Good advice from author Michael Pollan on eating from his new book, Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. Essentially he suggests eating food. Stuff you can picture in the original form (apples, cashews, celery, trout, tomatoes, grapes, steak, strawberries, milk, figs, peppers, peaches, almonds, chicken) not chemical additions (yes I know real food is made up of chemical – this is additional chemicals). One quote: “the biggest gains in human health can be made from changes in food policy.”
Human health is a complex topic but if we care about our health it is a tough issue we have to try to understand. He makes a good point in his talk about the value of exercise. I do believe exercise is an important component to how to be healthy (as is food – I don’t think it is easy to be healthy without both).
Related posts: Rethinking the Food Production System – Don’t Eat What Doesn’t Rot – Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. – The Calorie Delusion
I think that a person’s health can not do without these:
Away from the high-calorie foods, as well as more exercise.
Whilst I’m very supportive of sensible diets I think its important for regular consumers to recognise the difficulty of linking different health conditions/ metrics or measurements with any sensible outcome such as stoke, cardiovascular disease or cancer. When I speak with my own patients many are convinced of the effects on the diet on the onset, resolution or progression of many of their illnesses.
It is up to well designed public health interventions to tease these things out. It was an esteemed public health researcher in the UK who was one of the first to link obesity with cardiovascular disease, by measuring waist sizes, and factoring in exercise of London bus drivers. Until this happens for other suggestions, they should be taken ‘with a pinch of salt’ (ahem).
I agree and try to do just that. Nuts and fresh vegetables are a large part of our diet. Of course, I do miss beef jerky and potato chips and crave them once in a while.
Celery with a touch of peanut butter is also a common snack. The kids seem to like it more than us.
I’ve been in the health care business for 30 years and see the obvious direct correlation between high BMI and health problems.
Michael Pollan wrote also two fantastic books: “Second Nature” and “The Botany of Desire”, I love them.
yes right… we must improve our diet and there is a book says “We Are what We eat” … but I forget exact title. Essentially, our health is dependent on what we eat.
Yes. I also agree with you. Food and exercise are the important factors for our health.
I certainly agree that human health is one of the complex topic. One may not able to value their health if they haven’t experience being in the point of loosing it. We sometimes have to make some decision on how to handle things that would cause our self destruction.
It was an esteemed public health researcher in the UK who was one of the first to link obesity with cardiovascular disease, by measuring waist sizes, and factoring in exercise of London bus drivers. Until this happens for other suggestions, they should be taken ‘with a pinch of salt’ (ahem).
Pollan’s books are all great reads. I’d recommend Gary Taubes “Good Calories, Bad Calories” for excellent writing in the same vein.
This is an excellent reminder that we have to be mindful what we eat and that the food has to regarded as fuel – that it has to be burnt off not only by sitting in front of the computer or TV, but effectively – by exercising.
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