Saturday, July 18, 2009

In Defense Of Food

I just finished reading Michael Pollan's book, "In Defense of Food, an Eater's Manifesto". I am not for sure what I was expecting from this book, but I was looking for something to read at the Book Mine in Leadville and ran across it. I was already aware of it and had it reserved it at our library for when we got back. I went ahead and bought it to pass some time while in Leadville.
The book is very hard to follow and he spends over half the book trying to explain what has happened to the Amercian food culture. He coins a term, "Nutritionism", and spends a lot of time trying to explain it. After awhile you are like, "I get it", enough!" He spends the next half of the book giving ideas on how to eat better and to get healthier. Nothing earth shattering here either. His tips are pretty much common sense stuff, but maybe in our rush around society, we need reminders on what we are supposed to do. His main motto is, "Eat food, Not too Much, and Mostly Plants". By food he means things that are actually food and not reprocessed to resemble food. I understand and agree on where he is coming from and I do eat that way most of the time, but to be 100% , all time is pretty tough. I guarantee he does not have any kids. I felt like I did not gain anything by reading it and pretty well wasted my time. I give it a 1 * for at least a catchy motto.
I signed up yesterday for the Chris Brown Memorial Duathlon. 5K run, 30K bike, and 5K run. I did it last year feeling sick with a cold and just having a bike for a few months. I did end up making the roll down list for the US duathlon team to represent the US in Italy. It felt pretty good to get an e-mail from the USA Olympic center committee inviting me to do it. The only problem is that you have to pay your own way. Maybe next time.

The weather has been really hot, 100+ degree weather, but we are having a little cool down. We may hit the upper 50's overnight tonight. After being in Leadville for a week, this was a bummer of a week. Had to go back to work, running in extremely hot weather, no mountains surrounding me, and got turned down for a new job. Oh well, today is a new day. Tony keeps posting on his blog about running up Mt. Massive and Mosquito Pass and that is just making it worse. I wish I was there. The old song says, "California Dreaming", but we are Leadville, Colorado dreaming.

1 comment:

Rob Chance said...

See ya down there Tom. I'll cheer for ya. I have a few athletes racing there as well.