How I Eat and Why

People have been talking about Pollan's writing for a while now, especially The Omnivore's Dilemma. Schlosser's Fast Food Nation had a big impact on our national conversation about food as well. This conversation involves quite a bit of negativity toward our corn based monoculture, and that's not surprising. The idea that an abundance of cheap meat, cheap sugar and processed foods are leading to health problems in Americans isn't shocking. Meat and sugar are good, but our bodies don't appear to be designed to consume them in the quantities many of us do. Processed foods aren't inherently bad either, but the best of them tend to be artesanally made, therefore expensive and not generally eaten in quantity or great frequency. We all know it's not such a good idea to consume too much good cheese, ham, sausage, olive oil, pickles, butter or wine. We know that even bread and pasta are best consumed in moderation. We know that a diet heavy on convenience food items is unlikely to be a healthy one, which is why many of us are making the effort to cook more often at home.

While it's nice to have control over one's diet we all come across situations where we simply do not. On tour a musician does not easily have much control over his diet. Fast food becomes part of your diet, and even the backstage catering and family restaurant fare you eat is made from enough processed corn to largely qualify as dressed up fast food.

Losing that control on tour had immediate effects on me. While living on a bus with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals for several months during 2004 and 2005 I put on over 20 pounds. I was never svelte, but I left that gig a fat guy. Fans even commented on it. A later visit to a doctor had her insisting that I start on cholesterol lowering medication immediately, because my readings were "off the charts". I was convinced this was a matter of diet, and against doctor's orders set out to treat my cholesterol through diet alone.

I started off lowering my intake animal fat, because animal fat comes hand in hand with cholesterol. Corn fed beef has a less healthy fat balance than grass fed, so I ate very little beef. I had no interest in becoming a vegetarian, but did start eating less and leaner pork and chicken. Lamb became a rarity (as it ought to be) while I got reacquainted with fish. Cheese, eggs and butter became once in a while treats instead of daily indulgences. In taking back control of what I ate I also eliminated all fast food and many restaurant meals. The closest things I bought to "ready to eat" foods were canned vegetables (beans and tomatoes) and fresh fruit. To avoid having to read nutrition information labels I bought very few products that came with such labeling - in other words I bought ingredients and made my own food from them.

The recipes you read on this blog are things I cook at home on a regular basis. They may not all be light cooking, but none are nearly as obscene as many daily "road food" items. Their deliciousness comes from the ingredients and how they're seasoned, instead of relying on lots of fat, sugar and salt. I'll never be a health nut, but I am someone who prefers "real" food over junk food. I like rich food as much as anyone, but prefer how I look and feel when I consume it once in a while, as opposed to regularly. Following these preferences had a direct effect on my health.

A year and a half after the doctor wanted to put me on medication I'd lost nearly 30 pounds and brought my cholesterol levels within the normal range - no medication needed. A year later I'd shed ten more pounds, noticeable even on my six foot three frame. Do I ever pine for fast food? No, but I may want some pork belly, triple creme cheese or foie gras every now and then. And guess what? Every now and then I'll indulge. I'll even have a rib eye steak or some BBQ ribs once in a while - nothing is banned from my table. How you eat on a daily basis has more impact on your health than your occasional indulgences.

And guess what else? Cooking this way at home is also pretty inexpensive. Most nights my per person food cost for supper is somewhere between $2 and $5 - cheaper than fast food!

I'll get off the soapbox now. Eat well.