In Defense of Food: Nutrition, Food Science and the American Diet

In case you didn’t already know this, Michael Pollan is the same New York Times author who wrote the brilliant article about the perils of factory-farmed beef back in 2002. He also published the book Omnivore's Dilemma in 2006, which is well worth reading if you have not already done so.

In this interview, Pollan discusses many of the problems with our modern, Western “food-like” diet, and the underlying causes, including:

• How dietary recommendations based on nutrient content has led you astray from real foods
• The real reason why food products have become more complex
• Why refined food products are so pervasive despite the knowledge that they damage your health
• How nutrition science is actually not meant to help you, but rather allow food companies to make health claims to increase profits
• Why whole foods are so much more expensive than processed foods
• Why you cannot get sound dietary advice from your government

Today’s Recklessness is a Mortgage on Tomorrow

It all boils down to this: if you want to optimize your health, you must return to the basics of healthy food choices.

The problem is, there is so much confusion about what is healthy – and in some cases, whether or not something is actually food -- and as Pollan describes, one of the reasons is due to the obsessive focus on individual ingredients or nutrients.

The simplest way back toward health is to focus on WHOLE foods; foods that have not been processed or altered from their original state. Food that has been grown or raised as nature intended, without the use of chemical additives, pesticides and fertilizers.

Speed is of paramount importance to most people. Fast food and processed food products are the norm for most working people simply because of its ease and speed. Likewise, most people want to change their health status, or their weight, quickly. Hence the plethora of drugs and processed foods that promise to do just that.

Well, folks, here’s a thought for you to chew on; the FASTEST way to optimal health is through choosing a diet made up of whole foods. Making your food selections based on your nutritional type can speed up your progress even further.

So if you’re REALLY interested in speeding up your recovery from disease, losing weight and increasing your overall health quickly, putting your daily diet front and center is akin to zipping down an empty expressway, compared to toiling through a traffic jam.

Why?

Because whole foods give you MORE than the sum of their individual nutrients.

Whole, organic foods contain so many other things that work together synergistically, making them superior to anything that contains only the active ingredient (and frequently as a synthetic version at that).

That’s also one of the reasons why I do not put a major focus in my health recommendations on supplements. There is a danger in getting too hung up on particular nutrients because you will consistently miss your mark.

Eating a diet of processed foods while popping vitamins and supplements, thinking you’re getting everything you need for health, is a reckless miscalculation that will extract its true cost in the form of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Any amount of time and money you save today by stopping at a fast food restaurant, you’re bound to repay later when you’re too ill to lead an active life.

Your Future Health Depends on Today’s Choices

Sad but true, multi-national corporations are forcing small organic farmers out of business. However, by realizing that they are the key to your good health, you can help them not only stay in business, but prosper, as you begin making healthier choices for yourself and your family.

And remember, a diet based on local, organic foods doesn’t have to be cost-prohibitive for the average family or single consumer. One way to keep costs down is to visit farmers' markets and use Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. Not only is their food fresher and healthier for you, but it is far more environmentally friendly, as large amounts of fuel are not wasted in transporting it to you.

Here are some great resources to obtain wholesome food:

Farmers’ Markets

• Farmers' Markets
  A national listing of farmers' markets.
• Eat Wild Directory of Farms
• Local Harvest
  Find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area.
• Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals
  The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada.
• Chicago's Green City Market
  Chicago's only sustainable market with the highest quality locally farmed products. May through October. (Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSA’s)

• Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, Community  Supported Agriculture (CSA)
• Weston A. Price Foundation
• FoodRoutes
  The FoodRoutes “Find Good Food” map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSA's, and markets near you.
• Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA)

Other Organizations and Online Suppliers 

• The Slow Food Organization
• Sustainable Table

For even MORE links to cool organizations like the “National Farm to School Program,” or the “Farm to Hospital Program,” don’t miss my resource page Promoting Sustainable Agriculture.