Hello Peter. My cousin Paula recommended your blog to me. It is well written and sane. Bravo! Just like parenting or other major life experiences, (like marriage) we do the best we know till we know better. I remember my mother used to dress up, nice dress makeup and earrings, to go to visit the doctor. They were the authority to be wheedled and pleased. She
Hello Rosemary and welcome to my Substack. When I worked in Uganda, patients dressed in their Sunday best to see the doctor. When I sent Canadian residents (newly graduated MD’s) as part of their training to Dominica, there were complaints from Dominica that the young Canadians dressed too casually. Patients wanted them to dress befitting their authority. But the grounds on which our authority rests are constantly shifting.
Hello Amy, I'm glad you enjoyed this piece, and can henceforth feel virtuous about eating butter! The thought that even ice cream may be virtuous, literally does my heart good.
Thank you Paula for your thoughtful comment. You are so right about “getting past the flip-flop.” To understand the progress of science is to accept that changing one’s mind may mean intelligence, not incompetence.
Peter: Are you telling me I wasted the best years of my life eating egg whites and 0% yogurt and drinking skim milk? I’ll never get those years back. Damn science!! I’m going to Whole Foods right now and filling my fridge with Haagen Daz, full fat milk and egg yolks so I can fully enjoy the little time I have left!
Hey Peter! Great article. I was listening to a podcast yesterday about the drug crisis in BC and the host was talking about doctors following or not following the current best practices. Your article brought that to mind.
It’s a great point that just because a practice has changed doesn’t mean what was being done in the past was wrong. Just that things can evolve.
Speaking of flops, my Father used to say, in Yiddish, regarding some new useless remedy or diet, ie flop "vill helfen vi a toiten bankess". Translates to "it will help like a dead leech".
Yes, that’s an amazing ad seen through today’s lens. Although so much our knowledge is based on shifting sands, the smoking piece looks to be based on concrete. May I wish you a very long life deprived of that recommendation!
Hello Peter. My cousin Paula recommended your blog to me. It is well written and sane. Bravo! Just like parenting or other major life experiences, (like marriage) we do the best we know till we know better. I remember my mother used to dress up, nice dress makeup and earrings, to go to visit the doctor. They were the authority to be wheedled and pleased. She
did the best she knew.
Hello Rosemary and welcome to my Substack. When I worked in Uganda, patients dressed in their Sunday best to see the doctor. When I sent Canadian residents (newly graduated MD’s) as part of their training to Dominica, there were complaints from Dominica that the young Canadians dressed too casually. Patients wanted them to dress befitting their authority. But the grounds on which our authority rests are constantly shifting.
For those of us who have lived long enough, and become addicted to butter, thank you, Peter! Another wise and wonderful blog.
Hello Amy, I'm glad you enjoyed this piece, and can henceforth feel virtuous about eating butter! The thought that even ice cream may be virtuous, literally does my heart good.
Hi Peter,
In recent history, Anthony Fauci's flip-flop over masking touched us all.
I have had to defend this rather famous one many times.
Even the great Fauci's information for us was necessarily tied to a rapidly progressing medical science and its study of this new disease.
Sadly, he lost many of his listeners because they could not, or would not choose to get past the flip-flop.
Thanks for writing this piece concerning a 'front burner' issue.
Thank you Paula for your thoughtful comment. You are so right about “getting past the flip-flop.” To understand the progress of science is to accept that changing one’s mind may mean intelligence, not incompetence.
Love reading your nutritional advice.
What a relief to learn that our sinful cravings for rich cheese and butter may actually help us live longer.
Peter: Are you telling me I wasted the best years of my life eating egg whites and 0% yogurt and drinking skim milk? I’ll never get those years back. Damn science!! I’m going to Whole Foods right now and filling my fridge with Haagen Daz, full fat milk and egg yolks so I can fully enjoy the little time I have left!
I have been feeling guilty for changing from skim milk to 2% lately. Thank you Peter I will really enjoy it now.
Hello Susan, guilt is such a nasty emotion. If I’ve relieved yours, I’m delighted.
Hey Peter! Great article. I was listening to a podcast yesterday about the drug crisis in BC and the host was talking about doctors following or not following the current best practices. Your article brought that to mind.
It’s a great point that just because a practice has changed doesn’t mean what was being done in the past was wrong. Just that things can evolve.
Fabulous story
Speaking of flops, my Father used to say, in Yiddish, regarding some new useless remedy or diet, ie flop "vill helfen vi a toiten bankess". Translates to "it will help like a dead leech".
I agree this is excellent news.
That was refreshing! And fun to read!
I'm hoping "9 out of 10 doctors recommend Camel cigarettes" comes back before I kick the bucket.
Yes, that’s an amazing ad seen through today’s lens. Although so much our knowledge is based on shifting sands, the smoking piece looks to be based on concrete. May I wish you a very long life deprived of that recommendation!
Too true……xo
You're right, Peter - so much medical flip-flop that we're all in a flap! Thanks for this clever and succinct clarification (so to speak.)