Rigatoni with Squash and Prawns

Recipe Makeover

This is a delicious AND elegant dinner recipe that is inspired by Giada De Laurentiis who showed the original recipe as a main course for her husband and guests before they enjoyed an evening at the symphony. (You can find more of Giada De Laurentiis‘ delicious recipes in her cookbooks available on Amazon.)  The original recipe is made with processed foods, dairy protein, and has a fat content typical of American diets. The Modified Recipe is closer to the guidelines in our Nutrition Strategy by using whole foods and eliminating or replacing the fatty foods and dairy products. Continue reading →

Adapting Recipes – Dean Ornish MD

Simple techniques can be used to modify recipes that follow the typical American or Western nutrition strategy into much healthier Asian, Mediterranean or Vegetarian nutrition strategies that are the basis of the Nutrition Strategy used for recipes presented in this blog. These modified recipes are much healthier and still taste wonderful. Continue reading →

Low Fat Cooking Tips and Techniques – Dean Ornish MD

Simple techniques can be used to convert typically high fat recipes into healthy low fat recipes without sacrificing good taste. The techniques in this post are from the healthy nutrition and lifestyle books by Dean Ornish MD, one of the nutrition and medical experts who have influenced the Nutrition Strategy used for recipe analysis and makeovers in this blog. (Buy his books here.)

Some of Dean Ornish’s Low Fat Cooking Tips and Techniques are listed after the jump: Continue reading →

Disclaimer

This Foodie and Friends Web Site does NOT provide medical advice and the data in this site is provided for information purposes only. The medical and/or nutritional information on this site is NOT intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this Web site.

If you are seriously ill, or are taking medicine of any kind, always seek close supervision by and follow the advice of a competent physician when you change your diet, exercise, and habits.

Nutrition Strategy

“Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.”
— Martin Pollan
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eat this …
  • Eat mostly plant based foods (vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes)
  • Eat nutritionally high density foods
  • Eat whole (unprocessed) foods
  • Eat marine protein (fish and shellfish)
  • Consume alcohol moderately (prefer red wine)

not this …

  • Avoid processed foods and sugars
  • Minimize dietary fats
  • Minimize dairy products
  • Minimize (and preferably avoid) animal protein (red and white meat)
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This strategy is based on a low fat, Whole Food Plant Based diet, as well as  Asian, and Mediterranean Nutrition Strategies.
For data supporting this strategy, see the Experts Speak.

Analysis, Conclusion and Nutrition Strategy

There are thousands Epidemiological, Migration, and Research studies offering data on health consequences of nutrition.

Epidemiological Data:
There is overwhelming evidence that suggests a Western diet or nutrition strategy results in obesity and long term chronic health problems and disease, in contrast to good health and longevity associated with a Vegetarian, Asian, or Mediterranean diet or nutrition strategy.

The largest nutrition study in history was The China Project. T Colin Campbell, PhD, the principle investigator, summarized the results of this study in his book, “The China Study”. It also confirms the results of studies conducted by other researchers which are published in peer review professional journals.

(Among other sources, these data are discussed in the published works of our nutrition and medical experts.) Continue reading →

Neal Barnard, MD

Nutrition and Medical Expert

Neal Barnard, M.D., is a physician and long-time advocate for preventive medicine, higher standards in research, and improved access to medical care. In 1985, he founded the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. As president of PCRM, he has called for sweeping reform of federal nutrition policies. Dr. Barnard is the editor-in-chief of Good Medicine, PCRM’s quarterly magazine and has published editorials in The Washington Post, Medical World News, Physicians’ Weekly, USA Today, The San Francisco Examiner, and scientific publications. He is the author of several books on health and nutrition. Continue reading →

John McDougall, MD

Nutrition and Medical Expert

Dr. John McDougall’s national recognition as a nutrition expert earned him a position in the Great Nutrition Debate 2000 presented by the USDA. He is a board-certified internist, author of 10 national best-selling books, the international on-line “McDougall Newsletter,” host of the nationally syndicated television show “McDougall M.D.,” and medical director of the 10-day, live-in McDougall Program in Santa Rosa, CA. Other McDougall activities include seminars and health-oriented adventure vacations. Continue reading →

Joel Fuhrman, MD

Nutrition and Medical Expert

Joel Fuhrman M.D. is a board–certified family physician who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods. His private practice is located in Flemington, New Jersey.

He is the author of Eat To Live: The Revolutionary Plan for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss, which was published by Little, Brown & Company in 2003 and has gone through eleven printings in hardcover and six printings in paperback. Foreign editions of Eat To Live are available in the U.K., Turkey, and Israel. Dr. Fuhrman’s first book, Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor’s Program for Conquering Disease, was published in 1995 by St. Martin’s Press. Dr. Fuhrman’s next book, Disease–Proof Your Child, was published by St. Martin’s Press in April 2005. His most recent book, published in 2008, Eat For Health (a two volume set) is acclaimed as a medical breakthrough for weight loss, disease reversal and prevention. Continue reading →