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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
"The Whiter the bread, sooner you will be dead"
Excellent practical primer regarding how one should form our food habits using conventional wisdom without defying modern science.
It's a must read for all of us . This is a short book that can be read in a day and be benefited for rest our lives.
Excellent practical primer regarding how one should form our food habits using conventional wisdom without defying modern science.
It's a must read for all of us . This is a short book that can be read in a day and be benefited for rest our lives.
This one is nicely distilled into simple things to do - I love how concise it is.
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
A very good guide for what to eat and how to eat it. Not strict by any means, but shares bite-sized pieces of advice for how to eat healthfully and for your benefit.
Quick read with excellent rules for making better decisions when it comes to eating healthfully. Even if the reader employs only a few of these rules, it will make a difference.
Oh my gosh I am going to be annoying everyone about this book: apologies to everyone who knows me or meets me. This book is my new most favorite thing ever.
I'm familiar with Michael Pollan by reputation more than experience as this was the first thing of his I had ever read. As one of "those people" who constantly takes pictures of food, strives for a healthy diet, and is spouting recipes to anyone who indicates vague interest, it was only a matter of time before I read everything Pollan has ever written about food, culture, and the crux of the two.
This small tome is basically the distillation of what he has learned as a journalist and food authority about what you SHOULD be eating. Should, of course, being relative based on your goals and desires, but he strives to very simply summarize an easy-to-use guide that answers this timeless and vexing question as it relates to making informed choices and having an optimal diet.
The book is split into three clever sections. Part I - What should I eat? (Eat food.) Part II - What kind of food should I eat? (Mostly plants.) Part III - How should I eat? (Not too much.)
Essentially, he explains why the Western diet is terrible (processed foods, too much meat) and gives examples of diets in other countries that work better, and simple rules to adopt that ensure you will eat more real food, and less empty calories. However, as a food journalist he isn't trying to sell you on one method or another: he just gives the information he has learned and leaves it up to you to decide what "rules" you would like to follow.
And that's about it folks. This book speaks to me because it basically validates my life choices. I have been trying since graduate school to "eat healthy" and have been frustrated with the challenge of making good choices in a world of wrong information, and intentional misinformation by the food industry. Pollan puts this confusion into focus in the intro by explaining that nutritional science is very new, so new in fact that what we know about it now translates to what we knew in the 1600s about surgery. No wonder it's such a confusing mess to try to eat well!
As I mentioned in the beginning of this review, I will be recommending this book to everyone and encouraging others to adopt his methods because in doing so I have found to be a happy and healthy person. I'm not saying it's easy: changing habits and lifestyle takes hardwork and dedication, but it can be done! Coming soon: reviews of all his other books because they are now at the tippy top of my "to read" list.
I'm familiar with Michael Pollan by reputation more than experience as this was the first thing of his I had ever read. As one of "those people" who constantly takes pictures of food, strives for a healthy diet, and is spouting recipes to anyone who indicates vague interest, it was only a matter of time before I read everything Pollan has ever written about food, culture, and the crux of the two.
This small tome is basically the distillation of what he has learned as a journalist and food authority about what you SHOULD be eating. Should, of course, being relative based on your goals and desires, but he strives to very simply summarize an easy-to-use guide that answers this timeless and vexing question as it relates to making informed choices and having an optimal diet.
The book is split into three clever sections. Part I - What should I eat? (Eat food.) Part II - What kind of food should I eat? (Mostly plants.) Part III - How should I eat? (Not too much.)
Essentially, he explains why the Western diet is terrible (processed foods, too much meat) and gives examples of diets in other countries that work better, and simple rules to adopt that ensure you will eat more real food, and less empty calories. However, as a food journalist he isn't trying to sell you on one method or another: he just gives the information he has learned and leaves it up to you to decide what "rules" you would like to follow.
And that's about it folks. This book speaks to me because it basically validates my life choices. I have been trying since graduate school to "eat healthy" and have been frustrated with the challenge of making good choices in a world of wrong information, and intentional misinformation by the food industry. Pollan puts this confusion into focus in the intro by explaining that nutritional science is very new, so new in fact that what we know about it now translates to what we knew in the 1600s about surgery. No wonder it's such a confusing mess to try to eat well!
As I mentioned in the beginning of this review, I will be recommending this book to everyone and encouraging others to adopt his methods because in doing so I have found to be a happy and healthy person. I'm not saying it's easy: changing habits and lifestyle takes hardwork and dedication, but it can be done! Coming soon: reviews of all his other books because they are now at the tippy top of my "to read" list.
This is my second Pollan book in like two weeks. Food Rules recycles a lot of the content from In Defense of Food, so I wouldn’t really recommend reading them back to back, like I just did, but what the hell – it doesn’t hurt to brush up either. I recently went cold turkey into a vegan diet and have been at it for nearly a month now. Pollan’s books are a breath of fresh air for someone who doesn’t know anything about the science of food and can be easily overwhelmed by people stressing macro- and micronutrients all the time.
Pollan acknowledges nutritionism in his work, but he never gets caught up in it. Instead, he relies on generations old wisdom, often from the likes of grandmothers or old sayings, and gets to the root of what we eat by simple common sense. These 64 rules are great reminders and refreshers on what it means to eat simply, or in Pollan’s words: Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.
He presents these rules more like policies, “little algorithms designed to simplify your eating life,” and they really do help me feel more conscious about what I’m eating. I’ve taken more pains to eat slowly, appreciate my food and stop before I’m full, some rules found in the Not Too Much section. Throw this book in the kitchen, and reference it occasionally. Food Rules reminds me a lot of a writing book, something as a guide to follow, not strictly, but certainly doesn’t hurt.
Pollan acknowledges nutritionism in his work, but he never gets caught up in it. Instead, he relies on generations old wisdom, often from the likes of grandmothers or old sayings, and gets to the root of what we eat by simple common sense. These 64 rules are great reminders and refreshers on what it means to eat simply, or in Pollan’s words: Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.
He presents these rules more like policies, “little algorithms designed to simplify your eating life,” and they really do help me feel more conscious about what I’m eating. I’ve taken more pains to eat slowly, appreciate my food and stop before I’m full, some rules found in the Not Too Much section. Throw this book in the kitchen, and reference it occasionally. Food Rules reminds me a lot of a writing book, something as a guide to follow, not strictly, but certainly doesn’t hurt.
A great insight into the dangers of the "Western Diet". Rather than continuing the pseudoscientific narrative of media and industry, Michael Pollan simplifies the relatively young field of nutritional science to three essential rules: "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much."
It was extremely interesting how he combined the culture and traditions of different societal and ethnic groups to formulate unified and simple, yet effective guidelines for tackling the American obesity epidemic.
Personally, I really appreciated Rule Nr.36: "Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the colour of the milk."
It was extremely interesting how he combined the culture and traditions of different societal and ethnic groups to formulate unified and simple, yet effective guidelines for tackling the American obesity epidemic.
Personally, I really appreciated Rule Nr.36: "Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the colour of the milk."
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
informative
fast-paced