When properly prepared this dish has a pasta-like consistency.  The Barley is an excellent source of both fiber and protein.  There are numerous reports on the cholesterol-lowering effects of barley.  The Parmesan cheese adds a creamy touch without all the added fat and cholesterol.  The asparagus is low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals – especially calcium.  The tomatoes add some color and are one of the best sources of the anti-cancer compound lycopene. [Read more...]

Wild rice is low in calories but very hearty and filling.  It is a great source of B-vitamins, fiber and protein.  Butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A.  The leeks and corn make this a flavor filled meal. [Read more...]

Since we implemented our new diet, we have had the chance to try lots of things that either I had never heard of, or had no idea how to pronounce.  Part of the goal of trying the diet and committing to follow it strictly for 4 months was to force us to eat new things.  One claims of those who follow a whole foods, plant-based diet is that by limiting yourself to a meat & potatoes, typical American diet, you prevent yourself from enjoying many of the wonderful things nature has provided us.  Overall, I would agree.  Now I will not lie – there have been many things that did not make the cut.  Veggies, poorly prepared, are not very tasty.  It has been a process (for my wife) of finding recipes, preparing them, and then giving them the thumbs up or thumbs down.  We are gradually building a menu at home of things that are very healthy and earned the thumbs up.  We thought we would share some of our favorite recipes so far.  Try them and let us know what you think! [Read more...]

I have been surfing The Blue Zones website and found this fascinating little program.  It is called The Vitality Compass.  It is a series of 30 or so questions, developed in conjunction with the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.  It covers the basics of your current health and lifestyle choices.  The questions are analyzed to give you some interesting statistics:

1. Your Overall Life Expectancy
2. Your Disease-Free life Expectancy
3. How many extra years of life you can expect by improving your lifestyle.

Click below to take the FREE quiz.

I am reading a fascinating book at the moment called The Blue Zones.  The author of the book is a National Geographic reporter who has spent the better part of his career studying centenarians – people who live to 100 or more.  What he has discovered is that there are “hot beds” of centenarians in various places across the globe.  He calls these places Blue Zones.

Over his career, he has visited and interviewed hundreds of centenarians from all of these Blue Zones.  His goal - understand their secrets.  Overall, his findings are not all that surprising.  Centenarians have some commonalities:

1. They eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables with whole grains and beans, and little to no meat.
2. They get regular exercise, usually through their normal daily activities.
3. They have strong family and social connections.

What I really found interesting though is that there is a Blue Zone right here in America.  That’s right there is a “hot-bed” of centenarians living just East of L.A.  This has been known for some time and the American Cancer Society (ACS) in conjunction with Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC) began the Adventist Health Study some number of years ago.

Unknown to me, the Loma Linda area is heavily populated by 7th-Day Adventists, a Christian denomination that takes many of the old testament dietary recommendations very literal.  They also believe that the body is truly the temple of the holy spirit and should be respected and cared for as such.  Thus most Adventists do not drink or smoke, and they adhere to a predominantly meat-free diet that is high is fruits, veggies, grains, beans, and nuts.  They get plenty of exercise and actually rest for 24 hours on the Sabbath.

Over the last several decades the ACS and Loma Linda University Medical Center have followed and interviewed roughly 35,000 Adventists regarding their lifestyle.  Their findings are published in this article.  This study provides some of the strongest scientific evidence that if you want to live long and retain healthy functioning, it can be done – even in America.  Even though most Adventists die from the same things that other Americans do, they generally do it about a decade later.

Some interesting findings from the book:

1. People who eat predominantly a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet (no meat products except dairy and eggs) are on average 16 pounds lighter than the average American.
2. People who eat a vegetarian diet devoid of any animal products are on average 32 pounds lighter than the average American.

Thus this scientific study seems to confirm some of the bold claims that I have seen made by people who follow a whole food, plant-based diet.

By the way, for all the women who think that it it is easy for men to lose weight and this diet will not work for women – my wife is also down 20 pounds since January 1.

If you are interested in reading more about The Blue Zones, click here.

A while back I made a post about a rather radical modification to my lifestyle.  As I mentioned, I have spent the last few years studying what is truly healthy.  It is hard, even with my medical training, to sort through all the claims made by the many so called “experts.”  What I came up with is that things are not nearly as complicated as people try to make them.  On the other hand, there is no “magic” pill either.  Below is a summary of what I found and my experience so far. [Read more...]

It is the start of a new year and with each new year Americans generally usher in some sort of new diet. Now, in medical school and residency training we get shockingly little education on what it actually means to diet, or more specifically what it means to be healthy. As such, in my spare time (of which I obviously have plenty given this little internet project) I have tried to educate myself on healthy living. [Read more...]