Dr. Gourmet Tells Folks What to Eat

When Dr. Timothy Harlan, associate professor of clinical medicine at Tulane, writes out a prescription for blood pressure medication for one of his patients, he considers it a personal failure. He takes it personally because he is so passionate about teaching people how easy changes in their diet can make a difference in their health. His new book gives readers a six-week plan.

In his spare time, Harlan runs a website, DrGourmet.com, to help people lose weight and manage their health by adopting a healthy diet.

The book, Just Tell Me What To Eat!, tells people not only what to eat — offering recipes from the doctor who was first a chef — but also explains the health benefits of certain foods and why readers should incorporate them into their weekly meals.

“I want my patients to eat great food. I want them to be healthier. Sometimes I want them to lose weight,” Harlan says. “They can accomplish all three, and Just Tell Me What to Eat! uses these principles while at the same time helping readers understand how to make substantive change in their own lives.”

The idea for the book came about eight years ago when he was counseling a patient who was trying to lose weight. Harlan was telling her things she should try to do when the woman, who was in her late 20s, stopped him. “Just tell me what to eat,” she said. He continued talking about generic lifestyle changes when she repeated herself: “No, just tell me what to eat!” Then it clicked for the doctor: she wanted a specific meal plan to follow so she would know exactly what she needed to do to lose weight.

“That idea became the foundation of the book,” Harlan says.

Harlan will be signing copies of his books at The Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania St. in New Orleans, on Thursday (June 30) from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Taste food from the book and sip a glass of wine as you visit with other Dr. Gourmet fans.