By John D Potter. Published by Bridget Williams Books. Reviewed by Jill McLoughlin

We are saturated with information about healthy living. There are fad diets of all descriptions and conflicting advice about what we should or should not eat. This can be confusing. As someone who has an interest in health and well-being, I found John Potter’s Thought for Food informative, interesting and compelling.

Potter, an award-winning health researcher, provides an authoritative and scientific perspective on food and health, for humans and for Earth. He notes that we no longer depend on former skills as foragers, gatherers, scavengers, hunters and fishers for our food. We have a mismatch between our evolutionary history and the way we live and eat today. He says that while our biology has changed little over the years, our diet — with its domination of sugar, saturated fat and alcohol — is very different from that of our ancestors. This opens us to an increased risk of disease. We have a steady rise in obesity rates and increases in chronic diseases including cancer.

Potter explains the research showing our current diets are not only harming our health, but are also devastating our environment. He cites examples of the effects of contemporary agriculture on the environment and how our food choices impact the air, rivers and climate.

He urges us to shift our diet towards that of early human beings. Our bodies are adapted for a plant-rich diet. He gives simple and practical ways for doing this. His book motivated me to commit to a healthier eating plan.

I agree with Potter of the need to educate our young people about buying, preparing and presenting fresh food. And we all need education about food, agriculture, trade and other areas around how our food gets to the table. Actually, Potter recommends that we have conversations about how to restructure the way we live, work and earn so that everyone has enough. Healthy food should be affordable and available to all.

Thought for Food is only 119 pages and is an easy read. I heartily recommend it to those interested in the planet’s health and our own.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 230 September 2018: 29