Food Rules Experiment

I’m beginning this blog by documenting my experience with implementing Michael Pollan’s Food Rules. This is my Lenten project. I admit that this is not a traditional religious experience, but I think that 46 days of exploring his 64 rules of eating a diet that is healthier and lighter on the planet is a worthy exercise in opposition to the Western diet of easy self indulgence.

I also write as a National Green Living Examiner, but the experiential nature of these posts isn’t quite right for that venue. I’m sure these posts will generate article ideas for that site. When applicable, I’ll link to those articles.



I’ve been Michael Pollan fan since I read the Botany of Desire. He keeps churning out books about place and food. His ability to amalgamate science and humanistic implications consistently captivates me. He’s authored books about gardening, building, and several about understanding food and eating. He also contributed to the documentaries Food Inc and King Corn.



Michael Pollan books include:



• A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder Second Nature: A Gardener's Education

• The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

• The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids: The Secrets Behind What You Eat

• A Place of My Own: The Architecture of Daydreams

• In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

• Food Rules: An Eater's Manual





Although Food Rules synthesizes much of his findings about diet, I don’t recommend it as a starter book for enjoying Pollan’s work. If like me, you’ve been wondering if your relationship with food is as healthy as it could be you might want to try to follow his rules too. I’m wondering, no I’m not wondering. I recognize that my diet is not as light on the earth as it could be. And consequently, I’m not as light as I should be.

I recently wrote a review of Food Rules for the Wisconsin Sierra Club and in the process became motivated to make a change. Coincidentally, I told my husband I was going to give up sweets for Lent before I'd read this book . But now I’ve decided to go a bit further. I’m adopting Pollan’s Food Rules—adding on one or two a day-- and writing about it. I will not be repeating all is rules in the blog, rather responding to them. So if you’d like to follow along, buy the book. At the outset,  I'm planning to write about twice a week, but we will see if that is enough. Watch for new editions of the Food Rule Experiment. Starting tomorrow I’ll be blogging a few times a week about this journey.

Oh--I asked my husband and son if they were in or out.  They both said "out."