Food
Part one
Food today is a controversial topic. All these labels; vegan, vegetarian, paleo, whole30, low-carb, high-card, low-fat, ketogenic… they all tell us different ways we “should” be eating.
But how is it that so many different ways of eating are presented to us as “the” way to eat? And how is it that so many of them seem to work wonders for many people, and not at all for others?
The reason is a simple one: humans are omnivores. Contrary to popular belief, being an omnivore doesn’t mean one needs to eat of everything to survive, but that one can eat anything and survive. It means that humans can live off pretty much any food source there is on Earth, but also that we can go without a lot of it, too.
Humans being omnivorous creatures is what allowed our species to populate the entire planet; our ability to live off various foods meant that we could adapt to that which became available to us in every new location.
However, being able to survive on any diet and being healthy on any diet are quite different. One would argue that, nowadays, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum, considering the slew of unhealthy but still edible food-products we are served with by the food industry.
Just because one can eat anything , does not mean one should.
Micheal Pollan’s book In Defense of Food not only influenced, but also confirmed my food philosophy. It gave me confidence in the way I believe I should be eating, but also in how I believe humans should eat in general.
“Eat food, not too much, mostly plant.” — Micheal Pollan, In Defense of Food
That is the “diet” the author recommends and explains throughout the book, and I very much adhere to this school of thought.
Being too prescriptive about what others should eat makes for unattainable ideals and failed attempts, because labels like the ones above seem restrictive to people who are trying to learn about health and nutrition.
Humans can be healthy wether or not we eat meat and/or animal products. However, like Micheal Pollan explains in another book*, the provenance of those products is what has an impact on our health. Evidence shows that naturally raised, pastured (or grass-fed) meat, dairy and eggs are much healthier not only for us humans, but for the land, too. Land on which crops are rotated, cattle grazes, and chickens feed, is kept healthy and fertile without the need for third-party fertilizers and herbicides, not to mention the positive impact fresh air, sufficient space, exercise and a natural, healthy diet has on the animals (and in turn, the meat, dairy and eggs). This natural way of farming, as opposed to factory-farming (“Organic” or not), is also much healthier for the planet, as it produces much less green-house gases, and doesn’t deplete the soil of minerals and nutrients.
Finally, I believe that we humans were never meant to eat anything that comes out of a factory.
“If it grows on a plant, it eat. If it came from a plant, don’t.” — Micheal Pollan, Cooked (TV series)
It is quite simple for me: eat food that was grown or raised, not manufactured or developed.
In Part two, I will go in more detail as to what exactly my diet consists of, and why it works for me.
*Sources
- Micheal Pollan, In Defense of Food (Book)
- Micheal Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Book)
- Micheal Pollan, Cooked (Netflix Series, based on his books)
