The weekend before last we drove to my hometown in WV to see my mom graduate from the LPN to RN program at the nearby college. Go mom! On our way there and back we listened to In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan and I have to say after reading loads of diet books, watching documentaries like Fast Food Nation and Food Inc. nothing has affected my lifestyle more than this book. The common sense theories jumped out at me and I found myself excitedly saying to josh “this is so obvious! Why is this concept so hard?” and then I realized that the way we currently eat has been normalized by capitalism and advertising. Wow.
That basic message of In Defense of Food, for me, was and still is eating real food. What is real food? Anything that hasn’t been processed, you recognize every ingredient in and is as close to the earth as possible. I loved what he said about Americas obsession with nutritionism which is, in short, finding a “super nutrient” in food such as protein or fiber or omega-3’s and injecting it in food that isn’t real and then calling it health food. Go to the store and you will find yogurt that has been filled with fiber or nutrition bars filled with protein. Science has pinpointed a helpful nutrient in real food and then found a way for us to eat in food that isn’t real. I can’t tell you how often I’ve relieved my conscience by eating sugary non-food bars because “it has fiber!” or convinced myself that protein in foreign-weird tasting nutrition bars is “health food”. He explains that we don’t know the exact relationship that the nutrients in whole grains that make fiber helpful, but just extracting fiber has not helped us become healthy people.
We’ve taken something as simple as yogurt and made it into non-food. We have been made scared by the ploys of people selling non-food into believe real food is bad for us. How many times have we been made to feel guilty about all the fat and calories in an avocado a fruit that has many nutrients and health benefits, while handed chemical food in healthy packaging and believing that was the better choice? As if I can’t believe it’s not butter, or heart smart were acceptable with their laundry list of fake ingredients. Pasta now has omega-3, bread now has tons of protein. How is this normal? And why am I so mad that I’ve bought into this for a very long time. I’ve been around long enough to have experienced every fad from low fat, low carb to high protein. And I’ve been in every single one of them eating non-food diet-food thinking that it was going to make me not fat.
I am still fat.
Companies seemingly are not making a ton of money from real food. And guess what? Real food is really good. Since moving to Floyd, my real food quota has gone up exponentially. I have the chance to buy real food at local stores and farmed less than 50 miles away. I never knew what peaches really tasted like, or that fresh tomatoes and natural full-fat yogurt are worthy of cravings. Sometimes when I make real food for others, I get asked “is this healthy?” because maybe olive oil or real butter from local cows was spied from over my shoulder and I reply “yes, this is real food”.
I once believed that eating a lean cuisine diet meal was healthful diet food. Lean cuisine is gross compared to real traditional Indian, Italian or greek food. Traditional food, made with real ingredients is healthful and it makes me sad that I’ve believed otherwise for years. I’ve been made to feel guilt for preferring real food.
My question has gone from “is this diet food?” to “is this real food?” because the two just are not interlinked. When I watched Julia and Julie in the theaters recently and realized that Julia Child got it. She loved food and you can see it her writing and in her cooking shows. She was not eating margarine, and definitely not Splenda. She made full-fat French food and loved it. This woman was not obese and lived until she was 94. However, a good lot of us who have been dieting and eating diet food off and on our wholes lives may not make it to 50, 60 or 70 without developing food related diseases. We are never full or satisfied because we are not eating real food. We are deprived from the fake food and overeat to compensate. We feel guilty when we do eat real food and punish ourselves. Is this a way to live?
I want to be a better eater. I don’t want to continue eating food substances thinking it is health food. I am asking myself “is this real food?” and if not, I pass. I’ve never ever in my life asked this question. I looked at the cereal, the poptarts, or the powdered donuts as an acceptable breakfast. I’ve felt better about sugar free or diet ice cream. I’ve felt for a long time, back behind the influence of food marketing, that surely this delicious real food was worth eating, enjoying and feeling satisfied over. Every time I post what I eat or a recipe I make I have people comment saying “well that could have been better for you if you used splenda” or “have you tried the new 1 point weight watcher bread, your breakfast would have been much healthier” or “you really shouldn’t cook with cream even if it is organic” or “it’s okay to have ice cream, as long as it is low fat” or “why didn’t you make that with low fat butter spread, you could have saved a few calories?”
Since listening to In Defense of Food which is not the end-all-be-all of food information, but definitely is a start for real food information, me and josh have been making a valid effort at eating better food. We spend money on real food even if it costs a little more. We spend a more time preparing food and thinking about meals even though we are busy. Because I can’t help but think the extra money and time in our health is a worthy enough cause.
So I turn this back to you, what is real food to you? How much time every week do you spend preparing meals? Do you support local agriculture?
Leave a comment any time between now and 6pm EST tomorrow (tuesday) and I will pick 2 commentors from random to send a copy of In Defense of Food. (only US commenters are entered in the drawing.)
I’ve been wanting to read this book! So glad you enjoyed it.
I absolutely loved your take on this. I, too am trying to make my diet consist of real food – the fact that I have any difficulty in transistioning is driving me insane. For so long I have been fed the “if you want to be thin you have to eat low cal, low fat food” it’s still difficult to shake the bit of guilt I feel when I chose whole anything. Ahh.
This book was excellent when I first read it, but it’s been so long and I’ve made so many strides since then I’d love to read it again – and I just want to share it with everyone I know!
I would love a copy of this book! I have heard great things about it and am on a very very long waiting list for it at the library. Love your blog.
I totally agree with you. For years, I bought into the whole Fiber One bar/Lean Cuisine mentality of eating. Over the last year though, I made the switch to preparing my own “frozen meals”. It was hard at first because it requires so much planning but my body feels so much better.
I just want to say that this post is a public service. I’ve heard of this book before and am not foolish enough to think it has nothing to teach me. Thanks for the suggestion and congratulations on your empowerment!
Thanks for this post! It helps me understand the misinformation and confusion that is out there. I eat modified food, like splenda everywhere, skim milk, non-fat yogurt, protein powder. I also eat a ton of real food. I eat out maybe once a month, so I cook a LOT. I eat a lot of vegetables, salads. I eat a lot of salt.
At the end of the day, it’s about calories in versus out. It’s about nutrition, in the form of veggies and protein. It’s about using spices for flavor. Lunch is going to be salad with 2 eggs on top. Dinner is going to be eggplant (microwaved to cook it without fat) with hoisin and chicken breast. Snacks include coffee, tea, greek yogurt, frozen peaches. Since it’s sweltering, I might have ice cream tonight too. Other days I might have 100 calories of chocolate.
by the way, leave me out of the drawing. I like Michael Pollan, but I don’t like accumulating books. I’d rather read something from the library.
Great post! I would love to get this book. You make such valid points. These are things that I’ve thought in the back of my mind, but have never been able to bring it together to make it cohesive. Awesome!
I’ve only been eating the “diet” food for the past couple years, but there has definately been too much processed food in my diet for a long time.
So i’m drawn back to comment again on this wonderful post Lorrie. I’ve suffered from Fibromyalgia for several years and have been researching lately for non-medical or alternative therapies. One of the more promising areas of research I’ve come across involves modifying the diet to – you guessed it – eat a more natural, whole food diet and eliminate as much processed foods as you can. I find that when I stick to this type of diet, my symptoms are much better, I don’t have nearly as much pain, and I just generally feel better. Kinda of makes you wonder what kind of damage the preservatives do to our bodies. Thanks again for a wonderful post Lorrie. I would love to have this book. Please keep inspiring us.
Real Food is the Best Food. Nature intended us to eat food in its most natural state. I cook about 5 times a week and get healthy take out on the weekend, however, nothing is as healthy as what I create at home. I have a small vegetable garden where I grow organic tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces, beans, zucchini, and eggplants. I love summertime and late fall because I understand the origins of the food I am working with. There are no pesticides or chemicals of any kind on what I pick. As far as fiber goes, veggies, fruit, beans, and nuts are truly great sources and taste delicious! Those Fiber One cereals and bars are disgustingly overly sweet and I feel are bad for you! Too many chemicals! Here’s how I feel when I am at home cooking my own healthy meals for a week — Great! Here’s how I feel when I am on vacation having to eat restaurant food for a week –Tired! I love this post and have a passion for the nutritional and healthful benefits real, organic, unprocessed foods bless our bodies and minds with. Oh, and I love Edamame (soybeans) boiled in lightly salted water…Kicks potato chip’s ass any day!
You are so right on! I am new to your blog and we certainly are on the same wave-length. My recent posts had to do with similar issues of the media and advertising and how it affects us and affects the viewpoint of weight issues. My lifestyle changes are coming from going back to basics, like 50 years ago – when women were curvy and a size 12 was drop dead gorgeous. I am focusing on the old-fashioned food pyramid and portion control.
I started my first vegetable garden this year and it is changing my whole thought pattern on food. I have challenged myself to try something new each week. Mixing fresh with fresh.
Julia did get it right. Butter has such a bad rap but anything in excess is bad for you……..especially DIETING. It is about eating right. My focus is eating real and learning all I can get re-train my entire thought patterns about food. I want to learn to enjoy food not loathe it or obsess about it.
Thank you for your blog!
Thank you for the great analysis, it sounds like an excellent resource to check out!
I love reading your blog. Also, I love your hair and how cute you look in hats. I wish I could pull that off.
After listening to you and Krissie rave about this it’s going to the top of my reading list. And I just might tattoo “Is this real food” across my hand, so every time I reach for junk I’m reminded not to.
AMEN LADY to everything you wrote. I’ve been researching and reading about our food industry and have basically lost all respect for the FDA. I recently watched Food, Inc. and it was incredibly mind-blowing. By the way, your blog is fabulous: )
“me and josh have been making a valid effort at eating better food.” This really hits the nail on the head. There are many people who think that you can eat small quantities of unhealthy food and that’s going to do the trick. Eating less isn’t the key to losing weight, eating right is the key! Great post once again!
I really appreciate your story. My husband and I have been working a permanent weight loss program that is primarily focused on whole foods as well. We have both lost weight in the past three weeks, and already are feeling much better!
We just added a wonderful energy/fat burning product and I can’t wait to see the results at this weeks weigh in! This is getting fun!!
To your success,
Deb
I could not agree more with this post! I was watching Micheal Pollan on YouTube the other night, (4 videos on “In Defense of Food”) and he is a smart man. It all comes down to *REAL* food… i’d rather have smaller amounts of full fat REAL food than a ginormous bowl of ‘light’ food kwim??
I’m in Canada, so you can leave me out of this drawing..
lol! Still love your blog though.. haha!!
Thank you for writing the rant I have been working on for months! Right on sister!
Well you’ve certanilty convinced me to check into that book.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing this information. I’m on yet another diet, and have found my motivation waning in the last two weeks. I was just thinking last night that at least 1/3 of my daily intake of calories has been diet bars and chemically altered “nutrition products.” You could say that there’s no food in my food…and I’m still fat.
This post was exactly what I needed to read today. I immediately requested “In Defense of Food” from the library, and am committing to no bars for the rest of the week! I can’t wait to see how my body feels on real food.
Thank you so much for this information and for this post. I’m completely with you on still being overweight even though I’ve eated all of the pre-packaged, low this-n-that foods. Recently I had a money slump and was forced to cut back and eat more real foods and meals and wow, the weight just started melting off. Imagine that.
Awesome post. Food for thought! I am going out to pick suggested books up.
I love your post on this book. I totally love the “REAL” food concept. I just recently found your blog and I absolutely love it!! Thanks so much for your insight!
This reminded me of this news article! So ridiculous!!
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2009/the_price_cut_promise/busted.html
Wow…I feel the same way!
My neighbor, Marcia, read the book and told me about this information. She is very European in her cooking and eating. She buys local veggies, fruits, cheese and proteins. She cooks foods simply and presents them to beautifully. I find that when I eat this way, I feel beautiful and eat sparingly. I dress better and sit up straighter…isn’t that crazy?
i know you have moved past this post, but i just read it and have to say that this is so perplexing to me – all the preservatives, food coloring and weird marketing ploys. and i’m not perfect – i just had a box of fiber one pop tarts in my cupboard…but as a mom and having been raised by farmers and home cookers, i’d rather my kids eat my sweets (made from ingredients i know all about) than have a hostess cupcake. my grandmother didn’t make the healthiest food but she lived to almost 90 and made every meal from scratch. oh, and she at a salad for lunch every day of her life and walked two miles down her country lane, again, every day of her life. and beyond the food issues – sitting down and eating a meal together as a family has proven to be beneficial to young girls and keeping eating disorders at bay – as well as fostering mental and emotional stability in a family. okay, enough blabbing. thanks for the suggestion. i will have to pass it on to my hubby – who is a history teach but oddly enough he makes his kids watch fast food nation on their free days once a year. this will add to his arsenal. okay, best wishes and a good day to you – bb
I couldn’t agree more about Michael Pollan’s book and among all the advertising it is hard to find someone involved in weight loss that has actually subscribed to his ideas. I have always been told that things like margarine is healthier than butter. Processed foods usually lose most or all nutrition during the processing, so it has to be added.. can’t be better than the real thing.
I can really relate to your post about real food. There was a time when I thought my healthy breakfast of oatmeal, peach, milk and ground flaxseed and maybe a few chopped walnuts had way too many calories. I eat it everyday now knowing how good for my body it is. We planted a fantastic garden this spring and are still reaping the benefits. It’s a shame that so many people in this country continue to eat such garbage on a daily basis.
This book has been in my pile of “to read” books for many months now. I got carried away with the Twilight novels and totally forgot about. I think I will dig it out and experience the book for myself.
I love this entry, I freaking love this Real Food movement and even gave several copies of Pollan’s book to family members. May I recommend this blog? http://www.foodrenegade.com
PD. Even before I read this book I was abiding like 75% to the real food mantra and my husband slowly but steadily lost 56 pounds. We love food, we love eating, we love going food shopping and we love cooking (I am a cook in a restaurant!). After I read the book I gave up the Splenda (which we figured out was making us bloated and groggy…plus Splenda has HFCS), the low fat milk, the cooking sprays and pre-made pancake mix.