Research
Introduction:
The purpose of this research project is to investigate the lifestyles of individuals with food intolerance versus individuals without. We do so by interviewing Liz Mason, a person with a dairy intolerance, and Billy Brennan, a twenty-six year old Rowan student without a food intolerance. Then we each kept a food journal for a week, in order to contrast out thought processes and eating habits. To further the investigation we visited both Shoprite and Trader Joe's in order to see how well they accommodate people with food intolerance. Our research is explained in detail below.
We started out this project calling what Liz had a food allergy, until we did some research and found out that she in fact has a food intolerance instead of a food allergy. You will see this difference when you look at our questions that we asked for our Oral History Project versus our Collaborative Research Project.
While watching Food Inc., we realized how much the food industry is having a negative effect on our bodies. We saw how the production of food has evolved over the years. Before, the food industry relied on farmers and small corporations. Now, the food industry is monopolized by a few large corporations. The large corporations are concerned with providing cheap food to the public, instead of quality. As Liz sat and watched the documentary, she realized that the food industry might have been responsible for her current health issues.
Currently, Liz suffers from a dairy intolerance. This stems from her IBS, which is irritable bowel syndrome. According to Webmd.com, IBS is “a disorder of the intestines. It causes belly pain, cramping or bloating, and diarrhea or constipation. Irritable bowel syndrome is a long-term problem, but there are things you can do to reduce your symptoms.” Liz was diagnosed in 2008, and since then has not been able to eat anything with dairy in it. This is known as a dairy intolerance often mistaken for a dairy allergy. WHFoods.com explains that “it is important to realize that sensitivity to certain foods may not always be caused by a food allergy, but may be the result of food intolerance. This differentiation is important since these two types of sensitivities occur as a result of two distinct physiological events.” People who suffer from a dairy allergy have something wrong with their immune system. Meanwhile, people with intolerance's have adverse reactions, rather than something wrong with their immune system.
From this information, we decided to conduct interviews comparing the lifestyles of people with food intolerance's to people without them. Liz Mason was interviewed by Alyssa, where she was asked provoking questions about her lifestyle. In Liz’s interview, she talks about how she was diagnosed with the IBS, which lead to the dairy intolerance, and the struggles that she goes through on a daily basis with the disorder. Liz talked about how difficult it is for her to eat out with her dairy intolerance. She explains that she has to talk to the waiter in great depth to make it clear that she can have absolutely no traces of dairy in her food. Liz mentions that often people confuse her dairy intolerance with lactose intolerance. This is a huge misconception, as those with lactose intolerance are able to take a pill before eating dairy. Liz cannot have any traces of dairy at all. Liz also talks about what it is like living with her dairy intolerance at school. She explains that she has to make sure she brings her own snacks, so that she knows exactly what’s in them. Things like eating at the cafeteria at school are virtually impossible for Liz, because it is difficult to keep track of what has dairy, or even if something has touched something with dairy. Another aspect of Liz’s lifestyle that is affected by her dairy intolerance is grocery shopping. Liz has to look very carefully at the labels of everything she purchases. She explains that many items in the store that one wouldn’t expect actually contain dairy. Items like bread, lunch meats, and even chips often contain dairy. Liz even stated that when she was first diagnosed with dairy intolerance she and her mother spent three to four hours in the grocery store, trying to find appropriate food for her.
To contrast Liz’s lifestyle, Liz interviewed Billy Brennan. He is a 26-year-old Rowan student. In addition to being a student, he is also a father. He is always on the go and likes to eat fast. If a food item can be microwaved, he will buy it. During the interview, Billy said that he wished he could eat healthier. He said that the way he eats depends on how much money he has. Billy went into a story about how he lived off of the dollar menu at McDonald’s for almost three years. By the end of the three years he was getting so sick of McDonald’s that he said “he would rather not eat, than eat”. As the interview went on, Billy talked about how he never looks at the ingredients before eating his food. The only thing he checks for is the sodium and protein. He learned this trait when he was over in Iraq, because he ate a lot of canned soup and protein, like nuts and peanut butter, to get full. Now that he is back in America, he likes to watch his sodium intake because his body gets bloated if he has too much of it. He also likes to eat a lot of protein, like beef, that way he fills up fast. Liz had Billy explain a normal meal that he eats, and the first thing out of his mouth was steak, and then beef brisket. He said he ate a whole pound of beef brisket just the night before!
To further this investigation, we both decided to keep a food journal. We wanted to not only see the difference between what we ate, but also the thought that went into it. Liz looks at every ingredient before deciding to eat it, while Alyssa doesn’t think about it. In Liz’s food journal, she talks about how she has to think about what she is about to eat. This includes both the ingredients and her digestion system. Liz went to see a nutritionist for six months, and learned how important certain foods are for your digestion. From that she now tries to drink tea every day, eat slower, and only eat three meals a day. Alyssa on the other hand sometimes skips meals and snacks throughout the day. She’s not consciously thinking about her digestion as she eats. Liz makes sure she checks every ingredient in what she is eating before she eats it. Or, if she goes out she asks the waiter about what they are putting in her food. Alyssa doesn’t do any of these things. As a Rowan student living on campus, she often eats at the cafeteria which is buffet style. She never asks about the ingredients that make up her meal. She simply chooses what looks good. Alyssa also picks up snacks on the go from vending machines or food carts on campus throughout the school day. Liz is unable to do this do to the limited food options offered, so she makes sure she packs snacks to eat throughout the day. One similarity that we did find was that we both try to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. In Alyssa’s food journal she wrote that she often eats a fruit cup in between classes. Liz also likes to eat fruit with breakfast and lunch, and vegetables for dinner, which you can see in her food journal. You can find Liz's field notes by clicking here. To find Alyssa's field notes click here.
After writing our food journals, we decided to go out into the field and investigate the differences between Trader Joe’s and Shoprite in their accommodations to individuals with food intolerance's. We did this by going to the stores and looking at their websites. First, we'll talk about Trader Joe's. Trader Joe’s is a grocery store, but is very health conscious. In their stores, they offer a variety of organic foods. This being meats, drinks, snacks, anything really. We both shop at Trader Joe’s, but not as much as we would like to. The closest Trader Joe’s to both of us is in Marlton, and because we are both in school, we don’t have the time to make the trip. When we do make the trip, it is definitely worth it. Trader Joe’s isn’t your normal health food store. They offer healthy foods at decent prices. Liz started shopping at Trader Joe’s after she found out she had a dairy intolerance. The way the store is set up made it easy for her to find food without dairy in them. On the shelves at Trader Joe’s, they have a sign up in front of everything, and it will say if it is vegan, gluten free, vegetarian, etc. They don’t cater to one type of food eater, but all. This is very appealing when you want to grab something quick, and don’t feel like searching through all the ingredients. All in all, we felt that Trader Joe’s was very organized with their food, and very helpful. When we went up to ask the employees a question about where to find dairy free milk, they knew exactly where it was and told us all about the different kinds (almond, rice, and soy).
To further the research on Trader Joe’s, we also looked at their website. We liked that the second tab on the website was about their products. It was easy to find and to navigate. Once you clicked onto the products, we were able to choose vegan, and it brought up four whole pages filled with products that I could eat. These were broken down further into drinks and then different types of foods. What is even better is that there is a print guide button offered, which shows that you can print out the list and bring it to the store. Also, just like in the store, Trader Joe’s had different sections for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, fat free, quick meal, kosher, and sodium. They are catering to all eaters instead of just one.
Shoprite, on the other hand, is not quite as accommodating to individuals with food intolerance's. While it does have some organic items, it takes a lot of searching to find them. Unlike Trader Joe’s, Shoprite is set up like a typical grocery store. There are no sections clearly labeled as gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, etc. Therefore, an individual is forced to look at the individual products for ingredients. This makes grocery shopping much more time consuming and inconvenient for an individual with a food intolerance.
Shoprite’s website offers a feature that allows people to order their groceries online for pickup or delivery. But unfortunately they do not put the ingredients of the items online. They are organized according to produce, dairy, meats, and more. Unlike Trader Joe’s they are not easily categorized according to specific people’s needs like kosher, sodium, and gluten-free. The website was much more cluttered and difficult to navigate. The website does offer information on food allergies. They provide detailed explanations of each allergy, and the symptoms. While this is helpful information, they fail to offer food items that such individuals could find in their stores.
While in both of the stores, we decided to look at almond milk, soy ice cream, and Earth Balance (which is a butter-like spread that Liz uses). In addition to products that Liz can’t eat, we decided to look at beef and milk. What we found with the soy ice cream was that Trader Joe’s has a large variety, while Shoprite only offered one kind, if that. Earth Balance was only offered at Trader Joe’s at a hefty price, while Shoprite didn’t even offer it. Beef was offered at both stores. Shoprite had a very large selection of different cuts of beef, but didn’t offer organic beef like Trader Joe’s. The last thing that we looked for was milk. Trader Joe’s had organic milk, but Shoprite didn’t. The only similarity that we found between Shoprite and Trader Joe’s was that they both had almond milk.
The purpose of this research project is to investigate the lifestyles of individuals with food intolerance versus individuals without. We do so by interviewing Liz Mason, a person with a dairy intolerance, and Billy Brennan, a twenty-six year old Rowan student without a food intolerance. Then we each kept a food journal for a week, in order to contrast out thought processes and eating habits. To further the investigation we visited both Shoprite and Trader Joe's in order to see how well they accommodate people with food intolerance. Our research is explained in detail below.
We started out this project calling what Liz had a food allergy, until we did some research and found out that she in fact has a food intolerance instead of a food allergy. You will see this difference when you look at our questions that we asked for our Oral History Project versus our Collaborative Research Project.
While watching Food Inc., we realized how much the food industry is having a negative effect on our bodies. We saw how the production of food has evolved over the years. Before, the food industry relied on farmers and small corporations. Now, the food industry is monopolized by a few large corporations. The large corporations are concerned with providing cheap food to the public, instead of quality. As Liz sat and watched the documentary, she realized that the food industry might have been responsible for her current health issues.
Currently, Liz suffers from a dairy intolerance. This stems from her IBS, which is irritable bowel syndrome. According to Webmd.com, IBS is “a disorder of the intestines. It causes belly pain, cramping or bloating, and diarrhea or constipation. Irritable bowel syndrome is a long-term problem, but there are things you can do to reduce your symptoms.” Liz was diagnosed in 2008, and since then has not been able to eat anything with dairy in it. This is known as a dairy intolerance often mistaken for a dairy allergy. WHFoods.com explains that “it is important to realize that sensitivity to certain foods may not always be caused by a food allergy, but may be the result of food intolerance. This differentiation is important since these two types of sensitivities occur as a result of two distinct physiological events.” People who suffer from a dairy allergy have something wrong with their immune system. Meanwhile, people with intolerance's have adverse reactions, rather than something wrong with their immune system.
From this information, we decided to conduct interviews comparing the lifestyles of people with food intolerance's to people without them. Liz Mason was interviewed by Alyssa, where she was asked provoking questions about her lifestyle. In Liz’s interview, she talks about how she was diagnosed with the IBS, which lead to the dairy intolerance, and the struggles that she goes through on a daily basis with the disorder. Liz talked about how difficult it is for her to eat out with her dairy intolerance. She explains that she has to talk to the waiter in great depth to make it clear that she can have absolutely no traces of dairy in her food. Liz mentions that often people confuse her dairy intolerance with lactose intolerance. This is a huge misconception, as those with lactose intolerance are able to take a pill before eating dairy. Liz cannot have any traces of dairy at all. Liz also talks about what it is like living with her dairy intolerance at school. She explains that she has to make sure she brings her own snacks, so that she knows exactly what’s in them. Things like eating at the cafeteria at school are virtually impossible for Liz, because it is difficult to keep track of what has dairy, or even if something has touched something with dairy. Another aspect of Liz’s lifestyle that is affected by her dairy intolerance is grocery shopping. Liz has to look very carefully at the labels of everything she purchases. She explains that many items in the store that one wouldn’t expect actually contain dairy. Items like bread, lunch meats, and even chips often contain dairy. Liz even stated that when she was first diagnosed with dairy intolerance she and her mother spent three to four hours in the grocery store, trying to find appropriate food for her.
To contrast Liz’s lifestyle, Liz interviewed Billy Brennan. He is a 26-year-old Rowan student. In addition to being a student, he is also a father. He is always on the go and likes to eat fast. If a food item can be microwaved, he will buy it. During the interview, Billy said that he wished he could eat healthier. He said that the way he eats depends on how much money he has. Billy went into a story about how he lived off of the dollar menu at McDonald’s for almost three years. By the end of the three years he was getting so sick of McDonald’s that he said “he would rather not eat, than eat”. As the interview went on, Billy talked about how he never looks at the ingredients before eating his food. The only thing he checks for is the sodium and protein. He learned this trait when he was over in Iraq, because he ate a lot of canned soup and protein, like nuts and peanut butter, to get full. Now that he is back in America, he likes to watch his sodium intake because his body gets bloated if he has too much of it. He also likes to eat a lot of protein, like beef, that way he fills up fast. Liz had Billy explain a normal meal that he eats, and the first thing out of his mouth was steak, and then beef brisket. He said he ate a whole pound of beef brisket just the night before!
To further this investigation, we both decided to keep a food journal. We wanted to not only see the difference between what we ate, but also the thought that went into it. Liz looks at every ingredient before deciding to eat it, while Alyssa doesn’t think about it. In Liz’s food journal, she talks about how she has to think about what she is about to eat. This includes both the ingredients and her digestion system. Liz went to see a nutritionist for six months, and learned how important certain foods are for your digestion. From that she now tries to drink tea every day, eat slower, and only eat three meals a day. Alyssa on the other hand sometimes skips meals and snacks throughout the day. She’s not consciously thinking about her digestion as she eats. Liz makes sure she checks every ingredient in what she is eating before she eats it. Or, if she goes out she asks the waiter about what they are putting in her food. Alyssa doesn’t do any of these things. As a Rowan student living on campus, she often eats at the cafeteria which is buffet style. She never asks about the ingredients that make up her meal. She simply chooses what looks good. Alyssa also picks up snacks on the go from vending machines or food carts on campus throughout the school day. Liz is unable to do this do to the limited food options offered, so she makes sure she packs snacks to eat throughout the day. One similarity that we did find was that we both try to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. In Alyssa’s food journal she wrote that she often eats a fruit cup in between classes. Liz also likes to eat fruit with breakfast and lunch, and vegetables for dinner, which you can see in her food journal. You can find Liz's field notes by clicking here. To find Alyssa's field notes click here.
After writing our food journals, we decided to go out into the field and investigate the differences between Trader Joe’s and Shoprite in their accommodations to individuals with food intolerance's. We did this by going to the stores and looking at their websites. First, we'll talk about Trader Joe's. Trader Joe’s is a grocery store, but is very health conscious. In their stores, they offer a variety of organic foods. This being meats, drinks, snacks, anything really. We both shop at Trader Joe’s, but not as much as we would like to. The closest Trader Joe’s to both of us is in Marlton, and because we are both in school, we don’t have the time to make the trip. When we do make the trip, it is definitely worth it. Trader Joe’s isn’t your normal health food store. They offer healthy foods at decent prices. Liz started shopping at Trader Joe’s after she found out she had a dairy intolerance. The way the store is set up made it easy for her to find food without dairy in them. On the shelves at Trader Joe’s, they have a sign up in front of everything, and it will say if it is vegan, gluten free, vegetarian, etc. They don’t cater to one type of food eater, but all. This is very appealing when you want to grab something quick, and don’t feel like searching through all the ingredients. All in all, we felt that Trader Joe’s was very organized with their food, and very helpful. When we went up to ask the employees a question about where to find dairy free milk, they knew exactly where it was and told us all about the different kinds (almond, rice, and soy).
To further the research on Trader Joe’s, we also looked at their website. We liked that the second tab on the website was about their products. It was easy to find and to navigate. Once you clicked onto the products, we were able to choose vegan, and it brought up four whole pages filled with products that I could eat. These were broken down further into drinks and then different types of foods. What is even better is that there is a print guide button offered, which shows that you can print out the list and bring it to the store. Also, just like in the store, Trader Joe’s had different sections for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, fat free, quick meal, kosher, and sodium. They are catering to all eaters instead of just one.
Shoprite, on the other hand, is not quite as accommodating to individuals with food intolerance's. While it does have some organic items, it takes a lot of searching to find them. Unlike Trader Joe’s, Shoprite is set up like a typical grocery store. There are no sections clearly labeled as gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, etc. Therefore, an individual is forced to look at the individual products for ingredients. This makes grocery shopping much more time consuming and inconvenient for an individual with a food intolerance.
Shoprite’s website offers a feature that allows people to order their groceries online for pickup or delivery. But unfortunately they do not put the ingredients of the items online. They are organized according to produce, dairy, meats, and more. Unlike Trader Joe’s they are not easily categorized according to specific people’s needs like kosher, sodium, and gluten-free. The website was much more cluttered and difficult to navigate. The website does offer information on food allergies. They provide detailed explanations of each allergy, and the symptoms. While this is helpful information, they fail to offer food items that such individuals could find in their stores.
While in both of the stores, we decided to look at almond milk, soy ice cream, and Earth Balance (which is a butter-like spread that Liz uses). In addition to products that Liz can’t eat, we decided to look at beef and milk. What we found with the soy ice cream was that Trader Joe’s has a large variety, while Shoprite only offered one kind, if that. Earth Balance was only offered at Trader Joe’s at a hefty price, while Shoprite didn’t even offer it. Beef was offered at both stores. Shoprite had a very large selection of different cuts of beef, but didn’t offer organic beef like Trader Joe’s. The last thing that we looked for was milk. Trader Joe’s had organic milk, but Shoprite didn’t. The only similarity that we found between Shoprite and Trader Joe’s was that they both had almond milk.
