About this blog...

I don't understand why i did not think of Baker, M.D. as my original food blog name. It is short and catchy. Perhaps I did not think of food as being healthy, given what and how people typically eat today. That is quite ironic as food is (should be) nutritive and life-giving. People today eat excessively, not to mention the fact that staples have shifted from plant-derived produce to meats and fastfood. So, "baker" (food, etc.) when combined with "M.D." (health) initially seemed like an oxymoron.

The Department of Health has identified heart diseases, vascular diseases, neoplasms and diabetes mellitus as among the top ten leading causes of mortality. All of these are preventable by living a healthy lifestyle. Obviously, living healthy has become quite a challenge: people today interpret "living a full life" as a life of excesses and wanton pleasures, as opposed to a life of virtues and moderation that our ancestors lived. In medical school, many of my professors, pathologists, especially have often blamed the shift in diet from high-fiber food to fatty and meat-heavy fastfood, as one of the reasons behind the increase in incidence of gastrointestinal cancers. Also, many endocrinologists today have a booming practice thanks to the growing number of individuals (no pun intended) who are obese - owing to a combination of a sedentary lifestyle with unabated eating. The disease entities I identified earlier are not called "lifestyle diseases" for nothing.

Many would argue that people live longer today. True. However that is due to improvements in treatment regimens, leading to a shift in our morbidity and mortality statistics. We now know of several different types of antibiotics. Fewer people today die of, say pulmonary tuberculosis, as compared to the time not too long ago when this was incurable.

No, I am not advocating a long, but bland life - deprived of all the worldly delights. I am not a minion of the vegetarians, tree-huggers and animal-rights activists. Although I try very hard to go vegetarian a few times a week, and use organic ingredients. We all have to do our share for the environment, you know.

I advocate moderation, and by this I mean temperance! I know that many have stretched the meaning of "in moderation." These days, a moderate drinker drinks more than the allowed number of drinks per day (two for men, one for women), and that a balanced diet consists of a fastfood burger (meat) and greasy fries (vegetables?).

I already have a food blog, so do not expect me to fill this blog with veggie and sugar-free recipes, although I may post some from time to time. So what is the point of this blog? - To allow me to freely express my opinions about eating habits, eating healthy, portion control, and perhaps even some journal articles. I want to set this blog apart from other food blogs, including my own that may sometimes glorify the virtues of food, without regard for one's health.