The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook [Paperback]

Donald A. Gazzaniga (Author), Michael B. Fowler (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2002

Donald Gazzaniga, diagnosed with congestive heart failure, was headed for a heart transplant - the only effective medical treatment. Urged by his doctor to keep his sodium intake "under 1,500-2000 mg. a day," Don headed for the kitchen and went to work. Aware that cutting out table salt is the barest beginning of a true low-sodium diet, Don devised recipes for delicious low-sodium dishes that added up to less than 500 mg. daily, 70% lower than those in other low-sodium cookbooks. The result? Don's name has been removed from the transplant list and his doctors believe that his diet played a significant role.

The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook contains:

* Hundreds of good tasting, easy-to-make recipes
* An introduction by Dr. Sandra Barbour of the Kaiser Permanente Foundation
* Advice on finding low-sodium prepared foods, eating in restaurants, etc.
* Accurate sodium content of every ingredient and of the total servings
* A twenty-eight-day low-sodium menu planner by Dr. Jeannie Gazzaniga, Ph.D., R.D.

This book is for informational purposes only. Readers are advised to consult a physician before making any major change in diet.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even though it's a cookbook, this work reads like high drama: Gazzaniga suffered from heart failure, a condition that can in some cases necessitate a heart transplant; but because he successfully controlled his salt and sodium intake, he has restored his health. Gazzaniga realized that he'd first have to adapt his tastes and cravings to new flavors and textures. Cream, soy sauce, ketchup and commercial breads were just a few things that had to be eliminated, but as he avers, "All is not lost." Gazzaniga bakes all his own breads with a lowest-sodium baking powder, buys no-salt canned goods from the health-food store and has even found an acceptable no-salt ketchup. It may take some extra planning and shopping, but, he promises, readers will find his wide-ranging recipes (Chicken in Almond Sauce, Scampi in Wine, Snake River Carrot Salad, and Way Good Oatmeal Cookies) more than worth it. With personal flourishes and encouragement and detailed sodium-content information, Gazzaniga dishes up a cookbook that's much more creative and satisfying than its dry, even didactic, title may lead one to believe. (Jan. 12)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A congestive heart failure survivor becomes a no-salt cooking guru and proves you don't have to sacrifice flavor to cut salt. He shares his journey to better health and his favorite low-sodium recipes.  -- Marsha McCulloch, M.S., R.D., Meredith Publications, Heart Healthy Magazine, Spring, 2009.

Even though it's a cookbook, this work reads like high drama: Gazzaniga suffered from heart failure, a condition that can in some cases necessitate a heart transplant; but because he successfully controlled his salt and sodium intake, he has restored his health.  - Publishers Weekly (Jan.12)

"Gazzaniga has already received rave reviews of his 28-day meal planning guide from readers and visitors to his Web site (megaheart.com) whose improvement has seemed miraculous to them." -- Neil Miller, USC Trojan Family Magazine, winter 2001 

"Recommended for most consumer health and diet collections." Pauline Baughman, Library Journal, Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information

"With personal flourishes and encouragement and detailed sodium-content information, Gazzaniga dishes up a cookbook that's ...creative and satisfying."--Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (July 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312291647
• ISBN-13: 978-0312291648
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (123 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Diet > Low Salt

More About the Author

Donald A. Gazzaniga is a former writer, director and cinematographer for television and documentaries. He is the author of A Few Good Men, the story of the first Marines into Vietnam, and Air France One (2011), a story of the terrorists who take control of a French Concorde to ram it with a nuclear warhead into the U.S. He authored War Hawks based on interviews and experience with United States Marines who served there and from interviews with top CIA agents who were involved in the Korean War where the CIA disrupted America's battle scenes using terrorist type tactics. His latest, "Who Killed Rita Colleridge?" is a first in a series of Buck Wolfe mysteries. He is also the author of five cookbooks designed to help those who have to cut salt out of their life. Currently he manages a busy Web site at megaheart.com. He is a licensed commercial pilot, one of the USA's early skydivers, and one of the first talk show hosts in the country. He is a lifetime Master with a heavy bore rifle, and is the only photographer allowed on Mt. Rushmore since it's completion. Gazzaniga served in the USMC as an infantry officer. Gazzaniga, a native Californian, now lives in the foothills of the California Gold Country with his wife of over fifty years.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 93 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to low sodium eating November 30, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I bought this book because my husband is currently battling very high blood pressure. Within 4 days his blood pressure dropped 10-15 points, and that was only following the diet moderately. He's now 30-35 points down, eating 700 mg of sodium a day, and this book shows you how to cut the sodium even a little more.

I like this book for several reasons:

1. The recipes are ones that are palatable and that people want to eat. You cook things that you used to cook on a normal diet, just with low sodium. The recipes are for dishes that everybody would want to eat, not some weird vegan dish that only people with heart problems would eat because they have no other choice.

2. You get building block recipes as well as full dishes. Don shows you how to make different sauces that you can combine with raw ingredients such as meat and vegetables. There's also full entrees.

3. Recipes are not hard to make. You don't spent the entire day in the kitchen.

4. You get hard to find recipes. Salt free bread. Relish. Soy sauce substitute.

5. You know exactly what the nutritional value is. Don has it broken down to every last mg of sodium. Other values such as calories and cholesterol are also listed. Don also warns you about some traps like watching out for some maple syrups which have sodium.

6. Informative front sections tell you about spices, sodium value of some raw ingredients, and other basic information.

7. Active website. You can e-mail the author (...). I wrote him once and received a reply within 10 minutes. Other e-mail was answered within a day.

Things I didn't like:

1. Book contains typos/errors. Author has published an errata page on his website.

2. Author uses some substitute items which have potassium salts.... Some people watching sodium intake also can't have large amounts of potassium, so I felt it would have been better to call this out more prominently, perhaps somewhere in the front sections. The recipes which use potassium salts, however, are a small minority. I wouldn't let this prevent me from buying the book; just be aware of what ingredients you're using.

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The author has doubtless spent many hours experimenting in his kitchen and testing the results. He's already blazed a trail for you. Why not benefit from what he's already discovered? Read more ›

100 of 103 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars No Salt - Just Flavor!!! June 18, 2001

By "dutchrose"

Format:Hardcover

A great cookbook for anyone!!! Yes, I have high blood pressure & have been diagnosed as 'salt sensitive,' and my husband has had open heart surgery, so we have to be careful, but I have lost 50 pounds without giving up pizza, sticky buns, and chocolate brownies!!! This cookbook enabled me to change my lifestyle without having to redesign my cooking. The recipes in here are easy to make, taste great, and keep you in the mainstream of the food chain even though you are dealing with serious health issues. Don recommends buying a bread machine - who knew store- bought bread had so much sodium!! Anyway, I bought a bread machine , and recipes for the pitas, the breads, the pizza dough - all superb! So many of the heart healthy books do not understand that is not just the fat...many of us have to watch the salt as well. This cookbook guarantees that we do not have to give up the flavor and the fun of food.

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, My! A low-sodium cookbook with recipes that taste good! April 7, 2001

By Robin Alwine

Format:Hardcover

I'm astounded! Quite frankly, I never thought I'd be able to really enjoy the meals I made from my numerous low-sodium or otherwise "healthy" cookbooks. They were either tasteless or had plenty of (awful) flavor. No More!

Don Gazzaniga, a heart patient himself, has saved me the frustration I've experienced trying to remake good recipes into healthful ones for my husband with congestive heart failure. I have spent countless hours in the kitchen only to find that my attempt to prepare good food that's good for my husband has failed miserably. Chef Don to the rescue!

While my favorite is the Paella, there are a multitude of good-for-you recipes, gourmet and standard fare, from bread (even with bread machine recipes!) to dessert. Well-categorized and indexed, this has beome my favorite cookbook (and I have quite a few) in a very short time. I only wish there were photos, but that's the only thing I'd change. Each recipe includes the sodium counts for both the whole recipe and also Don's suggested serving sizes. He's also included, of course, other nutritional information per serving as well.

If you are looking for recipes to help protect your heart health, buy this book. If you already have a form of heart disease, buy this book RIGHT NOW. As for author Don Gazzaniga, I can't thank you enough, and I hope you're writing the next cookbook. You're a Godsend!

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Errors make recipes difficult to execute February 21, 2005

By Icon O'Clast

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book contains numerous interesting recipes in which sodium and salt are creatively avoided. HOWEVER, a significant percentage of the recipes I have tried have errors or ambiguities that make the recipes difficult to execute. Specifically, the recipe instructions are frequently inconsistent with the ingredients list. It seems clear that not all of these recipes have been verified by independent cooks working from the book. An experienced cook can probably figure out how to make the recipes work, but an inexperienced cook will be frustrated when he/she runs up against one of these problems in the middle of preparation.

Another cautionary note is that many of the recipes are rather bland. Again, an experienced cook can figure out how to spice things up, but an inexperienced cook may end up with a meal that falls short of expectations.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If you require a low-sodium diet, buy this book!! November 7, 2006

By R. Lacy

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

After being diagnosed with Meniere's Syndrome, I was told to drastically cut the sodium in my diet. Being an avid cook, I immediately started the search for a low-sodium cookbook. I tried several, but this book is, by far, the BEST low-sodium cookbook I've ever seen. Not only are Don's recipes wonderful, but his book is a fabulous resource, particularly if a low-sodium diet change is new. I recommend trying first the Incredible Chicken recipe. It's easy, flavorful - incredible! You won't believe you're eating low sodium. Even my husband found that eating low sodium with me with these recipes was not just "doable" but enjoyable! This book is a MUST HAVE for those on low-sodium diets.