Book Review

After reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan, it was on to read his next work, "In Defense of Food".

I appreciated the way Pollan explained how nutritional science has taken us from thinking about whole foods as our source of nutrition to thinking of foods in terms of nutrients only- "nutritionism". Instead of viewing a carrot as a beneficial vegetable , we see the carrot only as a source of vitamin A, a nutrient that could be found in fortified food or a vitamin pill, without realizing that a carrot (or broccoli or a tomato) is so much more than just a single vitamin or a "source of fiber".

Whole foods are complex and provide nutrients that we have not begun to be able to measure, but by focusing on only one part of the food, we reduce the importance of that and begin to feel that "as long as I am getting protein or carbohydrates - somewhere- in the diet, it doesn't matter where it comes from. So a "whole wheat doughnut" (if there is such a thing) is just as acceptable as a serving of brown rice. A glass of Pepsi is just as acceptable as a glass of water since it too is providing hydration.

My mother-in-law told me a story once of a lady she knew who said she took a vitamin pill so that she could then eat whatever she wanted. But as the book points out, just the history of baby formula points out the fallacy of that thinking. Thankfully babies are able to do well on today's formulas, but they will never match the nutrition in human milk.

One major flaw in seeing foods in terms of "bad nutrients" vs "good nutrients" as taught in science and the media, is that usually science is wrong. Carbs are bad, then carbs are good. Eating too much fat causes heart attacks, oh wait, no it doesn't- only certain kinds of fats. Oh, whoops, they were wrong about some of that, too. No wonder people are confused as to what to eat!

Pollan argues that people who eat their native diet - whatever that it- are usually without our "Western diseases", but as soon as those people adopt a more Western diet complete with processed foods, those diseases start coming. "A hallmark of the Western diet is food that is fast, cheap and easy." (pg 145). Native peoples spend much more time gathering, preparing and eating their meals- a more wholistic way of viewing nutrition, health and communal connection.

Conclusion? Eat food (real, whole, not processed). Not too much. Mostly plants.

Pollan has a lot more to say in this book and in "The Omnivore's Dilemmma" and both are a good read. My views on food and farming are forever changed. I highly recommend both!