John, you've already received excellent advice but to add to that, here are a few simple suggestions: 1. Eat as low on the food chain as you can. In other words, the less processed the better. So oranges are better than orange juice. Brown rice is better than white, etc. These foods provide more nutrition and more volume, helping to stave off cravings and providing greater long-term fullness and satisfaction. They'll keep your blood sugar on an even keel. 2. As already mentioned, a vegan diet can be great for health and weight-loss. Even if you don't follow it whole-heartedly, as Annie said, many of the recipes can be integrated into your diet. One book I wholeheartedly recommend is Donna Klein's The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen. This is but one of her cookbooks. It's gourmet food (not frighteningly whole-grainy or tofu-y) which draws from cuisines which historically have emphasized minimal consumption of meat and dairy. The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen. 3. For optimal health, balance your plate. This illustration shows what I mean: Does Your Plate Look Like This? 4. Finally, vary your colors. In other words, don't eat all yellow fruits for days on end (i.e. bananas and grapefruit). Throw in orange (oranges and cantaloupe), green (kiwi) etc. Same with vegetables. For some reason American diets tend to be very "narrow." We not only eat too few fruits and vegetables; we also consume too few kinds. The end result will be that you not only lose weight but feel better and have more energy (to fulfill the commands of SWMBO, LOL). Think of your diet as an opportunity to explore new foods and develop improved relationships with what you eat. If you're feeling deprived or frustrated, it's time to do something different. Carol

I travelled up the Oregon Coast not long ago. Being a sailor I was poking around some of the yacht harbors and such and found a grated area near where the fishing boats were docked. I poked around looking for things to photograph, and found a HUGE pile of fish remains with flies buzzing around and slime coming from the bottom. I asked the fisherman what the pile was being used for, since I am also a gardener I figured the remains would be used for that. He said they sell to pet food companies. I will never forget that. So - that is what I mean by junk fish. As far as human grade food - I dont mean a nice piece of filet mignon, although I am certain your dog would love that. I mean food that is not just extras body parts thrown in a heated bin and made into a soup and processed into dog food. As far as human grade food Im talking about meat which is regularly tested for pesticides, herbicides, and other contaminants. As far as high protein goes, I know from working at a vet that you add dog biscuits or something crunchy - not for the teeth of the dogs but to help them process all that meat, I know high protein diets can slow the digestive process and I also know that dogs and other wild animals supplement their diet naturally ie:BARF type diets. Even zoo's give their charges food they would not normally get in the wild, cantelope and watermelon to bears and tigers etc....Those are my concerns, that any pet get a good quality food and not junk food, and that food is tested for contaminants. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Be careful about low-carb high-protein diets. It may be okay to eat like that for a little while to lose some weight, but it is definitely not a healthy long-term diet. Carbohydrates are very important for cell activity throughout the body. The secret is to keep the blood sugar levels as steady as possible. If it is too high, the excess carbohydrates are turned into fat. If it gets too low, you won't be able to effectively burn any fat. "Good" carbs don't cause a quick raise in blood sugar levels. The glycemic index and glycemic load are definitely worth looking at. They give you a very good idea of which carbs to eat and which ones to avoid. For people who are not diabetic, I wouldn't recommend strictly counting all the carbs or indexes or calories. That would tke all the fun out of eating. Potatoes and whole wheat/grain pasta, brown rice and other not too refined products are very healthy and don't make you fat. They give you much more fiber than a high-protein diet will give you. The problem with eating too much protein is that the digestion of protein yields in large amounts of uric acid and the kidneys have to work hard to get rid of it. Animal proteins are worse than plant proteins. Too much uric acid in the blood can lead to gout. The recommendations for a well-balanced diet are 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat in regards to the total calorie intake. 40-30-30 like RoxieL states above is close to that, but a little too high in fat. The daily recommended amount of fiber is 35 gram which is quite a lot. Most people, including vegetarians, get too much protein and fat, but not enough fiber. By the way, fiber is also a carbohydrate!

It's been a cold, rainy day and I've been going through recipes.... BROCCOLI, BACON AND CHEDDAR TOSS (9 g. carb. per 1/2-cup serving) 3 c. broccoli florets 2 oz. (1/2 c.) shredded Cheddar cheese 1/3 c. raisins 1/4 c. chopped red onion DRESSING: 1/2 c. mayonnaise 2 T. sugar [could substitute non-calorie sweetener] 2 t. lemon juice Add-in: 8 slices bacon, crispy cooked, crumbled In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients. In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; mix well. Pour dressing ingredients; mix well. Pour dressing over salad; toss to combine. Just before serving, stir in bacon. Yield: Nine (1/2-cup) servings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZUCCHINI CAPONATA (I usually make 1/2 a recipe, which is still a LOT!!! I use it for a vegetarian lunch. Sometimes I'll add a sliced mozzarella cheese stick.) 3 g. carbs per 1/4-cup 1/3 c. olive or vegetable oil (I use 1 T.) 1 c. chopped onions 1/2 c. sliced celery 1/4 c. chopped yellow bell pepper 1/4 c. chopped red bell pepper 3 c. cubed zucchini 2 c. seeded, chopped tomatoes 2 T. chopped fresh basil OR 2 t. dried basil leaves 1 t. salt 1/4 t. pepper 2 T. lemon juice 1/2 c. small pitted ripe olives 2 T. capers, drained (I've never used them) Heat oil in heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and peppers. Cook and stir 5-10 minutes or until tender. Add zucchini, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium; cook 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate 8-12 hours or overnight. Serve with pita bread wedges. Yield: 4-cups. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LEMON-PEPPER VEGETABLES (If you want a whole meal add any kind of stir-fried meat.) Makes 6-servings - 5 g. carbohydrate per serving 1 c. 1/4-inch slices yellow squash (about 1-medium) (I also use frozen zucchini/squash in this recipe) 1 small red bell pepper; cut into 1/4-inch strips 1/3 c. diagonal slices celery (about one stalk) 1/3 c. 1-inch pieces green onions with tops (about 3) 1 t. vegetable oil 1 T. lemon juice 1/4 t. lemon pepper seasoning 4 oz. Chinese pea pods Cook squash, bell pepper, celery and onions in oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over med-high heat about 2-minutes, stirring frequently, until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook about 1 minute stirring frequently, until pea pods are hot. 6-servings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GLUTEN-FREE (ALSO LOW-CARB) ZUCCHINI FRITTERS Yield: 4-servings, 4-grams carbs per serving 2 med. zucchini 2 green onions 1/4 c. almond flour 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, freshly grated 2 eggs salt and pepper 2 T. coconut oil (for frying) Grate zucchini and parmesan into a bowl. Add eggs, green onions, almond flour and season with salt. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat waiting for pan to get hot. Spoon mixture into pan and fry until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STEAMED VEGETABLES WITH HERB SAUCE Yield: 6 servings; 11-grams carbohydrates 3 c. cauliflowerets (about 1#) 2 med. zucchini, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices 1 med red, green or yellow bell pepper; cut into 1/4-inch strips 1 lemon half Prepare Herb Sauce. Place steamer basket in 1/2 inch water (water should NOT touch bottom of basket). Place cauliflowerets, zucchini and bell pepper in basket. Cover tightly and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Steam about 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Arrange vegetables on plate. Squeeze lemon over vegetables. Serve with Herb Sauce. HERB SAUCE 3/4 c. plain nonfat yogurt 1 t. honey (or non-calorie sweetener of choice) 3/4 t. chopped fresh or 1/4 t. dried basil leaves 3/4 t. chopped fresh or 1/4 t. dried tarragon leaves 1/4 t. salt 1 clove garlic, crushed Dash of dried dill weed Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 2-hours but no longer than 24-hours. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZUCCHINI NACHOS 1 med. zucchini (7-8-inches long), sliced 1/8 t. onion powder 1/8 t. dried basil leaves, crushed 2 oz. (1/2-cup) shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 c. coarsely chopped pepperoni 1-2 t. grated Parmesan Cheese Microwave Directions: On medium microwave-safe plate, arrange zucchini slices. Sprinkle with onion powder and basil. Top with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and Parmesan cheese. Microwave on HIGH for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 1 serving; 7-grams carbohydrate