Day 2 - Analyzing the Egg; the Evils of Salt

Day 2 - Tuesday
8 am: Half a cantaloupe with blackberries and walnuts
11 am: 4 chicken tenders sauteed in canola oil with paprika, lime juice and pepper; 1 small apple

4 pm: Leftover grilled chicken breast with red onion and red/yellow peppers sauteed in canola oil

8 pm: Tilapia seasoned with lemon and lime juice, and cayenne and black pepper, then sauteed in canola oil with garlic, diced tomato, yellow peppers and scallions; steamed cauliflower and baby carrots with paprika and dill

Notes: (1) It's tricky to find a good mix of protein, fat and carbohydrate in the breakfast meal when you're limited to 6 eggs a week. That's the Paleo prescription. They quote several recent studies that showed eating one egg a day has no discernable effect on blood cholesterol level, and does not increase the risk of heart disease. So, for me - I'll do two eggs at a time, 3 times a week. The book recommends omega-3 enriched eggs for a better omega-6 to -3 balance, but I just bought a carton at Rollin Oats to the tune of $6.15. Not gonna keep that up, I assure you. The Paleo folks also assert that the high heat of a skillet or griddle increases the level of oxidized cholesterol, which can damage the cells lining your arteries and increase risk of heart disease. They recommend poaching, hard-boiling or baking. Okay ... I don't mind hard-boiling every once in a while. But I do not have time for poaching. Gonna stick with the omelettes and just keep the heat low.

(2) Notice I'm not using any salt when I cook. Chicken either featured the natural grill flavor or was sauteed with paprika, pepper and lime juice. What's the big deal about salt? Oh heavens. It's a long, tragic story. Salt = sodium + chloride. Chloride yields a what's called a "net acid load" to the kidneys when it is digested. Why is this bad? Okay - here's what's going on when you eat food -- any food. Once digested, everything reports to the kidneys as either an acid or an alkaline base. You do need both. They just need to be in balance. (Acid-producing foods include dairy, grains, meat/fish, legumes, and SALT. Alkaline-producing foods are fruits and vegetables, with fats generally being neutral.) The more acidic foods we eat, the more fruits/veggies we need to balance it out. Most Americans don't get anywhere close to the right balance. And when we don't, the body is forced to tap its own alkaline resource to stay in balance -- and that is calcium. When we eat salt, calcium is leached from our bones to neutralize the acidic chloride that winds up in the kidneys, and is then lost through urine. Over time, this contributes to bone loss and osteoporosis.

Other health problems tied to salt include aggravated asthma, high blood pressure, kidney stones, stroke and stomach cancer. But that doesn't mean we're doomed to choke down dull, flavorless food. There are plenty of spice mixes available these days without salt (Mrs. Dash makes a big line), plus you get big flavor punches by cooking with things like citrus juices, wine, garlic and onions. Experiment and enjoy!