Need a handy recipe for using some of that leftover turkey, veggies, and gravy? Here is a good one!

Coconut is an amazing food. The water inside a coconut is a refreshing drink. The nut meat can be cut into shreds or chunks and used in candies, puddings, trail mixes, and so on. And coconut oil has many great uses.

Coconut oil is available in several forms. Regular cheap supermarket coconut oil is probably the lowest grade. Look in health food stores for organic, expeller-pressed coconut oil. This is available in both "refined" and "unrefined" forms. Refined is better for cooking, as it can take the higher temperatures. It doesn't have a strong coconut flavor, so don't be afraid to fry eggs in it, for example. Unrefined coconut oil is better for unheated uses, such as making "raw" candy, or for cosmetic uses.

Almost everyone has heard of yogurt (or yoghurt, as it is also spelled). It is a staple of Indian cooking, and also a major ingredient in the Mediterranean diet. You encounter it almost everywhere — in smoothie stores and supermarkets — and masquerading as ice cream in places where robins bask.

But have you heard of kefir?

Kefir is one of the many types of cultured milk products found in far-flung places around the world. Unlike yogurt, which must be prepared with warm milk, kefir is made from milk at room temperature. It can even be made in the fridge. No special equipment is required, other than a few jars, a spoon, and some kefir "grains".

Did you ever see one of those cartoons where a goat eats tin cans and cardboard boxes and other trash? It was good for a laugh, but had nothing to do with reality.

Goats are capable of eating things made of paper, because of their strong digestive system. Of course they don’t eat tin cans or most of the other weird objects in the cartoons. That is pure nonsense.

What does any of this have to do with you? I’m glad you asked…

There is a new energy crisis in this country and around the world. I’m not talking about a shortage of gasoline or electricity, although those situations are serious. Right now I’m more concerned about our collective shortage of personal energy. People everywhere feel tired and sluggish. They drag through the day, and sleep fitfully. The next morning it is a repeat of the previous ones. Why is this happening?

Part of the problem of course stems from our technology. Much modern employment is sedentary — sitting at a desk all day — and there is less actual physical labor than ever before. Driving long ago replaced walking and biking. And yet, due to impossibly busy schedules, most people have little time for exercise, and even less enthusiasm for it.

If you are a food-lover and a long-time dieter, you probably know which foods are nutritious and should be eaten, and which "foods" are best avoided — left to languish at the far end of the buffet table — there to be laughed at by the fortunate few who know better.

But as you also know, there are those inevitable times when your appetite tries to take over and get what it wants, usually something sugary or fatty, and almost always unnecessary.

"I can’t fight my stomach," you cry. "It’s bigger than I am!" Well, that could be part of the problem. If you didn’t give in to it so often, it might not have gotten so big in the first place.

Hot dogs are very popular as a lunch or dinner item. They are obviously also very popular as a snack food at parks and ball games. But are they health food, or just junk food?

The answer depends greatly on what the hot dogs are made of, how they are cooked, and the toppings heaped upon them.

The worst-case scenario is a cheap, preservative-filled hot dog fried in grease, served on a white bread bun, topped with gobs of artery-clogging full-fat cheese or fatty chili sauce.

And now for the good news. Here is a way to enjoy this favorite food with little or no diet damage.

Here is a snack that you can carry with you when you go out and about. It is nutrient-dense, so portions should be small, and it is very nourishing. A little goes a long way.

Happy Trail Mix

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup dried blueberries or cherries
1 cup raisins
1 cup cocoa nibs, malt-sweetened chocolate chips, or carob chips

Mix all ingredients well.
Pack in small portions for carrying.

NOTE: In hot weather, cocoa nibs are better than chocolate chips or carob chips, because they don’t melt.

VARIATIONS
Use other types of nuts in place of, or in addition to, almonds.
Use other types of dried fruit, whole or diced.