Books That Cook Lable Man With a Plan BOOKS THAT COOK

By KAREN SPAULDING

By Karen Spaulding

Special to The Virginian-Pilot

A VEGAN DIET that’s low in fat and sugar could be just the prescription for people with diabetes.

Dr. Neal Barnard, a Washington, D.C., nutrition researcher, has a theory: By changing their diet, not the amount consumed, people with diabetes will be able to scale back on drugs, lose weight and reduce the risks associated with the disease.

He was in Hampton Roads recently to promote his new book, “Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes (Rodale, $25.95). Assisted by local cooking instructor Linda Sutton, he offered food samples and spoke at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Norfolk and the Barnes & Noble on Virginia Beach Boulevard in Virginia Beach.

Barnard proposes a powerful menu change: vegan, low fat and low sugar. Sounds grim, but the good news is there are no limits on portions, calories or complex carbohydrates. His book suggests building meals around the “New Four Food Groups” – whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits – a guide he and his colleagues developed in 1991.

“For type 2 diabetes, our goal is to ‘clean the gum out of the locks,’ ” Barnard writes, describing the accumulation of tiny amounts of fat inside muscle cells . These fat cells “interfere with the process by which insulin opens the cell membrane to allow glucose to enter. You need to select foods that reverse this process.”

The book is based on his clinical research conducted with George Washington University and the University of Toronto; his most recent study was funded by the U.S. government’s National Institutes of Health. The book walks readers through the process of starting and maintaining the diet and offers accounts from people who he said have followed the diet. The findings, menus, recipes and testimonials are presented in a clear, readable style.

Barnard is an adjunct associate professor of medicine at GWU School of Medicine. He’s also president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine and good nutrition. The group also conducts clinical research studies and promotes alternatives to experimenting on animals.

Barnard said he has found a number of restaurant dishes in Hampton Roads that are compatible with the diet. Among them:

* Miso soup at Kotobuki on 21st Street in Norfolk.

* Bean burrito at Mi Hogar on Granby Street and Military Highway in Norfolk.

* Selections from the Chinese vegetarian section at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro in Virginia Beach.

* Vegan chicken marsala and vegan spaghetti with meatballs at Amalfi Ristorante on Colley Avenue in Norfolk.

Angelo Favarolo, executive chef at Amalfi, offered tips for making vegan meatballs.

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Mix equal parts of Gimme Lean! sausage with Tofurky sausage.

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Put in a food processor with salt, chopped garlic, black pepper, bread crumbs, Italian parsley and pine nuts to taste and add enough soy milk to make mixture pliable.

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Form into meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or until hot throughout.

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Reach Karen Spaulding at flavor@pilotonline.com.

Golden Mushroom Soup

Makes 6 servings.

2 onions, chopped

1 pound mushrooms, sliced (see note)

1 tablespoon paprika

11/2 teaspoons dill weed

1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

u215B teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons soy sauce or light soy sauce (see note)

1 cup water or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons unbleached flour

2 cups soymilk or rice milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons red wine (optional)

* To brown and soften the onions, heat 1/2 cup water in a large pot and add the onions. Cook over high heat, stirring often, until the onions are soft and all the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add another cup water, stir to loosen any bits of onion that have stuck to the pan, and continue cooking until most of the water has evaporated and onions begin to brown, about 3 minutes.

* Add the sliced mushrooms and spices. Lower the heat slightly, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

* Add soy sauce and stock. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

* In a separate pan, mix the olive oil and flour to form a thick paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, then whisk in the soymilk or rice milk and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until steamy and slightly thickened.

* Add the non-dairy milk mixture to the soup. Stir in the lemon juice and red wine just before serving. Preparation time: 30 minutes; cooking time: 30 minutes

* Note: Small mushrooms work best for this recipe. Light soy sauce has less salt per serving than regular soy sauce-both are fat- free and low in calories.

* Tip: Serve over toasted French bread. To round out the meal, add a tossed green salad.

From Dr. Neal Barnard.

NUTRIENTS:

* Per serving: 105 calories, 4 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, 1.5 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 337 milligrams sodium.

NOTES:

(c) 2007 Virginian – Pilot. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.