It’s holiday time and so to explore the most unhealthy meal ever?
Forget UPFs this is serious.
(in case anyone reads this I am being ironic..the food IS healthy)
Imagine you are in a nice holiday restaurant,
say on one of the countries bordering the Mediterranean sea.
On the table are some fresh olives and wild mushrooms in an extra-virgin olive oil
vinegar, garlic and thyme vinaigrette and some fresh cod-roe taramasalata too.
You choose the clams in white wine and parsley as a starter and the grilled sardine for your main meal
All served with fresh flatbreads and ad-libitum green salad .. and of course, naturally, some wine to wash it down.
OMG! ( does anyone say that nowadays?) are you mad? You are signing your own death warrant, think about your cholesterol levels, after all that's why you are on statins.
Yes, I choose this particular meal for a reason:
Firstly it is an exemplar of the ‘healthy’ med-diet and it is a meal that I could plausibly present as an exemplar. It has oily fish, extra virgin olive oil, is high in protein and low in carbs. No animal fats and no processed foods. Plus green veg and wine!
Secondly I choose it as a meal as high in cholesterol and cholesterogenic foodstuffs that I could imagine without becoming taste-wise implausible.
Basically, oily fish, fish eggs and seafood such as prawns, mussels, clams, calamari are the top three foods for the levels of cholesterol. Also, (sorry vegans) extra virgin olive oil and mushrooms contain squalene and ergosterol respectively which are quickly converted to cholesterol by the body ( = cholesterogenic) .
So, healthy or deadly?
Luckily you are on holiday somewhere sunny so some of this circulating cholesterol in your bloodstream is being converted to vitamin D by the action of sunlight on your reddening skin and equally luckily you take statins to lower blood cholesterol.
Pity those poor locals who don’t know what risks they are taking.Enjoy
ps Don't get me started on that lamb's liver and wild mushroom casserole on the Autumn menu.
