Another peace-loving vegan
That must be some delicious pad Thai:
A “freelance opera singer” who slapped another female Upper West Side Trader Joe’s customer in a fight over who would get the last package of frozen vegan pad-Thai dinner was acquitted yesterday, reports the New York Post. This mean the prosecutors were not able to convincingly establish the slap was intended to cause injury.
Of course they weren’t. You get slapped by some wispy little vegan, no one’s going to believe there was any potential for injury, except perhaps to the vegan’s wrist.
The fracas started when the husband of the freelance opera singer jostled with the son of a doctor in the Trader Joe’s aisle as both went for the same frozen vegan pad-Thai dinner. According to testimony, the husband yelled at the son and the doctor yelled at the husband to stop yelling. The singer, who is from Philadelphia, started cursing and called the doctor and her sons “New York rude.”
The singer testified that the doctor then rushed them while making “making grimaces and moving her head in a strange, animal-like manner.” The singer warned the doctor that she was going to slap her if she didn’t “get the f*ck” out of her “face.” When she didn’t, the singer slapped the doctor, who later pressed charges.
This is shocking … the doctor was clearly impersonating an animal, and yet the vegan freelance singer slapped her anyway. It’s time for a new vegan code of ethics: never slap anything with a face.
There’s hope for the medical profession after all
This is encouraging: a medical student has a blog on paleo nutrition. Here’s a future doctor who won’t be telling people to eat low-fat diets based on grains. In one of her recent posts, she explains how to evaluate claims about nutrition using what she calls the Framework of Common Sense:
1: The laws of metabolism. This is where you ask yourself: does it make sense from physiological point of view?
2: Evolutionary environment. Is there evidence that people have consumed this food for a sizable chunk of human history? If yes, is there evidence that humans thrived on it?
3. Scientific evidence
A. Implied harm: is there scientific evidence that the food or diet results in long term harm?
B. Implied benefit: is there scientific evidence that it is beneficial for health and longevity?
That’s just the overview. I encourage to read the full post, which is very clear and logical, to get the details.
All in the family
I have two blogs, my brother recently started a blog, and now my son’s girlfriend / mate-for-life / future wife and mother of my grandchildren (I hope) Abby has a blog called Paleonut with commentary, recipes and a grocery list. Check it out.
A new definition of “fatty fish”
I wonder how the people who designed the My Plate would feel about this article:
A fishery in England has become the first in the country to veto white bread amid fears it’s unhealthy for the fish, the Telegraph reports.
Some experts say white bread lacks the protein contained in other varieties and too much of it leaves fish bloated and lethargic.
Bread is good for people, though. Just ask the USDA.
Julia Child on McDonald’s fries
This pretty much says it all.
If you enjoy my posts, please consider a small donation to the Fat Head Kids GoFundMe campaign.
Holy cow! I had an experience the other day where a man walked up and grabbed the last flat iron steak that I was about to pick up. I didn’t slap him though because I am a calm carnivore and the meat case had plenty of other hunks o’meat to choose from.
Did you at least approach him while making animal noises?
I’ve never met a vegan who wasn’t easily irritated. Anecdotal, I know, but combined with all of the polite and well-adjusted carnivores I know – it just starts to make me wonder.
I know my periods of ‘depression’ and occasional mood swings were eliminated when I dropped the low-fat diet in exchange for low-carb. I’ve never been happier in my life. The weight loss that came with low-carb is a nice perk, but the complete emotional 180 from low-fat to low-carb alone has been worth it.
I hear from vegans and vegetarians who insist they feel great and don’t suffer from anger or depression issues, and I believe them — name almost any diet, and it works for someone. But my mood definitely suffered back in my vegetarian days.
“…It’s time for a new vegan code of ethics: never slap anything with a face.” LOL! hahaha. funny.
and Julia Child was right on. after McD’s changed to veg/corn oil for fries (under pressure from vegans/vegetarians) they are NOT as good at all!
Dear Tom, your blog has been one of my biggest inspirations and it is incredibly encouraging to earn your support. My blog is an outlet for the knowledge I have to frequently hold back, for my frustration and not-so-popular opinions. I can’t wait to graduate (6 months!) and not have to bite my tongue in the presence of the examiners. Some of my colleagues do actually listen to my ramblings on nutrition and one of my best friends, a future endocrinologist, has just switched from fat-free to full fat latte (small victories are the sweetest!). So I still have some hope for the medical profession.
You patients are going to be the lucky ones, Anastasia. Best of luck in your medical career.
According to fatsecret.com..Trader Joe’s Vegan pad Thai: 111 grams net carbs in a 312 g serving.. In the old days, I would have eaten this and wondered why I was still hungry after what was supposed to be a “healthy meal.” Then I would have made some cookie dough!
A lovely pot roast in the slow cooker is nearly finished..now that’s a healthy meal.
Warning: Tom Naughton clicking this link will likely result in a head injury to Tom Naughton.
I should take an ibuprofen before I follow some of these links, just as a precaution.
Let’s all take a minute and bow our head to worship at the church of Julia Child.
Julia Child – LOVE HER. Hmmmm she lived to 92 in spite of all that fatty French Food. Met her in Cambridge in the late 80’s. What a gracious woman!
Holy cow! I had an experience the other day where a man walked up and grabbed the last flat iron steak that I was about to pick up. I didn’t slap him though because I am a calm carnivore and the meat case had plenty of other hunks o’meat to choose from.
Did you at least approach him while making animal noises?
I’ve never met a vegan who wasn’t easily irritated. Anecdotal, I know, but combined with all of the polite and well-adjusted carnivores I know – it just starts to make me wonder.
I know my periods of ‘depression’ and occasional mood swings were eliminated when I dropped the low-fat diet in exchange for low-carb. I’ve never been happier in my life. The weight loss that came with low-carb is a nice perk, but the complete emotional 180 from low-fat to low-carb alone has been worth it.
I hear from vegans and vegetarians who insist they feel great and don’t suffer from anger or depression issues, and I believe them — name almost any diet, and it works for someone. But my mood definitely suffered back in my vegetarian days.
“…It’s time for a new vegan code of ethics: never slap anything with a face.” LOL! hahaha. funny.
and Julia Child was right on. after McD’s changed to veg/corn oil for fries (under pressure from vegans/vegetarians) they are NOT as good at all!
Dear Tom, your blog has been one of my biggest inspirations and it is incredibly encouraging to earn your support. My blog is an outlet for the knowledge I have to frequently hold back, for my frustration and not-so-popular opinions. I can’t wait to graduate (6 months!) and not have to bite my tongue in the presence of the examiners. Some of my colleagues do actually listen to my ramblings on nutrition and one of my best friends, a future endocrinologist, has just switched from fat-free to full fat latte (small victories are the sweetest!). So I still have some hope for the medical profession.
You patients are going to be the lucky ones, Anastasia. Best of luck in your medical career.
According to fatsecret.com..Trader Joe’s Vegan pad Thai: 111 grams net carbs in a 312 g serving.. In the old days, I would have eaten this and wondered why I was still hungry after what was supposed to be a “healthy meal.” Then I would have made some cookie dough!
A lovely pot roast in the slow cooker is nearly finished..now that’s a healthy meal.
Warning: Tom Naughton clicking this link will likely result in a head injury to Tom Naughton.
I should take an ibuprofen before I follow some of these links, just as a precaution.
Let’s all take a minute and bow our head to worship at the church of Julia Child.
Julia Child – LOVE HER. Hmmmm she lived to 92 in spite of all that fatty French Food. Met her in Cambridge in the late 80’s. What a gracious woman!
For the this is what we are up against file:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/vegan-kids-diet_b_877680.html
Starving kids of essential fats while their brains are growing. Sheer idiocy.
Hey, just because the Trader Joe’s Pad Thai starts out vegan, doesn’t mean it stays vegan. At least, it doesn’t in my house. My wife loves Pad Thai but hates seafood, so I’d probably buy the vegan Pad Thai and then dump a bunch of grilled chicken or steak on top before serving. Or I would if it didn’t have all those carbs. Usually when I’m cooking Trader Joe’s I wind up with the frozen Teriyaki chicken, though I usually only use 1/2 the Teriyaki sauce provided. It makes really good skewers if you add pineapple, green pepper, onion, tomato and stuff like that.
Oh, and Trader Joe’s does have the best jerky of any store-bought variety I’ve ever had. Not that I would get in a fist fight if someone snagged the last package or anything, but that’s probably because my brain isn’t deficient in essential fatty acids and other nutrients found in meat.
I’ve never tried their beef jerky. My wife makes her own now.
Zoe Harcombe has a recent blog on how UK children are being educated about “nutrition”
Who’s teaching our children about ‘nutrition’?
But I’m sure we in the UK don’t have to worry as
The UK Department of Health is putting the fast food companies McDonald’s and KFC and processed food and drink manufacturers such as PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, Unilever, Mars and Diageo at the heart of writing government policy on obesity, alcohol and diet-related disease so that’s bound to solve the problem.
Good grief …
For the this is what we are up against file:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/vegan-kids-diet_b_877680.html
Starving kids of essential fats while their brains are growing. Sheer idiocy.
Hey, just because the Trader Joe’s Pad Thai starts out vegan, doesn’t mean it stays vegan. At least, it doesn’t in my house. My wife loves Pad Thai but hates seafood, so I’d probably buy the vegan Pad Thai and then dump a bunch of grilled chicken or steak on top before serving. Or I would if it didn’t have all those carbs. Usually when I’m cooking Trader Joe’s I wind up with the frozen Teriyaki chicken, though I usually only use 1/2 the Teriyaki sauce provided. It makes really good skewers if you add pineapple, green pepper, onion, tomato and stuff like that.
Oh, and Trader Joe’s does have the best jerky of any store-bought variety I’ve ever had. Not that I would get in a fist fight if someone snagged the last package or anything, but that’s probably because my brain isn’t deficient in essential fatty acids and other nutrients found in meat.
I’ve never tried their beef jerky. My wife makes her own now.
Zoe Harcombe has a recent blog on how UK children are being educated about “nutrition”
Who’s teaching our children about ‘nutrition’?
But I’m sure we in the UK don’t have to worry as
The UK Department of Health is putting the fast food companies McDonald’s and KFC and processed food and drink manufacturers such as PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, Unilever, Mars and Diageo at the heart of writing government policy on obesity, alcohol and diet-related disease so that’s bound to solve the problem.
Good grief …
G’morning Tom! Just looked over your son’s SO’s blog. I’ve never looked at or used Hulu before, so I took her link over to Hulu — and set Fat Head to playing. I may not actually WATCH the whole thing, but Hulu will count it as a ‘watched’ movie, which I hope gets you a penny or two in royalties. I’m sure you can’t suggest others just stream it to get you the credit for another watcher… but *I* can suggest it. {wink}
That’s correct; Hulu generates a small royalty for each viewing. Netflix just pays a flat fee.
G’morning Tom! Just looked over your son’s SO’s blog. I’ve never looked at or used Hulu before, so I took her link over to Hulu — and set Fat Head to playing. I may not actually WATCH the whole thing, but Hulu will count it as a ‘watched’ movie, which I hope gets you a penny or two in royalties. I’m sure you can’t suggest others just stream it to get you the credit for another watcher… but *I* can suggest it. {wink}
That’s correct; Hulu generates a small royalty for each viewing. Netflix just pays a flat fee.
Did you happen to notice in that thing that TonyNZ posted? Another opportunity to make a drug!
If they ever find brain damage in me, it will be residual trauma from my low fat days, not damage from my current fat-full diet. 🙂
Tom wrote: “But my mood definitely suffered back in my vegetarian days.”
I was a vegetarian for 2 + years in high school. My weight dropped from 162 to 138. I was at my worst depression wise. I was run down, even though I was a dedicated weight lifter. My teachers use to tell me how sickly I looked, too.
Worst thing I ever did.
I’ve heard that from a lot of people. I’ve also heard from vegetarians who say they’ve never felt better, and I believe them. The reasonable vegetarians understand that what works for them doesn’t work for everyone else.
Did you happen to notice in that thing that TonyNZ posted? Another opportunity to make a drug!
If they ever find brain damage in me, it will be residual trauma from my low fat days, not damage from my current fat-full diet. 🙂
Tom wrote: “But my mood definitely suffered back in my vegetarian days.”
I was a vegetarian for 2 + years in high school. My weight dropped from 162 to 138. I was at my worst depression wise. I was run down, even though I was a dedicated weight lifter. My teachers use to tell me how sickly I looked, too.
Worst thing I ever did.
I’ve heard that from a lot of people. I’ve also heard from vegetarians who say they’ve never felt better, and I believe them. The reasonable vegetarians understand that what works for them doesn’t work for everyone else.
@Dave Taylor and Tom
I’ve encountered the same thing, yet for all their claims of being peaceful people, some of the more radical vegetarians and vegans often wind up being some of the most rude, stuck up know-it-alls I’ve ever met. The last one I had to directly deal with was a guy who occasionally showed up to game with friends of mine out our local D&D group. He was the stereotypical weak, pale, sickly, and short stick figure type. And like many before him, he tried to openly and subtly convert us all to The One True Way.
Unfortunately for him, it’s kind of hard to convince people your way is The Right Way, when you look unhealthy and quite obviously have very little energy, as well as have the occasional bizarre outburst whether in-character or not. I can only figure that he was suffering from a B12 vitamin deficiency. Which is sad, because he seemed to mean well, and was an otherwise intelligent guy.
That gets to another issue, why is it that otherwise intelligent people get suckered into cult fads like this? Lierre Keith gives an interesting insight on this, but there has to be more to it. I know when I tried a vegetarian diet, it was an experiment to really see if it was healthy or not. I had no illusions one way or the other that I’d be saving the rain forests or the whale or whatever. When I saw it was clearly unhealthy, at least for me, I quit doing it, and only after a few months. So what is it that makes people do something like this?
In Eric Hoffer’s fantastic book The True Believer, he explained how fanaticism makes people feel important. Some (though certainly not all) vegans fit his description of that personality type perfectly.
http://www.tomnaughton.com/?p=558
Hmmm…Carp get bloated and lethargic eating white bread, therefore it must be bad for human beings as well…Please tell me that’s a joke from one of your comedy routines?
Not exactly, no. I can’t think of a species that would thrive on white bread. Maybe a few birds.
“I’ve never tried their beef jerky. My wife makes her own now.”
Time for another recipe post? Store jerky is so full of incomprehensible additives, it is a very sometimes food for me, but oh so good.
Good idea.
@Dave Taylor and Tom
I’ve encountered the same thing, yet for all their claims of being peaceful people, some of the more radical vegetarians and vegans often wind up being some of the most rude, stuck up know-it-alls I’ve ever met. The last one I had to directly deal with was a guy who occasionally showed up to game with friends of mine out our local D&D group. He was the stereotypical weak, pale, sickly, and short stick figure type. And like many before him, he tried to openly and subtly convert us all to The One True Way.
Unfortunately for him, it’s kind of hard to convince people your way is The Right Way, when you look unhealthy and quite obviously have very little energy, as well as have the occasional bizarre outburst whether in-character or not. I can only figure that he was suffering from a B12 vitamin deficiency. Which is sad, because he seemed to mean well, and was an otherwise intelligent guy.
That gets to another issue, why is it that otherwise intelligent people get suckered into cult fads like this? Lierre Keith gives an interesting insight on this, but there has to be more to it. I know when I tried a vegetarian diet, it was an experiment to really see if it was healthy or not. I had no illusions one way or the other that I’d be saving the rain forests or the whale or whatever. When I saw it was clearly unhealthy, at least for me, I quit doing it, and only after a few months. So what is it that makes people do something like this?
In Eric Hoffer’s fantastic book The True Believer, he explained how fanaticism makes people feel important. Some (though certainly not all) vegans fit his description of that personality type perfectly.
http://www.tomnaughton.com/?p=558
Hmmm…Carp get bloated and lethargic eating white bread, therefore it must be bad for human beings as well…Please tell me that’s a joke from one of your comedy routines?
Not exactly, no. I can’t think of a species that would thrive on white bread. Maybe a few birds.
“I’ve never tried their beef jerky. My wife makes her own now.”
Time for another recipe post? Store jerky is so full of incomprehensible additives, it is a very sometimes food for me, but oh so good.
Good idea.
I grew up in a blue-collar area where meat was expected in every meal. Carbs were expected, too — the old “meat and potatoes” diet — but the point is, there weren’t any vegans around. Now I work for a university where any time some group puts on a lunch it’s expected there will be a vegetarian option. Sometimes I can easily put together a low-carb plate, sometimes it is tougher; either way, it is not an eating approach that anyone is catering to or even conceiving of as possible. The cafeteria supposedly offers nutritious, “balanced” meals, but it will do things like put sugar in the green beans. I know some activism will be needed to change things, but I will first need to dress up the low-carb approach with a semi-mystical life-philosophy. Logic alone won’t do. It’s a modern university.
LOL. Sad but true; our great centers of learning don’t always value logic.
I went to a family wedding on Saturday (my nephew). The bride’s family handled the catering, which was sort of a picnic style (the reception was at an open air park pavilion) and was made up of fried chicken, pasta salad, cheesy potatoes, and a fruit salad (nothing green in sight). It was quite amusing when my family went through the buffet line and everyone of us (including my daugther’s fiance and my brother-in-law/father of the groom who are very recent converts) all said “just chicken – and can I pick some cantaloupe out of the fruit salad?”
My anti-low-carb-diet step-father was nonplussed. He asked my future son-in-law if he got tired of all the talk about diets, and the charming future father of my grandchildren (hopefully) said “actually, I was having some fatigue issues and Meganne suggested I stop eating so much bread and sugar and I can’t believe how much better I feel.” Poor Dan was outnumbered. He’s the guy who still makes the show of eating grape-nuts while the rest of us eat bacon and eggs – you, know, the guy who had the quadruple bypass last fall! But, since Mayo Clinic is the God of health, he won’t convinced until (and if) they issue a statement supporting low-carb diets. In my dreams?
Send him on the low-carb cruise. He’ll be beside himself, watching 100-plus people turning down the bread and potatoes and going a little bonkers on the fish and meats.
I grew up in a blue-collar area where meat was expected in every meal. Carbs were expected, too — the old “meat and potatoes” diet — but the point is, there weren’t any vegans around. Now I work for a university where any time some group puts on a lunch it’s expected there will be a vegetarian option. Sometimes I can easily put together a low-carb plate, sometimes it is tougher; either way, it is not an eating approach that anyone is catering to or even conceiving of as possible. The cafeteria supposedly offers nutritious, “balanced” meals, but it will do things like put sugar in the green beans. I know some activism will be needed to change things, but I will first need to dress up the low-carb approach with a semi-mystical life-philosophy. Logic alone won’t do. It’s a modern university.
LOL. Sad but true; our great centers of learning don’t always value logic.
Abby’s new blog is great, but I can’t see any reader comments. Is there a trick to that?
No trick, other than clicking the link near the title and leaving a comment. I’m sure the comments will show up as she draws traffic.
“The singer, who is from Philadelphia, started cursing and called the doctor and her sons “New York rude.”
ahahahha hypocrite much?? there was even a study that proved philadelphians are the rudest people ever! LOL
Hoping your prospective daughter in law likes the deliberate mistake in the name of her blog….some of us really do pay attention!
I went to a family wedding on Saturday (my nephew). The bride’s family handled the catering, which was sort of a picnic style (the reception was at an open air park pavilion) and was made up of fried chicken, pasta salad, cheesy potatoes, and a fruit salad (nothing green in sight). It was quite amusing when my family went through the buffet line and everyone of us (including my daugther’s fiance and my brother-in-law/father of the groom who are very recent converts) all said “just chicken – and can I pick some cantaloupe out of the fruit salad?”
My anti-low-carb-diet step-father was nonplussed. He asked my future son-in-law if he got tired of all the talk about diets, and the charming future father of my grandchildren (hopefully) said “actually, I was having some fatigue issues and Meganne suggested I stop eating so much bread and sugar and I can’t believe how much better I feel.” Poor Dan was outnumbered. He’s the guy who still makes the show of eating grape-nuts while the rest of us eat bacon and eggs – you, know, the guy who had the quadruple bypass last fall! But, since Mayo Clinic is the God of health, he won’t convinced until (and if) they issue a statement supporting low-carb diets. In my dreams?
Send him on the low-carb cruise. He’ll be beside himself, watching 100-plus people turning down the bread and potatoes and going a little bonkers on the fish and meats.
Abby’s new blog is great, but I can’t see any reader comments. Is there a trick to that?
No trick, other than clicking the link near the title and leaving a comment. I’m sure the comments will show up as she draws traffic.
“The singer, who is from Philadelphia, started cursing and called the doctor and her sons “New York rude.”
ahahahha hypocrite much?? there was even a study that proved philadelphians are the rudest people ever! LOL
Julia Child certainly knew good food! And good for her for never falling under the spell of the low fat gurus. Probably why she lived to such a ripe old age.
Anyone with a hankering for really good fries, forget fast food. Make them at home and use lard, tallow or any other nutritious fat. When I have monkey on my back for fries, I cut up part of a sweet potato and deep fry the strips in coconut oil. Don’t need much before the monkey is gone and they are oh so yummy! One of the best things about no longer being afraid of fat is being able to enjoy treats like that. Who needs bread or regular potatoes or pasta when you can eat a burger (no bun) or steak with sweet potato fries and salad? Not me!
Thanks for the link to Anastasia’s blog. She is great and really gives me hope that at least some entering the medical profession have the sense to ignore what they are taught about nutrition–even if she does live in Australia. I love her Framework for Common Sense. It’s the perfect addition to your Science for Smart People. Wish more scientists and doctors would apply the principals of both.
My wife makes sweet potato fries using bacon grease. They’re awesome, and just a few will do ya.
Oh, and the story about the fight over TJ’s vegan Pad Thai was both hilarious and sad. What are we, starving cave people who fight over food? Utterly shameful of both parties. In addition to being too weak to deliver a blow “intended to cause injury”, their brains must be starving for some good animal fats.
Hoping your prospective daughter in law likes the deliberate mistake in the name of her blog….some of us really do pay attention!
Julia Child hit the nail on the head in referring to how McDonald’s fries currently taste as opposed to the way they used to taste before McD’s switched from beef tallow to processed vegetable oil.
It’s also the same reason why fried food in general from fast food restaurants doesn’t taste as good as it used to.
You know, McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was once quoted as saying that to cook French fries in anything other than beef tallow would be considered a sacrilege.
I’m sure if Mr. Kroc knew that his beloved fries are now being cooked in nasty vegetable oil instead of beef tallow, he’d probably be turning over in his grave.
I used to love chicken-fried steaks when I was a kid. Last time I tried one — fried in some bland vegetable oil — it was tasteless.
Julia Child certainly knew good food! And good for her for never falling under the spell of the low fat gurus. Probably why she lived to such a ripe old age.
Anyone with a hankering for really good fries, forget fast food. Make them at home and use lard, tallow or any other nutritious fat. When I have monkey on my back for fries, I cut up part of a sweet potato and deep fry the strips in coconut oil. Don’t need much before the monkey is gone and they are oh so yummy! One of the best things about no longer being afraid of fat is being able to enjoy treats like that. Who needs bread or regular potatoes or pasta when you can eat a burger (no bun) or steak with sweet potato fries and salad? Not me!
Thanks for the link to Anastasia’s blog. She is great and really gives me hope that at least some entering the medical profession have the sense to ignore what they are taught about nutrition–even if she does live in Australia. I love her Framework for Common Sense. It’s the perfect addition to your Science for Smart People. Wish more scientists and doctors would apply the principals of both.
My wife makes sweet potato fries using bacon grease. They’re awesome, and just a few will do ya.
Oh, and the story about the fight over TJ’s vegan Pad Thai was both hilarious and sad. What are we, starving cave people who fight over food? Utterly shameful of both parties. In addition to being too weak to deliver a blow “intended to cause injury”, their brains must be starving for some good animal fats.
Julia Child hit the nail on the head in referring to how McDonald’s fries currently taste as opposed to the way they used to taste before McD’s switched from beef tallow to processed vegetable oil.
It’s also the same reason why fried food in general from fast food restaurants doesn’t taste as good as it used to.
You know, McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was once quoted as saying that to cook French fries in anything other than beef tallow would be considered a sacrilege.
I’m sure if Mr. Kroc knew that his beloved fries are now being cooked in nasty vegetable oil instead of beef tallow, he’d probably be turning over in his grave.
I used to love chicken-fried steaks when I was a kid. Last time I tried one — fried in some bland vegetable oil — it was tasteless.