Meeting Michael Pollan

Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.

— Michael Pollan

If you are familiar with the words above, then you will fully appreciate how cool it was for me to watch Michael Pollan on Oprah yesterday, then turn off the TV and drive down the road to watch him fill an interview seat in person.

Through blogger friend (real friend, former blogger) Michelle, I learned that Michael Pollan was coming to The Bay Area to speak and promote his new book, Food Rules.

Together with the sweet Andrea of Andrea’s Wellness Notes, we waited in line for an hour and a half to get a seat!  (Actually, Andrea waited for that long, Michelle and I were both late!)

Andrea, Me, and Michelle

The event didn’t start until 7:30, so I packed a couple of snacks to hold me over until it was through at 9.  I hated to snack when I should have been eating dinner, but I tried to look at it as splitting dinner into two parts.

I’m not sure Part I would have pleased Mr. Pollan:

Cookie Dough Balance Bar and a lowfat string cheese

Michael Pollan was interviewed by San Jose Mercury News Columnist Mike Cassidy.  When they first came out to be seated, they shook hands and Cassidy gave him a McDonald’s cheeseburger!

Michael Pollan (right) with journalist Mike Cassidy (left).

The interview was very interesting to witness.  I was prepared that it might be repetitive after watching the Oprah segment, but Cassidy was a great interviewer and Pollan had so much to say!

Some highlights from the interview:

• The big question was finding out what Michael Pollan actually eats!  I was dying to know, for example, what he had eaten that day.  He said he had eggs and toast for breakfast, and a deli sandwich (grass-fed beef) and matzo ball soup at lunch.
• When asked about why doctor’s do not stress nutrition enough to their patients, Pollan replied that doctors nowadays have very minimal training in nutrition.  He said that it’s a field which has been largely delegated to dieticians, because doctors just don’t have the time or budget to dedicate to it.  Many doctors have had only one or two hour’s worth of schooling in nutrition!
• This is a shame because doctors hold so much cultural authority that they have the power to make a real difference.
• He stressed gardening as a vital practice to connect us to our food, and also said that it’s how he began writing about nutrition.  Through gardening he saw a connection between nature, culture, and food.
• He cited the massive consumption of meat as damaging to both our health as well as the environment.  Americans consume 200 lbs of meat, per person, per year!  That is 9 ounces a day!  Even if we reduced this by just 20%, it would make a huge difference (the equivalent of trading in a gas-guzzling SUV for a Prius!). 

• He also discussed the phenomenon about how much money is poured into pharmaceuticals and surgeries to cure diseases, while teaching prevention is almost completely ignored.  Prevention does not generate as much money as treatment.
• US healthcare spends $2.3 trillion dollars on treating diseases, 3/4 of that on preventable, chronic diseases.
• When asked by a member of the audience about how to bring more interest in fruits and vegetables to under-privileged areas, he rejected the premise that there is no interest.  He believes there is a great demand, just not the access.
• He also commented that, despite society’s complaints about the high cost of healthy food, America actually pays the least for it.  American’s pay only 9.5% of their income toward groceries, while many European countries pay 11% or more.  He observed that Americans feel entitled to cheap food, rather than viewing the expenditure as an investment toward good health and sustainability.
• Lastly, he discussed the importance of cooking, and that it is a misconception that cooking a healthy meal is expensive and time-consuming.  In the time it takes to heat a frozen entree, you could have some pasta and a salad on the table instead of watching the digital numbers count down on your microwave.  He stated that he has more sympathy for the argument about the cost of produce rather than the claim that preparing healthy food takes too much time.

He was a great speaker:  funny, engaging, modest, and approachable.  Afterward we waited to meet him and get our books signed.

I had plans to shake his hand, be composed, and ask him some thought-provoking question, but instead I freaked out and just gushed at what a big fan I was. 

Hanging out with Michael Pollan

I told him about this blog and asked if he would pose for a photo with us, which he allowed despite the long line and the late hour.  He was gracious and kind and wished me good luck.  We were all star-struck!

Hmm, looking at that photo, I think I might pull a Deb and doctor it up a bit.

Michael & Me

Hehe

The three of us were starving by the time we got out of there.  Where else could we go after seeing Michael Pollan but Whole Foods?!

I got a salad from the bar, and tried my hardest to make it modest since I had already had something to eat.  I stuck to greens, beans, and grilled tofu:

Dinner Part II

Andrea did a great recap of the evening on her blog here.  If you haven’t read any of Michael Pollan’s books, I highly recommend them!  I have now read Food Rules as well as In Defense of Food.  My next read will be The Omnivore’s Dilemma. 

What are some of your “food rules”?  In researching for his new book, Pollan said he heard some funny responses to that question, the funniest being “Only one meat per pizza.”  Haha!

Possibly related posts:

1. Committed Just as I am pretty sure a carrot should not...
2. Wordless Wednesday: Presidential Motorcade & a Hot Salad    ...
3. Weekend Recovery Sometimes on Mondays when I get the blues, I look...