Last Saturday our friends welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world and everyone, (especially the two big sisters of this sweet, lucky little boy) is ecstatic. In my family, it is traditional to serve chickpeas to celebrate the birth of a newborn child. The dish is called nahit.
Author Archives: Dr. Sukol
Practice Makes Progress
A few years ago, the computer guy showed up at my office for the first time in a long while. Let’s call him Gene. Right away, I knew something had changed. I said, “Gene, how are you? You’re looking very well!” He responded with an uncharacteristic grin, and answered with a statement that all of us know, but few believe. He said, “Diets don’t work.” I sat up quick. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Hazelnut Spread (Not-tella)
A group of us went out for breakfast this past Sunday morning at one of my favorite spots, a great local place called Cafe Avalaun, and a plate of their heavenly pancakes with “not-tella” arrived at our table in short order. Not nutella, whose first ingredient is sugar and second ingredient is modified palm oil, but not-tella, which the folks at Cafe Avalaun make with real food ingredients, all of which you can find at the grocery store. Continue reading
Body Maps: Do You Know What Yours Looks Like?
Early one morning, decades ago, I looked down a long hallway and saw two obese women walking toward me. Backlit by the rising sun, the two women appeared in outline; all I could see of them was the dark shapes of two bodies, surrounded by golden rays. I stood, transfixed, watching their movements as they walked, their arms swinging far out from their shoulders like ribbons on a maypole. Instead of moving easily, to and fro, with each step, their arms flew back and forth like propeller blades. The force of these arm rotations supplied energy to fling their hips and torsos forward, while their legs, stiff and straight, worked to catch up with each step. Frankly, it looked like hard work. I looked away. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Fresh Herbs with Cannellini Beans
What makes this an unusual salad is that the herbs in this recipe play a leading role, complementing the cannellini (small white) beans as equal partners instead of minor players. Think of the herbs in this recipe more as greens than flavor enhancers. It’s a great way to use large amounts of fresh herbs from the garden. It’s super easy, super delicious, and super nutritious; herbs are known to have extremely high levels of phytonutrients. Continue reading
Can a Simple Bowl of Fruit Heal Us?
“We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters. If not, we will perish as fools.” —Congressman John Lewis on July 8, 2016.
The events of the past week have shaken me, like many, and I don’t feel much like talking about food. Today I want to talk about something else. Like most important lessons, I have learned this one the hard way. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Early Tomato Salad
This is not the time of year to turn on the oven or stove. But that’s not going to stop me. The tomatoes are starting to ripen, and it’s time to celebrate. You don’t need more than a knife and a cutting board for this recipe. It’s simple, and it’s oh-so-much-more than the sum of its ingredients. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: The Barefoot Gypsy’s Tabouli
Here is an absolutely fantastic recipe for tabouli from my lucky friend Judith, who got it from her mom, who got it from her mom, who got it from her mom, and so on, which is why my friend Judith is so lucky. Pick up what you need next time you go shopping, so you can make it in time for next weekend’s celebrations! Continue reading
The Glycemic Index
Many people have heard of the glycemic index (GI), but they are not exactly sure what it means, or how it works. A low glycemic index diet is thought to significantly lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease and even certain cancers. This is probably true, but not for the reasons people think. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Red Pepper Bisque
If you’ve been looking for a way to branch out and eat more different vegetables, this is it. Every color in your diet represents a different phytonutrient, and every phytonutrient is like a building block for your good health. That’s why it’s important to eat the rainbow, to maximize the number of different colors on your plate, to spread your bets. If you have been feeling like you could use a little more on the red side of the spectrum, make this.
It takes just a few minutes to whip up this Red Pepper Bisque and IT IS GOOD. The original version comes from Food Babe, who has been generating terrific buzz on the subject of cleaning up our food supply and putting pressure on BIG COMMODITY FOOD to do the same. She has got it all figured out, and she’s on your side.