How the "western diet" has tipped our scales to the heavy side and what we can do about it.
In his newest book, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan looks at the increasing rates of obesity and diet-related diseases in the US. Over the next several weeks, I'll be writing about what I learned from his book and adding a few tips and revelations of my own.
In the mean time, I suggest you find a copy to read for yourself. I'm a big proponent of public libraries, but in this case, I bought a copy so I could highlight sections and write in the margins and fold down corners of pages. Perhaps you'll want to do the same.
The first half of the book is devoted to the history of how we got where we are today: why we eat what we eat. It's a fascinating discussion, full of well-meaning people making dietary rules based on bad science. His writing is enlightening and entertaining, but the information left a bad taste in my mouth for food choices governed by politics.
The second half suggests some very simple rules for changing the way we eat.
"RULES?" you say. "Isn't that what caused our problems in the first place?"
Yes, but these "rules" are so common-sense, you'll be embarrassed you didn't think of them yourself.
#1: Eat food.
Food. Not food products. Not food with additives that you can't pronounce or digest. Eat food as close to its original state as possible, though cooking is admissable. Stay away from anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. Eat whole foods: fruits and vegetables, the fresher the better. Meats: beef, pork, poultry, fish, wild game.
Think Seasonal Cooking. We're here to help.
