Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

The other day I was thinking, “Do you guys think I’m a vegan?” Not that it would be a bad thing, but, I’m not. I’m a true-blue nutritarian. My diet is vegetable-based; which means I eat plenty of fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, and beans, but, I do eat some animal products.

Now, in the beginning I used to eat a lot more animal foods. Just check out these previous Eating to Live on the Outsides: Friday’s, P.F. Chang's, Lonestar Steakhouse, and Sizzler. I’d like to think I’ve evolved because now the only animal I eat is fish.

I don’t eat it all the time, a couple times a month—tops! And when I do, I only eat the fish Dr. Fuhrman’s considers to be low in mercury: salmon, tilapia, sole, flounder, and trout. My favorite fish is Steelhead Trout. Now, thanks to Oceans Alive we can examine these fish further:


See, it’s tricky. Even with the good fish you’ve got to make sure it’s the right kind. So, let’s test ourselves. This week Eating to the Live on the Outside heads to Naked Fish. Obviously this place is a fisherman’s dream, but, is it a nutritarian nightmare? Only one way to find out!


Okay, let’s start with the Starters. Alright, I don’t like shrimp and I’m not into blazing peppers and ham slivers, but, the Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels might work; prepared with tomato laurel broth or white wine and leeks. Yes! I know mussels aren't on Dr. Fuhrman’s list, but Oceans Alive gives them high marks:


Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I had mussels, so I wouldn’t be too hung up about ordering them. Oh! And I’d probably ask for the tomato broth with the leeks and pass on the wine.


Next up are the Sandwiches. I’m going with the Vegetable Wrap; roasted tomatoes, peppers, onions, mixed greens, tomato lavash bread, with avocado aioli spread. Clearly, the bread is the concession—I can deal with it—although I can’t deal with the side of fries.

Speaking of sides, since I’d be ditching the French fries, I’d ask if I could sub in one of these: Roasted Garlic Red Bliss Potatoes, Sauteed Golden “Maduros” Plantains, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled String Beans, Stir Fry Vegetables, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bananas. The mashed potatoes are cool—provided they aren’t made with any cream or butter—but my first choice is either the asparagus or the string beans. And hey, why not just make a meal out of the sides?

Moving on to the Salads. The Chopped Salad is a good option—although the menu doesn’t say what’s in it—but be sure to nix an undesirables, like croutons and order that dressing on the side or skip it altogether. Now, maybe the Salmon Salad is a nice choice; made with grilled salmon, seasonal greens, red onion, diced orange, and lemon vinaigrette. As along as that salmon isn’t Atlantic Salmon, I’d be sitting pretty.

As for the Grilled Seafood and the Sauteed & Roasted, I’m digging the Tilapia, Mahi Mahi Fillet, and the Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi. The Tilapia is cool, that’s easy, but what about the mahi mahi? Again, it’s not on Dr. Fuhrman’s list. Let’s check back with Oceans Alive:


Yeah, it’d be a good idea to ask the wait staff about the mahi mahi, but in the end, I really wouldn’t have any regret ordering either of these; especially if I were to pair these up with one of those great sides.


In the end, I think Naked Fish is certainly a decent place to eat if you’re looking to have a nutrient-dense meal, but remember this piece of advice from Dr. Fuhrman. Pay attention now:

Choose fish over other animal products, but be aware that the place where it was caught, and the type of fish, matters. Don't accept recreational fish from questionable waters. Farmed fish is safer. Never eat high-mercury-content fish. Don't eat fish more than twice a week, and if you have a family history of hemorrhagic stroke, limit it further to only once a month.

I felt a post like this was long overdue. As a fish eating nutritarian, you got to know what to eat and what to stay away from! But tell me what you think. Check out Naked Fish’s menu and let me know how you handle Eating to Live on the Outside. Make a comment or send an email to diseaseproof@gmail.com. Until then, eat well! Peace.

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Sometimes healthy restaurants smack you right in the face. Earlier this week I was sitting in traffic, and, after I finished banging my fists against the steering wheel. I looked up—and like a message from the beyond—I saw a billboard for Salad Works. A nutritarian’s dream!

Salad Works is along the same lines as Eating to Live on the Outside all-stars Just Salads and Salad Creations. I mean heck, they all have SALAD in their name—they got to be good! But there’s only one way to know for sure. Let’s crack this menu open stat!

Well, pretty much anything on Salad Works’ menu is workable. Sure, some of the salads harbor nasty things like bacon, croutons, and cheese, but, if you nix these things, you’ll be in good shape. So, here are my selections for the “best” choices—tallyho!

As for the Signature Salads, the Garden Salad and the Mandarin Chicken are solid choices; together they include iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, onions, chicken, mandarin oranges, craisins, and chow mein noodles. Alright, the Garden Salad is completely without problems, but in order to make the Mandarin Chicken concession free. You got to de-chicken it and while you’re at it, toss the noodles too. What do you think? Good move?

Now, you’re probably wondering about the dressing. Salad Works has a bunch of them. Here are the ones that caught my eye—yes I’d order them all on the side—Balsamic Vinaigrette, Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette, and Vinaigrette Italian. The others are very creamy, and, I don’t do creamy—at all!

Okay, if for some bizarre reason I didn’t feel eating a SALAD at a SALAD JOINT, there’s a couple wraps that look interesting. I could go with either the Oriental Wrap or the Veggie Wrap; combined they’re prepared with a “fresh spring mix”, chicken, mandarin oranges, cucumbers, carrots, oriental sesame dressing, lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and your “favorite” dressing. What’s got to go? The chicken—go cross the road! Now, no matter what dressing I ordered, it’s definitely going on the side.

Next up is the Grilled Panini. I’ll pass, there’s nothing worth investigating here. Alright, if you feel like taking a salt hit—can’t imagine why you would—you could go with the Tuscan Bean Minestrone; made with vegetables and white beans. Or, maybe you like the Vegetarian Vegetable, prepared with lots and lots of vegetables! On face value, these soups look cool, but chances are—like all prepared soups—they are salt-heavy. I’d double-check with the wait staff, but why bother. The salads are great!

Yeah, Salad Works is an awesome place for a nutritarian. Now, here’s the really awesome part. There is one practically down the road from my apartment, so very soon I’ll haul my butt over there, eat some delicious nutrient-dense food, and tell you all about it. But, as for right now, its time for you to check out Salad Works’ menu and let me know how you handle Eating to Live on the Outside. Then, make a comment or send an email to diseaseproof@gmail.com. Until then, eat greatly! Peace.

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Believe it or not, but its been almost two years since I reviewed Friendly’s for Eating to Live on the Outside and I’ve worked hard to block it from my memory—it’s bad, real bad—here are some lowlights. Proceed with caution:

One minute you’re at home checking out DiseaseProof (shameless plug) and the next you’re at a restaurant with friends—-totally dumbfounded by the menu! It may be Friendly's, bit it's not looking very Fuhrman-friendly! You’re scared. Your initial reaction is, “Oh man! I gotta get out of here. I can already feel myself getting fatter.” Don’t worry, you're not alone. We'll stare down this menu together. Although feel free to curl up into the fetal position if you need to…


…Okay, time to flex my powers of guess-timation. This week I’ll being taking a look at the ironically named Friendly’s menu. After a few minutes of perusing the menu sweat actually began to bead up on my forehead. This restaurant is a tough sell for an Eat to Liver—-just lots of good-old fried goo smothered with cheesy American goodness! But surprisingly, you do have some options…

…Another dish that is certainly worth a try is the Vegetable Fajita Quesadillas. You Eat to Livers know what I mean, you see the word vegetable on a menu and your eyes snap to attention. Now, it's not perfect, but you can work with it. The flour tortillas are a problem, but an acceptable concession if you skip the Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese. Then you’re left with baby portabella mushrooms, sautéed onions, and red peppers and green peppers—-I’m a sucker for portabella. Yes, I realize cheese is high on Dr. Fuhrman's list of evil foods.

Eek! Not good, and, I actually go on to recommend ordering a chicken dish. This was WAY before my healthy lifestyle. Now, onto current events, its being reported that Friendly’s is going trans-fat free. More from The Boston Globe:

Friendly Ice Cream Corp., once an iconic New England venue for family restaurant meals heavy on burgers and sundaes, could become the latest restaurant chain to switch over to using trans fat-free oil.


Friendly's, a Wilbraham-based chain of about 500 restaurants, said it expects the change-over to be completed by the fall.

Trans fat has been linked to heart disease in humans and to diabetes in experiments with animals.

Although Friendly's said it has been working on the initiative for over a year, the chain came under fire yesterday from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group that crusades on behalf of such issues as nutrition.

Well, nixing the trans-fat is great, but, what about the cheese, bacon, mayonnaise, ice cream, and other garbage? It’s a start, but I hardly think this move is going to skyrocket Friendly’s out of the Eating to Live on the Outside reject list. Sorry Friendly’s, try again.

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Eek! We got a Firkin nightmare on our hands this week. As you’ll soon see Firkin Pubs will quickly join the ranks of Eating to Live on the Outside rejects: Hobee's, Carino's, and Huddle House. I’ve said it before, you got to take the good with the bad. So, let’s see if this standard American restaurant has SOMETHING that a nutritarian MIGHT considering eating.

Whoa! This is going to be tough sledding. I’m no nutritionist, but, I’m pretty sure there is NOTHING nutrient-dense about breaded chicken fingers, bacon wrapped scallops, and barbequed beef brisket—EGAD! I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Okay, with a “liberal” eye let’s search this menu. Well, the Vegetable Stir Fry is kind of an option. Obviously the FRY part sucks—frying, a great way to ruin a good thing—if you can get passed the frying, it’s made with mixed vegetables, basmati rice, and sesame teriyaki sauce. HELLO CONCESSIONS! The frying, the white rice, the oil, and the salty sauce—I wouldn’t eat it!

Maybe the Veggie Burger? I guess it’s your standard veggie burger amalgamation; prepared with sautéed mushrooms, onions, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, and your choice of sides (the best being the grilled vegetables). Even with the grilled veggies, I’m not eating it. Processed meat substitutes aren’t my favorite thing, they’re okay, but I usually pass—what about you?

Alright, if by some complete miscarriage of fate you found yourself in a Firkin Pub, just head for the salads. That’s your best bet. The safest option is the House Salad; made with seasonal vegetables, greens, and your choice of dressing—I’d go with the Balsamic Vinaigrette on the side. Go on. See for yourself, the House Salad is really the ONLY option.

Now, if you were feeling naughty, you might want to give the Greek Salad a whirl; includes mixed greens, feta cheese, tomatoes, onions, Kalamata olives, and “Firkin” dressing. Well, like I said, if you were feeling risqué, you might want to drop the cheese, keep the olives, ditch the Firkin dressing, and swap in the Balsamic Vinaigrette. Maybe those salty olives would give you a cheap thrill. Personally, I’ll stick with the House Salad.

Hopefully by now you’ve realized just how much of a train wreck Firkin Pub really is. With that being said, if none of these entice you—which wouldn’t be all that surprising—maybe you could ask for a double side order of grilled vegetables. That’d be a decent option, especially if you pair it up with a little salad. At this point, it’d probably be easier to just walk out the Firkin door!

I’d like to close on a high note—I really would—but Firkin Pub is just another junk food restaurant. It might be fun to watch a football game there, but eating a Firkin meal is gambling with your health, and, I don’t think you have to be a nutrition guru to make that statement.

So, another restaurant bites the dust, but hey! Maybe I’m crazy—believe me, it’s a possibility—maybe Firkin Pub is a fantastic place to eat. You decide! Check out the Firkin menu and let me know how you handle Eating to Live on the Outside. Make a comment or send an email to diseaseproof@gmail.com. In the meantime, eat your veggies! Peace.

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Eating to Live on the Outside breaks for the border—the northern border that is—this week we’re checking out Toronto, Ontario, Canada’s own, Live. I’ve got to thank DiseaseProof reader Adrienne for this. Live looks like a GREAT place for to snag a health-promoting meal.

Live’s menu is packed with good stuff. You could pretty much order anything on the menu—barring the alcohol—and only encounter minimal concessions; like olive oil, salt, or rice. So, with that being said, here are the menu items that really caught my eye.

Okay, starting with the appetizers, I’m digging the Pecan “Tempura” Rolls and the Thai Spring Rolls. Combined they’re made with pecan and sunflower pate, sweet potato “tempura”, mixed veggies, almond sauce, collard greens, and coriander oil. Clearly the oil is a concession and apparently the pecan rolls are made sushi style, meaning they might be made with rice. If so, the rice would be a concession too. Other then these two things, I’m call with both appetizers.

Live has some cool salad options too. What’s really great is you can build your salad. That’s a fantastic way to go, but I’m really feeling The Big Bowl; made with field greens, kale, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, cucumbers, sprouts, seeds, grilled tofu, beans, with your choice of dressing. Personally, I’d order the Creamy Ginger (olive oil, miso, ginger, rice vinegar, and agave) on the side—good idea?

Now, as for the entrees, I see three I really like. First is the Ayurvedic Dish: Winter Warming Pave; made with root vegetables, caramelized tempeh, balsamic reduction, and criminni mushroom gravy. I’m not a huge tempeh guy, but I don’t mind it every once and a while. Next, I’m liking the Macrobiotic Dish: The Rejuvenation Bowl; made with brown rice, a creamy tahini sauce, grilled tempeh, steamed kale, carrots, burdock root, lotus root, and served with brown rice miso soup and house-made kimchee. I’d probably pass on the soup, but the kimchee sounds interesting, and the brown rice would be the concession. Oh! And I also like the Curry Stuffed Mushroom; made with criminni mushrooms, curry pumpkin seed pate, and coriander oil. Well, the oil is the concession here, but, I deal with it.

There are some pretty neat sides too. I could certainly make a meal out of these. I’d order both of these. Corn Tostados; prepared with corn tostados, sunflower seed “refried” beans, salsa Verde, guacamole, and cashew sour cream. The corn tostados are a little bit of a concession, but I’m not too worried about it. But the Tropical Fresh Fruit Salad is an even better choice. It’s a nice collection of mango, kiwi, pineapple, and mint. Pairing these two together would make a decent dish.

Live also has some interesting juice options to choose from. Here’s the two I liked. The Green Kick; made with pear, kale, ginger, dandelion, lemon, and hemp protein. Sounds cool to me! I actually eat dandelion greens, so this is right up my alley. The juice that caught my eye is the Liquid Plumber—I love the name—it includes kale, cucumber, celery, dandelion, lemon, and milk thistle. I’m telling you, blended greens are way underrated—good stuff!

Well, I got to say. Nice pick Adrienne! Live is certainly a wonderful place for a nutritarian to grab a bite to eat—thanks for the heads up! But, who cares what I think? I’m just some dopey blogger. It’s your turn. Check out Live’s menu and let me know how you handle Eating to Live on the Outside. Make a comment or a send an email to diseaseproof@gmail.com. Until then, eat greatly! Peace.

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