Healthy Eating

Many two-income families eat out a lot. When they eat at home, they eat a lot of processed foods and convenience items. This can cause elevated levels of cholesterol and other nutritionally related illnesses. I went to my nutrition sources—and nothing really makes sense.

Jane Brody says in her classic “Good Food Book” the following:
In the meals of Mexico, India, Japan, the Middle East, China, Turkey, Greece and Italy, emphasis is on the starchy foods, using animal protein more as a condiment and as a complement to the protein in plant foods than as the centerpiece of the menu. To be sure, as affluence increases in these and similar countries, so does the consumption of animal foods, especially red meat. And along with it goes an increase in the chronic health problems that now afflict Americans.


On the opposite side of the coin, we all know about the Atkins revolution, and the other diets that also tout high protein, low carbohydrate intake as the solution to overweight and the attendant diseases caused by high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and elevated blood sugar (diabetes).

So who is right? I don’t know. But I still believe that a moderate amount of fat and protein and a large amount of complex carbohydrates makes the most sense, if only because it is the easiest one for Americans to stick with. We all know people who have lost lots of weight on the low-carb diet program, but are now just as heavy or heavier after resuming normal eating patterns. Potatoes, rice, bread and pasta are the foundational foods of comfort and pleasure for most Americans. It seems to be easier to add smaller amounts of protein than to cut out the “starchy” foods. Steering away from refined grains is the answer, I think. Eat potatoes with the skins still on and sans the butter and sour cream (or just a little). Try brown rice, whole grain breads and whole wheat pasta—they’re good. I still adhere to the anti-deprivation concept in my “Cruise Diet”: eat smaller amounts of any food you like and don’t attach moral judgments to food i.e. “good” foods and “bad” foods. Rather, start to welcome food and relate to it in a way that allows you to relax, be aware of what you’re eating, derive pleasure from the eating experience, and eat quality foods. When we succeed at doing that, we keep the cortisol and other stress hormones from causing our metabolisms to misfire and cause lots of belly fat.

Here is a delicious and “healthy” recipe from Jane Brody’s Good Food Book:

Potato Soufflé
1 and one-half pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 medium onion, chopped (about one-half cup)
One-fourth pound mushrooms, chopped (about 1 cup)
One-fourth cup grated Parmesan, divided
One-fourth tsp. salt, if desired
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 egg yolks
6 egg whites

Cook the potato cubes in water to cover until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and mash with a ricer or process them through a food mill into a large bowl. Stir in 1 Tbsp of the butter. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in small skillet. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté them until they give off their liquid and begin to dry. Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 2-quart soufflé dish with butter or vegetable-oil spray. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of the Parmesan on the bottom and sides of the dish. Set aside. Add the sautéed vegetables to the mashed potatoes along with the remaining Parmesan, the salt and pepper. Beat the egg yolks, one at a time, into the mixture. In a clean medium bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt, until they are stiff but not dry. Fold one-third of the beaten whites into the potato mixture, mixing gently but well. Fold in the remaining whites. Immediately transfer the mixture to the prepared soufflé dish. Bake the soufflé in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve immediately.