About Dr. Gourmet My name is Timothy Harlan and I am both a physician and a chef. This blog is a general collection of information and random ideas on eating great food and eating healthy.
You can find more at the Dr. Gourmet web site. Link to http://www.drgourmet.com.
Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!
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 I love one pot meals like this. They seem so exotic and elegant but they take no time at all. The hardest part is dicing the onions, slicing the garlic and cutting up the chicken. There’s all of about 15 minutes active cooking time, but after getting it into the pan all you have to do is stir occasionally. The sauce is rich and sweet and spicy and savory all at one time.
This recipe is gluten-free, lactose-free, low in sodium and safe for those on Coumadin (warfarin). Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.
 Stuffed chicken recipes like this one are a lot easier than you think. The key is to pound the chicken just right. Use a piece of cling wrap about 18 inches long. Place the chicken breast or thigh on the left half of the plastic film and fold the other half over. I have a meat mallet but you can use the back of a sauce pan. Start with the thickest part of the meat and pound lightly, working your way toward the outside.
This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users, is low in sodium, and is gluten-free. It may be safe for those lactose-intolerant persons who can tolerate some cheese. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.
Celiac Disease is essentially an auto-immune disorder that is triggered by eating foods containing gluten, which is in wheat, rye and barley products. While there are blood tests to detect the disease, the true confirmation of the diagnosis requires doing a biopsy of several sites in the small bowel. If the villi in the small bowel show damage, the diagnosis is confirmed.
The only treatment for Celiac Disease is to avoid gluten in the diet. While it’s obvious that those with Celiac Disease need to avoid almost all bread products, newly-diagnosed patients are also taught to recognize the “hidden” gluten in many commercially prepared foods. Even restaurant or home-cooked meals that are (presumably) prepared fresh from gluten-free products are considered suspect if they are prepared in a kitchen that also contains gluten products due to the risk of cross-contamination: a cooking utensil could carry gluten molecules from a food containing gluten to an otherwise gluten-free food.
To avoid that risk, many of those with Celiac Disease are extremely cautious about eating in restaurants or kitchens not their own and will often prepare and take their own food when dining with friends or family. This is reasonable, given that the prevailing teaching is that products with “more than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten” will cause damage to their small intestine. Is Any Amount of Gluten Safe for Those with Celiac Disease?
 Two Related Questions:
Q: I have Charcot in my left foot and I have been staying off of it for going on 3 months now. I am a diabetic and have been told no weight bearing on the foot. What can I do to exercise?
Q: I am a 52 year old female who in 1996 suffered a massive brain anuerysm/stroke. I was 99 pounds at the time, but by the time I was released from rehab I had ballooned to a whopping 246! I have managed to get down to 175 but I am stuck there. I’m just at a total loss and any advice you can provide me would be greatly appreciated. I am no longer confined to a wheelchair, so I do walk daily, although not fast and not far. I live alone so anything you suggest would have to be able to be done solo.
A: Since exercise is not my area of expertise, I referred these two questions to our exercise expert, Jacques Courseault. He’s written a fantastic article on How to Exercise with Disabled or Weak Legs that should help you design an exercise regimen based on what you can do.
 Q: I have been hearing a lot about the positive affects of Resveratrol. Could I take that supplement along with Coumadin (warfarin)?
A: There’s no evidence at all that resveratrol is beneficial. None, nada, zip. There is some research that indicates foods containing resveratrol may offer benefit but that’s not conclusive. Coumadin and Resveratrol
Dr. Tim Says….
[This article is part of The Real World Diet Coaching Program, an ongoing series on The How and Why of Eating Healthy. Read the whole series to date.]
 It seems like a simple thing, choosing poultry. For years folks have thought that eating healthy means more chicken and fish. I hear that all the time from patients. So what to choose and how? Your New Pantry: Poultry Choices
Featured Recipe
Stuffed chicken recipes like this one are a lot easier than you think. The key is to pound the chicken just right. Use a piece of cling wrap about 18 inches long. Place the chicken breast or thigh on the left half of the plastic film and fold the other half over. I have a meat mallet but you can use the back of a sauce pan. Start with the thickest part of the meat and pound lightly, working your way toward the outside.
This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users, is low in sodium, and is gluten-free. It may be safe for those lactose-intolerant persons who can tolerate some cheese. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.
A Healthy Pregnancy
with Faith Bontrager, RN, BSN
 Most of our readers are aware that breastfeeding is THE standard for good infant nutrition and that it has many health benefits for babies. You may or may not be aware that her breastfeeding choice may significantly impact a woman’s future health.Breastfeeding: A Woman’s Health Issue
 If you are a garlic lover, this is as good as it gets. For some folks the garlic may be too much, but I wanted this to have that rich, creamy (almost overpowering) garlic flavor. This is a great dish served with a filet of whitefish like grouper or cod prepared very simply. The two will complement each other well.
If you are not a garlic lover, just use less garlic. Start with only about 4 cloves of the roasted garlic and adjust to taste.
This recipe is gluten-free and is safe for those with lactose intolerance who can tolerate cheese. Those on Coumadin (warfarin) and those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.
 Pretty much everyone but us Americans calls eggplant aubergines. I agree with Jeff Smith that it’s a lovely name. But they’re really lovely to eat and this recipe has tons of flavor. The stuffing is rich on its own and the melted mozzarella makes it even better.
This recipe is gluten-free and may be safe for those lactose-intolerant persons who can tolerate some cheese. Both those with GERD / Acid Reflux and those on Coumadin (warfarin) should avoid it.
I have said in the past that the typical American eats over 6000 milligrams (or 6 GRAMS) of sodium per day. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine (2010;362:590-9) means I’m going to have to update that figure: the latest estimates, for 2005-2006, estimate that every adult male in the United States eats an average of 10.4 grams of salt per day. Women, on the other hand, only eat a more modest (and I use that term facetiously) amount of 7.3 grams per day.
That’s a tablespoon and a half (4.5 teaspoons), for men, and about 1 tablespoon of salt (3 teaspoons) for women.
We know that reducing the amount of salt we eat can help reduce blood pressure and your risk of heart disease – from stroke to heart attack. If everyone in the United States over 35 years old reduced their salt intake by only 3 grams per day, what kind of impact would that have on our country’s overall health? Quantifying the Effects of Less Salt
 Q: We know that diet soda consumption has been positively correlated to weight gain, but do we have any idea why? I stopped drinking all sodas, but still use Splenda in my coffee and tea on a daily basis. Is there any evidence that artificial sweeteners are the culprit rather than diet sodas per se? Would we be better off with sugar?
A: There has been some research that shows an association of artificially flavored diet soft drinks and obesity. The evidence is thin right now but worrisome. While I have used Splenda in some recipes on the Dr. Gourmet web site including muffins, quickbreads and desserts I have tried to be sparing about this. Recently I have tested stevia in baked goods and it works well and is a more natural choice. Splenda vs. Sugar
 Q: Can you tell me if there is a use by date for Dufrais Saugignon Blanc White Wine Vinegar?
A: Generally speaking, vinegars keep well because they are acidic enough to prevent bacterial growth. That said, I have a rule of thumb about all foods and how long they can be used after opening:
If in doubt, throw it out.
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