I gave Oprah a reprieve today. For those of you who don’t know, I’m not a fan of Oprah. I’ll keep the rest of my opinions about her to myself. But today, she had a show about food on. She interviewed Michael Pollan, author of Food Rules and some other books I’d love to read (http://www.michaelpollan.com/write.php). She showed some clips from Food, Inc. during the interview as well while discussing his food rules. I think anyone who has struggled with the question, “What do I do to change my diet?” should get this book and read it. There are simple things like: don’t buy it if your great-grandmother couldn’t recognize it; indulge only if you make it; don’t buy it if a third grader can’t read the ingredients. How simple is that? I know I jumped into my diet change whole-hearted and guns-a-blazin’. Not everyone can do that. The rules Michael Pollan lays out are little things to help people ease into changes. It’s also good for people who don’t know much about food. If you can’t find the show on replay tonight you can see in writing the interview on her website: http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/The-Truth-About-Food-with-Michael-Pollan/1 There is also a food quiz link in there that was given to the audience at the start. I scored very well, thank you very much.
She also interviewed Alicia Silverstone, actress and author of The Kind Diet. She explained her book as one for people who are “flirting” with the idea to show them that healthy can taste good, too. I had some issues with her “diet”, especially while she was being followed by the camera in the grocery store. The use of maple syrup as a sweetener. I haven’t really explored maple syrup, but I’m pretty sure there is some processing that goes on with it and maybe even some added sugar for some brands. Honestly, I’m staying away from things that need to be “sweet” if it’s not fruit. She also pulled out a package of faux chicken breasts. PROCESSED and FAUX! If it’s not real, don’t eat it. She also pulled out a Rice Dream ice cream pie. Processed again AND here are the ingredients: http://www.tastethedream.com/products/product/1498/205.php Those issues aside, she did make a good case for fruits and vegetables making a difference in your life overall.
The last segment was an interview with Steve Ellis, founder and CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill. I was completely amazed by the interview. I’ve eaten at one up in Cincinnati the day my husband and I flew back from L.A. last year. It was pretty good. So, I was really intrigued when I saw at the beginning that she would be interviewing Steve Ellis. Chipotle ingredients are fresh, except the corn which is frozen, and are bought from local farmers when available. The meats they buy are ALL grass-fed and free range. Steve Ellis believes in sustainability, organics, and natural raised animals. If we had one in Louisville, I’d eat there more often! If you want to read more about Steve Ellis and his vision here is the link to Chipotle. There are some links to interviews on there as well AND he recommends Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
What do you know, an Oprah show right up my alley and that I actually enjoyed.
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