His new book seeks to answer the questions what should we eat and how should we be eating it? And we loved reading through the adages from nutritionists, mothers, grandmothers and anthropologists that it offers as answers. Here's some of the wonderful insights.

What we should eat
Eat food. By this first rule, Pollan means that we should try and eat foods that are unprocessed and as close to their natural state as possible. As he puts it, "Don't eat anything that your great grandmother wouldn't recognise as food."

Eat mostly plants. A message throughout the book is, in order to live happily and healthfully, eat plant foods and to treat meat as flavouring or a special occasion food. Pollan recommends basing most of what you eat on plant foods especially green leafy vegetables because they reduce the risk of chronic disease and can help us live longer.

"Eating what stands on one leg (mushroom, spinach)," Pollan says, "is better than what stands on two legs (chicken), which is better than what stands on four legs (cows, pigs)".

How to eat
How we eat is just as important as the foods we choose to put on our plate and therefore in our mouths.

Enjoy the meal. Pollan's recommendation is to spend as much time eating the meal as it took to prepare because it honours the care taken to cook the food and helps savour each bite, making us less likely to overeat.

Cook. Cooking for yourself is the only way to be sure of what is going into your food and how it's being processed. Also if you cook at home, you're less likely to rely on takeaway-style eating and eat a more healthful diet.

Not all of us may be able to eat in the way Pollan describes all of the time — sometimes convenience is a necessity. Pollan's rules aren't strict and steadfast — they're simple, guiding principles teaching people to eat healthily, dine happily and live well.

In fact, his final rule in the book is "break the rules once in a while". Everything in moderation — even moderation.

Your say:Food can be a very personal thing, with a strong connection to family and culture. What "food rules" you or your family have?