As so many of us know, making—and sticking to–New Year’s resolutions rarely works for the long haul. In fact, we often make the same ones over and over, just to start again next year. It is already mid-January and so many of us have probably already nixed those resolutions. Here’s why instead of making resolutions, I recommend small and simple changes that can be implemented one at a time and that are easy to follow.
Here’s where Michael Pollan’s Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual illustrated by Maira Kalman (Penguin, 2011) comes in. This wonderful book is an updated version of Pollan’s best seller along with some new rules and terrific illustrations. I have recommended it to many clients who are looking to make simple changes in their eating habits and also to the environment in which they live.
The rules are short and to the point and easy to implement. This updated edition offers some of Pollan’s new favorites. They include:
- “Give Some Thought to Where Your Food Comes From
- “Order the Small.” (One of my favorites—not just because I am quoted).
- “If You’re Not Hungry Enough to Eat an Apple, Then You’re Probably Not Hungry”
- “No Labels on the Table”
Here are other favorites:
- Eat mostly plants.”
- “Eat slowly.”
- “Cook.”
- “Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.”
- “If you have the space, buy a freezer”
- “Avoid foods advertised on TV.”
- “…Eat less”
- AND OF COURSE, “Have a glass of wine with dinner.
This book is a must read for anyone who eats and drinks 🙂 !!
Kudos to Michael Pollan and Maira Kalman.