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

This is my fault, but Eating to Live on the Outside does not spend enough time investigating Ethiopian restaurants. Ethiopian cuisine is VERY veggie heavy. Making it a GREAT choice! Remember Mesob, it was kick ass. So, this week we’re going Ethiopian again.

Kaffa Crossing is REALLY cool. Tons of veggie fare with an ethnic twist. Let’s start with the breakfast. You might not recognize these dishes, but they look yummy. I’m digging the Ful, Ful Special, and FirFir. I know, weird names, but check out the ingredients: crushed fava beans, onions, jalapeno peppers, tomato, cumin, Ethiopian spices, and injera—a pancake-like bread made out of teff flour. Not bad if you ask me!

As for the appetizers, also cool! I like the Timatim Fitfit. It’s made with injera, diced tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, and spics. The olive oil is a small concession. The Layered Tofu Wat is another good one; tofu sautéed in onions, garlic, red pepper, and injera. Not bad either. Lastly, the Injera Wraps look interesting. Their made with yellow split pea or spiced split lentil wrapped in injera. Split pea is usually a homerun for me.

Okay, onto the salad and soups. I’m cool with the Mediterranean Salad, the Kaffa Veggie Tuna Salad, the Hummus Platter, and the House Salad. Combined they include Romaine lettuce, olives, tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, sunflower seed paste, walnut, sprouts, lettuce, onion, hummus, roasted red peppers, eggplant, pita bread, and homemade dressing. Out of all this, I’m nixing the feta cheese. Everything else is cool—just limit the dressing.

The vegetarian section of the menu is LOADED. A lot of great stuff here! In fact, I like EVERY fish Kaffa Crossing serves up. My two favorites are the Tikel Gomen and the Ethiopian Vegetarian Combination. The Gomen is made with collard greens, onions, garlic, and spices. Now, the Ethiopian Vegetarian Combination includes yellow split peas, spiced split lentils, collard greens, string beans, carrots, and salad. Can you see why I like these two? The GREENS!

The other vegetarian dishes are worth a look too. Together the Shiro Wot, Misir Wot, Kik Aletcha Wot, Tikel Gomen, Tofu Wot, Okra Wot, and the Egglplant Wot are prepared with spicy ground chick peas, onions, Ethiopian spices, spiced lentils, yellow split peas, cabbage, carrots, ginger, tofu, garlic, okra, and tomatoes. Honestly, how can you argue with that stuff!

Now, if by some bizarre circumstance NONE of this pleases you. Kaffa Crossing allows you to create your own special veggie platter. You can pick from eggplant, cabbage, potato, carrots, okra, beets, tomato salad, lentil salad, and tofu. Again, where’s the problem here. I don’t see any! You’d have to be pretty skilled to screw this up—don’t you think?

Yeah Kaffa Crossing is cool beans—or should I say—cool split peas! One of these days I have to get up off my butt and actually try some Ethiopian cuisine—it’s long overdue. In the meantime, help me out. Check out Kaffa Crossing’s menu and let me know how you handle Eating to Live on the Outside. As always, make a comment or send an email to diseaseproof@gmail.com. Until then, eat and be merry! Peace.

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Time for another episode of Eating to Live on the Outside! This week I'm off to Java Green. Not literally, just via the internet. Okay, Java Green is about fifty-fifty. Some of the stuff is good and some it not so good, but let's take a closer a look.

First up are the organic wraps. Here’s the problem. Many of them are made with faux-meats and cheese on the menu. Fake food doesn't float my boat. So I’d go with these instead. I like the Tofu & Avocado wrap and the Rice Wrap. Combined they're made with spinach, tomato, cucumber, onion, carrot, sesame soy dressing, Chili Java, organic rice, lettuce, and Smooth Java. Clearly, rice isn't exactly nutrient-dense. I can deal with it. But hey, the veggies are cool! Although I'm not sure about the Chili Java and Smooth Java, I'd talk to the wait staff about those first.

I’m skipping the rice rolls and going straight for the salads. Now these I can work with! I’m digging the Very Berry Salad, the Spinach Avocado Salad, the Sesame Soy Salad, Bi-Bim Bob, and the Kale Salad. Lots of good stuff here: mixed greens, berries, strawberries, grapes, fresh mozzarella, almonds, dried cranberries, berry vinaigrette, avocado, baby spinach, red onion, grape tomatoes, balsamic vinaigrette, Romaine lettuce, cucumber, carrot, pepper, sesame soy dressing, tofu, rice, cabbage, sprouts, kale, zucchini, shiitake mushrooms, and sesame hot pepper sauce. Good stuff! Well, not totally. The mozzarella and rice are getting the axe and then I’d order the dressing on the side. Now it’s all good.

Alright, I’m passing on the soups. We all know that prepared soups are notoriously salty. Moving on, I see a few entrees I like. They’re not perfect and I wouldn’t order any of them over the salads, but maybe you’re feeling dangerous. Here they are. First, the Jobche Noodle; made with yam noodles, cabbage, carrot, onion, mushroom, spinach, and spicy tofu. The noodles worry me. Same goes for the Curry Noodle; includes buckwheat noodles, creamy curry sauce, carrot, potato, broccoli, edamame, and spicy tofu. Hopefully that cream sauce is dairy-free. And lastly, the Raw Garden Sandwich might work for you. They make it with tomato, cucumber, sprouts, radish, pickle, raw bread & garden patty, and a side salad. Actually, this one doesn’t sound too bad. What do you think?

The organic sandwiches might tickle your fancy. Granted, you’ll take a bread-hit, but maybe you think it’s worth it. Bread doesn’t scare me, mainly because I don’t eat it all that often. I’m cool with the Java California, BaToMo, Garden Burger, Vegan Burger, and the Grilled Tofu. They’re made with avocado, spinach, cheddar, Swiss, provolone, avo-spread, basil, tomato, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, pesto, balsamic vinaigrette, veggie patty, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, onion, soy cheese, garden dressing, grilled tofu, and mushrooms. Yup, I’m nixing the soy and regular cheese and keeping those dressing to a minimum.

Almost done, one more area left to explore—the sides. Now, if none of Java Green’s food struck your fancy so far or you just don’t feel like making any exceptions. Order a bunch of sides instead. If it were me, I’d get a plate of edamame beans, steamed vegetables, tofu, and a green salad. Love those soy beans!

Another one bites the dust. I think with a little effort Java Green works! Sure, you have to dodge the fake meats and cheeses and go easy on a few salad dressings, but overall Java Green is cool. But never mind what I say, I’m just a dopey blogger. It’s your turn. Check out Java Greens’ 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, may the force be with you. Peace.

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Time for another round of Eating to Live on the Outside and this week we’ve got a good one. Mixt Greens is very similar to Eating to Live on the Outside favorites: Just Salads, Salad Works, and Salad Creations—that’s some great company to be in!

Mixt Greens serves of plenty of fruits and veggies and some awesome salads. Take the Dagwood for example; mixed greens, roasted red peppers, roasted zucchini, roasted portabella mushrooms, caramelized onions, goat cheese, garlic croutons, and lemon herb vinaigrette. Okay, the “roasted” worries me because of acrylamides, but I don’t eat a lot of roasted food, so I can deal with it. As for the cheese and croutons—yeah, bye!

The other salads I like include fish or chicken. I’d definitely ditch the chicken and in this case I’d nix the fish too because its tuna and tuna can carry a hefty pollution risk. So, besides the fish the Cowboy Salad, the Maui Salad, and the Fusion Salad are prepared with romaine hearts, roasted red peppers, black beans, sharp cheddar, red onion, blue cheese dressing, chipotle honey drizzle, butter lettuce, avocado, cherry tomatoes, mango, cucumber, red onion, mango citrus vinaigrette, macadamia nuts, mixed greens, pea shoots, fresh herbs, edamame, cucumber, soba noodles, and sesame soy vinaigrette. We’ve got some good stuff and some bad stuff. The cheese, cheesy dressings, and noodles are gone! Other than that, these are pretty cool.

As usual, the salads are your best bet, but if you were feeling adventurous and willing to take a lavish bread concession, you might consider a sandwich. I see one I like. The Farmer is made with burrata cheese, grilled zucchini, roasted red peppers, roasted portabella mushrooms, fresh basil, aioli, balsamic reduction, and herb bread. This is easy! The cheese is going bye-bye. I can deal with the bread and the oil—again, not stuff I eat all the time. If the Farmer doesn’t do it for you, you can throw any of Mixt Greens’ salads on bread too.

Now, here’s where it gets fun and this is why I really think Mixt Greens is very workable. They actually encourage you to make your own salad—hard to beat that! If you’re making it, how could you possibly make it not up to snuff?

Mixt Greens offers plenty of fantastic things to choose from, like baby spinach, red leaf lettuce, sesame seeds, golden raisins, mango, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, tofu, and black beans—and there’s plenty more!

Alright, if I had to make a salad it would look something like this: baby spinach, romaine lettuce, sesame seeds, edamame beans, roasted zucchini, roasted yellow beets, roasted red peppers, roasted portabella mushrooms, red onion, and I’d go with some fat-free honey mustard vinaigrette on the side. So, how’d I do? Would you eat my creation or are you vomiting on your keyboard?

Yeah, I’ll say it again. Mixt Greens is good to go. I think a diet-conscious Eat to Liver would love the place. I mean come on. It’s hard to argue about a place with the word GREENS in its name. But hey, maybe I’m wrong. That’s why I need you to check out Mixt Greens’ 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 you do, eat wisely! Peace.

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Last week we had a good time at Trio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but this week—via the worldwide web—Eating to Live on the Outside heads to Real Food Daily in California. Now, does it stack up? Could an Eat to Liver eat there? Only one way to find out!

At the top of Real Food Daily’s menu are their juice and beverages. As far as these go, I could go for some orange juice or a glass of rice milk, but generally I stick with water. Onto the small plates, the edamame beans are great, but I’d ask them to hold the salt.

I also like the Hummus & Pita. Sure, the toasted pita chips aren’t exactly nutrient-dense, but the chickpea dip, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, celery and leafy greens are fantastic! The Spring Rolls look good too. The rice paper is clearly a concession, but check this stuff out: Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, daikon, red pepper, mint, cilantro, scallion, and a raw mango sauce. It’s hard to argue with all that. Actually, I love red cabbage!

Okay, I’m going to skip the breads and spreads and move onto better fare—like the salads! My top three are the House Salad, the Farm Chop, and the Yin Yang. Together they’re made with A LOT of good stuff: seasonal greens, carrots, beets, cucumbers, dressing, seasonal vegetables, avocado, cabbages, Romaine lettuce, edamame, cilantro, sesame seeds, peanuts, and a peanut dressing. Good easy on the dressing and you’re set!

Since the specials will change, I’m bypassing that section of the menu and going to the main courses. It’s a little iffy. Honestly, I only see one I like—the others include too much faux-meat products for my liking. So, I’m sticking with the Stir It Up; julienne vegetables, gingery garlic sauce, brown rice, soba noodles, and daily greens. I know. It’s probably fried and most likely salty. I like the salads better, but maybe this works for you.

The sandwiches and wraps look interesting. Check out the Ciao Bella. It’s made with Portabella mushroom, onions, red peppers, lettuce, tomato, pesto spread, and hemp bread. Not bad. The hemp bread sounds interesting. The Tofu Wrap is pretty neat; grilled tofu, squash, onions, sun-dried tomato pesto, lettuce, tomato, and spinach tortilla. The tortilla is a tiny no-no, but I can deal with it. Now, the Living Wrap looks REALLY good. They make it with red pepper sunflower spread, cucumbers, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, salad greens, citrus herb dressing, and collards—collard greens are great!

Alright, so far I think Real Food Daily is a nice stop for an Eat to Liver, but if you don’t like any of these. Just do our little trick, order a bunch of sides. I could go for any number of these: millet, quinoa, beans of the day, black beans, veggies of the day, daily greens, sea vegetables, and tossed salad greens. Next to the salads this is probably your best bet.

So what do you think? Does Real Food Daily make the cut? I think it does, but then again, I’m not expert. I need your help. Check out Real Food Daily’s menu and let me know how you handle Eating to Live on the Outside. You can always make a comment or send an email to diseaseproof@gmail.com. Until then, happy eating! Peace.

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It’s Friday, time for Eating to Live on the Outside and this week I’m taking a digital trip to Trio, an Asian-inspired restaurant in downtown Philadelphia. At first inspection, it looks iffy, but there are a handful of dishes that might work for Eat to Liver. Let’s take a look.

As for the soups and appetizers, I can roll with the Portabellas in Coconut Milk and the Vegetable Spring Rolls. The portabella soup is made with portabella mushrooms, light coconut broth, lime juice, and galangal. Apparently galangal is similar to ginger—via Wikipedia. Now, the spring rolls are prepared with shiitake mushrooms, glass noodles, and cabbage. I’d probably opt for the soup over the spring rolls. Although, I recently found out glass noodles are made from beans, so I’m intrigued.

Moving on to the salads, I’m digging the Trio House Salad and the Salad Kak. For starters, the house salad includes a spring mix, Asian pears, candied walnuts, and light soy balsamic vinaigrette. The candied walnuts make me a little nervous but I can deal with it and obviously I’m ordering the vinaigrette on the side. The Salad Kak is a strange name, but a decent option. Trio makes it with Romaine lettuce, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced hard boiled egg, and peanut dressing. I like it, except I’m nixing the egg and going easy on the peanut dressing.

Alright, the entrees are next. They’re tough. I only see one I’d consider eating. The Crispy Tofu with Julienne Ginger; tofu, mushrooms, sweet onions, steamed Jasmine rice, and julienne ginger. Crispy worries me. There’s a good chance that tofu is fried. So, I wouldn’t order it—check with the wait staff first—I like tofu, but frying anything ruins it.

Now, you might be tempted by the Baked Atlantic Salmon. Salmon is a safe—right? Yes and no. Certain varieties of salmon are good choices like wild Alaskan salmon because they’re low in pollutants and chemical contaminants. Sadly, Atlantic salmon isn’t. In fact, the Environmental Defense Fund classifies it as an Eco-Worst; citing elevated levels of PCBs. So, I’d pass on this entrée.

Overall I’d say Trio is okay, not great but not horrible. My go-to choice would be the Trio House Salad without the egg, but what would you pick? You know the drill. Check out Trio’s menu and tell me 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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