Eat what?

January 30, 2024

So, I’ve been looking at the Heart and Stroke Foundation cholesterol-busting print out the doctor gave me last week.

Salmon, fine. Trout, fine (assuming I could find it). Mackerel, sardines and herring? Not so much.

Canola, soy and flaxseed oils. Hmm. Not sure I even knew there was such a thing as soy oil and pretty sure I’ve never seen it. Flax seed oil? Do you have any idea how much this costs? Canola (because Canadians, it seems, can’t say rape seed) oil? I used to spend a fair bit of money on Spectrum organic canola oil – until my friend Catherine reminded me there is no guarantee of such a thing. (Ask the farmers in Saskatchewan or Australia who’ve lost their organic status because of cross contamination from neighbouring farms planting Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds.)

Walnuts (not my favourite, but, yeah, okay), flax seeds and chia seeds? Oh, look what I found in the store the other day.

All right, I should have checked against the list before I bought it, but one outta three ain’t bad – and I’m sure hemp and buckwheat are also good. I bet sprinkling this on my homemade granola breakfast will make it as good as (yuck) porridge. Right?

Tofu? There’s only so much you can eat, but I guess I could eat more than I do now.

Omega 3 soy beverage, yoghurt and eggs? What exactly are these? Oh, okay, eggs from chickens who only eat flax seeds. Do chickens actually like flax seeds? And yoghurt? Oh, they add fish oil. Hmm.

Why in moderation? Every time I’ve ever heard anyone wax lyrical about the benefits of the “Mediterranean” diet (and I’ve heard this many times) they mention olive oil. Olive oil good, right? That’s why I use it – along with sunflower and peanut oil. Those are the only oils in my pantry cupboard. (Oh, okay, and a small bottle of sesame oil for certain recipes.) And I make my own salad dressing – with olive oil.

Almonds and sunflower seeds? Already in my homemade granola. Peanuts? Check. (Although I do snack on dry roasted peanuts, so maybe not.)

Avocados? I thought avocados were supposed to be some sort of freaking super food. Look! Here is a cardiologist saying: “Avocados are effectively the only fruit that contains monounsaturated fat, with 5 grams per one-third of a medium avocado. This can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels in your blood, which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Not to mention, they are free of sugar and sodium.”

Okay, very few of these things are part of my diet.

Although I do love me a good sausage sometimes. And the sausages I do eat are purchased from the local butcher, who makes them himself without the addition of a lot of the shit Oscar Meyer probably uses.

And chocolate? How about a little specificity here, guys?

Pretty sure I’m not the only one who knows about the research indicating dark chocolate can actually be beneficial. Even the Harvard (yes, Harvard) School of Public Health says dark chocolate is good for you.