I’ve been reading Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food,” and he includes some really interesting facts and statistics, especially as related to weight and health.  His basic premise is that we have replaced real food with “foodlike substances” that aren’t nearly as good for us– as evidenced by the increase in cardiovascular problems, diabetes, etc.  These food like substances include obvious fast food (things I LOVE, like Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza and McDonald’s french fries), but also things like apparently healthy items, like cereal with ingredients that include high fructose corn syrup and unrecognizable ingredients like trisodium phosphate (that one’s in my Total 100% Nutrition Cranberry Crunch).

It’s interesting to think about the fact that almost one hundred years after scientists discovered the three macronutrients– fat, carbohydates, and protein– society has just swung from one fad diet to the next (Low fat!  Low carb! High protein!).  And not only are we not any healthier, we weigh more, too.

One of his statistics is that fruits and vegetables have lost 30% of their nutritional value in the last fifty years, largely as a result of industrial farming, which robs the soil of necessary nutrients.  So, as a result, we have to eat 30% more food just to get the same nutrition.  No wonder we’re fatter than ever!  Plus (and this scares me a lot), the food industry actually makes more money when we have to buy more food, so it’s in their best interest in terms of profit to continue this trend.

I know that weight is a complicated issue, and that we eat for many reasons, not just nutrition.  But it’s been refreshing to read that maybe it’s not entirely our fault.  His basic recommendations are the title of this post– eat food, not too much, and mostly plants.