Is A Plant Based Diet Healthier Than A Western Diet?

Is organic food better than regular food? This is a topic that is debated, mainly focusing on if organic is better for the environment, the economy, and for people's health. There is research that has been done and arguments made for both for and against organic food. While there are some benefits to eating organically, I would choose regular food over organic food.

According to Donald D. Hensrud of the Mayo Clinic on Healthy Weight, “Eating well – choosing a plant-based diet, which emphasizes vegetables, fruits and whole grains – also will reduce your risks of some of our nation’s biggest killers and related conditions. Many cancers, heart disease and high blood pressure, among other conditions, are linked to diet, most notably to diets high in fat and saturated fat. Even without weight loss, adopting a healthier eating style can be beneficial. (Hensrud 49)”

At the same time, there are differences of opinions about what is considered to be healthy foods. This is because the Western diet is focused on serving limited amounts of nutrients that are laced with

In “Escape from the Western Diet” Michael Pollan argues against the scientific theories of nutrition, and discusses the harmful effects, and chronic diseases associated with the Western Diet. Pollan offers an alternate view of a healthier lifestyle to escape the western diet that simply suggests that we “stop eating and thinking that way.” (Pollan 423) He explains that the food industry has changed the wholeness of our food, which causes us to eat unhealthier things such as fast food. He approaches a solution to these contradictory theories and science by focusing on a personal approach to eating that is based on the individual's view of food. Pollan three rules to create a healthier lifestyle are to “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” (Pollan 426) which suggest to eat “real” food in a new balanced and healthy way that creates a pleasurable approach of eating. I agree with Pollan’s concepts about the western diet and his rules of eating simpler.

Sugar, salts, carbohydrates, fats and more, it all comes down to what you eat. The idea of the Western Diet comes from the food patterns amongst the western hemisphere. This diet consists of processed foods along with lots of meat and sugary foods. In Michael Pollan’s “Escape from the Western Diet”, he acknowledges this and writes on how people should avoid it and why they should escape from it.

For example, Lee Fulkerson had a diet consisting in red meats, processed foods, and sugary drinks consumed on a daily basis. At the end of the twelve week trial of a whole foods plant based diet, his blood pressure was down, his energy was up, and he was also loosing a lot of weight. One of his main concerns was his bad cholesterol. It was 157 when he came into Dr. Matt Lederman and Alona Pulde’s office. At the end of the twelve weeks it was down to eighty! I was amazed because he was proof to how much his body was thriving and becoming so much healthier on this diet. It is clear now that a whole foods diet is what will clearly help many with their health problems. The type of foods he ate had so much nutritional value because they come from the earth, do not have unhealthy fats like so many animal products do, and are not processed and full of sugars. Forks Over Knives and Dr. Mcdougal give advice on how to make a transition to a whole foods plant based diet. Dr. McDougall recommends that the person corporate starches in their meals because this is what will make them feel satisfied, and not crave and more food. “Add around 1,000 calories of legumes, whole grains, and starchy vegetables to your everyday routine. These starchy foods keep you full and satisfied, so you’ll naturally eat less of the animal products and processed foods that are making you sick”(Dr.McDougall). Another great tip is to focus on all the varieties of fresh wholesome foods

Michael Pollan in In Defense of Food, part three, talks about different ways to escape from the Western diet. Pollan advises to “avoid any food that has been processed to such an extent that it is more the product of industry than of nature” (143). On the other hand, Pollan reveals “until you realize that industrial processes have by now invaded many whole foods too” (143) clearly shows that, avoiding Western diet is not easy in real life because processed foods surround us. When Pollan says to eat food, mostly plants, and not too much, he mainly answers to what the human being should eat to stay healthy. “Don’t eat anything incapable of rotting” (149) indicates, people to eat whole food or the food our great grandmother recognizes. He also

The western diet exists as a way of life for most Americans. The typical western diet is full of chemicals and unknown ingredients. Today it is not viewed as the most beneficial diet for humans to consume. Those who live on the western diet are exploding with health concerns. Some major health problems range from type two diabetes, high cholesterol, to being overweight. These health concerns are growing. Today, foods have many unknown ingredients and just really are not food. Michael Pollan discusses these issues in his book titled In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. Pollans’ goal from this book is to inform people, mainly the eaters of the western diet, what this diet is and what it contains. He furthers his argument on

The purpose of this paper is to argue that Michael Pollan’s theory, to “eat food [but] not too much Mostly plants” is a good way to eat because it helps people to live longer. Michael Pollan, author of the 2007 article, “Unhappy Meals” and the book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, argues for "eating food. Not too much. Mostly plants"(Pollan). People are "better off eating whole fresh foods than processed food products" (Pollan). He argues that nutrients are not food and he is right. Nutrients are located in food and food is nutrients. Fresh foods are natural byproducts of the earth. People "should avoid food products that make health claims"(Pollan) because a health claim on a food product is a good indication that it's not really

Food and eating as we know are important for our body maintenance and growth process, but can we eat anything we like and trust it? As long as you live in the Western side of this world, you cannot always trust what you digest. As Michael Pollan mentioned, most of the Western food is processed food, which you cannot trust. Pollan is focusing on getting rid of Western diet in the United States and guiding Americans to start eating healthier, and having better eating habits. I agree with his idea because the Western diet is threatening our health and it might become uncontrollable in the coming years. Replacing processed food, and changing bad eating habits can save Americans from many dangerous health problems they are suffering from.

Michael Pollan’s book; “Food Rules” is a collection of instructions on which consumers can rely on to buy and eat healthy food. This book also suggests what we should eat and what we should be doing, with over 60 rules to live and eat by. He based the book on three parts; what we should eat? What kind of food we should eat? And how we should eat? He argues that the key is to “eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” These words were the primary advice that Pollan offers in this book.

Many individuals do not recognize the elements of food they consume, whether they’re healthy or unhealthy. In America, we are surrounded by supermarkets and restaurants who sell good and bad foods, which are hard to avoid. We develop cravings such as foods that contain high sugar and fat. This leads to chronic health issues. Whole foods are converted to processed foods, deceiving a person trying to follow a diet. Some believe that we can eat anything and our bodies will filter it out naturally despite what we see in public and hear in the news. According to my independent research, eating all types of food and thinking it will allow our body to figure out what should properly be digested is a strong risk to take.

In the article titled, “Mom was Right: You Are What You Eat”, author David Katz, MD, discussed the importance of eating a “clean”, and healthy diet and its impact on the body. Katz also attempts to answer the age old question of what has the most impact on one's health, nature or nurture? Katz discusses how clean, healthy foods, as well as processed and nutrient-deficient junk food, impacts the health of a person’s very cells. Katz makes the point that since a person’s body loses and replaces their cells throughout their lives, that they quite literally become what they eat. David Katz makes mentions to multiple studies done on the subject of “clean food” diets, and the results they have produced.

Most American have been raised with fairly similar philosophies- that a meal is not complete without meat, dairy, and possibly eggs (MyPlate). Especially when the government is backing up these ideas, it is natural to assume that this is the healthiest way to eat. However, evidence has shown that eating less animal products and more plant foods can actually be best for us. Despite the potential of nutrient deficiency, especially compared to the standard American diet or low carb diets, a plant based diet is the best and most nutritional diet for everyone, especially those with health issues.

The benefits of a switching to raw diet lifestyle according to raw foodist are improvement in health and