I know what's good for me

I gave up watching TV several years ago simply because the condescending vacuousness on display set my teeth on edge. So-called 'science' programmes that only showed a limited side of the story and ignored the bits that didn't fit. 'Documentaries' that described unproven postulations as incontrovertible facts which happened to be fashionable at the time. New ice age? That was the big bad bogeyman of the 1970's before Warble Gloaming. Bacon and Eggs, another dietary time bomb that was going to kill us all, now exonerated.

There is a line in Woody Allens comedy 'Sleeper' where a character explains that scientists of their age had discovered that all the health food junkies had it wrong, and all the stuff that was thought bad for you was actually good. Now scientific studies indicate that Red Wine is good for you, as is dark chocolate, sex and laughter. So are regular small doses of sunshine and exercise in the fresh air. Physical risk stimulates and destresses us. Red meat and high protein stuff isn't half so bad as we're told, and there's a school of thought that suggests fat isn't the mass killer some have posited, likewise salt.

High exercise and low protein however, don't look so wonderful. Anyone remember the guy who started the jogging craze? Keeled over from a premature heart attack. Can't remember his name. The woman who was always exhorting everyone to 'go veggie'? Linda McCartney. She didn't make old bones. There are many other such examples. A diet high in starches and suchlike which has been advocated by many doesn't seem to be the answer because the 'healthy eating' faction are still complaining there are too many fat people. Could the real answer be that their diets are packed with corn starch and syrup in convenience foods? Just saying. is all.

I think I'll stick to moderation; a little Beer, a little wine, Whiskey, the odd steak, plenty of fruit, moderate exercise, and bursting into fits of laughter at the stupidity of deluded politicians as often as possible. Well, that's my telegram from the reigning monarch assured.

Smirk.