In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
In In Defense of Food the author, Michael Pollan, expands on something most of us already know but might have forgotten. We should be eating real food.
His simple seven word diet is a mantra each and every one of us should be repeating many times daily no matter what the scale tells us, or how old we are; Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. I think this mantra should be spoken before every meal and especially before we head out to a fast food restaurant or reach for that greasy bag of snack food while lounging in front of the television.
Michael defends healthy eating by pointing to someone we should all personally respect when he tells us that we shouldn't eat anything that our great grandmothers wouldn't recognize as food.
Michael's theory in defense of food is that we should all be conscious of the amount of vitamins we are getting, but we should be getting them in "real food", not in something like vitamin enriched Diet Coke or clown-shaped chicken nuggets. He writes in his argument against processed food, "We know how to break down a kernel of corn or grain of wheat into its chemical parts, but we have no idea how to put it back together again."
I have been saying that fresh is best for years at my garden cooking site, Fresh Cooking From Your Garden and am happy that Michael Pollan took a stand in defense of the same concept.
I highly recommend this book as a soft reminder that everyone should be eating more fruits and veggies.
Repeat After Me
Eat food.
Not too much.
Mostly plants.
In Defense Of Food
Book Description
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These simple words go to the heart of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, the well-considered answers he provides to the questions posed in the bestselling The Omnivore's Dilemma.
Humans used to know how to eat well, Pollan argues. But the balanced dietary lessons that were once passed down through generations have been confused, complicated, and distorted by food industry marketers, nutritional scientists, and journalists-all of whom have much to gain from our dietary confusion. As a result, we face today a complex culinary landscape dense with bad advice and foods that are not "real." These "edible foodlike substances" are often packaged with labels bearing health claims that are typically false or misleading. Indeed, real food is fast disappearing from the marketplace, to be replaced by "nutrients," and plain old eating by an obsession with nutrition that is, paradoxically, ruining our health, not to mention our meals. Michael Pollan's sensible and decidedly counterintuitive advice is: "Don't eat anything that your great-great grandmother would not recognize as food."
Writing In Defense of Food, and affirming the joy of eating, Pollan suggests that if we would pay more for better, well-grown food, but buy less of it, we'll benefit ourselves, our communities, and the environment at large. Taking a clear-eyed look at what science does and does not know about the links between diet and health, he proposes a new way to think about the question of what to eat that is informed by ecology and tradition rather than by the prevailing nutrient-by-nutrient approach.
In Defense of Food reminds us that, despite the daunting dietary landscape Americans confront in the modern supermarket, the solutions to the current omnivore's dilemma can be found all around us.
In looking toward traditional diets the world over, as well as the foods our families-and regions-historically enjoyed, we can recover a more balanced, reasonable, and pleasurable approach to food. Michael Pollan's bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we might start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives and enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy.
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
Amazon Price: $14.93 (as of 07/05/2009)
Michael Pollan has put into words what I have been thinking myself for years. Real food has got to be better and healthier for you than any of this processed stuff on the market today.
Visit Michael Pollan's Official Site
Food. There's plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it?
Because most of what we're consuming today is not food, and how we're consuming it -- in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone -- is not really eating. Instead of food, we're consuming "edible foodlike substances" -- no longer the products of nature but of food science. Many of them come packaged with health claims that should be our first clue they are anything but healthy. In the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become.
- http://www.michaelpollan.com/
- Michael Pollan's official site
Be Honest
Audio CD Version
Audio CD version of In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Publisher: Penguin Audio; Unabridged edition (January 1, 2008)
Language: English
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 07/05/2009)
What to eat, what not to eat, and how to think about health: a manifesto for our times.
Quick Question
How much real food are you eating?
Book Reviews of In Defense of Food
by Michael Pollan
- Book Review: 'In Defense of Food' - International Herald Tribune
- International Herald Tribune Book Review: In Defense of Food
- latimes.com Review In Defense of Food
- Los Angeles Times Book Review: In Defense of Food
- NY Times Review In Defense of Food
- The New York Times Book Review: In Dense of Food
- NPR : 'In Defense of Food' Author Offers Advice for Health
- In his new book, Michael Pollan advises readers to Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. He says that we should make healthy food more of a priority, even if it means spending more time and money, or get used to chronic disease.
- Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food. - By Laura Shapiro - Slate Magazine
- Buy a hog? An entire hog? Cut it up and put the pieces in a freezer? I'm a fan of Michael Pollan's work, but he does have a tendency to hurtle himself into the stratosphere like an errant missile, then plummet back to earth and casually pick up where he le
- Powell's Books - In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
- From the author of the bestselling The Omnivores Dilemma comes this bracing and eloquent manifesto that shows readers how they might start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich their lives and enlarge their sense of what it means to be healthy...
- Serious Eats: In Defense of Food
- Generally positive reviews are starting to trickle in for Michael Pollan's new book In Defense of Food, which officially hit the shelves January 1. Following on the success of The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food picks up where the...
- Author Michael Pollan goes 'In Defense of Food' - USATODAY.com
- People ask best-selling author Michael Pollan: What should we eat? His answer is inscribed on the cover of his fifth book: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
- In Defense Of Food ? Utica Progressive
- Utica Progressive Review: In Defense of Food
Doesn't This Look Yummy?
Real food can be just as appetizing as processed foods as proved by these delicious Flickr.com photos.
see more
We've been picking & munching on these greens when we're eating outside ...
Iceberg & beet salad with green goddess dressing at Chez Panisse Caf%uFFFD...
another green shot of my lunch. lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil wth lo...
Tempeh sliced thinly, fried in sesame oil, soya sauce, chilli sauce, splash of s...
October 10, 2005 marked Canada's Thanksiving holiday.My family had a potluck ...
My lovely and quick lunch today. I had greens from my garden, a dollop of simpl...
cucumber jelly, micro green salad, sesame soy dressingthe cool, rich, and sw...
You can't much see it, but I also have salad lettuce, baby spinach, arugula and ...
made of lamb's lettuce, carrots, an egg, caesar salad dressing and some grated p...
%u7DA0%u8336%u3001%u5473%u5897%u6E6F%u548C%u6C99%u62C9 Green Tea, Miso Soup and Salad
*** BEST VIEWED LARGE ***My sister made this homemade pizza, was so yummy! Th...
Real Food or Really Disgusting?
Amazon Kindle Edition In Defense of Food
Don't have a Kindle? Get One Here
In Defense of Food
Amazon Price: $9.00 (as of 07/05/2009)
About the Author
Michael Pollan is the author of four previous books, including The Omnivore's Dilemma and The Botany of Desire, both New York Times bestsellers. A longtime contributor to The New York Times, he is also the Knight Professor of journalism at Berkeley.
What's the buzz about In Defense Of Food?
- Lesley's Book Nook: In Defense of Food
- With In Defense of Food, Pollan proposes a new (and very old) answer to the question of what we shou...
- Hungry for Change? Food Inc. presents latest critique of Food ...
- Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omn...
- UrbanDiner.ca | Vancouver Restaurant Scene Magazine » In Defense ...
- Berkeley author, Michael Pollan, was in Vancouver recently to promote the paperback release of his c...
- UrbanDiner.ca | Vancouver Restaurant Scene Magazine » Book ...
- in-defense-of-food I have a signed copy of Michael Pollan's important and timely book, In Defense of...
Do You Agree? Or Disagree?
Write a review, add a comment, or debate someone who disagrees with you.
Do you think that all processed foods, even the ones that claim to be healthy, (processed with added vitamins and minerals) are really bad for you?
Do you think processed food is unhealthy?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes
Treasures-By-Brenda says:
I definitely think a lot of processed food is unhealthy. We might get away with it occasionally but eating a steady diet of it is deadly...
Posted April 14, 2009
Kristin_Reign says:
I'm a big fan of eating fancy salads, rice, and fruit smoothies. I also avoid most foods with gluten (wheat flour), hydrogenated oils and corn syrup -- the ingredients most commonly found in processed foods. Since making this change, I've noticed fewer headaches, fewer food cravings, and a healthier body. Of course, it helps to get enough sleep and exercise too.
Posted February 03, 2009
gbenton789 says:
horribly unhealthy, it's only my belief but I believe that's part of the reason why so many folks are depressed and unhappy in the world. Having said that, I still eat horrible things some times - my two faves - fried spam and Digornos Pizza. Ewww, I know.
Posted December 04, 2008
No
ElizabethJeanAllen says:
I eat some processed foods. Most everyone does. I know its not the healthiest thing to do, but sometimes time is a factor.
Posted April 13, 2009
papawu says:
Who knows for sure. Unless the Average Joe takes a sample of the processed food to a lab and gets it analyzed, they don't REALLY know what they are putting in their bodies. But then, I think most people just hope for the best and expect the worst, or simply think that as long it tastes good to them, they will deal with whatever comes of it.
Posted October 08, 2008
Grasshoppa says:
Nahhhhh... I think it depends on what it is processed with. I mean, come one. COOKING is a process, isn't it? Hmm, come to that... as long as it's processed along with at least one kind of meat, it can't be THAT bad... can it?
Posted May 06, 2008
Alban says:
Is there such a thing as unhealthy outside of what one thinks about himself? Isn't all sickness a decision of the mind? A false identification? When one thinks he is a body, what one eats would not matter, would it?. It's all a means to die. Yet there is no death, because you are not a body.
Posted February 07, 2008
bazzz says:
Not necessarily. It depends how it has been processed. Simply repeating the mantra "natural good; processed bad" is a gross over-simplification and indicates a severe deficiency in understanding of the underlying scientific principles.
Posted February 04, 2008
Grab a Copy of In Defense of Food on eBay
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Who Wrote This Book
Read up on Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine, a former executive editor for Harper's Magazine, and author of five books: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (2008) The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2006), The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World (2001), A Place of My Own (1997), and Second Nature: A Gardener's Education (1991).Pollan received a B.A. from Bennington College, and continued his studies at Mansfield College at Oxford University and Columbia University, where he earned his master's degree in English in 1981.
His recent work has dealt with the practices of the meat industry, and he has written a number of articles on trends in American agriculture.
He has received the Reuters World Conservation Union Global Awards in environmental journalism, the James Beard Foundation Awards for best magazine series in 2003, and the Genesis Award from the American Humane Association. His articles have been anthologized in Best American Science Writing (2004), Best American Essays (1990 and 2003), The Animals: Practicing Complexity (2006) and the Norton Book of Nature Writing (1990).
Pollan is the son of author and financial consultant Stephen Pollan, the brother of actress Tracy Pollan and the brother-in-law of Michael J. Fox, Tracy's husband. He is married to painter Judith Belzer.[citation needed]
In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Pollan describes what he says are four principal food chains in the United States: the industrial, the big organic, the local farm, and the hunter-gatherer. Pollan follows each of these food chains from a group of plants photosynthesizing calories, through a series of intermediate stages, and ultimately to a meal. Along the way, the author suggests that there is a fundamental tension between the logic of nature and the logic of human industry; that the way we eat represents our most profound engagement with the natural world; and that industrial eating obscures crucially important ecological relationships and connections. On December 10, 2006, the New York Times named The Omnivore's Dilemma one of the five best nonfiction books of the year. On May 8, 2007, the James Beard Foundation named The Omnivore's Dilemma its 2007 winner for the best food writing. It is now the book of focus for the University of Pennsylvania's Reading Project 2007. An excerpt of the book was published in Mother Jones.[1]
Pollan's discussion of the industrial food chain is in large part a critique of modern agribusiness. According to , agribusiness has lost touch with the natural cycles of farming, wherein livestock and crops intertwine in mutually beneficial circles. Pollan's critique of modern agribusiness focuses on what he calls the overuse of corn, for purposes ranging from fattening cattle to massive production of corn oil, high-fructose corn syrup and other corn derivatives. He describes what he sees as the inefficiencies and other drawbacks of factory farming, assesses organic food production and what he thinks it is like to hunt and gather food. He blames those who set the rules (i.e., politicians in Washington, D.C., bureaucrats at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Wall Street capitalists, and agricultural conglomerates like Archer Daniels Midland) for what he calls a destructive and precarious agricultural system that has wrought havoc upon the diet, nutrition and well being of Americans. On the other hand, Pollan finds hope in Joel Salatin's farm "Polyface" in Virginia, which he sees as a model sustainable commercial farm. Pollan appears in the documentary film King Corn (2007).
In Botany of Desire, Pollan explores the concept of co-evolution, specifically of mankind's evolutionary relationship with four plants: apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes, from the dual perspectives of both humans and the plants themselves. He uses case examples that fit the archetype of four basic human desires, demonstrating how each of these botanical species are selectively grown, bred, and genetically engineered. The apple reflects the desire for sweetness, the tulip beauty, marijuana intoxication, and the potato control. Pollan then unravels the narrative of his own experience with each of the plants, which he then intertwines with a well-researched exploration into their social history. Each section presents a unique element of human domestication, or the "human bumblebee" as Pollan calls us. The stories in each part are varied, often fascinating, even hilarious. These range from the true story of Johnny Appleseed to Pollan's first-hand research with sophisticated marijuana hybrids in Amsterdam, to the alarming and paradigm-shifting possibilities of genetically engineered potatoes.
Pollan's latest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, was released on January 1, 2008.
Pollan has contributed to Greater Good, a social psychology magazine published by the Greater Good Science Center at University of California, Berkeley. His article "Edible Ethics" discusses the intersection of ethical eating and social psychology.
Wikipedia Article
More books by Michael Pollan
Vote for your favorites, or add any I missed.
Lens of the Day
January 31, 2008
This lens proudly holds the honor of being Lens of the Day.
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Have you Already Read In Defense of Food?
Please leave your honest personal review of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food here.
kiwisoutback wrote...
I read this book over my vacation a couple of weeks ago. After reading it, I realized that so much of the food I'm eating isn't food. It's "food stuff" as he put it, even the meat. I've been trying to make more of an effort to hit local produce stands and avoid vegetable oil based products since reading it. It's a great book! Squid Angel blessed, you've done it justice.
Posted June 08, 2009
Treasures-By-Brenda wrote...
I haven't read the book but I did read your lens and you have sure peeked my interest. I've added a link to your review on my Baby Carrots: When Is A Carrot Not A Carrot lens and I'm blessing In Defense of Food. Nicely done!
Brenda
Posted April 14, 2009
ElizabethJeanAllen wrote...
I love a good salad, but sometimes I'm in too much of a hurry. "I have too much on my plate."
Thanks for sharing
Lizzy
Posted April 13, 2009
EverythingMouse wrote...
I visited this lens a long time ago when I first read the book. I am glad that I am now able to return to give it an Angel Blessing. A great lens about such an important book.
Posted October 09, 2008
papawu wrote...
I have passed by this book in the library or store on a number of occasions. The title has caught my attention and I have picked it up before, but have always put it back for something that grabbed more of my interest. I guess I'm actually going to have to read it now! Great lens.
Posted October 08, 2008
WritingforYourWealth wrote...
I haven't read it yet but may have to check it out. I did read Fast Food Nation, and that one was interesting (in a scary way, heh heh).
Posted October 05, 2008
thrivingmom wrote...
This is a great lens and I have featured it as an example on my new lens about the various Squidoo templates. Please come by and take a look.
Posted September 22, 2008
spirituality wrote...
Great lens. Can't believe I only discovered it today :)
Posted September 16, 2008
GreenRevolution wrote...
Super lens! Great information on a very important topic. Thanks for sharing. To your health!
5 ***** & favorite
Posted September 15, 2008
onqsavings wrote...
It would apppear bicamerial-mind = giving into the readily available quick-eats and least-prep or non-prep so-called food opts...
This is among my well-selective lens and will be Hard-Pressed to be Removed. I'll frequent this lens and TYVM for its creation. tyvm again...
dogbot - out
Posted September 10, 2008
AdamJamesNall wrote...
Great lense - I shall consider the book in my research on the cultural histories of food. More here if interested:
http://www.squidoo.com/adamjamesnall
Posted September 07, 2008
chefkeem wrote...
Super lens! 5*s, fav'ed and lensrolled to 26 of my food lenses. Thank you for your extensive portrait of a great teacher. I'll go and have a salad in your honor! :-)
Posted July 06, 2008
triathlontraining wrote...
Excellent lens! The book sounds very good and informative. Adding it to my list of books to read. :) 5*
Posted June 22, 2008
DrRichard wrote...
My wife bought In Defense of Food and insisted that I read it. I am glad that I did as it made so much sense and it is such a basic concept that it is actually easy to introduce into your eating habits.
Posted May 17, 2008
stargazer00 wrote...
I know processed food is not good but it is so hard to change! I just started this book. Thanks for all the great info on it.
Posted May 02, 2008
totalhealth wrote...
really nice and interesting lens. eat healthy, be healthy and live healthy.
Posted April 25, 2008
Smurfberry wrote...
Loved the lens! I have been researching what I can do to eat healthy. This lens goes right along with what I have found. Google video Dr. Niles to see more on eating healthy.
Thank you,
mymonavie.com/livingstrong
Posted April 22, 2008
jessdayle
great lens is come in help when trying to get healthy again. ive just started working out and looking for the right diet is a must so this comes in handy. trying to find the right diet is like finding the best financial consultant.
http://jacksfinancialconsultantlist.com
Posted April 21, 2008
RyanRE wrote...
This is a fun lens. I LOVE the layout and the polls. ***** to ya!
Posted April 10, 2008
Lexi wrote...
Super lens! I will have to get a copy of my own to add to The Omnivore's Dilemma.
Lexi
Posted March 11, 2008
John8945 wrote...
Great lens on dieting, I was able to get quite a bit out of it. I'm mostly interested in a good Candida Free Diet, but they are also good for weight loss.
Posted March 11, 2008
This is a fantastic lens! I appreciate all the information and ability to vote on things and leave an opinion.
Posted March 11, 2008
AEAdviser wrote...
Your health is number 1 and the older you get the more you realize this. Great lens, *****! Drop by Party Time!
Posted February 18, 2008
EverythingMouse wrote...
I have just read the book after finding your lens a couple of weeks ago. The book makes great sense. Thanks for the recommendation.
Posted February 17, 2008
great lens, nice information given by you. Just like my lens which i have created on Download videos. where i have given informations on download videos.
Posted February 13, 2008
piano-lights wrote...
wow!
its completely about defence of food,you can find intresting stuff here.With a piano floor lamp you can still keep a piano cover on your instrument. A floor based piano lights can sit behind the pianist, bathing the piano in a soft glow while retaining its functionality.
Posted February 12, 2008
Carbon Copy Pro wrote
Hi!
Its great know about the food is used in the defence.This marketing system was developed with a significant investment of time and money by professionals with years of experience.carbon copy pro.Thanks!
Posted February 11, 2008
Mathew wrote
Hi! Great job on the lens! I just have to say that i have added some great stuff on heatilator fireplace doors and Some interesting facts about fireplace inserts; including cost, maintenance, style etc. So check out more on stunning fireplace doors.
Posted February 08, 2008
Giada wrote...
Great lens, rms. The library has the book on hold for me. I can hardly wait to read it. Thanks for the info.
Posted February 05, 2008
Garry-Nelson wrote...
Hello,
You have inspired me to try my hand at a book review.
Thank you,
Garry Nelson
Posted February 04, 2008
Clairwil wrote...
Great lens with a really impressive layout. 'In Defense of Food' looks like an interesting read. Well done on LOTD *****
Posted February 04, 2008
Aika wrote...
fantastic lens.
eat healthy, drink healthy, live healthy. ^__^
Posted February 04, 2008
EmilyandDavid wrote...
Great topic. We just started a new llens on Whole Foods. Perfect timing.
Posted February 03, 2008
LaraineRose wrote...
Nicest format for a lens I have seen to date! Congrats for LOTD. You deserve it!
Posted February 03, 2008
JeanneGrazier wrote...
Great lens. It has served the purpose of having me want to eat better today.
Posted February 02, 2008
jasmineann wrote...
Robin, Love this lens, you have done a great job here and well deserved congratulations on LOTD!
Posted February 01, 2008
lprince wrote...
Hi RMS,
This lens is GREAT!! I give you 10 stars. Our bodies are genetically designed to live on a whole food not pills and processed foods.
Posted February 01, 2008
FoxMusic wrote...
Have not read the book yet - congrats
on LOTD - this a great lens!!
Posted February 01, 2008
Allison_Whitehead wrote...
Brilliant - this lens is how SquidLit should really be used! You get 5 stars.
Posted February 01, 2008
KimGiancaterino wrote...
I'd like to read his book someday. Congrats on another LOTD!
Posted February 01, 2008
Wash Rinse Repeat
Eat food.
Not too much.
Mostly plants.
Postscript of utmost importance
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