Making Ethnic Foods Safer by Dr. Donald A. Miller

One of the wonders of the modern world is that we can enjoy foods from other places and times. Books, magazines, TV shows, internet searches, community cultural events, as well as ethnic restaurants are marvelous sources of food delights.

There is only one problem with this: Many ethnic foods have their roots in ages when both mechanization and wealth were less common. Foods that meant survival to our ancestors can lead to early death for ourselves. Even dietary laws which were based on the protection of health can now cause health problems. Longer life expectancies made this discovery possible.

But curiosity and willingness to experiment can create good modifications to great recipes.

Consider these examples of outmoded concepts.

One of my nephews was training as a French Chef. He was taught that "Fat is Flavor."

Salt, once needed as a preservative, is at dangerously high levels in snack foods, canned and frozen prepared foods, and many traditional foods.

White bread and rice were favored by the wealthy as signs of their wealth. As a consequence, whole grained foods almost vanished from "modern" diets for numerous decades.

Sweetness, alcohol, and over eating became associated with celebrations and luxury, especially in eras and areas when / where hunger was more common. As a consequence, more than half of us consume too much of refined sugars, alcohol, and foods.

Spices and herbs, originally added to foods that were not edible otherwise (especially before refrigeration), are to be found in ordinary grocery stores, but far too many are packed with totally unneeded salt. In fact, wise use of spices can produce flavorful foods that are low in salt.

If you are getting enough calories every day, there is no reason that you cannot reduce the fat, salt, sugars, and alcohol in your diet and still enjoy what you eat. Even athletes and laborers, who need lots of calories, can get them from unrefined carbohydrates instead of saturated fats and refined sweeteners. Essential fatty acids can be found in plant foods and fish, as well as four legged meats.

And wise up. "Low carb" is "high dumb".

By the way, the search for good flavor has lead to the wide spread use of synthesized Mono Sodium Glutamate, MSG. Various government agencies of various countries assure us that MSG is entirely safe, but enough of us get headaches, agitation, and dizzy or spacey feelings to know that just ain't true. Good chefs do not require MSG.

So, what can we do about it?

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BIO:

Dr. Donald A. Miller is author of "Easy Health Diet" http://easyhealthdiet.com/diet.htm, "Easy Exercise All Ages" http://easyhealthdiet.com/eeaa.htm, and numerous free articles on health http://easyhealthdiet.com/articles/.
Seven of ten deaths are caused by preventable diseases.

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