Welcome to Yummy Lummy. Yummy Lummy is a blog for people who live alone and are keen to cook meals for one.
I also share my opinions on topics others may be interested in. With my change in diet, the emphasis is shifting to my opinion on some food and non-food-related topics.
You can skip the introduction and jump to the recipe if you don’t care to read my views.
Lake Ginninderra on a cloudy but warm day
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week. Mine was great. I continue to recover from my injury. My surgeon is happy for me to see a physiotherapist, and I’m doing some range of motion exercises thrice daily.
My bare legs sans leg brace with my new stick between my legs. I’m happy that with physiotherapy, I can bend my knee to about 70°.
What have I been watching?
The Equalizer trilogy
There used to be a TV show from the 1980s called “The Equalizer”. It starred Robert Woodward as Robert McCall. McCall is a retired intelligence agent who helps people with trouble coping with life.
The movie series starred Denzel Washington as McCall. The third and final movie was released a couple of months ago. I like Denzel Washington as an actor. He also seems like he’s a decent bloke too.
A new TV series has been produced. I don’t think I’ll watch it. The movies are sufficient for me.
The Continental: From the World of John Wick (TV Mini-Series 2023‑2023)
Set in 1970s New York City, The Continental explores the origin of the hotel-for-assassins focus of the John Wick movie series seen through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott.
The biggest star of the John Wick movies for me was the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1, which featured a 428 in3 big block V8.
What have I been reading?
Life expectancy associated with different ages at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in high-income countries: 23 million person-years of observation. (Kaptoge et al., 2023)
This study looked at the effect a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has on longevity. This observational study was conducted using information from 19 high-income countries. The authors calculated age-adjusted and sex-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality according to age at diagnosis of diabetes using data from 1,515,718 participants, in whom deaths were recorded during 23.1 million person-years of follow-up.
Every decade of earlier diagnosis of diabetes was associated with about 3–4 years of lower life expectancy.
The main message
While longevity isn’t my most important goal, I’d like to keep living if I’m happy and living happily. Avoiding T2DM will help achieve this. Rather than my end of life being a medical intervention, I’d like to use nutrition for the same outcome. Avoiding unnecessary carbohydrates (noting that no dietary carbohydrates are necessary) by focusing on real foods seems to make the most sense.
A bench seat on Lake Ginninderra with SAD written on the armrest. It reminded me to avoid the Standard Australian Diet.
What have I been listening to?
Monroe Doctrine book series
I’m now in volume VI and hopefully get to volume VII this weekend.
As a book series, I think this is a series I could easily re-listen to annually.
Making It So a Memoir by Patrick Stewart
Kathleen gave me a copy of this book to listen to as a gift.
The title refers to similar words one of Sir Patrick’s best-known characters says in most episodes of that TV show. If you’re not familiar with Sir Patrick and the roles he plays, I’m guessing you may not be interested in this book.
His Wikipedia entry mentions a bit of trivia I wasn’t aware of. Sir Patrick holds a world record for longevity performing a character.
Recipe
The dietary lifestyle I’ve now adopted is mundane regarding recipes. While it remains spring in Australia, and noting that Canberra isn’t the warmest place in the country, I’m still using my slow cooker and air fryer for indoor cooking.
I hope as summer approaches, I can use a frypan more. I don’t have a very efficient exhaust system in my flat, so unless I open windows and doors, the smoke from cooking meat easily triggers the smoke alarm. I can get good airflow in the flat when the windows and doors are open.
I see outdoor cooking in my future, but more about that when we’re in summer.
I chose two styles of beef short ribs for this recipe because I wanted to eat the meat directly from the smaller ribs and keep the meat from the short rib fingers for later in the week.
Equipment
Slow cooker
Air fryer
Ingredients
Beef short ribs (3 ribs)
Beef short rib fingers (2 ribs)
Beef, chicken, lamb, and pork stock — you can use any meat-based stock for this. You could also use a plant-based stock or a meat and plant stock. I’m using this because it’s what I have at hand.
Beef ribs for the slow cookerBeef ribs for the slow cookerBeef ribs for the slow cooker with beef, chicken, lamb, and pork stock
Instructions
Place the meat and the stock into the cooking vessel.
Slowly cook for eight hours.
Remove the meat and place the ribs on a tray and into the air fryer for 20 minutes at 160 °C (320 °F).
Set aside a portion of the ribs for dinner, put the rest of the ribs into a container and refrigerate. The rib meat can be used for lunches during the week.
Filter the cooking liquor and keep it as the perpetual master stock.
Serve the ribs with vegetables or eat them alone. If you’re following a carnivore diet, just the ribs will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. If you’re low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat eating, the meat and some plant-based real foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination. If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, mashed tubers like potatoes or sweet potatoes would work well, as would mashed pumpkin. You could make a roux with flour, oil, or butter to make a gravy. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, these ribs won’t be suitable.
Eat with whatever implements you prefer. This includes your fingers. I like holding the rib in my fingers and gnawing the meat from the bone. I ate the prawns with chopsticks. 🥢
Slowly cooked beef short ribs and short rib fingers prior to the air fryerSlowly cooked beef short ribs and short rib fingers after finishing in the air fryerSlowly cooked beef ribs and king prawns cooked in butter with red cabbageSlowly cooked beef ribs and king prawns cooked in butter with red cabbageSlowly cooked beef ribs and king prawns cooked in butter with red cabbageSlowly cooked beef ribs and king prawns cooked in butter with red cabbageSlowly cooked beef ribs and king prawns cooked in butter with red cabbageSlowly cooked beef ribs and king prawns cooked in butter with red cabbageSlowly cooked beef ribs and king prawns cooked in butter with red cabbageBeef ribs after gnawing them
Thoughts on the meal
As far as slowly cooked meat goes. Ribs are great. I don’t seem to be able to get beef cheeks delivered. I think as I become more ambulatory, I’ll make excursions (also known as hobbling) to the shops to buy cheek meat.
Refreshment from Kathleen
Kathleen introduced me to a new drink. Kathleen suggested a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of sparkling mineral water. Occasionally, I’ve enjoyed morning lime juice and tap water, but the ACV and mineral water drink is next level. It tastes good.
I also like that the ACV will possibly help stave off dementia so I don’t lose my mind too early as we grow old together. 🤪 (Tripathi et al., 2020)
Disclaimer and comments
This post and other posts on this blog do not constitute medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience.
References
Kaptoge, S., Seshasai, S., Sun, L., Walker, M., Bolton, T., Spackman, S., Ataklte, F., Willeit, P., Bell, S., Burgess, S., Pennells, L., Altay, S., Assmann, G., Ben-Shlomo, Y., Best, L., Björkelund, C., Blazer, D., Brenner, H., Brunner, E., … Kromhout, D. (2023). Life expectancy associated with different ages at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in high-income countries: 23 million person-years of observation. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 11(10), 731–742. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(23)00223-1
Tripathi, S., Kumari, U., & Mitra Mazumder, P. (2020). Ameliorative effects of apple cider vinegar on neurological complications via regulation of oxidative stress markers. Journal of Food Biochemistry, 44(12). https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13504
Welcome to Yummy Lummy. Yummy Lummy is for people who live alone and are keen to cook meals for one.
I also share my opinions on topics others may be interested in.
You can skip the introduction and jump to the recipe if you don’t care to read my opinions.
Leftover slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck, with coconut cream, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week. Mine was great. I was engaged in a few national meetings with colleagues from across Australia and from across the Tasman Sea.
Referendum
Eligible voters in Australia are being asked to participate in a referendum to change our constitution today (Saturday, 2023-10-14). We’re being asked if we approve of altering the Australian Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
I don’t write about my political views or comment on any government work I’m involved in, so my reason for mentioning the referendum is to reflect on how many voters are voting early. I heard an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) interview with an Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) official who mentioned that just over 50% of votes are expected to be entered before today. I find that an impressive figure.
Because of my reduced mobility, I’ve elected to register for a postal vote. I’ve completed this and received verification that my vote has been received.
There are also early voting booths that have been open for a couple of weeks so that voters can participate in the referendum early.
I’ve used these early polling booths for the last few elections because I don’t like standing in queues. If we’ve learnt anything from COVID-19, physical distancing, amongst other measures, effectively prevented infection transmission.
Tonight, I’ll be keeping an eye on the results. Changing the constitution is a big deal.
What have I been watching?
House
According to House, “There is no medicine like happiness.” I heartily support this. Happiness is a place—a place of joy and pleasure. Happiness is warm and moist. Happiness is a place of love.
I’m in the final season of House. I think the first two or three seasons are the best quality. The latter seasons had some cast changes, and the stories became a little outlandish. That said, as a character, there’s a lot to like and a lot to dislike about the character of House.
I’m up to the episode, which features Billy Connolly, who plays a character married to House’s mother.
Low carb down under 2023
I’m attending some sessions virtually of the Low Carb Down Under 2023 conference this weekend. It’s a medical conference for healthcare practitioners interested in low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat eating.
I purchased tickets intending to download and watch the videos at my leisure. I had anticipated being otherwise occupied this weekend, but my plans changed.
What have I been listening to?
Monroe Doctrine
I’m re-listening to this series of books again. The seventh and final volume has just been released as an audiobook. I thought I’d start again from volume one.
With world events as they are, it seems apt to listen to a fictional book series about World War III involving biological warfare, nuclear warfare, cyberwarfare, and conventional combat on land, on and under the sea, and in the air.
The series is set in the near future and references the conflict in Ukraine (Україна) as well as the building international tension some countries are having with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It also explores unlikely alliances between Russia and NATO countries and the involvement of Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
I hope the last volume culminates in a thought-provoking ending to a gripping series.
I’d love to see this book converted into a television (TV) miniseries or a feature-length movie.
Recipe
I’m not sharing a recipe tonight. This is more of a cooking technique to improve the quality of the cooking process by using water in a cold vessel to brown meat and vegetables.
I see people cooking minced (ground) meat by placing it into a hot frypan or saucepan with some form of lubricant. Often a seed oil. Inevitably, the meat fries and caramelises; in some situations, the meat burns and creates fond. The biggest problem is that the outside of the meat cooks and burns before the inside heats through to a safe temperature.
If the aim is to burn the meat, that’s fine. Most of the time, I want the meat cooked through with caramelisation but without burning. I also want my meat to be food-safe.
This technique can be used for raw minced (ground) meat and leftover refrigerated meat, e.g., after slowly cooking a joint of meat.
The benefit of this approach is the meat heats slowly and evenly while the fat in the flesh softens and melts into the cooked meat, creating an unctuous mouthfeel. Rather than being hard and dry, the meat is tender and moist, and the juices exude flavour.
Once the water evaporates and the meat starts to caramelise, the heat can be reduced, and then a decision can be made on how to proceed.
For some dishes, you could now mix in other ingredients and then bake the dish. In other dishes, the meat can be cooled and added to a salad or a holder like a lettuce leaf (for a low carbohydrate taco equivalent).
Equipment
Frypan
Ingredients
Any leftover, slowly cooked meat, meat cooked in a pressure cooker, or minced (ground) meat.
For leftover cold meat, it’s best to dice the meat into 1–2 cm3 pieces.
I keep the fat and never cut the fat off. I want to consume that healthy fat.
Instructions
Place the meat into a cold frypan or saucepan.
Add enough cold water to cover the bottom of the pan.
Add the meat of your choice plus some iodised salt if the meat is raw.
Put the pan on the stovetop and turn on the heat.
Slowly heat until the water begins to boil, and then allow the water to simmer.
I use a pair of chopsticks to move the meat around.
As the water evaporates and when it approaches the point of the water vanishing, turn the heat down further or off and keep the meat stirring.
I’ve provided some photographs of the finished meals I’ve enjoyed over the last few weeks as examples of what I’ve done.
In my mind, this is a no-brainer. I recognise some readers may think the extra effort isn’t worth it. I get that feedback from time to time when someone says they prefer to simply cook a steak in a frypan and not use techniques like sous vide or a pressure cooker. That’s fair enough. Everyone should do what works best for them. Everyone’s tastes and preferences are theirs. I object when someone tries to assume their approach would suit me better when they’ve never tried the technique I’m describing.
Disclaimer and comments
This post and other posts on this blog do not constitute medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience.
I’m receiving more spam comments and direct messages, so I may need to start moderating comments again.
Photographs
This is a series of photographs I shot while cooking lunch today.
Minced (ground) beef brisketMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powderMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with waterMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with waterMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and beef drippingCheddar and mozzarella cheesesMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoesMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoesMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoesMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoesMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoesMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoesMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoes and cheeseMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoes and cheeseMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoes and cheeseMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoes and cheeseMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoes and cheeseMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoes and cheeseMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoes and cheeseMinced (ground) beef brisket and curry powder with water and cherry tomatoes and cheese
Older meal photographs
These are some photographs of meals I’ve enjoyed over the last couple of weeks using this cooking technique.
Leftover slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck, with coconut cream, cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, and CHEER™ tasty and mozzarella cheeses with an avocado cheekLeftover slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck, with coconut cream, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflowerLeftover slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck, with olives, capers, and CHEER™ tasty and mozzarella cheeses with broccoli and cauliflowerLeftover slow cooker lamb shoulder and speckLeftover slow cooker lamb shoulder and speckLeftover slow cooker lamb shoulder and speckLeftover slow cooker lamb shoulder and speckShredded chicken wing meat with cherry tomatoes, olives, and capersShredded chicken wing meat with cherry tomatoes, olives, and capersLeftover pressure cooker chicken wing meat with cherry tomatoes and capersLeftover slow cooker beef short rib with cherry tomatoesLeftover pressure cooker pork spare rib with cherry tomatoesLeftover slowly cooked pork shoulder roast with avocadoLeftover slowly cooked pork shoulder roast with cherry tomatoesLeftover slowly cooked pork shoulder roast with cherry tomatoes and olivesTinned corned beef cooked in water with curry powder. Cooked with cherry tomatoes and cheese.
I hope you’ve had a good week. Mine was great. My next week is going to be very busy with work. Doing it all from home will be challenging.
National Rugby League Grand Final
Last Sunday evening, the Brisbane Broncos played against the Penrith Panthers in the 2023 NRL grand final.
It was one of the most exciting games of rugby league I’ve watched. The lead changed a few times in dramatic ways. In the end — in a nail-biting finish — the Panthers scored a game-clinching try and are the premiers for 2023.
I’m now excited for the games involving the Australian Kangaroos, who will be playing some Pacific Island Country national teams. If you’re interested in the draw, the fixture dates and times are available at the National Rugby League website.
This has been a tremendous season for rugby league. My father won a tipping competition and remains happy in an afterglow of success. The Dolphins NRL team had a fabulous inaugural year in the NRL. Some of their players have made international sides for the Pacific Championships, including the Kangaroos. Of course, the icing was the mighty XXXX Queensland Maroons defeating the NSW Blues in the State of Origin series.
Next year looks good to be another phenomenal year of rugby league, and I hope to catch Dolphins games in person at Lang Park when visiting family in Brisbane.
Orthopædic surgeon review of my knee
On Thursday afternoon, I visited my consultant surgeon so he could review the patella ORIF he was responsible for six weeks ago.
Before I saw him, I had an x-ray of my knee. I asked to look at the images. The patella repair looked great to my untrained eye.
The surgeon was impressed with the repair’s quality and my wound’s appearance. He was happy with my muscle tone and explained I should have full muscle strength again in about three to six months. He explained his registrar’s procedure in-depth when repairing and fixing the fracture and the ruptured retinaculum. This helped explain better what I was feeling and seeing.
I’m now also able to use a cane instead of crutches. Besides new shoes that won’t slip on tiles, I’m considering dressing like House when I return to work.
What have I been listening to?
The Great Plant-based Con
The Audible app artificial intelligence recommended this book written by Jayne Buxton. Like books I’ve been listening to recently on low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat eating, the author examines plant-based eating. She reviews much of the available literature and reminds readers that observational associative studies and meta-analyses can never prove causation.
The introduction does an excellent job of pointing out the difference between relative and absolute risk and the problem of confounders in observational studies, which rely on participant memory for what they may have eaten.
I have friends who are passionate about their plant-based diets, and I respect their choices. I know they have considered the risks and benefits and the ethical proposition. There is a lot of conflicting advice; everyone must consider the evidence and decide. I think it’s great that more and more catering companies and restaurants are accommodating diversity in dietary desires.
The book is neither anti-plant nor anti-vegan, and it reviews the facts about human diets and their effect on the environment. I like that Australians like Matthew Evans are featured. I met Matthew in 2015 at a Canberra blogging convention. He is a food critic who has become a farmer and restaurateur. (Evans, 2019)
It’s worth mentioning the book examines some distortions in pro-plant-based food science; however, it does not always apply the same rigour to its own biases. There are repeated references to the work of one animal-food researcher funded in part by the US livestock industry.
One fascinating feature is the exposition of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church’s role, the business relationship with Kellogg, and the fixation on masturbation amongst boys and young men. According to the SDA church founder Ellen G. White and Kellogg, meat causes impure thoughts in men and causes them to want to masturbate. I didn’t realise how much SDAs influence dietetic and nutrition societies and government guidance in countries where such involvement is possible. (Buxton, 2022)
What have I been reading?
Low carbohydrate diet and Japanese men
During the week, a reader sent me an e-mail mentioning a study from Nagoya University that reported Japanese men on a “low carbohydrate” diet had poor health outcomes.
I searched for the study and found Dietary Carbohydrate and Fat Intakes and Risk of Mortality in the Japanese Population: the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study by Tamura, Takashi et al. (Tamura et al., 2023)
The study was observational, associative, and focused on relative risk. It contains no cause-and-effect evidence. This study cannot prove causation and strictly can’t confer anything about risk, given risk implies cause and effect. The study generated some questions for me:
These studies often rely on the memory of participants to record their diet.
These studies do not provide absolute “risk” information and rely on relative “risk”, which creates a perception bias. The relative risk often appears large when the absolute risk is tiny.
It’s not clear what is meant by high fat, e.g., what is the relationship between saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat in the diet eaten by the participants, and what is the source of the fats; it’s also not clear if trans fats and hydrogenated oils were part of the diet, there is a difference between high-fat and healthy-fat, how much of the fat came from processed seed oils vs cold pressed fruit oil or animal saturated fat?
What other confounders exist besides the diet, e.g., smoking, exercise, pollutants, and what constitutes low carbohydrate intake? Note that <40% CHO (up to 40%) is not a low carbohydrate diet. Such a diet might contain confounding associated with insulin resistance in the participants. Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome could explain some of the adverse health effects reported. Given that the advocates of low-carbohydrate healthy-fat (LCHF) eating have CHO ratios <10% of their diet, up to 40% is a problem for this study and doesn’t constitute low carbohydrate.
Inferences from a study like this are problematic and don’t answer the clinical questions.
Body mass index (BMI)
I have been thinking about BMI and how the interpretation differs from country to country. I found an answer to a question I’d had since January.
The healthy weight range BMI for men in Australia of Asian descent is 18.5 to 22.9 kg/m2. This range is lower than the healthy weight range BMI for men of European descent, which is 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2.
People of Asian descent tend to have a higher body fat percentage and a lower muscle mass percentage than people of European descent at the same BMI. As a result, they are at increased risk of developing obesity-related chronic diseases, such as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and heart disease, at a lower BMI.
The lesson for me is obvious. Keep low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat eating and lose more weight. I have much to live for in life. I love life at the moment. I eat to live and enjoy what I do and how I do it.
Cholesterol, blood clotting, and cardiovascular risk
I also discovered a chemical pathologist friend has spoken at low carbohydrate healthy-fat conferences. He’s an expert in metabolic syndrome and the biochemistry of lipids, liver function, and iron balance. He has some very informative YouTube videos.
Recipe
I feel like my weekly recipes here are getting boring and predictable. If you get bored, you’re always welcome to stop reading. I don’t mind.
While I don’t credit my recovery from my injury to my diet, I know my diet is healthful. I’m eating nutrient-dense complete proteins and avoiding highly- and ultra-processed foods. My consumption of sugar and other carbohydrates is low, and I’m avoiding seed oils and trans fats.
Equipment
Slow cooker
Oven
Ingredients
Pork
Iodised salt
Beef, chicken, lamb, and pork broth
Instructions
Place the pork, salt, and broth into the slow cooker and turn it on. Cook the meat for eight hours on low heat.
Remove the pork carefully and allow it to drain.
Dry the surface of the pork and place it in an air fryer for 20 minutes at 190 °C (374 °F).
Pour the cooking liquor through a sieve and refrigerate the broth.
Slice the pork and set some aside for dinner while putting the rest of the meat into refrigerator containers.
Serve with vegetables of choice. For those focussed on low carbohydrate, healthy fat eating, you could enjoy some leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, or an avocado cheek. Some potato or pumpkin mash would work well if you eat starchy plants. If you don’t fatten easily, you might want to eat this pork with stewed apple and some pickled and fermented cabbage.
I’m thinking of starting a trend to eat BLESS. I have been watching some YouTube influencers focusing on BBBE, viz., beef, butter, bacon, and eggs.
I don’t eat much bacon because most supermarket-delivered bacon is water-injected and processed with sugar and other carbohydrates.
BLESS represents beef, lamb, eggs, salmon, and sardines. I’m not sure if I’m the first to use this acronym. While eating pork tonight, my go-to foods are beef, lamb, eggs, salmon, and sardines.
Will I make any effort to propagate BLESS? No, this is just a random thought, and I probably won’t do anything with it. 🤣
I thought about this because I recently completed a bible study series on the beatitudes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.
Thoughts on the meal
The pork was tender. I have enough left over for a couple of meals later this week.
Slowly cooking a pork shoulder roll works well for my style of cooking and eating.
Photographs
Pork shoulder roastPork shoulder roast with gelled beef, chicken, lamb, and pork brothSlowly cooked pork shoulder roll finished in the air fryer
Bibliography
Buxton, J. (2022). The great plant-based con: Why eating a plants-only diet won’t improve your health or save the planet. Piatkus.
Diamond, D. M., Bikman, B. T., & Mason, P. (2022). Statin therapy is not warranted for a person with high LDL-cholesterol on a low-carbohydrate diet. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity, 29(5), 497–511. https://doi.org/10.1097/MED.0000000000000764
Diamond, D. M., De Lorgeril, M., Kendrick, M., Ravnskov, U., & Rosch, P. J. (2019). Formal comment on “Systematic review of the predictors of statin adherence for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.” PLOS ONE, 14(1), e0205138. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205138
Diamond, D. M., & Leaverton, P. E. (2023a). Historical Review of the Use of Relative Risk Statistics in the Portrayal of the Purported Hazards of High LDL Cholesterol and the Benefits of Lipid-Lowering Therapy. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.38391
Diamond, D. M., & Leaverton, P. E. (2023b). Historical Review of the Use of Relative Risk Statistics in the Portrayal of the Purported Hazards of High LDL Cholesterol and the Benefits of Lipid-Lowering Therapy. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.c116
Diamond, D. M., & Ravnskov, U. (2015). How statistical deception created the appearance that statins are safe and effective in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 8(2), 201–210. https://doi.org/10.1586/17512433.2015.1012494
Evans, M. (2019). On eating meat: The truth about its production and the ethics of eating it. Murdoch Books.
Ravnskov, U., Alabdulgader, A., De Lorgeril, M., Diamond, D. M., Hama, R., Hamazaki, T., Hammarskjöld, B., Harcombe, Z., Kendrick, M., Langsjoen, P., McCully, K. S., Okuyama, H., Sultan, S., & Sundberg, R. (2020a). The new European guidelines for prevention of cardiovascular disease are misleading. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 13(12), 1289–1294. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512433.2020.1841635
Ravnskov, U., Alabdulgader, A., De Lorgeril, M., Diamond, D. M., Hama, R., Hamazaki, T., Hammarskjöld, B., Harcombe, Z., Kendrick, M., Langsjoen, P., McCully, K. S., Okuyama, H., Sultan, S., & Sundberg, R. (2020b). The new European guidelines for prevention of cardiovascular disease are misleading. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 13(12), 1289–1294. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512433.2020.1841635
Ravnskov, U., De Lorgeril, M., Diamond, D. M., Hama, R., Hamazaki, T., Hammarskjöld, B., Hynes, N., Kendrick, M., Langsjoen, P. H., Mascitelli, L., McCully, K. S., Okuyama, H., Rosch, P. J., Schersten, T., Sultan, S., & Sundberg, R. (2018). LDL-C does not cause cardiovascular disease: A comprehensive review of the current literature. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 11(10), 959–970. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512433.2018.1519391
Ravnskov, U., De Lorgeril, M., Diamond, D. M., Hama, R., Hamazaki, T., Hammarskjöld, B., Hynes, N., Kendrick, M., Langsjoen, P. H., Mascitelli, L., McCully, K. S., Okuyama, H., Rosch, P. J., Schersten, T., Sultan, S., & Sundberg, R. (2019). Response letter to ‘does high LDL-cholesterol cause cardiovascular disease?’ Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 12(2), 93–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512433.2019.1561102
Ravnskov, U., De Lorgeril, M., Kendrick, M., & Diamond, D. M. (2018). Inborn coagulation factors are more important cardiovascular risk factors than high LDL-cholesterol in familial hypercholesterolemia. Medical Hypotheses, 121, 60–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2018.09.019
Ravnskov, U., De Lorgeril, M., Kendrick, M., & Diamond, D. M. (2022). Importance of Coagulation Factors as Critical Components of Premature Cardiovascular Disease in Familial Hypercholesterolemia. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(16), 9146. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23169146
Ravnskov, U., Diamond, D. M., Hama, R., Hamazaki, T., Hammarskjöld, B., Hynes, N., Kendrick, M., Langsjoen, P. H., Malhotra, A., Mascitelli, L., McCully, K. S., Ogushi, Y., Okuyama, H., Rosch, P. J., Schersten, T., Sultan, S., & Sundberg, R. (2016). Lack of an association or an inverse association between low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and mortality in the elderly: A systematic review. BMJ Open, 6(6), e010401. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010401
Tamura, T., Wakai, K., Kato, Y., Tamada, Y., Kubo, Y., Okada, R., Nagayoshi, M., Hishida, A., Imaeda, N., Goto, C., Ikezaki, H., Otonari, J., Hara, M., Tanaka, K., Nakamura, Y., Kusakabe, M., Ibusuki, R., Koriyama, C., Oze, I., … Matsuo, K. (2023). Dietary Carbohydrate and Fat Intakes and Risk of Mortality in the Japanese Population: The Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study. The Journal of Nutrition, 153(8), 2352–2368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.05.027
Targher, G., Bonapace, S., & Byrne, C. D. (2019). Does high LDL-cholesterol cause cardiovascular disease? Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 12(2), 91–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512433.2019.1561100
I hope you’ve had a good week. This weekend, five jurisdictions in Australia will change to daylight saving time. The result is five different time zones. It seems odd for South Australia to be 30 minutes ahead of Queensland. For readers not familiar with Australian geography, Adelaide is west of Brisbane.
I’ve never been a fan of daylight saving time. I like waking early and being in bed early.
What have I been watching this week
I’ve been watching YouTube videos from medical practitioners, nutrition scientists, and physiologists advocating a low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat way of eating. Many of these people recommend a carnivore way of eating.
Salt
There seems to be a lot of conflicting information on salt. I don’t understand why anyone would want to use the heavy-metal-contaminated salts from the Himalayan mountains and other places. From a non-communicable disease public health perspective, iodised sodium chloride (NaCl) is recommended. Iodine supplementation during pregnancy prevents cretinism. Iodine supplementation for a population maintains the intelligence of the community. Community average intelligence quotient results can be affected by insufficient iodine in our diets.
If you have a spare hour, here’s a link to a podcast featuring one of my medical heroes.
I haven’t always been a user of Apple Mac products. Until I moved to Canberra, I was a dedicated Microsoft Windows user. I used to scoff at friends and workmates telling me to buy an Apple desktop or laptop. Part of my opposition was that Apple desktop computers looked very odd, and some laptop versions were also weird.
When I moved to Canberra, two “events” coincided. The first was the amplification of computer viruses affecting MS Windows software, and the second was that Apple Mac laptops started looking good.
I was getting tired of the problems associated with using expensive antiviral software. Back then, that software slowed the operating system’s speed. I knew computer viruses could still affect Apple Mac products, but it was an asymmetrical problem.
I became a dedicated user with my first Apple MacBook.
The new MacOS Sonoma was released this week (after the iOS and iPadOS releases last week).
The new operating system has some nice enhancements which I’m enjoying.
Recipe
Equipment
Slow cooker
Oven
Ingredients
Beef short ribs
Iodised salt
Lamb, pork, and chicken broth — This broth combines cooking efforts over the last few weeks. I cooked the lamb and pork together and the chicken using the lamb and pork broth.
SpeckLamb shoulder roastChicken wing nibblesChicken, lamb, and pork broth
Instructions
Place the beef short ribs into the slow cooker.
Add the broth and some extra salt.
Cook the beef on low heat for 8 hours.
Gently lift the short ribs from the slow cooker and place them on an oven tray.
Pour most of the beef, chicken, lamb, and pork broth into a container and refrigerate it.
Reduce the remaining broth and use it like it’s a jus over the meal.
Air fry the ribs for 20 minutes at 160 °C (320 °F).
Serve the meat in any way you like. You can eat it alone and drink some broth on a carnivore diet. You could serve it with low-carbohydrate vegetables like leafy green vegetables or avocado if that’s your preference. If you want, it would also taste great with some gravy and potato mash.
I wonder how far I can go with this broth. If I was able-bodied, I’d buy a duck and maybe some goat to add to this broth. I don’t think I’d add an oily fish, though.
Photographs
I didn’t photograph the final broth because it looks like the lamb, pork, and chicken broth. 😊
Beef short rib fingersBeef short rib fingers with lamb, pork, and chicken broth (gelled)Slow cooker beef short rib fingers with cauliflower and broccoliSlow cooker beef short rib fingers for another mealSlow cooker beef short rib fingers with cauliflower and broccoliSlow cooker beef short rib fingers with cauliflower and broccoli with reduced beef, chicken, lamb, and pork brothSlow cooker beef short rib fingers with cauliflower and broccoli with reduced beef, chicken, lamb, and pork broth The cut surface reveals juicy, tender muscle fibres
Reference
Fayet-Moore, Flavia, Cinthya Wibisono, Prudence Carr, Emily Duve, Peter Petocz, Graham Lancaster, Joanna McMillan, Skye Marshall, and Michelle Blumfield. “An Analysis of the Mineral Composition of Pink Salt Available in Australia.” Foods 9, no. 10 (October 19, 2020): 1490. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9101490.
Welcome to Yummy Lummy. A food blog about cooking meals for one.
Introduction
How has your week been? I enjoyed some warmer days early in the week with daily maximum temperatures around 28 °C (about 82 °F). It was nice to be able to walk around in shorts and also to get outside and expose my scar to some sunlight. Yes, I have ichthyosis. My skin is always dry and scaly.
Patella ORIF scar getting some “bennies“.
I’m looking forward to warmer weather, although all residents of Canberra know that we can expect frost any morning until at least the second Tuesday of November.
What I’ve been watching this week
The bearded butchers
“The Bearded Butchers” is a YouTube channel featuring a butcher business from the USA. They specialise in sharing information on cattle, pig, and sheep butchery and meat processing for our tables.
I have this desire to learn how to butcher cuts of meat properly. I want to break down and fabricate an entire pig and lamb.
I also dream of having a decent workbench and freezer to cut and freeze my cuts.
House
Originally titled “House M.D.”, this is one of my all-time favourite shows on TV. Gregory House is an antisocial medical practitioner with specialist training in infectious diseases and nephrology.
A muscle infarction in his right thigh left him with chronic severe pain, influencing his personality. The chronic pain has resulted in opioid dependence and the need to use a cane.
He’s abrasive and contrary, but more often than not he’s correct. I don’t mind people who are obnoxious if they’re right; I do not like opinionated, obnoxious people who try to foist their views on me with poor-quality evidence.
A big surprise
I haven’t measured my mass since the morning of my injury. Because I cannot remove the brace, I didn’t see much point standing on the scales. I also don’t know the mass of the leg brace.
During the week, curiosity got the better of me, and I stood naked on the scales after breakfast, coffee, and about a litre of water. With the brace on my mass, it was a huge surprise. I was more than a kilogram lighter than I’d been since high school.
New Apple operating systems
This week, Apple released iOS17 and iPadOS17. Updating the operating system on these devices feels more effortless these days. With Apple providing beta versions months in advance, release problems are fewer.
Both devices feel faster to use, and I like some app enhancements.
Given how expensive new Apple devices are, these major operating system updates are like getting a new smartphone and tablet without paying for them.
Recipe
I cooked this during the week and thought it was worth sharing on the blog.
Equipment
Slow cooker
Oven
Ingredients
Lamb shoulder roast — boneless, rolled, and trussed with butcher’s twine
Speck — I think of speck as fancy bacon. There will be readers who think cured meat is bad for our health. But there is no proof of causation of cured meat and malignancy. At best, there are association studies. The odds ratios, however, are fairly poor and close to 1. Unlike the epidemiological studies associating cigarette smoking and lung carcinoma which was later proven with mechanistic research.
Salt — I use iodised salt
Black and white peppercorns
Instructions
Place the lamb and pork into the slow cooker with a cup of water, a couple of teaspoons of salt, and a couple of teaspoons of whole peppercorns.
Cook on low heat for 10 hours.
Carefully remove the meat and strain the liquid to remove solid matter.
Place the meat into a baking tray and cook uncovered in an oven set at 180 °C (356 °F) for 30 minutes. The oven stage will dry the surface and create a thin crust over the lamb.
While the meat is in the oven, slowly boil the strained cooking liquor to evaporate the water and thicken the liquor. The reduced liquor will make a lovely lamb and pork broth.
Remove the meat from the oven and break it down with tongs. The lamb and pork will fall apart with little effort.
Transfer the pulled meat to a container for refrigeration.
Lamb shoulder roastSpeckSlow cooker lamb shoulder and speckSlow cooker lamb shoulder and speckSlow cooker lamb shoulder and speck pulled and ready for refrigeration.
Meal ideas
Here are some photographs of how I used the lamb and pork in a few meals. I still have most of the lamb and pork in the refrigerator, and it will keep me going for a few more meals.
Slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck served with cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli. Leftover slow cooker lamb and speck mixed with full “cream” coconut cream, olives, capers, and cherry tomatoes plus tasty and mozzarella cheeses. This was cooked in an oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for 30 minutes. It was served with an avocado cheek. Leftover slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck, with coconut cream, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower. I heated the lamb and pork in lamb fat before I added the coconut cream.
Final thoughts
How has your week been?
Do you update operating systems as soon as they’re released?
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