What the doctor ordered

[Baz Faz]

Mrs Faz had a consultation with a doctor today and he handed her a sheet of paper on what she should and should not eat. There were three columns: Choose, Eat in Moderation, and Avoid. I have selected a few of the things we are told to avoid completely:
Butter
Duck
Goose
Salami
Cream
Cheddar cheese
Fried fish
Roast potatoes
Nuts
Avocado
Choocolate
Honey
Sugar
Mayonnaise

What does Annie think?

[auntieannie]

I think that Mrs Faz' doc has outdated information that doesn't follow current (not even latest) research on the matter.

[lumi]

Cheddar cheese, avacado, honey.... Those are things that I would think are good choices, in moderation of course. Surely the benefits of these foods outweigh the bad bits if not overconsummed.

[sophie]

I think mrs. baz faz will be very cranky if she follows this diet. And if mr. baz faz has to cook using these guidelines, he won’t be fit to live with.

[tzarine]

was this bc of high cholesterol? what was the medical thinking?

did the dr think she should eat lentils, lettuce & tomato w vinegar & olive oil?

[Baz Faz]

It is a strange saga. Mrs Faz is over 70. She had not been to the doctor for over a year. She was therefore called to have a discussion with some health official. Her blood pressure was too high. I think her cholesterol was too. But she had been taking meds for a back condition and had already decided to stop them because they made her feel ill. Now her blood pressure is normal.

But the medical juggernaut trundled on so she had this meeting with a proper doctor (joint head of the medical practice so not some junior). He was the one who gave her this sheet of dos and don'ts of her diet. As Annie points out it is not consistent with current research findings (about butter for instance). It has internal contradictions. One contradiction is to avoid sugar but to eat fruit (most fruits are packed with sugar). Another contradiction is to avoid all nuts but to use walnut oil. Some things the list says to avoid (walnuts and dark chocolate, for instance) have proven health benefits.

I am not intending to change our diet which is varied and overwhelmingly healthy. I follow the French country folks dictum - un peu de tout (a little of everything).

[shrjeff]

as the soviets used to say about their formerly discredited leaders... nuts, dairy including cheese and butter, avocado and chocolate have been rehabilitated!

[sophie]

Jeff, your post made me laugh!

[Baz Faz]

I have had a look at the original report on Mrs Faz. It shows her cholesterol to be OK. And her blood pressure has returned to normal once she stopped taking the meds.

So why the big fuss? It is the insidious creep forward of the nanny state. Last year some top medical adviser said that every time she had a sip of wine she thought of breast cancer. Some remarks are obviously so ridiculous that experts lose all credibility.

[tzarine]

nanny state sucks
oh please, a sip of wine?

[tiltedflipcurves]

I will confess that in my case as well, sipping wine sometimes makes me think of breasts.

[auntieannie]

that adviser obviously needs to stop drinking any wine.

[mockchoc]

I approve of it all. Ignore them. Ok well I can't deal without my sweets but that could go but the rest is healthy. Fact. I bought 9 ducks this year already We are still alive. They were half price so how could I say no? I just bought 8 x 250 grams of butter too for the same reason this week. I make ghee like it's going out of fashion now I know how to do it fast in the pressure cooker. Nothing tastes better.