Friday, October 16, 2009

Are You Looking For Something To Read?

I have Fall Break on the brain. Seriously, we're done with lessons for the day, I've been getting fall clothes out of big rubbermaid basins, the sun is shining for the first time in what seems like weeks, I've made a fun meal plan and I'm gearing up for our trip to the mountains!

I still have to finish laundry, pack and pre-prepare a lot of food... but I definitely am not focusing on work... or the half a dozen email questions you've sent me. (I apologize, but I may not get to them all until we're back into our normal routine.)

Before I head off though, I wanted to tell you about a particular book I'll be reading over the break. That is, one that I won't be reading aloud. Reading to my kids is always so fun to me... and this time I'm especially looking forward to it because we have a slew of really inspiring children's fiction selections. But the one I'll be reading to myself is In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, by Michael Pollan.


After reading this book review at Passionate Homemaking, I found the book at my local library.

So far, I have only read the introduction and the first chapter, but I already enjoy Pollan's intellectual yet casual writing style. He comes right out and spills the whole book in the first lines. "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants." It seems odd at first read the recommendation that we eat food. But Pollan argues that most of what we see on supermarket shelves is not food. I totally agree.

Yes, this all sounds strikingly similar to Dr. Rex Russell's three Biblical principles from What the Bible Says About Healthy Living. (Eat what God Made. Eat it as close to how God made it as possible. Eat everything in moderation.) But Pollan takes an entirely different approach to draw nearly the same conclusion.

Instead of searching the scriptures to find Health Advice, Pollan researched the evolution of "nutrition" and how this new science has changed eating (and food) as we know it. I am eager to find out more...

Stop on over at Passionate Homemaking to read more about this book... and I'll let you know what I learn when I get back!

Enjoy your Autumn, whether you are blessed with time off or just take a moment to fill your senses with the changing of seasons.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Michael Pollan! We've been following his writing ever since his Botany of Desire came out. :)

Jamie said...

This was literally a life-changing book for me. Everything about the way I look at and even eat food is different now. I recommend it to everyone!

ps--love your blog :) thanks for all your insightful posts!

Anna said...

LOVED this book --- I bet you will too! Enjoy.

Noel said...

I am so glad I get to see you too! I wish more of the wonderful bloggers were close by, what fun we could have. But at least I get to see you and your growing family:) Hope you had a wonderful break.

dtbrents said...

I enjoyed your post. I have been a health nut for forty five years. I raised my children on Adelle Davis books. My children were very seldom sick. Only had the measles, mumps and chicken pocks and they had mild cases of all three. They recovered quickly. My son is 6ft 4. The one thing I was religious about were health drinks. They had them daily. I made them nutritious snacks. Today they are all healthy even though they eat in a way that I wouldn't choose for them. Way too much pizza. My oldest daughter makes healthy pizza though. God bless, Doylene PS Look at my picture. Most people who don't know me