I admit it- I am a food snob. When I cook, I like using fresh ingredients – and I prefer if I can find them from someplace local. But on occasion I like it when someoneelse cooks – and part of the fun is finding restaurants that serve great food that is made fresh daily.
I am a fan of the television program by Gordon Ramsay called Kitchen Nightmares. In that show various restaurants contact him because their business is dying, and they need help. I noticed some similar themes in all of his shows:
(a) The kitchen has to be clean
(b) The food is fresh and made to order – not “frozen”
(c) The items on the menu are not many – but what is there is made so that the restaurant can easily make it fresh in the kitchen for the patron
We live in a time when few people cook – and while kitchen appliances are trending to look more like restaurant appliances, fewer and fewer people cook– as a result more are eating out. So, when eating out I have a few simple rules:
(a) No fast food – if you are served in a car window the food can’t be that good.
(b) No chain restaurants. I have yet to find a chain that goes out of its way to get fresh local ingredients and make them up quickly
(c) develop a sense of the food you like- and if you can- learn to cook it. If you just are not going to cook- then find a restaurant you can use as a standard and taste great food. Once you have the taste for great food- mediocre just won’t do
One of my favorite restaurants in Phoenix is Tarbell’s. Not only is the food fresh, but even the mozzarella is made daily. This is a good restaurant for standards in Phoenix.
My wife is in her final days of pregnancy, so she was in the mood for a good pasta. We have a few favorite places for that (in a very limited amount- pasta should never be a main course). We went to La Fontenella – which has been in Phoenix for over 20 years. It was a disappointment. The mozzarella was not fresh- it was probably purchased. The chicken was overcooked, the pasta was overdone. I almost wanted to give them Gordon Ramsay’s contact information. Still people ate there- and enjoyed it- but such places do not last long when they compete with great places close by.
Great food is simple: fresh, local ingredients, small portions. Find some great restaurants and enjoy eating out- but beware – a reputation of a restaurant does not make food great. Beware of chains and fast food– it will never be as good as the real thing
Fiber – for a while everyone was talking about the importance of fiber, to prevent a variety of disease. A lot of speculation – and now we have a few answers as to what fiber really does, and how it is important.
Fiber is simply things that humans cannot digest. Many vegetables and fruit have methylcellulose – the stringy stuff– and we, as humans cannot digest it. Cows can, horses can, deer can – but not humans. This is why it is better to cook vegetables – because by breaking down some of the fiber our bodies can get to the nutrients that are locked into the vegetables.
What we do with it is simply pass the material through our body. If you don’t have enough fiber you can become constipated – and develop things like hemorrhoids or diverticulosis. Fiber is also good if you have chronically loose bowel movements – it will help bulk up the stools.
Years ago a group of people thought increased fiber would lead to less colon cancer – -with the theory that fiber acts as a broom to sweep out the colon and thus keep the colon from being in contact with toxic stool. Well- that has been tested in a number of places and just isn’t the case. Even people with high fiber diets have no lower incidence of colon cancer than those with an average fiber diet.
Some thought fiber would increase the metabolism – so by taking more fiber in you would be able to loose weight. That was proved to be incorrect also.
What is known is that the more bulk fiber you have- from fruits and vegetables- with higher fiber — the longer the sense of feeling full is.
This is why we recommend to patients to increase green vegetables, or squash, or beans – to increase their fiber – and to keep them feeling full for a longer period of time.
So- if you want to lose weight- increase your fiber and decrease your processed food. If you suffer from chronic hemorrhoids – see your doctor- but before then start on a high fiber diet (I recommend to my patients they take a scoop of fiber in 12 ounces of water followed by 12 more ounces of water).
Find yourself hungry mid-afternoon — consider a high fiber snack – like fruits.
So fiber has a lot of advantages – and the best source of fiber — vegetables
Anyone who has been in my office sees rows of diet books. Almost every new diet that comes along, I get the book to read about it, because at some point a patient will come in and say they’ve learned some nutrition when they were on some diet plan.
One of the most common bits of misinformation is that peanuts – and hence, peanut butter – is protein – or a healthy snack — or a complex carbohydrate. Book after book on my shelf lists peanuts as a great source of protein, and a “snack that is healthy for you.”
I wonder if they ever bothered to look at a jar of peanut butter? Of the 190 calories in two tablespoons of peanut butter, 140 of the calories are from fat. Two tablespoons of butter contain 200 calories – all of which come from fat. Basically, while there is a bit of carbohydrate and some protein – peanut butter is over 70% fat. A tablespoon of peanut butter isn’t much- seems to fit right on that celery stick– and four tablespoons of peanut butter — well, now you have just had more fat than in a Big Mac.A Snickers bar (not a healthy snack) has less fat than two tablespoons of peanut butter.
Fat is not, nor will it ever be, a healthy snack. Fat is a dense source of calories, and if you are thinking about losing weight – the last place you would want to get a snack from is a dense source of calories.
When it comes to heart disease — what are those damaged heart vessels lined with? – FAT.
Now there are those who will tell you that fat does not make you fat (seriously, someone has this as the basis of their diet) – or that fat is healthier than bread (all I can say is they are nuttier than peanut butter).
If you want a quick, healthy snack — think of an apple, or an orange, or almost any fruit (not fruit drink, not a fruit smoothie, but real fruit). It will fill you, it has few calories, and will keep you satisfied for hours.
One apple has 72 calories (only 2 of the calories are from fat).
When it comes to finding simple things to lose ten pounds in a year, often the answer is easy. It means changing your tastes – and finding something that is a lower calorie alternative or substitution for what you normally drink.
Soda pop is nothing but pure liquid calories – and often I see people walk around with a huge container filled with soda from some convenience store. Did you know that a can of soda is about 100 calories for 8 ounces? There it is– a simple way to save ten pounds in a year.
I don’t think that even diet soda is a great thing for the health-conscious consumer- but it is a step to better health.
Still, be on the look out for liquid calories that add up quickly for your weight gain.
The 20 ounces bottle of Sunkist soda is 325 calories! That isn’t “natural goodness” in there– that is the same amount of calories as over a dozen chocolate chip cookies.
Snapple 20 ounces is 250 calories. Drink one of those a day above what you burn for calories and at the end of the year you will have gained 25 pounds!
And don’t forget that cup of latte you get – well, the Starbucks Frappuccino (13.7 ounce bottle) is 290 calories! A simple cup of coffee with a teaspoon of sugar and creamer is 25 calories (add ice in the summer to make a cold coffee drink).
So, when it comes to liquid calories- water is best, calorie free, and will quench your thirst. If you “must” drink soda– don’t drink the kind with sugar or high fructose corn syrup – instead, drink zero calorie soda.
Other healthy alternatives include Propel Fit Lemon, only 25 calories, or Desani Plus Pomegranate Blackberry, zero calories. Sobe Lean Mango Melon is 12.5 calories. And for your water you can always purchase packages of Crystal Lite to place in the water– zero calories!
Remember, changing 100 calories a day is 10 pounds in a year. So think about those liquid calories – and try some new ones.
Did you know if you cut down 96 calories a day, over the course of a year you would weigh ten pounds less. This is the start of how to lose those ten pounds this year, and keep it off.
Today we will talk about simple change – instead of drinking some juice, drink water.
Many think that juices are a great thing- and they are – but if you are thirsty, think of water– zero calories — zero. So if you change that one habit- have water where you would have had juice– in a year, you will have saved ten pounds.
Now that may be ten pounds you don’t gain, or you may lose ten pounds from where you are. But the power of 96 — lose the weight– painlessly.
We look forward to more simple changes — and the power of 96.
Tempted to go to the fast food counter for some quick dinner? Many people are.
Recently on Daytime Television Iwas in the kitchen with co-host Lindsay MacDonald and we put together a simple recipe for Halibut that will take you less than 15 minutes to make.
Here it is:
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried bing cherries
1 and 1 / 2 cups white wine
3 tablespoons minced ginger
1 cup slightly chopped mint leaves
4, 6-ounce pieces fresh halibut fillets (or seabass or salmon fillets)
salt and crushed red pepper (or black pepper)
1 lemon
In a microwave-safe container, combine the dried fruit, 1 cup wine, ginger, and half the mint. Cover and cook at full power in the microwave oven for 2 minutes. Can be done 8 hours before cooking with all food refrigerated. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place fish flat side down on a baking pan, then sprinkle with salt and red pepper or ground black pepper. Add all the fruit both around and on top of the fish. Add the remaining wine around the sides of the fish. Place in the oven, and roast uncovered until the fish just begins to flake, about 12 minutes. Transfer to dinner plates. Squeeze lemon juice on fish. Garnish with remaining mint. Serve.
This dish is around 400 calories per serving. Compare with a 1/4 pound hamburger with cheese (about 410 calories) add the medium french fries (another 400 calories) and a coke (200 calories) and you can see the difference.
So next time you think you don’t have time to cook– and want to go out to dinner instead- try this recipe. If you don’t have fresh haibut fillets available you can try any fresh white fish available..
The 100 calorie snack food has come in just about everything from Oreo’s to Rice Krispie treats. These appear to be a great alternative for those who want a little something, but not over indulge.
There is a central problem with these foods. If you are trying to lose weight, then you want to have foods that will be used as fuel and not stored as fat. With highly processed foods- like these snack treats -they are quickly stored as fat – and not used by the body as fuel.
This has to do with something called the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index is a measure of how fast a particular item raises blood sugar. The faster a food raises blood sugar the more likely it will be stored as fat, and not used as fuel.
Take an apple– it will slowly digest, with a minimal rise in blood sugar. This allows the body to use the apple as fuel over time, instead of getting a BURST of sugar in the bloodstream. The apple has fiber – or bulk – which means it will suppress the appetite for a longer period of time.
When you eat something like an Oreo- even if it is a few with 100 calories- the blood sugar will rapidly rise. The pancreas produces insulin to move the sugar into the fat cells. If the pancreas over produces insulin, it can cause the blood sugar to drop. And if your blood sugar drops, it doesn’t feel well — so the next thing to make you feel better— another cookie. There is a reason it is called “junk food junkie.”
So instead of those highly processed 100 calorie snacks– look to something that is just as portable, but doesn’t cause that rapid rise in blood sugar– think of a fruit– like an apple. Your body is more likely to use it as fuel, and it will keep your appetite satisfied much longer than a cookie or other treat.
If you want to lose weight– start by changing from highly processed foods and moving snacks to fruits and vegetables.
There is no doubt that I love dogs – and think that they are a wonderful addition to families – and in my case, the office.
I have always enjoyed the company of dogs– and my house has three doggie doors. My last dog I took to the office daily, and my patients loved the little guy.
There have been plenty of articles written about the value of having a pet. But let me give a few simple tips:
If you have a dog– walk them. It does not matter if you have a big back yard, or if you have a dog door– the dogs need to be walked – -a lot. The larger the dog, the more exercise they need.
So, I am ready for a dog in my life again – -but to honor the dogs I have had recently – I am showing photos. I miss my guys – and have missed walking with you. Two of them – Bert and Ernie- died after 16 years of great service. Diego is gone after five. But love them all, and am looking forward to the next member of my family – who will also get to greet patients in my office, and will become a therapy dog for our patients in the hospital.
For those of you who don’t like dogs, I am sorry – sometimes I can’t help myself here.
Today in the supermarket there is a wide variety of juices available. Great combinations of just about any juice you could imagine. And, if you wanted even fresher juices, there are machines that will do it for you. One of my favorite devices is a juice press that I use for making fresh squeezed orange juice from the trees in my back yard.
But what about using juices for weight loss? For weight loss you want to have a lot of volume in your stomach of bulky high fiber items that are low in calories. For that, vegetables and fruits work well. But if you juice those fruits and vegetables, then the stomach doesn’t register the bulk with the brain.
Everytime you eat something, especially something with bulk – the brain registers that sensation through a complex nerve network that begins in the top of the stomach. As bulky food goes through this area, your brain gets the sensation and when it reaches a certain amount it will hold off on sending out those hormones cause you to be hungry.
For example, if you eat a cup of broccoli you will have a lot of bulky foods, but only 12 calories! Your brain will sense that you have eaten a lot and as a result you will not feel hungry for hours. But if you juice all that broccoli you will drink about a cup of juice, and in two hours you will start to feel hungry again.
So while juicing allows you to concentrate a lot of good vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, the juice doesn’t provide the bulk that the stomach needs to keep you from being hungry.
The other caution with juicing is this: don’t store the juice too long, and be sure to keep your juicer clean. There are a lot of bacteria that grow in juices – like salmonella and E. Coli, that can cause severe food poisoning. So, keep your juicer clean — and if you store the juice, be sure to drink it within a day or two — and keep it refrigerated.
So if you want weight loss– eat the vegetables and the fruits– they have plenty of bulk to keep you from being hungry – and provide a lot of nutrients for your body.
