7:49pm Friday 3rd July 2009
By Denis Watkins
I see that the government are once again determined to produce a nation of invalids. Even those who are healthy are being encouraged to take very powerful drugs called statins.
Six million people take these already, the so called “cholesterol busting drug” a typically PR hype which is meaningless – and this must be wonderful for the pharmaceutical companies.
Keep pushing them on to the healthy over 50’s, the new aim, and profits will again soar. Here is something which happened to me about three years ago.
We were being visited by a cousin who has always struggled with her health. The cause has never been clear. Just a general weakness and lethargy.
One lunchtime, as she was nibbling at her last lettuce leaf, drinking some organic soya she said to me, “I am surprised that someone as intelligent as you is on such a lethal diet. You do realise you are killing yourself.”
My diet included most days, as it still does, a pint of Daioni Welsh Whole Milk (Fresh Organic) every day. I buy this in litres, mostly, and fill a large shopping bag at Brian Llewellyn’s shop and garage. Rhiannon counts what I have bought, usually re-packs it a lot neater while I buy a paper or whatever, and I then pay. She also, as a bonus which I appreciate, allows me to practice my Welsh; two or three eggs each day from our ten free range, Black Rock hens; a chunk of local organic cheese from the excellent selection in Newport Whole food Shop and I try different kinds advised by Helen; half a large bar of GREEN & BLACK’s Organic Dark 85 percent cocoa chocolate – usually from the Wholefood Shop in Newport or Fishguard; I eat lots of nuts, some dried fruit and various odds and ends. I avoid sugar which Yudkin described as “pure, white and deadly”.
#I eat when I am hungry, often not till the afternoon.
# I drink lots of tea and, quite early, a large cup of organic coffee made entirely with milk.
I eat some fruit and some vegetables which are organic and we grow ourselves.
Some fish. Organic whole meal bread made in a bread machine. I don’t smoke, drink some alcohol, usually whisky – again from Brian Llewellyn's shop.
Lots of exercise; a couple of hours most days with my dog, rowing, paddling my kayak, chopping logs (I enjoy that) and recently horse riding with Carolyn Morgan at the Crosswell Riding Agency just across the field from us.
No pills vitamin, calcium or aspirin. My view is that vitamins work if they are in combination with other vitamins and minerals in food.
Of course, I could see why our friend was concerned. This diet is the opposite of what is still being advised.
I had just returned from a two hour walk up round Carnedd Meibion Owen. The irony was that our friend could hardly struggle up a flight of stairs to lie down for her after noon rest.
Later that afternoon she said to Daphne, for the best of reasons, that “Denis is eating a terrible diet and his skin is ‘yellow’. Are you not worried?”
The only time I was deeply depressed, unable to walk more than a half mile and then with painful thighs, was when I ate what the government recommended as the perfect diet and started, via my GP and again on government advice, taking statins.
That was two years before the episode I have just described. I will say more about that soon; write about the research in the books I discovered that saved me, tell you about the reaction of our friend when I offered her one of these books.
The reason for the rather tiresome descriptions of my diet, the sources of it, the need to be active is simply that what I am saying is the opposite to what you have been led to believe.
The result is millionaire diet gurus, (often with Dr stuck on their name without having the inconvenience of studying for a medical degree); billionaire drug company bosses, and millions of people who keep piling on the fat by following advice which ensures they cannot become slim.
In the meantime you could take a look at the following: http://nondietweightloss.blogspot.com/
More soon, including the problems of persuading anyone to look afresh at the diet industry.
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