In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

Todays post written by Jill at Home Grown Life

I pretty much spent the entire Fall reading (and yes, again re-reading) Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. In this book, Pollan attempts to answer some of the questions raised in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and focuses on defining what real food is, how we can find it, the need to defend it and the case for such an argument.

I found myself nodding yes, yes in agreement with nearly every line in this book and particularly love the fact that Pollan keeps it simple with guidelines like, if your grandparents wouldn’t recognize it as food, then it probably isn’t and his cover-page sub-title of Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.

This book was very freeing for me as a nutrition educator and allowed me to follow my gut instincts what it comes to nutrition advice. It’s not about counting calories, breaking food down into it’s component parts or even a food guide pyramid. It’s about eating real foods that nourish the body, mind and soul, eating them with full awareness and enjoyment (while sitting at the table, yes, the actual table, not the car, sofa or office chair!), about bringing the lost art of preparing and cooking foods back into the civilized world, about actually putting some time, energy, money and planning into choosing our family’s meals and keeping the hope and knowing that there is more to food that what our grocery stores center aisles tell us there is to eat.

For some, simply choosing to eat food instead of food-like substances (as Pollan refers to most of our modern foods as) will pose a huge lifestyle change. Many have grown used to eating, and thus have trained their taste buds and their stomachs to expect, all that processed foods have to offer. Some may have even become addicted to things like soda, cookies, chips, fast food meals, 100 calories snacks and easy frozen dinners devoid of nutrients.

I think that it is important to return to our roots and begin eating with dignity and purpose as we choose foods that will not only fill our bellies, but will bring joy back to the dinner table, strengthen our bodies and minds and sustain our health as humans and that of the planet.

Some practical tips for feeding our families food:

Choose foods from the perimeter of the grocery store, which is usually where the produce, meats, dairy and bakery items are. Notice what those center aisles are filled with.. is it food?

Get connected with your local farmer’s markets. It is so simple today to support local farmers and bypass the grocery store as we take matters into our own hands and buy local produce, dairy, meats and even bakes goods. One of my most favorite times is taking my children with me on Saturday mornings to the farmer’s market!

Let your children get involved in the process of choosing and preparing the foods your family eats. It is a fact that the more children are invested in the food process, the more likely they are to not only try eating a new food, but actually enjoy the experience!

Plant a garden with your family and allow even small children to have their own “plot” of land. They will be eager each day to tend their plot and eventually harvest and eat the foods they have worked so diligently to grow!

Make it a family pact to avoid fast foods. I have a friend who when asked about fast food restaurants by her children told that that it was “strictly for emergencies”!

Related Post:

Food In the New Year

Emotional Eating~WEIGH CHILD

We are so excited to welcome Dr. Joanna Dulgoff as a new guest writer for our Blessed Nest Perch.

Here's a little bit about Dr. Joanna,

Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. grew up in Roslyn, New York. She attended Princeton University where she graduated Cum Laude with a degree in molecular biology. She was elected to the Sigma Chi International Research Honor Society based on scientific research done at Princeton. Dr. Dolgoff earned her Reebok fitness instructor certification during this time. She taught fitness classes at Princeton University and at various gyms in the Princeton area. Dr. Dolgoff continued her education at NYU School of Medicine, earning the award for Outstanding Student in Pediatrics, and serving as president of the NYU Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society. She also founded and ran the NYU School of Medicine Step Aerobics Fitness Program and taught at Synergy Fitness Clubs in Manhattan. Dr. Dolgoff completed her Pediatric Residency training at Columbia Presbyterian's Children's Hospital of New York. She has previously worked as a private practice pediatrician, helping children reach their weight loss goals. She is a Board Certified Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Most important, she is the proud mother of two children, Zachary, age 5 and Danielle, age 2. She and her husband live in Roslyn, New York.

Emotional Eating~

At times emotional eating affects us all. Emotional eating is eating for reasons other than hunger; some examples are eating happy, sad, bored, stressed, or lonely. Often times when we emotionally eat, we are trying to fill a void, to make up for something that is missing in our lives. Other times, we are looking for the comforting feeling that food gives us.

Everyone emotional eats occasionally, but it is problematic when it becomes a habit. Do you use food as a means of dealing with your feelings rather than dealing with what is truly bothering you? If you do this too often, you will not be able to separate physical hunger from emotional hunger, which inevitably leads to weight gain.

Emotional eating may make us feel better in the short-term because it enables us to stuff our feelings so they do not have to be dealt with. But in fact, overeating can create even a greater sense of shame and loneliness. Try the following techniques to figure out why you may be emotionally eating.

Pay close attention to triggers

Triggers are events that may lead to emotional eating. Think about times you eat when you are not truly hungry. Then think about what you want the eating to accomplish. For examples, the next time you feel stressed from work or too much homework and begin to crave ice cream take a step back and consider your emotions. What do you want the food to do for you? Acknowledge that you want food to put you in a better mood and make you feel less stressed. Will it really do that? Perhaps there is a better way...

Take control by asking the following questions

Do you feel hunger? If the answer is yes, then eat. If the answer is not really, what are you feeling? Consider some other options that don't include eating. Learn how to nurture your needs without food. Try doing your nails, taking a brisk walk, going for a massage or talking to someone about your feelings. Do something that will keep your mind off food and will make you feel better.

Develop Healthy Eating Habits

Listening to your body's signals of hunger and fullness can help you minimize emotional eating and help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Try to eat only when truly hungry. If you feel like munching but can admit that you are not physically hungry, distract yourself. On the other hand, when you do feel hungry, let yourself eat. Do not decide to eat based on the clock. Rather, listen to your internal cues. You will more full enjoy your food when you eat it while truly hungry.

Do not forbid food

When most people try to lose weight, they decide they cannot have certain foods. This leads to deprivation and cravings, especially when we are feeling emotional. There are no good or bad foods, but there are good and bad portions. Skipping meals can make you very hungry, and generally leads to overeating. Skipping meals is not a way to lose weight. When you eat, you boost your metabolism and burn more calories. When you don't eat, you slow down your metabolism. Eating regular healthy meals helps keep your metabolism up and burning more energy.

Join a support group or on-line chat group

The support and advice from others can help you through tough times. Support groups are a place for people to give and receive both emotional and practical support as well as to exchange information. Support groups are a place where other people can relate to what you are going through and keep you from feeling like you are alone. Feel free to check out our message boards on www.DrWeigh.com after our official launch on March 1. They are a perfect venue to meet others going through the same trials. Make friends and learn how to handle emotional stresses without eating. Emotional eating is an unhealthy habit that must be addressed. Seeking medical advice from a healthcare professional maybe needed to help you realize that you don't really need food in the way that you think you do.

 Visit Weigh Child- Dr Dolgoff's web site

jdmd@drweigh.com

Be Well,

Joanna Dolgoff, MD
Dr.Dolgoff's Weigh

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DR. JOANNA DOLGOFF'S WEIGH CHILD AND ADOLESCENT WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM: