Not too long ago, people in the Middle East ate fresh vegetables, fruits, dates, meat, some bread, and seeds and grains.  Now, due to travel and trade, rice has come to us from Asia, sweets have come to us from Europe, and fast food has arrived from America.  So, our food culture and choices have changed dramatically, especially over the last 100 years. Right here in Riyadh, over the past 5 years I have seen more American food chains open up than not.  We have one or more locations each of Johnny Rocket's, Chili's, Applebee's and Krispy Kremes. Then there are countless numbers of McDonald's, Burger King, and of course their Arabic versions, Herfy and Kudu.  What do we do with all these unhealthy food choices?  How do we cope with our busy lives and hungry stomachs?  If you don't have time to cook, or if you crave something special - where do you run for a fast meal?  How do we enjoy these foods without going overboard and forgetting our healthier traditional food choices?  Maybe we should boycott them all together, after all they are not helping us advance our culture in any positive way?  When we are really starved for a fast meal, I personally think we should stick to the locally owned falafel and shawarma shops instead, and support a local owner as well as eat healthier and more traditionally.  What are your thoughts on this ladies of 8R? Thanks to Ms. Dana and Ms. Leema for this article and topic idea!