Irish diet fad
And when did the potato first come to the Green Isles. From the 12th century onwards, records exist detailing onion butters, garlic butters, sour butters and so on. Research from 1,000 patients across three Cork hospitals found that cancer patients with documented malnutrition experienced worse levels of toxicity and side effects from chemotherapy. According to Danachair, porridge was made very thick as a morning meal or almost liquid. Other grain meals included sowens, a jelly like drink made from fermented wheat husks and boiled sowens. Unsurprisingly given the vast green spaces, Irish farmers prided themselves on cattle. The importance of the cow with regards dairy production, meant that beef was only eaten in the winter time as a means of culling the non-breeding and older animals. Similar to their milk fondness, the Irish found a way to produce a variety of different products. Interestingly, scholars still maintain that from the time of the Celts to the introduction of the potato centuries later the Irish diet remained relatively the same, revolving around dairy, grain, meat and vegetables. Oats could be stored for long periods of time and could also be used to thicken soups and stews. Aside from milk, the Irish had a real fondness for butter as well. Protein Power: Meat, Fish and Eggs It appears that right up until the introduction of the potato into Ireland that the rural economy was focused on the rearing of cattle.
Irish doctors have warned fad diets are causing severe problems for cancer patients. Butter would be buried in a bog for a long time, allowing the butter to absorb a bog flavour. Indeed, almost every account of what the Irish ate from prehistoric times until the introduction of the potato involves some description of dairy. Of these patients, between 25-45% of them had significant signs of severe deterioration in their muscles, including muscle wasting, or cancer cachexia. He said patients should be told as early as possible how important it was to speak to a qualified dietician. Pic: Shutterstock A joint statement issued by the Irish Society of Medical Oncology, Irish Cancer Society and the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute urged cancer patients to take heed of these warnings on fad diets. Breads were also made from either oats or barely. This had as much to do with convenience as it did with the temperamental Irish weather. Porridge was possibly the most popular grain staple food. With so much talk these days of Paleo diets and eating how your ancestors ate, I was struck by the realisation that I had no idea what Irish people ate before the introduction of the potato into Ireland. Drinking milk was almost a national pastime at times. Pic: Shutterstock And doctors have warned a poor diet can impact on survival rates Speaking at the Irish Society of Gastroenterology winter meeting, Consultant Medical Oncologist Dr Derek Power noted half of patients with cancer were overweight or obese. As the Celts began to fade away and the Normans took their place, the Irish cuisine expanded to include a vast array of dairy products, grains and vegetables. In patients with normal and low BMI levels, muscle wasting levels were even higher.
