SATURDAY POST PART 2: FOOD OF THE WEEK

QUICK UPDATES:

Dr. Tofuhead apologizes for spelling mistakes in recent posts. I'm new to this blogging thing- it's been awhile since I had to proofread!

Thanks to alan who notes that nuts are cheaper if you belong to a food co-op. In fact, food co-ops and some health food stores offer food in bulk, including nuts. Food in bulk is the way to buy food- you pay for the food, not the packaging. In fact, you can bring your own re-usable packaging! Anecdotally, Dr. Tofuhead has found bulk foods to be fresher AND cheaper than packaged foods. And you would be amazed what you can find in bulk.

Thanks to my brother Randy who is responsible for the images you will now find on this blog.

With no further ado...

FOOD OF THE WEEK: PIZZA

INTRODUCTION:

In theoretical particle physics, the atoms of which the Universe is made are like squirrels in the park- cute, but so common that we tend to be underwhelmed by them. It is the subatomic particles, of which atoms are made, that are more revealing- of no less than the origins of the Universe and the laws and questions that characterize it. Take a dull Hydrogen atom and split it into the more bizarre particles that make it up; and suddenly you are at least 0.5% closer to understanding the Big Bang itself!!!!

A similar thing happens when you split the concept of Pizza into its constituent parts. Take Pizza as a whole- a "fast food" perhaps? Something to be ordered at 3AM when you are "baked?" Greasy, fatty, fattening, filling, and fast...pizza has a bad rap as a food that is not terribly healthy.

So let's dissect the most basic pizza.

1. tomatoes: by weight, tomatoes are sometimes the main constituent of pizza (sometimes it's cheese). Tomatoes are superb sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and anti-oxidant nutrients. In fact, in terms of anti-oxidants few fruits or vegetables can compare with tomatoes.

2. cheese: depending on how much cheese is on a pizza, cheese can outweigh the tomatoes. But the cheese is usually mozzarella. Of course, most cheese has fat- but mozzarella has less fat than the majority of cheeses, with plenty of calcium and protein.

3. dough: pizza dough is water, yeast, salt, and wheat flour. Lots of carbs- and lots of zinc, folate, trace minerals, and a few vitamins. Carbs are not actually "bad" anyway- in fact, they are the most energy-efficient fuel for the human body. We simply live in a society that is so awash in carbs that many of us carry around too many carbs in the form of a "spare tire."

Take those 3 relatively healthy ingredients, and you've got pizza. Of course, it's only American to pile a bunch of fatty and unhealthy shit on top of your pizza. But that's not Pizza's fault: that's your fault. Use the lists below to guide yourself into creating Pizza that is GOOD, not BAD, for you.

1. HEALTHY THINGS TO PUT ON YOUR PIZZA

Anchovies

Any vegetable

Feta cheese

Garlic

Pine nuts

Pineapples

Lean grilled chicken

Basil

2. UNHEALTHY THINGS TO PUT ON YOUR PIZZA

Sausage

Ground beef

Pepperoni

Bacon

Salami

Hint: I know it's not fair to tell you not to put meat on your pizza, ever. If you do, choose Canadian Bacon. It's actually lean ham and has MUCH less fat than the other meat choices.

Personal Testimonial: Dr. Tofuhead eats pizza 2-3 times per week. He is not overweight, his blood pressure is perfect, and his cholesterol levels are astoundingly good.

WEEKEND EDITION: SATURDAY, WITH A NEW FEATURE!

Happy Weekend!

Starting today, I will feature a new item every Saturday: the "Product of the Week." Of course, "Food of the Day" will continue as well.

Despite being a pseudo-environmentalist, Dr. Tofuhead is materialistic as hell. I love to shop and buy shit, especially if it's cheap. I love to come home from the Salvation Army with bagloads of bric-a-brac crap we don't need and tell my wife, "look how much money I just saved!" She loves it.

So in that spirit, every week I will feature a product that you can go out and buy, which I believe will actually IMPROVE your health and well-being, even if it does not improve your savings account.

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: CROCS

If you are into fashion, you probably despise the ubiquitous gaudy-colored foam-plastic clogs called Crocs, which are seemingly sold everywhere. But the joke is on you, because if you are not wearing a pair right now, your feet are pissed off at you. Why? Because the root of most foot pain is "pronation," a state in which the feet are flat, medially rotated, cramped at the front, and minimally supported at the arch. The vast majority of shoes enhance pronation, and chronically pronated feet get worse even with walking barefoot. Pronation of the foot leads to most of the foot problems you have heard of: bunions, plantar fasciitis, painful corns, collapsed arches, Achilles tendonitis, and arthritis of the foot and ankle.

So how do those hideous Crocs combat pronation of the foot? Simple. They accomplish the 3 things a shoe must do in order to relieve the foot from pronation:

1. They raise the heel with respect to the forefoot, but a critical quantity: 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

2. They provide soft yet stable arch support.

3. They have a wide "toe box," the anterior portion of the shoe, which allows the toes to spread out and support you in stable fashion with walking.

That's why you need Crocs. Before I finish, let me summarize the full story.

CROCS: BENEFITS:

-They are very cheap, especially since they last a long time.

-They are machine washable and dry quickly. You can wear them in the shower!

-They correct pronation of the foot (see above).

-They are soft enough to be comfortable, especially after a few hours in other shoes.

CROCS: DRAWBACKS

-Because they are not snug on the foot, they are not very stable at staying on. They are not appropriate shoes to run in or to wear in crowds, unless you enjoy falling.

-You may look like a dork when wearing them.

-They are the #1 shoe most likely to get stuck in escalators. DON'T LET YOU KIDS WEAR THEM WHEN GOING ON ESCALATORS!

-The soft sole can easily be punctured by nails, glass shards, thorns, sticks, and sharp rocks.

-The non-vented styles are not super breathable. Get the ugly ones with holes in them or you'll have sweaty feet.

Even if you get a pair and hate them, so what? You're only out 30 bucks!

Food of the Day: Nuts

Nuts are great; unless you are allergic to them. If you are, Dr. Tofuhead feels sorry for you! At least, hopefully, you can eat tofu!

Now for the greatest truth about nuts: They are all GOOD.
Yes, you can read the various studies comparing walnuts, peanuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, etc...but the truth is that all nuts have a fairly good amount of healthy vitamins and minerals, protein, beneficial oils, and antioxidants that are somewhat vaguely, possibly related to cancer protection.

A few nut-related facts:
1. peanuts are not a true nut. But they behave like nuts. I'm not sure what they are, but I checked with a botanist. They are not nuts, but they don't mind if you call them nuts.
2. peanuts are the most allergenic nut. More people are allergic to peanuts than any other nut, maybe because they are not "truly" a nut.
3. even the fattiest nuts (macadamia nuts) are probably on the whole more beneficial to your cholesterol than they are harmful.

SUMMARY OF NUTS

Benefits:
-All nuts are good for you so you don't need to be choosy.
-Nuts have lots of nutrients you need: protein, zinc, potassium, unsaturated fatty acids, B vitamins, and some energy-promoting carbohydrates.
-Nuts keep fairly well. They do not need to be refrigerated.
-It does not take much. For example, I just ate 1 ounce of Safeway mixed nuts. It was a small handful. I just got 10% of the protein, 10% of the fiber, and 6% of the iron I need for a whole day- in one mouthful. Awesome!!!!
-A study I poached from the UC Berkeley Wellness Newsletter demonstrated that nuts effectively reduce appetite, and that patients that eat 1-2 ounces of nuts per day eat fewer calories in a day overall, without being hungry. Apparently you can even lose weight by eating nuts.

Drawbacks:
-Nuts are not that cheap. My little can of nuts with 10 servings cost me $5. And it's generic Safeway brand. I could dust this can off in a day or two. Pistachios are on average twice as much as mixed nuts and macadamia nuts are even more expensive.
-They can get rancid. That can of Spanish peanuts your grandma got at Christmas is now rancid and will give you diarrhea.
-Hmmm. Can't think of any other drawbacks. Except that some people are allergic to them. NOTE: if you are allergic to ANY nut, don't eat ANY other nut until you have had comprehensive nut allergy testing by an allergy specialist!

QUOTE OF THE DAY (From one of my patients):
"Your waistline is your lifeline."

Post Your Health-Related Questions!

Do you have questions about your health? Sure you do! Why not post them as a comment on this blog? Since I'm just getting started and no sane person other than me or my brother Randy are actually going to read this amateur blog, your question has a great chance of being responded to directly (approximately 100.9%)!

Maybe we can finally figure out what that skin rash is; or why the 8 cups of coffee you're drinking per day are actually good for you!

So don't be shy. Any question posted will be answered in general terms and with the goal of completely protecting your anonymity, no matter who you are and what your question is.

Suggested topics:
1. drugs and alcohol
2. food and diets
3. is exercise really worth it?
4. what to do if you smoke
5. am I depressed?
6. is this medical "true-ism" really just a myth
You get the hint. Ask anything.

Today's "Food of the Day" will appear this afternoon.

Food of the day: OLIVES

Benefits:

-A delicious, surprisingly filling, low calorie snack

-A few minerals and vitamins

-A bit of fiber

-A wonderful variety of flavors

-Store well for weeks in the fridge

Drawbacks:

-Salty as hell (you can reduce the salt by rinsing in water)

-Not a lot of nutrients. And believe it or not, there is very little olive oil in your average brined olive.

-You can do serious dental damage if you bite down hard on an olive pit. Especially if your teeth are crappy to begin with.

Summary: given all the wonders of olive oil, olives themselves are relatively light in nutrients. It's a good thing they are so delicious; that's why you should eat them.

Welcome to Doctor Tofuhead

Welcome to Doctor Tofuhead's new blog, "Truth in Medicine!"

In this series we will explore the painful truth about health, disease, medicine, and the health-care industry. The mission of Dr. Tofuhead is to stomp out and discredit myths, half-truths, misinformation, and bullshit regarding health wherever he finds it. And it's everywhere. In fact, Dr. Tofuhead believes that the field of health is more plagued with misinformation than any other human enterprise.

So if you're looking for "The Cure to _____ in 5 minutes a day," or any magic bullets to help you instantly lose weight, be happy, make your back stop hurting, or help you enjoy your job, you won't find it here. There are enough blogs where you can find that crap.

Dr. Tofuhead believes that the most nutritious supplement for you is the truth, or at least "the truth as far as we know." And sometimes the truth, like nutrition, is painful.

Dr. Tofuhead is also not very well organized or particularly technologically advanced, so if you are looking for comprehensive health information, this is not the right spot.