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“In Defense of Food” – Getting closer to what you eat

24 February 2010 One Comment

By: NewNaturalista

In the book In Defense of Food, author Michael Pollan examines the way we think about what we eat. He says we need to “get closer” to what we put in our mouths, Planet Green’s Lloyd Alter lays out this great list of Pollan’s tips!

344040919_281b4319661. Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food: By concentrating on pre-modern foods, you avoid overprocessed products. Another way of putting it: Don’t eat anything incapable of rotting.2. Avoid products containing ingredients that are (a) unfamiliar (b) unpronounceable (c) more than five in number, or that include (d) high-fructose corn syrup: Ethoxylated monoglycerides? Enough said.

390331582_8caebdbefb3. Avoid food products that make health claims: The creations of food science make louder claims than the produce department does, though the added benefits may not be clear. The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation awards its Health Check symbol of assurance to Safeway Caramel Swirl Dairy Dessert and Stouffer’s Skillet Sensations Shrimp Alfredo, as well as to Heinz Chicken and Pasta SpongeBob Shapes Condensed Soup.

2066554160_b3f9eb06bb4. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves: If researchers agree on anything, it’s that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces health risks. Leaves are filling, low in calories, and high in antioxidants and fibre.

3284033783_986be654315. Eat wild foods when you can: Wild greens have higher levels of useful phytochemicals and omega-3 fatty acids. Wild fish have higher omega-3 levels than grain-fed farmed fish.

8998830_d19aa7ba626. Regard non-traditional foods with skepticism: Chinese tofu recipes may be healthy, but the jury is out on the value of the soy isoflavones used as an additive in processed foods.

3277486134_d65a61fec57. Have a glass of wine with dinner: Or two. Moderate drinkers appear to live longer and suffer less heart disease than teetotallers do.

415534472_6ed594a8618. Pay more, eat less: Good food (in both taste and nutritional value) costs more, but this makes you eat more discerningly.

Quick meal9. Eat meals: No more business-meeting snacks, TV treats, or in-car munching. And family dinners should be just that-one meal for everyone, not personalized microwave entrées.

4368187126_5d87a8b2e910. Do all your eating at a table: Desks and couches don’t count.

3026851491_7ba1ca32e711. Consult your gut: Studies have shown that we tend to clear our plates no matter how supersized the portion is. A simple way to reduce calories is to eat slowly and stop when you’re full, if not before.

Related posts:

  1. The Perfect Food (you probably aren’t eating)
  2. The Honest Food Pyramid
  3. The Virtues of Grapeseed Oil
  4. Yin and Yang of Food (and why it’s important)
  5. Surprisingly Unhealthy Foods
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One Comment »

  • cna training said:

    Keep posting stuff like this i really like it

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