Bio-Diet Won't Let Age Fool Young Dr. David J. Demko, gerontologist and editor AgeVenture News Service 06-04-03 The cost of obesity treatment weighs in at $93 billion per year. Wow. It's enough to make someone go out and write a best-seller diet book. Oops. Someone did just that. Michael F. Roizen and John La Puma, have authored a new anti-aging diet book. Even the title is a real mouthful, "Cooking the RealAge Way: Turn Back Your Biological Clock With More Than 80 Delicious and Easy Recipes". Why an anti-aging diet book? That's a no-brainer. According to the authors, 51 of the 129 factors that affect our health and youth are related to food. John La Puma, M.D., a nutritionist and professionally trained chef joins Michael Roizen, M.D. in the examination of food-related factors that can cause us to age faster than we should, and demonstrate how even small changes in food choices can slow aging. The result, 80 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert that, unlike traditional diet foods, do not taste like cardboard. Maybe that's were we get the term "box lunch". Then again, maybe not. Cooking the RealAge Way offers a bounty of healthful and scrumptious recipes that are easy to make. Recipes like Shiitake Mushroom and Asparagus Frittata with Smoked Salmon, Roasted Red Pepper and Kalamata Olive Sicilian Salad, and Pistachio Pilaf with Butternut Squash and Gingered Cranberry Sauce explode with flavor. The authors have also ensured that these delicious dishes are low in aging fats and sugar and high in Omega-3 oils, flavonoids, and antioxidants. Each recipe also provides a detailed description of that meals age-reducing benefits. Cooking the RealAge Way also features: Kitchen IQ test shows how to stock your kitchen to make yourself younger Benefits fresh produce and how to keep it fresh in your freezer Advantages of herbs and spices used in combination for special dishes Eating habit tips for better family nutrition, and how to get back on track. Culinary techniques that are easy to learn, from blanching to grilling Here's a sandwich recipe from the experts themselves. Roasted Pepper and Fresh Mozzarella Panini Preparation time: 10 minutes; Cooking time: 0 minutes 252 calories per serving, 26% from fat 4 servings Ingredients 1 (8-inch) round tomato bread or focaccia 1/4 cup olive relish, such as American Spoon brand 1 cup packed arugula (a salad green) 1/4 cup packed sliced basil leaves 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, well drained* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 to 2 jars (7 ounces each) roasted red bell peppers, as desired Instructions Using a long serrated knife, cut bread into two rounds. Spread olive relish on the cut sides of bread. Layer arugula and basil on bottom half of bread. Cut cheese into thin slices; arrange over basil. Sprinkle pepper over cheese. Drain bell peppers well. Tear into thick strips and arrange over cheese. Close sandwich with top of bread and cut into wedges. Tips: Toast the bread in a toaster oven for 2 minutes before slicing it open, just to crisp it. Toasting — especially of baked goods — almost always increases flavor. Micro waving warms bread but doesn't make it slightly crusty, as toasting does. Complete nutritional analysis is provided in the book. This is definitely a book for our times, and published just in time, too. Our nation's $93 billion obesity crisis may someday mandate healthful eating. Sound far out? Maybe so. But, cigarettes already carry a health warning, and non-smokers are offered better insurance policies. And how about that failed class-action case against the fast-food industry. Some day, when you least expect it, you just might hear these words, "You there! Step out of the Burger Barn, please. Now, put down your happy meal, slowly back away, and no one will get huge." Image and recipe credits: Cooking the RealAge Way, HarperResource, 2003, $24.95, by Michael Roizen, M.D., and John La Puma, M.D.