Pollan Rules

"Food Rules: An Eater's Manual" by Michael Pollan


Pretty much anything Michael Pollan writes these days is an automatic NY Times bestseller... and rightfully so, given his skills of exposition, especially on the food-related concerns he has now made a career from.  You could probably condense all the writing and text in his latest (2009) volume, "Food Rules," into about 25 pages if you chose to (even though there are 64 rules covered), but using white space and large print the publisher has stretched it into 140 pages, that I think may be the best practical bang-for-your-buck currently in bookstores --- the slender volume is $11 (with a coupon I got it for $7, and still less online).

Stripped of science, gobbledygook, and intimidating biochemical terminology, Pollan spells out a straightforward, common-sense, distilled treatise on "rules" for eating soundly, for all concerned with food and nutrition. He boils it down to this: "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much," and then spends a chapter explicating each of these basic concepts in more (but very simple) detail.
Without being preachy or overbearing, nor too technical or wordy, Pollan offers up common-sensical, easy-to-remember notions that most folks have already heard along the way somewhere, but puts them in an order and format readily digestable by any reader.

Everyone will have their own favorites among his 64 rules; just a few of mine:

"Avoid food products containing words a third-grader cannot pronounce."
"Avoid food products that make health claims." (you'll have to read the volume to hear the explanation)
"Eat only foods that will eventually rot."
"It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car."
"It's not food if it's called the same name in every language. (Think Big Mac, Cheetos, or Pringles.)"

And you don't need to obsess over Pollan's rules; that would go against the spirit of this treatise. In fact he closes out the volume, exhorting the reader to break the rules once in awhile; 'moderation in all things... including moderation.'
Pollan is not a scientist, but a journalist and a teacher, and this little volume communicates and teaches, with a minimal investment of time from the reader. So buy this book, read it, give it to a friend or family member, and I predict that without even trying, at least some of these "rules" will become a part of your routine... to your betterment! 

Pollan's Amazon page is here:

http://tinyurl.com/27c8n48

Two NY Times reviews of "Food Rules" and interview with Pollan here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/health/02brod.html

http://tinyurl.com/yd2pw3q

Diet, Cancer, etc.

Some anti-cancer rules from Dr. David Servan-Schreiber:

http://tinyurl.com/yeu72b8

Danger of the 'Dilbert' Workplace

 More on the ill effect of sitting and sedentary lifestyle here:

http://www.physorg.com/news183065121.html

TV Watching and Health

 I don't generally put much weight in epidemiological-type studies, but would concur with the conclusions of this study finding TV watching (and other sedentary behaviors, especially involving sitting) shave years off one's lifespan (correlating with heart disease):

http://tinyurl.com/yb2d6fm

H1N1 More Serious Than Many Realize

This report on a CDC study concludes that, "The number of confirmed cases of H1N1 flu from April to July represents just 2% of the actual people who were infected with the virus, according to a report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention."

and adds:

"The study estimates that for every confirmed case, there was likely a median of 79 actual people infected with the virus. Using the same model, the authors estimate about 800 people died from the virus during the same time frame."

(bold added)

More On Cell Phones and Cancer

More health uncertainties....

LA Times reports additional research linking cell phones and cancer (the controversy that won't fade away):

http://tinyurl.com/yfk2cd9

CT Scan Errors

Not exactly instilling confidence in our medical system:

http://tinyurl.com/ykwzbly

(206 California patients receive radiation overdoses)

Prostate Cancer Overdiagnosed...

Geeeee, what a surprise, over-diagnosis and treatment suspected in our for-profit medical system:

http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.aspx?docid=630539

Food Production

Don't read this just prior to sitting down for your next meal:

http://tinyurl.com/nqlsf2

Celiac Disease

A very comprehensive review of celiac disease (gluten intolerance), a widespread but under-diagnosed and difficult-to-treat ailment here:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=celiac-disease-insights

Kidney Disease Testing Made Easy...

Possible breathalyzer test for early diagnosing of kidney disease, based on components of exhaled breath, reported on here:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615100053.htm

Laughter... The Best Medicine?

Scientific American piece on the subject of humor and health here:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=laughing-matters

And for a free healthy dose go HERE.

"SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain"

Elucidating The Mind-Body Connection... 'We Are Built To Move'....


I've long thought that movement and touch are essentials to the health and well-being of living things ("You are built to move," writes the author), and I'm also much interested in the whole 'mind-body connection' arena. So it was natural that a book entitled "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" would catch my eye. The volume is written by Dr. John J. Ratey who has focused in the past on ADHD and other psychiatric issues, and in this volume contends that "exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize brain function." There are a great many mind-body books on the market these days, ranging from questionable fluff to cutting edge science. This volume definitely falls toward the latter end of that range and is a worthy read. Its take-home message is no different than a lot of other volumes, but it does so with the backing of more brain science and research than many books.

In the Introduction Ratey writes, "...we no longer hunt and gather, and that's a problem. The sedentary character of modern life is a disruption of our nature..." And much later this: "...our genes are coded for this activity, and our brains are meant to direct it. Take that activity away, and you're disrupting a delicate biological balance that has been fine-tuned over half a million years." Ratey's book is a strong push to remain active, for the benefit of brain chemistry (and its ensuing effects).

Chapter 1 focuses on the experience of Naperville School District 203 in Illinois, giving 19,000 students PE classes that centered on fitness and lifestyle (i.e. exercise/movement), NOT sports, and the resultant benefits, including reduced obesity statistics.
Throughout the book Dr. Ratey discusses elements of brain chemistry, that are augmented by exercise including serotonin, dopamine, other neurotransmitters, and a key neurotrophin known as BDNF, among others.
Subsequent chapters focus on "stress," "anxiety," "depression," "ADHD," and "addiction," using many individual anecdotal examples, as well as laboratory research to indicate that exercise is often as effective (and safer) than pharmaceuticals for treating these conditions. Moreover, Ratey notes that exercise "adjusts" an entire series of brain chemicals, whereas drugs often only act upon a single brain chemical. And like certain drugs, exercise itself can be addictive, but Ratey shrugs, "don't worry about it," because the risk of that occurring is so small relative to the benefits gained; moreover exercise is more likely to counteract other stresses that often feed addictive behavior.

For female readers chapter 8 covers the positive impact of exercise on PMS, menopause, and post-partum problems, and the value of exercise even during pregnancy. Toward the end of the chapter Ratey writes (surprisingly to me) that, "It's well established that more women suffer from Alzheimer's disease than men, even when the statistics are adjusted for the fact that women live longer." Still, Alzheimer's and mental sharpness more generally, are definite concerns for both genders in this time of increased longevity, and regular exercise is an important protective element against the progression of age, if we hope to live, not just longer, but better.

Ratey summarizes the positive effects of aerobic exercise (essentially, movement that increases heart rate) as, 1) strengthening the cardiovascular system, 2) regulating "fuel," 3) reducing obesity, 4) decreasing stress, 5) elevating mood, 6) boosting the immune system, 7) fortifying bones, 8) boosting motivation, and finally, 9) fostering neuroplasticity. Best of all exercise is free, flexible, and readily available throughout our lives. Almost as an afterthought he mentions the value as well of 'mental exercise' and of 'eating light and eating right' for overall health. Also, research is less clear how valuable NON-aerobic activity is --- strength training, resistance training, balance work, yoga, tai chi, etc. certainly all bestow benefits, but likely not as many as aerobic work specifically for brain activity/chemistry.

Many other books probably make the same basic points and recommendations that Ratey does here; I'm just not sure how many of those books make them as solidly as Ratey does.


B+
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"Worried Sick" Podcast

Here, a podcast of an interview from the "People's Pharmacy" radio show with rheumatologist (and iconoclast) Dr. Nortin Hadler. Within the medical establishment Hadler is a gadfly, highly critical of many of the routine uses of medicine in America today. Always seeking common-sense, truth-in-advertising, and an end to medical hyperbole, Hadler isn't afraid to expose sacred cows or find major faults in his own profession, as he discusses what really is or is not valuable among common medical practices. His latest book "Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America" is definitely on my to-be-read list.



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