Cally's working title

Gillian McKeith has come in for a lot of stick over the last few years - with her apparently bogus doctorate and obsession with poo, it’s rightly so in my opinion.This is just one of the reasons why …

McKeith has a range of foods for sale in many health food shops - another thing which cheeses me off - how can a shop be termed a health food shop when it doesn’t sell fresh produce?! But I digress, back to Gillian. Of particular concern to me is what she calls her ‘cacao bean bar’, subtitled a ‘natural superfood bar’. Sounds quite interesting, looks ‘health-foody’ with a picture of little beans on the wrapper.

However the cacao pod, the fruit of the cacao tree, is what’s most interesting. It has a number of seeds which are commonly called beans, and theses are surrounded by a white fatty substance. Together these two components - cocoa solids and cocoa butter make up what you and I call chocolate … the same bloody food Gillian McKeith condemns on her programmes. And the same food which she uses as a means to ridicule and humiliate her guests, because they’ve eaten it.

Eaten in moderation, chocolate is a perfectly ok thing to eat. Some researchers have even found it actually has positive benefits - we’ve probably all heard that.

How extraordinary it is for ‘that woman’ to put her name to a food which is quite frankly just a glorified chocolate bar.

I’ve not tasted one, but I imagine if challenged in a taste test, Green & Blacks would win, hands down!

Interesting link for history of chocolate is on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacao
http://www.greenandblacks.com

Just recently I saw a job offer for a writer to work on the health magazine Men’s Fitness. Being interested in such matters I read the ad. It was for a staff writer to write and edit the Nutrition and Health sections of the magazine. Ok? So far so good.

Now here’s the bit that cheeses me off. Apparently to be a successful and valued health writer at Men’s Fitness you… “don’t need to be an expert on health matters, but you do need a proven record of producing sharp, witty and accurate copy for a consumer title.”

How one can produce accurate copy without being an expert is beyond me. I understand the need for sharp, witty copy. BUT to call for a health writer that does not need to be an expert on nutrition and health matters is simply an outrage.

Time and time again I read either half-truths or outright errors, particularly concerning nutrition, in articles written in magazines such as this. It drives me crazy. No wonder many people don’t know who or what to believe. People are writing about health matters that are obviously not qualified to do so.

Vegetables
Artichoke, Jerusalem; broccoli; Brussels sprouts; cauliflower; celeriac; celery; chicory; endive; kale; leek; parsnip; radish; rhubarb; salsify & scorzonera; spinach; swede; turnip

Fruits
Apple varieties - Blenheim orange, Bramleys, Crispin, Ellison’s orange, Elstar, Gala, Gloster, Ida red, Jonagold, Kent, Kidd’s orange red, Ribston pippin, Red pippin, Spartan, Suntan
Pear varieties - Comice, Concorde, Conference
Rhubarb, forced

Meat, fish & poultry
Hare; mallard; partridge; pheasant; rabbit; venison
Mussels; oysters; scallops; turbot

Cheeses
Stilton; Wensleydale, blue

www.parkfruitfarm.co.uk

I’ve neglected the last few months terribly. So, in the interests of continuity, I will add January, February and March for come clarity.

Vegetables
Artichoke, Jerusalem; broccoli; Brussels sprouts; celeriac; celery; chicory; endive; kale; Khol rabi; leek; parsnip; radish; salsify & scorzonera; spinach; swede; turnip.

Fruits
Apple varieties - Adam’s pearmain, Ashmeads kernal, Blenheim orange, Bramley, Cox, Crispin, Egremont russet, Ellison’s orange, Elstar, Fukin-Ishuki, Gloster, Ida red, Jonagold, Kent, Kidd’s orange red, Laxton’s fortune, Pixie, Ribston pippin, Red pippin, Spartan, Suntan, William crump.
Pear varieties - Comice, Concorde, Conference.
Rhubarb (forced).

Meat, fish & poultry
Goose; hare; mallard; partridge; pheasant; rabbit; snipe; venison; wood pidgeon

Cheeses
Stilton; Wensleydale, blue

www.parkfruitfarm.co.uk

Foods to look out for in December are:

Vegetables
Artichokes, Jerusalem; beetroot; Brussels sprouts; cabbages; cardoon; carrots (if grown in the south); cauliflower; celeriac; celery; chicory; endive; garlic; kale; Kohl rabi; leeks; lettuce (winter crop); onion; parsnips; potatoes; salsify & scorzonera; spinach; swede; Swiss chard (although on its way out); turnips.

Fruits
Apple varieties - Adam’s pearmain, Ashmeads kernal, Blenheim orange, Bramleys, Charles Ross, Cox, Crispin, D’Arcy spice, Egremont russet, Ellison’s orange, Elstar, Fukin-Ishuki, Gloster, Ida red, Jonagold, Kent, Kidd’s orange red, King of the pippins, Laxton’s fortune, Pixie, Ribston pippin, Red pippin, Spartan, Suntan, William crump.
Chestnuts
Pear varieties - Comice, Concorde, Conference.
Pomegranates; quince.

Meat, fish & poultry
Goose; grouse; hare; mallard; partridge; pheasant; rabbit; snipe; turkey; venison; woodcock; brill; monkfish; mussels; oysters; plaice; scallops; turbot; goose; guinea fowl.

Cheeses
Stilton; Wensleydale, blue.

This is a great website for all things organic http://www.whyorganic.org/involved_organicDirectory_output.asp