Johns Hopkins Magazine -- April 1998
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APRIL> 1998
CONTENTS

RETURN TO THE ABC'S OF THE RDA

VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT

AUTHOR'S NOTEBOOK

RELATED SITES

H U M A N I T I E S    A N D    T H E    A R T S

The ABC's of the RDA
Author's Notebook
By Melissa Hendricks


While having lunch recently with Hopkins' nutrition expert Benjamin Caballero, I queried the doctor about his personal food preferences. To my surprise, Caballero had toyed with the idea of ordering the pig's feet featured on the menu that day at the Johns Hopkins Hospital's Doctor's Dining Room. But he settled on the roast pork. Isn't pork loaded with fat, I asked. Caballero shook his head. Although, pound for pound, the pig has more fat than the cow, its fat and muscle tissues are generally in separate regions, while in the cow, fat and muscle intermingle (think of a marbled steak). So it is fairly easy to find a lean piece of pork.

Oh yes, said Caballero. There's one more thing about food. Many Americans are so preoccupied with calories, fat, cholesterol, calcium content, etc., that they overlook the most important thing about food: enjoying it. Relaxing, savoring tastes, and socializing during mealtimes, as well as getting adequate nutrients, benefits health. But for many people (Caballero included) mealtimes become just another timeslot for cramming in a meeting or lecture.


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