Saturday 10 June 2023

Plants, Seeds, UPF, Dumpster Diving and a Café Boat

 


Last week I potted these Cosmos 'Purity' into larger pots.  Three of the little pots sharing one much larger one to hopefully make a nice display of pure white flowers in a few weeks.


I also sowed a couple of rows of radish seeds into one of the shadier beds, hopefully we can have a few more homegrown radish before the temperatures get too high and they all bolt.  You can let them bolt, go to seed and then eat the pods, but I'm not that keen on the fiery little pods to be honest, although the flowers are very pretty.


You're not really supposed to pick from a newly planted rhubarb plant, but this one is growing so well and starting to cover so much of the chippings area of the garden that I am going to risk it this weekend.  Homegrown rhubarb with some coconut yoghurt sounds like a lovely dessert ... or maybe breakfast.

And now for your delight and delectation ... some Weekend Watching.

There was a lot of interest in my new book, so I thought I would share this short YouTube video with Dr Chris van Tulleken talking about it and ultra processed foods.  It gave me a better understanding of just what UPF was before I started reading the book.

https://youtu.be/uAVuU2xS_YA


I also watched this one as it was a long time since I watched the actual programme a couple of years ago.  It ties in neatly with the book.

https://youtu.be/T4PFt4czJw0


And here's a Freakin Frugal dumpster dive with lots of lovely fresh produce.

https://youtu.be/cd8CTzmXiv8


And finally, a bit of Holly the Café Boat, which is just one of the many narrowboat channels I watch on a regular basis.

https://youtu.be/P2ijbgMlfXQ


We are off to a park in Lancaster today with the dogs, we've been out and about quite a bit just recently making the most of this lovely weather.  I hope you have a lovely weekend.


Sue xx



20 comments:

  1. The other UPF video you might want to dig out is the 2004 documentary by Morgan Spurlock when he ate nothing but McDonalds for a month: "Supersize Me".
    It is a long, long time since I saw it but I do remember the shocking change in his blood/liver tests and the amount of weight he gained.

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    1. I've watched 'Supersize Me' so many times I could almost quote Morgan Spurlock ... lol. It is really good, I think I have almost worn out my copy of the Dvd. :-)

      In a much fairer experiment Chris van Tulleken only ate the same amount of calories as he would normally consume each day, but in 80% ultra processed foods instead of his more usual 20%. This is what makes the results of the experiment more shocking and what triggered the financing of the much larger trials that went on afterwards.

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  2. I watched the Panorama programme after reading your post. Will catch up with the YouTube clips over the weekend, thank you. During a 7hour wait with a neighbour at A&E last night, I struggled to find something remotely healthy to eat from the hospital vending machin e!

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    1. That is what is truly shocking isn't it. When I was supposed to be staying in hospital overnight last month I realised that there was NOTHING on the hospital menu or in the vending machines that I could have eaten, just one more reason I signed myself out. When you're ill you need good nutrition, not junk food.

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  3. I'm getting through the UPF book slowly - I'm looking at labels more too!

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    1. I'm finding that I'm reading every label of the food that I have in. It's good that he recommends that you eat your way through what you already have in noticing the ingredients and learning as you go isn't it.
      The only foods that have that have passed on virtually every ingredient up to now are the DE Plants range of foods that I bought the other day on a Waitrose order.

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  4. I remember that programme with the doctor who made himself really unwell-I must watch the clip again. Catriona

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  5. Not much shocks me any more but the amount of thrown out food in that dumpster dive really did. I think we must be better at recycling perfectly good food here in the UK - or are we?

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    1. We are not that much better, but our 'dumpsters' are locked behind gates at the back of supermarkets on their land, and it is actually illegal to enter private property in the UK and take things from skips. In the US, in some states the law is slightly different and the land the dumpsters are on is classed as public land. Frugal Mummy is very au fait with the law and has had some very interesting conversations with law enforcement.

      There are some UK divers that have YouTube channels.

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  6. The dumpsters by stores here are all locked up.

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    1. They usually are in the UK too. I hate to think of so much food going to waste, especially when it's meat and fish ... things have had to die for that 'food' and it just ends up in landfill if it's not rescued by someone.

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  7. I started reading the book about UPF and eating a bag of crisps at the same time - and after 30 pages I threw the crisps in the bin! I have always read the list of ingredients and tried to find something relatively healthy, but I didn´t realize that the consequences of eating UPF are so bad.
    Hilde in Germany

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    1. That's one of the reasons he says to carry on eating what you are used to eating while you are reading the book, it only highlights even more how so much of our food is UPF. I thought my brown bread rolls would have about 7 ingredients, Alan guessed at 4 ... it was actually over 30!!

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  8. It's such a minefield trying to eat simply, isn't it, as so much is hidden and unexpected when you read the labels. Your bread rolls are a prime example. I don't eat white bread if I can help it but G will not eat anything BUT white. I call his bread 'cardboard bread' as that's what it feels like and it stays mould free for a week so must contain lots of preservatives. Thanks to your post I'm reading labels carefully again!

    Oh I LOVE Holly the Cafe Boat! Joanna, Vic and William are delightful and I'm always pleased to see a new vlog post pop up :)

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    1. I'm reading all my food labels very carefully at the moment, it's amazing how some of the things I honestly thought were healthy ... my brown bread rolls are just one example ... are actually also ultra processed foods. It's been a real eye-opener this book, even if it is heavy going.

      Wouldn't it be so much easier if they just had the one narrowboat instead of having to move both Zero and Holly, especially now that they have got William to look after. It's a question I put to them on the Q&A video, and Vic said yes it would.

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    2. I've often wondered why they have 2 boats. Even discounting the inconvenience of moving and maintaining 2 boats, the cost must be astronomical. I presume they would have to buy a license for both of them, then there's the cost of the fuel too.

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    3. They originally planned to have seating for customers in Holly but decided against it before they opened, and installed the sofa bed instead. Yes every boat on the UK waterways has to have it's own licence.

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  9. Our rhubarb has been brilliant this year, I'm anxiously awaiting the strawberries, loganberries, raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants, what's the betting that they'll all fruit when we're away and the birds will have pinched the lot!
    I was going to mention Morgan Spurlock. Years ago The Guardian gave away DVDs of Supersize Me. I've never eaten in a McDonalds, the smell when you walk past is bad enough! xxx

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    1. It's definintely a good year for rhubarb, can you drape some nets over the berries for while you are away? That'll be why I used to have three copies of the Supersize Me DVD, the one I have left has been very well watched, it's fascinating. I doubt I'll ever eat in McDonalds again but I do like their coffee. :-)

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