Griffin Speaks

THROW OUT THE FRYING PAN

Yesterday I threw the frying pan out of the house. I have fried foods for over forty years. I am now determined to eat a more healthy diet. It was a spectacular event because I am known for my wonderful fried chicken. 

Every morning the first thing that I do once I retrieve the morning paper is to read the obituaries. If you notice most people who survive into their seventies and eighties are not obese. The majority of people who are obese die in their forties and early fifties. 

Fried foods high in saturated fats have always been considered by experts to be health risks. Today some recent findings from the World Health Organization indicate that fried foods may be the cause of certain forms of cancer. The culprit is acrylamides.  Acrylamides have been credited with causing cancers in laboratory animals.  

Acrylamides have been used to produce plastics and dyes and to purify our drinking water. Researchers in Sweden found that acrylamides are formed when carbohydrate-rich foods are heated. Acrylamides also induce gene mutations and has been found to cause stomach cancer. 

I was eating lunch at Church’s Fried Chicken on Fairview Avenue several months ago when the wife of a very prominent physician entered the establishment. She exited her Mercedes and looked around as though to see if anyone she knew would notice her. When she entered the store I quickly said: “Hello Mrs. Doe!” (not her real name) She was startled but returned my greeting. She was busted! We all slip and eat unhealthy but tasty foods. The result is an early death! 

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer has sued the fast food giant McDonald’s, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken and the makers of numerous potato chip brands. Attorney General Lockyer’s concern is that these defendants have failed to warn consumers about the dangers of acrylamide, a carcinogen produced when potatoes and other starchy foods are cooked at high temperatures. 

Acrylamides are present in foods that make up about forty percent of the calories consumed in our diet. I suggest that you eat a healthy balanced diet, choosing a variety of foods that are low in fat and saturated fat and rich high-fiber grains, fruits and vegetables. If you follow my advice I believe you will add years to your life. You too will be able to walk around at an advanced age like Rev. Al Dixon. He walks around like a jackrabbit. You can hardly keep up with him. Rev. Dixon is definitely a praying man, but he also eats right and maintains a healthy weight. Rev. Dixon will live a long and healthy life because he takes care of himself. I want to follow suit. 

If you doubt my advice ask yourself how many fat folk have you seen live a long life. If an obese person does live a long life they are usually incapacitated. The quality of life is very low. So take my advice and throw out the frying pan. You will be glad that you did.

Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com