Michael Pollan has written a Change This Manifesto about his new book “In Defence of Food”. I love the opening line –
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy.
In a three part book, he attacks the dominance of “experts” who promote a reductionist idea of nutrition based on components which are not foods; the Western diet with its imbalances and overload of processed foods; and sums up with 12 commandments to escape from the effects of the Western diet.
Essentially, he is arguing for us to eat whole foods, not industriously produced so-called foods which are manufactured from components; to enjoy our eating as a social experience; and for us to eat more fruit and veg, and less meat. The conclusions then are not ground-breaking but I like the simplicity of the message and the call to treat food as food, not as some utility, and to enjoy the sharing of meals.
Heroes Not Zombies 