Global Food Patterns, Chocolate, Religion, Globalization & Body Weight

155 English vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms and concepts from the lecture series on global food patterns, chocolate, religion, globalization, energy balance, and cultural nutrition presentations.

Globalization

The movement of finance, inputs, outputs, information, and science across vast geographic regions, influencing poverty and food security.

Dietary Revolutions

Sequential historical shifts (Agricultural, Industrial, Scientific) that transformed how humans obtain, process, and understand food.

Agricultural Revolution

Era when humans began cultivating and domesticating plants and animals—spice trade emerged and life expectancy rose.

Industrial Revolution

Period when transportation, refrigeration, and canning technologies industrialized food production and distribution.

Scientific Revolution

Modern period that generated nutrition science, food preservation advances, and vitamin discovery.

Pre-Agriculture

Time of small, mobile groups that foraged over large territories for diverse foods.

Food Collection

Gathering a wide variety of wild foods before domestication began.

Food Production

Cultivating a limited number of domesticated plants and animals, enabling settled villages and population growth.

Domestication

Human-controlled breeding of plants/animals, a cultural revolution adapting people to environments.

Trade Networks

Early exchange routes created after agriculture, laying groundwork for global food globalization.

Exploration

Voyages seeking new foods, medicines, and spices that reshaped global diets and economies.

Spice Trade

Exchange of cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace and other spices from Asia to Europe.

Marco Polo

Venetian explorer whose route to Asia inspired but was blocked for many European spice traders.

Old World Foods

Crops and livestock native to Europe, Asia, Africa exchanged during exploration.

New World Foods

Plants and animals indigenous to the Americas introduced to Europe, Africa, Asia.

Canals

Man-made waterways that expanded inland food transport during the Industrial Revolution.

Steamboats

Steam-powered vessels that improved long-distance movement of perishable foods.

Railroads

Rapid land transport system widening market reach and lowering food costs.

Refrigeration

Technology that removes heat to keep foods fresh, greatly extending shelf life.

Icehouse

Early insulated structure storing natural ice for food cooling.

Icebox

Household cabinet that used blocks of ice to chill foods before electric fridges.

Canning

Heat-processing and sealing food in airtight containers for long-term preservation.

Salting

Traditional preservation method lowering water activity to prevent microbial growth.

Fermenting

Controlled microbial conversion that preserves foods and adds flavor, e.g., sauerkraut.

Pasteurization

Heat treatment discovered by Louis Pasteur to destroy spoilage microorganisms in liquids.

Louis Pasteur

French scientist who linked microbes to spoilage and pioneered pasteurization.

Vitamin Discovery

Early 20th-century finding that tiny dietary factors prevent deficiency diseases.

Fortification

Adding nutrients not originally present in significant amounts to foods (e.g., iodine to salt).

Enrichment

Restoring nutrients lost during processing, such as B-vitamins to white flour.

Hieroglyphics

Ancient Egyptian writing that documents historical food practices.

Osiris

Egyptian deity; his ‘Gift’ inspires study of ancient diet via texts, artifacts, stories.

Garlic Medicine

Ancient Egyptians used garlic for therapeutic purposes beyond flavor.

Grains (Egypt)

Staple cereals like wheat and barley central to ancient Egyptian diet and economy.

Cacao

Raw, unprocessed seed of Theobroma cacao tree; base ingredient of chocolate.

Cocoa

Roasted, ground cacao providing fiber, lipids, protein, and bioactive compounds.

Flavanols

Phenolic compounds in cocoa linked to cardiovascular benefits.

Talcacahuatl

Mesoamerican ceremonial cacao beverage reserved for priests and nobles.

Quauhcacahuatl

Aztec cacao beans used as currency in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.

Xocolatl

Nahuatl term for cacao drink; linguistic root of the word ‘chocolate’.

Chocolate Health Benefits

Moderate intake linked to lower risk of CVD, stroke, diabetes, and improved insulin sensitivity.

Lead Contamination

Potential heavy-metal hazard found in some cocoa products.

Cadmium Contamination

Toxic metal sometimes elevated in cacao soils and beans.

Chocolate and Obesity

Excessive consumption contributes to weight gain despite possible health benefits.

Ideology (Food)

Belief systems shaping dietary patterns, including religious rules and symbols.

Cultural Symbol

Object or food conveying shared meanings within a society.

Bread (Christianity)

Represents the body of Christ and hospitality in Christian ritual.

Rice (Hinduism)

Sacred staple symbolizing life and prosperity in Hindu culture.

Kosher

Foods prepared according to Jewish kashrut laws.

Treif

Non-kosher or forbidden foods in Judaism (e.g., pork, shellfish).

Halal

Permitted foods and practices under Islamic dietary law.

Haram

Prohibited items in Islam, including pork, blood, alcohol.

Lent

Forty-day Christian period of reflection and occasional dietary restraint before Easter.

Feast Day

Religious celebration marked by special meals and abundant food.

Fast Day

Religious observance restricting food intake for spiritual reasons.

Abstinence (Religious)

Practice of avoiding specific foods, often meat, on designated holy days.

Seventh-day Adventist Diet

Plant-based pattern avoiding alcohol, tobacco, caffeine for health and faith.

Latter-day Saints Diet

Mormon code abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and caffeinated drinks.

Eastern Religions

Faiths such as Hinduism and Buddhism focusing on liberation of the soul.

Hinduism Diet

Often lacto-vegetarian; reveres cow, emphasizes purity and nonviolence.

Buddhism Diet

Many followers adopt lacto-ovo vegetarianism to respect life and reach Nirvana.

Paganism

Religions outside the Abrahamic faiths; term sometimes used for nature-based beliefs.

Agnosticism

Philosophical stance that ultimate reality—including deities—may be unknowable.

Atheism

Belief system asserting that no deities exist.

Cultural Humility

Ongoing self-reflection to understand and respect cultural differences in practice.

Ethnicity

Shared racial, national, or cultural heritage influencing identity and diet.

Ethnic Identity

Sense of belonging to a cultural group, often expressed through food traditions.

Polysemic

Having multiple meanings; foods can signal status, gender, ethnicity, and more.

Sustainable Food System

Food network ensuring nutritional security without compromising future resources.

UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

Seventeen global goals, including ending hunger and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Food Supply Chain

All stages from production to consumption that deliver food to consumers.

Food Environment

Physical, economic, and social factors that influence food choice and availability.

Individual Factors

Personal economics, knowledge, preferences, and circumstances shaping diet.

Consumer Behavior

Actions of acquiring, preparing, storing, and eating food.

Food Insecurity

Lack of reliable access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food for healthy living.

Acute Food Insecurity

Severe short-term lack of food requiring urgent assistance.

Conflict Driver

War and violence that disrupt food production and access.

Weather Extremes

Climate events—droughts, floods—that threaten crop yields and food supply.

Economic Shocks

Sudden downturns reducing income and inflating food prices.

Health Shocks

Disease outbreaks that impair labor and strain food systems.

Inflation of Food Prices

Rising costs that make healthy diets unaffordable for many.

Agricultural Extensification

Expanding cultivation to new lands to raise food output.

Agricultural Intensification

Boosting production on existing land via irrigation, inputs, and technology.

Cropping Intensity

Increasing number of harvests per year through irrigation and fertilizers.

Yield Increases

Higher output per hectare achieved by improved varieties and methods.

Livestock

Domesticated animals raised for food, fiber, or labor within food systems.

Fisheries

Harvesting of fish and seafood, vital protein source facing sustainability issues.

Natural Resource Conservation

Management of land, water, and forests to sustain food production.

Hydroelectric Dams

Energy projects that may affect fisheries and agricultural water supply.

Body Mass Index

Weight-for-height measure (kg/m²) with ≥30 classified as obesity.

American Paradox

Decline in dietary fat intake concurrent with rising U.S. obesity rates.

Reductionism (Nutrition)

Viewing foods solely as nutrient sums rather than cultural entities.

Trifecta

Combination of food, exercise, and behavior modification for weight management.

Pro-Obesity Environment

Ubiquitous availability of high-calorie foods and sedentary cues promoting weight gain.

ESPN Mindfulness

Eating Slow, Planning, and Noticing pleasure to foster healthier habits.

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Early traumas linked to later obesity and chronic disease risk.

Social Determinants of Health

Conditions in which people live, work, learn, and play influencing wellness.

Methylxanthines

Class of stimulants (caffeine, theobromine) present in cocoa.

Vitamin Deficiencies

Health problems arising when processing removes naturally occurring vitamins.

Microorganisms

Microscopic life forms responsible for spoilage and fermentation of foods.

Cardiovascular Disease Reduction

Outcome associated with regular moderate dark-chocolate consumption.