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This is the
4th in a series of occasional DietNet newsletters. [Click
here for printable version. Read previous newsletters : No
1, No 2, No
3]
Topics in this
newsletter:
The Wellington
and Manawatu WAPF chapter would like to gauge interest in a couple
of events. If anyone is interested in either a cheese making workshop,
or a Weston Price talk and potluck, or just a potluck, email
me and let me know.
Steak Tartare
Last newsletter,
I talked about the benefits of raw foods, and the fact that not
only fruit and vegetables can be eaten raw. Raw animal products
such as milk, egg yolks, fish and meat can also be highly beneficial.
I included a raw fish recipe last time and promised a raw meat recipe
this time.
Even people
who have never eaten raw meat before have commented on how tasty
and tender this is and how much they like it. Give it a try….
Serves 2-3 as
a main meal, or 6 as an entree
- About 300gms
(11oz) raw rump or fillet steak, frozen for 14 days, then thawed
(this is the weight after the fat has been cut off)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp sugar-free
American-style or Dijon mustard
- Pinch cayenne
or 2-3 drops of Tabasco or sugar-free chilli sauce
- pinch sea
salt
- 1 Tbs olive
oil
- 1 Tbs lemon
juice
- ¼
red onion, chopped
- 2 Tbs fresh
parsley
Whisk together
the egg yolk, mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, cayenne and salt
until combined. Cut the fat off the steak and cut into small pieces.
Then put into a food processor, with the onion, parsley and dressing
and pulse till mixed well together. Traditionally, the meat would
still be in small pieces, but for the beginner it’s probably
easier to eat fully minced. The texture will be a bit like raw sausage
meat.
Serve:
- Traditionally,
on a nest of salad greens, garnished chopped hard boiled eggs,
capers (if you like them) and more red onion.
- Or try a
nest of greens, the steak tartare, red onion and chopped salad
veges such as red pepper sprinkled on top, and roast root vegetables
cut small, around the outside
- As a canapé,
serve spoonfuls inside small cos (romaine) lettuce leaves
Fats – getting a bad rap again
There is a lot
of publicity these days about childhood obesity and ill health.
There are moves to have healthier foods available in schools and
to ban foods high in sugar and fat. This sounds reasonable, at first.
But read that again – foods high in sugar and fat. It’s
the fat that concerns me.
If they’re
talking about margarines, trans fats and most vegetables oils, we
can all agree that those need to be avoided at all cost. But the
reflex judgment that any food high in fat is bad is a very harmful
position.
Many “nutritionists”
seem to forget we need fat in our diet. I’m not talking about
the 1 tsp daily of fish or flax oil that many recommend, so you’re
getting your omega 3 oils. I’m talking about saturated fats.
Some of the
reasons to eat saturated fats include:
- They are
needed to maintain cell membranes, which are at least 50% saturated
fat, giving them stiffness and integrity
- They keep
our bones strong and healthy by allowing calcium to be incorporated
into them. This requires >50% of dietary fat to be saturated.
- They lower
Lp(a) a substance in the blood that indicates proneness towards
heart disease
- They enhance
the immune system
- They aid
in utilisation of essential fatty acids, and help to retain omega
3’s in the tissues
- Short &
medium chain fatty acids have anti-microbial properties and protect
against harmful micro-organisms in the digestive tract
Sadly, most
people are still frightened of saturated fats. There is still widespread
belief that saturated fats cause obesity and high cholesterol, which
in turn lead to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and many other diseases.
But is it true?
First, we can
look at the research done by Weston Price in the 1930’s. He
found that all the healthy native groups he studied, when eating
their traditional diets, ate a lot of fat, from 30-80% of calories.
Much of this was animal fat. Obesity and heart disease were uncommon.
Second, we can
see that over the past 100 years, obesity and heart disease have
increased. But saturated fat intake has decreased. What we ARE eating
more of is sugars, grains, and vegetables oils – especially
processed ones.
Some recent
studies that were expected to prove the dangers of diets high in
fat, such as Dr Atkins’, have instead shown the opposite.
Some scientists are starting to admit that maybe he had a point.
But others are still saying that maybe saturated fats are not as
bad as we thought, while still not admitting that they are actually
needed.
Dr Diana Schwarzbein,
who has worked extensively with diabetes patients, has found that
the low fat diet commonly recommended for diabetes doesn’t
work. But when her patients started eating more protein and saturated
fat, they started to get better. Her book, The
Schwarzbein Principle, is an interesting read.
Don't fall for
the generalization that fats are bad, and don't let children be
deprived of a macronutrient that’s vital for good health.
Don’t deprive yourself. Speak up when others badmouth saturated
fats, and let’s see a more balanced discussion about them
take place.
We all have
individual needs for fat, and are suited to different fats, but
in general, good fats to eat include:
- Butter,
lard and other animal fats
- Coconut
and palm oils
- Extra virgin
olive oil
- Small amounts
of fish, fish liver or flax oils
Fats to avoid
include:
- Margarines
and table spreads
- Any highly
processed fat
- Any fat
that could be rancid (eg. vegetable oils that haven’t been
cold pressed, foods deep fried in vegetable oils, fats in most
processed foods)
- Most vegetable
oils, as they disturb the Omega 3 vs Omega 6 balance
For a more in
depth look at the role of fats in the body, and which fats are good
to eat, see the fats page.
Emotional
Freedom Technique (EFT)
Many of you
will have heard of EFT, maybe
through Dr Mercola’s site. Although it’s not directly
a whole food topic, it can support your whole food eating habits
in a number of ways, by:
- Reducing
cravings and addictions
- Neutralising
the emotions that lead to overeating
- Helping deal
with feelings of being deprived
- Dealing with
allergies or food intolerances (in conjunction with someone who
can test you)
EFT
is also invaluable in other areas of your life. Gary Craig, the
founder, says to try it on everything. It has helped people with
stress, anxiety, fears and phobias, trauma, anger, relationship
issues, headaches and other pains, asthma, sports performance, sitting
exams, goal setting, and many other physical and emotional issues.
The theory behind
EFT is that all emotional upsets
are caused by disturbances in the body's energy system. Correct
the disturbance, and the emotional upset evaporates. This doesn't
mean that we don't feel any emotion, rather that we have a tool
that can neutralise excessive emotion.
In EFT,
you gently tap on points on your face and trunk to correct the energy
imbalances. Some of the advantages EFT has over other therapies
are:
- It’s
a simple technique you can use with a practitioner, or on your
own
- It’s
easy to learn
- No need for
lengthy or distressing counseling sessions
- Can clear
many emotional upsets, even long standing ones, in minutes
- Usually rapid,
long lasting and gentle.
- No drugs
or equipment involved.
- Often works
where nothing else will.
To learn how
to use EFT, you can download
a manual from Gary Craig’s website or purchase his video sets,
learn direct from a practitioner, or attend a workshop. There are
several practitioners in New Zealand now, and about 5 trainers.
For more details, see my EFT
page.
New radio show
Bari
Caine, the WAPF Invercargill chapter leader, has a new local
radio show!
Traditional
Food for Well-being, on Radio Southland 96.4 FM
Every Thursday morning at 9:30 to 10:00 AM (repeating on Sundays
at 2:00 PM)
Based on Nourishing
Traditions and Weston A. Price dietary guidelines. Topics will include:
o Preparing
delicious recipes from the " Nourishing
Traditions" book by Sally Fallon
o Traditional food, from field to table!
o Real Butter vs. Margarine - what you should know!
o Supporting our sustainable farmers and food producers!
o Soil Health ==> Animal & Crop Health ==> Our Health!
o Our Precious Drinking Water!
o Using Natural Sweeteners
o The Fourfold Path to Healing
o and much, much more!
If you’re
in Southland, please tune in, and tell your friends.
People who live
outside the Southland area can request that their local community
station run the show: see http://www.acab.org.nz/
for affiliated stations.
Audios of
Bari's show are also available online at: http://www.organiclifestyle.net/.
Resources
Useful
pages on DietNet:
Health
Coaching:
Email
me or read more if you or anyone
you know is interested in:
- Individualised
nutritional coaching (whole foods, metabolic typing, food intolerances)
– can be in person or by email
- Emotional
Freedom Techniques sessions
- Kinesiology
- Reiki
Recommended
Books:
Support
these NZ websites:
Other
resources:
Weston
A Price Foundation
To contact
your nearest WAPF chapter leader: click
here for the latest list
To your continued
good health, and until next time,
Deb
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