Where Did All The Fat Go?

Never mind the flavour...

While visiting friends yesterday we were discussing the merits of fat. Of course like all good topics we came to it via a round about way. With all the current upheaval in the world, we realized that in our village we could be self-sufficient. Or at least partly so.

Most of us have big backyards ( our homes were farms in the days gone by ) and Bob and I could keep cows and chickens and while our friends could keep pigs. Yes, we were edging in on the fat debate. Nowadays, pigs are too slender. There is not enough belly fat on them and curing ham or such delicacies is far from easy.

During the last World War, having a few pigs made you a wealthy person. A pig could keep the hunger at bay during lean spells. In German a pig is often called a Lucky Pig ( Glücksschwein ) and now I know why.

Too fat or not too fat...where did this craze of not eating fat start? Even the pigs reared nowadays are almost fat-less! Take people today and see where they manage to consume fat?:

• Most drink low fat or fat free milk. Just seeing movies scenes of people ordering at Starbucks with all those finicky orders of non-fat latte ( why bother? ), soy fat free milk, half-fat latte...oh just get over it and order a plain coffee & milk!
• Yoghurts are a mean tasting fat free affair and if they only would know how much hidden rubbish is in the fat free variety in order to add flavour that they took out along with the fat!
• Most people eschew butter as if it is a drug. Only now and again do they break down and have a smidgen, which they repent by jumping on their treadmills etc.
• Meat with fat on it is trimmed down oh so quickly and salads are often ordered without dressing because they fear a touch of oil...
• Anything extra is all available in the fat free variety and most fall for it.

Well, here is my opinion not based on any scientific facts but on my common sense. This diet craze of fat free everything has made some stay slender but let's be honest, no fat equals dry leathery skin! Yes, the dreaded wrinkles. A woman in her 40's who has viewed fat as the enemy during her 20's & 30's has a different skin than a woman who didn't. We can't all go to the plastic surgeon and have fat injections. So much easier doing it fun and pleasant way... Eating fat.

The irony is that everybody needs fat in their diet to stay healthy. Fat keeps everything running smoothly and unless you eat junk food ( which is the true enemy ) your body will stay in shape.

Apart from anything else, there is nothing better than:

• ...having a freshly baked piece of bread with lashings of butter on it.
• ...using cream instead of milk in your coffee.
• ...eating a double cream plain yoghurt with a drop of honey. A joghurt so thick that your spoon can stand up in it.
• ...a few scoops ( definitely more than 2 ) of properly made full cream ice cream.
• ...eating the crackling on top of the roast pork. Proper crackling that makes loud crunching noises when you eat it. No sneaking there. Everyone knows who has the crackling...

Biggi

Amazon.com:The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet