If you’re worried about how the typical American diet may be affecting your health and would like to investigate traditional diets from statistically healthy cultures, Oldways is a great place to begin. Think Slow Food combined with a particularly enlightened dietician.
I love this quote from their website:
"Take pleasure in the foods you eat. Notice the foods you put into your body, enjoy and savor them, share a meal with friends, and realize that eating healthy is about management, not banishment."
Sounds a lot like what Michael Pollan is saying in his latest book, In Defense of Food. Oldways is one of those holistic organizations that’s been quietly going along doing good work for years, and largely operating under the radar. Oldways can be credited with popularizing the Mediterranean Diet, which came along after the misguided fat-free craze to let us know that all fat isn’t bad. Just bad fat is bad.
On the site you’ll find the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid as well as Latin American, Asian American, and Vegetarian Diet Pyramids that list particular foods and the frequency they should be consumed to make it easy for consumers to fine tune their daily diets. You can download the pyramids for free. Under the food issues section you’ll find information on everything from trans-fats, to coffee, to sustainability. Oldways also participates in gastronomic tours, symposiums, and conferences around the world.
Here’s to eating better every day and enjoying it more!
Image: OctopusHat