|
|
When eating at a restaurant, does your order selection make you feel like a picky eater? Or are you the person who politely orders off the menu only to find yourself having to dissect your meal until what you have left is a pea, a teaspoon of cottage cheese, and a plain quarter size hamburger? Well maybe not that drastic, but you get the picture!
Well worry no more my fellow dieters!! We've had the pleasure to met Andrew Goldstein, the owner of Good Ol' Days Café. Andrew Goldstein called our office to tell us that he had some great news to share. Of course being the curious souls that we are, we had to find out what the great news was all about!
Finding Good Ol' Days Café was simple as it is nestled between Barnes & Noble and the Old Navy store at the Arboretum. Immediately, we were struck with the ambience of a 50's style hamburger joint complete with pictures of Elvis, restaurant booths made of old car parts and large wall murals of what a city might have looked like in the 50's and early 60's.
Our curiosity peeked trying to figure out news that Good Ol' Days Café had to share with a body, mind, and spirit wellness magazine. Soon, Andrew Goldstein greeted us at the table and sat down across from us. Andrew began telling us that he had lost weight. Okay, nothing new to us, we thought, but there was energy about this guy that we just could not shake. So we continued to listen to his story…
He explained to us that he and his wife had an energetic 14 month old son who and like all 14 month old children, needed fast moving parents. Because of this, Andrew Goldstein quickly realized that he was too out of shape to truly enjoy being with his baby. In fact, Andrew Goldstein disclosed, he really wasn't feeling his best and was tired all of the time. Checking in with the doctor, Andrew Goldstein discovered that his cholesterol was 320 and he was bordering diabetes or a possible stroke! Posing questions about eating at either his restaurant or any other restaurant, Andrew Goldstein was told to eat at home!
Obviously, that information made Andrew Goldstein rethink a part of his restaurant's menu. He contacted the Mecklenburg-County Health Department and implemented the Winner's Choice Program "Where Notorious meets Delicious!"
This is a program which seeks to identify healthy menu items on a menu with their star and fork logo (see picture). Andrew Goldstein was determined to improve not only his health, but also the health of his restaurant.
As quoted right from the back of Andrew Goldstein Menu "Good Ol' Days in partnership with three registered dieticians and the Mecklenburg County Health Department worked on this special section of our menu to create a heart-healthy, eating environment. This section contains reduced sodium and low fat meals - including the cheese. We only use canola spray with is recommend by the American Heart Association."
It was the old adage you if you go on a diet the whole family goes on a diet.
In a continuation of his search for healthy eating, Andrew discovered the "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution" plan. He started this plan a year ago and in the first 6 weeks his cholesterol dropped to 200 and he lost 40 pounds! He started feeling better immediately and wanted to get the word out to as many people as he could! Andrew Goldstein's message to the world is "Anyone who wants to lose weight can with common sense!" His vehicle for getting this message across to people is through his restaurant. Andrew listens to his customers' dietary needs and he conveys the message of healing through the variety of items listed on his menu.
So now customers have a choice of choosing items from the Winner Circle Plan and/or the Atkins Diet as listed inside the Good Ol' Days menu. It's the Teal Green Square that proudly announces "Atkins followers: Here you are Low-Carb, High-Protein Choices. Menu items such as Spaghetti & Meatballs (approx 7.5 g carbs/no sugar) "Served with low-carb garlic and bert meat sauce (appros 4 g carbs/4 g sugar) or you man sub Initialing garlic butter (0 carst/0 sugar) Both are dusted with parmesan cheese and intaila season and served with a huge house salad. Okay…just in case you are curious…$8.99!
So here we are, sitting in this restaurant, listening to this story, and still wondering why all the fuss about the Atkins Diet. If this plan was so wonderful, perhaps this was something that we should look into ourselves. After thanking Andrew Goldstein for the interview and saying our goodbyes, we stopped in the bookstore and picked up a copy of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution: The Amazing No-Hunger Weigh Loss Plan that has Helped Million Lose Weight and Keep It Off. Reading his book, we learned that Robert Atkins, M.D. wrote eight best-selling books on diet and nutrition and hosted Your Health Choices on WEVD radio in New York City. He was a worldly expert on diet and nutrition; he founded & directed the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine; and he graduated from the University of Michigan and Cornell University Medical College. Sadly, Dr. Atkins recently died in April 2003 at 72 years old just nine days after sustaining a head injury caused by slipping on ice.
So it seemed that this guy knew what he was talking about. We still wanted more answers, because the diet plan seemed so simple! We began to leaf through the pages of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution and was pleasantly surprised that it seemed to be an easy read. The program is simple and in the first few paragraphs of the book Dr. Atkins explains how our metabolism affects both weight loss and weight gain. According to Dr. Atkins' it is not the fat that we place in or body, but the amount of carbohydrates.
For an updated list of the most frequently asked questions about The Atkins Diet, or to e-mail The Atkins Center directly, visit their website. For product information, visit the website or call 1-800-6-ATKINS.
Andrew has placed the Atkins Diet on his menu offerings! Now others who are on the Atkins diet can enjoy a good bite out with their friends, and your friends might even get addicted too! If you want to learn more about the low carb diet call Andrew at (704) 543-4100 between 3pm - 5pm.
| For a good sample recipe from Dr. Atkins' Book (p.363) try: | |
| Chicken Salad | |
| 2 large chicken breasts, cooked | |
| 2 large dill pickles, chopped | |
| 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped | |
| 3 scallions, trimmed, washed and chopped | |
| 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper | |
| 1/3 cup sugar-free mayonnaise | |
| 1/3 cup sour cream | |
| 2 tablespoons drained capers | |
| 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped | |
| 1/2 cup pecan halves | |
| Cut chicken meat into strips. Combine all other ingredients. Add chicken and toss well. | |
| Happy Eating! | |
Mary Beth is the owner & publisher of Higher Self Magazine. She is also a professional clairvoyant located in the Charlotte Metro Area. You can read her columns here in the pages of Higher Self Magazine or to book a personal reading you can always contact her at (704) 566-8300 or Mary Beth Wrenn.
Laura Butcher is the Higher Self Magazine's Business Manager and Account Executive. To contact her you can call her at 704 566-8899 or Higher Self Magazine.
Good Ol' Days
3551 Pineville-Matthews Rd # 300
Arboretum Shopping Center
Charlotte, NC 28226
(704) 543-4100