Most people generally think there are better places to eat than at chain food restaurants, but all will agree, there are some exceptions. Cheesecake factory comes to mind.

Also as the national chains become more dominant the small operators can’t compete. This leaves fewer options for “home cooked” food.

This past week, our grandchildren were visiting, and we had the opportunity to visit some of the better one’s.

A long time favorite, and one I would highly recommend is Famous Dave’s. They’re all over the country and in my humble opinion, have the best barbeque, (aside of Wharton Texas), that I’ve ever eaten! 

The price is reasonable for what you get, the service can’t be beat and there’s a wide range of entrée’s to choose from. Don’s grade for this barbeque restaurant: A

Another national chain that I’ve only eaten once or twice in Las Vegas is the Rain Forest Café. Talk about “shtick” this one is loaded with it.

Thunder, lightening, elephants and lions roaring, etc. Kids love it. The menu is broad, the prices are relatively reasonable, and to my surprise, the food was quite good. Delicious no, but for what it was, I would recommend it, especially with small children. Don’s grade: B

Also this past month, I happened to eat at one of my local Phoenix favorites called Chelsea’s Kitchen. I like it so much I went there for my birthday to savor their short ribs of beef. The waiter recommended a wine that I’d like to pass on.

It’s called Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc. I had the 2007 at the restaurant and bought several bottles to have at home. It sells in the store, if you can find it, for about $13.00-$15.00. It’s dry, but not heavy and is flavorful. Goes well with the aforementioned beef short ribs, steak and pork tenderloin that I enjoyed tonight.

During our wedding last month, we had to have some sacramental wine for the ceremony. It’s just a few sips from a shared goblet. The Rabbi cautioned us to get a white wine as it can spill sometimes and red wine would ruin the brides dress. He also asked that we buy kosher wine.

Off I went and found a bottle for of Recanati Israeli Chardonnay. It’s a 2006 medium bodied, fresh testing semi dry to dry white wine. It cost $15.99.

It was so good, my bride and I had more than a few sips (more like gulps!) during the ceremony. I brought the rest of it into the reception to share with some friends. I have since bought a few more bottles, had it with turkey the other night and highly recommend it.

By the way, if you drink wine at home and have a partial bottle left over that you’d like to keep for a week or ten days, there is a device that comes with a rubber cork, that you put in the opened bottle. You then pump this thing over the rubber cork and it takes the air out.  It’s fast and simple and the wine keeps well in the refrigerator for a limited amount of time. Most wine stores have it.

Speaking of wine, I received an unsolicited email today from Zagat, the respected restaurant guide in North America. They were hawking 12 bottles of recommended wine for $69.99 plus another $20.00 for shipping. This comes to $7.50 a bottle, so I thought I’d try the variety of Red wine’s they offer.  A good deal?

I’ll let you know.

I cannot think of anyone I know who is not aware of how much they weigh now, weighed in the past, or want to weigh in the future.

There are very few people that I know of who are satisfied with the body they now have. Most of my contemporaries think they are too fat, in one case or two, too thin. Clothing retailers offer all sorts of options to make us look like the imagines we see in magazines or movies. We never do, but we hope/feel it gets us closer to what our vanity dictates.

Dieting programs/techniques/advice are billion dollar businesses in the US alone and no doubt elsewhere in the world as well. It’s a thriving booming industry and has been for decades.

So what to do about it? 

I’m far from being an expert, having gained about 30 pounds over the past 30 years.

I do know that as we age, our metabolism naturally slows down and if we don’t eat less, then we gain weight/fat and all the bad things that go along with it.

I’ve found that when you cut through all the hyperbole that the diet programs/foods try to sell, that they key is to consume fewer calories. Of course it helps to burn more calories as well and that’s really only accomplished by some form of exercise.

About 15 years ago, I read a book called The Zone by Barry Sears, PhD.

I found it to be fascinating and I recommend it to anyone who has interest in their physical being and lifestyle.

The message is quite simple:

1) The fewer calories you consume, compared to what you eat, dictate your weight

2) For most, consuming less food (calories) creates hunger. However, by eating a balanced diet of approximately 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 10% fat, our hunger is moderated to an extent that we eat fewer calories. We then lose weight.

3) The Zone name comes from feeling physically and mentally energized by eating properly.

One of Sears’s salient points is that consuming more than 40 or even 50% carbohydrates at any meal, makes us operate below our peak performance. It also goes to waist, hips, thighs, etc. Ever have a lunch of pasta and delicious garlic bread and maybe a glass of wine or two, and then find yourself fighting to stay awake an hour or two later? This is an extreme of what he’s talking about.

4) On this diet, you can eat the foods you like as long as you maintain the approximate 40/40/10 proportion. You’ll find yourself becoming full on eating considerably less and feeling better, in fact, feeling great afterwards.

I’m not writing this to sell this 15+-year-old book.

I am writing this to highly recommend that everyone who does not think they are operating at their peak efficiency, or who has problems with diabetes, their heart, cholesterol, or who just doesn’t feel or look as good as they feel they should all the time, will be well rewarded by following his council.

Sears says, “The most potent drugs we can take are what we eat.” He’s right.

As stated above, I’m about 30 lbs heavier than I was in my 40’s. So what has the Zone done for me?

To begin with, about 13 years ago I discovered the book and followed it to a T. I did everything it said. I consistently felt the best I probably ever had. As this diet said followers would, I lost about 1 lb./week for 3 months. At one point, I became concerned that there was something wrong with me and I was losing too much weight.

I fixed that! Cheating a little here, a little there, and before I knew it, the 12 lbs I’d lost soon became 10 then 8 and so on back up. I forgot how great I felt when I followed his advice.

So here I am, beginning my 7^th decade of life about 15 lbs or so over weight.

When I’m a good boy and eat a meal of 40/40/10 I feel great without hunger. But all too often, I’m tempted by the snack sitting around the house or the wine and the desert in a nice restaurant (can’t have both when eating a normal size portion of protein,) or yielding to the delicious bread put on the table when I sit down at the table.

As the Lords Prayer says in part, (and that guy knew of which the was talking) “lead us not unto temptation.” Well, the author never heard of the Zone diet, or better to say lifestyle, but whoever wrote that prayer knew that humans, to varying degree’s, are too often short on will power.

I’ve also learned from the book that eating certain foods at certain times of the day are a habit. Our taste preferences are a habit as well. Too often we eat without thinking about what we are putting in our mouths.

I’m going to renew my efforts to get back In the Zone and see if my will can over come the power of temptation!