The word legume refers not only to the species of plants, but also to any fruit that grows seeds lined up in a pod. (I find it interesting that peas and black beans are actually considered to be fruit.) Also known as Pulses, legumes include beans, soybeans, lentils, peas, peanuts, snap beans and edible pods.

Legumes are full of protein and fiber, but most of their calories come from carbohydrates. Because they are starches it makes it easy to make them part of your meals in place of pasta, rice or potatoes.

I believe that these little guys are one of the most powerful changes you can make in your diet. What are legumes, and why are they good for you?

Featured Recipe

Spicy Black Eyed Pea Stew

With most recipes I drain and rinse canned beans, but the liquid from the can adds a lot to this stew. If you like your food really spicy, add a third or fourth jalapeno.

This is a great example of a soup that’s a complete meal in a bowl. Protein in the chicken, starch (and protein) in the black eyes, and lots of veggies. While it takes 90 minutes total to cook, one hour of that is simmering time. Put the soup on and you can get other things done around the house, then voila! Dinner time!

I have had a lot of interesting feedback from my patients about this blog and my experiences with change in diet. I was unsure whether to continue and one patient encouraged me saying that she felt the dialogue was about a lot of things other than just being gluten free – a new condition, change in diet, change in lifestyle.

She asked if I felt better and it was pretty amazing the transformation and below are the weeks that energy began to kick in.

So, with that encouragement, here is the next installment. Learning to Eat and Live Gluten-Free

Featured Recipe

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

This Thai soup uses a few ingredients that may not be familiar to you. The first is fish sauce. Fish Sauce is an all purpose Asian flavoring used throughout Southeast Asia. A Vietnamese friend of mine said to me once, “we put it on everything.” It is essentially a concentration of anchovies and brings an umami flavor to dishes much like soy sauce does. Like soy sauce, it is very salty with a tablespoon having as much as 1,500 mg. Thai Kitchen brand is in most stores and contains about 700 mg of sodium per tablespoon, so it is a fair alternative, but use sparingly.

Most Thai dishes like this one are more authentic using shiitaki mushrooms but I like the thickly sliced crimini. They are meatier and give the soup more texture (and are about 1/3 the cost of shiitaki).

Lastly, I have been using a great brown rice noodle that is on the market now for all recipes that call for cellophane or rice noodles. It has a lot more fiber. The brand is Annie Chun’s.

It’s surprising that there are not more quality research studies about soup. We all think of chicken soup as being good for whatever ails you and there are a few studies that indicate that this may be the case (only a few, mind you, and not all that great quality).

In a study of the effect of chicken soup on white blood cells, Barbara Rennard and her colleagues showed a slowing of movement of the cells in test tubes containing broth. In Dr. Rennard’s study the more soup applied to the white blood cells, the greater the response. It may be a leap of faith to assume that this works in real life. That said, white blood cells do contribute to inflammation and the theory is that the soup may help to reduce the inflammatory symptoms associated with colds and flu. Soup to the Rescue

Featured Recipe

Pasta Fagioli with Chicken

There are hundreds of variations of this soup. The basics are tomatoes, some pasta and beans. Herbs run the gamut and include sage, basil, oregano and rosemary.

This is the perfect cold weather soup that has it all – veggies, legumes, lean flavorful chicken, whole grain pasta and great Italian flavors. I created this variation with the chicken to make this dish a complete meal.

The recipe takes all of about 20 minutes prep time and making a double or triple batch ensures that you have a lot on hand for leftovers during the week.

I was giving a talk to a group of physicians the other day when one asked if I had any simple handouts about the Mediterranean diet. I mentioned that there were a lot of handouts in the “For Physicians” section on the Web site.

As I said this I wondered what was there. We have so much information available it is hard to keep up sometimes. When I checked there was a great handout but it was written about 4 years ago and in need of updating, as we’ve learned so much more about the Mediterranean Diet. The updated version is a simple guide that tells you, for example, what “whole grains” are and guides you to easy ways to eat more. I hope you’ll download it and share it with your primary care doctor.

This update goes along with another project we have been working on, the Mediterranean diet score card. The Mediterranean Diet Guide and Score Card

Featured Recipe

Acorn Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon

This is an amazing soup and super simple to make. It takes a little planning because the roasting the squash takes some time. This soup is a lot better if made the day before and refrigerated overnight.

I’ve been involved in writing about nutrition now for over two decades, and I have seen a lot of changes. I will see more in the next 20 years to be sure. The one area, however, where I do believe that we have a good understanding about what works and what doesn’t is fats.

There’s a long history, but suffice to say that it began with the mistaken assumption that all fats were bad, especially saturated fat. People were then told to follow a low fat diet. Not unsurprisingly, the average American translated this to mean that they should not eatany fat and to avoid red meat, butter and lard. During that time margarine was considered to be a “better” fat choice than butter.

The last 25 years of increasingly good dietary research has shown us that low fat diets are actually harmful and that it is the ratio of good quality mono and polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat that is key. We also learned that health problems have far more to do with trans-fats than saturated fats. Butter vs. Margarine

Featured Recipe

Black Eyed Pea Hummus

I chose to use bacon instead of tahini, the traditional fat used in hummus, because its rich, Southern flavor would give this a down home feel. The sage adds to the savory flavor and the red pepper flakes offer a bit of zing at the end.

Elaine’s Blog
Following the Just Tell Me What to Eat! Plan

I’m almost half way to losing 25 pounds and every pound counts. With each pound lost, I feel more like myself and more in control of my life. I’m moving at a faster pace along the stages of change (transtheoretical or TTM) model proposed by Prochaska originally to describe the stages which people experience as they quit smoking and more recently applied to dietary change. I found this article by Caroline Horwath, PhD, a nutrition researcher whom I respect, who affirms that the transtheoretical model is applicable to increased fruit and vegetable consumption. 3 Months (12 Weeks) and 11 Pounds

Recently I saw an article about a chef who has created a low-fat Mediterranean diet. Until now, I really did think that I had heard it all, but this is just so utterly bizarre that I sat stunned, staring at my computer screen for a minute or so. If ever there was a contradiction in terms it is the words “low-fat” combined with “Mediterranean diet.” Reading about this chef, it’s clear that this is another of those people who simply don’t understand anything about nutrition.

One of the great benefits of our understanding about the Mediterranean diet is that it put to rest the myth that a low-fat diet is beneficial. Forget You Ever Heard the Words “Low” and “Fat” and “Diet” Together

Featured Recipe

Peruvian Steak

This steak can be as spicy as you want. Use a small jalapeno or even a half of a pepper for a milder sauce. Use more peppers or even something super spicy like a scotch bonnet for a real punch.

The key to this steak is making sure that you marinate for a while, not only to impart as much flavor as possible, but so that the lime juice will help tenderize the meat.

Elaine’s Blog
Following the Just Tell Me What to Eat! Plan

In Chapter 5, Dr. Gourmet talks about making simple changes like planning and cooking your own food. To that I would add: exercise three times per week. By coincidence, during the time I’ve been following Dr. Tim’s book,Just Tell Me What To Eat!, I’ve also been in physical therapy twice a week due to pain in my knees caused by paetellar tendonitis. By trying to be active too quickly without enough stretching, my patellas became inflamed—OUCH!. Just this bi-weekly one-hour non-strenuous workout of stretches and mild weight lifting along with a weekly 20-mile or so bike ride gave me increased strength in my knees for walking and has promoted weight loss. Food and Activity FEEL Good!

In the New Orleans Area?
Mark Your Calendars!

Dr. Harlan will be signing copies of his books at The Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania Street in New Orleans, on Thursday, June 30, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. Taste food from the book and sip a glass of wine as you visit with other Dr. Gourmet fans. Hope to see you there!

Do You Have Your Copy of Just Tell Me What to Eat! Yet?

This is a 6-week plan that will have you and your family eating well and eating healthy, while learning how to improve your life and your health, one plate at a time. Find out more about Just Tell Me What to Eat! or purchase your own copy for $19.99.

Last month I talked about lying with statistics and how food companies use science to mislead you. Someone actually does that research, and those “experts” and others are used to put a scientific face on and bring authority to the technique of lying with statistics.

I am interviewed by the media fairly regularly. Often the topic is something controversial, and that makes sense. It’s difficult for news organizations to get people to pay attention and contentious topics do stand out. Stories about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), fast food and kooky weight loss products are popular, as you might expect, and these almost always result in emails or comments criticizing me for one reason or another. I don’t have a problem with this. It is, after all, my opinion and others are entitled to theirs.Bending the Truth with “Experts”

Featured Recipes

Poached Salmon with Roasted Garlic Yogurt

I love poached salmon and it’s perfect for a hot summer’s day. The short cooking time doesn’t heat up the kitchen too much and when served the cool fish is just right on a hot day. I like this tart yogurt sauce, but you can top poached salmon with your favorite salsa or mayonnaise.

Oregano Rice

By mincing the shallot very finely and adding it to the rice while it sits and continues to steam, it will actually cook slightly. Combined with the olive oil and oregano, this makes for a fragrant and simple side dish.

Elaine’s Blog
Following the Just Tell Me What to Eat! Plan

In the last week, I attended the annual meeting of the Medical Library Association in Minneapolis and visited the Mayo Clinic library in Rochester. A note about Rochester: the town embraces a healthy lifestyle. Then Don (my husband) and I began our vacation: camping at Perrot State Park in Trempealeau, Wisconsin and cycling around the area, taking care of our Chicago home and visiting with friends for a few days, and by week’s end, we’ll be at the Pedaler’s Jamboree, a 2-day bike ride on the Katy Trail (with entertainment provided by The Ozark Mountain Daredevils). Sound like fun? Here’s how I’m managing my meals while on the road.

I’m a fan of breakfast. Those of you who follow Dr. Gourmet know how important breakfast is. In fact, I think that breakfast is so important that I made it the first chapter of my new book, Just Tell Me What To Eat.

I am a fan of having cereal for breakfast and this may come from my parents. They were eating healthy cereals before it was really fashionable. There were always things like Shredded Wheat, Grape Nuts and 100% Bran Flakes around the house. I loved the large shredded wheat biscuits and when I was a teenager thought that they were quite cool to eat in that quirky way of “I’m eating large wheat biscuits so I must be a hipster.” They really are, however, quite tasty and when the bite sized version came along I would have a bowl of them as a snack, thinking that was pretty hip too. Lying With Statistics: Kellogg’s Does It So Well

Featured Recipe

Lemongrass Beef

If you are going to cook this recipe on the same day you make it, the best choice for the meat would be better quality sirloin or a similar tender cut. If you are marinating overnight, using a less tender cut like top round or flank steak will be just as good – and a lot less expensive – but just as tasty.

Elaine’s Blog
Following the Just Tell Me What to Eat! Plan

I’m a cook, OK? The Joy of Cooking is my favorite book. All month long on my commute to work, I study the recipes in Southern Living and the Penzy’s Spice catalog. I have fun testing whatever recipes strike my fancy. My husband prefers to eat my meals at home. And not surprisingly, one of our favorite activities is having friends over for a great dinner (and drinks). This is not a diet! This is a menu plan for living well!

With my new book coming out on June 7th (Just Tell Me What to Eat! The Delicious Six-Week Weight Loss Plan for the Real World), I’ve been reflecting on the myriad diets out there. There are lots of them and they make all sorts of claims – weight loss, belly fat, improved energy….

I have avoided making such claims for Just Tell Me What to Eat!, but in an interview the other day I was specifically asked about a few of the more popular claims and whether the Mediterranean diet could deliver on any of these claims. The interviewer’s focus was on “belly fat” and it’s clear that people are concerned about it and are looking for a diet plan to help them with it. While I don’t care for hype, the fact is that a Mediterranean diet offers many of the same benefits that fad diets make their claims about, but the Mediterranean diet has the distinction of being backed by solid research – and you get to eat great food. How to Lose Belly Fat

Featured Recipe

Grilled Shrimp Tapenade

You can use the tapenade recipe on the Dr. Gourmet web site or purchase some bottled in the grocery. If you are going to buy prepared tapenade, check the label – they have widely variable amounts of salt and the recipe can end up tasting very salty. Look for tapenade with about 350 mg of sodium per tablespoon.

A Healthy Pregnancy
with Faith Bontrager, RN, BSN

The RDA (recommended dietary allowance) of iron for pregnant women is 27 mg daily, compared with 18 mg for non-pregnant women. During pregnancy a women not only increases her own blood supply, she also gives her baby the iron needed to support his growth before birth and gives him supplemental stores which will help his growth in early infancy. Does iron intake matter?

I write a lot. People ask me sometimes how I get so much done and my answer is that it’s part of the rhythm of my day to day life. We have this newsletter and the others that we send out every week, and while there are times that it seems a chore, mostly it’s fun and easy.

There are others that write too, of course. Everyone has their reason and many a very specific agenda. Here at Dr. Gourmet we work hard to make sure that what we publish is founded in well designed and executed research. Being objective and being positive is challenging sometimes and I am not sure that I always get it right.

There are a few people that I very much respect and look up to. These are writers who I read avidly and I’d like to share them with you. Some write about medicine, some about food, some about psychology and others about diet and nutrition. If you follow Dr. Gourmet, I think you will appreciate their sensibilities. Nine People You Should Follow

Featured Recipe

Sole Caprese

Twenty or thirty years ago sole was the posh fish on menus in America. I don’t think of making it often but it is so fantastic. You can make a quick and simple fish dish or something a little more elaborate and elegant and it’ll always be great.

Gluten-Free Living

Over the last couple of years we have worked hard to build a robust section for those who eat gluten free. There are now hundreds of gluten free recipes on the web site along with reviews of convenience foods and Health and Nutrition Bites articles about celiac disease. We are in the process of completely rebuilding that section and are publishing a new series of articles on getting started for those needing to follow the gluten free lifestyle. This is part of that series:

It’s clear that Celiac Disease can be very challenging to diagnose. Stomach pain, diarrhea and bloating, some of the more common symptoms of Celiac, can also mean anything from gallbladder disease to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). There is good research, for instance, that shows those diagnosed with IBS are four times as likely to actually have Celiac Disease. Given that this condition is under diagnosed it’s important to know exactly what testing is effective. Testing for Celiac Disease

We review convenience mealson the Dr. Gourmet web site. While I am not a fan of them, I do realize that folks are busy and challenged for time, so we try to look for the better choices to help you out. Most of the ones that we choose to put to the tasting panel come out of the freezer case, and there’s a reason for that. When I look for foods on the aisles of the grocery store, what I find is so terrible that I can’t even consider putting anyone through having to taste it. (Remember our motto: “We eat it so you don’t have to.™”)

I will use Hamburger Helper as the prototype (hey, there are others but it’s such an easy target). What Not To Eat: Processed Foods Edition

Featured Recipe

Southwest Crab Cakes

It’s funny how some recipes happen. I was having tapas at a local Spanish restaurant and thought about the flavors that work well with seafood. The crab and cumin go fantastic together. Combine that with the corn flavor from the tacos and you have these crab cakes.

Dr. Tim Says….

I suppose that I can’t put this off any longer. The discussion about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) can really get people riled up. At virtually every single talk that I give, someone in the audience asks about it. Something seemingly simple like, “What about high fructose corn syrup?”

Should you care?

I think you should, but not for the reasons put forth on myriad blogs that demonize this sweetener as being responsible for the obesity epidemic, diabetes, hyperactivity and numerous other maladies. While there is some evidence that the higher levels of fructose may be of concern, I don’t see that research as being conclusive. My reading of the literature at this time does point to some very worrisome issues that implicate all added sweeteners as being a major contributor to obesity. What Not To Eat: High Fructose Corn Syrup Edition

Featured Recipe

Fish Tacos with Asparagus Salsa

I love tacos and there are endless variations. After creating the Asparagus Salsa recipe I decided that it would be fantastic on fish tacos and I was not disappointed. The salsa is better the second day, so if you can make it in advance (you can do the fish in advance too), you won’t be disappointed.

This week’s death of Blair River, the 575 pound spokesperson for the Heart Attack Grill is disturbing to be sure. First and foremost because this young man was only 29 years old. This means that he lived a scant 11 years as an adult and this kind of story always makes my heart ache.

There was a tremendous amount of press surrounding Mr. River’s death because of his role as a morbidly obese man pitching a restaurant that profiteers from today’s tremendous problem with weight gain in America. Founded by Jon Basso, who uses the moniker “Dr. Jon,” the restaurant serves burgers and fries with no limit on the calories, fat or salt. In Memoriam

Featured Recipe

Creamy Crab and Asparagus Fettuccine

This is a light pasta dish with the flavor of the crab enhanced by both the slight creaminess and the flavors of the lemon and oregano.

I am fortunate enough to live on the Gulf Coast and there’s great quality crab here. I purchase mine at the farmer’s market here in New Orleans. You can find great quality crabmeat even if you don’t live on the coast – ask at the fish counter of your local store.

I have been writing for a long time about the Mediterranean diet and how easy and healthy this is. The recipes on the Dr. Gourmet web site use these principles and translate them to dishes and menus that are familiar to you. I have talked about the 9 areas that have been used in research and what this can mean for you.

But how much? What makes up a score?

One of the first really large studies to look at this determined a threshold based on consumption in population of over 22,000 Greeks. The following quiz is based on those thresholds and you can calculate your own diet score based on these amounts. Take the Mediterranean Diet Quiz

Featured Recipe

Roasted Vegetable Pizza

This pizza is fantastic. It’s just that simple. Roasted veggies, cheese, yummy pizza crust.

I titled this column “You Can Too!” because I wanted to let you know that if I can do this you can. I’ve been working out three days a week since the beginning of the year. The great part is that I am really feeling better. Many of you know that I am an avid bicyclist, but adding weight training has been very different. No matter what exercise you do I believe that you’ll enjoy Dr. Jacques’ plans. I have.

Here’s more of our conversation and a new set of exercises. I’ll keep you posted on my progress and I’m hoping you’ll follow along yourself. You’ll be glad you did. Exercise: You Can Too!

Featured Recipe

White Bean Soup with Kale

This soup is so silky and creamy that you’ll think it’s full of cream. The richness from the pureed beans pairs beautifully with the savory ham and the bitter greens. Add a salad and you have a perfect meal.

I have spent the last twenty-five years or so talking about what youshould be eating. Last week I began a discussion of what not to eat. I can’t say that I have deliberately avoided talking about what you shouldn’t be eating, it’s more that I like to remain positive. There’s so much great food that’s great for you and that has taken me a lot of time to talk about. Even so, I get a lot of emails asking about advice on foods to avoid. This week I want to talk about breakfast choices and we’ll begin with a discussion of cereal. What Not to Eat: The Cereal Edition

Featured Recipe

Easy Granola

This granola is super simple to make and fantastically healthy for you. It’s best to use a non-stick cookie sheet or non-stick aluminum foil. If you use regular aluminum foil, let the granola stand for a few moments after coming out of the oven and any that is stuck to the foils will soften.

Last week I responded to a question about what to eat to help lower cholesterol.One reader had commented that she didn’t want to consume only oatmeal and my column was about all the fabulous foods that can help lower cholesterol as well or better than oatmeal. This resulted in a fair amount of mail asking about what NOT to eat in order to be healthier.

While I have tried for years to avoid bashing foods because I want to remain positive, I will suspend that rule for today’s column and give you some simple rules to look for when deciding what you want to put in your mouth. While this is not a column about specific foods, next week the gloves come off (ooooohh, stand back!). What Not to Eat

Featured Recipe

Lamb Stew with Chickpeas

This stew is very simple. The actual prep time is all of about 15 minutes, but it does take a full three hours to cook. It is so worth the wait! The kitchen smells so wonderful while it is cooking and the lamb, carrots and chickpeas are soft and silky when done.

Be careful with the harissa. It is very spicy and you can start with a teaspoon if you like milder food. Taste the stew about halfway through and add more, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, if you like. You can use canned no salt added chickpeas if you like. It’ll take 3 cans drained and it might be more mushy than starting with dried chickpeas.

It’s hard to know who to trust. There is so much information about diet, weight loss and nutrition out there. Much of it is pretty silly and a lot is downright dangerous. As you know I try to provide you with the best, evidence-based information. We base everything we do at Dr. Gourmet on the most up to date research available.

I rely on my colleagues at peer reviewed journals to provide that quality information, and I work to translate that for you so that you can both understand it better and put it to practical use in your day to day life. You may have noticed citations and recognize some of the journals that I draw information from. I read everything from the Annals of Internal Medicine to Appetite to theJournal of the American College of Nutrition. Every week these journals push their tables of contents into my email box and I read dozens of articles each month. I rely on these folks being unbiased and scientists being honest. Trust: An Editorial

Featured Recipe

Savory Mushroom Cheeseburgers

This juicy burger is full of savory flavor and so easy to make. It’s worth the extra step to brown the mushrooms and blend them into the burger. Delicious.

For the past three weeks Dr. Jacques has been my personal trainer. I’m pretty lucky to have had him working with me and the great thing is that you can follow along and get instruction as well. It’s been an interesting three weeks. I am a bicyclist and have never really been into resistance training.

This has been great and I am getting better after three weeks. It’s interesting what I can and can’t do. I don’t like really the Shoulder Circles and actually have gone backwards with the weight to try to do them better. Exercise, Part Four

Featured Recipe

Shrimp Taco Salad

I love Taco Salad. It is one of the “go to” meals for me when I just don’t feel like cooking. While I generally use chicken, shrimp makes a great variation.

Select lower fat tortilla chips or taco shells and make sure that they are Trans Fat free.

If you don’t have time to make the Tomatillo Salsa, look for a salsa that is lower in salt at the grocery store. Most of the major brands have about 150 mg of sodium in a 2 tablespoon serving. Looking for the smaller manufacturers can be rewarding, with less than 100 mg of sodium in the same serving.

I’ve never been all that athletic. I never played sports as a kid and didn’t really start exercising until I was in my late twenties. I know a little bit about jogging and a fair amount about bicycling (which is my exercise of choice). However, I am not an expert in any way. I’d sort of like to be an expert, though, and in the last few years we’ve had Dr. Jacques Courseault writing for the web site. I have learned a lot but still feel a bit clueless. I think that this is because I learn best by doing.

Dr. Courseault and I were talking recently about this and I challenged him to help me exercise better. At the end of our discussion I realized that this will take more dedication on my part than simply riding my bike 50 to 70 miles a week. We’re going to start in the gym with resistance training. I will make progress by his teaching me the best ways to exercise and weight lifting seems a good place to start. Our hope is that you’ll learn from our conversation. Exercise with Dr. Tim and Dr. Jacques

Featured Recipes

Whitefish with Cumin Butter

Pick the freshest fish you can for your recipes. A great dish starts with the best ingredients. A simple whitefish – flounder, drum, sole or trout works great. Cook this fish at a little lower heat, starting with a cold – not hot – pan.

Kale with Nutmeg and Honey

One of the great things about kale is that it cooks so quickly and you can use almost any flavors with it – honey, maple syrup, olive oil, sesame oil, spicy flavors or sweet ones.

Mashed Yams with Mint

I love plain mashed yams, but the hint of peppermint makes these sweet and savory and a bit spicy.

My column a couple of weeks ago, about being prepared for the cocktail or holiday party, resulted in a lot of questions about alcohol and drinking. While we know that drinking can be beneficial, it can also cause many health issues. About 2 drinks a day on average for men and 1 per day for women has been shown to be favorable, but binge drinking can cause more health problems than balanced consumption.

The key is moderation. That may be a challenge and parties can be a place that tips the balance. When heading out for that party it helps to understand a little about what you are going to consume. For instance, there are a lot of things that affect alcohol absorption. Being Careful with Alcohol

Featured Recipes

Rosemary Turkey Skewers

These skewers are perfect for a weeknight meal. They take about 10 minutes to prep and will keep for about 48 hours marinating in the refrigerator. After that they only take about 15 minutes to cook.

Cranberry Glaze

This sauce is great served over turkey or roast pork for your holiday meal, but you don’t have to wait for the holidays to have cranberry sauce.

Wild Rice with Cranberries

This is the perfect recipe for holiday meals. The savory mushrooms and wild rice combine with the sweet cranberries to hit all the taste buds. Serve this with holiday turkey or roast pork tenderloin.

Recently there was a study, funded in part by Jenny Craig, that showed that structured meal plans can help people lose weight. There are ads all the time for such plans – Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Bistro MD…. These work – in a way – and I have had patients lose weight using such plans. But the weight doesn’t stay off for long: they almost always gain it back. This is partly because the programs don’t really teach you anything about eating healthy without someone else making the decisions about what to eat and when.

That said, I believe that convenience meals like those provided by Jenny Craig et al. can be a healthy part of your life. I’d much rather you make your own meals, whether it’s taking a sandwich to work or putting together something healthy out of a well-stocked pantry, but I’m realistic. People do use Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice and Weight Watchers meals in lieu of cooking. If you are going to choose these, how do you know which ones are healthier? Our tasting panel at DrGourmet.com has sampled dozens of these products over the years and have found some that are fairly good (and a lot that are really terrible). Can You Make Convenience Foods Part Of A Healthy Diet?

Featured Recipe

Whitefish with Savory Tomato Sauce

The bacon gives this sauce a great savory flavor and makes this rich and creamy. A perfect pair for your delicious healthy fish. Serve this with mashed potatoes or brown and wild rice.

The recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is certainly alarming: it says that the number of Americans with diabetes will double or triple in the next forty years. If they’re right, we’ll see up to 1 in 3 of all Americans affected. The vast majority of these new cases will be Type 2 diabetes: people whose bodies continue to make insulin for regulating their blood sugars, but their bodies don’t use it properly.

Those who are already at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes include people who are older and with a family history of the disease, as well as being African American or Hispanic. Even so, Type 2 diabetes most commonly develops in those who are overweight or obese. Bad News, Good News – Diabetes On The Rise, But There’s A Solution

Featured Recipes

Flank Steak with Espresso Rub

This is a fabulous and savory rub for steak. It’s a great idea to keep instant espresso on hand – you can use it in a lot of recipes. (You could use instant coffee granules in this recipe, but the flavor will be much milder.) You could also use a cup of liquid espresso, but you would need to reduce it by about half. Put the espresso in a small pan over medium-high heat and simmer until reduced. Let cool and add the spices and oil.

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes with Basil Oil

I love having herbed oil on hand. Basil oil is a great choice and is especially delicious in this recipe. You can use any herb oil you want to for this recipe – rosemary or thyme oil, for instance, will give these potatoes a lovely herbaceous flavor. (You could, of course, leave the oil out as well.)

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, but the challenge is that there’s always a lot of leftover candy. Having all those sweets around the office can be tempting, and it’s pretty easy to rack up a ton of extra calories at this time of year. You can, however, make the season work for you.

Here are five simple tips that can keep you from feeling like you’ve spent the days after Halloween at the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory. Halloween Candy is Your Friend: Really!

Featured Recipe

Lamb Sauce with Olives and Fettuccine

This sauce is perfect for making your home smell just wonderful. The lamb and olives with the warm herbs is so savory and comforting as it cooks. It’s hard to be patient with this and let the sauce finish because the aroma is so terrific.

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Parmesan is most famous in the USA in the green shaker box. None of the recipes on this site use that type of cheese.

All of the recipes that use parmesan call for Parmigiano-Reggiano. This is a hard granular cheese that originates in Parma Italy. Those made in the area of Parma and Reggio Emilia are the real deal. Whenever possible I use the Italian cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano) rather than domestic or imports from South America. This costs more but the flavor difference is worth it

Dr. Tim Says….

There is a pretty clear link between high serum cholesterol and heart disease. When I say “serum” cholesterol I mean the blood test that your doctor performs. It’s not just the total cholesterol that we care about but the lipid panel. Lipids are fats and the various types of fats that we measure are the High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides. The key is there is a difference between these lipids and the cholesterol we consume.

For most of us dietary cholesterol, the cholesterol we eat, has not been clearly linked with any effect on our serum cholesterol. Quite simply, it appears that consuming cholesterol is not really something that we need to focus on. For instance, one food that has never been shown to have an effect on cholesterol is eggs. That’s right, eggs. In a recent article in Circulation researchers found no association between the amount of eggs the subjects ate and any change in their total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, or ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol. Foods To Help You Lower Cholesterol

Featured Recipe

Quickie Arroz Con Pollo

This is a super simple recipe, but don’t let the ingredients deceive you. All the ingredients keep well. You can keep all the ingredients on hand, thaw the chicken in the fridge during the day, take 15 minutes to assemble and then about an hour to cook it up.

This works with any instant brown rice, but from the testing I’ve done the Uncle Bens brand is better. It holds up well and doesn’t get as sticky or gummy.

I look for salsa with lower sodium. For this recipe I used the Tabasco brand, and it comes in right at 200 mg of sodium for 2 tablespoons. Try to pick one with the same amount of sodium or no more than 250 mg of sodium in 2 tablespoons.

Dr. Tim Says….

We have reviewed a lot of snack bars on the Dr. Gourmet website. This is because I realize that folks do eat snack foods. Like my reviews of frozen dinners and fast food recommendations, I talk with my patients about trying to eat the freshest food possible, but I also want you to know what the best alternative is.

I was giving a talk the other day at the medical school and one of the questions I had was about snacking. It was similar to many Ask Dr. Gourmet questions I have received lately such as this one:

I find the hardest time to stick to healthy eating is when I get home from work. I’m tired, hungry, and I won’t have dinner ready for at least 30-40 minutes. What are your recommendations for healthy snacks at that time of the day? It’s too easy to fill up on chips and salsa!

When I was asked the question at the lecture I didn’t hesitate in my reply. What Should I Snack On?

Featured Recipes

Moroccan Shrimp | Coumadin Safe Version

I love these flavors. The aromatics of the cumin, cinnamon and paprika go so well with the veggies and shrimp. This is the perfect dish for a chilly Fall evening.

Cinnamon

This spice is the dried inner bark of evergreen trees that are in the laurel family (such as bay laurel). There are three types. Cinnamon harvested from the Cinnamomum zeylanicum tree that is native to Sri Lanka is a softer and sweeter spice with a paler color. Because Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, this is usually referred to as Ceylon cinnamon. Cinnamon

Dr. Tim Says….

This week’s newsletter comes to you with a lot of great stuff. As always there are new recipes and we have super articles by Nurse Faith and Dr. Jacques Courseault. Make sure to read Dr. Jacques’ article as it reports on research on how exercise helps you control your appetite.

Even cooler, we wanted to let you know that we’ve completely revamped our exercise section! Now there are easy to follow exercise programs from beginner to advanced, to make getting healthy simple for you. All of the plans have videos of Dr. Jacques to show you the right way to exercise.

We’re excited because this helps us complement the information about why and how to eat healthy. Not only do we have recipes and tools to help you plan your menus and eat healthier, we’ve added practical exercise information to provide you with a complete guide to a healthy lifestyle. We think you’ll enjoy these additions to the site and want to thank you for letting us be a part of your healthy life.

Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life! (And exercise!)

Timothy S. Harlan, M.D.
Dr. Gourmet

Featured Recipes

Curried Chicken Thigh Burgers with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

I do love chicken thighs. They are so savory and the sweet curry marinade goes perfectly. This recipe is a great alternative to burgers and can really spice up your weeknight meal or next cookout.

Exercise Improves Eating Habits
Exercise with Jacques Courseault, M.D.

It’s no secret that overeating and sedentary living are the most important factors that contribute to the obesity epidemic that Americans are facing today. We all have great excuses for why we don’t exercise. In fact, a recent article in “Time” magazine reports on research that suggests that exercise will not help you lose weight. Yes, the biology of caloric management is not fully understood; however, researchers are beginning to show that exercise does have an effect on eating, and their results are encouraging. Exercise Improves Eating Habits

A Healthy Pregnancy
with Faith Bontrager, RN, BSN

Exercise provides many health benefits to all of us, but there are extra benefits for pregnant women. Exercise helps keep weight gain at appropriate levels. It may help prevent gestational diabetes. It decreases problems with constipation, which also helps avoid hemorrhoids. It certainly helps you feel better. Physicians debate whether being physically fit decreases the length of labor (maybe) but it does help prepare a woman for the physically hard work of labor. Pregnancy – a time to be ACTIVE!

Dr. Tim Says….

I was editing my next book the other day and there’s a section where I talk about what to drink. When I am speaking with patients I always urge folks to think about what they are drinking. There are so many options and, unfortunately, most of them filled with empty calories. For years when I talk about diet with people the topic of what to drink always comes up. I have always said “water, coffee and tea.” They’re great choices – delicious and calorie free.

There’s a lot of temptation out there though. It seems like there’s a vending machine everywhere full of drinks with calories. It’s not just soda but juices and flavored teas also. And not a few calories but a lot. A 20 ounce soda contains 240 calories while a 16 ounce juice is about the same (that’s about 15 teaspoons of sugar). Coffee is a great choice but with all of the enhanced, flavored versions sold in coffee shops there’s risk for you with many of them being well over 500 calories. Water Helps You Lose Weight!

Featured Recipes

Seared Salmon with Caper Yogurt Sauce

You can use mild paprika for this recipe but hot paprika is even better. The spice is great with the salmon and the yogurt sauce is the perfect cool complement.

Garbanzo and Feta Salad

The rich feta combines with the olive oil to create a rich and savory dressing. This is about as great a side dish as you can get. It goes especially well with grilled fish or chicken.

At almost every talk I give eggs come up in the discussion. Back in the 1970’s and 80’s eggs got a really bad rap – and not for very substantial reasons. Much of what happened in the late 1960’s that laid the groundwork for the egg’s poor reputation wasn’t based on sound science, but over the last 30 years research has shown that for most people, dietary eggs and cholesterol is not a problem. The truth is that the amount of trans fat and saturated fat in your diet has much more impact on your cholesterol levels – and therefore your risk of heart disease - than the amount of cholesterol you eat.

We do know that there are folks who are considered “hyper-responders” to cholesterol consumption, meaning they have a greater increase in their blood cholesterol after consuming dietary cholesterol (although not a tremendous increase). About 1/3 of us might be more sensitive. Eggs Aren’t A Problem

Featured Recipes

Curried Egg Salad | Low Sodium Version

I love egg salad and this curried version is fantastic. Serve it on sandwiches, stuffed into tomatoes or on top of salad greens accompanied with tomatoes or avocados.

Egg Salad with Olives

A delicious egg salad with great Mediterranean flavors. Healthy eggs, great quality fats and a simple recipe. Perfect for dinner tonight.

Egg Salad with Roasted Onion

This is a great twist on traditional egg salad. The caramelized onion adds a great sweetness to the creamy egg salad.

A Healthy Pregnancy
with Faith Bontrager, RN, BSN

You know that yogurt helps to supply your daily calcium, but can it decrease your risk of gestational diabetes? Possibly. “Probiotics”, those friendly bacteria in yogurt, miso, cottage cheese, aged cheese, kimchi, and other foods have been discussed in everything from research journals to commercials for “active” yogurt. Probiotics and a Decreased Risk of Gestational Diabetes

Dr. Tim Says….

I have a list of quick tips that I use with patients when they ask about eating healthy. Often this is simply for people who are otherwise healthy and want to avoid the creeping weight gain that many people experience. It is also an easy place to start for those who want to lose weight.

1. Take half of your restaurant meal home with you. Because the portions in restaurants are so large, and you likely need only half of what you have been served, put the other half into the doggie bag. Hmm… that leads us to number two…. 10 Quick Tips for Eating Healthy

Featured Recipes

Eggplant Parmesan

This is a time consuming recipe but oh, so worth it!

It is something that you are going to have for a special occasion as it will take about an hour (or a little more) on a Saturday afternoon to make. It is very rewarding. It is a recipe that is higher in fat and sodium than many on my site but it can still be part of your diet occasionally and should because Eggplant Parmesan is so great. You can feel better because this is chock full of great things like fiber, Vitamin A, iron, calcium and Vitamin C.

Ratatouille

This is a recipe that I almost decided not to work on. I served ratatouille in my restaurant because it was made by an old hippie that worked as a prep cook. I had his recipe and, as with most vegetarian dishes, it was full of fat (and not very good fat I might add). I am so glad that I worked on it. The key is the highest quality fresh mozzarella you can find. But even more important, the fresh herbs make the dish possible. I am not sure I would do this with dried herbs – it would taste like it was made in a vegetarian restaurant.

After every holiday I always have patients who put on some weight when they had been trying to take it off. While they blame the holiday, it’s clear that it’s not just overeating. The problem is that when they splurged on the holiday the whole idea of eating healthier went out the window. Eating well and eating healthy means there are times when you overeat – and allowing yourself to do so. It’s part of life, and it’s really good for you, in my opinion. The challenge of holidays is to think of them as a time to splurge on eating delicious food – not junk. This means planning.

Planning is the single most important you can do to eat healthier. Most people plan their holiday meals, and I bet you already have a good idea of what the menu will be for the Fourth of July. As part of eating healthier, plan that menu with better choices. Here are some guidelines.

Featured Recipes

Shrimp with Chili Lime Butter

Shrimp is great because it’s just so darn quick. Recipes like this one are perfect for a weeknight. Mix up some yummy butter, put a bit of olive oil in a pan, saute and add the butter. Serve this with Mexican Rice and there’s enough sauce to add some extra zing to the rice.

Mexican Rice | Low Sodium Version

This is a perfect recipe for those who think that they don’t like brown rice. Cooking the rice a little bit longer will soften the brown rice, and adding the spices only enhances the nutty flavor. It’s perfect for your family – they may never know that it’s brown rice.

Dr. Tim Says…

There is mounting evidence that many of us are increasingly deficient in Vitamin D. While there is some controversy about the health impact of this it seems that changes in our diet in the last few years towards fewer foods rich in Vitamin D has led to a much lower intake. Likewise, with the recommendations on avoiding the sun and wearing sunscreen while in the sun to prevent skin cancer we end up with less available Vitamin D (contact with the sun activates our own bodies manufacture of Vitamin D).

The longstanding recommendations of 200 to 400 International Units (IU) may not be adequate according to some research. There is not consensus, however, on whether Vitamin D supplements are as effective as natural sources. Vitamin D in Food

Featured Recipes

Rosemary Potatoes

Rosemary and potatoes are just made for each other. This is a quick and easy fresh recipe. If you’re really in a hurry, place the potatoes in the microwave for 1 minute on high. Turn them and then microwave on high for a second minute. Remove and let cool for a minute or so. Cut into chunks and then proceed with the third step, putting the potatoes in the roasting pan with the other ingredients.

Sauteed Spinach with Roasted Garlic

Garlic and spinach are just made for each other. Make sure that you use a very large pan for this recipe so that the water in the spinach will evaporate while you are cooking.

It is estimated that nearly 7% of daily caloric consumption in the United States is from high fructose corn syrup. This estimate has been labeled as conservative, with other studies indicating that over 10% of daily calories come from fructose in the U.S. today. That’s a whole lot of calories! The research over the last five years has been mixed on whether HFCS has contributed to folks being overweight or obese. I don’t find any definitive studies that prove that it does, but there’s enough evidence to be concerning.

Most of the research that “proves” that high fructose corn syrup is not an issue has been funded by the manufacturers. There’s no doubt in my mind that funding can lead to bias, and any study not funded by a neutral party should be suspect. More on High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Featured Recipe

Cowboy Steak with Cowboy Pinto Beans

This Cowboy Steak recipe is about as quick and easy as it gets. It is the perfect cookout recipe for the grill, but it’s best to marinate the beef in the sauce for at least a few hours first.

The key to the Cowboy Pinto Beans is to cook the beans fast for about ten minutes on medium-high heat. Stir them often in that first ten minutes and then reduce the heat to very low and simmer, covered. Stir them only occasionally. The stirring will break up a few beans and help thicken the sauce.

Weight, Lean Body Mass and Exercise
Exercise with Jacques Courseault

You have finally made a commitment to regularly exercise, build up strength and tone your muscles. You step on the scale a few weeks later to find that you have not lost or maybe even gained weight! You figure that something is wrong with the scale, because your pants are too big and you look and feel thinner. Chances are that your scale works just fine. The truth is that combining healthy nutrition with proper exercises has caused you to gain weight in the form of lean body mass (LBM), or fat free mass. Weight, Lean Body Mass and Exercise

There’s no other food subject that gives rise to the level of controversy than genetically modified foods (GMOs). There are so many factions. On the one hand are the creators of the raw ingredients, such as Monsanto, who sell their products to the farmers. There are the food manufacturers and then, of course, the consumer. Emotions run very high from every quarter, with each vocally defending their position. Genetically Modified Foods

Featured Recipe

Asian Peanut Chicken Salad

I love using rice noodles in salads, but you have to handle them just right. The noodles, sometimes called cellophane noodles, can become quite gummy when they are overcooked. If you’ve had a bad version of Pad Thai, you know what I mean.

The key is to keep the water going at a slow boil and stir the noodles almost from the moment you add them to the pot. Keep a close eye on them and don’t overcook them. At about the 7 minute mark start tasting for doneness. When they have just a very slight chewiness they are ready. You can drain them in a colander, but I just use tongs to pick up the noodles and let them drain into the pan. Shake them a bit and then toss them into the bowl with the oil, which will coat them and keep them from sticking together too much.

This recipe works well with grilled flank steak, scallops or shrimp.

This recipe is gluten-free and lactose-free. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux, Coumadin (warfarin) users and those on low-sodium diets should avoid it.

A Healthy Pregnancy
with Faith Bontrager, RN, BSN

Many hospitals currently restrict food intake during labor. A few hospitals allow laboring women to have only ice chips, others allow clear liquids only. These policies are based on work by Dr. Mendelson in the 1940s that indicated that under general anesthesia there was a possibility of acidic stomach contents entering the lungs and causing damage. Eating During Labo

We are working on a program to build a teaching kitchen at the medical school (pie in the sky, for sure). This idea grew out of a Grand Rounds by Dr. David Eisenberg of the Osher Research Center at Harvard Medical School: “Novel Strategies to Address Obesity: What if Medical Schools Partnered with Culinary Schools to Create Teaching Kitchens?”

Dr. Eisenberg is a very cool guy who loves food and understands the link between our country’s expanding waistline and the fact that a lot of young people simply don’t know how to cook. The idea is that if we teach medical students and physicians how to cook and eat, they’ll be more effective with their patients. It’s a bit of an uphill push, but there are a lot of people interested.

He also proposes that we not only put teaching kitchens in medical schools but communal kitchens in dorms at our universities and colleges. Interestingly, we have those already at Tulane. As part of a student wellness program for the undergrads at Tulane I’ve been teaching students about food, nutrition, and last night – how to cook. Last night’s class was in one of our dorm’s kitchens. See what we cooked.

Dr. Tim Says….

When I was in my twenties I had a friend who was very goal oriented. He had participated in one of those training classes on how to choose, plan and achieve an objective. He carried a picture of a baby grand piano around in his day planner and said that he looked at it all the time. He worked hard and sure enough he had his piano within his target period.

You might think that this would work for eating healthy and weight loss. Carry around a picture of yourself slimmer, maybe? (That is what PhotoShop is for, isn’t it?) I had a friend who sort of did this by putting up pictures of skinny people on her refrigerator. This seems to make sense but what about carrying around a picture of chocolate cake? Can looking at photos of what tempts you to snack actually help you eat healthier? It appears that it can (cool, huh?). The Picture of Success

Featured Recipe

Beef Tips in Brown Gravy | GERD / Acid Reflux Friendly Version

This is a recipe that I remember from my childhood. I am not sure how my mother made it but I can remember the taste and this is it. A rich umami flavor from the caramelized mushrooms and onions combine with the beef for that great comfort food flavor. Perfect for a cold winter’s night.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin users, low in sodium and lactose-free. Those with gluten allergies should use gluten-free pasta in this dish.

The key is moderation.

The earliest meaningful research was done by a cardiologist named Arthur Klatsky. He noticed that many of his patients with heart disease were not drinkers. This led him to do a retrospective study of over 80,000 patients and he discovered those who drank more had a much lower risk of dying from a heart attack. The Mediterranean Diet: Alcohol

http://www.executivehm.com/news/cost-of-obesity-in-the-united-states/

Dr. Tim Says….

I get requests all the time for advice on how to start eating healthy. Folks simply want some direction and there’s a lot of confusing info out there. We’re going to begin a series to help you with this. Every Monday we’ll present a new segment to help you get started and move forward to your goals.

The first few months will be about one of the most important issues: assessment and planning. During that time the key is to sort out where you are: learn about yourself, where you are and where you need to be. Topics will range from healthy breakfast planning to food diary to information about carbs, fats and protein.

This week we start with a discussion about breakfast.

Featured Recipe

Pork Chops with Garlic Sauce

This is a lovely sauce and proves that simple ingredients prepared with care can make for the most subtle flavors. Garlic, olive oil, butter… that’s all it takes. The slow simmering of the sauce gives it a rich, savory flavor enhanced by the richness of the butter. This goes well with pork but can also top a grilled flank steak or roasted chicken breasts.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users, is low in sodium, and is gluten-free. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux and those who are lactose-intolerant should avoid it.

Dear Dr. Gourmet,

Q: I’ve been following a Weight Watchers type diet for 2 1/2 months now. I’m 44 yrs old, 5′4″ and weigh just over 150 lbs. In the past, as recently as last year, I have been able to go a month or two with a WW type diet and lose 5 lbs minimum. This time I have not been able to lose even 1/2 lb.

I have really been careful about sticking to eating well, but I feel at a real loss right now and don’t know what to do next. Any advice you can offer to help me lose weight would be appreciated. What would you advise as the next steps?

A: This is a great question. There’s some evidence that as we get older – into our 40s and 50s – that it can be more difficult to lose weight. Everyone is different, of course, and there’s been some research focusing on this but nothing conclusive as to the actual cause. What we do know….

Q: What are the effects of the following herbs on my Coumadin and my INR (warfarin): burdock root, echinacea, and gotu kola?

A: No one knows for sure the effects of these herbs would be on INR for folks who take Coumadin (warfarin). There’s no health benefit for anyone that’s been proven for any of these, so there’s no reason to take them and no reason to take the risk.

Q: Does papaya help to lose weight? How does papaya help our immune system?

A: There is no evidence that papaya is anything more than a good fruit. It is not a magical weight loss fruit as some might have you believe. There is no secret about papaya that will boost your immune system beyond the fact that it is simply a fruit. Papaya

Q: My husband had Aortic Valve Replacement 10-11-05 at the age of 27. He has a St. Jude Mechanical Valve – therefore he is on Coumadin and of course has to have his INR checked regularly. He is very concerned about his weight. He gained about 25 – 30 pounds after the surgery. He has maintained that weight since the surgery but he would like to lose it.

I have no idea what to do for him – or what he can do for himself. I have to cook for 3 boys, my husband and myself, so it is difficult to know what to prepare that won’t cost an arm and a leg! I don’t fry foods, and most everything I cook is prepared with low-fat, low cholesterol items. He still doesn’t lose weight, and I wonder if it is due to the medications he is on.

A: The key to your husband’s weight loss, as with all weight loss, is a matter of eating fewer calories and burning more.

Folks who are taking Coumadin (warfarin) can feel that this is a challenge because they believe that they are limited in what they can eat. In truth….

Dr. Tim Says….

I don’t write about exercise a lot because it’s not my specialty. While I know a lot about it, exercise regularly myself and always talk with my patients about it, the Dr. Gourmet website is about food and nutrition. We’ve begun to incorporate exercise into our mission because of its importance and you’ll see more info in the future on this topic.

I have, however, as part of our mission written occasionally about nutritional supplements – vitamins and such. Those of you who are regular readers know that I don’t believe the research supports taking vitamins. In the past I have used the premise of “doesn’t help but probably won’t hurt” when it comes to vitamins. There has been some recent evidence that I’ve written on that indicates taking vitamins might actually be bad for you. We’re a long way from knowing for sure, but this past week another study has been published that casts more doubt on the idea of “probably won’t hurt.” One of the medical students I work with who is very interested in exercise sent this one my way. Exercise and Supplements

Featured Recipe

Seared Tuna with Mango-Wasabi Salsa

So I generally do most of the cooking. My wife is a good cook but doesn’t really like to all that much. Mind you, she has a fantastic palate and knows when a recipe is good or not as well as what might be wrong with it. Every once in a while she will come up with a recipe. This is one of those and it’s really fantastic. The tuna works great with the mango salsa and the combination is not just great tasting but great for you.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users and is low in sodium. It is both lactose-free and gluten-free. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it as it is likely too spicy.

Eating Gluten Free
with Julie Gee

It is not always easy to stick to a gluten-free diet. The good news is that there are many resources for folks trying to eat gluten-free. One of your best resources is your local Celiac Disease support group. Support groups help you to feel normal and provide you with a place to talk about the issues you face every day. In addition, your local support group is an invaluable source of information and experience. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel if you can instead rely on others to help discover new places to eat and shop. Since Celiac Disease affects approximately 1% of the American population, most cities or counties have a support group. These groups also welcome individuals who have wheat allergies or gluten-intolerance.

It is always a good idea to seek out a support group for Celiac Disease when you are in the process of being diagnosed. Some doctors in the United States aren’t as educated about Celiac Disease as we might like, so it is important to find a physician who is experienced and knowledgeable about Celiac Disease and the many related health issues. Your local support group is an excellent way to find a physician who can help you get a diagnosis. Getting Help

Dear Dr. Gourmet,

Q: I would like to thank you for your wonderful and very informative website and your delicious and healthy food recipes. It has been about 10 months that I am following your website and your recommandations and I’ve got my family and friends also hooked on your website.

I have one question as well. I got the following “Eating Fruit” email and I just want to verify the correctness of the information with you since I highly value your medical opinion. Read the email and the answer.

Q: I have a friend who lives with both diabetes and gout. He doesn’t handle either of these conditions particularly well. He and his wife recently went to a small seminar and asked the Dietician there for some tips on handling diet when one does have both diabetes and gout. She was really unable to answer him! She didn’t even refer him to some literature or advise him where to find good information.

So, I was just wondering if you could offer some advice regarding this. I appreciate any information you can provide.

A: The key to treating both conditions can be found in a healthier diet. For diabetics diet is the cornerstone of controlling blood sugar. The information about Mediterranean diet can help you to understand the foundations of the diet recommended by the American Diabetic Association. This is your friend’s first step toward feeling better. Gout and Diabetes

Q: My husband has been on warfarin for almost 15 years, and eats a huge salad each day. His Coumadin rarely needs to be regulated other than the dose he is currently on. I have become very concerned that the medication dose could be lowered if he stops eating the salads each day.

I serve all the K no no’s regularly. Should I stop? He was told years ago that since greens are a regular part of his diet he should continue eating as always.

A: While limiting Vitamin K is one strategy for keeping the INR stable while taking Coumadin® (warfarin), being consistent is just as important.

By having a salad every day, your husband is getting the same amount of Vitamin K every day from the greens, so the intake is consistent. This allows your husband’s doctor to adjust his Coumadin dose relative to that stable intake of Vitamin K. This is a great way to get healthy greens and take Coumadin at the same time. As long as his salad consumption is uniform he should continue to do as well as he has in the last 15 years. Keeping Your Dosage Stable

Have a question? Send it to askdrgourmet@drgourmet.com and your question may be answered in this column. Read more Ask Dr. Gourmet questions.

Dr. Tim Says….

Last week I discussed the structure of dinner and what a good healthy and balanced evening meal should look like. I have felt for a long time that eating sensible regular meals and snacks is the key to being healthy and maintaining a healthy weight. In listening to my overweight and obese patients I often hear them say, “Well, I don’t eat during the day. I only eat dinner.” Sometimes they will talk about eating late in the day.

While this is only anecdote, hearing it over and over has made me think that there’s something to this. Yet there’s not a lot of definitive research to prove that skipping meals during the day and eating only dinner contributes to weight gain. We do have some indirect information from studies showing that eating breakfast makes a difference in maintaining a healthy weight. There’s less info about lunch, however. We do have a lot of research on snacking. Everything from time of snacks, type of snack, how much is consumed and on and on.

There’s also a lot of research on the volume of food and calorie density that helps us to understand how satisfying various meals and snacks are throughout the day. Just recently there was published a great addition to our knowledge with a group of researchers in Sweden reporting on whether meal patterns might have an effect on obesity. Three Meals a Day

Featured Recipe

Seared Sea Scallops with Potato Viniagrette

This is really a fabulous dish with the soft texture and flowery flavor of the warm potato salad complemented by the seared sea scallops. It’s a simple dish that can easily be served for a weeknight meal since the whole thing takes all of a half hour (OK, you do have to roast the garlic first, but you should have that around the house for other recipes).

This recipe low in sodium and both gluten and lactose free. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux and those who are on Coumadin (warfarin) should avoid it.

Eating Gluten Free
with Julie Gee

As you continue to plan menus and shop for gluten-free items, you may miss certain foods that contain gluten or feel deprived. This is a great time to make use of gluten-free products made by Glutino, Pamela’s, Bob’s Red Mill, and other labeled gluten-free products. These product lines offer pasta, bread, cookies, pretzels, and cereals. Be sure to read labels on gluten-free products as well. Some are made from whole grains such as quinoa or brown rice, which are great sources of fiber. I suggest that you avoid stocking up on a gluten-free product until you’ve tried it; however, once you’ve decided that you like the product, feel free to stock up from sites like glutenfreemall.com or amazon.com. I have found that each grocery store stocks different items that I use as mainstays. Rather than visit three stores every week, I stock up when I see a particular product that I know isn’t carried at other stores. Supermarket Strategies for a Gluten-Free Diet, Part Two

Dr. Tim Says….

When I was growing up we had the typical diner special of “a meat and two veg.” This isn’t too far from what makes sense for a healthy dinner. We know that combining protein with carbs helps with feeling satisfied for longer after a meal. One issue is, however, what to actually put on your plate.

One issue is that serving sizes have become so large in many restaurants. This has carried over into folk’s dinner tables at home and portions have gone from big to bigger to huge. So when you’re considering dinner ideas think in terms of right-sizing your meal.

Begin with the main course. By that I mean the fish, lean meat, shellfish, chicken, turkey, lamb, etc. that you will have. The rule of thumb is 4 ounces by weight for each portion. When you are reading recipes keep this in mind because many call for double or even triple this amount. With a 4 ounce serving coming in at around 150 to 200 calories it’s easy to see how in today’s world folks can easily get too many calories. What to Put on Your Dinner Plate

Featured Recipe

Gnocchi with Tomato Mushroom Sauce
Gluten-Free Version | Low Sodium Version

I love gnocchi and this rich tomato mushroom sauce just makes it that much better. In the first iteration of this I used a single pepperoncini instead of the paprika. These are small pickled Italian peppers and the slight spiciness adds a lot to the sauce.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users and those who are lactose-intolerant. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.

Crimini Mushrooms

Crimini mushrooms are marketed under many names, including Baby Bella, Roman, Italian, Brown or Classic Brown mushrooms. They are similar in size to white mushrooms but are a light cocoa color and have a firmer texture. They are much more flavorful than white mushrooms, having a richer, earthy taste that activates the umami taste buds. Their flavor has often been referred to as “meaty”.

Portobello mushrooms are actually large crimini mushrooms and, because of the savory meaty flavor, have become popular in the last few years. As mushrooms mature, the ring that protects the spores breaks and as a result there is loss of moisture. Young mushrooms contain as much as 80% water and, as they lose water (as portobellos do by having their gills exposed), the savory mushroom flavor is increasingly concentrated. Crimini Mushrooms

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Make Comments on DrGourmet.com!

Did you know that you can now make comments on the recipes on the DrGourmet.com website? If you have a Facebook account, you can make comments on the recipes and have those comments posted to your Wall for you to share with your Facebook friends. (If you don’t have a Facebook account, you don’t have to have one to make comments.) Let us and your friends know what you think of our delicious healthy recipes!

Over the next few weeks you’ll see the comment boxes added to all of the pages on DrGourmet.com, from “Ask Dr. Gourmet” to the special dietary needs sections such as Coumadin (warfarin), gluten and lactose intolerance, and low sodium diets.

eatTHISdiet for Coumadin Users:
The Cookbook

eatTHISdiet for Coumadin Users is now available in both spiral-bound paperback and PDF format!

Over 200 pages of what you need to know while on Coumadin (warfarin), including food lists – so you’ll know what you can eat! Includes a complete six-week eatTHISdiet for Coumadin users, with weekly meal plans, shopping lists, and over 90 recipes. Just $31.52 for the spiral-bound book and $14.95 for the eBook. Order yours now!

Dr. Tim Says….

When I am giving talks I always joke that none of my patients ever eats Oreo cookies. This always gets a big laugh and I believe that folks are laughing at themselves. We aren’t always honest with ourselves and probably even more often are not completely honest with our doctors (shocking, I know). I base my assertion that my patients are so good on the fact that when I discuss people’s diets with them only one has ever admitted to eating cookies. One. That’s it. A single patient in the last fifteen years.

Now, I find this really strange because the aisles in the grocery are FULL of cookies (but none of my patients are buying them).

I would really like to leave the office and drive to their house to root through their cupboards and refrigerator. Maybe I’d be proved wrong, but the research says that folks have an awful lot of cookies in their pantry. Studies of people’s trash have shown this repeatedly, with researchers finding a clear disconnect with what people will say they are eating and what ends up in their trash bins. Change Your Pantry and Get Healthy

Featured Recipe

Crawfish Pie

Fish pies like this are hugely popular in England. Done right they are the best comfort food. This twist on the traditional recipe includes a rich creamy filling topped with yummy mashed potatoes. The dish has it all – fish and veggies in a warm comforting meal.

One of the tests in developing this recipe was done with purple potatoes. The dish was really beautiful with the pink crawfish folded together with the veggies and topped with the purple mashed potatoes.

Placed into individual au gratin dishes, these make a great dinner party meal. Everything can be done in advance and then placed under the broiler. It will take a little longer in the oven to reheat fully, however.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users, is low in sodium, and is gluten-free. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux and those who are lactose-intolerant should avoid it.

Living Gluten Free
with Julie Gee

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, my first few gluten-free shopping trips took so long that the dairy items in my cart were warm by the time I got to the checkout. Despite what it may seem at first, there are ways to make shopping for gluten-free foods faster and easier. You will need to read every label, and that will take some time. Here are some ways that you can simplify your grocery shopping while still maintaining a healthy gluten-free diet.

First of all, remember that “wheat free” does not necessarily mean “gluten free.” Many items do not contain wheat, but they may have other sources of gluten in them, such as malt flavoring or contaminated oats. Before you put an item into your cart think about how it might have been cross-contaminated. Supermarket Strategies for a Gluten-Free Diet

Keep Up With Dr. Gourmet

Follow Dr. Gourmet on Twitter!

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Make Comments on DrGourmet.com!

Did you know that you can now make comments on the recipes on the DrGourmet.com website? If you have a Facebook account, you can make comments on the recipes and have those comments posted to your Wall for you to share with your Facebook friends. (If you don’t have a Facebook account, you don’t have to have one to make comments.) Let us and your friends know what you think of our delicious healthy recipes!

Over the next few weeks you’ll see the comment boxes added to all of the pages on DrGourmet.com, from “Ask Dr. Gourmet” to the special dietary needs sections such as Coumadin (warfarin), gluten and lactose intolerance, and low sodium diets.

eatTHISdiet for Coumadin Users:
The Cookbook

eatTHISdiet for Coumadin Users is now available in both spiral-bound paperback and PDF format!

Over 200 pages of what you need to know while on Coumadin (warfarin), including food lists – so you’ll know what you can eat! Includes a complete six-week eatTHISdiet for Coumadin users, with weekly meal plans, shopping lists, and over 90 recipes. Just $31.52 for the spiral-bound book and $14.95 for the eBook. Order yours now!

Dr. Tim Says….

I was giving a talk the other night and as part of it there was a discussion of how the perceptions of what we eat can guide our consumption. One of my favorite researchers, Brian Wansink, has published numerous studies showing that how we think about food influences what we eat. His work has both the ability to help us understand how we look at food but also to laugh at ourselves a bit over how easily we can be duped by our perceptions. Perception Matters

Featured Recipe

Halibut with Lime-Cilantro Salsa

This recipe is proof that the more you are around good food and good cooking the better you get. When my wife and I met it was clear that she has a terrific palate. She had been around food – our brother in law is a very accomplished chef. Over the last few years she has gotten better and better as a critic and as a cook and this recipe is evidence of that.

Here’s a recipe created spontaneously by Morgan Harlan. You’ll love this one (I did). It’s the perfect Spring recipe. Bright, slightly spicy and fantastic with the halibut, this is one terrific salsa! Best of all, it takes all of about 15 minutes to put together. That’s faster than you can drive to the pizza place for dinner.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users, is low in sodium, and is both gluten-free and lactose-free. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.

Living Gluten Free
with Julie Gee

This week, I’m going to tell you about a final set of 15 gluten-free foods that you can eat right now. This gives you a total of 45 readily available foods in your pantry and fridge. While you continue to learn which mainstream products are gluten-free, you can safely rely on these items, as well as other items marketed as gluten-free. Another 15 Gluten-Free Foods You Can Eat Right Now

A Healthy Pregnancy
with Faith Bontrager, RN, BSN

How do you choose a menu that will benefit you and your baby? Googling the phrase “healthy pregnancy diet” returns more than two million responses. Even reputable groups like the USDA and Harvard School of Public Health disagree. Where do you start?

The good news is that you can probably follow any of the reputable sources and be OK. Further good news is that there are more similarities to these plans than there are differences. A Pregnancy Menu for You and Your Baby

Dr. Tim Says….

A couple of years ago I wrote about two related strategies for reducing the number of calories in a dish. The first was to enhance flavor by choosing lower calorie, high-flavor ingredients. The second, and more difficult, strategy was to pay careful attention to those ingredients that have more calories by weight and to use them very carefully.

As it turned out, a recent study had compared the overall daily caloric intake for subjects on four different diets: If It Satisfies, It Satisfies

Featured Recipe

Steak Au Poivre

I simply love Steak Au Poivre. It was a standby in my restaurant days and it’s unfortunate that you don’t see it on many menus these days. It is so simple yet so perfect. The key is to cook the steak at a little lower heat so as to not burn the cracked pepper. The result brings a more savory flavor to the pepper and mellows the spiciness.

Traditional recipes call for using heavy cream and you could, if you like, choose to use it instead of the sour cream. It will add a few more calories, but I don’t use it day to day because I don’t keep it on hand. The sour cream also adds a bit of tartness that I like in the sauce. You have to make sure the sauce is not too hot when you add it to the sour cream or it will curdle the sauce.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users, is low in sodium, and is gluten-free. Those who are lactose intolerant and those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.

Living Gluten Free
with Julie Gee

Last week, I told you about 15 foods that are gluten free and may already be in your pantry or fridge. This week, I’m adding 15 more foods to the list to help you vary your diet and continue eating gluten-free. 15 More Gluten-Free Foods You Can Eat Right Now

Chef Tim Says….

There’s no doubt that eating by yourself and eating healthy can be a challenge. There are a few considerations and first and foremost is that there’s no one to share the shopping, cooking and cleaning up. With couples and families often one person will cook and the other clean up. Or sometimes people will switch off making different meals on chosen days. With a larger group of 4 or 5 in a family it can be easier to cook because most recipes are scaled for two or more.

Back when I first started helping people build menus to eat healthier it became clear that these issues were important for folks living alone. At the time I was also living by myself. Here are a few tips for making your life easier, delicious and healthy if you are on your own: Eating Healthy Alone

Featured Recipe

Mustard Glazed Salmon with Lentils

This is one of my favorite dishes. It’s a variation of one created by a chef friend of mine that he used to serve in his restaurant. It is an almost perfect meal. High fiber, legumes, salmon full of monounsaturated fats, rich flavors and veggies make it a complete Mediterranean Diet meal. Best of all it’s really easy to cook and the whole recipe is less than 30 minutes start to finish.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users, is low in sodium, and is gluten-free provided that your ingredients are gluten-free. Those who are lactose intolerant and those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.

Living Gluten Free
with Julie Gee

If you’ve just been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or a gluten allergy, you may be wondering what to eat today. Your gluten-free life has already started. It’s time to look in your pantry and find a few safe and delicious items. You’ll learn more about cross-contamination and how to read ingredients in the coming weeks. Today I’ll going to tell you about 15 items that are gluten free and probably already waiting in your pantry or refrigerator. 15 Gluten-Free Foods You Can Eat Right Now

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New Features in
The Quality Calorie Diet!

You asked for it! Now those who follow a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet can create their own two-week meal plans. Just choose “Vegetarian” in your profile.

Plus, now you can add Dr. Gourmet recipes to your Recipe Box! Just click the “Add to My Recipe Box” icon on the recipe’s page (below the Print icon) and if you’re logged in to The Quality Calorie Diet, it’ll be added to your Recipe Box at the bottom of the page. Log in to The Quality Calorie Diet to see the new features!

eatTHISdiet for Coumadin Users:
The Cookbook

eatTHISdiet for Coumadin Users is now available in both spiral-bound paperback and PDF format!

Over 200 pages of what you need to know while on Coumadin (warfarin), including food lists – so you’ll know what you can eat! Includes a complete six-week eatTHISdiet for Coumadin users, with weekly meal plans, shopping lists, and over 90 recipes. Just $31.52 for the spiral-bound book and $14.95 for the eBook. Order yours now!

Dr. Tim Says….

One of my favorite lectures that I get to give is about fad diets. Those of you who regularly read the Dr. Gourmet website know that I believe them to be just silly. Atkins, South Beach, The Zone, Perricone, it doesn’t matter. Sadly, all of these have been conceived by doctors (3 M.D.s and 1 PhD). There are a lot of other kooky diets that have been created by people who don’t have advanced degrees, so having gone to graduate school is not an absolute requirement for making up a diet.

Fad diets vary in so many different ways – fat, low carb, high fat, high protein, high carb and just about every variation. None has been well founded in science and most use pseudoscience to bolster their concepts. The good news is that we now have more and more solid research on such diets. In the last few years research has compared diets head to head and they’ve not shown much difference between fad diets and conventional physician-recommended diets. Essentially, if you eat less you lose weight (what a concept!). Silly Fad Diets Finally Debunked

Featured Recipe

Grilled Halibut with Tangerines and Capers

This recipe works well on the grill, and with Spring coming on this is a perfect dish for your recipe box. Choosing the sweetest fruit possible is key so there’s a good balance of flavors – sweet, sour, salty and savory. It’s a good idea to let the tangerine topping macerate overnight so the flavors blend best.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users, is low in sodium, and is gluten- and lactose-free. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.

Isis: A Meal at Moto, Course Seven

The first dessert to come out was described as “Fruit and Bubbles.” When it arrived at our table, all that could be seen was a crinkly sculpture of what looked to be thick white tissue paper, with a brown powder dusted on top. The waiter informed us that it was crispy rice paper with apple spice powder on top. Underneath the spiced sculpture was a square white bowl, the vessel for our dessert. In the bottom of the bowl was what looked like ordinary pieces of fruit – a few grapes with thinly sliced apple and pear. As the waiter explained that the fruit was carbonated- like soda. I looked at the remainder of the contents of the bowl. In one corner, there was a puddle of something white, while in the opposite corner was a mound of light-brownish powder. The waiter went on to tell us that in one corner was a white chocolate and cheese sauce, and opposite it was a powdered walnut praline. FRUIT and bubbles

Dr. Tim Says….

There was a time when the Nutrition Facts box on food labels didn’t exist. The first book I wrote was mostly about how to read a food label, because before 1990 all that was required was simply a listing of ingredients. The only way to know if what you were buying might be healthy or not was that the ingredients were listed in order of amount by weight.

This is still the case and when you see that sugar is the first ingredient listed you know that there’s more sugar by weight than any of the other ingredients. But we now, of course, have a lot more information. It can still be a bit of a challenge, however, if you don’t know a lot about nutrition. Here’s a guide on how to read the Nutrition Facts box.

Featured Recipe

Fusilli with Smoked Gouda and Chicken

Using a precooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery can really speed up your meals. This is a great comfort food recipe that takes advantage of someone else cooking the chicken for you. Most of the time the cooked chickens are not any more expensive than the uncooked.

While the water is coming to a boil you can easily skin and debone the chicken. The rest of the assembly takes about 10 minutes and the result is a warm, comforting but still elegant pasta bake.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users and is gluten-free (provided the ingredients used are gluten-free). Those with GERD / Acid Reflux and those who are lactose intolerant and unable to tolerate cheese should avoid it.

Isis: A Meal at Moto, Course Six

We were getting closer to desserts, only one more savory entree dish left, then on to the really fun part (not that the entrees weren’t fun…). The last of the entrees was listed on the menu as PRIME with potato. It came out on plates that were about four by ten inches. The plates were like miniature tables, about an inch high. Each plate had three shallow dips in it, like little shallow round bowls built in.

In the farthest dish to the left had a small puddle of bacon puree with three extremely thin medallion shaped slices of steak. The bacon puree was the exact brown color of perfectly crispy bacon, and the flavor was incredible. It was like the flavor of my step grandmother’s bacon (the best in the world), but intensified. The steak slices were so thin they were almost translucent, but no matter how small the pieces were, the flavor was huge – salty and slightly peppery. They were cooked impeccably, just rare, so that they were somewhat pink in the middle, and tender, and slightly juicy. Because they were sitting in the bacon puree, they had the salty, smoky flavor of the bacon. PRIME and potato

Dr. Tim Says….

We know now that nuts and seeds are really good for you. So much research has now shown that they’re a great choice in everything from snacks to being used as part of recipes. One important study shows that nuts added to a Mediterranean Diet made a huge difference in developing metabolic syndrome (Arch Intern Med 2008: 168; 2449 – 2458). Do keep in mind that nuts are considered fats and are higher in calories. Even so, the types of fat are so much better for you since most are low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fats.

In another study of folks already on a Mediterranean diet, those who added walnuts to their diet had an additional 4% decrease in total cholesterol. Eating 3 ounces of almonds per day for 9 weeks had a as much as a 10% drop in cholesterol. To make it even better nuts and seeds are chock full of antioxidants and Vitamin E as well as magnesium, copper, monounsaturated fat, plant sterols, protein and fiber.

While a lot of the studies are funded by industry groups like the California Walnut Commission, much of it is excellent research and the conclusions are pretty compelling. There may be some possibility that almonds are better than walnuts and walnuts are better than cashews or peanuts, but I don’t believe that we have as much information about this as we need to. Eat what you like. Raw may be better than roasted and certainly eating your nuts unsalted is likely to be better for you. Nut and Seed Choices

Featured Recipe

Flank Steak with Paprika Sauce and Shallots

I love the smokiness of paprika and this sauce of peppers and paprika is so lovely with the sweetness of the braised shallots. Big, rich flavors in a healthy dish that’s low in fat, saturated fat and sodium.

This recipe is low in sodium and safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users. It is also gluten-free (provided the ingredients used are gluten-free) and lactose-free. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it, as it contains multiple GERD triggers.

A Healthy Pregnancy

Can I continue to eat a vegetarian diet during pregnancy?

Yes, you can. Here are some guidelines.

Protein
Like all pregnant women, you need about 60 grams of protein daily and 100-300 more calories than before you were pregnant (or enough to support suggested weight gain). If you don’t have adequate calories, your body will break down some of the protein for energy. Most vegetarians simply add an extra daily serving or two of the same protein foods they usually eat. A Vegetarian Diet During Pregnancy

Dr. Tim Says….

The beginning of 2009 marks ten years of Dr. Gourmet on the web. It was the beginning of 1999 that we put up our first web pages. For a long time the site was informational only and updated occasionally. We set out to change that about 3 1/2 years ago and to build the definitive evidence -based website for eating healthy.

I’ve learned a lot along the way to be sure. Most importantly there are 6 areas that research have been shown to help with folks eating healthy and losing weight.

1. Meal Planning: Those who plan their meals including when, where and what they are going to eat do better. We’re Ten Years Old This Week

Featured Recipe

Beef with Broccoli

When I am working on a recipe I love to look at lots of different recipes for the same thing and pick what I believe are the best features. Part of my quest is for the ingredients that go in a dish and only occasionally for technique. As you might imagine there are thousands of such Chinese style Beef with Broccoli recipes. The big difference was mainly with thin sliced vs. cubed or thicker sliced beef. Either way, I don’t see that it matters much.

That said, you can use almost any good quality cut of lean beef you like. If flank steak is cheaper than top round, by all means use it.

This recipe is not safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users and contains multiple GERD / Acid Reflux triggers. It is, however, low in sodium (salt), lactose-free and gluten-free provided that the ingredients used to make it are gluten-free.

Fat in Beef

No matter what cut of beef you choose for a recipe, trimming the excess fat is the key to lowering the fat and calories. A cut like rib eye steak that is not trimmed will have about 20 grams of fat per serving. Trimming it of excess fat will reduce the fat by 10 grams and about 90 calories.

The best flavor in beef comes from the marbling in the meat itself, not the fat that surrounds the cut of meat. Choose cuts that have little excess fat and light marbling for maximum flavor and minimum calories.

Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!

Timothy S. Harlan, M.D. Dr. Gourmet

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My eatTHISdiet is Now The Quality Calorie Diet!

I’ve changed the name of my free online diet planner to reflect my belief that it’s the quality of the calories we eat that count most. The Quality Calorie Diet includes the My eatTHISdiet features you know and love, plus:

1. Track your daily food intake, whether you use Dr. Gourmet recipes or not.

2. Keep a daily exercise journal to calculate and track the calories you burn.

3. Still free!

4. Use your own recipes to create your two-week meal plans

5. MORE!

Your two-week meal plans will continue to include foods for your entire family. Leftovers are still used for lunches and later in the week.

Those who are on Coumadin (warfarin), are lactose intolerant, gluten sensitive or have GERD / acid reflux will (of course) still be able to use the planner to create healthy diets for their conditions. Get started on eating healthier and losing weight now!

Dr. Tim Says….

Next week everyone will be working on their New Year’s resolutions. I have read estimates that as high as 75% of people will resolve to lose weight or eat better. Certainly changing the way you eat is a good way to lose weight but there’s other great reasons. Recently I was interviewed about the effects of diet on the ageing process. Some of this you may have read in past columns but when it is all taken together the research is pretty compelling.

Here’s some excerpts from that discussion.

Featured Recipe

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous | Low Sodium Version
This is a remarkably simple recipe for one with so much flavor. The combination of spices is typical of the region but offers such a rich, savory and warm meal that it’s almost like this is comfort food. These are the spices that have influenced so much cooking in the Americas including the Caribbean, Creole and Cajun food as well as Mexican and Southwestern cuisine.

I love it that you can now more easily find boneless, skinless chicken thighs. These are almost as lean as chicken breasts but I love dark meat and its rich flavor. Best of all they’re about half the price of boneless chicken breasts.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users and those who are lactose intolerant. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux or gluten sensitivity will want to avoid it.

Couscous

Often thought of as a grain, such as bulgur wheat, couscous is actually processed much like pasta. When wheat is milled, it separates into three components – the wheat germ, bran and endosperm. Endosperm is also known as semolina. To make couscous, the yellow semolina is rolled in flour until it is well coated.

Traditionally, couscous was made by hand rolling the coarse hard-wheat semolina with flour and a small amount of cold water until the right consistency was achieved. It is a staple of many North African diets and is now widely made in factories, making it more easily available. Couscous

Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!

Timothy S. Harlan, M.D.
Dr. Gourmet

Follow me on Twitter! | Read the Dr. Gourmet Blog

Dr. Tim Says….

It’s holiday time, and that means food. I believe that you should splurge on holidays, but at the same time it’s just as easy to not overdo it as it is to eat everything in your path. One of the toughest places for people to stick to healthy eating habits is parties.

They can be a real pitfall, because many times we go to those parties at the end of the day, and the buffet table, with all those different choices, greets us with our empty stomach. Eat a little something before you go. Cut up an apple or have a handful of nuts and eat them before you go. Here are a few ideas to help you eat well and eat healthy at the holidays.

Holiday Menu

Shiitaki and Cranberry Stuffed Pork Loin

Shredded Brussels Sprouts or Green Beans Almondine

Roasted Potatoes or Plain Mashed Potatoes

and for Dessert….
Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Happy Holidays from all of us at Dr. Gourmet!

Brussels Sprouts

The rule of thumb for this tiny member of the cabbage family is to buy small ones and buy them as fresh as possible. Even though they look like little cabbages, they actually grow off the sides of a thick stalk and can be found in the market this way now (and if you do, buy them).

Try to use them the day that they are purchased, as there is less time for them to develop a bitter flavor.

There’s a lot of fiber in these little guys. Each serving has almost five grams.

4 ounces brussels sprouts = 49 calories, 0 fat, 0g sat fat, 0g mono fat, 4g protein, 10g carbohydrates, 28mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol

Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!

Timothy S. Harlan, M.D.
Dr. Gourmet

Follow me on Twitter! | Read the Dr. Gourmet Blog

The best part of all of the controversy over fats in the last two decades has been that the research has proven just how good for you fat is. As with everything it is the quality of the fats that’s key. We’ve come to know that unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated fats like Omega 3 fats, prevent disease.

There’s been so much research about fats and I could write a whole book. One of my favorite studies came from Martha Morris and her colleagues. They studied 815 senior citizens to evaluate the role diet might play in Alzheimer’s Disease. They found a clear correlation between diets high in saturated fat and trans fats and the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. The results showed almost double the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia in those eating the most of these types of fats.

Interestingly, total fat didn’t matter nor did whether the saturated fat was of animal origin. But eating more fats from vegetable sources was protective against those in the study having Alzheimer’s. Also eating a higher proportion of polyunsaturated to saturated fats was key to prevention. The research showed that consuming more unsaturated fats even blunts the risks of eating a higher percentage of trans fats. Unsaturated Fats

Featured Recipe

Salmon with Cumin Roasted Acorn Squash

I love the warmth that acorn squash brings. It is so comforting and comfortable and the harbinger of fall to me. Roasting brings out its sweetness and this is balanced by the spiciness of cumin. This is a quick and easy weeknight meal but the perfect dinner party dish as well.

This recipe is safe for those who are gluten-sensitive provided that they use gluten-free ingredients. It is also safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users, those with GERD / Acid Reflux, those who are on low-sodium diets and those who are lactose intolerant.

Cumin

Cumin is a thin spindle shaped seed that resembles a caraway seed. It has been used as a spice for millennia. When the spice is ground, it has a slightly hot, piquant flavor that is used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Spanish and Asian cuisines. It was imported to the Americas and is a staple in Mexican and South American recipes.

A little goes a long way and too much can quickly overpower a dish. As with any spice, buying whole seeds and grinding them results in a much fresher flavor.

Dr. Tim Says….

Certainly folks have reason to have been a bit confused about just what to eat and not to eat. There are so many “diet” books that focus only on the macronutrients – fats, carbohydrates and protein. Throughout the last three decades there have been dozens of theories competing with each other and the low-fat wave, while well intentioned, wasn’t completely correct.

The message ended up being that all fats were bad. Even though this was what researchers told folks at the time it became clear pretty quickly that this was not the case. At the time it was known that eating foods high in saturated fat was a health issue but we’ve come to know that other fats are more of a problem. Unfortunately the message in people’s minds remained “fat is bad.”

Some of this does come from the fact that it seems easier for folks to cope with only one of the macronutrients. Low-fat, low-carb, high protein, high fat – it seems so simple: “I’ll just eat less and be fine.” Eating healthy is about eating great food and not eliminating any single group of ingredients just because they contain fats (or carbs or protein). Fats

Featured Recipe

Seared Salmon with Black Bean Salsa and Paprika Mayonnaise

This is a quick and easy meal whether for weekday dinner or when you have friends over for dinner. The salsa and mayonnaise each take about 10 minutes to make. They can be done in advance and keeps well overnight. The salmon takes about another ten minutes but people will think that you have spent all day in the kitchen.

This is the meal that proves Mediterranean diet is not all Greek or Spanish food. There are legumes, olive oil, tomatoes, salmon. It’s low in calories and sodium and high in fiber and monounsaturated fats.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin® (warfarin) users, is low in sodium and gluten-free. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux and those who are lactose intolerant should avoid it.

Reduced-Fat Mayonnaise

The amount of fat varies pretty widely between the non-fat and regular mayonnaise having up to 10 – 11 grams of fat per tablespoon.

Reduced-fat mayonnaises are great for making salads, and there are a number of choices available to you. I feel that Hellman’s Just 2 Good mayonnaise has far and away the best flavor, with only 2 grams of fat and 25 calories per tablespoon.

I don’t like using non-fat mayonnaise for dressings very much – I have found that they simply aren’t creamy enough.

Light mayonnaise or reduced-fat mayonnaise usually has about 5 grams of fat per tablespoon. I generally keep this around for making sandwiches.

1 tablespoon Hellman’s Just 2 Good = 25 calories, 2g fat, 0.5g sat fat, <1g>

Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!

Timothy S. Harlan, M.D.
Dr. Gourmet