Kate Krader (@kkrader on Twitter) is Food & Wine's restaurant editor. When she tells us where to find our culinary heart's desire, we listen up.
Beer lovers, rejoice. Whiskey drinkers, celebrate. Pork fat fans, this is your moment. All the things you thought were unhealthy can actually help you lose a ton of weight.
Well, not exactly. This isn’t an ad in the back pages of a sketchy magazine. All these things are still not good for you when you eat and drink them in large quantities. And don’t stop eating your blueberries and strawberries if you want to boost your brainpower.
Still, there’s some surprising good health news for anyone who wants to wash down their lard-topped popcorn with a beer and a shot of whiskey.
Beer: The Problem-Solver
Question: Who’s better at solving brainteasers, men who are sober or men who have drunk two pints of beer? According to research from the University of Illinois, the drinkers are the winners. (That sound you hear is every guy I know cracking open a beer right now in self-righteous satisfaction.) Not only did the drinkers solve 40 percent more problems than the nondrinkers, they solved their problems faster: 12 seconds compared to the nondrinking 15.5 seconds.
Pork Fat: The Bad Cholesterol Fighter
"Pork fat is not only useful, but it is also good for us," says my new hero, Jennifer McLagan. She’s the author of the James Beard Award–winning "Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient". To back up her claim, McLagan's book includes a chart showing that 45 percent of pork fat is monounsaturated, which can help raise your HDL, or good cholesterol, and also can help lower your LDL, or bad cholesterol.
She also extols the benefits of frying in lard, because food absorbs less fat than if you fry it in oil. Lagan piles on the good news, arguing that "Diets low in fat, it turns out, leave people hungry, depressed and prone to weight gain and illness." To ensure readers' happiness, she includes recipes in "Fat", including one for euphoria-inducing bacon fat mayonnaise.
Whiskey: The Good Cholesterol Booster
If you’re looking for other celebratory ways to increase your good cholesterol levels and potentially decrease your risk of a stroke, grab a bottle of your favorite booze. And then drink in moderation. According to the Mayo Clinic, studies suggest that if you consume one alcoholic drink per day if you're a woman, or two drinks a day if you're a guy, you can increase your HDL cholesterol levels and also potentially decrease your risk of a stroke. But, cautions the Mayo Clinic, "If you don't drink alcohol, don't start just to try raising your HDL levels."
Popcorn: The Antioxidant Hero
You don’t need me to tell you that popcorn is popular with the high fiber crowd. Here’s more good news for anyone who’s trying to justify their next big bucket of (nonbuttered, non-oversalted) popcorn: New research from the University of Scranton suggests that a serving of popcorn is higher in antioxidants than some fruits and vegetables. Those antioxidants, known as polyphenols, are associated with helping to prevent cancer. They’re concentrated in popcorn’s husk, which is something to consider the next time it gets stuck in your teeth and you consider spitting it out.
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Ultimate Bacon Recipes
Whiskey Cocktails
Best Burgers in the U.S.
Spring Recipes
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Whisky and port is a good combination. Cheers!!
Thank god someone is standing up for pork fat! Because the best tasting thing in the world is homemade bacon check it out:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2046170051/making-bacon-at-home?ref=home_location
why healthy food always bad taste n junk food gd taste ;P
Fat liquor manufacturers, fatliquor supplies in India. Fatliquor A special fat liquoring agent for every type of leather and furs.
I've been surfing on-line more than 3 hours as of late, but I by no means found any interesting article like yours. It's pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers made just right content as you probably did, the net will probably be a lot more useful than ever before.
extremely lousy reporting and horrendously bad information. you should be ashamed of the headline and this article.
Agreed. Moderation is key to living healthy. There are no wonder foods that can make you healthy if you binge on them.
Her data is spot on. Lard and any animal fat is basically heart healthy and it's the refined carbs that drive inflammation and LDL oxidation which drives atheriogenesis and heart disease.
This would explain why high fat, low carb diets consistently beat low-fat, grain-based diets in weight loss AND heart health (higher HDL, lower small-dense, type B LDL, lower triglycerides) in randomized controlled trials.
Strangely, this means that eating more fat equates to less fat in the blood.
See RCTs below. I have 12 more if anyone's curious.
Gardner CD, et al. (2007). “Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and learn Diets for Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors Among Overweight Premenopausal Women. The a to z Weight Loss Study: A Randomized Trial.” Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 297, pgs. 969–977. Retrieved from: http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/297/9/969.long
Shai I, et al. (2008). “Weight loss with a low-carbohydrate, mediterranean, or low-fat diet.” The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 359(3), pgs. 229–41. Retrieved from: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0708681.
Well...Arteriosclerosis is caused by a lack of B vitamins in the diet. B vitamins are required to reconvert homocysteine back to methionine. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-B12/NS_patient-vitaminb12/DSECTION=evidence B vitamins are destroyed by microwave cooking or overcooking green vegetables. Animal protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and fruit are all necessary to a healthy human diet. None of them are bad guys. http://eatmeathappydiet.com/
Agreed also. I worked for a hog farmer when I was younger. I still don't eat pork because of that experience. What people don't realize is that pigs are scavengers and will eat anything, dead or alive, rotten of fresh including their own urine and excrement.
It's really a cool and helpful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Lard, good for health – This is THE joke!
Soon, we can expect an article saying marijuana is great for our well being...
:))
Marijuana is good for your well being, you ought to try it sometime
Unfortunately it is illegal to use
:((
It may very well be healthy. If humans evolved to eat animal products, which we unquestionably did, and these products included the organ meats and brain (which are hugely fatty), then lard is healthy.
See RCTs I posted above where high fat diets led to better heart health risk factors (and lower weight) relative to low-fat, high carb diets.
I think we've been fed terrible science and incorrect nutrition for 40 years at that's one reason we have an obesity epidemic.
Lard being healthy is not a joke when you bother to try it in a scientifically run experiment.
This is the single best nutrition paper ever. Actually I'll link to the hyperlipid page that links to the paper so you will know what you are reading and why it is the best paper ever: http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/search/label/Fruit%20and%20vegetables%20%284%29%20The%20asterisk
This is what happens when you eat only meat: http://www.jbc.org/content/87/3/651.full.pdf
Executive summary, nothing bad happens.
Report real NEWS!!!
For all the idiots that believe this article, keep eating this way the planet is over populated. I will stick to what is healthy, cruelty free and good for the planet, I won't change my vegan diet!
Sorry, but I think I will believe professional researchers and the Mayo Clinic. Just because you think something isn't true doesn't make it false.
I wish it was legal to hunt vegans.
lots of bla bla bla here! You people are so stupid! Research from real professional equipments were done from real professional people, so move the hell on!
Don't being trying to confuse people with facts and research. It just gets in the way of their preconceived ideas.
the human digestive system is much different from the carnivore's the intestinal tract of a meat eating animal is much longer than that of a human .... one theory...that humans have teeth for crunching nuts and grains...while carnivore has fangs for ripping flesh, and mouth waters at the sight of blood..... though evolution produces the necessary tools for survival... and each person has variations in their chemical make up...
we DO have fangs, duh
Your statement is very confusing. I think you have carnivore confused with herbivore. Humans are omnivores with canines. I am not trying to be mean.
All the research I've looked at suggests that humans have a GI system similar to carnivores and that our brains would be roughly 1/3rd its current size if our paleolithic ancestors stuck with only veggies and fruit.
Sucks if you're a vegan but it's probably true. See Cordain video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dw1MuD9EP4
Thanks anyway CNN, gunna show my boss this so I can finally drink on the job.
no wonder the Scottish are so healthy... oh wait, no, no they're not.
LMFAO
Yes. I agree.i am 40 yrs old. I had this doubt in my head. but now it is proved. yes, i have started drinking since 10 years before. i really feel increased brain power. maintaining perfect weight. no cholesterol problem. i had my health checkup recently. the doctor was wondering after i said i am a moderate drinker. but whenever i drink i take enough food to avoid damage to my stomach. when i tell this to my friends those who don't drink, they were laughing at me. i prefer taking alcoholic drinks in moderate level at constant intervals. finally,anyhow our body is composed of many chemicals.
The way I see it, I could eat healthy, and live 20 years longer, but then I would have no bacon, beer, hamburgers or chicken wings, so whats the point of that 20 years anyway?
Healthy food DOES include meats, but from pastured sources. :)
My grandparents move to the USA when they were children. They ate pig fat, flavored bean with pig fat, ate real butter from their farm, ate lots of fried apples (delicious) with heavy cream, etc. And also, they didn't start to get fat until they hit their 70's.
They both lived to be in their 90's. Their sons are living long lives also and eat just about the same. Amazing stuff.
Yes, no problem with pork or pork fat here. It's when I start going back into the grains that I gain any weight. Eat traditional foods, lots of real and wholesome non-starchy veggies, and add in some meat and seafood when you know their quality.
My blood workup, as of this past week, is perfect. Triglycerides are dropping and I love my HDL to overall cholesterol ratio.
It is the same for my family. They live into late 90's and early 100's. They remained alert and active until almost the day they die. We are just now starting to understand the role of fat in our diets. It seems we need more of the good fats. I too have trouble with grains. They are hard on my stomach and I gain weight quickly. Good quality meats and seafood along with fresh or frozen vegetables are great.
I call shinanigans on this. I'll believe it when I see it in action.
Guinness really is good for you!
Strategy #249 of the Depopulation of Idiots in America Agenda...lol
Strategy #248, convince idiots to go vegan.
Some of you out of shape wimps can't handle the bacon. Saturated fat is not bad, it is the precursor to testosterone production. So eat your meat and be a man for once! Paleo man was more muscular, stronger, and faster than neolithic man, the difference was one was solely carnivorous.
That Paleo diet is ridiculous. I know so many people on it and they look terrible and old. The Neanderthals were the only ones who heavy meat eaters and they went extinct. Humans have always been omnivores, their flexibility eating habits helped them win the evolutionary lottery.
You obviously don't know anything about the paleo diet judging by your comment.
The paleo diet is an omnivorous diet. Put a piece of meat/fish or a couple eggs on your plate, fill the rest of the plate with vegetables. Fruit for dessert if desired. No grains, minimal or no dairy, very little sugar, no junk food.
I eat primal, which is basically paleo with the addition of dairy. I eat far more vegetables and fruits than the average American. And my cholesterol numbers have improved; they were never "bad", but my HDL was "borderline healthy" a couple years ago, now it is "ideal". (And no, I don't have any health problems that I'm getting my numbers checked, it's part of our wellness program where I work that I get it checked every year.)
Here's an example of a couple days of eating primal:
Breakfast: organic full-fat yogurt, 1 cup blackberries
Lunch: shrimp ceviche (shrimp, avocado, onion, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, marinated in lime juice and olive oil)
Dinner: mixed greens salad drizzled with olive oil and vinegar, lean grilled steak, steamed asparagus with lemon juice
Breakfast: southwestern omelette (filled with cheese and lots of onions, red and green peppers, and mushrooms; topped with salsa and a dollop of sour cream)
Lunch: "spaghetti" (zucchini and yellow squash sliced into strips on a mandoline) with red sauce and ground venison
Dinner: mixed greens salad drizzled with olive oil and vinegar, chicken with a sauce white wine sauce, baked sweet potato
Snacks: hard boiled eggs, handful of nuts, fresh fruit and veggies
Drinks: mostly water, 1 cup/glass coffee or tea per day, 1 bottle coconut water per day
So what's the difference between paleo & a regular, balanced diet?
theresa s, in a nutshell, paleo/primal replaces grain/legumes with another vegetable serving. So instead of filling your plate with "meat, veggie, bread" or "meat, veggie, beans"; your plate would be "meat, veggie, veggie".
Yeah, because today we still run around mostly naked hunting for our food and shelter. This is a stupid argument lol They also didn't live to be 80
True, but then again when i fancy a steak i don't have to travel through uncharted hostile terrain to take down a Wooly Mammoth with a spear.
Sure, all meat diet was the only difference!!! You must believe everything you read.
I love all these self-proclaimed "carnavore" tough guys who have never killed any of their meat a day in their life. Meat comes from a living thing not out of the freezer sections. Dickheads.
I like you Eric, you seem charming and funny! I've been a personal trainer for 40 years and from my experience, I agree with you. If you want to see what the Vegan lifestyle does to the body, check out the aging hippies on a commune called "The Farm". You would need to see them "in person", no photoshopped pictures. Ha
So, I will toast you with either with my single malt whiskey or my Oatmeal beer..."May you live to be 100 or die trying, and may you look good too". (-:
Other than the pork fat, the other three don't seem unhealthy at all in moderation. The best way to eat popcorn is air popped though, microwave popcorn is very unhealthy.
The pork fat is unhealthy is ludicrous and horribly unscientific. Omega 6 overload from grain-fed animals may lead to fatty acid imbalances but saturated fats are probably healthy.
Terrible science led to terrible recommendations led to the obesity epidemic. Period. Read Gary Taubes "Why We Get Fat" and then "Good Calories, Bad Calories."
Someday people at CNN will realize that correlation does not equal causation.
Barren the pesticides in the lard I agree, I also agree that once you have two beer it is like a crime to stop. But then, I liked the dying of boredom comment too... Cheers
It what you want, die when it's time. Amen.
It what you want? hallelujer praise jeebus, i eat lard and sugar cubes all day cus JEEBUS GON TAKE ME WHEN HE WANT TO, PRAISE HIM
i drink like 60 beers a night, doesn't feel to healthy in the mornings
I actually had to scroll up to see if this article was published on April 1...
I'm Saved!
I'm joining your religion.
Yes, 45% of pork fat is monounsaturated. And the remaining 55% is saturated. Versus, say, zero percent of saturated fat in olive oil. I sincerely with the author of this article to switch to pork fat and die from heart attack.
Corn oil has less saturated too, why dont you consume them. Saturated fats that we take in our food are basically three acids that our body essentially converts into mufa in no time, because our body has enzymes to do that. Also, it should be noted that PUFA can be converted into trans fat by heating at high temps for long time, meaning we consume trans fat unknowingly everyday by using these oils for frying or similar purpose. Whereas, if you use SAFA's like lard or coconut oil, they are stable and dont get converted into trans fat easily
Olive oil is 15% saturated
How can you eat pop corn without butter and salt? That is Unamerican!
The best popcorn I've ever eaten has been homemade with a light drizzle of olive oil and lightly salted. I'd highly suggest it. It will change football/basketball/movie nights forever.
This is outrageous to suggest that these things are healthy...sure ...in the moment I am sure beer can help you loosen up to answer a question....not the actual beer itself being the improvement!!!! Stop spatting lies to the American people when you know what you are doing is killing them. Its sick..its really really sick!!!! These things are NOT HEALTHY. Fruit, veggies, water...THESE THINGS ARE HEALTHY....America is waking up too...we may have been blind for a while but we aren't stupid
Popcorn is healthy yes...but not unless it is homemade....hand popped and not microwaved!...there are a lot of variables here that you are missing
Check Atkins diet. Yes, fat is healthy. I actually tried this myself. If you eat fat and cut out carbs, you don't gfeel hungry and your cholesterol goes down. The difficult part is to live without carbs... but that's just as difficult as for drug user to live without drugs.
You're right, and the good news is the carb cravings go away if you stick with it long enough. I've been low-carbing for about 10 years now, and do not desire any of my old favorite carb foods any more. Protein, fats (within reason), green veggies, wine – this will keep you healthy, improve your blood chemistry numbers, and keep the weight down. And, oh yeah, I eat plenty of bacon. Yum!
Yes, I lack carb cravings, eat meat (preferably pastured), seafood, and lots of veggies (from which I get nutrition along with their innate carbs), low amounts of potatoes or grains. VERY little pre-packaged food. My HDL ratio to cholesterol has never been better, and I've lost 35 pounds to date.
If I were to eat popcorn (which I would do on a rare occurrence), it would be the real stuff, not in a microwaved package with fake flavorings and butteroid stuff. As for lard in limited amounts - pastured sources are not going to carry fat-soluble pesticides or the like.
On a really hot day, nothing beats one chilled quality beer. Whether it's good for one or not, well it depends, of course. :)
I know, right? Stories like this kill me.
Sure, let's ignore research. I think the Mayo clinic qualifies as expert.
In truth, you are stupid and can't spell. Let me guess, you are a vegan? No wonder you can't spell or reason, your brain lacks protein.
Ugh, if I had a quarter for every time a non-vegan thought protein was an issue...
If you are going to eat a air popped popcorn instead of a doughnut, or a beer instead of a 20 ounce soda it is healthy.
And where did you get your degree in food science?
Why wouldn't beer be healthy? Guiness has iron and magnesium. for example. Whiskey and popcorn sounds right too.The only thing I question is pork fat, that doesn't make any sense. The premise seems to be it's satisfying. So is chocolate cake, don't buy that it's healthy though.
Probably not the cake part... but the chocolate part has been shown to be fairly healthy (dark of course).
Every food on the planet at one time or another has been declared diet food by some diet "guru' hoping to sell books, and the fat and lazy go OOOoooo.. and run out and get these books. There's only two things you can do to lose weight, stop shoveling food in your face and exercise PERIOD.
Wow. The conclusions some of you people jump to and the assumptions you make. Nobody said this was "diet" food. They explained that these foods aren't necessarily as BAD as people think (as evidenced by your comments). Additionally, nobody is going to go out and eat an entire package of bacon because of this. Also, popcorn = sodium? There's also unflavored popcorn and then you can flavor it or season it yourself. Whiskey CAN be consumed in large quantities but that doesn't mean people will. It can be enjoyed in moderation. The same can be said for beer. If you know someone that is drinking beer or whiskey every single day and more than you feel like they should be thinking, you should probably speak up. You're not all experts and you don't know as much as you think you do.
Correction: drinking. Maybe I'm drinking without even realizing it.
ANd I suppose you`re going to believe Kate? she`s probably very fat.
Nope. She's a brilliant editor at Food & Wine and she's in excellent shape.
What is the matter with you Yanks? Do you have to eat yourselves to death? At least if you exercised it would be only half bad, but nooo, you haven`t got the time, or the energy or whatever reason. No wonder we are so much better looking. Our pork is lean, our roo meat is very lean, most of all we don`t eat bacon before it has exercised.
If your pork is lean, that's because you're raising American breeds. The US was the first to start breeding low-fat pigs back in the 60s, and the trend continues today.
Note that this is not without its downside – the taste suffers. Lean pork doesn't taste like much of anything.
Rather than consume unnaturally bred animals, stop gorging and enjoy real pork in moderate amounts.
If kangaroo were any good, we'd already be eating it.
Actually, kangaroo is excellent.
Wow, food is good for you. Scientific studies have proven that if you avoid fats, cholesterol, salt, and booze, you will live four days longer than those who are careless about what they consume. Then you die of boredom.
I had my daily allocation of pork fat just today. Boy howdy do I feel "healthy".
Just to make sure I didn't shortchange myself, I've got plenty of bread on hand to soak up this morning's bacon grease... for desert, after my artery-clogging supper of yoghurt, bean sprouts, and tofu, you understand.
That photo up there, by the way, is a Diabetes fest. Go on, get your Diabetes on!
People who suffer from Herpes cold sores should not eat popcorn. This is a sure-fire way to bring on your next outbreak.
Next up the Krispy Kreme Diet.
What they don't mention for these guys is that beer, whiskey and pork fat is an absolute Gout-fest! Get out those canes!
Popcorn, yes. Beer, lard and whiskey, not so much
Sorry, but I've tried a booze diet, and I can say with some certainty that it doesn't work.
I think the person above said it right – if it is not processed it is fair game. . . eat whatever u want just eat local & fresh and u should be good!
I AM SAVED! VINDICATED ! THERE IS JOSTICE ! now , if I can get my wife to believe it....gotta try.....
OK so 45% of pork fat is monounsaturated..........aaaand the other 55%? Meh.........just some good ol' trans fats, saturated fats, cancer-causing toxins etc. etc. This article is useless – as are most on here these days. Stick a catchy headline up there to get lots of clicks – doesn't matter what the content actually is.
you are so right, this article is misleading. The people you need to target don't stop at 2 beers, that's the problem......check the sodium content for the popcorn, it may outweigh any "benefits". and I haven't gnawed on any tree bark in a few days at least, broccoli maybe, but no bark. The message here is, keep eating junk, it's OK. Who's behind the scenes here, Frito Lay?
Bacon has no trans fat - you find very little trans fat in any natural product. The other 55% is a mixture of saturated fact (about 33%) and poly-unsaturated fat. (And cancer causing toxins? Not unless someone's added them.)
Generally speaking, you're better off eating something that came from nature - even bacon - than something "healthy" that came out of a lab. A veggie burger packed with chemicals and binders and weird preservatives scares me a lot more than a piece of bacon, where the only ingredient (if prepared properly) is "we cut it off a dead pig, here you go."
Bob have you ever looked at the amount of salt preservatives that are loaded into bacon and other pork meats? I do agree with the lab binder comment on the veggie burgers, but there are alot better veggie choices nowadays than in the past.
My theory on eating, is if it isn't processed...it's fair game. Just like anything though, too much of any one thing isn't good.
if it isn't moving , it's food.................................................
Hey! I'm still wiggling - put that fork down!
I agree entirely. Stick with natural, unprocessed foods, and eat everything in moderation. Sadly, that can be both difficult and expensive these days...
If it was breathing, into the pot!
Love the taste of buttered microwave popcorn – but shouldn't be eating all that butter? Try this: Turn the bag upside down and use a sharp knife to make about two dozen small slits in the bag bottom. Fold a paper towel or napkin double and put it under the bag on a microwave safe plate – be sure to turn the bag over after making the slits. Microwave as usual. Most of the butter will run out onto the napkin or paper towel, but enough will be left in the bag to give you that buttery good taste that you love! And, you'll be AMAZED at how much butter you DIDN'T EAT, when you see how much is soaked up in the napkin or paper towel. So why not just use un-buttered popcorn in the first place? Because it's too dry and tasteless.
The stuff they flavor the microwave butter with is horrible. Save yourself and pop corn in a pot with a little bit of oil. Much better for you, and just as delicious!
*microwave popcorn
derp
Skip the microwave stuff. It is full of chemicals. Get yourself some brown paper lunch bags. Put 1/3 cup of kernels in one and fold the open end down tight two or three times. Pop in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes until done. Add butter or toppings as you wish. It's easy and far less expensive.
Great idea with the paper bags. I would've never thought of it. Good bye Orvil Redenbocker!! Thanks Shar!!!!!!!
Microwave popcorn is full of toxic chemicals and spews even more into the air when popped. I have to leave the room or entire house if somebody pops it because it makes me sick, and it does not smell good to anyone who isn't used to smelling chemicals being heated up.
Boy, I bet those health food nuts sitting around gnawing on tree bark and chomping on raw organic rhubarb must be pretty furious about this article – I suspect we'll hear from them soon.
The future predictions of "Sleeper" have finally come true!
And I'm just going to go ahead and say that the author (Kate) needs another beer, because she's leaving out words in her sentences. "She also extols the benefits of frying in lard, because food absorbs less fat than if you it in oil."
Cheers, Kate!
Yeah, she totally an entire word.
LAWL. Someone needs to this story.
Yeah...ok.