Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie

...may taste pretty good (I really don't know), but are they good for you?

According to an article in Men's Health magazine, cardiologists and dietitians have identified the 40 worst foods for your heart. The list doesn't seem to be in any particular order. Read it and weep:

1. Processed deli meats
2. Hot dogs
3. Rotisserie chicken
4. Ketchup
5. Barbecue sauce
6. Table salt
7. Reduced-fat salad dressings
8. Fat-free packaged snacks
9. Fat-free peanut butter
10. Sugary cereal
11. Flavored milk alternatives
12. Fried chicken
13. French fries (British, chips)
14. Potato chips (British, crisps)
15. Fruit smoothies
16. Green juices
17. Canned soup
18. Canned vegetables
19. Capers
20. Fruit-flavored yogurt
21. Granola
22. Fancy coffee drinks
23. Coffee creamer
24. Margarine
25. Pastries
26. Crescent rolls
27. Certain frozen entrees (for example, ones with over 1,000 miligrams of sodium per serving or per meal)
28. Store-bought energy bars
29. Candy bars
30. Red meat
31. White bread
32. White rice
33. Sports drinks
34. Energy drinks
35. Soda (this means sugar-sweetened beverages such as colas, not bicarbonate of soda or baking soda)
36. Diet soda (see 35)
37. Pizza
38. Marinara sauce
39. Sugary candy
40. Alcohol

I would like to state for the record that since June 2019 my weight has dropped 50 pounds and Mrs. RWP's about 90 pounds. I'm sure we are much healthier than we were and have probably extended our lifespans. However, eight (okay, 10) of the items on that list may still be found in our house.

Ignore this list at your peril, but you don't have to follow it religiously unless you want to. My advice is give yourself a little leeway. Everything in moderation, my dad used to say. You will still die--all of us do eventually--but in all likelihood you will die happier.