Michael Pollan's new book came out. Did you notice? Or are you not big into food books? It may not be as awesome as his previous book, but it has many interesting and important points to make. Here are my top 3 for now:
1. Most of the stuff at the grocery store is not food. It is food-like stuff. It has very little relation to any of the stuff that grows in a garden or on a farm. Can you see the berries in a nutrition bar? Really? Look at the ingredients. Are there any real berries even in them? Do you know what most of the listed ingredients are? Where the come from?
2. Most of us have no idea when we are full or hungry. We pay attention to external cues to determine how much to eat and when. And we're eating all the time now, which is how the food industry is making more money off of us, since the average number of calories we each eat has increased by 600 in the past 40-50 years.
3. The health of the soil affects the health of the produce. The health of the cow affects how healthy a steak is for you. If you are just buying conventional produce and mass market meat, you aren't getting very much nutrition for your $$'s. Did you know there have been oranges tested that had NO vitamin C in them? Liebig's PDK hypothesis about fertilizer and plants is FALSE. Plain and simple. More over, cow's are ruminants. That means they are made to eat grass. Not grain. When they are grain finished on feedlots, they are also pumped full of hormones and drugs to keep them from getting sick. Do you really think that stuff isn't in the meat that comes from them?
While I had a harder time reading this book and didn't find it as well done as The Omnivore's Dilemma, it is a great read still. I am inspired to be more diligent in going to the farmer's market, to the pick your own farms, to buying everything meat from pastured sources.
We joined an organic food co-op and after our first week, I love it. I hope that continues!
Other great food book to read: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
Interesting link on What the World Eats. Full of pictures that you'll find fascinating!
7 comments:
My sister and thus the rest of my family has gotten big into this stuff also. My dad and two sisters went to hear him speak in UT. It is pretty crazy to think about what we are sold and told is "food".
I haven't heard of this book but thank you for mentioning it. Now my addiction to books like this is rearing it's ugly head and I'm feeling the compulsion to go get it. Now! A book I like that seems similar is "THe Fat Fallacy". THat stat you posted about Oranges with no vitamin C flipped me out!
I just got a form so we can join a local CSA and we're excited! Can't wait to hear more about yours!
I haven't read it yet.
Either one.
Totally with you on the not real food thing.
It dawned on me a few days ago that quitting on Saturdays means trips to the Farmer's Market this summer. WoooooHoo!
Super happy about that.
I love Salt Lake's farmer's market. It's been a long time since I've been able to go.
Thanks for leaving me notes today, btw.
xxoo to you.
Steph
I am into this post. I have been trying to cook more and be mindful of what we are all fueling up on. I think many people are coming around to the realization that the "food" we buy is not food-and that is why we are so obese as a nation.
I have planted many vegetables here. I am slow to join a co-op bc it's $50 per wk. I don't purchase $50 in vegetables from the store per week, even when we buy organic. Plus, they choose what to sed us, we don't get to choose. Is that how all food co-ops are?
Thanks for the suggested reading!
How was your rainy day by the way?
Was i supposed to know who this guy is? Cause the points you brought out from his book sound interesting but i've never heard of him.
maybe if i eat more meat with hormones i wont have to work out as hard at the gym ;)
I'm so impressed with your passion on this. I would love to go organic on everything, but I haven't figured out how to make it work yet, and it is so expensive. I should check out these books
This sounds like a book I'd like! I get a perverse sense of pride in the supermarket check-out line when half my groceries are fruits and veggies, and the other half doesn't contain any processed, pre-made stuff. It goes back to the nutrition class I took at college that taught me the closer a food looks looks like itself, the healthier it is for you. I'll have to go see if they have it at the library.
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