More reason to eat clean!

Last week I finished Michael Moss's Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. It took me a few months to read this book, not because I wasn't interested, but because it's a dense book with lots of information. I also took breaks and read other books during that time.

Ever since I went vegan for Lent almost two years ago, I've paid much more attention to the food that I eat. At the recommendation of a friend, I read Omnivore's Dilemma last year and have been interested in the food industry and eating clean ever since. Whenever I can, I try to shop at farmer's markets, local groceries, garden and make my own meals.

I found Salt Sugar Fat to be really engaging and would recommend it to those who want to learn about the processed food industry. But if reading it isn't your thing, here are some major take aways from the book:

• Food scientists hone in on a bliss point for many processed foods. A bliss point is the amount of an ingredient (salt, sugar, fat) that maximizes tastiness and keeps you craving more. For instance, having too little or too much sugar in pudding can detract from one's enjoyment and prevent or encourage eating more. Unsurprisingly, children have much higher bliss points for sugar than adults and one's bliss points changes over time and with age.
• There seems to be no bliss point for fat. Your brain doesn't process fat the way it does salt and sugar and so foods with really high fat content can be consumed without your brain or tastebuds knowing any different.
• Calories consumed through drinks also aren't registered by your brain so when you have soda, you're imbibing all of these calories yet still eating as much as you normally would.

I won't really go into the debate on processed food and the obesity epidemic beyond saying there's culpability on both the producers and consumers. If you'd like to learn more, I'd definitely recommend the book! If you have a Kindle, we can even exchange notes!