Health and Good Eats!

Do you remember the "health food nuts" of the 60s and 70s? People like Adelle Davis and Euell Gibbons?  These were health and nutrition pioneers whose anecdotal insights turned out to be prophetic.  Their theories have been largely supported by a growing body of science, and now it is a commonplace that we should eat more whole foods and fiber and avoid pesticides and food additives whenever possible. 

I remember them well!  When I was first exposed to their writings . . . and although I do remember these writers and others, I don't remember when or how I started to explore them . . . something just sounded right to me.  I began to look for more material and to read everything I could find from cover to cover.  My bible was Frances Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet, a book that combined a philosophy of health with a global ethical consciousness that inspired me.

I also remember in my enthusiasm making a whole wheat carrot cake for my first son's first birthday.  My family teased me mercilessly, but it is an often requested item nowadays.  In fact, I made that very same cake for each of my sons on their 30th birthdays, and it was a big hit!

I also shared the recipe with my grandson's parents so they could make it for him on his first birthday.  What a difference 30 years makes!  No teasing over Zachary's first birthday cake.  Everyone loved the recipe and wanted a copy.

Then there was the conversation I had with a friend who was complaining about a leg cramping issue.  We were sitting in the living room with all the kids running around the house.  I referred my friend to The Encyclopedia of Common Diseases by the Staff of Prevention Magazine (Rodale Press, 1976).  My then 6 year-old son paused in his running around to chime in, "Oh, yeah, the one that tells you to take two raisins and call in the morning if you're not better!"  Imagine -- even my six year old found my fascination with what we called "health food" a good target for his precocious humor.

Yes, things are very different now.  There have been so many discoveries, so much new and useful research.  Nutrition and whole health is one of the most exciting areas of discovery during the last thirty years, and I am proud to be the owner of a cafe that serves food that is not only good -- but good for you. 

I still like to read and think and talk about health and good food.  I am an avid cook, and I try to incorporate what I know about health into my cooking.  I don't ever want to lose the joy of eating good tasting food, and I have worked hard over the years to make food that tastes delicious to friends and family who may not share my enthusiasm for nutrition.  It gives me special pleasure when dubious non-vegetarians come into the cafe and leave filled and happy that they have enjoyed a really good meal.

I'd like to use my posts to share my ongoing thoughts and ideas about making delicious, nutritious food -- and to hear your thoughts and ideas. 

In my next three posts, I'd like to talk about three milestone "issues" in my own journey toward healthful cooking and eating: fiber, the glycemic index and food with "history".  In the meantime, happy eating.  Please visit my website, http://www.expresslyleslie.com/, or better yet, visit my cafe at 100 S. Johnson St., On the Square in Woodstock, Illinois.