Healthy Kitchen: a solution that will benefit both you and your family

Create a Healthy Kitchen for the Whole Family

From Sonoma Diet
Sticking to a diet can be tough, especially if your family insists on keeping non- food in the kitchen. There is, however, a solution that will benefit both you and your family.

Processed baked goods, cookies, crackers, chips, and sugar-filled cereal don't do anyone any good, diet or no diet. Lay down the law and banish these things from the house. If it's not there, you can't eat it - and once you explain your reasoning to your family, they will understand and support you.

Help them along. With the harmful food gone, put out fresh fruit in the kitchen. Have whole wheat bread and peanut butter available. Stock up on vegetables and have some cut and ready for them to snack on. Let them see that a healthy kitchen doesn't have to mean deprivation.

Q: What drinks are Zone-friendly? Is my daily diet cola in the Zone?

Ask Dr. Sears

What Are Zone Diet -Friendly Beverages?

A: I believe the best beverage on Earth is simple, fresh, clean water. One of my basic rules is to try and drink 8 cups of water (that's a half-gallon) every day. Most people don't even drink half that.

As far as soft drinks go, most are out of the Zone Diet due to their carbohydrate and/or caffeine content. A single can of Coca-Cola Classic, for example, contains no protein and no fat, but it does have 39 grams of carbs. That's over an entire Zone, meal's worth. But, since nothing is forbidden in the Zone, I suppose you could make a Zone, meal out of a can of Coke, 28 grams of protein powder, and some almonds or olives (for fat). The only problem would be the caffeine. Caffeine spikes insulin in the same way that carbohydrates do. That's why another beverage I discourage is coffee. Black and green teas are lesser offenders, but caffeinated sodas and coffee are the worst. Try to limit consumption of coffee to one morning cup, and see if you can't switch to caffeine-free, sugar-free soda if you just can't live without it. Diet sodas are rich in phosphoric acid, which can leach calcium from your bones. Also, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame can cause insulin secretion (sodas made with Splenda are a better option), so we suggest that you drink them in moderation.

Juices, unfortunately, can also easily take you out of the Zone, . Since fruit juices lack the beneficial fiber of their original form, I always recommend eating the whole fruit instead. The one "juice" I do approve of, however, is fermented grape juice, also known as wine.

One of my favorite Zone, snacks at bedtime is a half glass (4 ounces) of red wine and 1 ounce of cheese. It not only keeps you in the Zone, overnight, but the dark pigments in the wine help keep your heart healthy, as well. Alcohol acts as a carbohydrate, so even light beers with reduced maltose push you farther out of the Zone, than red wine. If you don't drink alcohol, then vary your water with unsweetened grape or cranberry juices since they offer the same heart-healthy benefits.

Dr. Barry Sears, the Zone Diet

Three Creative Grilling Techniques

Want to impress your friends and relatives with your amazing grilling skills? Here are three advanced barbecuing techniques that are guaranteed to please. They work well with lean meats, skinless chicken breasts, and even delicate fish, so you can try these new cooking methods with your South Beach DietTM favorite foods.

Steaming. Place delicate fish or vegetables inside a sealed square of aluminum foil. Make sure to leave some space for air to allow for proper steaming. Instead of putting the packet directly over the hot coals, place it on the cooler side of the grill for slow cooking. This method of cooking will seal in juices and natural flavors, so heavy seasoning is not necessary.

Rotisserie. While this method requires more complicated equipment and longer cooking times, it can be a real crowd-pleaser. Rotisserie cooking allows you to evenly cook foods - like an entire turkey breast or large piece of lean meat - while retaining most of the natural juices. Place well-seasoned food on a rotating spit directly over the flames. The key to good rotisserie is to keep what you're cooking well-balanced on the spit. An unbalanced rotisserie means uneven cooking.

Smoking. You don't need a fancy contraption to impart a smoky flavor to your food. Try wood chips, which come in a variety of flavors, including mesquite and hickory. To prevent burning, soak them in water for about an hour before using, and place them over the coals just before you begin to cook your food. Likewise, you can soak a bunch of fresh herbs - like sage, thyme, and rosemary - and sprinkle them on the coals before cooking.