Catastrophe

Oprah had food writer Michaell Pollan on her show this past week. Pollan wrote some of the best books on food that I've ever read - The Ominvore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, etc.

 

The New York Times named Pollan one of the most influencial people in the last 100 years.

 

The following exact interchange between Oprah and Pollan was so darn compelling, I took the effort to transcribe it for you here.  I so passionately agree with these views expressed - it's the reason I email you folks adnaseum and berate my husband if, god forbid, he makes himself a bagel instead of eggs in the morning.

 

Pollan:  The American diet is now a catastrophe. When you hear the phrase "the health care crisis" that is a euphemism for the catastrophe that is the American diet. Seventy-five percent of our health care spending is on chronic diseases linked to diet. That's really what's bankrupting us (this country) - and that has to do with the way we're eating: way too many calories, too much processed food, tons of refined carbohydrates....

 

Oprah interrupts: Define refined carbohydrates.

 

Pollan: Things with white flour in it, and sugar. And soda.

 

Oprah: It's all those things in boxes, in packaging...

 

Pollan: Exactly - it's all about processed foods. Our diets have changed more in the last 100 years than they have in the last 10,000 years........Look, cheap food is a great blessing, but it's also a great curse....

 

How do you feel about what you had to eat today? How much of it was processed, and a refined sugar and carb? How much of it are you proud of? 

 

I'm always worried that I set too high a standard and stress you out too much.

 

What I hope to do is compel you to make just a few changes.

 

Just a 30% change in your diet will make a corresponding 30% change in your weight, health and energy level. That's BIG. Can you imagine weighing 30% less than you do now?  Exciting - yes.

 

Of course we're all going to still enjoy refined carbohydrates occasionally.

 

But could we at least not make them the primary component of every single one of our meals, as many in this country are doing.  

 

Refined carbs and sugar as meals is a perfect recipe for catastrophe - for your weight, your health, and the fiscal and environmental health of our planet.

 What's your food plan for tomorrow? I have chicken, tuna, raw hamburger patties, cheese, nuts, fruits and vegetables ready to go for tomorrow. So I KNOW right NOW what I'm gonna eat tomorrow. So I know RIGHT NOW that I'm going to eat right tomorrow.  And that feels good. I feel in control. 

 

I had so much mental and physical energy today - surely due in large part to the fact that my diet today was almost completely free of refined carbs and sugar.