Book Review-In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan
Review by Meghan Mast
Somehow in North America, amidst low-fat diets and TV dinners we have forgotten how to eat. Michael Pollan, who also wrote “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” now further enlightens readers in his new book “In Defense of Food,” a refreshing reminder of what real food is.
What is food? This question seems to have an obvious answer until closer investigation of grocery store shelves. Consumer demand for faster, cheaper meals has turned food into food-like substances. Science has involved itself with food in a way that has left most of the food we see in the grocery stores unrecognizable to our great grandparents. Would great-grandma recognize a yogurt tube?
Instead of squeezing chemical-laden dairy into our mouths, Pollan tells his readers to “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Who would have thought that eating healthy is so simple? And yet, it is. Side-stepping confusing claims of calcium infused orange and other unnatural food phenomenon, Pollan strips nutrition down to its most basic level. Common sense and tradition.
Westerners need to start taking cues from other cultures that treat food with reverence, taking pleasure in a meal with family and friends and acknowledging the source of the food. Our “fat-free” approach to food hasn�t improved our health, as cases of obesity and diabetes continues to increase. Why is this?
Here comes one of the biggest shockers of the book: We need fat in our diet! Of course we need the right kind of fat that comes from real, whole foods. For example, Avocados are an excellent source of healthy fat. Fat that helps keep our bodies running. An average human brain is 60% fat. Neurons are sheathed in a protective layer of it, and fats make up the structure of our cell walls. Certain vitamins such as vitamins A and E wouldn’t be able to pass through the intestinal walls without a diet that includes fat.
So how should we eat? Buy whole foods. Even if whole foods may contain more calories or fat. Remember, calories and fat are healthy if they are the right kind. The solution is to simplify. Spend more time making meals, don’t eat too much, buy food from a trusted source and eat lots of plants. These are only some of the couple dozen personal rules of eating that Pollan offers.
Great news for our Western-Disease riddled population is that most of the damage caused by processed food can be undone. With simple changes to the way we eat, we can better enjoy our food while also improving our health.
