Your Meat is Worse Than Ever, Quick Weight Loss Pill, Let’s Double the Number of People on Statins, and More in Today’s Monday Morning Mix-Up 11/18/2013

OK real foodies, I have to tell you what Kent and I had when we went out for dinner Friday night at the Green Well in Grand Rapids.  First we shared a really good salad with avocados, peas, asparagus, cucumbers, broccoli, arugula, local raw milk sharp cheddar, and an herb vinaigrette – YUM.  We also shared a burger – theirs are always really good.  (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE that Kent's a foodie too and likes to share so we can try more stuff?!)  But the highlight was a Brazilian Black Bean Stew:  Black beans slow cooked with braised pork, sausages and chicken over cilantro Basmati rice, topped with a fried egg, fire roasted salsa & lime sour cream.  I took a picture of this dish to show you but it has somehow disappeared into iPhone la-la land.  The egg was a little runny and tasted so good mixed with all the other stuff, I really want to try to recreate this one but I don't think I can pull it off!  Mostly because it would be a pain to cook three meats for one dish, just like this Triple Pork Poutine (pictured) isn't something we make very often for the same reason.  Although I wouldn't have to use three meats I suppose.  If I nail it, I'll let you know and post it too, of course.

Here's what I've got for you today:

• It's bad enough that so many are on unnecessary and often debilitating statin drugs, but now, NOW they have put out new guidelines that will double the number of Americans taking cholesterol lowering drugs:  “If you're not on medicine to lower your cholesterol yet, you might be soon.  In what's being called a tectonic shift in the way doctors will treat high cholesterol, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology on Tuesday released new treatment guidelines calling for a focus on risk factors rather than just cholesterol levels.  The new guidelines could double the amount of people on medication to lower their cholesterol, experts say.  “This is an enormous shift in policy as it relates to who should be treated for high levels of cholesterol,” said Dr. Steven Nissen, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.  The biggest change from the old guidelines, he says: Ignore the numbers.” Read the entire article here.  Read more about cholesterol and the dangers to be aware of if your doc says to go on them in this post: Pushing the Lie. Or read Jimmy Moore's book, Cholesterol Clarity – What the HDL is Wrong with my Numbers?

• Need another reason to avoid mystery meat?  “Your Meat Is Worse Than Ever and No One Is Doing a Damn Thing to Fix It – Pharmaceutical companies and big agriculture work to keep antibiotics in food…  The 84-page study found that meat production in the U.S. is unsustainable, damaging to the environment, poses a serious and looming threat to public health, and the industry is purposely thwarting laws introduced to bring about change in livestock production.”   Read the whole article.
  Learn more about safe meat options here.  If you don't have a good local source, order healthy meat online here from a sponsor who I personally know and trust.  (My favorite there, though, is their big honkin' tub of beef tallow for Deep Fried Heaven –> guilt-free frying!  Booger, the big tub is out of stock, but the smaller tub is being re-stocked this afternoon, they'll likely sell out fast again.)

• Have you checked out my new and improved Resources page yet?  I'm adding stuff there all of the time, and I guarantee easy-to-find resources now!

• I just got this new pic up on my Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip post, what do you think? I'm getting a *little* better at photos, right? RIGHT?!!!

• Here's a nice article on 10 Simple Things You Can Do Today That Will Make You Happier.  Note that it mentions meditation and thankfulness but no mention of prayer, so that makes it seem a bit shallow; for me those things are prayer, so I guess it depends on where you are.

• Did you catch my posts over the weekend?  Cancer Cure: Science or Snake Oil? Hey FDA, How About You Let ME Decide! (There's a heated discussion going on over there in the comments.)  And Paleo Proponent Chris Kresser: “Dairy and Certain Grains OK for Some – Paleo is a Starting Point, Not a Destination”.

• I found something really sweet on Pinterest the other day:  Lessons I learned when you turned 100.  By the way, do you follow my boards on Pinterest yet?  I'm trying to keep more fresh stuff there these days.  🙂

• Has anyone read this book?  A friend suggested it and said, “I'm sure you are already onto the new book Grain Brain by David Perlmutter; if not…. you need to be.  It's a real Game Changer regarding gluten and it's effect on the brain.   The best thing about it is the credibility of the author and how he validates our WAPF philosophy:  eat clean fat, you need cholesterol, etc.

• If you missed the free Gluten Summit talks all last week, you can get the whole package right now for a big discount, go check that out here.  Update!  I just found out that for two more days you can watch/listen to for free!

• A reader sent me a link the other day to a “miracle pill” that you take as a supplement to lose weight, which was featured on Dr. Oz.  I'm not even mentioning the name of it because these things scare me.  How long until they'll find out that this was dangerous after all?  Isn't it common sense not to trust this type of hype?  I guess not or else it wouldn't be selling.  Oh but it's all natural.  Yeah, right.

• By the way, I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who keeps these Monday posts in mind when you see something interesting online and then email me the link.  You know the kind of random stuff I like to feature here on Mondays, so if ever you come across something juicy, please send it my way:  [email protected].  Don't assume I've seen it because I likely haven't.

• I've got another cholesterol rant in me today…  A reader sent me this article (thanks Yolanda!) that I think she intended to give me a good chuckle, but instead it got me SO ticked off, I just can't believe this crap is still being put out there as medical advice!  It was posted just a couple of months ago, but it sounds like something from 15 years ago to me!  She wrote, “For your reading enjoyment.  Good grief.  They are trying to kill us all off!”  If you think your blood pressure can take it, check out this dangerous, outdated advice.  WOW.  They even say to avoid LIVER, one of the healthiest, if not THE healthiest food on the planet!  That's a lot of exclamation points for one blurb, but I can't help it.

• Has anyone tried one of these ergonomic mice for your computer to reduce wrist strain?  Do they help?  With the amount of time I use mine, I'm wondering if I should get one. (54% off right now.)  Mice is plural for mouse, even when it comes to computer accessories, right?  🙂

• Most shocking Facebook story of the week:  A Manhattan father is being characterized by his and his estranged wife's court-appointed psychologist as unfit and “wholly incapable” of parenting, and he may end up with a more limited custodial arrangement because….are you ready for this?   When his nearly 5-year old son threw a fit because he wanted to eat at McDonalds, the father gave him a choice between “anywhere but McDonalds” or no dinner. (His son chose no dinner.).  Read the comments and add yours here.

• Yes, there are affiliate links in this post, thanks for your support reader friends!

Have a great week!