Hey, kids! It’s Wednesday, so your old pal Akatzen is back with another Book Report.

Today I want to talk about two books that, taken together, could immeasurably improve all of our lives. No, I’m not talking about The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z, by Max Brooks (but don’t worry, there will be plenty of zombie discussions in future Reports). The two books I’m thinking of are The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan.

The reason why I want to talk about these books is because while our ability to grow and ship food around the world has improved immeasurably over the past century, people (especially Americans) don’t seem to be getting any healthier. In fact, people who live on a Westernized diet (which contrary to popular belief is not a diet consisting solely of Western Bacon Cheeseburgers) tend to have greater risk of heart disease and an increased tendency towards obesity and obesity related problems, such as Type 2 diabetes and certain kinds of cancer. Pollan’s books take a very interesting look at these problems, and presents to the reader some incredibly interesting solutions.

In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan begins with a simple question: Where does our food come from? Human beings, more than any other omnivore, stand at an incredibly interesting position on the food chain. There are an amazing amount of diverse foods that humans can eat, gather nutrients from, and survive as a species off of. We are incredibly adaptable, able to process foods that perhaps only a century or two ago we had trouble with.
But with all these options and adaptations, somehow there is still some psychological distress when we ask ourselves the question: “What do I want to eat?” (perhaps even because of all these options)
So Pollan goes on a journey, attempting to ease this Omnivore’s Dilemma, to trace food back to its source. What he finds is that he actually needs to go on four journeys: a journey through the industrial food chain, the organic food chain, the green (!) organic food chain, and the hunter-gatherer food chain.
Each journey offers not only incredible insight on how food goes from ground or forest or pasture to our tables, but also discusses the pros and cons of each type of food chain.

For instance, in the industrial chain, nearly all of your food comes from one source: the corn farms of Iowa. Corn offers amazingly high crop yields, cattle and chicken are fed corn to fatten them quickly and cheaply, high fructose corn syrup sweetens our food and beverages, and other corn derivatives find their way into foods, plastics, and many other consumables. The trouble is that corn doesn’t offer much nutritional value. As ruminants, cows can’t even digest corn with out a lot of medical help (in the form of steroids, hormones, and antibiotics). On the other hand, because it is cheap and plentiful, corn helps get a lot of food on a lot of tables for not a lot of money. In fact, most research shows that trying to feed the growing populations of the world without industrial farming is impossible. Organic farming just doesn’t have high enough of a yield.

But as Pollan explores the other food chains, it becomes increasingly clear that industrial farming obliterates the symbiotic nature of the food chain, how waste feeds the soil which feeds the plants which feed the plant-eaters which provide sustenance to the creatures that eat meat. Industrial farming arrogantly claims this symbiotic nature is unnecessary, and interrupting it couldn’t possibly cause dietary health problems.

In Defense of Food takes the next step. After following all these food chains back to their sources, Pollan wonders rightly if the industrialized, heavily processed items that line most of our grocery shelves deserve to even be called “food.”
Pollan takes an in-depth look at the history of nutritionism, and the simplification of food-processing, where nutrients are sucked out of the food products as they are made, and then nutrients get added back in chemically before they hit the shelves. But even with vitamin-fortified, low-fat, sugar-free etc. pumped back into our foods, the obesity rates of people on the Western Diet continue to sky-rocket. This suggests the importance of eating “whole” foods, and indeed, this is what Pollan means when he asks what “food” is. His conclusion (which he gives away in the introduction, so I’m not spoiling anything here) is to “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Those seven words become a compelling argument for a better way to eat, that not only will make us healthier, but also help us enjoy our time eating in a way our fast-food enriched tongues have a hard time understanding.

So I give a high recommendation for these books, especially for people who feel stuck in fad diets, or wonder about the value of organic foods, or the healthiest way to “lose weight”. These books are an invaluable resource, helping us gain a better understanding and deeper appreciation for the things we decide to put in our mouths (try to keep your mind out of the gutter, please).

Until next time,
Still paddlin’ the old knew…
_-Akatzen-_

PS. For young readers, Pollan wrote The Omnivore’s Dilemma for Kids: The Secrets Behind What You Eat.

Another year ends (and decade, really. Anyone who says the 2nd millennium didn’t start until 2001 is an idiot who lacks simple math skills) and what that means for lots of people is they ready themselves for more failure in the new year by starting the year off with new year’s resolutions.

I hate New Year’s Resolutions. One study in the UK showed a success rate of 12%. It’s not enough to have a resolution, you need to have a plan. Otherwise you’re going to end up like a bad record at the start of every year, sounding off the same stuff you wanted last year.

Failure: n, a person with a record of failing. Someone who loses consistently.

Was someone just curmudging in here? Whew. For a second it was sounding like my page was taken over by Mr. Wolff. Sorry.

One idea I’ve always liked is the giving of handsels. A handsel is a gift for good luck in the New Year, celebrated in Scotland on Handsel Monday, the first Monday of the new year.
“But Akatzen,” you might be saying, “I already spent more money than I should’ve on Christmas, and now you’re telling me to give out more?” And then you raise your middle finger solidly and pointedly in my direction.

Come on now, no need to be rude.

Let’s say you got a friend who wants to stop smoking in the new year. Wouldn’t you want to wish him luck? One study showed that of the people who were successful in their New Years Resolution nearly all of them had a plan, broken down into simpler obtainable goals, and friends they could rely on as a support group.

Maybe the best good luck gift you can give is pointing them in the direction of the right book.

So what are a few of the top resolutions?
Losing weight/getting fit. Stop smoking. Manage finances better/get out of debt.

1. Losing weight/getting fit.
The first thing someone needs to know about losing weight is how body mass works. Muscle weighs more than fat. Hitting the gym may actually be trimming your waistline, but you won’t necessarily see it on the scale since you are building muscle at the same time. A lot of people give up on their start-of-the-year-gym memberships because they work out for a couple of weeks but don’t see anything happening when they hop on the scale. If a friend wants to slim up, help them prevent stupidity.
I also suggest reading In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan. Pollan’s previous book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, was an examination of the American eating habits, and this follow-up novel gives you a plan on changing the way you eat to not just a healthier diet, but also a more enjoyable one. I could also suggest his novel Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, released just yesterday, a pocket compendium of food wisdom.
Once a person understands better how food works, the more intelligent diet plan they will be able to pick.

2. Stop Smoking
Changing any habit is difficult. Changing an addictive habit can feel damn near impossible.
One fact that may help is that nicotine is a nerve poison almost 3 times more potent than arsenic. Assassins used to coat their blades with nicotine oil, which can be absorbed through the skin, so even touching the blade can be lethal. Granted, the dosage found in a cigarette is about 1mg, and it takes about 40mg to kill. Almost seductive, isn’t it? A lethal nerve poison which is also addictive.
While I am incredibly skeptical of any self-help book with the word “easy” in the title (if it was easy, then they wouldn’t need entire sections of bookstores devoted to it), Allen Carr’s book The Easy Way to Stop Smoking has helped more than a couple of my friends stop smoking, so I feel it’s worth mentioning. One thing I like about the book is that he focuses on the psychological need-the mental addiction-to smoke, while the reader is still smoking. He flat out suggests that you don’t try to not smoke while you read the book. But he also claims that by the end of the book you won’t want to smoke anymore.
Might be worth looking into if you know someone who really wants to give up the habit in the new year.

3. Managing finances/getting out of debt.
If you are trying to gain better control of your money, don’t spend money on a book telling you how to manage your finances! Go to your bank, sit down with an actual person, and explore options. It’s free, and it’ll be what most books tell you to do anyway. A book on financial management is just another impulse buy that you need to avoid while you cut impulse buying out of your spending habits.

Well, that’s it for me this year! Be safe as you ring in the new year (notice I said “safe” which is not necessarily the same as “sober” or “clothed”)

Until next time,
Still paddlin’ the old knew…
_-Akatzen-_