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4A – Daily News – Monday, October 25, 2010 Vitality & health PHILADELPHIA (MCT) — Bob Kay was not planning to reform his diet. He was just lazy. Fourteen years ago, when a live-in relationship broke up, Kay became a full-fledged bachelor. Mak- ing big meals for himself was too tedious and time- consuming, so the busy psychiatrist began feeding himself by nibbling, nosh- ing, and grazing. In short order, the practice became habitual. Today, Kay, 79, who lives in Philadelphia's Soci- ety Hill Towers, has com- pletely forsaken the con- ventional three squares a day. Instead, he eats 15 to 20 times a day, grazing and nibbling in the manner of our primordial ancestors. He eats a wide range of foods — vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, meat, and fish — and his diet is based on no particular model or principle other than eating what he likes. "I eat what primates eat," Kay says. "I eat a good deal of protein because that's what monkeys are supposed to do." Not that Kay is a mon- key or aspires to be one. Indeed, his opinion of evo- lution and how far we're removed from our putative simian roots is irrelevant. What matters is this: "I feel good," Kay says. Over the years, Kay has kept an eye open for scien- tific evidence that supports the virtue of his peculiar mode of nutrition: a study in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that nibbling reduced choles- terol; a Columbia Universi- ty study showing that a bountiful plate or table encourages overeating; a book ("Health Secrets of the Stone Age, by Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.) that pos- tulates that nibbling may inhibit a hormone (ghrelin) that drives appetite. But to Kay, who does not profess to be an expert on diet and nutrition, the most interesting and per- At 79, he nibbles and noshes his way to health At 2 p.m., perhaps some precooked fish bits, broc- coli, and another hard- boiled egg. At 5 p.m., a slice of turkey ham and a baked potato. From 8 to 10 p.m., he indulges in "serious graz- ing," snacking every 15 minutes or so on such foods as hummus, broccoli, polenta, cherry tomatoes, oranges, dried fruits (dates, prunes, raisins), seeds and nuts, and, for dessert, yogurt balls covered with chocolate liqueur, or a bit of ice cream. He spends no more than 10 minutes a day in the kitchen, he notes proudly. Other favorite foods: whitefish salad, smoked oysters, sardines, rare steak, avocados, sauerkraut, coleslaw, olives, beans, olive oil, yogurt, oatmeal, rice pudding, and choco- late-covered espresso beans or blueberries. MCT photo Bob Kay, 79, sits down with a snack of four cherry tomatoes and one boiled egg, of which he only eats the whites. suasive case study is close at hand — himself. His philosophy: "If one person survives on the nib- bling paradigm, that's all you need to know." Actually, Kay is more than surviving; he's thriv- ing. Since becoming a nib- bler, Kay has shed 25 pounds. His current weight: a trim 152 (maintained in part by four to five half- hour sessions at the gym each week). His blood pressure has also dropped significantly, and the angina that used to strike once a week now afflicts him every two months. Despite a family history of cardiovascular disease, he takes no med- ication these days, and feels the better for it. In eating frequently throughout the day, Kay is following a practice advo- cated by proponents of so- called paleo, caveman, or Stone Age diets. Many ath- letes and bodybuilders also believe in the benefits of numerous small meals rather than the convention- al Big Three. Devotees of the Body for Life program, for example, have been able to fashion spectacular- ly lean physiques in 12 weeks by eating at least six times a day. Such a routine not only suppresses crav- ings but also stabilizes blood sugar and insulin levels, factors in diabetes and the accumulation of fat. Typically, Kay begins his day about 7 a.m. with coffee, half a glass of orange juice, and a hard- boiled egg, sans yolk. At 11 a.m., he may eat a bowl of lettuce, topped with wheat germ, ketchup, or honey mustard sauce. He drinks small amounts of water, as well as green tea, milk, wine, and chocolate liqueur. Twice a week, he treats himself to two full meals, usually one at a buffet restaurant, the other at a friend's house. He tries to avoid animal fats, and in the course of a year, he'll allow himself only two servings of french fries and five slices of pizza. He is not alone. He com- pliments his lady friend for being "flexible" and becoming a nibbler as well. But the likelihood of sparking a nibbling revolu- tion, he acknowledges, is remote. Sitting down to a big meal is not just about ingesting nutrients; it's also a social rite, embedded uni- versally in human culture and tradition. On the other hand, there's what Kay calls "the happy housewife issue." "I speculate," he says with professorial gravity, "that there would be a lot more happy housewives if they didn't feel obliged to produce three square meals a day." Recycle The Warmth Yes, I can help! Who do you know that needs a coat? Yourself? Children? Grandchildren? Mother or Father? Neighbor? Homeless? Friend? Co-worker? Elderly? C ome to: Bethel Church, 625 Luther Rd., Saturday, Nov. 13th 8:00am to 12 noon Help us get the word out. Every year the Daily News associates have sponsored a warm clothing/soup kitchen giveaway. It is our way of saying “ we care about others”. Clothing, blankets and food will be available for all. Please help us pass the word to families and individuals that would benefit from this event. If you would like to donate, bring your gently used: • BLANKETS • COATS • HATS • SCARVES • WINTER CLOTHING, to the Daily News, 545 Diamond Ave. The greatest needs each year are for X-Large sizes and Children’s warm clothes. We will be accepting items until Nov.12th. We sincerely appreciate everyone’s participation. This event is open to any family or individual in need of winter clothing. THANK YOU Senia Owensby Getting the word out about Recycle The Warmth. Transporting clothes from Daily News to Bethel Church Nov. 12th. Setting up night before giveaway, Nov. 12th. Roving help during giveaway. Tearing down afterward, boxing up, cleaning up. Transporting leftover items back to Daily News. We Also Need: Clothes racks of any size Trash/Leaf - sized bags Your own unique skill or talent Name Phone # E-mail Please return this form to Senia Owensby Daily News, 545 Diamond Ave. Call 527-2151, (DailyNews), 527-2841, (home), or e-mail production@redbluffdailynews.com wowensby@clearwire.net fitness Nutrition Quiz: Baby carrots (MCT) Are baby carrots the next Justin Bieber? You know, a teen phenomenon? That might be overstating it slightly, but a group of car- rot farmers has hired a slick marketing group to promote the "snack" to kids, even going so far as packaging the carrots like junk food and producing an "extreme sport" TV ad. Thanks to the folks at the World Carrot Museum (www.carrotmuseum.com), we can pretend to be hip and quiz you on baby carrots. 1. There are two types of baby carrots, the museum says: "true" and "manufac- tured." What defines a "true" baby carrot? a) They are harvested much earlier than normal- size carrots and have a tell- tale "shoulder" on each car- rot. b) The seeds used to grow the carrots are first chemically treated to shrink sprouting capacity. c) They are planted in nonenriched soil and are given a minimum amount of hydration during grow- ing, essentially stunting their growth. 2. How are "manufac- tured" baby carrots processed? a) Standard carrots are put in an industrial shredder and reduced to pulp. Then the pulp is poured into indi- vidual cylinders, along with water, and molded by heat. b) Farmers use an indus- trial green bean cutter, shap- ing the carrots into 5-cen- timeter lengths. Then the carrots are placed into an industrial potato peeler to be shaped. c) Scientists, using hybrid gene splicing, have genetically bred a tubular carrot that grows sans skin. 3. Who was the so-called "inventor" of baby carrots? a) Aaron ("Shorty") Wagner, a farmer in Ger- many. b) Dr. Horace Wheel- wright, a horticulturist in Sweden. c) Mike Yurosek, a farmer in Newhall, Calif. 4. What was the motiva- tion for the invention of baby carrots in the 1980s? a) The inventor's chil- dren found full-size carrots too difficult to hold. b) The inventor was tired of throwing out 400 tons of carrots a day because they were too aesthetically unde- sirable (knobby or twisted). c) The inventor, a toy train enthusiast, wanted to stack the miniaturized car- rots on his railroad cars to add verisimilitude to his hobby. 5. True or false: Manu- factured baby carrots are not as nutritious as full whole carrots, because many nutri- ents are lost when the skin is peeled. How to eat healthier at a bar (MCT) With football season in full swing, many fans will head to bars for games, drinks and eats. Although most bar food is packed with fat, salt and calories, dietitians say these tips can help: Request a change in cooking style. "It might cost a buck more, but ask if anything that's on the bar list can be grilled or steamed instead of fried," recommends Lynn Earle, a reg- istered dietitian based in Norfolk, Va. Choose the right pizza crust. Go for thin crust over deep dish and especially the worst offender, cheese-stuffed crust. For toppings, go with light cheese and vegetables. Check on popcorn oil. Ideally, popcorn is air-popped or made on site with canola oil. Prepackaged brands often are full of unhealthy fats. If you're embarrassed to ask, stick with pretzels, a hot pretzel or a handful or two of peanuts. Don't assume vegetables are healthy. "Tempura," for example, means dipped in batter and deep-fried. "Steamed or raw veggies would be a better choice," Earle says. Don't load up hamburgers. A burger can be a relatively healthy pick, especially if it's made from lean ground beef and grilled, not fried. Leave off toppings such as bacon and cheese and substitute mustard for mayonnaise. Same goes for hot dogs. ANSWERS: 1: a; 2: b; 3: c; 4: b; 5: true (but a peeled full-size carrot is virtually the same as a baby carrot).