Michael Pollan, one of the best-known names in food-related issues, offers a guide about health and food. Food Rules: An Eater's Manual is a set of memorable ideas for eating wisely. Many of them are drawn from a variety of ethnic or cultural traditions. Whether at the supermarket or an all-you-can-eat buffet, this handy, pocket-size resource is for people who would like to become more mindful of what they are eating.
Pollan is the author of In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, The Omnivore's Dilemma and The Botany of Desire.
Bio
Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan is the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, a New York Times bestseller.
His previous books include The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World (2001); A Place of My Own (1997); and Second Nature (1991). A contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine, Pollan is the recipient of numerous journalistic awards, including the James Beard Award for best magazine series in 2003 and the Reuters-I.U.C.N. 2000 Global Award for Environmental Journalism.
Pollan served for many years as executive editor of Harper's Magazine and is now the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley. His articles have been anthologized in Best American Science Writing 2004, Best American Essays 2003, and the Norton Book of Nature Writing.
System of crop cultivation that uses biological methods of fertilization and pest control as substitutes for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which are regarded by supporters of organic methods as harmful to health and the environment and unnecessary for successful cultivation. It was initiated as a conscious rejection of modern agri-chemical techniques in the 1930s by the British agronomist Sir Albert Howard. Miscellaneous organic materials, including animal manure, compost, grass turf, straw, and other crop residues, are applied to fields to improve both soil structure and moisture-holding capacity and to nourish soil life, which in turn nourishes plants. (Chemical fertilizers, by contrast, feed plants directly.) Biological pest control is achieved through preventive methods, including diversified farming, crop rotation, the planting of pest-deterrent species, and the use of integrated pest management techniques. Bioengineered strains are avoided. Since organic farming is time-consuming, organically grown produce tends to be expensive. Organic produce formerly accounted for a minuscule portion of total American farm output, but it has seen a huge proportional increase in sales in recent years.
I found this comment, especially in the author's context, extremely funny!
But back on Topic:
I found Michael Pollans commentary to be very refreshing. I have noticed for many years how marketing has used and abused the latest trend in nutritional hype to distract the consumer from the real lesson to, "buy our product." It is without a doubt a confusing world when in the supermarket.
I found it even more interesting how this attempt on simplifying rules of nutrition is so matched if not even beaten with more layers of complexity. Companies now having unlimited powers to lobby under individual protections of the Bill of Rights and how the policies of the FDA may likely make it even harder for the general consumer, let alone the disadvantaged consumer, less and less protected and less and less empowered to get "good" food.
A caveat, so is it illegal now for one corporation to own another corporation now (i.e., slavery)? I am so confused...
What I do know is that Michael Pollan understands this topic very well and I'm interested in looking for his work in my local book store. He has set out to simplify the topic to energize and empower the common consumer and yet at the same time his discussion demonstrates to me how well he understands how food influences society and society's policies regarding food influences its people -- Capitol Hill and Lobbyists.
Cheers MP and I hope more and more people will read and hear your words =)
This talk is more interesting if you listen to Thomas Sowell's talk on how intellectuals manufacture a need for their services by dramatically describing their area of research as a crisis.
Great video. Its easy to become a cynical, hard-edged intellectual, amid all the complexity but its nice to contemplate the simplicity of thoughts that speak more to common sense than scientific jargon. This new book is sure to piss off all those information junkies and its sure to enlighten those who want more out of life than just info, they want a practice. Mr. Pollan is doing the work of a carpenter, building upon a national movement, brick by brick. His success is really, success for every progressive.
An advertising ploy i have seem used here in Australia is to market the food item as being "X" free where "X" is something that is currently seen as a potential health hazard and the product never contained "X" in the first place.
An example of this is the "Gluten Free" potato chips sold by Woolworths. Potatoes don't have any gluten in them.
Permalink: What are you, retarded? What, so you can't think of any meals cooked at home other than microwave food or something along those lines?
I tell you what, don't give too much thought into this one, if you couldn't figure out what kinds of meals he is talking about while watching this video you provably deserve the consequences of your eating habbits. Specially judging by your "Well it seems like the Paleolithic diet is the best option" sarcastic remark, where you thought you were being clever. We can't say that we know what exactly a Paleolithic diet consisted on, but you don't have to be too bright to realize that whatever they ate back then was what nature intended us to eat, and yes, no doubt that eating what nature intended us to eat will be a very healthy diet.
Now you dont have to go to the extreme of eating raw meat and vegetables, there are literally thousands (if not millions) of very satisfying meals that can be cooked using only healthy stuff. You are just too lazy to think about them. So... have fun sucking on those fishsticks and eating cheetos. I mean WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO EAT!? Right?
I often wonder if by following a few simple rules you can eat healthily. I like this simple approach.
In honor of this talk I have created a website entitled: Rules of Food (http://www.rulesoffood.com). This site will be the recepticle of the top five food rules. I would like to eventually have a forum where people can debate what should be the top 5 rules, but for now they have been more or less borrowed from this talk. Check it out. http://www.rulesoffood.com
member. 
