Reflection Journal

MY BODY/MY HEALTH Unit 3 – Reflection Journal Description

This Journal Entry has two activities. Activity 1 – is about Mindful Eating Activity 2 – is about Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules” Due Date: Check the Course Calendar on Blackboard.

Activity 1 – “Mindful Eating” (worth 50/100 points) Why this activity? This Activity asks you to experiment with implementing strategies that are components of learning to eat mindfully. Research on more attentive, or “mindful eating” has suggested that taking a more thoughtful approach to eating can contribute to healthier eating patterns. As a college student you may find yourself eating in class, while cramming for a test, or while walking across campus. Some of the problems with eating like this are that you cannot use your senses to enjoy the food, or to stay aware of your hunger and fullness cues. Yet sitting with your meal on a plate at a table and devoting your full attention to eating are not always realistic goals for college students; an alternative option is to try making small changes that help you stay present during meals and snacks.

1. Read the online sources below: a) http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/mindful-eating b) http://summertomato.com/how-to-eat-more-mindfully-2 c) http://www.american.edu/media/news/20130819_Mindful-Eating-Freshman-15.cfm

2. From among all of the behaviors and attitudes presented in these online sources, choose at least 5 strategies for mindfulness of food and eating that would be workable for you to practice in college:

· Which ones are they? (list each strategy, and paste the URL of the source you took it from)

· Why did you choose these strategies?

3. Choose a day to practice mindful eating, and eat your meals and snacks mindfully on this day, following the strategies for mindfulness and eating you selected.

4. Reflect on your experience and write your answers to the following questions: – How did it go? What did you notice as a result of practicing these strategies? – What challenges did you encounter with regards to incorporating these strategies? – Can you see yourself incorporating any of these strategies on a regular basis? – If yes, why? – If not, are there others you might be more inclined to try? Which? – Do you have any additional thoughts?

Please Note: o The minimum word count for Activity 1 is 350-650 words using 12-point Arial font. o In writing up your answers to this activity you must include your chosen strategies along with your answers to all of the above questions. o See below for additional grading criteria.

Activity 2 – “Food Rules & You” (worth 50/100 points) Why this Activity? This activity asks you to evaluate food items that are part of your normal dietary pattern using the “Food Rules” approach developed by Michael Pollan (see attached PDF).

Do this: 1. Create a list of 15 food items you would normally buy when you go to the supermarket (this is your “Normal List”) – What food items are on this list? – Why did you choose these particular items? (Some things to think about include: family/cultural influences; your personal taste/values; health benefit; convenience; price, etc.)

2. Create another list with 15 food items you might purchase if you were trying to follow Michael Pollan’s principles or guidelines for healthy eating, which he calls “Food Rules” (this is your “Food Rules” list). You must use a minimum of 5 different “Food Rules” in creating this list. – Why did you choose these particular items? – Include the name/title and number of each “Food Rule” that informed your choices in your answer.

3. Compare your “Normal List” and your “Food Rules” list. – Are there differences? Why? – Would it be difficult to follow the “Food Rules” in everyday life? Explain why. – Do you have any additional thoughts?

Optional: If you want to look up the ingredients in your list of food items, you can use the online shopping option at Stop & Shop in Hadley. Google: “online shopping at Stop and Shop”. Click on “Peapod Delivery” and enter 01035 (Hadley zipcode) when prompted. You will see an option to “Browse Isles”. This will give you list of food items and their ingredients.

Please Note: o The minimum word count for Activity 2 is 400-650 words using 12-point Arial font. o In writing up your answers to this activity you must include both your “Normal List” and your “Food Rules” lists of food items, along with your answers to all of the above questions. o See below for additional grading criteria.

Additional Grading Criteria for Activity 1 and Activity 2 Activity 1

· It demonstrates self-reflection, understood as careful thought about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences (worth 15 points)

· It is well thought-out and developed, with content that is specific and appropriate (worth 10 points)

· It follows the specified word count (350-650 words) using 12-point Arial font (worth 10 points)

· How much do grammatical or spelling errors undermine the overall the effectiveness of your work (worth 5 points)

· Your work is complete (you must list at least 5 strategies for mindfulness of food and eating, and include the URL of each strategy) (worth 10 points)

Activity 2

· It demonstrates self-reflection, understood as careful thought about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences (worth 15 points)

· It is well thought-out and developed, with content that is specific and appropriate (worth 10 points)

· It follows the specified word count (400-650 words) using 12-point Arial font (worth 10 points)

· How much to grammatical or spelling errors undermine the overall the effectiveness of your work (worth 5 points)

· Your work is complete: your “normal” list and your “food rules” list of food items must each have 15 items (worth 10 points)

MBMH Policy for Late Journal Submissions Points will be deducted from late submission of reflection journal entries as follows:

· 20 points will be deducted from journal entries posted on Blackboard ANY TIME after 11:59 PM on the specified due date, up to the first 24 hours.

· 20 additional points will be deducted each 24 hours after this, up to 72 hours after the specified due date.

· After 72 hours you will receive a zero (0) for your journal entry assignment in that Unit.

Journal Grading Scale: Needs Improvement: 0-73.9 points Meets Expectations: 74-89.9 points Exceptional: 90-100 points (Exceptional work is defined as work that goes above and beyond the prompt and shows creativity, thoughtfulness and reflection)

We strongly suggest that you do not wait until the last minute to post your journal entries as there is always the chance that technical problems (internet, hardware, etc.) might interfere with your ability to upload your work onto Blackboard.

We will not be able to grant exceptions to this grading policy for late entries!

4