Dr. Gourmet Newsletter:
May 7, 2007

Chef Tim Says...

What should I have in my kitchen?

For the last few weeks I have been writing about the healthiest choices for you to make at the grocery store.

I chose to start with meats because most people feel that red meat is not all that healthy and I wanted to make sure to show that there are great choices like this Skirt Steak recipe. Eating red meat is OK about once per week and you should make it an event by choosing the best cuts.

Today I am moving on to fish -- specifically shellfish. This is another area of confusion for a lot of folks but all fish is good for you and has been shown time and again in research to prevent (and even reverse) heart disease.

Shrimp: I love shrimp and choose it pretty often. It’s quick and easy and delicious. I can’t tell you how many questions I get at Ask Dr. Gourmet about shrimp and cholesterol, however. Shrimp does have a lot of cholesterol, but it’s very low in fat (especially saturated fat) and the single most important thing in a healthy diet is not eating less cholesterol but limiting the amount of saturated fat. In Your Pantry: Shellfish

Featured Recipe

Shrimp Primavera with Angel Hair Pasta
Primavera can mean pretty much what you want it to. The translation from Italian for primavera is the season spring. There are hundreds and thousands of recipes out there calling themselves “primavera” but I have always thought of this as recipes made with the first vegetables planted in the spring (usually the first to come up). You don’t have to be literal minded (no one else is) and can use pretty much any veggie you like for this recipe.

Ask Dr. Gourmet

I need to know about diets on Coumadin, like what not to eat, but I also am a diabetic. Can you help me with what to do?

Dr. Gourmet Says....

The first step is for you to speak with your physician about the number of calories you should be eating each day. Many physicians have dieticians available to their patients. Diabetics need to follow a diet based on a strict number of calories each day. Sometimes the amount of calories is to help with weight loss as well as controlling blood sugar. Diabetes and Coumadin