Do you eat Food or "edible food-like substances"

Happy New Year! I hope 2010 has greeted you with health and happiness.



In my eternal quest for better health, I am currently reading Michael Pollan's "Food Rules". It's an eater's manual. And, since we are all eaters, we should all read this book. It is simple to read; broken down into 64 great rules to eat and live by.



I'd like to review some of them with you. Rule #1 - Eat food. Most of us would say, "Well, of course I eat food. What else would I be eating?" His answer - which I love - is that we are mostly eating "edible foodlike substances". I have long contended that what we are eating isn't food, but some bastardization of a former food. Soy, corn or wheat broken down, ground up, with nutrients removed (or added), mashed together with some colors, flavors and glue and molded back together into a different shape. If your food doesn't resemble the ingredients used in that food, then it is too processed. This one ties in with rule #19 - If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.



Another is rule #25, Eat your colors. The more color a food has, the more nutrient dense it is. And, the more varied the colors you include in your diet, the more varied the nutrients you will receive. Eat a rainbow of foods. And, again, going back to the edible foodlike substances, without the added colors, most are colorless, beige and/or brown.



Perhaps my favorite rule, which few people think of, is Rule #13 - Eat only foods that will eventually rot. The rotting process involves food being broken down into its various components by bacteria, mold and bugs. Why is this important? These organisms know the best fuel sources and they seek them out. If nature can't break it down into a usable fuel source, how well do you think your body will do? It's the bacteria in your digestive system that remove the useful ingredients out of food. If bacteria in nature has no interest in a food, your digestive bacteria won't either. Have you ever seen a 1 year old hamburger from a fast food restaurant? Sadly, it looks exactly the same as a 1 hour old hamburger. Bugs won't touch it, mold doesn't grow on it and bacteria avoids it. It is not food and has no nutritive value.



Reading this book and keeping these rules in mind when you choose your foods, you will certainly make better choices throughout your day. There is even a rule for treats: Rule #60 - Treat treats as treats. It is ok to have treats or snacks every once in a while - just keep them to every once in a while.



If you remember that food is fuel for your body, you will certainly see that these rules will help your body run better. Happy, Healthy New Year.