Food

[Kojak]

I got a lecture from my doctor this morning about my cholesterol level being slightly high. Why are all the things I like - a nice fresh boiled egg; steamed puddings; apple pie with fresh cream; warm scones with butter; chocolate cake, bad for me? It's a conspiracy! Kojak is NOT happy!

[sugardens]

Heard on Radio 4 last week that eggs are good for you and do not have bad cholesterol so you can continue to enjoy them...as for the rest, hopefully in moderation will do you no harm and bring you great cheer!

[Kon]

There is a Cholesterol reducing butter you can use.

[Kojak]

It's amazing how "expert" advice changes. I can remember the "Go to work on an egg" campaign when I was younger. Later, eggs were definitely bad for you. Now there's conflicting advice. The same with butter. The diet we were brought up on would be condemned today as stodge:- Home made steak pies with a thick pastry crust, plenty of eggs. Margarine wasn't allowed on the table. Having said that, everything was cooked from fresh, there was no such thing as a ready or frozen meal and the only things that came out of tins were peas and pears.

[Eleanor]

Hey Kojak, ouzo and mythos are both said to be good for lowering the cholestorol just dont walk up to Muppets place . Nothing wrong with good old home made steak pies and thick pastry. Stay away from the McDonalds though heard the other day a chicken head was found in what was supposed to be nuggets oh yuk what a surprise breaded chicken head with eyes as an extra

[snoopy2]

[quote="Kon"]

There is a Cholesterol reducing butter you can use.
[/quote]
Tastes yuck and to me is a contradiction in terms - its either butter or its not. Can't whack a bit of the golden stuff on bread and butter.

[Kojak]

My sentiments entirely, Snoopy! I tried alternatives several years back when I had a half-hearted attempt at reducing the beached whale look when I spread my carcase on Pedi beach. They were all yuk then. I have purchased some Lurpak "Light" spreadable butter but probably because it was on offer at Morrisons! Eleanor - re the foul head in Macnuggets - at least it proves they are using real chickens!

[snoopy2]

I too am using Lurpack spreadable (note NOT the light) Kojak but only because the temperatures are still so low up here that my beautiful slab of cholesterol enhancing, delicious tasting real butter is frozen solid and takes too long to defrost or if i heat it i end up with clarified butter - as horrible as other unmentionable butter substitutes (unless as a topping on ramekins of Morcombe prawns) - excuse me while i dribble. Eleanor the chicken proably wandered by not realising its fate. I dont think McNuggets would know a real chicken and anyway don't tell everyone or they will all want one!

[Adriana]

The thing is to only eat one slice, not the whole pie or cake

One of my sailing friends with cholesterol problems used to make sure that for about 2 days before going for a cholesterol test she cut out all dairy products, bacon etc so her levels looked good on the blood test...

[snoopy2]

Nurse at my docs told me the same Adriana and to drink loads of water for liver and kidney function tests as even VERY light dehydration skews the results.

[Kojak]

One slice, Adriana? I live alone so if I've made a chocolate orange cake with Cadburys chocolate on the top and fresh cream in the middle (my turn to dribble, Snoopy) and friends are not around I have to have a slice or 3 before it gets past it's eat by date

[snoopy2]

Its quite easy really - a shorter life on cholestoral laden foods or a healthy and miserable one for longer? I suppose there is a middle road but dashed if that bit of cholestoral laden cake/bun/chocolate doesn't come bowling out of a side street just when i am getting to the middle of the road!!!!

[peterv]

Kojak, just think of the substitues... Margerine (and/or other so called spreads) is so heavily processed it is basically robot food :?: :( :?:

One way of having all the good things in life is take more exercise, for instance running up the Kali Strata instead of the bus :) :) :D :D

[Kojak]

I'm sure that half the problems today are down to the things that are put into or sprayed over food. When Jamie Oliver did that fresh food for school meals thing one of the teachers commented at the end of the trial period that they didn't use one asthma pack per day compared to about 6 per day before. It's just a pity that no-one in authority seems to have picked up on that. No "E" numbers, no additives, no asthma, just fresh food!

[Kon]

Very true Norman the problem is in the cost ,if governments said stop junk food in schools can you imagine the cost of fresh food and fruit ,kids wont afford it and parents would backlash ,it's like smoking ,does it suit the govrerments to ban them ...no for one it's a good tax collection and second it's votes ,they don't care about human cost .
I am more amazed at the toll of food alergies from peanuts to cheese ..where did this all come from?.

[snoopy2]

Two points Kon - Government intervention. If cigarettes were banned it would send the tobacco industry underground like drugs. Best the Government taxes smokers out of existance (unless they do that for themselves of course through smoking). If the government were to use a reverse strategy on food - subsidise healthy fooods such as fruit vegetables - organic poultry and meat (extortionist in price)and tax heavily junk food - it might change eating habits. After all this government in Britian is throwing money into its war chest!!! Get them young. Jamie O's idea was great but kids don't eat in schools now - they rush off to the nearest fast food van or chippie. Even chocolate machines in schools are well subscribed then the school gets the profit!!!! Immoral or what.

[Kon]

Well said Snoopy i guess it is up to us to teach them from a young age ,and show them like anything else what's right and wrong.It amazes me the strategies that mega corps take to reel in their prey (our kids) ,going to a super market do you notice how every junk food item is at child height and on sporting events they take over every commercial which makes everyone hungry The dollar rules on the end so our kids will know what they want them to see.

[mr wotsin]

I still take my simvastatin's for my cholesterol, currently running at 3.9,down from 6.9 but at the moment with everything else going on I dont know whether to bother

[Kojak]

Keep taking them, W! I've been put on them as from this week. You need to keep as healthy as possible just now!

[gilly14]

Hi Norm
oats,lentils and pumpkin oil are great for reducing cholestero;