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In Defense Of Food Pollan

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Just reading the title of In Defense of Food (2008) by Michael Pollan gave me some hope that he would tell us that enjoying our food without guilt is all we need to know. In a sense he does just that, but first he defines what food is and is not and then goes on to explain how to find, and enjoy, this food. My first question is why people feel the need for someone to tell them what to eat. In fact, Pollan himself asks this question. Throughout the book, he spends a great deal of time defending why he wrote the book. He claims he wrote it at the behest of his followers after publishing The Omnivore’s Dilemma (2006) in which he describes where our food actually comes from and how people are influenced by the latest nutrition fads. Breaking food …show more content…

This return to a traditional lifestyle of hunter gatherer resulted in weight loss, lower blood pressure, and a drastic reduction of signs of diabetes. For Pollan, this was proof positive that the modern Western diet is what is making people sick. Similar studies revealed that when native populations adopted a Western diet, multiple health issues …show more content…

No processed, refined, or fortified food-like substances, especially ones that make special health claims, and nothing with high-fructose corn syrup. Eat only whole food such as fruits and vegetables that have been grown organically or animals that have been raised on an organic diet and are free to roam about. Whole foods can be found on the periphery of the grocery store; however, beware of food additives and hormones in meats and dairy products. In fact, he recommends avoiding the grocery store altogether and purchasing food from farmers markets and or small, locally owned farms, or to grow your own vegetables. Of course whole food is harder to find and a lot more expensive. Pollan claims that Americans spend more on healthcare, or more appropriately “sick care,” than they do for food. By spending more on healthier food, he contends people will ultimately spend less on sick care. He also recommends avoiding fast food, even if it’s “home” cooked such as in the

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