We all know that fresh fruit and veggies are a major part of a recommended healthy diet. More and more studies are adding some very interesting foods to the list that are proving to be beneficial in lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and offering a way to cut the risk of heart attacks dramatically. Among these super foods are almonds, dark chocolate and red wine.
The ambitious (read greedy) pharmaceutical industry came up with an innovative wonder drug back in 2003 intended to be a preventive drug. Dubbed the "polypill", it's a combination of six various drugs, including aspirin,folic acid and cholesterol lowering drugs and blood pressure drugs. All wrapped up in one neat little package.
"Polypill" (fictional depiction)
vs.
"Polymeal" (real food)
It comes as no surprise, researchers found that eating a polymeal would achieve roughly the same effect. Remember, Hippocrates admonished, "our food should be our medicine and our medicine our food." He wasn't talking through his three cornered hat. Meals of fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, garlic, almonds, dark chocolate and wine are perfect medicine to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure and cut heart disease by a whopping 76%. Just think if you added daily exercise to this formula!
Well, that's my consumer advocate message for this week! Eat well, you deserve to be in health (the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; freedom from physical disease or pain). You're either healthy or unhealthy. Good health is a redundant expression and bad health is an oxymoron. Have a polymeal soon and often. Get out for a walk and don't forget almonds, dark chocolate and a glass of wine.
P.S. I picked up a couple of interesting, very reasonable, red wines this week at Tim's Wine Market. Check out Tim's selections, sign up for his newsletter, don't miss out on his fabulous finds.
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Book Nook
Gobbled up Tess Gerritsen's new novel, The Mephisto Club. Good fast read. Dan Brown surely started an interesting trend. Everyone's getting on the dark historical data, religious symbolism, obscure books of the bible bandwagon. Gerritsen combines extensive research into satanic practices and ancient gospels with her first hand medical knowledge to produce a tense psychological drama peopled with characters we've come to know from previous volumes. Solid writing and good plotting makes this a 'can't put down' offering.
'Til next time . . . keep on cooking!
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2 comments:
The three foods mentioned: almonds, dark chocolate and a glass of wine - sound good.
Almonds: a natural anti-depressant. Check the ingredient list. It should be: almonds - that's it.
chocolate - you may have to travel to Denmark or Sweden to get real chocolate. Americans just "think" they are eating chocolate - I've been told that our chocolate is junk. Why? Well, check the ingredients: flavoring is just another word for chemicals. It's not really chocolate it is really chemical sweet stuff.
Wine - ditto the above, but make it France or Italy to find the real thing. Watch out for flavoring here, too.
I love your encouragement to "keep on cooking!" Yes, whole foods made by the Creator and processed by our own two little hands is the only way to be redundant and have good health.
Don't discount California wines.
Buy real chocolate, not candy and get those almonds, raw in bulk.
Move towards health.
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