Fun
In Defense of Food
Dear Ann,
Reading Michael Pollan’s 2007 book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, made me a fan of his writing and his approach to purchasing and eating food. I’ve devoured (ha! good one) his other books, and I treasure my copy of the edition of Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual illustrated by Maira Kalman. Between Pollan’s books and my free subscription to Max Daniels’s hilarious and galvanizing weekly email newsletter, I’ve arrived at a fairly sane place in my relationship with food. Considering I started my first magazine grapefruit diet in my early teens, getting to this place has been a struggle, and I’m more grateful to these two writers than I can say.
Somehow, despite the endless hours that I spend plumped in front of my local PBS channel and knitting, I missed Pollan’s 2015 documentary, In Defense of Food. Channel 13 recently replayed it, and I immediately hit the record button so that I could watch it more than once. The documentary also features Maira Kalman’s illustrations, which add so much heart to a topic that otherwise might seem a bit clinical. The delightfully plainspoken nutritionist Marion Nesbitt also appears.
You can watch it on PBS Passport or Netflix.
Bon appetit!
Love,
Kay
Did you see this from the Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/opinion/sunday/germs-microbes-processed-foods.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share
and I don’t drink diet soda.
Gail, thank you so much for sharing this link. Though it is very unsettling, it makes perfect sense to me. Have already shared it with everyone.
Gee, the timing is perfect as I prepare to attend the traditional feast for Orthodox Easter! đŸ™‚
“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants!” –M.P. This is indeed timely, as I seem to have fallen away from the “mostly plants” part of the equation these last few months, and also haven’t yet seen the documentary. Thank you!
Thanks for the recommendation! I, too, have been following Max Daniel’s advice and Michael Pollan’s advice combines so well with hers. I’ve stopped binge eating just by eating 3 meals at the same time every day, with 2 snacks. I’ve increased my veggie intake to 5 servings and 2-3 fruits a day. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve lost 13lbs just by making these small changes to my diet! I feel better knowing that i am eating to fuel my body better and teaching my family, including my 7 and 9 year old daughters healthy eating.
Since i watched In Defense of Food on Netflix, Michael Pollan’s, Cooked, queued up next. It’s a great series too. I definitely recommend it!
I’d second the “Cooked” endorsement, that series is great!
And I third endorse the “Cooked” series – loved it and the book!
Cabbage soup, anyone?
Marion Nestle? Looks like an autocorrection.