It seems like a new food documentary comes out just about every month. Some are scientifically sound and provide great insight into healthy eating, while others seem to over exaggerate and make claims that have no evidence based on research.

In Defense of Food, a book published in 2009 was recently made into a documentary that aired on PBS in December. Since then has been getting much attention. This documentary is based on the book that was published in 2009. While many food documentaries out there tend to instill fear in the public by making extreme arguments, this food documentary is refreshing in its more liberal views of food and how we should nourish our bodies. The author, Michael Pollen, was named one of the top 100 more influential people in the world by Time Magazine.

In Defense of Food offers a rather simple answer to the notorious and often heard question, “What should I eat to be healthy”? His answer is based on his travels around the world exploring grocery store isles and weeding through the inaccurate health claims all so often found in the media. His answer is simple and based on 3 principles-

1. Eat Food

• Eat foods that will eventually rot
• Eat only foods that have been cooked by humans
• Avoid foods that you see advertised on TV
• Make water your beverage of choice
• Don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food

2. Not too much

• Use smaller plates & glasses
• Serve the vegetables first
• Stop eating when you’re full
• Eat more like the French do
• Try to spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it

3. Mostly plants

• Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food
• If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t.
• Eat your colors- that is, eat as many different kinds of plants as possible

…But the most important rule is to break the rules once in a while!

 

For more information about In Defense of Food, check out Michael Pollen’s website: http://michaelpollan.com/books/in-defense-of-food/