Seggie. You are right, Phyl. Years ago, it was red meat that was no good for you. I went on a diet (bought a book written by a woman who wrote many) to try to lower my cholestrol. All it did over a year was to lose a lot of weight, in fact, people thought used to ask what's wrong with you. In the end, I had to go on medication to lower the cholestrol which has worked.  I use margarine but who is to know in the end, which is right?  Was it the hard work our ancestors did that made most of them live to a ripe old age? I suspect this may be true.  Hand me the shovel and spade.

Yet there is iron in red meat.  I'd love to buy more fish but it's so expensive.

Maybe we should be doing Council work.  On second thought that wouldn't do me much good...out in the sun all day.  I've already had a malenoma cut out of my arm.

Don't make it too complex for yourself Phyl.  Much of the stuff in the media is from researchers competing for grants, or from spruikers with something to sell.

The best health deal offering is to remain mobile, do 30mins walking a day or gardening and eat a broad diet.  Those are findings that are strengthened daily.

The incidence of breast cancer for instance is known to be reduced enormously by exercise and reduced body weight (ie not overweight). 

Fish is priced out of the range of many except for imported Vietnamese farmed Basa, which I have seen in frozen 5 kg packs for $3.99kg from meat wholesalers.  For boneless, skinned fillets that protein would be hard to beat.  Dust with lemon-pepper, flour and into the pan or poach in low fat milk or tomato.

Sun - if you don't get some sunlight most days your vitamin D is low, but vitamin D is known to reduce many cancers and increase immunity.  That is different to sunbaking and the risk of melanoma from controlled sun exposure is far less than the disease consequences of low vitamin D or lack of exercise.  No vit D pills unless confined to indoors, sunlight is quick (10mins, have a cup of tea), best and your body will never overdose.

There would be billions in it for alternative health spruikers if they could make similar claims about their products (instead of the sly BS they use to take advantage of the vulnerable).

Thanks for the information on fish and sun Nautilus.   The UV rating is very high here in north Qld so I've only been outside during the day to hang the washing.  I walk in the late afternoon. Now and then I buy a few fillets of fish....like tinned fish.

When it comes to 'diet', what's good for you and what's not, I just have what I feel is good for me, I came off a farm sooooooo meat was never going to be kicked off my dinner plate,  potatoes. when they were supposed to be bad for us, well, they stayed on the plate as well along with all the other vegies that always have been good.

We have quite a bit of fish but it is fresh, caught in the morning here in WA and sold fresh in the shop  'Yummy'

Now....butter versus Margarine.......Did I just say I came off a farm....... we use to make our own butter when I was a kid so margarine, even though tried, hasn't won me over either soooooo butter it still is albeit very sparingly.  I heard that margarine is only one ingredient away from plastic, not sure on that one but none the less I can't stand the taste or texture.

Now to throw another in the mix,  Cooking Oil, I have a very long story about that one but we will leave that alone, suffice to say I can't use it for cooking sooooo......did I happen to mention I grew up on a farm.............dripping it is for me,  there is nothing nicer than a nice leg of lamb cooked in dripping (sorry to all who are heaving at the moment) and I have many visitors who will attest to that, many young ones to boot. 

I will mention that I am a veeeerrry old fashioned cook, my grandparents lived to well up in their 80's along with my parents who all ate and cooked with what I use, I'm up in my 60's now and am the one most of my friends who is not on any medications of any sort.  My biggest problem is my teeth.  I use to suffer bad migraines but they've been fixed, other than that I have lived a very healthy life, up to this point in time,  lets face it, we don't know what's around the corner.

Just a foot note to that, A friend of my family passed away a couple of weeks ago, she lived her life on a farm, ate and did all the things I've mentioned above and more, she was 95.  We are all individuals and our systems cope with different things in different ways, we have to try and read our bodies and work out what is good for them and what is not.  Hope that all makes some sort of sense.

Deanna a lot of people today, have no idea how the taste buds would get excited

at the thought of a lovely roast cooked in dripping plus the roasted vegies also

cooked in dripping, you never get the same taste now.

I nearly forgot,horse radish with roast beef.

I'm drooling already just thinking of roasted crispy potatos.

I will be anxiously waiting for an invite to the next roast dinner.

I remember the milk straight from the dairy, simmered to get the clotted cream

to have with jam scones, I don't think you can do it with todays' milk.

As a farm girl you would have experienced the headless chook running around.

Oh well, back to vegemite, onion . garlic, and cheese sandwiches, with watery eyes.

LOL seth, you and your lovely wife are welcome for a roast dinner anytime, oh and the baked spuds covered in the gravy from the roast. when we have a family roast dinner, (common in the winter) there are 10 adults and 6 children, (one only 7month old) I have to have about 50 pieces of baked potato, (not small ones either) and there are never any left, if there is they walk out the door with whoever gets them first LOL.

I'm having my lunch at the moment, butter, vegemite, cucumber and onion sandwich.  Love my vegemite.

My Aunt was always a farm girl and lived to 103 and always had butter etc.

My Mum-in-law only lived to 99  and ate margarine so maybe that is why she passed away younger although we believe not being fed at the Nursing Home contributed more to that (we did not know until after she passed sadly) and after looking into others seems it is becoming a trend to let oldies pass more quickly by with holding food. Hard to believe but sadly is happening far too much. If we can we should be very sure to whom you give POWER OF ATTORNEY :( It can herald the end.

I see Phyl has trained her cat to seek out any left overs

from a roast dinner.

Phyl, that is a very sad story, and isn't is sad that we don't find out these things until it's too late.  That is one thing that worries me is Nursing Homes in old age, but that's another story isn't it?   You are so right about Power of Attorney.

Phyl That has done wonders for me, You have trained

your cats well, It must be a sight, you and Peter on your

knees {Giving thanks} while eating.

The cats being trained so well, sitting at the table with

knives and forks.

That hurt"""""