Anyone interested in learning about the impact that our food choices have on the environment has probably read and enjoyed The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. It’s the kind of life-altering read that has the power to inspire people to make drastic, permanent changes to their habits for their own health and for the greater good. So, it’s no surprise that Pollan’s latest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto is also poised to be highly influential on public attitudes about what we consume.
As American citizens in particular have gotten fatter and less healthy, marketers have picked up on a huge money machine: the diet food industry. We’ve had it pounded into our heads that carbs are bad, fats make you fat and even fruit should be shunned because of the sugar content. Instead, we’re told, we should eat processed, pre-packaged ‘food’ that is conveniently devoid of all of these so-called ‘bad’ substances – but also lacking nutrition.
It’s easy to get confused about which foods are healthy and which aren’t. The conventional wisdom leads people to seek out low-carb specialty items and fat-free dairy. But, consuming all of these processed ‘health foods’ isn’t making us any healthier. Instead of enjoying healthy whole foods like eggs, olive oil, full-fat yogurt and fresh fruits, far too many of us are filling our grocery carts with boxes of crap packed with artificial ingredients.
Pollan’s message is simple: go back to nature. Forget that entire low carb aisle in the grocery store, and choose whole foods instead. In fact, avoid the entire center part of the store and shop the perimeter only for the healthiest selection.
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto lays out the history of nutrition in America, the vicious cycle of food-related disease we’ve gotten caught up in and how you can shop and prepare meals to avoid ending up with diabetes, heart disease or other health problems yourself.
Pollan’s latest offering will give you the motivation you need to kick the traditional Western diet that’s making us all sick and go back to the kind of food we were meant to eat. You’ll want to clear out your pantry and start fresh armed with the information and advice you’ve gained after reading it.
Link [In Defense of Food]
