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Sally Squires
Washington Post Health and Nutrition Writer
Tuesday, June 17, 2003; 1:00 p.m ET Welcome to The Lean Plate Club, hosted by Washington Post health and nutrition writer Sally Squires. On Tuesdays at 1 p.m. ET, Sally leads a discussion for people who want to eat healthier, move around more and otherwise get better but not bigger. We're not about fad diets or crash weight-loss plans; we're about eating wisely and living healthy for the long haul. We want to hear from you -- your tips, strategies, meal plans, successes, warnings, setbacks and more. Of course Sally will be happy to answer questions, and turn others over to the Club. None of this, of course, is a substitute for medical advice. Sally Squires has covered health and nutrition for The Post since 1984. She holds masters' degrees in nutrition and journalism (both from Columbia University), is co-author of "The Stoplight Diet for Children" and covers heart disease, cancer, psychology and many other health topics in addition to nutrition. She usually eats a salad for lunch, sits unluckily close to the Health section's legendary cookie depository and (for this phase of her ongoing battle of the bulge) swears by "The Firm" series of exercise tapes. Health section editor Craig Stoltz will join Sally sometimes. Stoltz has none of Sally's impressive credentials but labors under a decade-long medical directive to control his weight and eat wisely, takes a statin to lower his blood cholesterol and keeps track of everything he eats on a Palm handheld computer, a fact most of his acquaintances no longer find interesting. Sign up for the free Lean Plate Club e-mail newsletter. A transcript follows. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
| Sally Squires: Welcome to the Lean Plate Club.
The Lean Plate Club electronic newsletters went out this morning. To subscribe--and yes it's still free--please log onto http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/email/front.htm.And if you didn't receive your copy today, please e-mail me at leanplateclub@washpost.com and please put "trouble subscribing" in the subject line.
The freebies today are:
Journey Into Power by Baron Baptiste (Fireside; $15)
Hormonal Balance: Understanding Hormones, Weight and Your Metabolism by Scott Isaacs, MD with Todd Leopold (Bull; $16.95)
Fat Flush Plan by Ann Louise Gittleman, MS ( McGraw-Hill; $21.95)
Fit From Within: 101 Simple Secrets to Change Your Body and Your Life Starting Today and Lasting Forever by Victoria Moran (McGraw-Hill; $12.95)
As always, our offering does not endorse these volumes or any exercise or weight loss program. It's merely designed to help you know the wide range of material available as you instill healthy habits.
Here's the deal: Regale us. Inspire us. Share a great food find. Tell us about something that's helped you get more daily physical activity. Give us a wonderful, great tasting, healthy recipe. And yes, one of these volumes could be yours. Winners are announced at the end of each chat.
Last week, a couple of pregnancy related questions were posted towards the end of the chat. I want to add some information to for one LPCer who is now six month pregnant and was worried about eating deli meat, which has been linked to listeriosis--a bacterial infection. In this week's newsletter there's a link to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists web site 222.acog.org/from_home/publications
Look for the Dec 21, 2001 release on frequently asked questions about having a baby in the 21st century. It's quite helpful.
ACOG advises that pregnant women should not consume unpasteurized milk or soft cheeses, cold meats, or undercooked or raw animal foods such as meat, fish (that's sushi too!) shellfish, or eggs. All fresh fruit and vegetables should be washed thoroughly.
Now on to the chat: ________________________________________________ Milwaukee, Wis.: Submitting early, proverbial meeting... I found a great flavor enhancer the other day -- fruit-infused white balsamic vinegar. No salt, almost no calories, no fat, no nothing. They're made by Alessi, cost about $2.50 for a salad-dressing-sized bottle, and since I don't live near DC I don't know where to find them, but I got mine at an upscale grocery. What's cool is that they pair well with pungent cheese, so you only have to use a little bit. The small amount of cheese adds pretty much all of the "bad" fat and salt the dish needs. So far, my husband and I have made pasta primavera with mushrooms, onions, red peppers, zucchini, radicchio and broccoli -- just blanch what needs to be blanched, sautee in a little olive oil, toss with pasta, sprinkle a small amount of good parmesano reggiano, a good distinctive olive oil, and a drizzle of FIG vinegar. For a salad? Arugula, walnuts, carmelized onions and garlic. Sprinkle with a small amount of gorgonzola, olive oil and PEAR vinegar. I'm still working on a way to use the raspberry vinegar, but I'm glad we found a way we can still eat cheese, get lots of flavor, but not a lot of fat or salt. Sally Squires: Hey Milwaukee: Great suggestions! I'd add orange champagne vinegar to the list, a recent find of mine at Trader Joe's. Vinegars are great ways to add flavor without a lot of calories. And there are so many now available. I'll have to try that white balsamic. I've seen it but not yet sampled it.
Thanks! ________________________________________________ Virginia suburb: I stumbled on to a mention of probiotics on a migraine awareness site this past weekend. I've been in a very difficult, months-long cycle of migraine headaches which have not responded to the previously excellent approaches (dietary changes, Imitrex, etc.). Not seeing much to lose, I located some acidophilus supplements, took the first Saturday and have need NO pain meds since. I've long known that dietary imbalances have played the dominant role in my migraines, so this makes sense. Do you think we might need more probiotic supplementation (or probiotic-rich foods, for those who can tolerate them) because so much of our food supply is irradiated now? Sally Squires: Very interesting experience that you've had Virginia! The best news is that your migraine is gone. That's wonderful.
Linda Duffy, PhD., who is quoted in today's Lean Plate Club column on probiotics says that more studies are needed on these healthy types of bacteria. For now, no one knows what "dose" of healthy bacteria might be helpful or for whom. Most of the experience has simply been with foods.
I'd have to look at the latest numbers on how much food is actually irradiated in our food supply. I'm not sure that will make that much of difference since most people may not eat enough of the foods that help promote growth of healthy bacteria. In other words, I don't think the irradiation would make a difference, but I'll do more reporting to tell you for sure. ________________________________________________ Burke, Va.: Hi Sally,
This is one of my favorite things to do with yogurt: put some low-fat or non-fat yogurt in a bowl (half a cup or so), add ground cumin and chopped garlic to taste, stir. I like LOTS of cumin and garlic, about a half teaspoon of each. Now you've got an incredibly tasty "sauce" that's super easy to make. I put it on Boca burgers, cooked vegetables, corn-on-the-cob, and anything that can use some juicy flavoring. Oh yeah, and it's really good for you, too. Question for you: I'm a 50-yr old female, and when I go to buy multi-vitamins, the sales person often tries to sell me vitamins without iron. Seems to me that everyone needs iron. Am I wrong? Sally Squires: That yogurt dressing sounds great, Burke! And you know it's a wonderful source of these healthy bacteria. By the way, the definition of probiotics is something that contains between 1 million to 1 billion of these organisms.
As for that iron, your salesperson is pretty sharp, because in fact, women of child bearing age and children and teens need iron, but most of the rest of the population doesn't. In fact, there's a condition called hemachromatosis that involves build-up in the organs of iron and can be deadly if not caught in time. Fortunately, it only affects a very small percentage of the population. ________________________________________________ Rosslyn, Va.: Sally: Hi! I love your chats. Thanks for the ongoing support you offer to your loyal readers. Just wondering if you know anything about my newest fun snack discovery at Fresh Fields - wasabi peas? They're sold in the bulk food section, but there's no nutrition information on the bin. I LOVE them and find that the spicy kick makes them much more satisfying than chips or pretzels, and I'm hoping that they're better for me, too. Peas seem pretty healthy to me, but maybe there's something I'm missing. Do you think they provide any nutritional value? Are they just another glorified high-calorie munchie food? Thanks!
Sally Squires: Hey Rosslyn: As I understand it, these are peas flavored with wasabi, a type of root that has a real kick, kind of similar to horseradish. There's some preliminary evidence that wasabi may helpful in preventing tooth decay. Wasabi peas are fried, sometimes in palm oil (a saturated fat) so read the label of your favorite variety carefully. Many find them so spicy that they couldn't eat too many anyway. Calories are about 120 per 1 ounce. Again, you'll have to count them out to see how much that is. Fat is about 1.5 grams only half a gram saturated from what I can tell. Hope that helps. ________________________________________________ Laurel, Md.: I'm sure you've been beaten up about this - but tofu is _not_ a fermented soy product as was stated in the LPC column today. Fermented soy products include soy sauce, miso, tempeh, and fermented tofu (truly an acquired taste). Tofu itself is soy milk to which a clotting agent has been added. Sally Squires: Hey Laurel: Actually you're the first and that's not what Linda Duffy said. But I will double check. Thanks for the heads up. ________________________________________________ Macrobiotic Diet?: Sally,
I was wondering how much you knew about the macrobiotic diet - I have been vegetarian my whole life but am now realizing that as I get older just not-eating meat isn't going to cut it - I need some sort of structure to my diet and from what I know of the macrobiotic diet it is well balanced, not restrictive (as far as portions are concerned) and most importantly is vegetarian (which most of those "fad diets" are definitely not!). If any of the LPC chatters out there have tried or know anything about this diet I'd be very curious to find out more. Thanks a lot! Sally Squires: How about it LPCers? Anybody following a macrobiotic regimen? I have interviewed Lawrence Kushi, PhD., a well-known scientist and son of the couple that is largely responsible for introducing macrobiotic food to the States. He told me about taking his macrobiotic food to school in the 1950's while other kids were eating peanut butter and jelly. As you can imagine, he felt a bit odd, but has stuck with the diet his whole life and as I recall, has reared his children that way too. ________________________________________________ Ballston, Va.: Dear Sally - I try to adhere to the LPC way of life, and have incorporated a lot of tips in my daily routine. However, my biggest accomplishment was just last night, when my husband announced that we -both- should walk the dog (one of my ways to introduce more exercise). I asked why we both SHOULD, not that I minded (I like the company!). He replied he wanted to emulate me because he could see a difference!! I've lost only (only?) 7 lbs, but he now wants to join in the changes. Thanks for the inspiration!
Sally Squires: Way to go Ballston! And wasn't last night a great night to go walking. My husband and I took our dog on a long walk about 10 p.m. It was glorious. And look what an inspiration you now are for your husband! Well done! ________________________________________________ Columbia, Md.: Hi Sally! Can you give any advice about portion sizes, as my 4-year old and I head for vacation in Mississippi among the "big eaters"? My dad doesn't eat breakfast or lunch & then eats a huge dinner & doesn't understand that I want a lot less food. Over the past six months I've lost 35 pounds! I prefer my new way of eating, which is heavy on fruit & veg, light on carbs & protein. I also tend to give my son small portions and let him eat what he wants; if he's full after that but wants a sweet he has fruit. His grandparents were the "clean your plate" types... got any suggestions for ways to avoid conflict? I don't want to start measuring his food, though, because I don't want it to be like a prescription--just dinner! Thanks! Sally Squires: Hey Columbia: Congratulations on trimming those 35 pounds. Very impressive! And yes, you raise a wonderful point: vacations and holidays can mean that your new healthy habits collide with others. So you're absolutely right to think about this ahead of time and do a little planning.
From the research for last week's article on kids and portion sizes, let your son dish out his own food as much as possible. (And of course, you want that to be the healthiest food available.) That might also help with your parents clean the plate approach, since kids seem to dish out what they actually want to eat.
Can you stop at the grocery before arriving at your parents house? Or perhaps bring them a fruit basket filled with the healthy stuff you also enjoy eating? You may also want to take your son out for either breakfast or lunch, perhaps as part of an outing so as not to hurt feelings. Another alternative is to have a stash of nonperishable food in the car that could help you make it through food wars.
Depending on your relationship with your parents, you may simply want to have a quick talk about your food habits and what's important for you. You're the best judge of whether that direct approach will work, which would of course be great.
Finally, remember that it is simply a vacation. Obviously, you don't want to blow your good efforts, but it also won't last forever. And perhaps when your parents see your wonderful progress, they'll be supportive of what you're doing. Good luck, and do let us know what happens. ________________________________________________ washingtonpost.com: The Lean Plate Club: M'm, M'm Good Bacteria (Post, June 17) ________________________________________________ Maryland: re: Yogurt I love the stuff, especially in a Middle Eastern soup (Cacik). Water down your yogurt to a soupy consistency and toss in some grated cucumbers, walnuts, lots of fresh dill, and spice to taste. Chill. Yummy! Interesting tidbit.... My husband recently had some nasty pus spots on the back of his mouth that made it painful to swallow. Our Doctor suggested that he eat plain yogurt with live cultures to treat it. It was stress-related, but it did help it clear up. Sally Squires: Hey Maryland: The soup sounds really good and perfect for summer. That's also quite interesting about your doctor's suggestion. Glad that it worked. It will be great when more research is completed on probiotics. ________________________________________________ Washington, D.C.: My fave way to add yogurt into my life: Take a container of plain or lemon low- or no-fat yogurt. Add prepared horseradish, to taste (I like it hot!). Great dip for veggies, great spread on a sandwich. Sally Squires: Wow! Another creative way to use yogurt. Sounds really good. Thanks! ________________________________________________ Arlington, Va.: When I started a new fitness and eating regime about a month ago, I knew that it would take a while to see results. I figured that it would be about three weeks before I noticed any changes, so I decided to use my desk calendar for a little inspiration. Every time I make my eating and exercise goals for the day, I flip three weeks ahead in my datebook and color that day with a highlighter. And, sure enough, when that day arrives, I can see the difference if I've stuck to the plan. It's great when I have a social function on my calendar and I can visualize myself going to it feeling more healthy! So far I'm hitting all my goals about five days a week and I have lost six pounds. Sally Squires: Way to go Arlington! Very clever way to keep track and you also illustrate a very good trait: patience and persistence, just what is needed for instilling healthy habits. Thanks very much! ________________________________________________ West Fork, Ark.: Hi Sally,
I've been reading up on the topic and I wondered what do you think of the non-dieting concept of intuitive eating? The idea behind it is to eat whatever your body craves, but only when biologically hungry, to check your hunger level during the meal, and to stop at the point when you are satisfied and not overfull. Do you think it is sound from a nutritional stand point? Thanks.
Sally Squires: Hey Arkansas: It's an interesting idea, but may be difficult for some people since it seems that they've gotten way off course on what they are actually hungry and when they are eating for other reasons. I suspect if you're the kind of person who is very much in touch with what your body is feeling that it could be okay. But if you're not, it could spell disaster, especially on those days when what sounds good is food that is not very healthy. ________________________________________________ Arlington, Va.: What's the difference between paneer & tofu? I'm thinking it's just milk vs. soy - or is there more to it? Summery/wonderful recipe - layer slices of fresh zucchini, yellow squash, onions, and tomatoes - between some layers put in some fresh parmesan / ground pepper - nuke it till tender (not mushy) - no oil needed because of the cheese & water in the veggies. Great with some garlic bread! Thanks! Sally Squires: Yum. That sounds like a wonderful topping and would also be the source of some very healthy veggies. Thanks! I need to look up the difference between paneer and yogurt. I'll put what I find in an upcoming newsletter or column. ________________________________________________ Kansas City, Kan.: I just found a great book at the library that mirrors what LPC is all about, thought I'd pass it along. It's called Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole M.S., R.D., and Elyse Resch M.S., R.D. They are dieticians who realized even the healthy custom designed "no-diets" they made for their patients really ended up being diets that like all others, eventually backfired. I didn't realize I was even dieting but so many of the traps they outline in it I've fallen into - constantly analyzing the calorie content of every food I eat, ignoring my cravings and trying to drown them with "healthy" foods, etc all in the name of being healthy and losing weight (which has resulted in a 10 lb weight gain this year). In all their research they found that people were happiest and healthiest when allowed to eat according to their body's signals. And odd as it is, since I've stopped writing down everything I eat and have consciously made an effort to ignore the scale and the food police in my head that tell me something is bad my waistline is slimmer than it's been in a year and I'm not living on chocolate and bon bons - because I know I can have them I don't really want them. So consider that my vote of support for the LPC! Great job Sally! Sally Squires: Hey Kansas City: Sounds like we have a theme going here on intuitive eating. I didn't realize that Evelyn Tribole was the force behind this concept. She's a former spokesperson for the American Dietetics Association. I'll have to get a copy and take a look. Congratulations on what you've done. Sounds really great! ________________________________________________ Washington, D.C.: Exercise tip: I had always wished that the washer and dryer were on an upper floor where most of the laundry is. Now I'm glad they're in the basement, because I am always running up and down the stairs to move loads from washer to dryer, add a load, bring down more clothes I've forgotten, take the clean ones up, etc. I keep meaning to use my pedometer on laundry day to see how many steps I'm taking, not to mention all the bending, and the aerobic benefit of all the stairs. (I know this sounds inefficient, but I am doing other stuff while the machines are on, and am always on a different floor.) Sally Squires: Hear, hear, DC. Mine are still in the basement too and while it would be wonderful to have them in our bedroom, I would miss the very opportunity that you mention. Another tip: when unloading groceries, make multiple trips rather than a huge load. And yesterday, I watched a colleague take the stairs two at a time. As he said, it's one way to fit in some activity. ________________________________________________ Somewhere, USA: I use yogurt nearly daily! Breakfast - I use Stonyfield Farm's Non-fat vanilla yogurt instead of milk with my cereal. Or, I make smoothies with frozen berries, banana, mango juice and the vanilla yogurt. I like the yogurt smoothies (stonyfield farm's, dannon) as lunch with carrots or other veggies/ fruit. They are very filling. Dinners - I use plain yogurt in place of sour cream or even cream in recipes - works for soups (as mentioned) and tastes great with corn chowder, or in a quick sauce for chicken or pork chops. I make mashed potatoes with plain yogurt. . . . well, you get the idea. I also like the fact that a yogurt (like yo baby) is the snack my 8-yr old reaches for after school, even though he gets one in his lunch! Sally Squires: Great going! With every bite you get some of this healthy bacteria and to paraphrase an infamous lady, that seems to be a good thing! Sounds like you're also starting your son on a healthy approach too. Thanks! ________________________________________________ Washington, D.C.: Hey there, Sally, This has absolutely nothing to do with the benefits of probiotics, but everything to do with The Firm tapes you swear by. I have dusted off my old Volumes 4, 2 and 6, and have jump started my fitness goals. I've had great success by staggering the tapes with aerobic activity every other day, losing weight and getting fit/firm (I'm walking down the aisle this summer, and needed the wake up call to fit into my dress!). Anyway, I have been extremely disappointed with the newer Firm series (I have two new tapes), and found out that the original team (Anna Benson and Susan Harris--the best ever master instructor along with a handful of former Firm instructors) has actually split off and started their own line of exercise tapes (www.fitprime.com). I've gone ahead and ordered a few tapes, hopeful that this group has maintained the quality and consistency of the series in its formative years. Just thought I'd let you know from one Firm fan to another--think we might need to migrate over to FitPrime... Sally Squires: Hey DC: I've only tried one of the new FitPrime tapes although I really enjoy both those instructors. I was a bit distracted however by the zebra rug and missed the "rest of the class" that is in the other tapes. But I have a colleague who is really enjoying the updated tapes at firm direct. One of these days we ought to poll LPCers and see what their favorite exercise tapes are. In fact, if you've got some, e-mail me at leanplateclub@washpost.com with your favorites. I'll start a list. ________________________________________________ Fairfax, Va.: Hi, Sally! My favorite way to eat more non fat yogurt is to eat it for breakfast. I take 2/3 cup yogurt, 2/3 cup muselix, 2 T oat bran and a little protein powder and mix it up. Then I let it sit in the fridge until the next day. The consistency is like a creamy oatmeal. Wonderful! Brandi Sally Squires: Thanks Fairfax. Yours is a very European approach. I'm told that this is a standard breakfast particularly in some Scandinavian countries. I too like yogurt, but actually love buttermilk--which is truly an acquired taste. I have to try kefir. Sounds really good. ________________________________________________ Washington, D.C.: This is for the reader who wondered about the differences between paneer and tofu. Paneer is made from whole milk and lemon juice. Tofu is made with soy beans (cooked, pounded, then a solidifying agent is added). Sally Squires: Thank you DC! ________________________________________________ Somewhere, USA: My dad is Macrobiotic. It is basically brown rice and lots of veggies with no meat, fruit, or added sugar. He eats a lot of rice cakes. And a LOT of seaweed. You'd be surprised to discover how many celebrities keep macrobiotic (Cindy Crawford). He started 35 years ago and was sidetracked by my mother's french cooking for 30 years. At the age of 50 he resumed his habits. There is a macrobiotic camp in California where you can work in the kitchen and learn the fine art of cooking brown rice (must use a ceramic pot inside of a pressure cooker). It is incredibly healthy and good for your heart. Just my 2 cents. Sally Squires: And a good two cents it is. Thanks very much. Larry Kushi also looks very healthy. ________________________________________________ Washington, D.C.: In your LPC column today you mention buttermilk and warn to check the fat content. Actually there is usually not much fat in buttermilk. The thing that you have to watch for is the sodium content. I enjoy buttermilk, especially on hot summer days, but I have to watch my consumption because of the sodium. washingtonpost.com: The Lean Plate Club: M'm, M'm Good Bacteria (Post, June 17) Sally Squires: Hey DC: I beg to differ. I've found some buttermilk at Fresh Fields and Safeway that has 8 to 9 grams of fat per cup. That's a good amount. Garelick is one brand that has 1.5 grams of fat per 8 ounces. So there is a lot of variation. ________________________________________________ Glover Park, Washington, D.C.: Don't know if it's been mentioned here before, but the website www.dwlz.com is a GREAT resource for restaurant nutritional information. Its geared towards those using Weight Watchers' Points system, but the restaurant listings also tend to include caloric, fat, and fiber information. As I'm off to La Madeleine tonight, I was very happy to be able to figure out the nutrition before I get there! Sally Squires: Way to go Glover Park. Very smart planning. We ate on Father's Day at Buca di Pepo, a wonderful restaurant, but they serve huge--I mean huge--servings. It's all family style. So as a family we made the choices and ate reasonably. It was really fun. But we did think about our order carefully... ________________________________________________ Stair Climber from Last Week: Dear Sally, This is my third attempt to submit! I hope this works! OK, I climbed the stairs at work every morning last week- all 7 floors of it. I loved it! It made me feel great- morning energy boost and everything. Unfortunately, it also boosted my appetite, big time. And I gained about 5 lbs. I lost some this weekend, only to gain them back only yesterday. And I ate like a bird yesterday. I did not snack. The only thing I did differently was I did the stairs twice instead of once. What's going on here? Thanks for the advice/support. Can I get a fitness makeover too? Love the chat. --Falls Church home, DC work Sally Squires: Third times a charm, Falls Church.
It's hard to gain and lose real fat as fast as what's been happening to you Falls Church. So I wager that you're experiencing some shifts in water weight. Those seven flights are great, but you're not burning a huge number of calories. Try this: just eat normally and write down what you're eating, including the amounts. Get a handle on how much and what foods you're consuming. Also track when you're hungry and what you're doing. My guess is that you will see patterns. As for that fitness makeover, we are continuing them. E-mail me at leanplatclub@washpost.com with your name and address and phone number and I'll add you to the list of potential candidates. Any other pertinent info about what activities you're doing now would also be helpful. ________________________________________________ Silver Spring, Md.: re: fermented Tofu. I was wondering that too when I read this morning. Soy milk is not type of fermented tofu. Sally Squires: I'm on it. I'll report back next week. Thanks ________________________________________________ Somewhere, USA: Just for fun...Have you ever taken a look at the contents of an MRE? We bought one surplus for fun and cooked it up. It actually doesn't taste too bad. It's definitely not Mom's homemade, but better than I thought it would be. Anyway, look at the nutritional information. The US Army definitely does not follow the Atkins diet! Nearly everything was carb based. In fact, the advice on the back of one of the packages was to eat the high-carb items (specifically, drink mixes) first if the soldier was in a rush. I suppose it makes sense - those soldiers must be burning some serious calories in the field. Sally Squires: Yes indeed, I'll bet they burn a lot of calories. And no, I haven't tried an MRE, but it would be interesting to do. I believe that we've featured them in the Post in recent months. It's a good point. ________________________________________________ Washington, D.C.: After reading about the South Beach diet in last week's chats, I did more research on it and was surprised to learn that among the "forbidden" foods are three of my staple veggies: corn, carrots and kidney beans. I'm not planning to switch to the South Beach diet, but I am worried about eating these foods. Can you think of any reason why they should be avoided? Sally Squires: Hey DC: Next week's Lean Plate Club column is going to take a close look at South Beach, so stay tuned. We've had a lot of questions about it in recent weeks. The thinking is that these foods have a high glycemic index--that's how much your blood sugar rises after eating them. But the GI is under great debate and rarely does anyone eat a single food at a meal-although you might in a snack. So critics of the GI approach say you'd have to take into account all the foods. And for now, the USDA and the National Cancer Institute see great benefits from corn, carrots and kidney beans. So watch that space next week. ________________________________________________ Arlington, Va.: How difficult is it to make yogurt? Does one need a Yogurt Maker, or is there a more "natural" way? I imagine early folks made yogurt without kitchen appliances! Love the chat! Sally Squires: Thanks Arlington. It's not hard at all to make yogurt. I happen to have a Salton yogurt maker that's probably 30 years old. But you can make yogurt with cultures and milk in your oven or another warm place. In fact, we've had members talk about doing it. I'll find more information and report back in either next week's newsletter or an upcoming chat. ________________________________________________ Somewhere, USA: I'd kill for the Baptiste book! Here's my lifestyle changes and suggestions: First, I took up power yoga weekly -- no more back strain, and it really leaned me out. This, coupled with a concerted effort to do at least 35 minutes of cardio a day at the gym during lunch, and an increased veggie intake has helped me lose 7 pounds in 7 weeks. And, even better, now with summer coming, I can fill up on things like Gazpacho and veggie kabobs. Sally Squires: Great going! Sounds like you've found a winning combination. Thanks! ________________________________________________ Isla Del Sol, Fla.: The Pritikin Longevity Center publication recently sent out a "Sensational Salmon" recipe calling for marinating Salmon in Gin, Dijon mustard, black peppercorns, juniper berries and apple juice for one hour and then baking it in the oven. Sounds great. Do you think it could also be grilled? What do you think about using Vodka instead of Gin? Sally Squires: Hey Isla: I think you could indeed use vodka instead of gin. Alcohol in both will cook off. Sounds like a good recipe and that salmon has lots of healthy omega 3 fatty acids, just the kind of fat that experts would like us to eat more of. ________________________________________________ College Park, Md.: I'd really like to see a story about the South Beach diet. I've been on it for a little over a week, and I'm down 7 lbs. It's just as he predicted, too--it's all from my midsection. My pants are fitting so much better. I'm such a skeptical person, so I read the entire book before I started; I was convinced because he really explains the science and doesn't sound like a salesman. He sounds like a cardiologist. The best part is that I feel much better. I'm not crashing in the afternoon. Protein and veggie based snacks seem to keep me solidly-energetic all day. I'd love to hear other folks' stories. Sally Squires: Hey College Park: Stay tuned for next week's Health section. Your wish will be granted. ________________________________________________ Richmond Va: I've recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol and have been told by my dietician to avoid partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats). However, they seem to be in everything. Any ideas for good sources of non-trans fat products? I'm especially looking for tortillas, tacos and muffin mixes. Also, some of the items in the natural stores seem to use palm kernel oil. Isn't that worse than trans fats? BTW, love the newsletter and reading the chats after the fact. Sally Squires: Thanks Richmond. I really enjoy doing these chats. You're in luck because there are an increasing number of foods available without trans fatty acids. You also want to minimize food with saturated fat. And both exercise and achieving a healthy weight if you're not already there will help. Also consider some of the "margarine" spreads that have plant stanols and sterols that help lower cholesterol--in fact, studies suggest they are almost as effective as some medication. Take Control and Benecol are two.
There are lots of tortillas and tacos without hydrogenated fat. Look at total fat content, because many products have only trace amounts of partially hydrogenated oil. If they have less than 3 grams of total fat, you're in a good ball park.
________________________________________________ Washington, D.C. - and European Breakfast: Ahhh different types of kefir etc on your cereal. Was in Finland last summer. Oh what a divine experience. Kefir is great because the consistency is in my opinion better for cereal. What's up with American yogurt? It's so sour and the texture isn't creamy at all. As a Brit, it's one of the things I miss most here. Sally Squires: Interesting. I'm going to have to go get some kefir. As for American yogurt, often times, it's sweetened. Acidity is a good think according to Linda Duffy because it suggests a higher bacteria count. ________________________________________________ Sally Squires: We're way out of time folks. You send in so many great comments and questions that I seem to always run overtime. Winners this week are Arlington for the calendar idea, DC for answering the question about paneer, Ballston and Kansas City. Please e-mail me at squiress@washpost.com and please put "winner" in the subject line. Please include your snail mail address.
Thanks to all. Remember: Eat Smart and Keep Moving with the Lean Plate Club! Until next week. Cheers! ________________________________________________ How to Make Yogurt: As told by my dad, who has done it on the stovetop countless times (He is Armenian, so he'd know.): Simmer milk in a pot on the stove. Add some active-cultures-containing plain yogurt. Cover. Let sit all night. Voila, in the morning, yogurt. That's how I remember it. Sally Squires: Thanks very much! ________________________________________________ © Copyright 2003 The Washington Post Company | 
