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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

9 Comments

  • 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.

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