Search - In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

An excellent book that tells what is going on that none of the media wants to touch.

Pollan's got some sound advice in this book. He tries to keep it simple.

But this is not a 'diet" book, It's more a thorough investigation of where the Western world (specifically America) went wrong in our relationship with food, ceding all control of our dinner table to 'experts' and no longer seeing "food" as an idea and cultural experience... but only as fuel... and through the misguided lens of "nutrition."

The first half of the book examines and breaks down the series of cultural moves (politically and capitalistically) that since the 1970s have separated us from our close relationship with "food."
Basically, we no longer see an apple - we see vitamins, calories and nutrients.
We see fat, sugar and antioxidants.
What we eat is no longer in the hands of "Mom" and "Family Tradition" - it's in the hands of Nutrition scientists and the large food conglomerations.

I devoured this book; it is amazing. It's full of all the "common sense" stuff you already know, deep down in your mind, yet don't really think about. It's terrifying and appalling and fascinating to read at the same time. At one point, I started to get panicky about what I could do IMMEDIATELY. Predictably, I feel duped and manipulated by the food industry. I've wanted to grow my own food for a while, but reading this solidified that idea in my head.

Pollan touches on many important issues and introduces ideas I hadn't thought about, including pesticides, food ingredients, and HOW we eat. I loved the discussion of the French Paradox near the end and find myself incorporating a lot of French eating customs into my own meals.

I've always eaten "healthy," with few processed foods, but this made me question the nutrition of the whole foods I purchase. It made me see "nutritionism" in an entirely new light, too. If you love food or even if you have a shaky relationship with it, read this. At the very least, you'll be enlightened on the subject of nutrition. You will naturally change your behavior with this knowledge in your head.