Roger Ebert's review of 'Super-size Me'
Of course it is possible to eat responsibly at McDonald's, as spokesmen for the chain never tire of reminding us. Fast food is simply one element of a balanced nutritional plan. Of course it's the unbalanced element, unless you order the fish filet sandwich with no mayonnaise and one of those little salads with the lo-cal dressing; then you'll be fine, except for the refined white flour in the bun and the high intake of sodium. Eating responsibly at McDonald's is like going to a strip club for the iced tea.
I say this having eaten irresponsibly at McDonald's since I was in grade school, and one of the very first McDonald's outlets in the nation opened in Urbana. Hamburgers were 15 cents, fries were a dime. Make it two burgers, and we considered that a meal. Today it is possible to ingest thousands of calories at McDonald's, and zoom dangerously over your daily recommended limits of fat, sugar and salt. I know because Morgan Spurlock proves it in "Super Size Me."
This is the documentary that caused a sensation at Sundance 2004 and allegedly inspired McDonald's to discontinue its "super size" promotions as a preemptive measure. In it, Spurlock vows to eat three meals a day at McDonald's for one month. He is examined by three doctors at the beginning of the month and found to be in good health. They check him again regularly during the filming, as his weight balloons 30 pounds, his blood pressure skyrockets, his cholesterol goes up 65 points, he has symptoms of toxic shock to his liver, his skin begins to look unhealthy, his energy drops, he has chest pains, and his girlfriend complains about their sex life. At one point his doctors advise him to abandon McDonald's before he does permanent damage. The doctors say they have seen similar side-effects from binge drinkers, but never dreamed you could get that way just by eating fast food.
It's amazing, what you find on the menu at McDonald's. Let's say you start the day with a sausage and egg McMuffin. You'll get 10 grams of saturated fat -- 50 percent of your daily recommendation, not to mention 39 percent of your daily sodium intake. Add a Big Mac and medium fries for lunch, and you're up to 123 percent of your daily sat fat recommendation, and 96 percent of your sodium. For dinner, choose a Quarter Pounder with cheese, add another medium order of fries, and you're at 206 percent of daily sat. fat and 160 percent of sodium. At some point add a strawberry shake to take you to 247 percent of sat. fat and 166 percent of sodium. And then remember that most nutritionists recommend less fat and salt than the government guidelines.
There is a revisionist interpretation of the film, in which Spurlock is identified as a self-promoter who on behalf of his film ate more than any reasonable person could consume in a month at McDonald's. That is both true and not true. He does have a policy that whenever he's asked if he wants to "super size it," he must reply "yes." But what he orders for any given meal is not uncommon, and we have all known (or been) customers who ordered the same items. That anyone would do it three times a day is unlikely. Occasionally you might want to go upscale at someplace like Outback, where the Bloomin' Onion Rings all by themselves provide more than a day's worth of fat and sodium, and 1,600 calories. Of course they're supposed to be shared. For best results, share them with everyone else in the restaurant. Of course we bear responsibility for our own actions, so . . . is it possible to go to McDonald's and order a healthy meal? This week a Chicago nutritionist told a Sun-Times reporter that of course Spurlock put on weight, because he was eating 5,000 calories a day. She suggested a McDonald's three-meal menu that would not be fattening, but as I studied it, I wondered: How many customers consider a small hamburger, small fries and a Diet Coke as their dinner? When was the last time you even ordered a small hamburger (that's not a Quarter Pounder) at McDonald's? Don't all raise your hands at once.
Oh, I agree with the nutritionist that her recommended three meals would not add weight; her daily caloric intake totaled 1,460 calories, which is a little low for a child under 4, according to the USDA. But even her menu would include 54 grams of fat (15 saturated), or about one third of calories (for best heart health, fat should be down around 20 percent). And her diet included an astonishing 3,385 mgs of sodium (daily recommendation: 1,600 to 2,400 mgs). My conclusion: Even the nutritionist's bare-bones 1,460-calorie McDonald's menu is dangerous to your health.
I approached "Super Size Me" in a very particular frame of mind, because in December 2002, after years of fooling around, I began seriously following the Pritikin program of nutrition and exercise, and have lost about 86 pounds. Full disclosure: Fifteen of those pounds were probably lost as a side effect of surgery and radiation; the others can be accounted for by Pritikin menus and exercise (the 10,000 Step-a-Day Program plus weights two or three times a week). So of course that makes me a True Believer. You didn't ask, but what I Truly Believe is that unless you can find an eating program you can stay on for the rest of your life, dieting is a waste of time. The pounds come back. Instead of extreme high-protein or low-carb diets with all their health risks, why not exercise more, avoid refined foods and eat a balanced diet of fruits and veggies, whole grains, fish and a little meat, beans, soy products, low-fat dairy, low fat, low salt? Of course I agree with McDonald's that a visit to Mickey D's can be part of a responsible nutritional approach. That's why I've dined there twice in the last 17 months.
SOME WINE VARIETALS
Pinot Noir (say "Pea-no Nwah") is an ancient grape variety that has long been the backbone of Burgundian reds . It is also grown in Alsace, the Loire Valley and Champagne, where it is one of the three varieties used to make the wines named after this region. The key attraction of early Burgundy wines in France was their lightness and delicacy. That all changed in the eighteenth century with the production of strong, full and relatively tannic wines from the Nuit St-Georges region, which became the benchmark for the variety.
The best Pinot Noir wines are rich, soft and mouth-filling with an appealing fruit sweetness. Pinot Noir is a grape that does not naturally develop high levels of colour and tannin and thus sometimes produces wines of light to medium body. Still, good Pinot Noir has a mouth-feel that rivals heavier wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Their extremely rewarding taste sensations typically include fruit flavours can range from strawberry to cherry and plum, turning to mushroom and earthy characters with time.
The New Zealand climate is ideally suited to this variety and Pinot Noir is destined to be New Zealand's greatest red variety, possibly even rivalling the success of our Sauvignon Blanc on the international stage. Compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, which prefers hotter growing regions, Pinot Noir produces excellent results in cooler climates, even as far south as Canterbury and Otago.
Riesling (say "Reece-ling") is considered to be one of the world's noblest grape varieties. It heralds from Germany, where excellent Riesling wines are made in the Rheingau and Mosel regions. The flavours typically are characterised by fresh apple when young and develop warm rich honeyed flavours with ageing. Many of the wines have high natural acidities and some residual sweetness. The best examples appeal both to people who are new to the enjoyment of wine and connoisseurs.
Riesling is often made to exhibit various levels of residual sweetness in the finished wine, so it is important to read the label carefully to make sure you get a wine that suits your own preference in terms of sweetness. Because of its flavour intensity and naturally high acid, Riesling is an excellent candidate for cellaring. It takes at least two years for the flavours and structure of the wine to meld together and display balance, richness and integration.
Chardonnay:Like many of the best-known varieties in the world, Chardonnay comes from France. In Burgundy, big, complex white wines like Meursault, Montrachet and Chablis have made the variety famous. Apart from France, Chardonnay is also grown in Italy, Eastern Europe and the New World, including Chile, South Africa, Australia, California and Oregon. Chardonnay was the most planted variety in New Zealand until very recently, when it was overtaken by Sauvignon Blanc.
The enduring appeal of Chardonnay is that it is relatively easy to grow and lends itself to the production of many different styles of wine. A wide range of different winemaking techniques can be applied, ensuring that all Chardonnays differ in flavour, which is very attractive from a wine drinker's point of view. In its still wine form, Chardonnay is always dry (lacking sweetness) and is usually medium- to full-bodied. Most Chardonnays are aged in oak barrels, so vanillin and toasty characters may be evident. It is not as fruity as a Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling, but may display flavours of peach, melon or grapefruit.
