proof is in the pudding
November 30, 2011There’s been a cheeky photo comparison circulating the internet, comparing these two food-obsessed ladies: Gillian McKeith (age 51) and Nigella Lawson (6 months off 51)
Here’s another pic …a little cruel really:
Gillian McKeith: mostly-Vegetarian health “guru”, and host of UK TV series You Are What You Eat, big on mung beans, raw vegetables, “superfoods” and poo analysis, vegetable oils and foods loaded with pro-inflammatory PUFAs (polyunsaturated fats; nuts, seeds, grains, legumes), rice milk, soy milk, “health bars”, rigorous exercise and all manner of supplements. Low-fat and cholesterol-free all the way.
Nigella Lawson: celebrity cook, loves full-fat dairy, butter, chocolate, lamb shanks, prawns, cheese, sweet fruits, custard, jellies, pâté and plenty of salt. She also takes immense pleasure in eating and preparing food, relishes in sleeping-in and takes inspiration from recreating traditional recipes passed down to her from her mother and grandmother.
Although it’s a bit of a nasty attack at poor wrinkled Gillian, it’s actually a perfect example of the physical result of two very contrasting diets. Yes indeed: You are what you eat. But even more than that, consider the bigger picture; you also are what your parents ate. Epigenetics (the study of heritable changes in gene expression) explores the connection between our bodies, our DNA and the food that connects both to the outside world, and how the dietary and lifestyle choices we make affects gene expression.
Nigella exemplifies what Dr Catherine Shanahan describes as ‘genetic wealth‘ in her book Deep Nutrition, and that outer beauty, facial symmetry and structure is directly correlated to health, proper organ function and well-ordered growth; all a result of optimal nutrition. “Beauty is not incidental, not an accident of fate“. Malformed asymetric features with poor collagen structure, crowded teeth, lack of general ‘radiance’ and premature ageing … all the things we perceive to be ‘unattractive’ are the result of nutritional deprivation, and a loss of epigenetic programming.
In the 70’s, Dr Marquardt studied great works of art, sculptures of ‘beautiful’ subjects and the ‘rules of beauty’ in architecture to find a common link, and that link was mathematics, connected to gene expression. Famous Dentist Weston A Price found on his journeys to remote indigenous populations around the world that those with the best teeth, wide jaw structure, broad-set eyes and overall most striking facial appearance, were also the most robustly healthy and fertile, devoid of cavities, cancer and the common cold. These people all predominantly ate (for generations and generations) naturally “organic” animal products including offal, fresh fruits, unfluoridated water, whole dairy and/or bone broth, sea foods if accessible (particularly shellfish), and the majority of their fats were saturated. No culture was vegetarian, had rice milk, flaxseed oil or muesli bars.
See a previous post where I explain the link between wrinkling, cellulite and collagen break-down with components found in bone-broth and gelatin here.
Not only is what we eat important when considering our immediate health and ultimate longevity, but even more so, for the health of your off-spring: girls, you have the ability to either suppress or normalise the genetic expression you will pass onto your future babies. General health as well as facial degeneration develop from poor nutrition; the effects so powerful it can be seen in the space of a single generation. Pre-conception nutrition is so so important. Get onto it ASAP!
I’m by no means saying that Nigella’s diet is “ideal”, she is definitely more than just a wee bit ‘rotund’ due to too many cupcakes, bread puddings and other thyroid-supressing floury treats, but just consider how the effects of her staple ingredients, the butter, eggs, milk, cheese etc., all interestingly ‘pro-thyroid’ foods (those shunned by Ms McKeith and most other conventional, politically-correct health ‘nuts’) are so blatantly reflected in her undeniable beauty. And due to her genetics, from generations of home-cooking ladies, her excess weight goes to all the right places (this is also no coincidence) making her the classic ‘hourglass’ – 2005 London study showed that ‘Apples’ had double the mortality of ‘Hourglass’ shaped-women, and this is linked to genetics also. No wonder she’s dubbed the “Domestic Goddess”.
To make the most of your genetic potential and give your offspring the best start to life, the dietary solution is very much person-specific (dependant on you and your parents’ health background, the level of metabolic ‘damage’ you’ve inherited and created, and the symptoms you present with), but the general idea is to get back to more traditional foods and ditch the sad rabbit food, packaged pseudo-health-foods, and the other obvious non-food junk foods of course.
Age and reproduce beautifully.
12 Responses to “proof is in the pudding”
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Hi Emma
This question may seem unrelated to the above post, but I followed the link in this post to the bone broth gelatin article and was wondering where to buy fish carcass?
Also, can you tell me where one can buy wild caught fresh salmon(in Sydney) that isn’t farmed from Tasmania? I buy wild caught Alaskan tinned salmon, but would prefer to eat fresh salmon, what are your thoughts on tinned salmon by the way?
Thanks for this interesting article. I feel for Gillian being compared to a beauty such as Nigella..I had no idea they were practically the same age.
thanks
Geraldine
Hi Geraldine: contact [email protected] for wild salmon,
and for fish carcasses just go to your local fish shop; they’ll have them out the back and usually just throw them away – ask for the carcasses of wild fish. David Jones Food Hall also stocks a good range of fresh fish.
Tinned canadian salmon is an OK back-up, not ideal but still better than tinned tuna.
I know; poor Gillian – but an important warning to those ardent vegetarians (vegans more so) and the physical effects of eating this way.
Thanks Emma, really enjoyed the article 🙂
LOVE this blog post, Emma!
I read Deep Nutrition earlier this year, and it’s just about the only thing my uni studies (Masters in Human Nutrition) have correlated positively with. Unfortunately, the majority of our syllabus seems outdated and politically informed (can you believe they’re still preaching the evils of saturated fats?!)
The science of epigenetics, however, is fascinating. I think it will definitely come to play a more central role in nutrition wisdom in the coming years.
Keep up the good work!
Hi Emma
With the bone broth, why do you discard the fat that rises to the top and solidifies? I always eat the fat. Can you also keep it for cooking, like lard?
Elizabeth: you can definitely keep the fat of a beef / lamb broth and use it (tallow) although if it’s been a long-brew, the fats will be somewhat damaged. I prefer to discard if before I use it (lift if off when it’s cooled) and replace it with a more highly saturated fat like coconut oil. In the case of chicken broth I always recommend removing the fat: chicken fat is more unsaturated and this will have oxidised by this point. If you’re making a chicken stew though, just add a little additional coconut oil; this acts like an anti-oxidant in protecting the other more delicate fats. In general though limit poultry to once a fortnight if you do have it.
Thanks Emma love the post. I’m questioning what my parents have gifted me? And what I’ll be passing on. Definately more happy now I know there is a place for bread and butter pudding and lamb shanks.
Thanks Adam: it’s evident your parents passed on genes of the handsome-superhero kind ; ) Little Harris is lucky! Enjoy your lamb shanks (grass-fed) … just maybe swap the bread and butter pudding for a bowl of cherries! x
Or a bowl of strawberries and raw cream – delicious!
Emma – great post yet again. Thanks for such an informative blog!
I’ve been anxiously awaiting news on your recipe book since you mentioned working on it in a previous post. Any news?
Hi Catherine,
Yes, cookbook out very soon! Been a mammoth project. In final edit stage… hopefully out before Christmas. Will keep you posted!
Hi Emma 🙂
Really interesting post. I’d be very interested in a cook book of yours too!
Take care
Lorien