An Evening with Michael Pollan

by Genesis Valdes

Going to the grocery store can be quite a challenge. You have so many products to choose from and they all  have these claims of less fat, no GMOs, organic, etc. The real question is what should I eat? For food journalist, author, and activist, Michael Pollan, the answer is quite clear: eat real food. Yes, of course, that is exactly what we do, or at least that’s what we think. This past Thursday night at the Paramount Theatre, Michael Pollan explained the difference between real food and “edible food-like substances”, better known as processed foods. He said, “If it has more than five ingredients, it is not natural.” He also explained that if it comes with health claims, it is better not to buy it because the company selling it has the money to advertise, process, and mass produce, which means it is more likely that they’re selling “edible food-like substances” and not real food. Instead, it is the quiet packaging, where the producers have less money to advertise, where you will really find more natural products. We do live in a fast pace world, but he said investing more time in the food we consume can help improve the taste and the quality. He also emphasized how important it is to cook at home. When we are able to cook our meals at home, we can start to better understand the diversity of flavors and quality of ingredients. This is not something only moms or chefs should think about, but everyone, including our young ones.

 

 

Although Michael majored English and only took a few science classes in college, he is teaching people new ways to eat healthier food. That fact impressed me so much, because we think of food as just being an everyday thing that we don’t have to worry about, or as something that only nutritionists should take the time to scrutinize. But the truth is that food is part of our culture. It is a way to socialize and find pleasure. It can be easy to forget sometimes that it is not only about the nutrients. He highlighted the fact that there is no one diet that is going to lead to a healthy life. Instead, we just have to go back to eating real food. Michael Pollan is a great story-teller and an amazing advocate of sustainable foods. He has the experience of gardening and raising his own chickens. His effort to inform and educate people about the food industry had a huge impact on me last night and I am anxious to learn more as I start reading In Defense of Food. I encourage everyone to go out and learn where their food comes from and if possible, start your own garden to support better and healthier food.

Genesis is a junior majoring in nutrition.

It’s What You Do With It

A healthy body is a good thing to strive for. That is pretty much the focus of nutrition: we want the highest quality of the chemicals our bodies need, and in the right proportions, so that they can build a better, higher quality body. Some important chemicals our bodies need are:

-       Dihydrogen monoxide (to sound smart), also known as water. Humans are roughly 60% water and nearly all of the chemical reactions in the body need water. Also, water helps dissolve certain chemicals, detoxify the body, and regulate temperature.

-       Chemicals that supply the body with energy, such as proteins, carbs, and fats. We should aim to fill this requirement with essential proteins, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats. Proteins build the body, so having the essential proteins (the ones our bodies don’t produce) and the ingredients to make the non-essential proteins (the proteins our bodies produce) is very important when it comes to building an awesome body. As for fats, their necessity is due to the fact that our cells are made up of a large amount of fat. We want the ones that don’t increase bad cholesterol levels, also known as cis-fats.

-       Vitamins are very necessary because they help the body to perform a majority of its chemical reactions. Having the right amount of the 14 vitamins our bodies need will make you feel and function excellently.

-       Minerals are necessary because they provide the body with electrolytes and trace elements, which tend to help form proteins such as hemoglobin, the protein in our blood that holds oxygen.

So, let’s say that you somehow have all the right chemicals and your body is rockin’. That’s awesome, but now what? If a state of the art, million dollar house is built, but the owner doesn’t use it, what good is it? All that this building accomplished was killing the land on which it lay. Our bodies house us: our personality/ spirit/ soul, etc. So what is the good of having an awesome body if it isn’t used to do anything? Having an awesome body provides its host with great potential, and never using this potential is simply a pathetic waste. I believe the most important element is not a physical one, but rather, a metaphysical element: the human spirit, or the person’s drive. The higher the quality of this element, the farther a person will go and the more a person will do.

To further illustrate my point, I will use an analogy: Let’s say someone,guy #1, has an awesome car (Lamborghini, Ferrari, or 06 Nissan Sentra or whatever….). He cleans it all the time, takes really good care of its engine, and takes it out for little cruises around town. However, that is all this extraordinary car is used for: to show off and drive only to places that are close; he never does anything extraordinary with it. On the other hand,guy #2, has a crappy car and doesn’t try to fix it up or clean it. It will probably break down soon due to his neglect. However, this guy actually uses his car to go places and do extraordinary things, like volunteer and help others. Whose car is aesthetically better? Guy #1. However, who actually does something meaningful with their vehicle? Guy #2. Now, let’s say that instead of cars, we were talking about bodies. Guy #1 has a very healthy body, but never amounts to doing anything with it. Guy #2 has an unhealthy body and isn’t doing anything to make it better, which will come back to bite him in the future. Yet, Guy #2 is actually doing something productive with it. What is the point of an extraordinary body if it isn’t used to do anything extraordinary?

Investing in Our Children, Investing in Our Future

This summer, I had the awesome opportunity to travel to Israel and the Middle East. While there, I was able to observe many cultures and religions. I saw all their differences: family, food, entertainment, values, priorities, etc. However, in the midst of all these differences, I noticed one constant in the Human Spirit: Every people group has an innate love for children. This would make sense, of course, because it is biologically necessary for a species to survive. More so, who doesn’t love a snotty nosed child running around, giggling his little head off at absolutely nothing?  It’s hilarious and I am jealous of their ignorance. The biggest thing they care about is the fun they are having now.

However, we “adults” need to focus on their future for them, and what better way to do so, than to start with giving them the best bodies they can have. Our focus should be on equipping our children, our future, with the healthiest bodies they can possibly have. One can only be as good as their body will allow. The healthier the body, the healthier the person’s thoughts and actions.

America is a big melting pot of all the world’s different people groups, cultures, and religions. So, if we could get it right (or as close to right as possible) in America, then to me that says the world could do it as well (a little ambitious, but hey, it’s my blog). Sadly, we don’t have it anywhere near right. According to the American Heart Association, ”about one in three American kids and teens is either overweight or obese”. Not only does obesity give way to high blood pressure, Type-2 diabetes, high levels of cholesterol, and severely increased chances of obesity related problems at an older age, but it also hurts a person psychologically, causing low self-esteem, poor body image and depression. Yet, the scariest idea for me is that we are doing something way worse than killing our own children: we are putting them through Hell and then killing them. A lot of people would say that is a little extreme, but that is only because we don’t see the repercussions immediately after feeding them.

“Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.”

- Richard Carmona, former General Surgeon

Now, what can we do to alleviate this epidemic? It’s quite simple really: Think globally, Act locally. None of us (college students) have kids (at least more than likely), but we do have hungry stomachs at least three times a day. Since we have to eat, why not eat the tastiest food out there, which is of course the healthiest, most natural… naturally. Now, I am no expert on this yet, but I would guess that something along the lines of eating healthy for the sake of your own body, supporting locally grown foods and helping raise awareness in the community. When it comes time to have children, you will be healthy, thus your child will begin this world with a firm foundation atop a mighty springboard, and someday, with the right decisions and a little motivation, he too can do something great that will change a child’s world.

Cuckoo for Coconuts?

Readers, I don’t know about you, but I often feel borderline bombarded by news of the latest miracle food. We seem to have new “it” foods almost every week. I hadn’t heard of chia seeds or flax seeds until Dr. Oz named them as must-eat foods, but  after I did a little research, figured they couldn’t hurt, and said, why not? The road isn’t so easy for all “new” discoveries, which brings me to this post’s topic: coconut oil.

Poor coconut oil. Nutritionists can’t seem to make up their mind about this delicious tropical oil, but I can’t blame them. It’s a complicated food made up of almost exclusively saturated fats, but also boasts a laundry list of potential health benefits. Let’s review both sides of the aisle.

               

                                  http://en.wikipedia.org            http://www.spectrumorganics.com

 More coconuts, please!

The pro- coconut faction of the nutrition world has divided into those who hail coconut oil as a nutrient powerhouse and those who aren’t completely convinced, but don’t condemn it for its fat content. This divide is well-summarized by Mary E. Enig, PhD, who presented about coconut oil at the AVOC Lauric Oils Symposium and believes “coconut oil is at worst neutral with respect to atherogenicity of fats and oils and, in fact, is likely to be a beneficial oil for prevention and treatment of some heart disease”. Below are some of the potential health benefits often cited by coconut oil proponents as summarized by Carrie Wiatt, M.S. of the Huffington Post:

• Causes weight loss
• Cures Alzheimer’s
• Reduces diabetes/regulate blood sugar
• Increases bone and dental health by improving calcium absorption
• Fights inflammation and free radicals with its ferulic and p-coumaric acid components
• Decreases risk of heart disease
• Fights infections due to the lauric acid content

In addition to these health benefits, coconut oil’s high smoke point “makes it resistant to oxidation and shelf stable”, attributes not shared by olive oil and other vegetable oils, which requires much more care when cooking to preserve beneficial nutrients. Lastly, coconut oil has mostly medium-chain fatty acids (as opposed to long-chain triglycerides) which mean the fats are more likely used as energy instead of being stored as fat.

 

http://benefitsofcoconutoil.info/

Hold the coconut, thank you

In the face of these purported claims, Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, of Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health believes “the impact of coconut oil on cholesterol levels” is the only aspect of coconut oil that has studied thoroughly “and the findings are intriguing but we still don’t know if it is harmful or beneficial⁵”. By reviewing some coconut oil studies, we can see why the jury is still out. The oil’s saturated fat content is a component capable of raising both LDL and HDL cholesterol levels. Some studies have shown that although the ratio of good to bad cholesterol (HDL to LDL) is improved by consuming coconut oil, the levels of LDL still rise, which is a big no-no for heart health. This is reason enough for many doctors to be wary of this oil. Confusing, right?

It’s delicious

I did my first bit of research on coconuts when I was working for a coconut milk ice cream company. I had to field many questions regarding the cholesterol effect and saturated fat content of this plant, so I knew I needed to be up to speed on this research. While I came out the other side armed with information, I was still lacking conclusive evidence one way or the other. It is one doctor’s opinion against another’s right now, but that hasn’t stopped me from converting to coconut oil. I use it exclusively to cook and reserve other vegetable oils for garnish. This seems to work for me (and I at least have Dr. Oz behind me), but I want to hear what you think!

Do you use coconut oil regularly in your cooking? What have you heard about this interesting oil?

Meet the Local Food Leaders

The idea of “being a Food Leader” can be a bit abstract and confusing. It is definitely different from being a Food Entrepreneur, which is a leader who takes the initiative to create something that does not currently exist in their society. Being a Food Leader is more diverse, it is something everyone can be.

How to become one? Well… You don’t have to “startup” your own food project–even though that would be really awesome! Food leaders first focus on their relationship with food, make changes as they feel needed, then share and learn with others their experience. It requires is one understand why we eat the way we do and then have the motivation to make improved food decisions everyday. Every bite, every dollar, every hour has an impact on our food system.

Now don’t get me wrong, we need entrepreneurs and change makers greatly in society. Many of them begin the dialog, ask the initial question (Why doesn’t UT have an academic program to study food?!)… But not everyone can be an entrepreneur. Great teams are full of leaders with unique and individual skill sets.

Being a Food Leader doesn’t mean you have to make all of the decisions, but you will to have to understand how you play an important role in changing the food system. So begin to ask yourself, why do I eat the way I do? Am I ok with that? Why? Why not?

These were some of the questions UT Food Studies Alumni Alejandra and I decided to ask some of the Local Food Leaders at the 2012 Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA) Conference. We wanted to understand what do “Food Leaders” do and more importantly why. So, we created a short video for you, the next generation of food leaders, to help inspire your food studies and projects. Share it with your friends, teachers, mentors, co-workers and everyone who loves food, because we can all become Food Leaders simply by beginning to use food as a lens to understand ourselves and the world around us.

Great thanks to all the Food Leaders that participated in the video and sharing their story.

Jerry Cunningham, Proprietor of Coyote Creek Organic Feed Mill
Alexandra Maria Landeros, Writer and Editor for Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance
Nick Latham, Founder of My Country Co-op
Brandi Clark, President of Austin EcoNetwork
Marla Camp, Publisher of Edible Austin
Ronda Rutledge, Executive Director of the Sustainable Food Center
Michael Olson, Author of Food Chain Radio and MetroFarm.com
Patty Lovera, Assistant Director of Food & Water Watch
Dustin Fedako, CEO of East Austin Compost Peddlers
Aurora Porter, Marketing & Communications for Vital Farms
Scott Price, Consultant for Slow Money Austin and SRP Consulting
Kathryn Hutchison, Marketing for Greenling.com & VP Austin Food Blogger Alliance
Judith McGeary, Executive Director of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance
Pamela Walker, Author of Growing Good Things to Eat-Texas A&M
Kelsey Coto, President of Food Studies at The University of Texas at Austin
Ellen, Blogger/Educator for The Homegrown Revival
Heather Frambach, Outreach Manager for HOPE Farmers Market
Evan Driscoll, Farm Hand at Green Gate Farms
Jessie Griffiths’, Chef/Owner of Dai Due Supper Club

Special thanks to Edible Austin, Slow Food Austin, Greenling, UT Food Studies and Alejandra Spector for sponsorship and support producing this video.

Video Produced by Daniel “Asiago” Heron

For Those Concerned About Eating Right: Where Can You?

If you are reading this blog, you most likely have done some research into the issues that currently plague the American food system. A person who starts with a concern over the chemical fertilizers and pesticides that our foods are grown with, might then learn of the hormones and antibiotics given to the animals we breed, after which they hear word of the genetic modification of organisms (GMOs), and finally end up panic stricken by the understanding of the harmful chemicals in the packaging that seep into our food. With this knowledge, how can we eat anything at all? Starting this last January, I began my own quest to eat right, or what some food advocates describe as “real food”, and found that while it can be trying, it’s more about finding the good in our food system than simply making a complicated diet with a list of foods you can’t eat.

Photo courtesy of In.gredients

Soy: Not Fit for a Boy?

Much of my food-related writing is pretty light-hearted and very sarcastic, but be warned that this article is going to be pretty weighty and personal. Enjoy! No pictures, unfortunately.

It is a treat that you get to learn about what a “foodie” eats when not on the job, so I am providing a little snippet about my eating style when I’m not eating out, and I eat out a lot. I actually binge-eat—not in the sense of overeating outrageous amounts of food—but in the sense of eating a whole lot of the same item. I have had binges of sweet potatoes, corn, popcorn, whole wheat crackers, chips… not at the same time, mind you. One item that I had a bout of binging stopped me dead in my tracks. In my freshman year of college, I was daily eating handfuls of dried soybeans a day, edamame pods (“fresh” soybeans”), and chunks of tofu in dining hall salads. This was by no means all of my nutrition, but essentially, soy filled the gaps for a lot of my meals and snacks. I figured it was healthy, and heck, it tasted good.

We often find ourselves taking what we learn in academia, specifically in the science field, for granted. It is hard to understand many concepts such as hormones or physiological maladies until they become tangible. For me, that is exactly how I felt about my nutrition and anatomy curricula. Then, in the winter of 2010, everything learned in my science courses became all too personal and real.

Just in my sophomore year of college, I felt that there was seriously something wrong in my body. I was constantly feeling cold, I would fall asleep randomly due to fatigue, and my skin was developing a yellow tint. At one point, I fell asleep during a DUB-STEP concert! My emotions were in a constant state of instability.

Sure of my own knowledge of the endocrine (hormone) system, I diagnosed myself with low thyroid. The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone, which stimulates metabolism, energy production, and pretty anything that keep your motor running. I was certain that I was deficient in this hormone. Worst case scenario would be to remove my gland and take life-long supplements. After finals concluded for the semester, I went home to see my friend’s mother, who is a nurse practitioner with her own practice. She ran some blood tests and called me back with wonderful news: my thyroid hormones were within normal levels. Then came the life-changing news: my testosterone levels were abysmally low, far lower than any healthy males’ levels, regardless of age.

Agriculture and Global Food Procurement

Upon arriving in Germany, I received many helpful tips and recommendations. Among these was the warning, “if you are concerned with the quality of your food, buy fruits, vegetables, and meat produced within Germany.” In Germany, most food products are marked with the country of origin. Whether buying Gurken (cucumbers) from Spain, Soy Sauce from Japan, or crackers with ingredients from a variety of countries, global food sourcing is ubiquitous in our international world. I found some surprising results after researching global food sourcing in America.

When one thinks of global sourcing, manufacturing and call centers may come to mind, but ingredients are often globally sourced as well.

There are many advantages to integrating agricultural systems across the world. It leads to greater variety; in December 2011 alone, the United States imported $193 million dollars worth of fresh produce from Mexico. Importing allows countries to capitalize on growing conditions that are not available in their climate. In many cases, the transportation costs are actually cheaper or more environmentally friendly than growing domestically. Global sourcing decreases prices through specialization and consolidation. For instance, lecithin, a binding ingredient used in many processed foods, is extracted from soy in many large volume dealers in europe.

However, as food continues to be sought abroad and as price pressures continue to result in consolidation, trust and consumer confidence is degraded. Were you shocked that the Nutrigrain bar consists of ingredients from 8 or more different countries? Kellogg-Company must hope so, if consumers fear the unknown. However, the more important question: Is the fear justified? What are the true disadvantages of a global food chain?

Question of ethics:

International food trade resides in the power of a few corporations. Consolidation is a natural tendency when engaging in trade; the big players can buy the most at the cheapest price, and the largest producers can produce the most cheaply. In the United States and the European Union, many crops have been historically protected with subsidies.  Small farmers lose in this situation, and developing countries lose something bigger, their food sovereignty. La Via Campesina, a grassroot response to the corporation of food, defines food sovereignty as the “right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through sustainable methods and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems”. Global food procurement must be balanced with the protection of human sustainability.

Question of safety: 

Outsourcing ingredients can be risky. It is difficult to control the content of outsourced ingredients; the inevitable lack of transparency must be countered with vigilant monitoring, however this does not always occur. I will consider the case of Chinese imports. As a precursor, food contamination occurs globally. China is just an easy example as imports are growing substantially, and China has lagged behind the United States in food safety regulations. Consider, 4000 pets died in 2007 from tainted dog food exported from China. The feed was intentionally contaminated to bolster the amount of protein in the feed. Other sectors have also had considerable problems. Honey is tightly regulated by the FDA; China has been known to use antibiotics in its bee farms that can lead to health defects in children. In order to evade import restrictions, Chinese manufacturers have been found to remove the Chinese pollen from honey and ship the product from nearby countries.

Question of health:

Global food procurement changes the structure of agriculture in foreign countries. Pepsi grows potatoes in Mongola. McDonalds sources chicken abroad. Foreign direct investment is usually beneficial to the economies of both countries involved; however, it can have ill effects when agriculture is concerned. For instance, obesity and chronic disease rates soared in the Philippines after the introduction of western food. As the agricultural structure of places like Mongola changes to suit the tastes of the west, the traditional diet is likely to be altered. This may be detrimental nutritionally, but will also lower prices and stabilize food supply.

We need new business measures for our food supply. Measures that encompass not only profit, but equitability, human and environmental sustainability, quality, and sufficient quantity.

 How do you think the US should respond to these issues, in both a business and political sense? Do the advantages of increasing global food procurement outweigh the disadvantages? 

Reverence and Love

In December I had the opportunity to attend a talk given by Wendell Berry and Wes Jackson. Though the discussion covered many topics, it was essentially about humanity’s place and influence on the natural world and how our need to control it is doing us more harm than good. Agriculture may be the biggest culprit. Wes Jackson said, “The problem with agriculture is 10,000 years old.” That is to say that it is an inherently flawed way of feeding humanity.  This may come as a surprise to some, and it certainly did for me, but this was precisely what sparked my own interest in agriculture. It was the moment I personally realized that a change in the agricultural system was our best hope for the future, and that a profound change in the way we grow food will result in profound changes in our world and how we relate to one another. We currently live in a society that values efficiency over decency and profit over people. Progress. Efficiency. Results. These were the things that were supposed to save our species, but as I look around me, I see crumbling economies, wars, hunger, and the decimation of natural resources. Is this what progress looks like? Can a machine replace a human? Does the outcome justify the means no matter how cruel? These are the questions I ask myself as I try to navigate through this insane society we have created.

(source:http://www.123people.co.uk/s/wes+jackson)

Wendell Barry linked the rise of drug abuse and addictions to the ever-increasing mechanization of the work force, especially the agricultural sector. He argues that when thinking is taken out of work, the place we spend much of our time, life has a tendency to lose meaning. We become drones filling our unsatisfying lives with substances and consumer goods. In the documentary “King Corn” the filmmakers document the typical life of American corn famers. They demonstrate exactly what Barry is talking about; the planting can be done in the span of a few hours by one or two farmers, a tractor, government subsidized seeds, and heavy pesticide use. The farmer, who is entrusted with one of the most vital jobs in the nation is so undervalued and under paid that he seeks other employment opportunities in mostly unskilled labor to supplement his income. He works in monoculture so he cannot feed his family from the farm and he becomes, in essence, a puppet of the state.  Those who pick the fruit and vegetables suffer an even worse fate. The great majority of them are undocumented, uneducated migrant workers who are often housed in near confinement, perform back breaking, monotonous labor in fields sprayed with pesticides, which causes them to suffer much higher rates of certain cancers and respiratory illnesses.

Kitchen Pimpin’ Obesity

The Lonestar State has the highest percentage of overweight adult males at 75.5%, only second to Alabama’s 75.9%. There are plenty of attempts to educate the population on how to eat — nutritional charts and dietary recommendations, for instance — but these are not solutions. The majority of us know that we need to consume more vegetables, but we are less compliant to do so because we don’t enjoy being told what to eat (maybe more so what NOT to eat). Our diet is really a personal relationship with food. We need personalized methods to improve our individual ways of eating. Instead of a massive health campaign telling people to eat healthier and exercise more, a more impacting solution would be to create a healthier environment that empowers people to learn and care for themselves. In other words: get cookin’. In particular, get young males like myself into kitchens to cook for our family and friends.
I got the idea from Coolio’s recent (and amazing) cookbook, Cookin’ with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price. The former multi-platinum rapper grew up poor with little knowledge about food, stating that he had the skill of making something out of nothing. He learned how to cook, probably something unique amongst the male youth of his childhood community. What is cool about Cookin’ with Coolio, is that it empowers young men to build confidence, take control of their health, and potentially prevent obesity by learning how to successfully cook real food at home on a tight budget. By presenting his personal story as a living example, Coolio shares his recipes and cooking techniques so that people in lower-income situations can utilize their resources to become successful “Kitchen Pimps”. Taken at face value, this cookbook might seem like a comical sales gimmick, but Cookin’ with Coolio is a masterpiece for public health and could benefit thousands suffering from malnutrition and obesity.

Click the photo to check out his cooking show!

How does Kitchen Pimpin’ prevent obesity?
Cookin’ with Coolio helped me realize that home cooking is more than a luxury; it is an approach to solving the obesity epidemic. There are many people that are too reliant on fake industrial foods, and “[Coolio] want[s] people to know that just because you’re poor, you don’t have to eat fast food every day.” Eating healthy food is more complicated when you are in a difficult economic situation. Some people insist that we need to eat only vegetables grown locally and spend a lot more for our food. Coolio argues that is not necessary for most: “Whole Foods and Gelson’s have a lot of great stuff, but [normal grocery stores] have everything you need to make haute cuisine at home.” Kitchen Pimpin’ and learning the art of “The Ghetto Gourmet” brings awareness to the more realistic problem and solution in our national obesity epidemic that people need to learn more about food and how to cook at home. Instead of focusing all of our attention on paying more for ethical foods (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), we should educate the population about food and create the environments and resources needed to get people cooking.