In Defense of Food Review

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

*** EAT FOOD, NOT TOO MUCH, MOSTLY PLANTS ***

A very well written book that once again shows a direct link between the western diet and coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and other auto immune disorders. Food is not simply the sum of its parts, a leaf of thyme has 36 antioxidants in addition to multiple vitamins and minerals which all work together to benefit our health. You cannot simply add 12 vitamins and minerals to processed food and expect to have the same beneficial effects. The US government dietary recommendations have been largely influenced by the beef, dairy, and sugar lobby. This has lead to devastating consequences to our physical and mental health.

Pollan outlines 5 factors that have created this crisis.

1. Whole foods to Refined Foods.
Average american diet is 50% sugar and refined carbohydrates. We are mainlining glucose.

2. Complexity to Simplicity.
We now eat a much smaller variety of food. The majority of our calories come from corn, soy, wheat, and rice.

3. Quality to Quantity
Since 1950 there has been a serious decline in the nutrient content of our food. Since 1985 we eat an average of 300 more calories per day mainly from added sugars (including high fructose corn syrup). We are overfed and undernourished.

4. Leaves to Seeds
Leaves provide a host of critical nutrients a body can’t get from refined seeds. Leaves are high in omega 3 whereas seeds are high in omega 6. In 1970 the ratio in our diets were 3:1 (Omega 6:3). The ratio is now 10:1, this has resulted in a large increase in inflammatory conditions including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, dementia, autoimmune disorders, cancer, etc.

5. Food Culture to Food Science
Instead of eating whole foods, we now rely on science and government and marketing to help us eat better. This has not worked, it has allowed the food industry to sell more nutritionally enhanced processed foods and undermine traditional food cultures. The western diet is making people sick, western medicine has gotten really good at keeping people alive, the cost is staggering. An estimated $500 billion per year in diet-related health care costs and rising rapidly. Again, no one is healthy.


Pollan gives some guidelines which are helpful with the problems of the western diet.

What is food?

1. Don’t eat anything your great grandmother would not recognize as food. Also, don’t eat anything incapable of rotting.
2. Avoid food products which contain ingredients that are unfamiliar, unpronounceable, more than five in number, or that include high fructose corn syrup (hcfs).
3. Avoid food products that make health claims.
- the american heart association currently bestows (for a fee) its seal of approval on lucky charms, coco puffs, and trix
4. Shop of the periphery of the store and stay out of the middle.
5. Get out of the supermarket whenever possible. Grow a garden, go to a farmers market, buy local whenever possible.

What to eat - MOSTLY PLANTS
Especially leaves, foods from healthy soils, wild foods.

How to eat - NOT TOO MUCH
Calorie restriction slows aging and increases lifespan.

some good resources
www.eatwellguide.com
www.eatlocalchallenge.com
www.eatwild.com
www.localharvest.com