#406 The Recipe

#406 The Recipe

Couple of new studies out this week. Absorb them quickly, because the opposites are sure to emerge before you can run out and get the ingredients for the magic potion that will extend your life, prevent Alzheimer's, reduce your risk of cancer and not damage your heart or raise your blood pressure.

First off, just living raises your blood pressure unless you spend most of your waking hours meditating -- i.e. sleeping.

Then, you have to remember a couple of the more recent studies of coffee consumption. It lowers your cholesterol, if you believe one, and raises it if you believe another.

The two studies are about salt and red wine. The former isn't as bad for your heart as we've been hearing for the last 40 years. The latter covers the rest of the ground.

And there are the egg studies. Eggs either are good for you or bad for you. Depends on the study. Milk helps you lose weight, or it doesn't -- depending on which study you believe.

So here's the recipe. Get a bottle of red wine. Chill. Pour a glass. Get a box of salt. (Iodized is better. Really.) Then pour some salt into the wine, stir and drink. Repeat as needed.

There. Two simple and potentially inexpensive ingredients and you've immunized yourself against all kinds of bad things. Tastes awful. Maybe add a little sugar. (Stay away from the artificial sweeteners. Not healthy. And don't be making any cell phone calls while drinking. And don't hang out under high-tension wires while drinking.)

A simple concoction that will protect you against all the stuff you fear.

Six months from now, someone will have a new study that proves that the first study was wrong. The salt industry does not have a lobby. The wine industry does. So THAT study will not be refuted. In fact, behind the scenes, you can bet there's a furious effort underway trying to figure out some health benefit. Why should red have all the good luck?

Makes you wonder what's in the research pipeline. Are they going to figure out that eating five servings of fruit per day causes warts? Probably not. They're still trying to work out what "serving" means. To some people it's a whole cantaloupe. To others, it's half a blueberry. Or a glass of red wine with a dash of salt.

What if they find out smoking doesn't cause anything?





Shrapnel:

--A local legislator has sent out e-mail on how government is becoming "more transparent." Getting information is a simple process. The forms you fill out run about 20 pages and the wait is no longer than two years.

--Transparency is the newest over-used meaningless word. Who wants to see through government? What we need to see through is the walls they build around themselves.

--I've seen my senator. Forget transparency. Translucency will do, thank you.

I'm Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you're welcome to them.(r)
(c) 2008 WJR