“Dija Know…”
Joe’s Newsletter #165C SPRING 2024
Sheila (archives available at JoesDining.com)
One hot mama. Not exactly your typical mom but . . . did we get your attention?
♦ Spring and Mother’s Day! So many special events and holidays occur in the Spring, but none as sacrosanct as Mother’s Day. Forget it at your peril! Being a mother, she will probably forgive if you forget. Roland will cook up some delicious and very special creations for Mother’s Day. Reservations are usually not needed but always welcome however for this special day we highly recommend you call ahead .
♦ Dija know? Richard Edes, your local SF know-it-all talk show host, broadcasts live from table #21 here at Joe’s. He does this every first Friday of the month for 1260AM Radio. Say hi to him.
♦ I know we’ve been asking you to eat a lot and drink a lot lately – but it’s all for great causes. Your efforts on behalf of Kitchen Angels on April 18th were brilliant – we were able to donate $505 that day.
Now another great cause – Thursday April 25th please eat and drink generously again, as a part of your bill will go to Growing Up New Mexico Kids (early childhood partnership) Eat well. Feel good.
♦ Dija know? more deaths now are caused by the consumption of ultra-processed “food” than are caused by food scarcity. In other words, almost everyone now has enough to eat but the type of food consumed is killing us. We don’t die from starvation. We are dying from metabolic dysregulation.
♦ Dija Know? metabolic dysregulation is killing us. There comes a time (usually a desperate time) when thinkers whose beliefs and research are outside the norm, begin to garner respect and a following. These thinkers (a very few are listed below*) are agreeing on many points of health – the most important of which is what is causing our sky-rocketing morbidities? What has happened in the last 100 years or so that has brought us to our knees in terms of health, vitality, mobility? Why is everyone sick? Proffered here, is just a short list of causative events. The rise of processed, then ultra-processed foods. The genetic modification of almost everything we consume. The reduction of high-quality protein consumed in our diets by design and/or by replacement with lower quality “foods”. The ridiculously up- side-down food pyramid (low fat, high fiber, high carb = a sure recipe for health disaster). The adoption of the theory that humans can develop optimally and thrive on an exclusively plant- based diet. The fraudulent studies (look up Ansel Keyes) that almost destroyed saturated fats as a critical cornerstone of a proper human diet. The vilification of meat, especially red meat. The rise of massive corporate-owned “farms” raping our formerly rich soils with chemical herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. The demise of the small mixed farm. And biggest of all trends – the rise in power and influence of pharmaceutical companies.
All of these events and movements, some moving so slowly we did not detect their impact, have created a food environment in which it is less and less possible to nourish our bodies with real whole food. The dominance of altered foods (cheap, tasty, addictive and so very available) is THE cause of our now common morbidities – heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, auto-immune diseases and let’s not omit anxiety, depression, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and neurological and psychiatric disorders. The body cannot (and should not!) adapt to fake, nutrient deficient food. So the cells (the mitochondria) rebel, mutate, and go crazy.
The result? the blanket disease, metabolic dysregulation.
*Just a very few leading thinkers in the health realm: Nina TeicholzND, Kate Rheaume BleueMD, Sean BakerMD, Robert KiltzMD, Sally K Norton, Anthony ChaffeeMD, Catherine ShanahanMD, Chris PalmerMD, Ken BerryMD, Calley Means and Lierre Keith.
♦ Dija know? Cholesterol is biologically indispensable.
Let me address just ONE nutritional falsity that most of us bought into. Cholesterol and heart disease. The myth has been exposed. Cholesterol is absolutely necessary. It’s produced by our bodies, for heaven’s sake! It’s gone beyond anecdotal. Clinging to the idea that cholesterol is the enemy is archaic and indefensible. Statins have proven themselves harmful, even rarely fatal. The top cardiac journals now recognize there is no association between saturated fat and heart disease. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) in 2016 revealed how Harvard professors were bought off to falsify data to make it appear that cholesterol caused heart disease. Paraphrasing – causation of cardiac disease was more likely to be refined carbohydrates and highly processed foods. Saturated fat has nothing to do with heart disease. In fact the lower your LDL, the higher your risk of stroke and heart attack.
If you doubt the innocence of cholesterol, time travel forward about a decade or two – it will be commonly accepted as fact. How many decades did it take for us to accept that smoking was harmful to health!!? So enjoy your butter, your tallow, your ghee and your lard! FYI, at Joe’s we sautée in butter, ghee, and lard.
♦ Dija Know? Sheila is on a mission to keep asking for full fat cream (not half and half) for her coffee when she eats out, until it is a common request. And here’s why – The Amazing Benefits of Dairy Fat by Dr J. Mercola – If you avoid whole milk because of its saturated fat content you may be missing out on one of the greatest health foods there is. Studies have repeatedly failed to find an association between full-fat dairy and cardiovascular events. Instead, full-fat dairy actually reduces your risk of cardiovascular events and deaths, lowers risk of Type 2 diabetes, liver disease. Whole-fat dairy contains odd-chain saturated fats (OCFAs). Highe levels of OCFAs in the blood lower your risk of obesity, chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, NASH, COPD, and pancreatic cancer.
♦ Dija know? Joe’s now has spirits! You already knew that. But now we have the ones in the bottle! All locally distilled.
♦ Our pastry chef, Alleene, bakes beautiful birthday and special event cakes. Also gluten free goodies. Just ask.
♦ Liver for your dog. Dija Know? Joe’s now sells 8 oz liver trimmings packages prepped and frozen for your pooch. There is absolutely no more nutrient dense and carnivore-appropriate food for your dog or cat than grass-fed-and-finished liver trimmings. Aria and Chuckie get it 2 times a week. (8oz. pkg $5.00)
♦ Dija know? Vitamin D is an important hormone. It has receptor sites in almost all cells of the body therefore is involved in most functions. Sunbathing is the very best source of VIT D. It is synthesized in the skin following exposure to UVB rays. However the UV index must be over 3 to make vitamin D, which occurs around midday between 10am and 2pm.
For decades Americans have been misguided – avoiding midday sun. Early morning and early evening light provide only UVA sunlight (good for making nitric oxide), not UVB which is necessary for vitamin D production. We must avoid burning, but by completely avoiding midday sun we miss out on the full benefits of sun exposure. Outdated guidelines may explain why 80% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D!
♦ Things we wish we didn’t know. From tests conducted on behalf of Moms Across America in Sept 2022: of 43 school lunches tested, 95% had detectable levels of glyphosate (Round UP), a carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting weed killer. 100% of the school lunches tested contained heavy metals at levels up to 6,293 times higher than the maximum levels allowed in drinking water. Cadmium and lead were found at the highest levels.
♦ What’s she doing since she “retired”? Since selling DancingBones wellness center, Sheila is privately coaching clients who are committed to taking control of their health. with her 4-part program. Take her card and give her a call.
♦ Dija know? The works of four super-talented local artists surround you as you dine. Get up and take a closer look. Dee Smart, with her tongue in her cheek, displays her photos upstairs, Nancy Dean Kreger’s vivid watercolors grace the ramp, and the Red Room presents the narrative photos of Karen Novotny and Patricia Galagan. Need a local gift? You couldn’t do better.
♦ Dija Know? In 1999, 60% of American children’s diet consisted of ultra-processed food. By 2018 that increased to 70%. SEVENTY PERCENT!!!
♦ A Tuesday night tradition at Joe’s – it’s Spaghetti and Chianti Night. $54 for two will get you Caesar Salad, Spaghetti with homemade Bolognese and a great 1⁄2 liter of Chianti. Wadda deal! The Bolognese sauce is made with our grass-fed-and- finished beef, slow-cooked in the traditional Italian fashion.
♦ Joe’s will give you $10. What’s the catch? Well the way we figure it, if you cut out the middleman by NOT using a credit card, we can give that back to you and then some. Credit cards cost the retail merchant about 3-5%. Now in today’s world one cannot function without cc’s. But there are a few (legal) alternatives that reduce our dependency on the Big Banks and actually save us all money: (1.) Joe’s Check List – If you are a “regular” and wish to pay by check, please ask your waiter to get you on the list. (2.) Joe’s gift card – purchase $100 gift card with cash or check or silver or gold coin, get a $10 free bonus! Your $100 gift card will actually buy you $110 worth at Joe’s.
♦ Some of the farmers & ranchers who supply Joe’s: They get their fertilizer from animals and compost and their agronomic advice from tradition: Monte Vista Organics, Mesa Ranch Beef and Liver, Jacona Farms, Green Tractor, Camino de Paz, Synergia Ranch, Shepherd’s Lamb, La Montanita, Susan’s Sprouts, Maya’s Mushrooms and others.
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