----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Bridgeland" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 7:55 AM
Subject: Re: Protein Toxicity, acid/base, Ammonia,Urea,K+

Sweden is if I may say so a little special. We were luckily not part of the
second world war, nor the first and we have had general health care since
the middle of the 40's. For instance all children were given cod liver oil
for free during their first years of life and they were checked (and still
are) regularly by health authorities, for free and not compulsory, till
school begun. We are all part of general insurance that give us treatment
when we are ill or when we get children. No private insurance is needed
which means that you don't depend on your own economical status to get, for
instance hospital care.

It is like in Okinawa that people of different generations have different
eating habits. Hamburgers were introduced in my very international home town
in 1955 when there was a very big expo. They would give you 10-15 strips of
chips, a small piece of ox meat, raw onion and some pickled gerkhin in a
piece of bread. It was expensive. Pizza came to Sweden in the beginning of
the 70's and was immediately loved by the young ones as it was different,
continental and cheap. At the same time came chinese food. Cheap too. Prior
to that time there was hardly any people eating out in restaurants.

In the homes we ate a lot of fish, especially heering, cod and mackerel. Old
people often love fried food but deep fries is not part of our food culture.
Even today I don't know anyone who has a deep frier at home. We also have a
lot of lakes so people ate those fish as well. Salmon and eel was expensive
but in som parts the consumption of those two has been substantial. Porridge
and bread with butter and cheese or ham or something else on top. Pork has
been the most commonly eaten meat all over the country and other meats were
more expensive. Pork is still one of the cheapest meats. Tough old hen were
cooked for some hours and then eaten but before the 60's chicken were not
eaten by anyone but the very rich. Potatoes of all preparations have been
popular and still is. Vegetable soup with a whiff of meat were eaten ones or
twice a week and was called "meat soup". People drank coffee but not tea, in
general.

We used to be skinny people but nowadays it has changed. Some years ago
health authorities only spoke of the problems of anorectic behavior in girls
but now the favorite subject is how we are getting fatter. I must agree, it
is obvious that we are getting fatter. Especially young people.

We sadly enough die from heart disease but are not very high on strokes. And
we get quite old. And we eat a lot of pork.Since I checked up on vitamin B I
have been more observant on pork but the issue is. Do we get old because of
what we used to eat, because of the health care or what?
Eva

> A Japanese doctor I knew studied kidney function. He claimed the
> Okinawans were long lived because of all the pork they ate, which he
> said is very good for healthy kidneys.
>