Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.
Think about the things you ingest every single day.
Coffee is likely one. Chocolate is surely one, if you have any taste.
What else? Cereal? Milk? Salad? Fruit Scones? Haagen-Daazs Dulce De Leche Ice Cream?
Perhaps you ought to reconsider your ways.
I only mention this, as I’ve stumbled on the edifying thoughts of Teresa Fung, adjunct professor in the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
She picked five foods that you should eat daily — preferably — or, at least, very often.
At the top of her list is Salmon.
Now, seriously, who can afford to eat salmon every day? Perhaps a Harvard professor, but not so many non-Harvard non-professors, surely. Fung acknowledges this and hopes you’ll eat it at least once a week.
Still, for her, salmon is “rich not only in healthy protein but also in omega-3 fatty acids, which benefit both your heart and your brain. It also provides you with bone-building vitamin D.” Bones, heart and brain. What more are we? Other than water, perhaps.
Another apparent daily essential is Blueberries.
Hmm, could I eat those every day? Perhaps, if they were tossed into other things. Such as cake and ice cream.
For Fung, however, blueberries offer Vitamins A and C, antioxidants and fiber.
Then there’s Nuts.
I always thought — most of my thinking is irrational — that nuts were on the fatty side. Fung, though, insists they’re a great source of healthy oils, protein, and vitamin E. She cautions that you keep off the salty versions.
Which is a pity, because they’re far tastier. Still, I suppose I could eat nuts every day. I suppose.
Then there’s Plain Yogurt.
This rather dull food is garlanded with protein, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B12, and some key fatty acids apparently. Oh, and probiotics, too.
I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t even eat Frozen Yogurt every day. Plain Yogurt? That can’t happen.
I’m beginning to fail this test, though Fung tries to save me by suggesting I toss blueberries into the yogurt.
Finally, there’s the most difficult. Brussels Sprouts.
They would be low in calories, wouldn’t they? As well as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, folate and lots of bioactive compounds.
Please don’t get me wrong, I like Brussels Sprouts. Once in a while. But every day? No, I’m sorry, that’s something I just couldn’t do.
I don’t find them bitter. I just couldn’t imagine eating them with, say, spaghetti bolognese. I hope no Italian could imagine that either. (Wait, I’m not allowed to eat pasta?)
Fung suggests substituting them with other green vegetables. But my sense is that she does it with a tinge of “call yourself a fine, progressive human? Pah.”
What regime do you favor? One involving moderation, perhaps?
Well, may I recommend to you a new dish I’ve created?
It’s pan-fried salmon in plain yogurt sauce, with crushed blueberries, mashed almonds and a side of Brussels Sprouts.
Wash it down with a thimble-full of Sauvignon Blanc, naturally. Or two thimbles full.