Like most of us, I do like my food and drink. (“Tell us something we don't know, Fat Boy!”). My adage is everything in moderation and don't be excessive but I tend to follow the latter more than the former if it's something I like or enjoy. And why not? Life's for living and enjoying. As Clement Freud once said, “If you don't drink, smoke or have sex you don't actually live longer, it just feels longer” Eating could easily be added to that quote perhaps instead of sex. Or maybe even at the same time but perhaps that's for another article.
However, how often are we fed (no pun intended) advice on what we should and shouldn't eat or drink and what is or isn't good for us? Some of it comes from Government Departments, which is contradicted or changed as time passes. The Egg Marketing Board´s (Egg What!?) campaign in the 50's and 60's suggested we “went to work on an egg” then in the 90's we were told that salmonella posed a threat and to stay clear. Some of the “advice” we used to get came from the school playground. I remember the urban myth of the school kid who swallowed 5 packets of Space Dust only for his head to explode as it popped on his tongue. Never did it for me.
We get advice on what to drink, eat and how much so as not to exceed our recommended daily allowances. We all now know a glass of red wine a day might have beneficial health benefits. My feeling is if one glass is good, think what a whole bottle might do for your wellbeing. I might, of course, be exceeding my daily allowance but then I might be way ahead of the game on this one. You see, for the last 18 years guidance used for diet planning and healthy eating guidance has said the recommended calorie intake for men is 2500 and women 2000 but these are now being challenged as being incorrect and should be increased. Who's to say in years to come a bottle of red wine a day is the right amount? And under equal opportunities legislation who says women won't be allowed the same calorie intake as men?
We're told we have to eat 2-3 pieces of fruit and 4-5 servings of vegetables a day for a balanced diet. As there is some debate as to whether a tomato is a fruit or vegetable how do you know which category you're satisfying?
How much water should you drink and at what temperature is another issue which needs guidance. It is recommended you drink 2.5 litres of water a day and up until recently tea and coffee didn't count as it was thought it acted as a diuretic. Again, that's now changed and tea and coffee does now count and helps keep your water intake more interesting. Fruit juices contain a high content of water but as they contain a lot of sugar only one glass a day is recommended towards your water allowance. Good news though it counts as one of your daily fruits. Phew! As for cold water, the myth goes it's bad as it solidifies all the oily stuff you may have eaten, line the intestine, turn to fat and can kill! Bet you never knew water could be so dangerous.
So come on folks, ignore all the food hype and just get on with it. Everything in moderation. Now for a few beers (90% water; tick), chicken jalfrezi (tomatoes and peppers for veg and fruit; tick) leaving me with just under 2000 calories for the day. Sorted.
Alick “Porkpie” Howard
