Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.
March 2011
According to some statisticians, your chances of winning a state lottery are nearly the same whether or not you buy a ticket. That doesn't stop millions of Americans from regularly plunking down a few dollars simply because even though the numbers guys are scientifically correct, somebody does win a staggering amount of money every week.
A restaurant menu is a gamble because you usually have no idea of whether the fare will hurt you or not. If your favorite bistro features a heart-healthy menu the odds are in your favor that you will do your body no harm. Unfortunately, those items tend to have so few calories that it's easy to justify a 1,000-calorie dessert.
What are the ingredients that make any dish lip-smackin' good? Saturated fat, sugar and added salt. Our Stone Age ancestors never enjoyed these, the first two of which make up nearly half of the calories in the modern Western diet. But then, they never had to worry about obesity, type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, either. Some readers are quick to argue that they didn't live long enough. Like the statisticians' statement above, that is correct but irrelevant. Today's few remaining hunter-gatherers, living as their forbears did thousands of yeas ago, often survive past the age of 60 without these diseases but they succumb to them as soon as they adopt modern foods.
How can you beat the odds? First, remember that the restaurateur who values your business will allow his kitchen crew to modify the menu. Ask for fish that is broiled, not fried. Substitute an extra side of veggies for the usual potatoes, pasta or rice. Request salad dressing on the side and dip your fork into it instead of pouring it over the greens. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip already replace butter in upscale restaurants.
How about that downfall dessert? Even a small one will contain about 350 calories and the whoppers more than 4 times that much. A dessert made from fresh fruit will usually top out at less than 200 calories, it will give you the fiber that a chocolate sundae lacks and it won't give you a sugar slump.
You can beat the house if you share your entrée with your meal-mate or take half of it home. Saves calories, saves money, eventually saves lots of hours in the doctor's office or cardiac rehab.
Philip J. Goscienski, M.D. is the author of Health Secrets of the Stone Age, Better Life Publishers 2005. Contact him at drphil@stoneagedoc.com.