Food for thought

“In order to make meaningful dietary changes, people need to be educated. They need to be given accurate information. When people are given the accurate information, they can make an educated decision, and many will be inspired to make significant dietary changes, excited about the prospect of excellent health.” Clearly there are some positive aspects to Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Certainly he is bringing attention to the deplorable school food situation in this country. He also genuinely wants to improve the health of our country’s children. He aims to teach people how to cook for themselves. Jamie Oliver’s passion for healthy eating is admirable, but his recommendations on healthy eating are not scientifically sound. ‘Made from scratch’ does not mean ‘health-promoting' and the missed opportunity for significant change is enormous. The science of nutrition unfortunately is not common knowledge. In order to make meaningful dietary changes, people need to be educated. They nee...

Get your attention? Ha! Ms Anderson and I are on the same side of the fence on a certain issue: animal rights. I was pleased as punch to listen to her views on Larry King. When asked if places like Sea World should be shut down, Ms Anderson answered “yes, they should.” I completely agree. I know there are many people who feel this same way- that animal exploitation for human gain/entertainment is wrong and should come to an end. If you were a killer whale, where would you be happiest? In the wild of course. If you were a monkey- in the rainforest. A fish- in the sea. A bird, free to fly. Where are animals naturally intended to live? They are intended to live free. I remember reading a true story several years ago about a depressed, trained dolphin that had been at Sea World for many years. It committed suicide by laying on the bottom of its pool. The dolphin’s trainer was so despondent, he quit working at Sea World and has since become an “anti-Sea World crusader.” My view on zoos is...

Comment: “What about the people who don’t eat healthy, smoke and drink, and live to a ripe old age?” My response: Good question. There are exceptions, whether it’s their genetic make-up, strong immune system, luck? My comment is, if they would’ve had a healthier lifestyle all along, maybe they would have lived even longer and been in better shape health-wise during the last part of their lives. What disease eventually ended their lives that was diet/lifestyle related? How much pain did they have to endure at the end because of an unhealthy lifestyle? How many pills did they have to take because they were unhealthy? I prefer to have better odds/increased chance for longevity by living the healthiest lifestyle possible: healthy food, healthy drink, regular exercise. Comment re The Truth About: the Gay Issue: “When someone states it is “the truth“, they are not allowing for any debate.” My response: I agree. I am certainly open to any debate from anyone on this issue. This is an issue I ...

This is a gravy that really adds a nice touch to a healthy meal with starch as the foundation. Pour over any kind of potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, steamed vegetables, etc. A little Nature’s Balance (a non-dairy substitute) melted first on the potatoes, etc. adds a nice taste too (especially for meals with no gravy). Take it easy on the Nature’s Balance because it is pure fat, close to zero nutrients- unhealthy, but is a much better choice than butter or margarine. Mushroom Gravy Makes about 2 ½ cups Ingredients 1 cup mushrooms any kind, sliced thin ( I like to use the white, button mushrooms.) 1 ¾ cup water (plus ½ cup water to first cook the mushrooms) 1/3- 1/2 cup flour (any healthy whole grain flour: wheat, quinoa, millet, kamut, spelt, others?) 1-3 Tbsp tamari soy sauce (Tamari is salty so I use a little more than 1 Tbsp- add to taste. Remember the more salt and sugar you take out of your diet the more healthy/sensitive your taste buds!) 1-2 tsp vegetable broth powder or 1-2 vege...