Published: January 05, 2008 05:25 pm            

VASICEK: Being healthy and eating out

Some people live to eat, others eat to live. I am undoubtedly and most assuredly in the first category. I love to eat.

I grew up in an Italian neighborhood, and, although almost every culture is proud of its food, no culture puts food on center stage like the Italian culture. The Italian bakery half a block from where I grew up is a case in point.

The elderly couple that owned the bakery had emigrated from Italy shortly after World War I. The owner limped from a war injury. They brought the special bread riser on the boat from Italy, keeping it going during the journey. And what bread: crusty and flaky on the outside, naturally sweet on the inside. The bread had large holes in it – live caverns turning into a mountainside. At the time I did not realize that possibly the best bread in the universe was made daily across the street.

I have always had an affinity for food. But, about a year ago, things changed for me. I had to have a stent put in an artery. Even though I had tried to watch cholesterol somewhat, now I had to take things more seriously.

In a previous article, I mentioned my problems with the cholesterol drug, Lipitor. For a while, I tried natural supplements. While the fish oil did bring up my good cholesterol about 7 points, the other nutrients did nothing to lower my bad cholesterol. So I had to start on another cholesterol medicine, Tricor. But I had the same problem again. This leaves me once again between medicines until my muscles recuperate.

Since the Mrs. has gone to work (after 24 years), I have taken over as the main cook. I love to experiment with new, heart-healthy recipes. I cut up those zucchinis and eggplants, brown that 96 percent lean ground beef, or sear those chicken breasts and fish fillets. I am having a blast; it is easy to cook low-cholesterol meals these days. Fortunately, my blood pressure is good so I do not have to watch salt.

Whether taking medicine or not, I try to watch what I eat when I dine out, too. I just had lunch at a local Subway restaurant. It is one of the few fast food establishments offering heart-healthy alternatives.

I order a turkey sub on oat bread, leave off the cheese, and load it with veggies: lots of lettuce, tomato, onions, banana peppers and jalapeños.

Nonetheless, it is hard to find restaurants that serve delicious heart-healthy food; the few restaurants that do offer heart-healthy cuisine offer alternatives that are less than delicious. And it does not need to be that way. The other week I made delicious manicotti using low-fat ricotta and forgoing the mozzarella (Italian food is particularly adaptable to low-cholesterol cooking). Replacing other oils with olive oil, avoiding cheese, substituting egg whites for eggs, and using especially lean meat is not all that hard. Of course giving up shrimp, squid and pie crust does create its limitations!

With my generation getting older (I am a “middle” Baby Boomer and now 51), my generation is fighting artery clogs big time. There is plenty of money to be made opening up a chain of heart-healthy restaurants. I cannot understand why creative entrepreneurs are so far behind the curve. So my plea to local entrepreneurs looking for their unique niche is this: Open up a heart-healthy restaurant!

Ed Vasicek is pastor of Highland Park Church and a weekly contributor to the Kokomo Tribune.

        

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