The Real Food Revolution: Healthy Eating, Green Groceries, and the Return of the American Family Farm - Softcover

Ryan Congressma, Tim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1401946402 ISBN 13: 9781401946401

Publisher: Hay House Inc., 2015

Synopsis

We Americans love our food. It’s part of what has made this nation great. Our fertile farmlands and the abundance and variety of our agricultural output are the envy of the world. For most of our history, we lived close to the land, food was accessed locally, and we processed it in our own kitchens. But as our population and economy has boomed in the last century and we concentrated in cities, we industrialized our food system—with food coming far from home and processed multiple times. As foods rich in natural taste declined, we relied on high amounts of added sugar, fat, and salt to entice our palates. And it has taken a toll: our soil is polluted, our practices are unsustainable, and our health problems, including everything from allergy-related disease to obesity, are on the rise. This has all contributed to historic levels of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other causes of preventable death. The good news is that people are starting to find solutions. They’re voting with their pocketbooks for a new kind of food system—family farm, 21st-century style. Suburban and urban moms (and dads) want to know what’s in their food and where it comes from. No more snack packs, Ding Dongs, and soda for lunch. This revolution is not only in how people eat, but also in how they grow, distribute, shop for, and prepare food. And the food is better tasting, better looking, and better for you.The Real Food Revolution by Congressman Tim Ryan is a manifesto for this new food movement. In it, readers will find information on: · The history and current state of our food systems · Myriad negative impacts of our present food practices on our health and our planet · Pros and cons of the current farm bill and what changes could help restore our nation · What’s happening both at the national and local levels · How people can get involved, with actionable steps at the end of each chapter This is a non-partisan, good-news message that will inform, inspire, and help readers around the country get involved. The era of the Twinkie and the hot-dog-stuffed-crust pizza has been fun, but now it’s time for a change.

About this title

About the Author:

Tim Ryan was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002, at the age of 29, and is currently serving in his fifth term representing Ohio's 17th Congressional District. He maintains a strong commitment to the economic and social well-being of his constituents in northeast Ohio. He serves as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, as well as its Subcommittees on Readiness and on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. He also serves as a member of the House Budget Committee and co-chairman of the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus. Congressman Ryan has a daily mindfulness meditation practice. He has been an outspoken advocate for promoting mindfulness practice as an aid to dealing with the variety of complex problems facing the nation. During his tenure in the House, he has helped to get mindfulness and social and emotional learning programs established in several schools in his district. He also spearheaded a conference at a medical school in his district on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Before being elected to Congress, Ryan served in the Ohio State Senate, as president of the Trumbull County Young Democrats, as chairman of Earning by Learning in Warren, Ohio, and as a congressional aide. Learn more at timryan.house.gov.

Review:

“Congressman Tim Ryan isn’t afraid to take on a challenge, and he’s gearing up for one of America’s biggest—our health. In The Real Food Revolution, he delivers a straightforward and much-needed prescription to help transform our country’s food systems and improve our well-being.”
—President Bill Clinton

“In The Real Food Revolution, Congressman Tim Ryan not only puts a spotlight on everything wrong with our current food system, he also lays out a bold but realistic plan to give every American access to fresh, whole foods, and gives specific steps we all can take to join the food revolution that is happening now across America.”
—Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post and author of Thrive

“It’s wonderful that Congressman Tim Ryan cares about the way food affects the health of Americans. I just wish more members of Congress cared about these issues, too.”
—Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University and author of Food Politics

“As someone who’s been on the frontlines of medicine, I’ve seen the health of our population take a negative turn—and one of the key reasons for this is our less-than-optimal food supply. That’s why The Real Food Revolution is so important. It gives you the background to understand what’s wrong and concrete things you can do to fix the problem. It’s time to take back our health and Congressman Ryan is leading the way.”
—Andrew Weil, M.D., New York Times best-selling author of True Food and Spontaneous Happiness

“Congressman Tim Ryan reminds us of the old Irish saying, ‘Is this a private fight, or can anyone get in?’ He wants all of America—through our shopping, gardening, advocacy, and voting—to force a better farm bill, a more responsible food industry, and better diets and health for all of us.”
—United States Senator Sherrod Brown, member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

“The Real Food Revolution addresses the most significant problem we face today. We are what we eat, and what we eat is being tampered with in a gigantic way. Our very survival is at stake, but we finally have a courageous voice in the halls of congress who is willing to say ‘enough is enough’ and offer constructive ways to avert a potential disaster if we fail to act now. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to read this book and take action.”
—Wayne Dyer, New York Times best-selling author of I Can See Clearly Now and The Power of Intention

“The Real Food Revolution is a big breath of fresh air and common sense. Its message is urgent and accurate. And written in plain English by a very courageous congressman. Read it.”
—Christiane Northrup, M.D., ob/gyn, physician, and author of the New York Times bestsellers Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause

“Congressman Tim Ryan shows us how to break free from a failing food system. Hopefully this call for action will finally wake up the government agencies that are asleep at the wheel.”
—Vani Hari, FoodBabe.com

“In his book The Real Food Revolution, Tim shares a simple but profound message that we have the power to improve the quality of our health and life, both individually and collectively. By becoming a little more conscious and knowledgeable about our choices as consumers and devoting a little time and organizing effort, we can truly effect a food revolution that will transform our national diet and the food supply chain supporting it. I believe this book has credibility not only because Representative Tim Ryan can relate to the typical American food cravings, but more importantly because he understands the inertia of the government and industrial interests and the levers of change involved to effectively create the food revolution we so desperately need.”
—Deepak Chopra, M.D., New York Times best-selling author of The Future of God

“Congressman Tim Ryan inspires us with his passion for healthy food, grown, prepared, and cooked with love. He skewers legislation that favors the fat-cat food industry and damages our health. And, he offers a transformative and deeply satisfying vision for a healthy, economically sound national food policy. The Real Food Revolution is the real deal.”
—James S. Gordon, M.D., founder and director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine and author of Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression

“Tim Ryan recognizes the complex web we live in, where agriculture, nutrition, environment, and community intersect and intertwine. In his conversational, insightful, and far-ranging The Real Food Revolution, he not only lays out the problems we face but offers simple, commonsense solutions for readers to take action in their own lives and promote positive change on a grander scale.”
—Frank Lipman, M.D., founder of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center and author of Revive

“Tim Ryan admits that we’re all in the same boat when it comes to being unhealthy in America. We have the deck stacked against our well-being with unhealthy food choices coming from all sorts of out-of-balance practices that bring food to our plates. The Real Food Revolution empowers us as individuals to save our nation in crisis, one meal at a time.”
—Tara Stiles, founder of Strala Yoga and author of Make Your Own Rules Diet

“Food is a complex, emotional, and nostalgic subject that weaves its way through so many aspects of our lives. And it’s never been more important to vote with our dollars to influence not only our own personal health but also our national policies and consciousness around healthier, more sustainable food choices. Enter The Real Food Revolution. Congressman Tim Ryan paints an entertaining and elucidating portrait of our national obsession with cheap, unhealthy food and provides passionate, actionable solutions for change. This book is a powerful call to action for Americans to collectively create a better future for our country by starting with what’s on our plates.”
—Jason Wrobel, host of How to Live to 100 on Cooking Channel and celebrity vegan chef

“I highly recommend The Real Food Revolution to everyone who cares about their health and our world’s food supply. Congressman Tim Ryan brings us hope and realistic solutions. I’m deeply grateful and impressed by Tim Ryan’s courage to speak the truth about politics and food corporations. He is a true leader among politicians and people.”
—Doreen Virtue, best-selling author of The Art of Raw Living Food

“We’re eating ourselves to death. Finally a legislator with real solutions rather than hollow platitudes.”
—James and Claudia Altucher, authors of The Power of No

“It is refreshing to find a politician taking a definitive stance on food issues in America. Congressman Ryan is a true role model for America’s present and future citizens and leaders. I look forward to a real food revolution finding its way into homes, classrooms, and communities across the United States—and influencing American agriculture from our policies to our plates!”
—Meredith Hill, English language arts educator and garden coordinator at Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science, and Engineering

About this edition

• Publisher: Hay House Inc.
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1401946402
• ISBN 13: 9781401946401
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240