In Defense of Food Review
I'm currently reading "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan and even though I'm not quite done with it yet, it's already a book I would definitely recommend.
The book was a big part of the reason I made cooking one fresh meal each week a goal of mine for the new year.
After reading about how processed food, even the stuff that claims to be "fortified," is completely lacking in nutrients compared to whole foods like fruit, vegetables and and other things that don't come in strange packaging, I really want to try to work on getting more whole foods into my diet.
I do an OK job with fruits and veggies, but I know I eat a lot of processed stuff because it's quick and easy.
One of my favorite things Pollan says in the book is to avoid eating foods our great-grandmothers wouldn't recognize. He cites Go-gurt as an example. Next time you're at the grocery store, pick up a thing of Go-gurt and check out the ingredients list. I bet you will be shocked by how many of the ingredients are weird chemicals you probably can't pronounce.
Pollan also traces the Western Diet back to its roots and explains how we ended up with today's dietary guidelines. Long story short: Blame it on the meat and diary lobbyists.
If you're at all interested in food, where it comes from and what exactly we're eating, it's definitely a book I'd recommend checking out.
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11 comments
I saw that book and thought about checking it out! Sounds very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed reading Michael Pollan -- he has so much interesting, eye-opening information. Reading In Defense of Food and Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle completely changed the way I eat.
ReplyDeleteHave I totally eliminated processed foods? No, that would be (nearly) impossible. But as much as possible, I eat whole/clean foods and feel great. :)
but I lurves me some processed crap :-) I like the looks of this book as well!
ReplyDeleteI also love this book - it completely changed the way I eat. I like that it's opinionated without being condescending or pushy.
ReplyDeleteI've looked at that several times at the bookstore but have never actually bought and read it. Thanks for the review, no I probably will give it a read!
ReplyDeleteI read that as a selection picked by the university-wide (yes, even alumni) common reading program. It was an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteI probably eat too much processed food. And I should really start learning to like vegetables.
I really enjoyed that book too! I also recently saw Food Inc. and have since resolved to become a flexitarian and start buying my food locally. Today I did my first shopping trip to a local market and it was a tad pricier than the big supermarket but honestly I feel so much better about it and I swear the food tastes fresher so it's worth the extra $ to me!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to check out my library and see if they have it!!
ReplyDeleteI'm really not a fan of gogort. But more because when I was a camp counselor those packets were practically impossible to open without showering everyone with food.
ReplyDeleteThe book does sound really interesting though, and something I'm sure I'd enjoy reading.
i probably should read this book! sounds like something up my alley.
ReplyDeletei got into the ingredient-label-reading in '09... crazy how much CRAP is in our food! pure crap!
Can I borrow it when you're done? I love this guy.....
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