Yesterday I did something a little different.
In case you don’t already know, I’m a vegetarian a lot of the time, I sometimes eat fish (once or twice a week) and almost never eat meat, it has the ‘ick’ factor when I’m eating it (poor widdle animals, I love ‘em). That being said, I regularly eat lots of eggs, butter and organic dairy, soaked nuts and seeds and supplement with cod liver and flax seed oils.
Of course, I know of the overwhelming nutritional advantages of eating meat and still attempt it every now and then… I’m working on it!
Today I went to the butcher and asked for their hormone free grass fed mince. (No problems there.) ….I also asked them to mince through it 500gms of beef heart. The butcher gave me a really odd look. Perhaps it was the pretty dress I was wearing, or obviously my innocent face (hee hee), but I felt like a total vampire!
I told him that organ meats were nutritionally superior to most regular cuts, most of all pumping up the iron content. He says:
“Why don’t you sprinkle some iron capsules on your meat?”
I calmly explained to him (while rolling my eyes inside) that most nutritional supplements were a poor imitation of the nutrients found in whole foods, how the body reacts differently to synthetic vitamins and minerals compared to those in food, not to mention the questionable methods pharmacuetical and health food companies use to extract or synthasise them. For an example I explained that taking isolated ascorbic acid is virtually useless compared to a whole orange which contains folate, vitamin C, fibre, iron, vitamin B1, potassium, calcium, vitamin A (although I didn’t go into vegetable vit A versus animal sources :)) and more! All which work together as a perfect package of nutrients designed for the body to absorb efficiently.
Then he stopped looking at me like that and just did it!
Needless to say, it was a very economical decision, and now that I’ve found a butcher near my work that will accommodate me, looks like I’ll be a vampire again!
I used it to make a beef version of Moussaka found in “Nourishing Traditions” which went down very well with my dinner party guests… little did they know! At least I’m sneakily improving the health of my friends rather than tempting them with fried carbohydrates and sugary desserts!
Over the last few days I’ve been reading up on the benefits of wine, namely “The Wine Diet” and “The Wine Lovers Diet”. Both take the “French Paradox” road of nutritional advice. Interesting reading, according to “The Guiness World Book of Records” the oldest woman recorded was a French woman named Jeanne Louise Calment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Calment), who died on 4th August 1997, aged 122 years and 164 days. Apparently she existed on a daily diet of red wine, butter and chocolate!
In the media it’s all about anti-oxidants, but the writer of “The Wine Diet”, Professor Rodger Cordor reckons it is the procyanidins present in wine rather than the controversial revesterol that gives wine its health giving properties. The reason: revesterol is present in only minute amounts, procyanidins in much larger concentrations. He also advises a diet including a variety of procyanidin rich foods: bitter 70-90% chocolate, pomegranates, cranberries, raspberries, apples, persimmons, walnuts and cinnamon.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this or subscribe to the idea of the daily glass of red for health?
About the Author...
Food and me have come a long way. Before, food was an instrument of torture. Now, I view food as a source of energy and enjoyment. I've managed to overcome my bad habits by finally accepting myself and applying the WAPF nutritional principles. I'm now at a stable, healthy, slim weight, have lots of energy and no more guilt. I've been happily married for 7 years and am a graphic designer. In the near future I'm hoping to start a nutritional course and start practicing as a qualified nutritionist. At the moment it's all self education.
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