Would fat Tuesday be happier if it wasn't quite so fat? How bout if good eating habits were encouraged early on in his life, would Fat Tuesday be Fit Tuesday? -- or maybe just Plump Tuesday?
--- I'll bet if we got Tuesday in a dim room on a comfortable couch with a therapist, Tuesday would say , while choking back tears, that it is tired of being Fat --- tired of being sloppy, and constantly smelling of beer, gin and smoky piano bars
Fat Tuesday wants to trim down and move away from Bourbon Street and maybe onto a nice open air ranch in Colorado where it can eat properly, -- a place where the bison are naturally grass fed, the chicken are free ranging, and the veggies are grown without added pollutants ---- instead of swamps requiring airboats to get around , Fat Tuesday can just ride his mountain bike around and high five the other days in the week who are cheering him on like Rocky !
In truth , the pelican state does have a bit to offer the athlete in training. I was welcomed in by the Red Stick Racing Club from Baton Rouge, and the Baton Rouge Velodrome Association a number of years ago, ------ plus participated in the fastest group ride along Lakeshore Drive on the Pontchartrain i have ever been involved in on my road bike --- I was sitting in with another trackie from Red Stick, -- managed to look down at my bike computer at one point and we were going 36 mph
Katrina devastated that part of the community (Lakeshore ) years back and i dont even know if that ride still occurs, but i remember a couple of MAsters national champs being there plus some fast local guys
Then there is the trails along the levee system --- concrete sidewalks stretch for miles and miles with no traffic - making it easy to get in a run, a walk, or bike ride away from the cars
Factor in other NEw ORleans are things like the unique architecture and the Garden District and visitors can quickly find out there is more to Louisiana than people shooting alligators out of airboats
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Justin Wilson --- the original Cookin' Cajun -- lived to a robust 87 years of age -- born in 1914 , he passed in 2001 ------ but to look at him, I don't think he had his face in a pile of fritters and dumplings 8 days a week----- for an old Cajun, he looks relatively trim
Contrast that with pics of other stereotypical Cajuns who could stand to lose a pound or two
This gent has a massive pile of food in front of him
But here's a Cajun success story --- Chef Paul Prudhomme -- heavyset his whole life, finally said "enough is enough" ---- he dropped 130 pounds --- he said it was with dietary changes and not through surgical intervention as well
Here's a more recent picture of Paul
Part of the issue with Cajun cooking is the culture of not exercising any discipline or restraint --- there's room in your diet for a lot of foods with restraint
--- but if every weekend is some sort of fest --- or your favorite restaurant's mantra is "Gonna Make You Hurt Yo-Self" ---- then that doesn't point to a lot of self discipline does it?
Here's a couple of Cajun mainstays --- Po Boy sandwiches -------- but your basically getting a loaf of spongy white bread , something fried (catfish, shrimp, crawfish tails, alligator tail , etc. - are all popular fillings) with some type of tartar sauce
Type-2 diabetes on a bun 
These are just a couple of things to stay away from --- others are Etouffe's , Remoulaide sauces, fried potatoes of almost any variety, and fried fish should be consumed in moderation
------ all of this is common sense stuff --- we know a slab of fried catfish on a small loaf of buttered French bread isn't that great a meal , right? And its usually paired with potatoes of some sort ----- this means we negate the positives of the fish by breading it, then add in a heaping amount of high glycemic carbs in the form of tater's and hoagie buns -- not to mention the mysterious awfulness the various creamy sauces are made of
So what would I suggest instead of the traditional Cajun/Creole favorites? -
Clockwise below you have :
1) grilled fish with blackened seasoning on a bed of fresh green beans,
---2) blackened shrimp skewers served with a side of greens and grilled squash
3) gumbo prepared without the fat laden roux and with chicken instead of boudain sausage (also good with shrimp) -
4) lightly battered catfish and shrimp - rubbed with blackened seasoning, then baked, not fried -- served with asparagus
In truth --- Fat Tuesday is only one day out of the year --- and part of a once a year celebration --- if you engineer it right , you can have a Po' Boy, or participate in a salty Crawdad boil , or have a heaping helping of saffron rice with Crawfish Etouffe' ----
---- As I have said before - a cheat day here and there is not going to kill you , and having fun on a regional holiday is part of what makes us human
--- Just be careful not to let the MArdi Gras eating style carry over into your everyday life --- and if you love Cajun food anyway ------ try some selections that are prepared a little bit healthier like I've pictured above
One good way to prepare fish is to take the same cornmeal fish fry solution and coat your fish fillet with it lightly ----- Then bake it instead of fry it
-- I recently did this with some almond meal on a big salmon fillet and it turned out great
I am not going to lie to you and say it tastes the same as fried fish, -- it doesn't -- but oftentimes the problem with fried fish is the natural flavor gets lost with the richer flavor of the fried batter
With Gumbo or Jambalaya -- like the meal above, opt for chicken or shrimp in lieu of the smoked sausage pieces, then substitute half the rice with Quinoa
-- Like I said, I wont even begin to suggest that using the substitute ingredients I suggested will make the food "better" -- Cajun food can have such rich, complex flavors that its tough to bring out with lower fat , healthier fare -- but with my suggestions, you can enjoy food with a Cajun flare as part of your regular diet , without calling it a cheat day
--but knock yourself out on Fat Tuesday for sure
So as MArdi Gras winds down to a close , I wish you all a good one ---
thanks for reading , drive safe and stay sober (well, moderately sober, it is Mardi Gras after all )
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---- Doug
_______________________________________________________________________________disclaimer: The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice. This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted
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