Experts
People seem to be ravenous to know and hungry to read all
about healthy eating and all things dietary.
To prove the point, six of this week’s ten best selling hardback
non-fiction books are about food.[1]
Everybody from Mary Berry to hairy bikers are
at it – and, I suspect, making a nice living in the process.
So, why not me?
On
second thoughts, maybe that isn’t a good idea.
I’m not a celebrity chef, I’m not a food
critic, I’m not a dietician, I’m not any kind of health guru, I have no
qualifications in food science or oenology.
What I do have, however, is many years of experience in
food and wine – mostly in the eating department, sometimes as a purchaser, and
occasionally preparing edible delights.
Based on this curriculum vitae, I have opinions about certain items of
food and drink which I consider to be good for my health.
An inescapable part of modern life is the constant bombardment
of information from experts recommending what we should and shouldn’t consume.
We who occupy retirement-land can use our own
judgement on such matters. We have an
enhanced sense of what is needed to stay healthy.
Aware of our own mortality, we of all people
are not going to eat unhealthily.
For
us, therefore, the proposition in favour of a good diet is axiomatic.
Don’t argue with us.
It is, of course, entertaining and informative to read what
the experts have to recommend. Nigel
Slater, Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson are outstanding for their creative flair and sheer
artistry.
Their gift is to add novelty
and excitement to dining, giving us the benefit of their considerable culinary
expertise.
Experience
But what retired people know, especially when eating to
promote good health, is that we are all different. What agrees with you might not agree with
me.
Everybody has a different
physiological make-up, I’m an ectomorph others are endomorphs, and we all have
different tastes, preferences, intolerances even. I, for instance, have a syndrome resulting in
retention of iron.
Since retiring, therefore, I have developed my own dietary
philosophy adapting to my new status in life and geared to being strong and healthy.
The big theme is that I eat when I’m
hungry. For this rocket science, I
deserve a PhD.
It sounds obvious, but
let me amplify the point anecdotally.
I remember writing and choreographing a sketch about
thirty or more years ago for the Omagh Ladies Circle (wives of Round Table
members), their competition entry to perform a one-minute advertisement for a
health-food product.
While their rivals sang
and danced extolling the virtues of products like ginseng and Aloe Vera, my
sketch adopted the music of Handel to gush melodic and lyrical praise on what I
consider to be the ultimate health drink, revealed tantalisingly only in the
final words - aqua vitae, water, the real uisce bheatha.
This is a slightly circuitous way of introducing what my
mother used to describe as the most important meal of the day.
Breakfast
Getting up in the morning, my need for food is not an
immediate priority.
The first item I
consume is water, as much as possible.
Think cleansing and flushing out the internal organs of the body,
detoxifying naturally.
My system needs a
gentle start before I am hungry enough to eat.
A little later I will slice up a chilled orange and after
that an indulgence, still concentrating on liquids.
Some months ago, my wife spotted a product
which she knew would appeal to my taste buds and their predilection for
yoghurt. An exhilarating and healthy
start to the day is provided by a small glass of pouring yoghurt, the natural variety
(when available) rather than the flavoured options, and adding an actimel drink
which comes in a range of gorgeous flavours.
It’s easily digestible, refreshing, brimming with goodness, and blissfully
tasteful.
If I am attending a morning gym class, the chilled orange
and yoghurt usually suffice for now. In
which case, I can postpone the main breakfast course.
After exercise, hunger asserts itself. That main course is rolled oats porridge, but
not on its own.
I have been using my own recipe for a few years.
I discovered latterly that Paula Radcliffe
(who holds the world record for the women’s marathon) does likewise.
I pour manuka honey, the 15+ (the level of
its special antibacterial activity) and then add a chopped up banana to the top
of the hot brachán,
and finish by adding a generous helping of full fresh milk over the
surface.
Slow release energy, low in
cholesterol, containing enough goodness and energy to power a body for at least
26.2 miles, and in record time.
Definitely worth trying.
Hotel breakfasts are another matter. Every time I stay in Scottish and Irish
hotels, I always order kippers rather than a fried breakfast.
According to one report,[2]
“as
a sustainable fish they are on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish
to eat” and sales have increased substantially in recent years.
To think that eating fish used to be undertaken on Fridays
as a penance.
The contemporary cooking
method of modern chefs makes this humble fish a blissful delight which, unlike
the fry-up, actually makes me feel alive and alert.
Maybe it’s the omega 3 oils that make it so
agreeable.
Supplements
I notice food supplements on sale in gyms, health food
shops and in supermarkets.
I hear their
benefits advocated by fitness experts and know many people who use them to
improve their strength and to aid a quicker recovery from exercise.
For my part, however, a balanced diet using natural foods
is enough to preclude the need for additives. In addition to the theme of hunger to justify food, my second guiding principle is to consume natural products. I concur with the contemporary adage that we must try more to live in harmony with nature.
I prefer to adhere to water, bananas, oily fish, manuka honey, fresh
fruit and vegetables, brown bread and pasta, fresh fish and white meat, and
avoid processed products, salt and additives.
That
still leaves plenty of leeway to avoid any necessity for a monastic existence
of self-denial.
Calorie-free
food
What I do not recommend are low fat foods, essentially
because they are tasteless and low in nutrition.
Low-fat cheese strikes me as a contradiction
in terms. Anyway, the body needs a reasonable
modicum of natural fat.
When I add milk
to my porridge, it has to be full cream milk.
When I make a mug of hot chocolate, it has to be made with proper full
milk, and with plenty of chocolate to taste.
By the way, there is new empirical evidence which advocates the health benefits of drinking hot chocolate (based on a study of people with an average age of 73). http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/hot-chocolate-keeps-brain-healthy-29483016.html
By the way, there is new empirical evidence which advocates the health benefits of drinking hot chocolate (based on a study of people with an average age of 73). http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/hot-chocolate-keeps-brain-healthy-29483016.html
Normally I will use an olive-oil-based spread on toast or
bread.
If, however, I have tea with a
scone in mid-morning, I want proper Irish butter to complement the baker’s
artistry and enhance its wonderful flavour.
Tea
I have one of my daughters to thank for introducing me to
green tea, red bush tea, and peppermint tea.
Green tea with a slice of lemon is my breakfast choice, and the other
two take their turn during the day.
Having adjusted my taste buds, I now prefer these varieties with their
incidental health-giving properties.
Bananas
Bananas seem to be the ultimate food. I propose two reasons as justification.
The first argument is that because they contain three natural
sugars (sucrose, fructose and glucose) combined with fibre, they give an
instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
I ate at least 20 on the recent two days of
the 220 mile bike sportive, the Maracycle.
The second point is that bananas also seem to be
something of a panacea.
They can help overcome or prevent a substantial number of
illnesses and conditions.
Here are a few
examples:-
According to a survey
undertaken by MIND, the mental health charity, many people suffering from depression felt much better after eating
a banana. This is because bananas contain
tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to
make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
-
Because the banana is high in
potassium yet low in salt, it a good way to combat blood pressure. So much so,
that the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed the banana industry to
make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood
pressure and stroke.
-
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to have a banana
milkshake, sweetened with honey. The
banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted
blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
-
The banana is used as a
dietary response to address intestinal
disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten
without distress in over-chronicler cases.
It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the
lining of the stomach.
-
Potassium is a vital mineral,
which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates
the body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises,
thereby reducing our potassium levels.
These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
No aspect of life, especially for retired people,
can escape the damage caused by the euphemistically-called economic downturn of
the last four years.
I blogged about the
big global economic issues on the eve of June’s summit of world leaders in Co
Fermanagh (“The G8 Lough down”).[3]
The economics and politics of food production
are no different.
Two issues come to mind.
One relates to the difficulties faced by
retired people on low income – pensioner poverty – and for whom the priority is
not so much eating healthily, as being able to afford food with what meagre
income they have.
The other issue is the political economy which has
allowed a situation to develop where the free market is failing the producers
of food.
The example we hear quoted is that
of farmers who receive less than it costs them to produce milk.
A new poll commissioned by the Prince’s fund[4] reveals that a majority of
British consumers would be prepared to pay more for food if they knew that the
extra was going to farmers rather than supermarket shareholders.”
Family life
People criticise Government for being
insufficiently supportive of family living.
One aspect that is noticeable about life in the countries of southern
Europe is that extended families come together especially when they dine together in the
evening or at weekends.
Food becomes an
essential part of making it the occasion special and generations unite. Spaniards, Italians, Croats and Greeks live
longer than us, they dine healthily and they enjoy their food convivially en famille.
Food, like exercise, should be enjoyed.
It does not necessarily mean being well-to-do
either.
Free products exist such as
water, natural products like porridge, kippers and bananas do not cost a lot,
and expensive products like manuka honey can be used sparingly.
Pursuing a healthy dietary regime which
includes exercising will save the NHS a lot of time and money caring for
retired people.
More importantly it can, in my opinion, help justify drinking an extra glass of
life-enhancing Chilean red wine or a bottle of premium German beer brewed
organically using 400 year old recipes, followed by a slice of home-made sponge
cake or a piece of chilli chocolate.
Life tastes good.
But can
I compete with the hairy bikers?
©Michael
McSorley 2013
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