March
2008
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
From an Interview with Michael Pollan
In an interview, the author said that much of the food in the American diet is not really food, but "edible, food-like substances" He has distilled his advice on eating into seven words: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." By this he means: Eat whole food rather than processed, lots of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. Avoid foods with more than five ingredients - eat what your great- grandmother would have eaten. Eat not just for health, but also for pleasure, community, family, tradition.
For more information:
www.MichaelPollan.com
Improving Digestion Without Drugs
Some simple suggestions to try: Allow plenty of time for eating - never rush through a meal. Take smaller portions. Eat slowly, taking smaller bites, chewing thoroughly, savoring each bite, and even setting your fork down between bites. Drink plenty of water or herbal tea - Fluid can reduce excess stomach acid, and dehydration can make you think you're hungry. Stop before you feel entirely full - no, you don't have to clean up your plate. It takes 20 minutes for the message to get from your stomach to your brain that you're full. Take a leisurely, 20-minute stroll after eating - moderate exercise can aid digestion. Or rest in a comfortable chair or lie down for 20 minutes, activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). Stress activates the fight or flight response and can significantly disrupt digestion. Take joy in simple things and savor your life.
Namaste,
Sue Redding
Cartoon Captions - Doctor to patient:
"You can either take one hour a day to exercise, or you can take 24 hours a day to be dead."
"The lever on your recliner doesn't count as an exercise machine."
"Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand." Bodie Thoene
"Technology does not make us civilized.
It makes us dangerously clever savages."
"The only books that influence us are those for which we are ready
and which have gone a little farther down our particular path
than we have yet got ourselves." E. M. Forster
Book Review
Self-Made Man: One Woman's Journey Into Manhood and Back Again
by Nora Vincent
Can a woman possibly know what it's really like to be a man? The author disguised herself as a man for 18 months in order to research this book. Hoping to find a feeling of freedom and privilege she had never known as a woman, she finds her behavior as a man sharply curtailed by the expectations of others. Within her disguise as a man, she also discovers her essential, deep-rooted femininity. This is a fascinating book, which explores beliefs and assumptions about men and gender roles in our patriarchal society. Adult material - some strong language and descriptions of sexual situations.
Information in this newsletter is offered as interesting information or opinion and is not intended to be
medical advice. Please consult your physician.
