Book Summary: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

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We have a challenge in picking what to eat because of the number of choices available. Food rules is a guide on how and what we should be eating.

“The answer to the question of what we should eat can be boiled down to just seven words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants”
Food Rules
Michael Pollan

Basic facts about the food we eat

There is a high rate of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer linked to the consumption of so-called western diets. The “western diet” comprises of processed meat and food, lots of fat and sugars, refined grains, etc. A characteristic of the diet is also one with fewer vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
There is a low rate of chronic diseases such as cancer, obesity among populations that eat a remarkably wide range of traditional diets.

These diets include some very high in fats, carbohydrates, or protein.
The hopeful fact is that when people get off the “Western diet”, we see a dramatic improvement in their health. Studies suggest that the effects of the Western diet can be rolled back and quickly.

Food Rules

How do we then decide on what to eat, what type of food we eat, and how much we eat. The following food rules distill the essential tips for us to eat a healthier life without counting calories.

What to Eat: Eat food

Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup
You must avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.
Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry. Ethoxylated diglycerides? Cellulose? Xanthan gum? Calcium propionate? Ammonium sulfate?
Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients. Sugar is sugar. You must avoid all forms of sugar. Choose Honey as your sweetener of choice.
Avoid food products that make health claims.
Food products with the word “lite” or the terms “low-fat” or “nonfat” in their names must be avoided.
Foods that are pretending to be something they are not should be avoided. A classic example is margarine imitating butter.
Eat only foods that will eventually rot. If fungi and bacteria will not eat it, why should you? Real food is alive and should eventually rot. The more processed a food is, the longer the shelf life, and the less nutritious it becomes.
Eat foods made from ingredients that you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature. Can you imagine the ingredients of Twinkies or Pringles?
Opt for the farmers market when you can. You are unlikely to find high-fructose corn syrup at the farmers’ market. Also, you must buy your snacks at the farmers’ market.
Eat only foods that have been cooked by humans rather than corporations.
It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car.
It’s not food if it’s called by the same name in every language. (Think Big Mac, Cheetos, or Pringles.)

What type of food to eat: Mostly plants but not “only” plants

You must eat mostly plants, especially leaves.
Vegetarians are notably healthier than carnivores, and they live longer.
Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food.
“Eating what stands on one leg [mushrooms and plant foods] is better than eating what stands on two legs [fowl], which is better than eating what stands on four legs [cows, pigs, and other mammals].” – Chinese proverb. Although this proverb offers a good summary of traditional wisdom on healthy eating, it leaves out the very healthful and entirely legless fish.
Eat your colors.
Save the water vegetables are cooked for soup or add it to sauce especially spinach water.
Eat animals that have themselves eaten well.
If you have the space, buy a freezer. Freezing food does not significantly diminish the nutritional value of produce.
The greater the diversity of species you eat, the more likely you are to cover all your nutritional bases.
Don’t overlook the oily little fishes such as mackerel, sardines, and anchovies.
Eat some foods that have been predigested or fermented by bacteria or fungi such as yogurt, sauerkraut, soy sauce, kimchi, and sourdough bread.
Eat fruits rather than drinking their juice because of the fiber content.
You must not drink your sweets and remember: There is no such thing as a healthy soda.
You must not eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.
Eat lots of whole grains. Unfortunately, the whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead.
With regards to oils you want to stick with olive, sesame, palm fruit, and peanut oils that have been obtained the old-fashioned way.
You can have a glass of wine with dinner. Most experts recommend no more than two drinks a day for men, one for women.

How should you eat: Not too much

Aim to eat less by stopping to eat before you are full.
Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored.
Slow down enough to savor your food.
Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it.
Buy smaller plates and glasses. Studies have shown that the bigger the portion, the more we will eat. And it can be up to 30 percent more.
Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods. You must snack on fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Do all your eating at a table and pay attention to what you are doing. No watching TV, no phones, and No screens allowed.
Try not to eat alone.
Leave something on your plate.
You must break the rules once in a while. What matters is not the special occasion but the everyday eating habits. The default food habits that govern your food intake in a typical day.

My Take on Food Rules by Michael Pollan

We are what we eat and taking a conscious look at it will enable us to have more energy and be productive. Food rules is a fantastic book on how to take simple rules to eat healthier and better.