Some final nutty and dairy ideas

Although I still have a lot to learn, I would like to wrap up some unfinished business on nutrition.

When I buy nuts and other rather expensive food items, I'll look for a sale and stock up. Guess what, when you have more, you eat more. It is a proven fact that shopping at Costco will make you fat. So just a small palmful of nuts a day as a snack or in a salad is both heart healthy and appetite suppressing. Just remember, they are high in calories, so not too many.

As a group, nuts are high in monounsaturated fats, which are known to raise your HDL (good cholesterol) and lower the LDL (bad cholesterol).  Some nuts are considered better than others for boosting your immune system, and memory, and walnuts get a special shout out for their high antioxidant properties. Raw and dry roasting are best as is all-natural peanut and almond butters.

Moving right along. I used to think that a discussion about milk would be easy. For years I would only buy skim milk and use a little in my coffee, and the kids would have it in their cereal. Everything was fine until the not so great Wizard of Oz (Dr. Oz) declared that whole milk was better than fat free. He stated that when you strip out the fat etc., all that's left is a lot of sugar which is much worse for you. Now my teenage son, who wants to gain weight for sports, heard that he can have whole milk and insisted that we comply. We have come to a compromise of 2%, which I believe is not so heart healthy. Once again their are many experts who believe that all dairy products should be eliminated from the diet and they are backed up by a great deal of scientific evidence. I also believe that a plant based vegan diet is very healthy but at what personal costs.

In our house even yogurt has gotten a little complicated. For myself I buy fat free, plain, Greek yogurt and mix in some fresh fruit. For my son, I have to buy Dannon Greek, fat free, fruit flavored and for my wife we just buy any popular brand of light yogurt. If you haven't tried Greek yogurt yet, it wins hands down for protein and less sugar, but varies in tartness by brand. I prefer a more tart flavor over sweet and if a recipe calls for heavy cream, sour cream, etc.., I'll just use yogurt as a substitute.

Picture my ultimate fantasy nightmare. It's a clear night in Paris and we're at a cafe along the Champs-Elysees.  Placed before me is a beautiful bottle of wine, a basket of fresh bread, and the most wonderful spread of domestic cheeses. As you already know, I don't drink, and I eat very few carbs, which I absolutely crave. Now I'm overwhelmed with cheese as only the French can create. I'll just say that every man has his weakness.

Don T