Question : How do foods affect my body?

Hey Mike,

I was trying to find an article, maybe a series considering the topic, or some other resources I could purchase on nutrition and foods affect on the body.

I follow TaraEats on Tumblr and looked through some of your MindBodyGreen posts, but couldn’t find anything to provide some strong information on the various affects different foods have on the body.

– David

Answer

Hi David, good question. There a couple of ways you can explore here

a) You are your own best laboratory, so experiment. Play with the variables – food types, amounts, combinations, timing – and see how you feel.

This kind of experimentation lead Tara and me to mostly following Michael Pollan’s suggestion: eat food, mostly plants, not too much.

Of course, we also eat cookies. But, when you eat well for your own body, you feel really good. So good that you want to keep that going, even more than you want extra cookies.

No diet or health advice will ever be as correct for you as simply trying things, paying close attention to how you feel, and creating your own path. Everything else is just other people’s rules, other people’s paths. It’s best to create your own.

b) Read Michael Pollan’s book In Defense of Food. He’s a very good journalist, and does a nice job investigating the relationship between food and health, alongside medical and commercial interests over time.

In case helpful, here’s a link to the book.

In the mean time, here is a fun and simple recipe of Tara’s to enjoy!

Savory & Spicy Mushroom Hummus Bites

You’ll Need
4 mushrooms
handful of spinach
3 table spoons of hummus
1 red bell pepper
1/2 table spoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 table spoon olive oil
2 shakes your favorite hot sauce

Now What
Slice mushrooms in horizontal pieces
Mix spinach with balsamic, olive oil, and hot sauce
Slice bell pepper
Spoon hummus on mushroom slices
add 3 or 4 spinach leaves
Top with mushroom cap
Top bites with bell pepper for garnish

Enjoy!

-Mike

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