You can always check to see if your question, or [...]]]>

We’ve had a lot of new subscribers recently (welcome!), and I thought it might be helpful for us to share a few of our “greatest hits” or most frequently-asked questions on a variety of topics.

You can always check to see if your question, or a similar one, has already been answered by visiting the Ask Dr. Gourmet section on our web site.

Coumadin

Q: How much Vitamin K is in…?

A: There’s an easy way to find out about the nutrition content of any food. Just use the USDA National Nutrient Database. By entering an ingredient and following the steps, this web site will report the complete nutritional values of any ingredient and many prepared foods. The Vitamin K content is the last listing at the bottom of the Vitamins section. If it is not there, the food or ingredient that you searched on doesn’t contain enough Vitamin K to be reported.

Q: Can I use nutritional supplements while on Coumadin? What about acai juice / berries / Mona Vie or Resveratrol?

Q: Should you avoid cranberry juice on Coumadin (warfarin)?

Browse all Ask Dr. Gourmet Questions about Coumadin (warfarin).

Weight Loss / The Dr. Gourmet Diet Plan

Q: Is Body Mass Index accurate for everyone?

Q: Is cutting down on carbohydrates a healthy way to lose weight?

Q: Is there any cost involved in The Dr. Gourmet Diet Plan or the Dr. Gourmet web site?

Q: How can I lose weight if I can’t exercise?

Browse all Ask Dr. Gourmet Questions about Weight Loss and The Dr. Gourmet Diet Plan.

Miscellanous

Q: Should I be concerned about the level of mercury in the fish I eat?

Q: Does sea salt have less sodium in it than regular salt?

Q: Would adding baking soda to chili to make it GERD-friendly ruin the taste of the chili?

Q: Do you have diet plans for those with Type 2 diabetes?

Q: Are seeds really a problem for those with diverticulitis?

Browse all Ask Dr. Gourmet Questions about Health Conditions.

Have a question? Send it to askdrgourmet@drgourmet.com and your question may be answered in this column. Read more Ask Dr. Gourmet questions – over 500 questions already answered!

Q: I have Charcot in my left foot and I have been staying off of it for going on 3 months now. I am a diabetic and have been told no [...]]]> Dear Dr. Gourmet,

Two related questions:

Q: I have Charcot in my left foot and I have been staying off of it for going on 3 months now. I am a diabetic and have been told no weight bearing on the foot. What can I do to exercise?

Q: I am a 52 year old female who in 1996 suffered a massive brain anuerysm/stroke. I was 99 pounds at the time, but by the time I was released from rehab I had ballooned to a whopping 246! I have managed to get down to 175 but I am stuck there. I’m just at a total loss and any advice you can provide me would be greatly appreciated. I am no longer confined to a wheelchair, so I do walk daily, although not fast and not far. I live alone so anything you suggest would have to be able to be done solo.

A: Since exercise is not my area of expertise, I referred these two questions to our exercise expert, Jacques Courseault. He’s written a fantastic article on How to Exercise with Disabled or Weak Legs that should help you design an exercise regimen based on what you can do.

Q: I cannot stay on a diet. I have gained 40 lbs in 2 years and my doctor wants me to only eat 850 calories per day. I crave sweets and cannot pass them by at work, so I am gaining more. I have high cholesterol, total 358, take Zocor, 80 mgs, I walk 1 mile every day and take blood pressure medicine. What can I do? I need help. I read your website and agree with everything I read, but are there some people who cannot lose weight?

A: One reason that you might not be able to stay on a diet is that many diets are so drastic. For instance, we now know that an 850 calorie diet is just too few calories and will set you up for failure. Once you eat under about 1,000 calories per day the body metabolism slows and weight loss becomes very difficult.

There are five steps to eating healthy and losing weight. The first is to assess where you are and how many calories you should be eating to lose weight. A Reasonable Diet

Q: How can you say that Body Mass Index is “a good tool” when it doesn’t apply to everyone? Lots of athletes and body builders have a BMI in the overweight range (according to your chart), but they have very low body fat. Are you saying these people are fat?

A: You’re correct that there are those who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) that is in the overweight range (or even obese), but they are actually healthy. This because they are very fit and their weight is more in muscle mass than fat mass. This is, unfortunately, the exception to the rule and most folks who have high BMI are overweight and at risk.

Keep in mind the BMI is a guide that we use on an individualbasis. Waist to hip ratio is another good guide that, like the BMI, we use in assessment. The two are complementary but are only a guideto whether your weight is a problem or not. BMI and Fitness

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

A: For some folks exercising can be a trigger for GERD (acid reflux). As with most triggers [...]]]> Dear Dr. Gourmet,

Q: Can you exercise if you have GERD / Acid Reflux?

A: For some folks exercising can be a trigger for GERD (acid reflux). As with most triggers exercise may affect some and not others. The general recommendation is to not exercise too soon after eating. Start slow with something simple like walking and keep a diary of your symptoms. Exercising with GERD

Q: Is sushi OK to eat if experiencing some acid reflux or heartburn?

A: The one issue with many sushi and sushi rolls is that they will often contain wasabi. Wasabi root is quite spicy and could provoke symptoms of acid reflux in some. Interestingly, much of the wasabi paste served in Japanese restaurants today is actually made from horseradish. GERD and Sushi

Q: I have been diagnosed with acid reflux/heartburn. As I understand it, changing your diet will heal the sphincter area and then gradually go back on trigger foods, one at a time.

Do you have such a comprehensive diet that could help me get started?

A: You are correct that making lifestyle change might help treat issues caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

At this time there is no definitive research about how well diet can actually heal the inflammation caused by GERD triggers. All we have is anecdotal evidence regarding this. What the research shows us is that the acid reflux triggers are very much individualized from person to person. Healing GERD

Q: For several months I have been looking for low-acid tomato canned products. I read someplace that you can buy these items, but there was no source given. Have you heard of this?

A: At this time there is no low-acid tomato sauce on the market that I am aware of. I do know that some companies have explored this but in my research I have not found any that have put this on the market yet. We have a Low Acid Tomato Sauce recipe on the Dr. Gourmet web site to help you.

Get The Dr. Gourmet Diet for People with GERD / Acid Reflux

Complete with six weeks of meal plans and grocery lists, The Dr. Gourmet Diet for People with GERD / Acid Reflux will help you eat healthier, maintain a healthy weight, and manage your GERD / Acid Reflux. Flavorful, delicious food that you’ll love!

Buy the Paperback Book – $19.95 + s/h (via Lulu.com)
Buy the eBook (PDF) – $14.95

Dr. Tim Says….

Last week we began a series with Dr. Jacques Courseault. Because Dr. Jacques was a personal trainer before becoming a physician I have asked him to become my trainer and let you follow along.

As always, the info on the Dr. Gourmet web site is not a replacement for seeing your physician and your doctor would want you to speak with him or her before starting any new exercise program.

You can follow along in the coming months and see how easy this is. To catch up, read the first article in this series. It discusses the basics of getting started and this week I get to the exercises.

Featured Recipe

Massaman Curry

My neighborhood Thai restaurant serves this curry and I order it just about every time I eat there. I have had this a lot of ways – some recipes make this more of a red curry and others more yellow. Some recipes have potatoes and some don’t. I’ve even had this with pineapple in the dish (which is how my local restaurant makes it). All are good and the scents of the anise, tamarind, cinnamon and cardamom will warm you up even as the dish is cooking.

A: Wow! It’s always great when folks are [...]]]> Dear Dr. Gourmet,

Q: In the review of instant rice, it said Uncle Ben’s was the least favorite. [In the Quickie Arroz con Pollo recipe] it is the best. What’s up?

A: Wow! It’s always great when folks are paying attention.

You’re correct. In our review of instant brown rices we put Uncle Ben’s at the bottom of the list of the four that were tested.

The interesting thing is that the features that made it our least favorite as a side dish make it best for this sort of casserole. Why Uncle Ben’s?

Q: I would like your advice. I am going to buy my wife new cookware and wanted to know what kind to buy. She does not like Teflon coated pans and is not a gourmet cook, but we just had our kitchen renovated and she needs new cookware.

A: This is a great question. It is one that any chef could talk about for hours and hours and if you put more than one in a room they might argue for days. The discussion would become increasingly complex with each additional chef added to the room.

If I were going to refit a kitchen I would choose a variety of pots and pans. (For those of you out there who would like to comment on my choices please don’t hesitate, it’s a great discussion.) Cookware

Q: I just had an oopher / hysterectomy done Oct 1st and was diagnosed with breast cancer in February. I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node removed, clear margins and then 6 wks radiation, completed June 6th 2010.

I read one of your articles and had another question along the same lines. My oncologist wants to put me on Femara in 3 weeks. Do you know how the edamame soybeans will react with the medication for estrogen? Can it still possibly benefit me, or do you know if it will produce more estrogen.

A: Thus far the research has not supported that there is any problem with consuming soy products and any increase in the risk of cancers.Femara and Soy

One of my colleagues in the Tulane University School of Business is working on research into people’s behavior and how they are [...]]]> Track Your Exercise Using
The Real World Diet – You Could Win an iPod Touch!

An invitation from Dr. Harlan:

One of my colleagues in the Tulane University School of Business is working on research into people’s behavior and how they are motivated to exercise. She has asked me to invite people who are using The Real World Diet to participate and is offering prizes if you register and complete the study.

All responses to the study are kept confidential. For more details about the study and how you can win an iPod Touch, just click here.

Chef Tim Says….

I remember the first time I had salade niçoise. I was about twelve or so and working as a busboy at a fancy restaurant in Atlanta called The Bonnie Brooks Farm. It had been just “The Farm” until the new owner bought it from an venerable Atlanta restaurant family, changed the name and installed his wife Bonnie Brooks in the lounge as the main act. Well, actually she was the only act and had been modestly famous in the sixties. This was the early seventies and she was kind of a Petula Clark type. Her husband (whose name I don’t recall) was very dashing in that sort of New Jersey mafia don sort of way. Niçoise I Have Known

Featured Recipes

Tuscan Meatloaf

Meatloaf is fantastic because you can make it on a Sunday in about 20 minutes prep time. The great thing is that you’ll have leftovers for the week. This is a great variation on meatloaf with everything in one pan – protein, great carbs and veggies all wrapped up in good fats and great Tuscan seasoning. Serve this with a great side salad and you are set.

Salade Nicoise

I have never met a canned olive that I liked. I was at a restaurant recently and ordered a Salade Nicoise and was presented with a beautifully arranged plate. Gorgeous lettuces, a light vinaigrette, quartered hard cooked eggs, small perfectly boiled potatoes, two thin anchovy filets and grilled tuna. And there sprinkled over the top were canned, sliced black olive slices. Blech! A beautiful salad ruined by less-than-perfect ingredients.

I will often have patients remark on how they [...]]]> Eating Healthy While Traveling

[This article is part of The Real World Diet Coaching Program, an ongoing series on The How and Why of Eating Healthy. Read the whole series to date.]

I will often have patients remark on how they can’t eat healthy while they’re traveling. This comes from people who only travel occasionally, for pleasure, as well as those who make a living on the road. Just like at home, planning is the key to eating healthy on the road. Thinking about what and when you are going to eat beforehand makes all the difference.

I spend a fair amount of time traveling, both for Dr. Gourmet as well as for pleasure, and not long ago attended a wedding in California. As with other travel, weddings are an opportunity for overindulgence, but you can eat well and eat healthy with a bit of planning. My recent trip to California is a good example of this planning. Travel

Featured Recipes

Grouper with Lemon Dill Butter

Lemon and dill go together really well, especially in this butter sauce. This is such an easy recipe and you can use the butter on almost anything. It works well on pan roasted chicken breasts, sautéed shrimp or even seared pork chops.

Creamed Peas

When I started on this recipe I was going to make a traditional creamy peas. They were good, but the mustard and tarragon makes this really special.

Track Your Exercise Using
The Real World Diet – You Could Win an iPod Touch!

An invitation from Dr. Harlan:

One of my colleagues in the Tulane University School of Business is working on research into people’s behavior and how they are motivated to exercise. She has asked me to invite people who are using The Real World Diet to participate and is offering prizes if you register and complete the study.

All responses to the study are kept confidential. For more details about the study and how you can win an iPod Touch, just click here.

There are a lot of vitamins sold today. They [...]]]> [This article is part of The Real World Diet Coaching Program, an ongoing series on The How and Why of Eating Healthy. Read the whole series to date.]

There are a lot of vitamins sold today. They come in all forms – pills, capsules, packets of pills and supplement drinks. We now have more and more good research that says they are pretty much worthless. We know that vitamins are good for you, but the research is now clear that getting your vitamins from food and not supplements is better for you. Vitamins and Supplements

Featured Recipes

Fusilli with Morels and Roasted Garlic | Low Sodium Version

When I told a friend that I had some fresh morels, they asked how I was going to prepare them. “As simply as possible” was my reply. There’s so much great flavor in these guys that you don’t need much. Garlic, shallots, butter… that’s all you need.

Polenta and Eggs

If I had a nickel for every time in the last year I have said, “eggs are OK; quit worrying about them,” I would be pretty rich by now. They’re OK and this is a great way to have them. It’s sort of like toad in the hole with great flavorful carbs and rich yummy eggs.

Exercise Ideas:
Play Video Games!
Exercise with Jacques Courseault, M.D.

Video games aren’t just for kids! According to a recent report, 53 percent of American adults play video games, and one in five adults (21%) play every day or almost every day. While sedentary behavior is linked to chronic diseases and obesity, new, active video games systems may help you meet your weekly exercise recommendations. Play Video Games!

While having dinner with friends recently, I was asked [...]]]> [This article is part of The Real World Diet Coaching Program, an ongoing series on The How and Why of Eating Healthy. Read the whole series to date.]

While having dinner with friends recently, I was asked about how to eat out. What should someone look for when choosing a meal? It’s easy when you are at home and can weigh food. When you are looking at a menu it can be tough to know whether what you are reading will come out of the kitchen as you expected.

The first thing to consider is planning. As I have said many times, being healthy is about having a plan, whether it is what you eat, exercise or any other factor. By making the decision to go to a restaurant that’s going to offer you. I’m not a fan of fast food, but there are some good choices at fast food restaurants, and most every chain offers information on the nutritional content of their food. They don’t do a very good job of this in their restaurants, but most have nutrition facts online. Check their web site before you go, and over time you will build up a list of your favorites. Eating Out

Featured Recipe

Pasta with Mushroom Bolognese

Sauce Bolognese is the most popular dish in England. I have read estimates that the average Briton eats pasta with Bolognese every week. Most of this is from a bottle, however. This is one of the easiest fresh sauces to make and so delicious. Start to finish it takes only about 20 minutes of cooking time for a fresh delicious sauce – that’s almost as fast as opening the bottle and heating it up.

Resistance Training:
Improve Muscular Endurance
Exercise with Jacques Courseault, M.D.

Improving muscular endurance takes a back seat to increasing muscle mass when discussing methods of resistance training. However, muscle endurance is just as important, because it allows muscles to exercise for an extended period of time before becoming fatigued. Endurance training is beneficial for walking, jogging, biking, swimming and other physical activities that require continuous movement. Furthermore, endurance can contribute to weight loss because cardiovascular exercise can be maintained for a longer duration. Improve Muscular Endurance

Back when David Letterman had his heart trouble a few [...]]]> Eating Healthy: Coffee

[This article is part of The Real World Diet Coaching Program, an ongoing series on The How and Why of Eating Healthy. Read the whole series to date.]

Back when David Letterman had his heart trouble a few years ago, he talked about how his doctors had told him that he couldn’t drink coffee anymore. At the time all I could think was, “Find a new doctor.” There has never been good evidence for telling patients not to drink coffee. In fact, there’s a ton of research showing that coffee is good for you.

In one study of coffee consumption, researchers in Italy enrolled over 11,000 recent heart attack sufferers in research lasting three and a half years. At the beginning of the study, and at regular intervals throughout, the subjects were interviewed regarding their diet, including specifically their coffee intake. The diet and coffee consumption of those subjects who experienced another heart attack or a stroke during the study were compared with those subjects who didn’t have any problems. Go Ahead, Drink Coffee

Featured Recipe

Wild Mushroom and Sausage Linguine

I love using sausage in recipes like this. I look for the best quality sausage with as natural ingredients possible. I also look for those with lower sodium – no more than about 350 mg per ounce. Adding the sausage early in the cooking, as with this recipe, intensifies the flavor and means that you’ll have to add less salt to your dish.

How to Conserve Muscle Mass During Weight Loss
Exercise with Jacques Courseault

Conserving muscle mass, or lean body mass (LBM), is essential to maintaining a healthy body composition during periods of weight loss. Muscle supports your joints, helps you to perform daily activities, keeps you looking toned and boosts your resting metabolism, or the energy you expend at rest. Dr. Cedric Bryant, the Chief Science Officer for the American Council on Exercise, states that an extra pound of muscle can result in an extra pound of weight loss over a year. How to Conserve Muscle Mass During Weight Loss

A: Muscle density is 1.06 grams per milliliter (g/mL) and fat is 0.9 g/mL. That means that muscle is about 18% denser than fat. [...]]]> Q: People say that muscle weighs more than fat. Is that true?

A: Muscle density is 1.06 grams per milliliter (g/mL) and fat is 0.9 g/mL. That means that muscle is about 18% denser than fat. In pounds that works out to 2.4 pounds of muscle vs. 1.99 pounds of fat. This could easily mean that when you lose fat weight and build muscle mass you might not lose as much actual weight – but you will be healthier.

Desserts are an important part of eating well and eating [...]]]> Dr. Tim Says….

[This article is part of The Real World Diet Coaching Program, an ongoing series on The How and Why of Eating Healthy. Read the whole series to date.]

Desserts are an important part of eating well and eating healthy. The key to making dessert part of your healthy diet is that you should consider desserts as a special part of your life. Dessert is not something that should be eaten every day.

If you are working on losing weight, then dessert should be considered a serving that you substitute for another portion maybe once a week. When I am working on dessert recipes, my goal is for them to be 200 calories or less per serving. I try to minimize simple sugars wherever possible. Often I use different artificial sweeteners, but just minimizing the amount of sugar in a particular recipe can be very effective.What About Desserts?

Featured Recipe

Jambalaya Salad | Low Sodium Version

Sausage is one of those ingredients that speaks most to the reasons for locally sourced food. The large companies make “low fat” sausages that on the one hand are better choices health-wise, but they are highly processed and some that I have looked at contain MSG as well as other questionable ingredients.

I picked up a package of locally made andouille sausage and there was less saturated fat listed on the package than those from the big companies and less sodium as well. In a dish like this one, if you find a sausage that contains much more than 500 mg in a 2 ounce serving, leave out the added salt.

This recipe is gluten-free (provided you use gluten-free pasta), lactose-free and safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.

Eating and Exercise:
What to Eat and When to Eat It
Exercise with Jacques Courseault

Some days your workout is full of energy and other days you wonder if you have enough energy to make it through the first few exercises. You may want to take a closer look at what foods you are eating and when you are eating them. Properly managing your meals, snacks and beverages before and after exercise can have a huge impact on your workout intensity and how well your body recovers from your workout.

Follow these tips to get the most from your workout (this is intended for simple workouts and not endurance sports). Eating and Exercise: What to Eat and When to Eat It

Two Related Questions:

Q: I have Charcot in my left foot and I have been staying off of it for going on 3 months now. I am a diabetic and have been told no weight bearing on the foot. What can I do to exercise?

Q: I am a 52 year old female who in 1996 suffered a massive brain anuerysm/stroke. I was 99 pounds at the time, but by the time I was released from rehab I had ballooned to a whopping 246! I have managed to get down to 175 but I am stuck there. I’m just at a total loss and any advice you can provide me would be greatly appreciated. I am no longer confined to a wheelchair, so I do walk daily, although not fast and not far. I live alone so anything you suggest would have to be able to be done solo.

A: Since exercise is not my area of expertise, I referred these two questions to our exercise expert, Jacques Courseault. He’s written a fantastic article on How to Exercise with Disabled or Weak Legs that should help you design an exercise regimen based on what you can do.

First and foremost, choosing a fat should be based on [...]]]>

Dr. Tim Says….

[This article is part of The Real World Diet Coaching Program, an ongoing series on The How and Why of Eating Healthy. Read the whole series to date.]

First and foremost, choosing a fat should be based on what you are going to use it for. I try to use a variety of fats, carefully and where I feel they will do the most to enhance the flavor of my recipes.

As I have mentioned, I use butter in sparing amounts where the flavor will shine through. Rather than use a tablespoon of butter to saute with, I might use a couple of teaspoons of a mono-unsaturated oil that doesn’t have as much flavor (like canola oil) combined with a teaspoon of butter. The rich flavor of the butter will come through, but there’s much less saturated fat.

Here’s a guide to what I keep in my cupboard and fridge so that I have the best choices available: Your New Pantry: Oil and Fat Choices – The Details

Featured Recipe

Quinoa with Peas | Low Sodium Version

I met a person recently who thinks white rice is bad and is pretty humorless about it. It’s pretty silly but there you have it. Food is about balance, and sometimes you have white rice, sometimes risotto, sometimes brown rice and sometimes…. You get the idea. Ingredients are not evil or bad.

This is a riff on a similar recipe using risotto that would make white rice haters happy. That’s not why I made this, however. I did it because I love quinoa: its nutty flavor adds a lot to this and makes the perfect quick and easy side dish.

This recipe is low in sodium (salt), gluten-free and safe for both those with GERD / Acid Reflux and those on Coumadin (warfarin). Those who are lactose intolerant but can tolerate hard cheeses may be able to enjoy it safely.

My Muscle Has Turned Into Fat!
(Or Has It?)
Exercise with Jacques Courseault

Missing planned workouts happens to the best of us. In addition to the tremendous guilt deep inside your conscience, you notice that certain areas of our body that were once muscular are now ill defined. Well, the most obvious answer is that your hard earned muscle has now transformed into fat. However, this common exercise myth is far from the truth. My Muscle Has Turned to Fat!

Time and again you will hear “eat more monounsaturated fat” [...]]]>

Dr. Tim Says….

[This article is part of The Real World Diet Coaching Program, an ongoing series on The How and Why of Eating Healthy. Read the whole series to date.]

Time and again you will hear “eat more monounsaturated fat” or “don’t eat too much saturated fat.” These are certainly true statements, and over the last ten years or so we have learned a great deal about just which fats can be a problem and which are actually good for us. I get the question all the time at the DrGourmet.com web site about when and how to use butter, which is the best oil for cooking and how about baking? Your New Pantry: Oil and Fat Choices – The Basics

Featured Recipes

Seared Grouper with Mediterranean Salsa | Coumadin Safe Version

O.K., salsa is Mexican and likely originated with the Incas (remember that tomatoes were taken back to Europe from the New World). Even so, I came across a recipe for a tomato and olive salsa that I wasn’t all that impressed with and elaborated on that. After coming up with this I found that I wasn’t the first (no one ever really is).

This is great with almost any fish and is more of a Spring or Summer dish maybe, but there are times during the winter when I want these fresh, bright flavors. If you don’t have great, fresh summer tomatoes, choose grape or cherry tomatoes. They’ll give this a much brighter taste year ’round.

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

Mushroom Salad

One of the first restaurants I worked in served this mushroom salad. It was very elaborately prepared tableside by the waiters with the flourish of chopping, mixing and plating in front of the wide eyed customers. At the time I hated mushrooms, but back then fresh mushrooms were actually something of a novelty. One taste of this delicious salad and my life was changed forever.

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

Handling Soreness After Exercise
Exercise with Jacques Courseault

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is the ache that you will experience one to three days after beginning a workout program or improving it.

DOMS is the first positive sign of muscle adaptation. During your workout, microscopic tears in muscle fibers occur. Immediately after your workout your body goes to work to repair those torn muscle fibers by increasing their width and adding more individual fibers to the muscle that you exercised. Handling Soreness After Exercise

When I am giving talks I always joke that none [...]]]>

Dr. Tim Says….

[This article is part of The Real World Diet Coaching Program, an ongoing series on The How and Why of Eating Healthy. Read the whole series to date.]

When I am giving talks I always joke that none of my patients ever eats Oreo cookies. Now, I find this really strange because the aisles in the grocery store are FULL of cookies (but none of my patients are buying them). This always gets a big laugh, but I think 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). Your New Pantry: Getting Started

Featured Recipe

Tuna Melt | GERD / Acid Reflux Friendly Version

When I was growing up this was pretty common in the South, but it didn’t have tomato on it. When I went to New Jersey as a teen was the first time I had a Tuna Melt with tomato, and in spite of my Southern upbringing, this is the way it should be. The tomato adds some moisture and sweetness that just completes the sandwich.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin users and is low in sodium (salt). Those with gluten allergies should use gluten-free bread in this dish. Those who are lactose-intolerant but can tolerate cheeses may be able to enjoy this dish.

Strong Muscles Fight Disease
Exercise with Jacques Courseault

Resistance training is a type of exercise that is focused on building skeletal muscle to increase strength, improve health, and overall appearance. Late night television is peppered with commercials about bigger muscles, defined abs, and tighter thighs. Most of these actors are professional weight lifters, and their nine to five day job is spent in the gym. Not all of us are that lucky to get paid to look good. So why should we invest our time and energy into resistance training? Tthe truth is that building muscle strengthens more than our biceps. Strong Muscles Fight Disease

So portion control is clearly critical to losing weight and [...]]]>

Dr. Tim Says….

[This article is part of The Real World Diet Coaching Program, an ongoing series on The How and Why of Eating Healthy. Read the whole series to date.]

So portion control is clearly critical to losing weight and eating healthy. There’s study after study to show how well this can work for you. The natural extension of this might be not just the portion size of your food, but also the size of your plate. A lot of research has gone into this very question: does it make a difference whether you use a small or a large plate in how much you actually eat? Can The Size Of Your Plate Help You Control Calories?

Featured Recipe

Shrimp Fried Rice | Low Sodium Version

This is one of those recipes that you can use the basic structure and build what you want. After the rice is cooked the rest is pretty much up to you. Green onions are a good choice instead of onions. You could use edamame instead of peas. Instead of the shrimp, diced pork tenderloin or chicken thighs work great. You can add cilantro or parsley at the end if you want. This is fried rice, and by its very nature a dish made from leftovers.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin users and is lactose-free. Those with gluten allergies should use gluten-free Tamari sauce in this dish. Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.

A Healthy Pregnancy
with Faith Bontrager, RN, BSN

A recent review looked at the evidence for pregnancy weight gain guidelines, especially those for obese women. The review was prompted by concerns that many women gain more than the recommended guidelines, overweight and obesity levels among women of childbearing women have risen dramatically, pregnancy complications that are associated with obesity are rising, and overweight levels in preschool children have risen. Pregnancy Weight Gain Guidelines – Do We Need New Ones?

Walk Your Way to Better Health
with Jacques Courseault

Walking is a simple, low-impact exercise that you can do to improve your health and fitness. No instruction manual is needed, and a walking coach will not be necessary. Walking is one of the first natural exercises that you learn to do from a young age. Therefore, you should be a walking professional at this point in your life. Monitor your walking volume with a pedometer to be sure that you gain the health benefits of walking 10,000 steps per day. Walk Your Way to Better Health

Under most circumstances, [...]]]> What causes heart disease? Among others, the major culprits are lack of exercise, smoking, obesity and poor diet. These can also cause high blood pressure and diabetes, both of which are also risk factors for heart disease.

Under most circumstances, research done on lifestyle changes to prevent heart disease focuses on whether risk factors like high blood pressure and diabetes numbers are improved – not whether a person’s risk of heart disease itself is improved. In an effort to measure whether that risk is improved or not through lifestyle modification, researchers at Johns Hopkins made use of data collected through a large-scale research study called PREMIER. Reducing Your Risk of Heart Disease

Yes it does.

I’ve been writing for years now about the significant impact making changes in what you eat can have [...]]]>

Dr. Tim Says….

Does making a change in your life make a difference?

Yes it does.

I’ve been writing for years now about the significant impact making changes in what you eat can have on your health. There’s a lot of research that I’ve reviewed to support this but much of this have been isolated studies on such things as whether legumes are good for you or the benefits of olive oil. That’s not to say that there hasn’t been research on what we call “lifestyle intervention” but this past week a group reported on a study of 800 participants and how profound an effect making changes in your life can be. Change Matters

Featured Recipe

Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

I like food that’s slightly spiced like this recipe. Simple rubs using chilies, cumin, paprika, nutmeg, etc. are really fantastic. The best part is that recipes like this one are just as good cold as when they are just off the stove. This pork tenderloin and the Cumin, Black Eyes and Corn Salad (Low Sodium Version) are the perfect picnic food.

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

Eating Gluten Free
with Julie Gee

Food is a major part of our everyday lives. When you have Celiac Disease, eating away from home can be a challenge. As you’ve progressed with your understanding of Celiac Disease, you’ve most likely discovered a wide variety of interesting and tasty gluten-free foods. Preparation and anticipation are critical to maintaining your gluten-free diet in challenging situations away from home. The first situation we’ll discuss is eating at work or school.

Many of us work in environments where fast food or take-out is readily available during work hours. Living with Celiac Disease requires a shift in your daily habits and thinking. My first suggestion is to keep some non-perishable snacks at your desk and bring a brown bag lunch whenever possible. Eating Gluten-Free in Social Situations: Lunch

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Share Your Progress with Your Facebook Friends

Now you can send information to your Facebook wall from the Quality Calorie Diet Software. Feeling virtuous about jogging that 5 miles? Let your Facebook friends know. Have a great recipe or meal? When you post it to your Food Diary you can choose to have this show up on your Facebook wall too with your comments.

It’s been pretty cool to see folks using this — commenting on recipes, columns and such as well as sharing ideas. Research clearly shows that interacting with others helps folks lose weight, get healthier and stay fit. Using Facebook with DrGourmet.com is a great way for you to get involved.

You can always check to see if your question, [...]]]> We’ve had a lot of new subscribers recently (welcome!), and I thought it might be helpful for us to share a few of our “greatest hits” or most frequently-asked questions on a variety of topics.

You can always check to see if your question, or a similar one, has already been answered by checking our main Ask Dr. Gourmet page.

Coumadin

Q: How much Vitamin K is in…?

A: There’s an easy way to find out about the nutrition content of any food. Just use the USDA National Nutrient Database. By entering an ingredient and following the steps this website will report the complete nutritional values of any ingredient and many prepared foods. The Vitamin K content is the last listing at the bottom of the Vitamins section. If it is not there, the food or ingredient that you searched on doesn’t contain enough Vitamin K to be reported.

Q: Can I use nutritional supplements while on Coumadin? What about acai juice / berries / Mona Vie or Resveratrol?

Q: Should you avoid cranberry juice on Coumadin (warfarin)?

Weight Loss / The Quality Calorie Diet

Q: Is Body Mass Index accurate for everyone?

Q: Is cutting down on carbohydrates a healthy way to lose weight?

Q: Is there any cost involved in The Quality Calorie Diet (formerly My eatTHISdiet) or the Dr. Gourmet website?

Q: How can I lose weight if I can’t exercise?

Miscellanous

Q: Should I be concerned about the level of mercury in the fish I eat?

Q: Does sea salt have less sodium in it than regular salt?

Q: Would adding baking soda to chili to make it GERD-friendly ruin the taste of the chili?

Q: Do you have diet plans for those with Type 2 diabetes?

Q: Are seeds really a problem for those with diverticulitis?

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

A: At this time there [...]]]>

Dear Dr. Gourmet,

Q: For several months I have been looking for low-acid tomato canned products. I read someplace that you can buy these items, but there was no source given. Have you heard of this?

A: At this time there is no low-acid tomato sauce on the market that I am aware of. I do know that some companies have explored this but in my research I have not found any that have put this on the market yet. We have a Low Acid Tomato Sauce recipe on the Dr. Gourmet website to help you.

Q: I’ve signed up for The Quality Calorie Diet. I selected 1800 calories per day (not “Let Dr. Gourmet decide”) and it keeps returning to 2300 calories for me. Is there a problem with the program?

A: If you’re exercising regularly and have listed your exercises in your profile, the system will add the calories you burn while exercising to the level of calories you have chosen. So if you’re averaging burning 500 calories per day exercising, choosing 1800 (base) calories per day will yield a 2300 calorie-per-day diet. To be allotted only 1800 calories per day in your diet, you have two choices….

Q: I take 5mg of Coumadin daily. I have a supplement that contains the acai berry. The ingredients are: psyllium seed, fennel seed, buckthorn bark, goldenseal whole herb, cascara sagrada bark, rhubarb root, licorice root, ginger root and acai fruit. From my understanding goldenseal can decrease the effects of Coumadin and ginger can increase it. I was interested in taking this product but I am worried about the overall effects. Any advice?

A: Acai berry as a supplement is just plain silly, whether you are taking Coumadin (warfarin) or not. Being on warfarin, you should be very concerned about taking any sort of supplement. There’s no telling what might might or might not be in what you are taking and what effect it might have on your INR levels.

Q: I have just seen your website for the first time and I certainly find it interesting. I am sure that I will be trying some of your recipes. I couldn’t help but notice an advertisement for Campbell’s Soups, most of which contain MSG. As a person who is severely allergic to MSG, what is your take on advertising such products?

A: This is always a difficult question. We do fund our web site through advertising and we work hard to monitor what ads are displayed. For example, we do not allow ads for pharmaceutical products, supplements or fast food products, and if they do creep in we remove them as soon as they are identified. Campbell’s does have some soups that are advertised on the site through an advertising network that we use. In one recipe on the web site I even use one of their products in a Tuna Noodle Casserole. This is from their Healthy Requests line and does not contain any MSG by their report.

Some of their soups do contain MSG and this can be a problem – not just from the standpoint of the amount of added sodium, but also because of issues like yours. While I am not allergic, I do have what I feel are some mild reactions to too much MSG (I don’t eat at very many Asian restaurants as a result). Allergies are a serious issue for some, but our allowing Campbell’s to advertise is the same as allowing Planter’s nuts to advertise….

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

Here are some recipes from the Dr. Gourmet Kitchen that will help you use them up in easy and [...]]]>

Happy Holidays from Dr. Gourmet

One of the big challenges at the holiday season is what to do with all those leftovers.

Here are some recipes from the Dr. Gourmet Kitchen that will help you use them up in easy and delicious ways. These recipes are designed to use turkey leftovers, but you can just as easily substitute cubed pork tenderloin or ham. (Of course, then the nutrition information will be different than stated in the recipe.)

Black Bean Chili
This is a super simple chili to make and so versatile. You can use lean ground beef or chopped chicken thighs. Even leftover cooked chicken or turkey will really make it great. On top of being so easy it is everything that is great about a Mediterranean style diet – lean meat, good fats, legumes, veggies all made fresh in your kitchen with all of 10 minutes prep time.

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users and is both low in sodium and gluten-free. Those who are lactose intolerant but can tolerate cheese may enjoy it (or just leave out the cheese). Those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid this recipe.

Roasted Turkey, Wild Rice and Cranberry Salad
While this is perfect for that leftover holiday turkey this is a fantastic recipe that you can use almost any meat with. Try leftover roasted chicken breast, flank steak or pork tenderloin. Even though it’s a chilled salad it is a great part of a cold weather meal because of the hearty ingredients.

This recipe contains GERD triggers, so those with GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it. It is safe for those on Coumadin (warfarin) is low in sodium, and both gluten-free and lactose-free.

Turkey Waldorf Salad
Waldorf salad is one of the ultimate comfort foods for me, and the combination with turkey is really wonderful. This is a great way to use leftover turkey after a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

This recipe is gluten-free but is not low in sodium. Those who are on Coumadin (warfarin), those who are lactose intolerant, and those who have GERD / Acid Reflux should avoid it.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Dr. Gourmet!

Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!

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

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Q: Currently I am just returning to an exercise program after giving it somewhat up for over 3 years. I am looking to lose over 80 lbs. I have wiped soda pop out and have somewhat given up red meats. My Dr. said I might [...]]]>