Food Media

This interview in the recent issue (May/June 2009) of Eating Well magazine caught my eye – Daphne Miller, MD, author of The Jungle Effect: A Doctor Discovers the Healthiest Diets from Around the World.  While researching the world’s healthiest people/diets, she noticed “three dietary themes” – the inclusion of fermented foods (yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, tofu, natto), an emphasis on whole grains and legumes, and treating meat as a precious commodity (use sparingly).  Check out the interview here.  Check out fermented foods, whole grains and legumes, and small amounts of meat at your local grocery store…

On another note, Nathan and I saw the movie Fresh on Wednesday night (thank you Lexi for the tip).  Seven hundred people packed into the sold-out Riverview Theater!  And that was the second showing of the week – very cool.  The movie profiles a selection of farmers, writers, and business owners who are working to reinvent the US food system.  Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto (two of my favorite books) is featured prominently and as usual provides clear, easy-to-understand descriptions of the flaws in our industrialized food system (disease, pollution, mistreatment of animals, nutritionally-depleted food, obesity) and potential solutions and alternatives.  Farmer Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farms, steals the show – he’s completely hilarious.  The movie’s no longer showing in Minneapolis, but DVDs are available for purchase on the Fresh website (plus, the site itself features clips and articles).

Eat (real) food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food (I added the parenthetical)