Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Price of Red Meat (From NY Times)

By JANE E. BRODY

There was a time when red meat was a luxury for ordinary Americans, or was at least something special: cooking a roast for Sunday dinner, ordering a steak at a restaurant. Not anymore. Meat consumption has more than doubled in the United States in the last 50 years.

Now a new study of more than 500,000 Americans has provided the best evidence yet that our affinity for red meat has exacted a hefty price on our health and limited our longevity.

The study found that, other things being equal, the men and women who consumed the most red and processed meat were likely to die sooner, especially from one of our two leading killers, heart disease and cancer, than people who consumed much smaller amounts of these foods.

Results of the decade-long study were published in the March 23 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine. The study, directed by Rashmi Sinha, a nutritional epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute, involved 322,263 men and 223,390 women ages 50 to 71 who participated in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Each participant completed detailed questionnaires about diet and other habits and characteristics, including smoking, exercise, alcohol consumption, education, use of supplements, weight and family history of cancer.

For the full text, click here

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Texas Shooters

Andrew shows the world how to properly eat Texas oysters!


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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Personal Prohibition

Spirits have been an integral part of society for centuries. The ancient Romans drank wine to toast their victories. The legendary Egyptians brewed ale to satiate their innovative minds. Alcoholic beverages, whether for their nutritive properties or their ability to lift a patron from the doldrums of his surroundings, have been a cornerstone of society since the moment it was created.

And for Lent, I gave it all up.

Such blasphemy! The noble notion of making a sacrifice to honor that of the penultimate Christian savior requires a deep cut beyond the normal pound of flesh. So in considering what to give up, I went through sweets, swearing and even meat. Admirable candidates, but none more omnipresent in my life than booze.

I have specific drinks for socializing with specific friends…

I have wine preferences for certain meals…

I have cocktails I only imbibe during certain seasons…

The list goes on and on and on. So to take one on the chin for God, I made the ultimate sacrifice. No more wine with dinner. No more beer after a long football game. Not one drop of gin in my ginger ale.

40 days later…



My fast has finally ended, and though it was an incredible struggle, I will say I learned some incredibly valuable life lessons. I have earned the ability to say no through sheer conviction. Not just to drinking, but to foods and experiences I don’t want at the time. I have learned self discipline, and I have learned the satisfaction of remaining steadfast through life’s most egregious temptations. I would say that the most difficult part of this journey would be the over-hydration from drinking tonic water instead of booze during my all night outings :-)

I’ve been more energetic, incrementally lucid, my digestive system is stronger, I make more healthy food choices and I remember everyone I meet. So why bother going back?

Have you ever had a glass of silky Bordeaux with a braised lamb shank? Or a refined quadruple with a brat?

Q.E.D.

-The UE


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