tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304293754327613269.post6489476164142627704..comments2008-08-15T21:59:20.315-04:00Comments on Meet the Authors: Why Writing About Food is Harder than I ExpectedAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540828941654700818noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304293754327613269.post-80108669210464480282008-08-05T12:07:00.000-04:002008-08-05T12:07:00.000-04:00When I was in Boston, we went to this raw foods re...When I was in Boston, we went to this raw foods restaurant. One of the people I was with is on a raw foods diet, and he explained that raw foods are the epitome of a healthy diet and they perfect what vegetarianism and veganism attempt to accomplish by ensuring that you are only consuming the foods in their natural form and eliminating all processing, which can be harmful both to the environment and your body.<BR/><BR/>It sounds like a good idea. After all, Michael Pollen does talk about the corn industry and how by the time we actually consume it, it's not recognizable from the crop that we see growing on the sides of the roads all over (especially if you live in Ohio like I do!). There is certainly something to be said for knowing where your food comes from and eliminating all extraneous processing and ingredients.<BR/><BR/>However, I wonder if the raw foods diet is taking what you're talking about a little too far. Yes, it is good to know where your food comes from, and yes, being aware of that can often lead to a healthier diet in general. But, while eating a 25$ "tomato ravioli" dish that consisted of "cheese" made of nuts placed between 2 slices of tomato, I found myself wondering how balanced and healthy a totally raw diet actually is. My opinion was strengthened a little bit when the person I was with admitted that he mostly lives on salads and green smoothies because he can't really eat much else. Yes, fruits and vegetables are important, and yes, knowing where your food comes from is important, but I feel that, like any other "diet," you need to have some sense of moderation and balance. Be aware of where your food comes from, but don't refuse to eat anything that might be foreign or "bad" despite the fact that your body needs a varied diet to survive.<BR/><BR/>So, I guess the whole point of this wordy comment is to suggest that while hopefully your book, along with the others you mentioned and all books that try to show the origin of certain foods, might lead people to be more aware of the food they eat and more likely to follow a certain "diet," there will likely be people as well who will take the idea too far, making your ideas as radical or unbalanced as the diets that cut out one or more aspect of the food pyramid totally.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10540828941654700818noreply@blogger.com