Berry BBQ Bonanza!

If you love BBQ like I do, then you are going to love these recipes. One is for a basic sauce that features California Strawberries and what has become one of my favorite juices to drink as well to use as a recipe ingredient – Welch’s Farmer’s Pick 100% Juice Blackberry. The other features favorite fruit such as cantaloupe, watermelon and California Strawberries. Of course, you are free to use whatever combination of fruit you’d like in the recipe I call Shish-Ka-Booze! Yes, there is definitely an adult theme to it but the alcohol in the recipe is burned off in the grilling process.

Besides great fresh fruit flavor and fun, there is a hidden agenda to using these ingredients when barbecuing. Antioxidant-rich fruit, such as berries, have been found to benefit heart health, cognition, diabetes and may protect against certain types of cancer. But I especially like to use berries as part of marinades and sauces which may help reduce the presence of heterocyclic amines (HCA’s) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are known carcinogens (cancer causing agents). Also, eating antioxidant rich food in the presence of foods containing HCAs and PAHs may reduce their harmful effects. The best advice is to avoid charring your meats by using indirect cooking methods. Here’s a great link to the American Institute of Cancer Research who offers great safe grilling tips.

California Strawberry Shish-Ka-Booze
Tip: If time allows, let skewers rest in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours after basting to absorb mixture.
Servings: Makes six skewers
Ingredients:
1 pound California Strawberries
1 large cantaloupe
1 pound watermelon
1 tsp Nielsen Massey Tahitian Vanilla extract (or other high quality vanilla extract)
½ cup Dark rum
½ cup Maple syrup
6 Skewers

Directions:
Apply non-stick grill cooking spray to grill surface. Preheat grill at its highest setting. Cut fruit into large cubes. Alternate fruit on skewers and set aside. Mix vanilla, rum and maple syrup in bowl. Brush mixture liberally over fruit skewers. When grill is ready, place skewers on the surface and cook for a few minutes on each side or until grill marks are visible. Remove and serve when all sides are grilled.

Berry BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 cup Welch’s Farmer’s Pick 100% Juice Blackberry
1 cup chopped California Strawberries
3 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before using. Apply liberally to meat, poultry or firm fish when grilling. Store remaining sauce in the refrigerator.

Let me know how you like these yummy BBQ treats! And as always, I would love YOUR ideas for fun and healthy recipes for summertime grilling. Hit me up in the comments section. Have a great rest of the summer!

Disclosure: I am proud to be working with both California Strawberries and Welch’s to bring you today’s recipes and healthful summer tips!

My Scariest Halloween Recommendations EVER!

Sorry about that! That was almost a “Shalloween” recommendation by its mere absence! Here’s the link for a most scary video. Be prepared!!!
https://blog.fitstudio.com/2013/10/daves-healthy-halloween-treats/

Tater Trivia!

Are potatoes responsible for obesity or Miley twerking on the MTV music awards? Are spuds a nutritional dud? Check out what the experts have to say!

3 Foods That Will Help You Sleep Better

As seen on KnowMoreTV.com!

http://www.knowmore.tv/food-fitness/3-foods-that-will-help-you-sleep-better/#.UYCBpIakrac.wordpress

Grapefruit: Not Just a “Chick Fruit”

As featured in Real Life Nutrition, WebMD

By David Grotto, RD, LDN

One of my fondest memories as a kid was sharing ruby red grapefruits with my big sister for breakfast. She would slice one in half, cut all the segments for me, and sprinkle just a little sugar on top. I would scoop out each segment and then, when they were all gone, tilt my head back and squeeze the remaining juice from the skin into my mouth. It was fantastic…sometimes I ate two halves because they were so tasty! Gosh…that was probably 40 years ago and I’d be lying if I told you that I’ve done that more than five times ever since!

I can’t for the life of me figure out why I abandoned something I enjoyed so much as a kid. Sure, I’ve had grapefruit and grapefruit juice a handful of times since then, but it has never become a regular part of my dietary routine. This is surprising to me, especially since I deemed grapefruit a worthy member of my book 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. When I was doing a literature review on grapefruit, I discovered that one-half of a medium grapefruit delivered quite an array of nutrients and health benefits:

• It’s only 60 calories and supplies 100 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C.
• Pink or red grapefruit contain more than 50 times the amount of carotenoids of white grapefruit.
• Grapefruit contains more than 150 phytonutrients, mostly flavonoids, which have been found to help the body fight against aging, allergies, infection, cancer, ulcers and heart disease, to name a few challenges.

So why don’t I eat it more routinely?

Back in the mid 1700’s, the grapefruit was referred to as the “forbidden fruit of Barbados.” I don’t really know why it was called that, but I have observed that not a lot of my guy patients eat grapefruit. Maybe they think it’s forbidden to them? I do think it has a lot to do with the image of the grapefruit as being a “dieter’s fruit.” And if you look at how the fruit is marketed today, it’s definitely targeted towards women. Check out this website and you’ll see what I mean. I rest my case.

So why am I writing about grapefruit if it’s such a chick fruit? I’m on a mission. My friend and colleague, Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, reminded me that grapefruit is a perfect fruit for guys, too. I remembered that one of the carotenoids that pink and red grapefruit contain is lycopene, which benefits the heart and those special parts—like the prostate gland—which often comes back to haunt guys later in life if we don’t feed it right. Grapefruit also contains the citrus flavinoid naringenin which was found to help repair damaged DNA in human prostate cancer cells. And speaking of the heart, I also found a study where researchers fed one grapefruit a day to 57 patients who had high cholesterol, triglycerides and went through bypass surgery. After 30 days those who consumed one red grapefruit a day showed a better lowering in total cholesterol, bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides compared to those who didn’t. Check out this video interview I just did with Dawn on why guys should eat grapefruit.

 

Grapefruit Salsa Photo and recipe courtesy of gofloridagrapefruit.com

Here’re some tips on adding grapefruit to your dining routine:

• When choosing the perfect grapefruit, choose those that are firm and heavy for their size but slightly springy to the touch of light pressure.
• Taste quality is not affected by skin discoloration, scratches or scales but avoid those with overly rough or wrinkled skin.
• Also avoid those that appear to have water-soaked areas or have an overly soft spot at the stem.
• Grapefruit are juicier when served warm rather than cool, but I think they taste better served cold.
• If you plan to consume grapefruit within one week of purchase, store them at room temperature. Keep them fresh by storing them in the refrigerator crisper for up to 2-3 weeks.
• Eat fresh by slicing the fruit in half, separating the flesh from the membrane and scooping out each section with a spoon. Not sweet enough? Just a sprinkle of sugar will do the trick.
• Special curved-blade “grapefruit” knives or serrated grapefruit spoons can be purchased, too.
• Lastly, guys, don’t care about all that health business unless the food also tastes great. Once again, grapefruit delivers.

Here’s a recipe you might want to bust out on Superbowl Sunday (by the way, next week’s post is all about “super bowls” for the superbowl).

Grapefruit Salsa

Yields: 1-1/2 cups.

Ingredients:

2 TBSP. lime juice

1 TBSP. olive oil

1 tsp. minced jalapeno

1/2 red bell pepper, minced

2 TBSP. minced red onion

1 large Florida grapefruit, peeled, membrane removed, sectioned, chopped

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

2 TBSP. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions: Toss all together. Serve chilled as side dish to barbecued meat, seafood and nachos.

For women only: Shhhhh. We both agree that YOU are the true caretakers of guys—no surprise here. As you know, sometimes guys just need a little direction and a big push. But I have an added incentive for all you ladies to serve grapefruit to that special guy in your life. Check out this research… Thirty-seven men and women were asked to estimate the age of a series of models in photographs while wearing masks that were infused with the various aromas and then again while wearing a regular surgical mask. When women wore the mask infused with grapefruit, they were closer to the correct age. But when guys inhaled the smell of grapefruit, it made them guess that the models were six years younger than they actually were. Hey, just wanted you to be prepared. Please, no need to thank me…all in a day’s work for the Guyatitian.

Norwegian Salmon Farms

Here’s a short video giving you a special peek inside a farm raised salmon operation in Norway. Do you eat farm raised? Wild caught? Both?

Anti-Aging Foods

Happy New You! What? Don’t Give Up Yet!

I’m not much of a resolution type of guy but I do think the process of making them is fun – as long as you don’t take them too seriously. Apparently, the rest of America has caught on to this too and its predicted that in another week or so, many “resolutions” made will no longer be taken seriously by their makers either. Unfortunately, broken resolutions are often followed by feelings of remorse, failure and dismay.

I wanted to share a few informative and motivational videos with you that may help either get back on track with your new efforts or keep you on track if you haven’t thrown in the towel yet!

The first video was made with my friends from the International Food Information Council. It’s all about helpful tips for weight management – from goal setting to choosing the best optimal foods for middle management.

The second video is actually a Livestream event that was recorded on January 5th which featured Lisa Lillien (aka Hungry Girl), Andrea Metcalf national fitness celebrity and author of the new book Naked Fitness, Douglas “Duffy” McKay, N.D. Vice President, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs for the Life Supplemented campaign, and yours truly. It was entitled the Power Hour of Wellness where we discussed the benefits of a healthy lifestyle that includes diet, exercise and appropriate use of dietary supplements. There were lots of great “resolution” tips given that may be of help to you on your new path to greater wellness. Good luck and don’t forget, you can always seek guidance here if you are struggling. And if you are being successful, I’d love to hear your story, too!!

Powerhour of Wellness

Here’s some coolio photos from the Powerhour of Wellness shoot.

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Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone!

The Guyatitian

“Food for Lovers” at Kenmore Live Studio Dec 11th!

Yes that’s me. And yes, that’s a eyeliner mustache on my lip. And no…that’s not my wife but Emily, a lovely Kenmore Live Studio employee who has a great sense of humor and helped me with the promo video you just watched. Trust me…I won’t give up my day job! 🙂

A bit on a more serious note, in my book, 101 Optimal Life Foods, I discuss the real health challenges that many of my patients are experiencing that get in the way of “living”. Most of those challenges may be considered “quality of life” challenges but in fact can be an “early warning detection system” for bigger troubles a-brewing!

Many of the guys I see who experience erectile dysfunction have the beginnings of heart disease. Many women I see who are having trouble getting pregnant have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) which is also linked to life-threatening metabolic syndrome and heart disease. So as I say in this video, “What’s good for the heart is good for every other part!” Choosing the right foods along with physical activity and proper rest can help treat these problems WITHOUT medications!

Come join me at Kenmore Live Studio located at 678 N Wells Street in Chicago on December 11th at 7pm for a fun evening filled with tasty tips and facts on how to bring romance back into your relationships and fix the plumbing at the same time. It’s FREE!! No reservations needed but come early to grab a good seat. Here’s one of the recipes I will be preparing and serving that evening. Enjoy and hope to see you there!

Rosemary Nuts

Featured in 101 Optimal Life Foods

Servings: 28-30 portions (approx 1/4 cup portions)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. assorted nuts, roasted; but not salted
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary needles; finely chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/3 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted

Directions:

Pour nuts one-layer thick on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 oven for 14 minutes.

Mix all other ingredients into the melted butter in a bowl big enough to hold the nuts, and keep warm.  Nuts should also be warm when they are added to the butter mixture. Gently re-heat either one until if they cool before combining.

Pour warm nuts into the bowl, and with two wooden spoons, mix thoroughly, coating nuts with the butter.  Let the nuts dry and cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Nutrition Profile

290 Calories, 16g Fat, 2.5g Sat Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 260 mg Sodium, 7g Carbs, 3g Fiber, 5g Protein

Barbie, Ken and Tot on a Pecan Harvest Tour

It’s national Georgia Pecan Month and what better way to celebrate than by joining Barbie, Ken and Tot on a pecan harvest tour at Lane Orchards in Fort Valley Georgia. Enjoy and nosh on a bag of Georgia Pecans while you watch!

Barbie, Ken and Tot on a Georgia Pecan Tour