addition, vegetables contain fewer calories than meat. This means that vegetarians are often fitter and slimmer than meat-eaters. Furthermore, vegetables are much cheaper than meat, so not only are they better for your health, but also better for your pocket. Finally, as meat contains a lot of fat, it increases the risk of heart diseases.

On the other hand, vegetables contain less protein, which is important because it builds muscles and gives us energy. Besides, some important vitamins can be found only in meat. So vegetarians have to take vitamin pills to avoid the lack of essential vitamins in their diets and it can be expensive.

To sum up, it is probably better to eat a little meat or fish along with vegetables. In this way you can be sure that you get all the proteins, vitamins and minerals you need, and, at the same time, not eat too much fat. A little of everything is probably the best rule to follow.

Write essay 4:

In the hectic world of today, people are searching for more ways of keeping fit and healthy. Some people prefer to go on some exotic diets. However, some experts are against this. What is your opinion of going on a diet? Is it a healthy option?

Discuss: Why is dieting so popular with women and not so popular with men?

(Muzlanova,Task 13) Fast food is very popular with teenagers. However, many ex­perts consider fast food harmful to our health. What can you say for and against fast food? What kind of food do you prefer?

Fast food restaurants are becoming increasingly popular now­adays, especially with teenagers. But have you ever stopped to think how fast food affects your health?

On the one hand, fast food is very convenient, because you do not have to wait for a long time until your food is prepared. It is especially useful for people who do not like to cook. In addition, fast food is rather inexpensive, which is very important for teen­agers who usually do not have much pocket money. What is more, there are a lot of fast food restaurants such as McDonalds all over the world so you may be sure that you will have good quality meal in almost every country.

On the other hand, this kind of food is not nutritious because it is high in fat, which is believed to be one of the major causes of obesity and heart disease. Besides, it is loaded with calories be­cause fries, burgers, nuggets and other items you can find at fast food establishments are usually three times larger than the amount you should be consuming. Moreover, fast food may be addictive as the high levels of salt and sugar content found in most fast food items cause the brain to seek them out.

As for me, I think that fast food is rather harmful to our health so I prefer home-made meals. In conclusion, I want to say that everybody should make their own choices whether to eat junk food or healthy food.

Write essay 5:

Fast food is very popular and saves time for busy working people. However, many experts say that it is not completely healthy. What is your opinion of fast food? What kind of food do you prefer?

Write essay 6:

Some people prefer to eat out. However, many people still like to cook meals at home. What is your opinion? Do you prefer having meals at home to eating out?

(Aphanasyeva task): Many children are becoming obese. Some people feel schools should ban junk food to help solve this problem. What can you say for and against serving junk food in schools?

Would children have a healthier lifestyle if chips, hamburgers and fizzy drinks were banned from school canteens? Many of the meals that children eat at school are high in sugar and fat. In Europe today 25% of children weigh more than is healthy. This is a serious problem because children who are overweight are likely to be overweight as adults, and this can lead to health problems.

Many people believe that schools are responsible for teaching children healthy eating habits. Children who eat well learn well. If school canteens have only good food on the menu, children will eat good food. If children learn to appreciate a healthy diet at school, they will appreciate it for the rest of their lives.

However, if you stop children buying junk food at school, it does not mean they will stop buying junk food outside school. It is better to teach children to make healthy food choices. Children should be led by example of eating well at home. If parents teach their children to make healthy choices, they teach them an important lesson.

Schools, parents and children themselves must share the responsibility for the food children eat. Children who eat well do better at school and will probably go on to be healthy.

Write essay 7:

Many children are becoming overweight. Some parents think that they are responsible for teaching their children healthy eating habits. Other parents feel that schools should ban junk food to help solve the problem. What is your opinion? Who should teach children to appreciate a healthy diet?

(Muzlanova,Task 15) Genetically modified foods have caused an enormous amount of debate, scientific discussion, and media coverage. As well as benefits, a variety of ecological and human health concerns come with the new advances made possible by genetic modification. What can you say for and against the development of ge­netically modified food?

Genetically modified crops have made a big splash in the news lately. For example, in Honduras farmers are encouraged to produce genetically modified (GM) crops although many people dispute about harmful effects of genetic technologies.

On the one hand, genetic technology is one of the best solutions to the problem of world hunger. GM crops are faster and cheaper to grow therefore it will be possible to increase production and lower the cost of food. Besides, these crops could be grown in areas suffering from drought and salt. More than that, many people rely on geneti­cally modified foods for medicines, for example insulin for diabetics.

On the other hand, there is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health, for instance, it may create a new allergen and cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. In addition, since some crops are modified using the DNA from viruses and bacteria, we may encounter new diseases. Moreover, GM crops may also pose a health risk to animals that eat them as they may be poisoned by built-in pesticides.

In conclusion, I would like to say that many people feel that genetic engineering is the inevitable wave of the future and that we cannot afford to ignore a technology that has such enormous potential benefits. However, we must proceed with caution to avoid causing unintended harm to human health and the envi­ronment as a result of our enthusiasm for this powerful technology.

(Aphanasieva,Task) Genetically modified food (GM) is a way of feeding millions of people. Some people think that these foods are unhealthy. What can you say for and against producing genetically modified food?

Genetically modified food is being produced in many countries throughout the world. Some people say that growing GM foods is absolutely necessary if we are to feed the increasing numbers of people in the world. However, other people object to farmers growing GM foods as they say these foods are unhealthy and even dangerous for those who eat them.

One of the main advantages of growing GM foods is that they are not attacked by insects and diseases as much as ordinary foods. As a result, more food is produced. Another benefit is that they grow more quickly, are bigger and last longer than regular food. This means that there is more food for countries which have problems feeding their citizens. In addition, they have a better flavour and shape and so look more attractive to the buyer.

On the other hand, some people say that it is unnatural to mix genes from different living things and we should leave the plants to grow in the normal way. Another objection is that farming is already too scientific and there are already too many chemicals being used on the land.

In conclusion, consumers should be informed about the pros and cons of GM foods. In that case they can decide if they want to buy GM foods or not.

Write essay 8:

Genetically modified (GM) food is a way of feeding millions of people. Some people say that these foods are unhealthy. What is your opinion of producing genetically modified food?

Write essay 9:

Genetically modified foods have caused an enormous amount of debate, scientific discussion, and media coverage. As well as benefits, a variety of ecological and human health concerns come with the new advances made possible by genetic modification. What is your opinion of the development of ge­netically modified food?

Topic 44: WHAT WOULD YOU TREAT A FOREIGN GUEST TO?

I think that inviting a foreigner for lunch requires a lot of forward planning. On the one hand, food should be delicious. On the other hand, this lunch should give the foreign guest a clear idea of what Russian cuisine is really like. According to the best traditions of Russian hospitality the most important thing for a host or hostess is to treat guests to something special.

My meal would consist of three courses. For the first course I would serve shchi or borshch. They are most often associated with Russian cuisine. It would be a good idea to eat the Russian national dish with home-made sour cream. After eating the cabbage soup with a good appetite we would move on to the second course. I think it would be pelmenis with home-made butter. I would sprinkle the pelmeni with pepper and dill. The first and the second course would be eaten with brown bread. I would give my foreign guests end pieces. For dessert I would serve some herb tea. I am good at making it, even if I say it myself. I usually mix peppermint, raspberry and currant leaves and origanum. I would use our samovar for the occasion. I would also treat my guests to Russian blinis and strawbwerry jam. My granny’s blinis are just to die for. I think that my guests would enjoy the meal. I would also like to give my guests some presents. It would be wooden khokhloma spoons and jars of pickled tomatoes and cucumbers. My mum is very good at pickling vegetables for the winter.

Дата добавления: 2015-09-30