michael pollan quotes in defense of food

It is more important to eat whole foods such as vegetables than it is to eat organic. Some of us cannot afford or do not have access to organic produce. “It is more important that you eat vegetables, even if they are conventional – and I’m talking about for your health – than it is that you wait until you can afford organic or you can find organic.” This is extremely important to remember.“Eat foods made from ingredients that you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature.”See an ingredient you can’t pronounce and think was made in a lab? Put that baby back on the shelf.“Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.” If a product has more than five ingredients, it is likely highly processed (see tip #1).When possible, choose meat and dairy products from grass-fed, free-range animals. These make their way into the final product – those cuts of meat that are so conveniently wrapped in plastic and placed in the freezer section at a grocery store near you – and also make their way into consumers, i.e. Additionally, antibiotics (to help ward off disease and illness as the animals live in their own squalor) and hormones (to help them grow bigger faster) are administered to these animals. These animals are not naturally equipped to digest corn, which wreaks havoc on their digestive systems and overall health. Many factory-farm or CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) animals are raised in confined spaces and consume a corn-based feed, most if not all of which is GMO. “You are what what you eat eats.” When it comes to meats and dairy products, you must consider how the animals were raised and fed.Additionally, some processed “organic” foods contain additives that are detrimental to our health. It is in processed foods that you are going to find artificial ingredients, some of which have been banned in other countries.

Avoid processed foods as much as possible. So let’s let The Man break things down for us so we can get a grip on the fundamentals: to consider – GMOs, pesticides, additives that have been banned in other countries, certified organic ingredients that are actually detrimental to our health – oy oy oy! And let’s face it, that’s what we need when there is just SO. This is one of the main reasons I love Michael Pollan. Not only has he helped open the eyes of millions of Americans to the mess that is our nation’s food system, but he manages to do so in a pretty straight-forward manner. In fact, it is actually really very simple.

Sometimes trying to eat healthily can seem like a science.

Michael pollan quotes in defense of food