
Why an upper-class diet is better for your health
Just look at the Countess of Carnarvon, chatelaine of Highclere Castle in Hampshire, who did not think twice about including a recipe for shepherd's pie in a forthcoming book. The greatest misconception about food served in the great houses of Britain, she says, 'is that it's fussy and complicated when it is in fact based on straightforward home cooking'.
While the vulgar rich and the credit-card wannabes that mimic them might eat caviar and post it on Instagram, at Highclere the 8th Earl's greatest comfort is roast chicken, and Monday night suppers are 'risotto made with whatever's in the fridge'.
While it's some time since anyone in my family had a cook, my nouveau pauvre family were very strict about retaining some of the old food mores. No tomatoes in the fridge, don't hold your knife like a pen, never use a silver spoon for eggs, margarine is evil, no snacking, no gluttony, no excess weight, never use a knife to break a bread roll. The rules around food and its consumption were considerable, and I never forgot them. I still feel crippling shame if I eat in the street.
The start of the asparagus season was greeted like the birth of a child – and the end like a death in the family. In all honesty, I'm not sure my Granny ever really found any joy in cooking her own food and lived on cheese and biscuits. When I spoke to other middle-class girls with posh grannies, we discovered we had much in common.
One former private chef to a member of the Royal family described knowing when the late Queen was joining his client for lunch as he would receive instructions to make a single serving of 'goujons of plaice, which are basically posh fish fingers, because no matter what everyone else was having she really did prefer plain food'. And aside from a few crusty old dukes, you don't get much posher than the Queen, do you?
So what are the signs of a truly posh diet and how can it benefit your health?
You never snack
A weekend guest at Lisnavagh, the seat of Lord Rathdonnell, describes their host's visceral disgust at snacking: 'He considered it a punishable offence, completely gross and abject gluttony.' Admittedly, snacking was not common to any class until more recent generations were brainwashed by food companies. As a child, whining that one was hungry was either ignored or met with a brisk: 'You can have a piece of fruit.'
And while we all chew away all day like cattle at the cud today, it remains strictly not done in the grandest echelons of society for its simple lack of restraint and self-control. And there is nothing to eat anyway. One regular visitor to the nice country houses says upper-class fridges are singularly uninspiring. Fresh ingredients are kept in the larder to be prepared from scratch and 'snacky bits' are what Nancy Mitford would call 'non-U' (not upper class). 'It's just dried up ends of cheese, sad, worryingly bloody chicken carcasses and Tracklements mustard.' In short, if you open your fridge and a cornucopia of exotic foodstuffs sheathed in brightly coloured plastic tumble out, you're dead common.
Nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner Rosemary Ferguson is a favourite of the smart set in London and the Cotswolds. She says: 'Not snacking is a good thing. The body benefits from short fasts of around five hours between meals. So snacking is a really big issue because insulin levels are elevated all the time and the body never takes a break from digestion.'
You love high-protein game
As a rule, to shoot things with faces, fur and feathers legally you need to either own a lot of land, have a friend who owns a lot of land or be prepared to give someone with a lot of land a lot of your money. Otherwise it's poaching. Having a taste for the gamier meats is a sign you are quite grand. Arrivistes just shoot the things and go off to Annabel's to get drunk.
Ferguson says: 'Game is very healthy meat: high in protein, low in fat, rich in B vitamins, vital minerals like iron and omega-3s. It lives wild and is probably not living a stressed life on lots of weird foods and medications like farmed meat.'
You avoid UPFs like Bisto gravy or (horror) a Big Mac
While there are rumours the Beckhams enjoy Bisto with their very finest quality beef, the act of roasting a few ribs of beef requires only the addition of stock to the empty pan to create a fairly thin yet deliciously marmite-y liquid called gravy. A travelling companion of one of the smart Sykes sisters – Plum, Lucy and Alice – describes an unnamed sister preferring to go hungry for 24 hours while waiting for a delayed flight at Goa Airport because the only option was McDonald's and, apparently, she 'just couldn't'.
Ferguson says: 'Cooking from scratch and avoiding UPFs and fast food is a very good thing, however, I'm afraid I love Bisto. I remember [a very aristocratic name] being audibly appalled when they discovered I did. The real problem comes when you don't have the choice. Diabetes and metabolic illnesses are a socioeconomic issue because in poorer areas there are food deserts where UPFs and fast food are cheaper than real food. So it's no laughing matter.'
While Pol Roger claimed Winston Churchill drank 42,000 bottles of its champagne over 50 years, his menus were far less grand. 'They included a lot of leftovers and beans on toast,' according to dining historian and biographer of Churchill's cook Dr Annie Gray. 'It is the same now as it always has been,' she says of the upper-crust predilection for plain and unexciting food.
Ferguson says: 'Keeping it simple means consistent habits; anything too complicated is easily derailed. And if you are eating good quality ingredients, quite often too much fuss really isn't necessary.'
You eat strictly seasonal vegetables
It would never cross your mind to eat asparagus, artichokes or tomatoes, or indeed, anything, out of the strictly British season for them, and certainly not pre-prepared in a crackly plastic packet. Sliced carrots should never be seen outside the nursery wing. Adults' carrots should be served in batons or peeled and left whole according to both Annabel Bower's Mancroft instructions and etiquette commentator William Hanson. And some vegetables are completely verboten. 'Kale is for cattle' according to my mother. She has never stopped saying this since I developed a fashionable appetite for the toughest of brassicas. No matter how much I gussy it up or massage it to tenderness, she will not touch it. A member of the Mancroft family, apparently, sent a swede dish back to Bower with the words: 'You can't serve that. That's cattle feed.'
Ferguson says: ' Seasonal, local and freshly picked or dug is the dream. As soon as they're picked, vegetables start to lose their nutritional value and flavour. And if pulled from organic garden soil, there's added minerals and good bacteria. Carrots cooked whole lose less of their nutrients to the boiling water; not peeling them would increase fibre and preserve nutrients even more. On the matter of kale, I'm clearly very common. I love it. It is nutrient dense and while some controversial and extreme wellness figures have claimed kale is 'trying to kill you', the truth is you'd have to eat a lot before we could pretend the plant's protective toxins, known as oxalates, might be bad for you.'
You aren't big on pudding but love fresh fruit from the garden
Crumbles with loads of cream brought to the kitchen daily direct from one of the dairy farms on your vast estate are also acceptable. Ferguson says: 'A crumble isn't bad at all, with the fruit, and especially if you add some seeds, nuts and oats. The addition of local and unpasteurised cream (that has been tested for food-borne pathogens) will add high-dose vitamin E, high A2 protein and fat levels to keep you satiated for longer.'
You never salt food before you have tasted it
One friend describes gasping in horror when she realised the man she loved sprinkled salt all over his food before he'd even had a mouthful. 'I'd been told to salt food was very non-U, and I still like my food bland to this day. I was told salt could sit in a little pile on your plate to be used if necessary but that sprinkling was a giant no-no. Ferguson says: 'Unless you've had an arduous day in the garden, when you might allow yourself a little pinch of salt to restore good electrolyte balance after sweating – sorry, perspiring – we should all be avoiding salt. We all eat way too much and it is a well-known and serious risk factor for cardiovascular, kidney and bone health.'
You only drink very weak tea (and never with sugar)
Taken with a slice or lemon or a droplet of milk, tea should look like dishwater, not the thick orange colour of a common house brick. Ferguson says: 'This is probably more hydrating, perhaps, than stronger tea but as long as your tea isn't full of sugar, there is nothing wrong with a strong daily cup of builder's. You take it as strong as you like, I'm sure the etiquette police have better things to do.'
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Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Britain on the brink of a 'cousin crash': Smaller families on the rise as birthrate falls - with average number of cousins dropping significantly
Britain is on the brink of a cousin crash due to declining birthrate and smaller families, according to researchers. In the 1970s, the average British teenager had seven cousins, but today they only have five. It is projected to fall to four by the end of the century. Academics Diego Alburez-Gutierrez of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, alongside fellow academics Iván Williams and Hal Caswell, have published a study on the declining numbers of cousins. They argue there will be a shift away from children growing up with lots of relatives their own age — including both siblings and cousins — to instead spending more time with grandparents and even great-grandparents. As families become older and smaller, it means cousins, who often help each other with financial, practical or emotional support, will be called upon less. And although friends are increasingly being used to fill in the role of traditional cousins, they are seen as a lot less reliable on average. Cousins often help even after years of little contact, while this happens less often with long-lost friends. This is because 'family networks are like a spider's web', according to Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University. The anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist, who has studied the science behind our bonds with family and friends, told the Times: 'Your relationship with your cousin is kept in place not just by your interaction with your cousin. 'But also with your interaction with any number of intervening relatives. That isn't true of friendships, which tend to be more individual and personal.' The experts point out that this change makes a marked difference for the vast majority of human history, where the majority of close relationships would overwhelmingly be made up of extended family members. The changing nature of our families' lives have been driven by freefalling birth rates, which have triggered doomsday warnings about population collapse from some. Demographers warn the lack of babies will devastate Western economies as it may leave countries with too few younger people to work, pay tax and look after the elderly. It is believed to be caused by some women prioritising their education and careers, and couples waiting to have children until later in life.. Rising costs, especially the price of childcare and housing, is another factor thought to be putting people off starting families. There is no evidence that Covid vaccines are to blame, with scientists insisting there is no proof they harm fertility. Women in England and Wales, on average, now only have 1.44 children. This is the lowest since records began in the 30s and half of levels seen during the mid-60s baby boom. Britain's fertility rate as a whole is forecasted to fall to 1.3 by 2100. The fewer babies being born on average means the less likely the average Brit is to have a squad of cousins to call upon when they need them. For some families, the changing number of cousins in just a few generations has been drastic. For example, there are many instances in recent history of Catholic families, encouraged by their faith, having well over 100 cousins. As well as being more reliable than friends, cousins also have the advantage of being more diverse. Alburez-Gutierrez argues that while people do choose their friends, they often tend to come from the same narrow social demographic, whereas cousins can be far more varied. Distant family members can often be very different, he said, pointing out the example of the stereotypical cantankerous uncle who brings up controversial topics around the Christmas dinner table. The varied nature of groups of people bound by blood often means they are more likely to get exposed to ideas or points of view that are different. Cousins often occupy a varied place within families. Some see them as close as a sibling, while others see them as strangers. Some cousins live on the same street; some live on opposite side of the world. But all cousins know what it's like to be part of the same particular family. They also have the advantage of, unlike sibling relationships, of not being fraught by intense closeness such as arguing over childhood toys or a parents' eldercare. Instead they are usually uncomplicated, even if they are closer in age and are in the same generation. The experts believe the role of grandparents are important when it comes to cousins developing a bond as children. And although cousins tend to naturally drift apart a little when grandparents die, some sense of connection is likely to remain as family members are much more obligated to say yes. The UK is not alone in facing a cousin crashing fertility crisis, with the latest figures showing that the EU also experienced a plunge last year to an all-time low. Double-digit percentage falls were recorded in Romania (13.9 per cent), Poland (10.7 per cent) and Czechia (10 per cent). Wealthy EU nations, including France and Germany, also saw significant drops. So what is behind the West's baby bust? Women worldwide, on average, are having fewer children now than previous generations. The trend, down to increased access to education and contraception, more women taking up jobs and changing attitudes towards having children, is expected to see dozens of countries' population shrink by 2100. Dr Jennifer Sciubba, author of 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World, told MailOnline that people are choosing to have smaller families and the change 'is permanent'. 'So it's wise to focus on working within this new reality rather than trying to change it,' she said. Sex education and contraception A rise in education and access to contraception is one reason behind the drop off in the global fertility rate. Education around pregnancy and contraception has increased, with sex education classes beginning in the US in the 1970s and becoming compulsory in the UK in the 1990s. 'There is an old adage that "education is the best contraception" and I think that is relevant' for explaining the decline in birth rates, said Professor Allan Pacey, an andrologist at the University of Sheffield and former chair of the British Fertility Society. Elina Pradhan, a senior health specialist at the World Bank, suggests that more educated women choose to have fewer children due to concerns about earning less when taking time off before and after giving birth. In the UK, three in 10 mothers and one in 20 fathers report having to cut back on their working hours due to childcare, according to ONS data. They may also have more exposure to different ideas on family sizes through school and connections they make during their education, encouraging them to think more critically about the number of children they want, she said. And more educated women may know more about prenatal care and child health and may have more access to healthcare, Ms Pradhan added. Professor Jonathan Portes, an economist at King's College London, said that women's greater control over their own fertility means 'households, and women in particular, both want fewer children and are able to do so'. More women entering the workplace More women are in the workplace now than they were 50 years ago — 72 vs 52 per cent — which has contributed to the global fertility rate halving over the same time period. Professor Portes also noted that the drop-off in the birth rate may also be down to the structure of labour and housing markets, expensive childcare and gender roles making it difficult for many women to combine career aspirations with having a family. The UK Government has 'implemented the most anti-family policies of any Government in living memory' by cutting services that support families, along with benefit cuts that 'deliberately punish low-income families with children', he added. As more women have entered the workplace, the age they are starting a family has been pushed back. Data from the ONS shows that the most common age for a women who were born in 1949 to give birth was 22. But women born in 1975, were most likely to have children when they were 31-years-old. In another sign that late motherhood is on the rise, half of women born in 1990, the most recent cohort to reach 30-years-old, remained childless at 30 — the highest rate recorded. Women repeatedly point to work-related reasons for putting off having children, with surveys finding that most women want to make their way further up the career ladder before conceiving. However, the move could be leading to women having fewer children than they planned. In the 1990s, just 6,700 cycles of IVF — a technique to help people with fertility problems to have a baby — took place in the UK annually. But this skyrocketed to more than 69,000 by 2019, suggesting more women are struggling to conceive naturally. Declining sperm counts Reproductive experts have also raised the alarm that biological factors, such as falling sperm counts and changes to sexual development, could 'threaten human survival'. Dr Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, authored a ground-breaking 2017 study that revealed that global sperm counts have dropped by more than half over the past four decades. She warned that 'everywhere chemicals', such as phthalates found in toiletries, food packaging and children's toys, are to blame. The chemicals cause hormonal imbalance which can trigger 'reproductive havoc', she said. Factors including smoking tobacco and marijuana and rising obesity rates may also play a role, Dr Swan said. Studies have also pointed to air pollution for dropping fertility rates, suggesting it triggers inflammation which can damage egg and sperm production. However, Professor Pacey, a sperm quality and fertility expert, said: 'I really don't think that any changes in sperm quality are responsible for the decline in birth rates. 'In fact, I do not believe the current evidence that sperm quality has declined.' He said: 'I think a much bigger issue for falling birth rates is the fact that: (a) people are choosing to have fewer children; and (b) they are waiting until they are older to have them.' Fears about bringing children into the world Choosing not to have children is cited by some scientists as the best thing a person can do for the planet, compared to cutting energy use, travel and making food choices based on their carbon footprint. Scientists at Oregon State University calculated that the each child adds about 9,441 metric tons of carbon dioxide to the 'carbon legacy' of a woman. Each metric ton is equivalent to driving around the world's circumference. Experts say the data is discouraging the climate conscious from having babies, while others are opting-out of children due to fears around the world they will grow up in. Dr Britt Wray, a human and planetary health fellow at Stanford University, said the drop-off in fertility rates was due to a 'fear of a degraded future due to climate change'. She was one of the authors behind a Lancet study of 10,000 volunteers, which revealed four in ten young people fear bringing children into the world because of climate concerns. Professor David Coleman, emeritus professor of demography at Oxford University, told MailOnline that peoples' decision not to have children is 'understandable' due to poor conditions, such as climate change.


The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Girlguiding's new badges are a vital ‘woke' revamp for Gen Alpha
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BBC News
13 hours ago
- BBC News
'One of Britain's worst ever rail disasters' to be remembered
A fatal train crash described as one of Britain's worst ever rail disasters is set to be memorialised 120 years 27 July 1905, a Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway express train from Liverpool to Southport was approaching Hall Road station, Blundellsands, when it struck an empty stationary what became known as the Hall Road Rail Disaster, a total of 21 passengers were killed and a further 47 injured, with an official report later finding the points on the track had failed to close Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, Mr Mark Blundell will unveil a plaque commemorating the disaster on Sunday at 13:00 BST at Hall Road station. The official report revealed that the empty train had been shunted into a siding to allow the express to pass but the points failed to close signalman was unable to clear the signal for the express, and then worked the points back and forth three times and, unable to clear the signal, waved a green flag to the had left the points set for the siding and the express was diverted into it and struck the rear of the local train. 'Terrible accident' To recognise the 120th anniversary of the disaster, Sefton Council has dedicated a page to the crash on their website, and included profiles on those who the victims were a solicitor's clerk, a 6-year-old, a coach trimmer, and the son of a famous Wesleyan minister, Rev. Thomas passenger, Henry Potter, was severely injured in the crash and died three months both drivers managed to jump clear before the impact and Hall Road Rail Disaster was the second serious train crash on the line, with eight people dying in an incident at Waterloo Station less than two years ward councillor and Sefton Council cabinet member Diane Roscoe said: "Although now forgotten by many, this was a terrible accident."I am pleased the council has been able to work with local historians and Merseyrail to put this permanent memorial in place to remember those so sadly killed on that fateful day." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.