About Dr. Gourmet

My name is Timothy Harlan and I am both a physician and a chef. This blog is a general collection of information and random ideas on eating great food and eating healthy.

You can find out more at the Dr. Gourmet web site. Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!

Categories

Late Night Snacking; Meal Replacement Bars; More : Ask Dr. Gourmet

Dear Dr. Gourmet,

Q: I have been told that if you are on a very strict diet you should not eat past 7 o’clock. Some others say 9. Is this true? Also, does that mean no calories at all past the time or no big meal. [...]

Olive Oil Myth; Fish Substitutes; More : Ask Dr. Gourmet

Dear Dr. Gourmet,

Q: Is it true that olive oil loses its health benefits when it is used to saute? I read somewhere that it does.

A: I have read this many times before and there have been people who have [...]

Dietary Cholesterol; Green Tea Extract; More : Ask Dr. Gourmet

Dear Dr. Gourmet,

Q: I have recent found out my cholesterol number is 264. I am forty-three, 160 pounds, female. I fully realize my main problem is lifestyle. I have completely changed that. I’ve cut out fast food, started exercising and am trying to quit [...]

Acai Berry; Salt Substitutes; Salting : Ask Dr. Gourmet

Dear Dr. Gourmet,

Q: I am on the MAOI Parnate and I cannot have anything with tyramine in it. Could you tell me exactly what is in the Acai Berry fruit? I ordered the freeze dried berry in a capsule. I’m just not sure if I [...]

Sea Salt; Saw Palmetto; More : Ask Dr. Gourmet

Q: I appreciate your writing about salt and sea salt. How can Campbell’s Soups claim that they have used sea salt and have, therefore, less salt? That has really been bothering me.

A: There’s two ways to look [...]

Vitamins; Diets for Multiple Conditions; More : Ask Dr. Gourmet

Q: Is the product Vitamin Water Zero a hoax or does it have some redeeming value?

A: My opinion is that this is a scam. There’s no reason to take multivitamins except in some very specific cases and there’s no [...]

Multivitamins Linked to Breast Cancer: Dr. Gourmet's Health and Nutrition Bites

I don’t normally report on vitamin supplement research. If you read my The Real World Diet Coaching essay this past Monday, you know that it’s pretty clear that getting your vitamins from foods is better than taking them in pill form. Given that so many people take a multivitamin, however, I felt that this study [...]

Vitamins and Supplements; Play Video Games

[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 [...]

Probiotics and Coumadin : Ask Dr. Gourmet

Q: I am on warfarin (Coumadin) and a restricted fat and cholesterol diet. The legumes I use in my diet now cause me some digestive upset. I stopped using probiotics because they might change my warfarin level. I see Align advertised on your web page, would that [...]

What do you think of Mangosteen products like Xango? : Ask Dr. Gourmet

Q: Since you’ve already addressed the overinflated claims (and prices) of noni and acai, I’m wondering about your opinion of mangosteen products (e.g. Xango).

Frankly: noni has a horrible flavour, but mangosteens are delicious, and I [...]