Michael Pollan's Rules

I know that posting about Michael Pollan on a nutrition blog is kind of like posting about jeans on a fashion blog, but the guy is popular for a reason...

This January, he has a new book coming out in which he offers 20 Rules to Eat By. Part of his research included posting a request on Tara Parker-Pope's Well blog on NYTimes.com, asking readers to submit their own rules. Within days he had over 2,500 responses.

"My premise," he says, "is that for all the authority we grant to science in matters of nutrition, culture still has a lot to teach us about how to choose, prepare and eat food, and that this popular wisdom is worth preserving — perhaps today more than ever, in this era of dazzling food science, supersize portions and widespread dietary confusion."

You can read more about these rules here.

Wanna see some of Pollan's favorite rules?

Eating a Mediterranean Diet May Stave Off Depression

As many of you know, I'm a big fan of the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fish and includes moderate amounts of olive oil, wine, and low-fat dairy.

I now have another reason to add to my list of why more people should adopt this eating style.

According to a recent Spanish study, people who followed a Mediterranean were less likely to develop depression. And I don't mean simply marginally less likely—we're talking a 42-51% decrease in risk. Dr. Miguel A. Martinez-Gonzaler, a co-author of the study, is calling this a "very strong association."

He goes on, though, to make the distinction that while the Mediterranean diet may be a great help in preventing depression, that patients currently dealing with depression seek the proper psychiatric care that they need.

While this diet regimen has long been prescribed to improve cardiovascular health, perhaps soon doctors could be recommending it to patients at risk for depression.

Read more here.

By now you've probably heard that Conde Nast is shutting down their magazines Gourmet and Cookie, along with three Bridal Magazines.

Gourmet has been around since 1941, enthralling readers with its articles about cooking and travel. As the New York Times puts it, "Gourmet poured money into sumptuous photography, test kitchens and exotic travel pieces, resulting in a beautifully produced magazine that lived, and sold, the high life."

In the current economic climate, I guess selling the high life isn't as profitable a business as it used to be. Fewer people can afford to be interested. Bon Appetit, however, which I've heard called the "younger, hipper sister" to Gourmet, has been doing better in both readership and ad sales, largely in part to the fact that it focuses more recipes than it does on the lifestyles of the rich and well-traveled.

I always think it's sad when a magazine folds. Having worked in publishing and seeing how people throw themselves into the creation of a product, I can imagine how sharp the sting must be, especially if you've been working on one of the most esteemed publications in its class.

On the flip side of that, I once had an interview at Cookie just as I was about to graduate from college, and boy, am I glad that didn't work out. Who knows, though? Perhaps even if it had worked out, I might have been laid off by now. I think what's happening in the publishing industry is really sad. The internet is great, but it's hardly a substitute for being able to bring a magazine on the bus to pass the time and relax.

Teaching Schools to Care

Today on her blog, Food Politics, Marion Nestle described a recent tour she took of a few schools in the New York area

Her conclusion: "School food can be really good, even in poor neighborhoods, if everyone involved cares about it. Can we teach schools to care? Of course we can."

She also references an article that ran in the Times on October 2nd about how local schools are banning bake sales as part of a new wellness policy that also limits what can be sold in vending machines.

I think that in some ways, children are the most susceptible to the intense marketing of unhealthy foods. I'm in favor of these restrictions. Doritos and Snickers bars are not going to give students the fuel they need to perform. Plus, eating a real meal makes it easier to stay awake during class. Schools are a really great place to begin reinforcing the importance—and benefits–of making positive choices.

Maybe if people stopped talking so much in terms of enforcing restrictions and instead using language that emphasizes the inclusion of more healthy foods it might foster a more upbeat attitude. Rather than focus on what you're giving up, focus on the good things you're embracing.

When An Unlucky Hamburger Changes Everything

On the front of today's New York Times is an article about a woman who was paralyzed from the waist down in 2007 after eating a hamburger tainted with E. coli. I'm not going to go on an anti-beef rant here, but it is worth taking into consideration that ground beef alone has been responsible for a reported 16 outbreaks in the past three years. And this past summer, according to this article, ground beef had to be recalled from over 3,000 grocery stores in 41 states. Un-f-ing-acceptable.

While vegetables are not immune to contamination (remember the E. coli in spinach incident or the Salmonella outbreak in peanut butter last winter?), stories like this one really do make a good case for limiting the amount of meat you consume. True, a consumer can take steps to prepare food in a safe manner, but if the store is selling you a tainted product, there's really nothing you can do. And yes, if your number is up, your number is up. However, you can potentially turn the odds in your favor by not playing the game as often.

And try to educate yourself because, clearly, the food companies really aren't looking out for you. They just want to sell their product, and sometimes maintaining clean and sanitary facilities is not a priority. Stories like this make me so mad because this young woman should not be in this position.

Ugh, sorry, that is a total rant. I just find this stuff so sad. I can only imagine how this girl's mother feels—she's the one who cooked the aforementioned unlucky hamburger. She was just trying to feed her family, and look what happened. Not fair.

Here's a little more info included with the article about how various companies handle their beef to help prevent outbreak.

Quinoa

Getting over the pronunciation is the hard part. Quinoa ("keen-wah") is the seed of a leafy plant grown for centuries in the Andes that cooks like a seed and tastes like a nut. That should totally be its slogan!

One of the best things about quinoa is that it is a complete protein, which means it contains all nine of the essential amino acids and can serve as a great substitute for eggs, meat and cheese in a vegetarian or vegan diet. It's also great for those with gluten intolerance and scores a 35 on the glycemic index, making it a good choice for diabetics. It's also high in iron, magnesium, and riboflavin and low in fat and calories.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently posted an article about the increase in quinoa sales and the slow path toward acceptance and mainstream-ness. Quinoa only recently (as in, within the past 40 years) became available in the U.S., and while many consumers have been both baffled by and curious about it, they have been hesitant to embrace it, mostly due to poor preparation.

This article both describes how many chefs and restaurant owners use and experiment with it, and it even includes a few great-looking recipes at the end!

I think I have a box hiding somewhere in the back of my cupboard. Maybe it's time to try this thing again...

The Fine Print on Priobiotics

When it comes to promoting good health and protecting against illness, many people turn to probiotics.

Probiotics are microorganisms that work by restoring the balance of intestinal bacteria and raising resistance to harmful germs. Many food companies often slap a "Contains Probiotics" label on their product without really explaining which strains are present and what said strains supposedly do.

In the Science section of today's Times, Tara Parker Pope delves into the murkiness behind probiotic health claims on food labels.

"When the label tells you the food you are buying 'contains probiotics,'" she says, "are you getting health benefits or just marketing hype? Perhaps a bit of both."

Read more here.