Archive: Around Town

	A few years ago, my heart stopped functioning properly. A cardiac artery was blocked, and I felt some strange and scary symptoms. The blockage was relieved with a stent, and the hospital that installed it included a detailed lecture to all such patients. They don’t want to see us again. Heeding that information has kept me healthy, and I want to share what I’ve learned.

This week, we’re concentrating on a few guidelines for breakfast and lunch. Don’t skip breakfast! You’re not loading up on fats any more, so you have less reserve in your tank, so to speak. Refuel at least three times a day.

At breakfast, learn to like oatmeal, or another high fiber cereal. Oatmeal may be the best breakfast, but I hated it until I learned how to make it. It’s a multi-step process, but it’s quick, and it comes out like a fluffy, whole grain cereal instead of wallpaper paste. Just poach one minute and steam one minute. To do this, have a saucepan of water boiling. Measure your Old Fashioned rolled oats (NOT quick or instant) into a sieve that fits into the saucepan without falling in. Cover and boil one minute. Pour off most of the water and return the assembly to the heat to steam one minute. Serve.



Skim milk is OK on it but thin, so I like to make a well for nonfat yogurt in the center, pour on a little milk, and nuke it 99 seconds to warm up the dairy. I’ve cooked some red grapes with the oatmeal, so some ground flax and brown sugar finish the dish. Delicious.

Eat all the eggs you want! Surprised? Sure, egg yolks contain lots of cholesterol, but yolks are also nature’s richest source of lecithin, which emulsifies cholesterol so it can ride through your system without sticking in your arteries. Therefore, the net effect of egg yolks on your cholesterol levels is basically zero. My readings confirm this, and I eat four eggs at a time nearly every day.

So enjoy your eggs. You need the protein. Just skip the bacon. If you’re frying, use canola oil, extra-virgin olive oil, or a 50-50 mixture.

Sandwiches can be a dietary minefield. Labels will tell you that jam and jelly is fine, but that peanut butter isn’t: the saturated fat level is way over that two-gram limit per serving. Sliced breast meat and some low fat lunch meats — chicken, turkey, maybe ham, and sometimes beef — may work, but read the label! Remember the Saturated Fat limit: Over 2 grams, put it back. You can always mix up canned chicken breast, tuna, or salmon with celery and mayo.

Speaking of mayonnaise, got a blender or food processor? Make your own mayo using canola oil. Just follow the directions that came with your machine. It’s tastier than any commercial brand and better for your arteries. If you no longer have the book that came with your machine, I have an easy recipe, if you’d like it. An email to me via LansingStar.com will get the recipe for all to share in my next column.

Every other week: Lots more on food, drugs, medical ID, how and why to keep moving, and recipes! Disclaimer: This stuff comes only from my own research and experience. I may seem to know what I’m talking about, but your doctor is the final authority.

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