In Defense of Food

I just got an email from a friend asking if I could recommend a book that would educate her about properly fueling the body with what it needs. She then wants to educate her family. YES YES YES!!!! I do have a book. It's a clean and real kind of book. I actually started this post yesterday. The book is In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan. Anyone who eats food, NEEDS to read this book. I have been blown away with how crazy our world has become, and really how uneducated I have been. I LOVE this book. You can find it at your library or I found mine on amazon for like $7. WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT. I would offer mine to lend out...but it is highlighted, underlined, page folded...ya...I LOVE it.

I want to start a little blog post series highlighting some key things from the book, for those of you who don't like to read, or who don't have the time to get to the library. My eyes seriously have been opened, and I'd love to share what I've learned from this book.

Lets talk about this:

The Western Diet. If you eat the so-called Western Diet (if you shop at the grocery store, eat fast-food, than this is you) you are prone to chronic diseases and are most likely overweight or obese, you also might have a large dental bill. What's sad to me, is yes, there are people trying to fix this problem, but then there is also the other side who is making a TON of money on this "Western Diet". Some 17,000 foodlike PRODUCTS (not real food) are introduced EVERY YEAR. These are replacing real food on the shelves. The medical field is making money, because everyone is sick. And guess what? People are living with these diseases because there's medicene to keep them alive. This is what is so sad to me, because this has become our lives. (It reminds me of Wall-E) EVERYONE eats like this. This is the traditional American Family. How do you go about changing something this big...this traditional...this easy everyday life.....where do you start?
It's possible. I promise. I'm making the change, and I'm loving it. I feel good. I love getting educated about it.
Pollan gives this advice: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. He goes into more depth, but it's really that simple.
Some of the advice he gives under the "Eat Food. Food defined" section is this:

1. Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. This is so sad, because he gives the example of Go-gurt. What is this squishy tube? Is it food, or toothpaste? How do you introduce it into your body? Your great grandma would ask. You then tell her it's portable yogurt. She reads the ingredients and would have every reason to doubt you. This is so sad, because I LOVED go-gurts for my kids. They are an easy snack. But that's the problem. In my opinion, I shouldn't feed something claiming to be real food to my kids just because it's easy. I want to teach them. And so I will. Doesn't mean you won't EVER see my kids eating go-gurt in their lifetime. But I WILL educate them, and give them a better/REAL choice, a little more time and slice them an apple! Also he gives the advice: don't eat anything incapable of rotting. (ie Twinkies, McDonalds hamburger patties)

2. Avoid food products containing ingredients that are A) unfamiliar B) unpronounceable C) More than 5 in number, or D) contain high-fructose corn syrup.

3. Avoid food products that make health claims.

Did you know cereal companies PAY money to have the American Heart Association place their stamp on their boxes so people THINK they are healthy. Also, don't believe the "qualified" health claims. Fritos have a "qualified" health claim because they use corn oil. They claim that corn oil may reduce the risk of heart disease. And in small fine print you will then see this: The FDA concludes that there is little scientific evidence supporting this claim.

4. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle. That's usually where the produce, dairy, meat and fish are.

5. Get out of the supermarket whenever possible. Instead go to farmers markets, order a bountiful basket, order Daves Direct all-natural beef and chicken, etc.

Yes, this can make you angry, and yes it does SUCK. Our whole lives revolve around food. So...shouldn't that be enough reason to educate yourself on the thing that you spend the most time doing.....eating FOOD? I have HOPE though. America is noticing. Farmers markets, natural, hormone-free foods, real foods, organic practices are becoming popular again and the trend is rising every year. Jump on the bandwagon everyone! This time when I say.....Everyone is doing it.....it's okay to give in to this peer pressure!

I LOVE 2011~Clean and Real!

Jamie