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

It’s Friday and its NEARLY quitting time, but the week isn’t over yet. First we’ve got to check in with Eating to Live on the Outside. So, what’s on the menu this week? We’re heading to Paradox Café. It’s an unusual restaurant, serving a mix of vegan and non-vegan dishes, but hidden in the confusion are plenty of Fuhrman-friendly fare.

Okay, I’m digging the Number Two. It’s made with seasoned potatoes or brown rice, seasonal vegetables, egg, tofu or tempeh, Aisan curry sauce, raisins and nuts. No egg or tempeh for me, I’m going with the tofu and the potatoes. A lot of my vegan friends are REALLY into tempeh, but I think it tastes funny.

The Fiesta Burrito is also cool. They make it with seasonal vegetables, egg or tofu, house chili, salsa, green onions, a wheat tortilla and seasoned red potatoes. Alright, the tortilla is iffy, but I can deal with it. I’m also passing on the egg, again. The chili has me a little worried. It could be salty, but I’d be willing to risk it.

Next up is the Tree Hugger Sandwich. The name certainly appeals to my hippie sensibilities. Its fresh bread stuffed with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, guacamole and vegan cream cheese. I’ll pass on the faux-cream cheese and yes, the bread isn’t the MOST nutrient-dense menu item, but I’m cool with it. I don’t eat bread that often anymore. Besides, the veggies ROCK!

Now, the Asparagus Sandwich is looking good. Asparagus is a SUPER food. So any opportunity I have to eat some—I take it! It doesn’t say what kind of bread it’s made with, but it includes roasted asparagus, caramelized onions, fresh tomato, 1000 Island Dressing and vegan cream cheese. Alright, we’ve got some eliminations to make. Adios dressing and goodbye fake cheese. Honestly, if it weren’t for the asparagus, I’d probably pass on this one.

As always, the salads are looking the best. I see four I like: Deluxe Green Salad, Mediterranean Salad, Solstice Spinach Salad and the Crisp Tempeh Salad. Combine they’re made with Romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, veggies, seeds, spinach, kalamata olives, feta cheese, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, Fuji-apples, roasted asparagus, mushroom, tempeh, raisins, almonds and almonds. Okay, I’ll pass on the olives, tempeh and feta cheese and I’ll order the dressing on the side. Oh, and as for what type of dressing, I think the lemon tahini is probably the MOST harmless.

Finally, I’m feeling the Coconut Spiced Vegetables. It’s pretty simple. It’s made with organic vegetables, seared tofu and coconut-chili sauce. Any time vegetables are the heart of a menu item it’s a solid option. This might go good with a side salad. Luckily a couple of Paradox Café’s salads come in smaller sizes too!

Yeah, I think Paradox Café is okay. It’s not a slam dunk, but it’s decent. Plenty of veggies and not TOO much nasty stuff, just a little cheese—which is easy to get around, don’t order it! Alright, I’ve talked to much, its Friday and you want to go home, but before you do. Check out Paradox Café’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, eat right! Peace.

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I’m REALLY excited about this week’s restaurant! Electric Karma is right up my alley. It looks like a Yoga studio that serves food and—and as an aspiring Yogi—I LOVE that! Most importantly, the menu looks very good. So get ready, its time for another Eating to Live on the Outside.

Let’s start with the appetizers. If I had to pick, I’d go with the Samosas or the Vegetarian Pakoras. The Samosas are prepared with potatoes, peas, spices, herbs and served with tamarind chutney. Sounds great! Now, the Vegetarian Pakoras are made with spinach, cauliflower, potatoes and home-made tomato chutney. Hooray spinach!

Okay, I’m skipping the meat and poultry dishes and going right for the salads. There are five good ones: Tossed Green Salad, Kachumber Salad, Karma Salad, Ashoka Salad and the Tandoori Vegetarian Salad. Combined they’re made with A LOT of great stuff: romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, dressing, red onions, cilantro, lime juice, red potatoes, tamarind chutney, gram flour vermicelli, mushrooms, paneer and eggplant. Out of all that I am ditching the paneer—it’s a cheese—and I’d order the dressings on the side. Good stuff though!

Onto the tofu dishes, I like the Tofu Tikka Masala and the Tofu Jalfrezzi. They make Tikka Masala with cooked tofu, bell peppers, onions, and spices. Simple, yet effective! The Tofu Jalfrezzi is pretty basic too; its just tofu, mixed vegetables and yellow curry sauce. Neither of these are better than the salads, but if you’re in the mood for tofu—they work!

Electric Karma, like a lot of Indian restaurants, has an entirely vegetarian section, which for people eating a vegetable-based diet is GREAT. Technically, I could probably go for any of the dishes with only minor alterations or concessions, but here are the ones I REALLY liked.

The Aloo Gobi is prepared with cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, ginger, green chilies, coriander, tumeric and cumin. Cauliflower is awesome. I find it really absorbs flavors. Next, I’m digging the Channa Masal. They make it with garbonzo beans, onions and tomatoes. Another very simple dish, but most of the time simple is BETTER. The Aloo Saag and the Sal Daal also look cool; combined they’re made with spinach, potatoes and yellow lentils. Beans and greens, certainly a win-win combination! Lastly, the Palak Paneer looks interesting. It includes spinach leaves, tofu or paneer cubes, sautéed onion, garlic, ginger and green chilies. Okay, I’d take the tofu over the paneer and the sautéing is a concession, but I could live with it. It’d be a break from ALL the steam food I eat!

Overall, I REALLY dig Electric Karma! I think, like a lot of restaurants, the salads are your best bet. Good thing the salads are YUMMY! Plus, the vibe of Electric Karma certainly appeals to my Zen sensibilities. If I EVER get to Los Angeles, I’ll have to drop by.

Alright, you know what’s coming next. It’s your turn. Check out Electric Karma’s menu and let me know how you handle Eating to Live on the Outside. Just make a comment or send an email to diseaseproof@gmail.com. Until them, eat wisely. Om shanti.

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Alright, Friday’s here and you know what that means—Eating to Live on the Outside—yet another installment of TRYING to make American restaurant cuisine more palatable to the discerning Eat to Liver. This week Great Sage is on the menu.

To be honest, it’s pretty good. Not earth-shaking, but WAY better than most places. Let’s do the appetizers first. I like the Guacamole Tostada. I know. Quite the shocker, there’s avocado in it and I’d order it. It’s made with chipotle black beans, brown rice, Romaine lettuce, tomato salad, corn shell, and guacamole. The tortilla sucks, but everything else is cool.

I’m more excited about the Roasted Vegetable Plate; it’s made with eggplant, red onion, zucchini, red pepper, Balsamic reduction, and hummus. Looks good to me! If the hummus is made with olive oil, it’s a tad iffy, but overall, I dig it.

Okay, the salads are all decent—in their own special way—but I’m leaning towards the Ensalaa Cubana, Young Spinach Salad, or the Strawberry Asparagus Salad. They’re PACKED with goodies. Combined they’re made with lettuce, avocado, orange, red onion, chili-lime almonds, citrus basil mint dressing, white button mushrooms, marinated tofu, candied walnuts, shallot dressing, chopped almonds, asparagus, and strawberry vinaigrette. Aside from the candied walnuts—which are REALLY no big deal—this stuff is great.

Now, I like a couple of the wraps too. I LOVE mushrooms, so the Portabella Caesar Salad Wrap is a lock. They make it with roasted portabella, Romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion, artichoke hearts, vegan Caesar dressing, grilled flour tortilla, roasted red potato, and pickle. Well, the tortilla might make you wince, but I can deal with. Too much good stuff to ignore!

I’m also digging the Roasted Vegetable Wrap. It’s prepared with roasted eggplant, red onion, zucchini, red pepper, balsamic reduction, mesclun greens, hummus, flour tortilla, and kettle potato chips. Alright, the chips are getting the axe—I DON’T eat that crap—but everything else is cool and no worries on the tortilla again.

Lastly, there are a couple cool entrees too. The Indian Vegetable Cakes look good; red lentil dahl, cashew spinach, brown rice, mango date chutney, and cucumber raita. Now, I’d only go with it, if the raita is made with some vegan option—NO yogurt for me! Oh, and I can deal with the brown rice.

The Panang Spiced Coconut Curry with Cauliflower is also worth a look. It’s prepared with green beans, red pepper, fried tofu, mung bean sprouts, toasted peanuts, and brown rice. Admittedly, the fried tofu spoils the dish a bit, but I SELDOM eat anything fried. So I’d be okay with it this time. I like sprouts enough to take the hit. Plus, the word “mung” makes me laugh.

If by chance, none of Great Sage’s food intrigues you. You can try this. Just order a bunch of sides. Personally, I’d go with the roasted potatoes, vegetable of the day, lemon-garlic broccoli, and cashew spinach. Not a bad option if you’re not willing to bend too much.

So yeah, I think Great Sage would work. It’s also really cool that they are an organic restaurant—especially if you’ve gone green! Okay, now I need your help. Double check, make sure Great Sage’s menu is up to snuff. Check it out and let me know how you handle Eating to Live on the Outside. Make a comment or shoot an email to diseaseproof@gmail.com. Until then, eat smart! Peace.

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Last week Kaffa Crossing made us feel warm and fuzzy in our tummies. Could this week’s restaurant keep the streak alive? Today Eating to Live on the Outside is checking out Borrowed Earth Café. And yeah, it looks pretty decent.

Okay, let’s start with the appetizers. I like Borrowed Earth’s Nori Rolls. They’re made with avocado, cilantro, jicama, and nori. Very nice! The Stuffed Mushrooms are also pretty neat; mushrooms, pine nuts, herbs, and spices. It’s hard to beat mushrooms!

The salads are next. I’m feeling the Borrowed Earth’s World Famous Salad, but it’s a little mysterious. Apparently, they throw a whole bunch of side salads together—intriguing, very intriguing. Now, if mystery isn’t you thing, give the Kale-Licious Salad a whirl; kale, pine nuts, raisins, sun-dried tomatoes, and salad dressing. Yup, I’d order the dressing on the side.

Now, I’m on the fence about the entrees. Most are made with nut cheese—not my most favorite thing—but the Spinach Frittata looks worth a try. Borrowed Earth makes it with spinach, nut cheese, fresh vegetables, and THREE side salads. I think all the spinach and the fresh vegetables will help me forget about the nut cheese.

Another entrée I’d consider would be the Burrito Loco. I like it because it’s apparently crazy and believe me, the cheese slid off my cracker A LONG time ago. Now, the burrito is made with some sort of faux-sour cream, which I’d ditch. Other than that it includes guacamole, salsa, sunflower seeds, corn tortilla, and again, THREE salad salads. Okay, the tortilla is iffy, but I can live with it—no biggie.

Alright, time for the wraps. I like the Far Easter and Indian Curry. Together they’re made with fresh julienned vegetables, jicama, teriyaki sauce, seasonal leaf wrap, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, and tomato sauce. Well, the only thing I DON’T like is the teriyaki sauce—WAY too salty for me! So that gets the axe, but everything else is cool.

Lately I’ve been gobbling up smoothies like crazy, so I guess its only fitting that Borrowed Earth has a couple good looking smoothies. For example, the Pina Colada is made with coconut, banana, and pineapple. Very nice! The Earth Green is also yummy. They whip it up with fresh greens, seasonal fruit, and banana. Come on—a GREEN smoothie—you know I’d order that!

So, what do you think? Borrowed Earth, cool—right? I think it is. Sure, it’s not perfect, but FEW restaurants are. Anyway, I want to hear from you. Check out Borrowed Earth’s menu and let me know how you handle Eating to Live on the Outside. Drop a comment or send an email to diseaseproof@gmail.com. Remember, eat wisely! Peace.

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