The Villages Daily Sun

THE VILLAGES — No doubt about it, Donna Colbert is a brave woman. It takes guts to allow two experts from the American Heart Association to root through your pantry, refrigerator and freezer looking for unhealthy foods.

But Colbert, a Village of Rio Grande resident, has been eliminating bad fats, salt and sugar from the foods she and her husband, Phil, have been eating for years. It is a matter of life and death for Phil, who has diabetes, and has had more than 30 heart procedures, including a triple bypass in 2003.

Call it an affair of the heart.

“We’ve been married for 43 years, and I’d like to have another 43,” Donna said.

Changing the diet meant bucking some family traditions.

“My mom was a fantastic cook,” said Donna, who, along with her husband, grew up just outside of Atlanta. “Everything was fried. She would make all the good stuff that is bad for you. When we got married, I started cooking the same things. It was the same food Phil’s mama had been cooking, too.”

One of the first changes was hanging up the fry pan.

“I quit frying foods. That’s a big change for a southern girl,” Donna said.

That also meant favorite dishes, like boiled cabbage fried in what the Colberts call “streakolean,” salt pork with a thin ribbon of lean meat, were permanently off limits.

Donna had to learn to cook heart-healthy foods that her husband would eat and actually enjoy.

“Phil’s not a chicken person, but he’ll eat it if I spice it up,” she said. “I’ve learned to convert recipes to use low-fat ingredients.”

“Since we’ve moved to Florida, I’ve been eating more fish,” Phil said. The Colberts moved to The Villages 14 months ago. “Up there, it’s catfish. Down here they have grouper, and I like grouper.”

And while salads are a staple of the health-conscious, Phil’s daily array of medications makes that choice off limits.

“Phil is on Coumadin (a blood thinner), and the Vitamin K in some salads interferes with that,” Donna explained.

No matter how she tries, there are two favorite recipes that she hasn’t been able to make healthier.

“I make a tomato pie with lots of cheese, but I can’t find a good low-fat Monterey Jack,” Donna said. She acknowledged that she probably never would be able to modify the other dish, a cake made with six eggs, coconut, oil, sugar and vanilla wafers.

The tomato pie has been replaced with other fresh vegetables. Donna said she enjoys “experimenting” with different ways of preparing them to make them taste better.

“One thing I’ve learned is not to overcook green beans,” Donna said. “I used to cook them until they were mushy.”

Determining exactly how much fat, sodium and sugar is in the foods she buys can be a problem.

“It’s very difficult sometimes to buy groceries,” Donna said. “I wish they would change the labels. It should say, ‘milk,’ not ‘lactose,’ and ‘sugar,’ not ‘sucrose.’ Then you don’t have to get a chart or a dictionary to understand what’s in the package.”

Donna added that portion control, keeping a watch on the amount of food served, is also important. While keeping her husband’s diet in check, Donna has lost 85 pounds on the Weight Watchers diet.

So, how did her pantry stack up under inspection?

Roseanne Breckels and Sharlyne Lammers, both exercise physiologists from the National Training Center at South Lake Hospital, agreed to take a peek at the Colberts’ foodstock.

“Oh no, they’re going to find the potato chips,” Donna said in mock horror.

Breckels found something to praise immediately.

“Look at all these spices,” she said, looking at the large over-the-door rack filled with a variety of flavorings. “Spices are a good way to add flavor without adding fat and sodium.”

Breckels also approved of Donna’s choice of cooking oil, noting it did not contain any saturated fats. The whole wheat pasta also got a nod of approval.

Snacks, however, were another story.

Picking up a box of crackers, Breckels observed that they contained hydrogenated oils.

“The hydrogenated oils extend shelf life,” Breckels said, “but they contain trans fats, which are bad for the heart. A better choice would be whole grain foods.”

And while the “double grain” bread got good marks on first look, on closer inspection, Lammers found high fructose corn syrup, a sugar, which probably was added to improve flavor and extend shelf life.

“You have to be very savvy reading labels,” Lammers said, adding that new label guidelines are coming soon which should make it easier for people to figure out the contents of their purchases.

In the refrigerator, Breckels made a lesson from two types of cheese.

“See, eight little cubes of this cheese is 120 calories and 10 grams of fat, while this variety has 70 calories for a larger portion,” Breckels said. “You can have a little bit more if you watch the labels.”

Turning to the freezer, Breckels announced, “Uh-oh, I see ice cream.”

“That’s no-fat, no-sugar ice cream,” replied Donna, who added that she and Phil didn’t care for the taste.

“Sometimes, it’s OK to splurge just a little,” Breckels said. “You do have to live. Overall, you’re doing fantastic.”

Donna Riley-Lein is a reporter for the Daily Sun. She can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9255, or donna.riley-lein@thevillagesmedia.com.