Homestead mailing list

[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:

> Bev, you've got me confused here.  I think Lynda has already
> mentioned some of this but you #1 enemy in fat world is hydrogenated
> oils.  Deadly heart attack bait, that.   I know in our past we've
> been indoctrinated with the mantra that vegetable fats are good and
> animal fats are not, but it has not porved to be the case.
>
> Lard (natural, not the hydrogenated abomination in the grocery store)
> and butter are far, far healthier than Crisco in any form.
>
> James

Yeah, I know what you mean about animal fats, but I don't have a way to
get real lard or real butter.  My tendency is to believe that all is
good in moderation with a balanced diet, but that is if you have good
health/in balance to start with.  I am out of shape, overweight, and
have complicating health issues-pretty much all of my own making from
self neglect and self abuse for the past three decades.  I need to take
drastic action to get back to center.  I did not take as much action as
I should have/could have, but I took a minimalist/moderate path, making
only small sustainable changes in my diet and lifestyle, not adhering to
some prescribed low-lipid diet.  Maybe my thinking was skewed on that,
but that was my plan.  I'm eating whole grains, adding in more and more
fruits and veggies, cutting back dairy(and I do love my cheese), etc.
Once I get down to where I need to be, at a good weight with good
cholesterol and triglyceride numbers, I think maintaining that will be
easy because I will have developed new good habits, and then, with that
balance, if I eat catheads made with lard and real butter for breakfast
everyday(that sounds super good to me right now!!!) I think my body will
be fine and I'll be able to handle that...but right now...probably not...
James, I like to bowl-haven't done it in years, but I enjoyed it when I
could do it.  I'm not a great bowler, but I didn't suck at it.  When I
was pregnant with Subson, we went bowling and my center of gravity was
off and I fell and slid about a third of the way down the oiled lane.
It was one of those things that embarrasses the hell out of you and you
hope no one saw but everyone not only saw, but came running to make sure
the beached orca was okay....lol..  I hope the analogy makes my point. I
can hook a ball with the best of them, but right now, I am pregnant, and
until I get back to normal, back to where I should be, I need to modify
my behavior.  I did not want to have to take more medication than I
already take so that alone was motivation to get my numbers down.

When I say that I subbed vegetable fats for animal fats, I really wasn't
talking about margarine and butter.  One of my favorite snacks used to
be potato chips with sour cream and onion dip.  Now, instead of sour
cream or using fat free sour cream, I have taken to eating tortillas
with guacamole(avocados, tomato salsa, onion, cilantro, radish, lime
juice).  With that snack, I eliminated the dairy...eliminated the fried
chips, and subbed whole grain tortillas with an all veggie dip/spread.
That is the kind of substitution I have made.  Instead of eating toast
with butter/margarine, I skip the fat altogether and just add jam.  I
temporarily gave up bleu cheese dressing for homemade Italian using red
wine vinegar and EVOO and spices.  Instead of beef tacos, I eat chicken
tacos and instead of cheese, I garnish with radishes and corn based
salsa.   I still eat cheese, but only as part of a casserole or
something, and I have cut back on the amount of cheese I use in things.

I am doing these things not because cheese, meat, and dairy are bad-I
don't believe that for a minute...what I am doing is trying to find
balance again in my diet.  Ironically, I am actually enjoying the new
flavors and foods of a substituted diet.  It is a feel good drug and it
builds on itself.  I'd rather drink water than Coke(pop/soda) now....who
would have thunk it?  When I finally reach my goal, when I am where I
need to be, when I am physically centered, then I will start to slowly
add things back. Right now though, I'm not going to kick myself if I
drink a coke or eat some cottage cheese or pig out on yogurt, but I've
just gotta learn some moderation.

Am I clearing it up or muddying it up?<g>

B

PS.  Marie, I have had more than one container of Crisco to go rancid.
I only use it for two things-biscuits and dumplings.  I used to buy the
smallest container and it would still go bad.  Now, I buy shortening in
sticks, like fat sticks of butter.  It comes in packs of 3 sticks.  I
put two sticks in the freezer and one stick inside a mason jar in the
fridge.  I keep it in the foil to protect it from light, and the sealed
mason jar locks out the air.  It works great...



--
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public
debt  should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered
and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed
lest Rome become bankrupt.  People must again learn to work, instead of
living on public assistance."

--Cicero, 55 BC
http://erthnsky.blogspot.com/