Restaurant Redo: Defensive Eating Workshop

Cooking at home more consistently is the best way to improve your health. You’ll simply have more control over your food. But, eating out at your favorite restaurant doesn’t have to spell dietary disaster. You can leave your next restaurant experience both satisfied and healthy.

Eating out is taking a toll on our health. It’s well established that diets high in sodium are responsible for more deaths than any cause other than tobacco or alcohol. According to the Center For Science in the Public Interest, cutting sodium in half would save as many as 100,000 lives annually. Taking a more defensive approach to eating out in restaurants would certainly be a strong first step to hitting this goal.

If you eat out more than 3 times a week, the upcoming Restaurant Redo workshop is designed for you. From high end restaurants to grab & go spots, this interactive discussion will prepare you to gain more control over your food choices and protect your health.

Join me in January for Restaurant Redo if you’re in NYC! For details and tickets, click here.

“I Know What To Do, I Just Don’t Do It”

We talk about prevention and lifestyle change, but what does it actually entail?

Prevention means eating healthfully, exercising, getting quality sleep, decreasing stress, enjoying meaningful relationships and managing finances. These all deserve a slice of the wellness pie and are known to be cost-effective strategies for reducing our chances of getting chronic disease or the progression of these burdensome conditions. We know this much.

Our healthcare system can’t support the sickcare model any longer. It’s time to stop talking about prevention. We need to do something. Something large scale, innovative and sustainable. And, we need to do it right now. (more…)

Butter Me Up?

I keep getting asked about saturated fat after several flashy media reports about sat fat not being the cause of heart disease. The answer isn’t so simple. To me, it begs for a heavy dose of simple common sense.

Here’s an email response to a friend about this topic over the summer. It summarizes my thoughts without getting into the nitty gritty of nutrition epidemiology. I thought it would be worth sharing. Here it is:

Introducing Walking Wednesdays at Lown Cardiovascular Center

I’m always encouraging (ok, begging) my clients and patients to “keep it moving.” It’s no surprise that a commitment to regular exercise has many benefits, for both body and mind. What’s more, it’s fun with the support of others.

I’m now offering my follow-up office nutrition visits as outside walking visits. I also just started an evening walking wellness group at the Lown Cardiovascular Center in Brookline.

The “Walking Wednesdays” group meets from 5 – 6 pm every Wednesday. The walks will start and finish at Lown, 21 Longwood Avenue, Brookline MA. The walks are rain or shine.

The group is FREE. Participation is open to anyone wanting to exercise with the motivation of others. All levels of fitness are welcome. The walks can be adapted to your fitness level. Parking is available on a first come, first serve basis from 5-6 pm at Lown. Public transportation is only a block away with the MBTA Green Line C Train, Coolidge Corner stop. There is also a Hubway bike share stop in the Coolidge Corner area. (more…)

Healthy Grilling

BBQ season is finally here. Foods on the grill can bring about some mouth-watering flavors and fantastic memories, but a few quick tips can help keep your food healthy and safe.

Summertime treats like burgers, steaks, ribs and hot dogs are fine on occasion. What’s important to consider is that high-heat grilling can convert proteins in meat (especially red meat) into cancer-promoting and inflammatory chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs).

Another cancer-causing agent, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are found in the smoke that forms when fat and juices from meat products drip on the heat source and cause flare-ups. The smoke rises and can stick to the surface of the meat. Longer cooking times also create more HCA formation.

What can you do to lower your risk?

Marinate: Choose thin marinades that contain lemon and/or vinegar as they create a protective barrier around the meat. Thicker marinades increase the risk of burning and charring. If using a thicker marinade, add it to toward the end of the grilling session, not before.

Lean Towards Lean: Choose lean cuts of meat. Less fat reduces the flames and smoke. If choosing higher-fat varieties such as sausage or ribs, trim the fat and remove the skin before grilling.

Less Is More: Choose smaller pieces of meat, like kebabs, because they cook more quickly and can cook easily at lower temperatures. Thaw frozen meats before grilling to reduce overall cooking time. You can also partially cook meat in a microwave for 60-90 seconds on high and discard the juices before grilling to reduce cooking time and potential smoke flare-ups.

Flip Often: Flip burgers once a minute. Resist the urge to pat the food as this causes more fat to drip onto the heat source.

Grill Skills: Place your food at least 6 inches from the heat source. Line the grill with aluminum foil with a few holes or try cooking on cedar planks. This will help protect the food.

Grill Vegetables: Grill more vegetables, as they do not contain protein and have less risk of causing harmful chemicals that may occur then grilling meat proteins.