It's Not What You Eat But When You Eat It

Like many women I'm usually drawn to reading articles about diets. Over the years I've tried a few such as the grapefruit diet (brought me out in a rash), the banana and milk diet (never ate a banana again for years) and the 'little and often' diet which made me hungrier as the day progressed.

As I become older weight seems to creep on overnight and doesn't shift during daytime activities as it did even just a few years ago. Although I've reduced portion size because I'm less active than I was when younger and chasing my tail round in never ending circles, there's little reduction in my weight.

The Salk Institute is one of the world's preeminent basic research institution and it's worth noting the results of the many disciplines they research.

We were brought up with 'regular' meals; breakfast around 8am, lunch around 12.30pm and tea no later than 6pm. That's a 10 hour eating cycle.  Today many people don't eat their evening meal until at least 7pm and thereby reduce the fasting time, the length of which appears to be the prominent aspect of this research.

If an 8 hour food cycle - resulting in a 16 hour fast - results in a 28% reduction in weight compared with mice who were given access to the same food over a 24 hour period, and showed no ill effects, then it's worth revising my eating times.

When I retired from full-time work I started to eat breakfast - something I never did all my working life.  Maybe that's why the extra few pounds has crept on.  Because I enjoy my main meal of the day in the early evening and in the good cause of research, for the next month I'll omit my usual toast (or poached egg on toast at weekends) and start my eating day with a light lunch. That should make my daily fasting be around 17 hours.  I've no intention of changing what I eat but just when I eat it.

Then, of course, I'll email my results to the Salk Institute!

source

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The Answer To 'Disgusting' Sandwiches

A Police Federation report, called Lessons From the Front Line, asked officers how they coped during the summer riots. More than 8,500 responded to the federation's request for information and one of the most mentioned concerns was the poor quality of sandwiches on offer.  Fillings like tuna, chicken and egg had 'limited shelf life' and exposed our protectors to the risk of food poisoning. Others complained the fillings were poor.

Surely some of these officers must have been seconded from Lothian and Borders Police, who feel sandwiches deserve high priority.  They used a 45 page document to detail their request for sandwiches, crisps and a drink in its recent tender specification.

Who writes this nonsense? Is it some equalities department which has to substantiate their large salaries?

Lothian and Borders force insists that officers will need a baguette measuring 11 inches (photo) and containing one of the 17 fillings outlined, a 34.5g packet of crisps and mineral water supplied from Scottish wells or springs. The healthy eating lobby won't be happy to know that only 25% of the baguettes are to compose of brown bread.  Not a mention of wholemeal in sight.


A Scot, Dr George McGavin, has solved the problem (a must-watch video) and perhaps saved the treasury a few thousand pounds too.

If they're good enough for the military - albeit the US military at present - surely they're good enough for our police?  They sound rather good to me although I hope the filling isn't only strawberry jam. Reminds me too much of my childhood when 'jeelie pieces' (jam sandwiches) that filled the corners of a child's stomach between meals, consisted of home made strawberry or raspberry jam - no butter of course.  When my mother was short of a few pennies - which was often - our sandwiches composed of sugar sprinkled on an exceedingly scant layer of buttered bread.  We were always reminded by my father that butter was very expensive although was needed in the interests of 'science'.

Maybe that's when my interest in chemistry and other related sciences developed along with my interest in politics. One has survived - nay thrived - and the other is responsible for much of my cynical outlook.

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Food Glorious Food

Official research for the Scottish government has found that 36% of Scots have no idea what food is in season and when.

In order to educate the ignorant hoi polloi shops, chefs, restaurant owners and householders are all being urged to embrace seasonal fruit and vegetables as part of a new campaign dubbed 'Eat in Season'.

Richard Lochhead, the rural affairs minister said in-season food was often cheaper and tastier.  I would agree but only because there is a greengrocer in town.  Supermarkets can claim their fruit and vegetables are fresh but how do they define fresh?  I've been doing a wee experiment of my own over the past few months.  In the salad drawers of my fridge I have had some of my home grown apples and some supermarket apples.  They were placed there in September.  My tasty home grown fruit lasted nearly four weeks.  The supermarket bought fruit is still in the fridge but showing signs of 'shrivel' rather than decay.  They'll be fine for a glass of apple juice though.

Because my home grown apples rotted much quicker than the shop bought ones doesn't prove that they weren't as fresh as commercially grown fruit, but it does prove that commercially grown fruit is treated in some way to delay rot. In the past I've usually relied upon the appearance of food to convey it's freshness but no longer.

More seriously, why are so many people unaware of seasonal produce? Surely our schools should be teaching children the food and nutrition basics or are they too pre-occupied with sex, alcohol and other social issues? It would be easy to encourage children to visit this site and they would find out within minutes.

However, I do have some sympathy with those who do their best to education Scots in fresh, seasonal food because most of us now buy at supermarkets - many have no choice.  Also in winter the lure of a fish supper or a take-away curry can be too much.

I would like to think Mr Lochhead's project did make us aware of our 'seasonal larder' but I have my doubts.

Edward sent me this little tale. Has much changed?



It must be over 35 years ago because it was just before we married. I
was up in Glasgow and my soon-to-be wife sent me out for some shopping, including green beans. 


The nearest shop was a substantial Co-op. Looking at the
rather tattered, tired selection of veg, I asked an assistant,

"Do you have any green beans?"

"Do you mean Heinz* Beans, son?"  (Pronounced Heenz)

"No, green ones, fresh ones"

"This is Knightswood no' Hollywood".

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What a Great Idea

If you live near Wittersham Church of England Primary School in Kent you could have a two course lunch plus a drink for £3.  Produce is sourced locally and cooked on the premises but be warned, even although the plates are plastic and the seats far more suited to small bums, there's a two week waiting list so reservations are essential.

The Back to School Dinners scheme was the brainchild of two dinner ladies and as well as keeping their local community well fed, it has kept them in employment.  The kitchen faced closure and their jobs were on the line.  Judith Thornton, head teacher of the 127-pupil school explains: "We are only a small school and until recently the kitchen served another school as well as ours.  When that changed we found ourselves with a problem.  We needed to break even, so we put a flyer in the village magazine asking if people were interested in coming here for a school dinner and the response was immediate.  For many it's a way to turn back the clock 60 years."

Some of the regulars have children or grandchildren at the school but many are just local older people who enjoy a good meal and the company of children.  The reporter shared a table with chatty five-year-old Sara who said, "It's really good talking to the old people.  They tell me about what they used to do and I tell them about what I did on holiday."

What a great idea isn't it.  Children learn eating can be a social event and locals are guaranteed a slap-up meal.  It's a win win situation and I congratulate the school for their entrepreneurship. 

Source:  Daily Mirror

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