Stephen McAteer - Stephen McAteer

Yes, bacon really is killing us

Processed meat – it’s not good for you.

“The WHO advised that consuming 50g of processed meat a day – equivalent to just a couple of rashers of bacon or one hotdog – would raise the risk of getting bowel cancer by 18% over a lifetime. (Eating larger amounts raises your risk more.)”

Yes, bacon really is killing us

The long read: Decades’ worth of research proves that chemicals used to make bacon do cause cancer. So how did the meat industry convince us it was safe?

Source: www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/01/bacon-cancer-processed-meats-nitrates-nitrites-sausages

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Mediterranean diet as good as vegetarian for a healthy heart

This piece in the Times suggests that a Mediterranean diet is as good for vascular health as going vegetarian:

Mediterranean diet as good as vegetarian for a healthy heart

There is no need to fill your freezer with chickpea burgers and quorn sausages to protect your heart against disease, a trial suggests. Sticking to a Mediterranean diet, which includes a modest…

Source: www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/mediterranean-diet-good-as-vegetarian-for-a-healthy-heart-5x2f9hzjd

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Low Carb / High Fat Diet

I recently read a book by Dr. Aseem Maholtra – “The Pioppi Diet“. In it he explains the science behind his recommended diet: low carb / high fat.

He cites various studies which point to our high intake of refined carbs and sugar being the cause of vascular disease and the diabetes epidemic. He reckons this type of diet will improve your glucose and lipid numbers. Insulin resistance is also reduced.

One reputed adherent of the low refined carb diet is Queen Elizabeth II. She seems to be in good shape for her age so there might be something in it. (She does like cake though, apparently.)

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Simple Bread Recipe

This recipe works with spelt, rye and wholemeal flour. You can hand-knead for 10 minutes or use a stand mixer like I do.

Ingredients
=========
Strong white flour 100g
Rye, wholemeal or spelt flour 500g
Olive oil 50ml
Salt 10g
Instant yeast 10g
Water, lukewarm 300ml

Method
======
Mix all the ingredients in a stand mixer for 2 minutes at number 2 power setting or hand-knead for about 10 minutes
Cover and leave to prove for an hour at room temperature
Roll the dough into a ball then press down lightly to form a slightly flatter shape (Flour the work surface and your hands first)
Put the dough ball onto a baking tray with some greaseproof paper underneath it
Heat oven to 50°C and put the dough in for an hour
Remove the dough from the oven
Heat oven to 210°C and bake the loaf for 30 minutes
Remove and leave to cool

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Antibiotic Resistance / Farming

George Monbiot has a good piece in today’s Guardian about antibiotic resistance and farming in the USA and elsewhere. According to this article, antibiotic use is more prevalent and less strictly regulated in America, which is a bad thing for all of us:

Resist a US trade deal. Your life may depend on it | George Monbiot

We cannot trust our government to fight America’s disgusting farming practices. Unless we mobilise, US livestock pumped full of antibiotics will harm us all, writes Guardian columnist George Monbiot

Source: www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/14/us-trade-deal-government-farming-practices-livestock-antibiotics

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Quorn

This article in yesterday’s Guardian is largely negative about Quorn and other meat substitutes. The main thrust of their argument seems to be that Quorn is an ultra-processed food and therefore not good. I tend to agree which is why I don’t eat it any more but it’s still better than killing animals:

The Quorn revolution: the rise of ultra-processed fake meat

It was reported last week that Quorn is on course to become a billion-dollar business. It is part of a booming industry of meat alternatives – but many of these products are a far cry from the idea of a natural, plant-based diet

Source: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/feb/12/quorn-revolution-rise-ultra-processed-fake-meat

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Easy Sauce for Dal or Chickpea Curry

Ingredients

*Per person*:
Olive oil – quite a bit
1/2 onion
1/2 a pepper
2 cloves garlic
Half-thumb-sized piece of ginger
Salt to taste
Turmeric – ½ teaspoon
Ground coriander – teaspoon
Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
Chilli flakes – to taste or omit if you prefer
Passata – about half a mugful
Water to thin sauce
½ a lemon or lime, juiced

=====================================

Method
Finely chop (Or you can use a MagiMix) the onion, garlic, pepper and grate the ginger, then sautee gently in the oil for 5-10 mins
Stir in all the spices & salt
Add the passatta
Add the water
Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add the chickpeas or pre-cooked lentils & allow to heat if cold
Add the lemon or lime juice
Serve

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Livestock Farming and Antibiotic Resistance

Some interesting facts in this article on livestock and antibiotic resistance:

Pneumonia, tuberculosis, and salmonellosis are already showing increasing resistance to antibiotic treatment
It’s estimated that up to 90 percent of antibiotics consumed by animals are excreted
Use of antibiotics for livestock greatly exceeds that of uses for humans
Antibiotic use in livestock farming is lowest in Norway, and also low in Finland, Sweden and Denmark — high-income nations with effective regulation

Read it yourself here:

How do we reduce antibiotic resistance from livestock? – Our World in Data

This blog post draws on data and research discussed in our entry on Meat and Seafood Production & Consumption.

Source: ourworldindata.org/antibiotic-resistance-from-livestock

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Ivory campaigner found dead at home.

Esmond Bradley Martin, 75, was found with a stab wound to his neck at home in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Full story here / Wiki Tribune:

Key figure in fight against ivory trade found dead

British man was a colourful and important contributor to preservation of elephants

Source: www.wikitribune.com/story/2018/02/05/africa/kenya/key-figure-in-fight-against-ivory-trade-found-dead/46658/

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Amazon Delivering Live Lobsters.

From today’s Sunday Times:
“Amazon is marketing live lobsters for home delivery, meaning the creatures spend days in a box as couriers drive them around the country.”

Link to original article (Paywall):

Amazon delivers ordeal for lobsters

Amazon is marketing live lobsters for home delivery, meaning the creatures spend days in a box as couriers drive them around the country. The Canadian creatures sell for £46.49 each, including…

Source: www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/amazon-delivers-ordeal-for-lobsters-37j28fwcr

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