Nora Pouillon’s Ratatouille
- At December 07, 2010
- By Katherine
- In Recipes
- 0
excerpted from Diet Simple (2004)
Ratatouille is an authentic aromatic Provençal ragout of onions, eggplants, peppers, (zucchini) and tomatoes, stewed slowly in olive oil and flavored with garlic and fresh herbs.
Cutting up the vegetables is time consuming and that is why I like to make double or more than the amount I need and use the leftovers …
- at room temperature the next day with grilled chicken or fish.
- mixed with eggs and cheese for a Quiche Provencal.
- heated up and stirred with beaten eggs, spiced with chilis and served with sliced ham, Proscuitto, or cooked lean sausage as Piperade or Basque dish.
- reheated and used as sauce for freshly cooked pasta, garnished with feta or goat cheese, with the addition of pitted black olives if desired.
- As Minestrone, heated with vegetable or chicken stock, adding a can of drained cannelini beans and maybe a spoon of pesto on top.
The trick of a good ratatouille is not to overcook the vegetables. They have to be added one after the other, depending on the amount of time they need to cook to be just tender. Of course, Nora recommends all the vegetables be organic.
6 – 8 servings
1/2 cup olive oil (Nora doubles this)
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tablespoons garlic, minced
1-2 eggplants (2 lbs) cut into 1-inch cubes
2 peppers, red, green or yellow, cut into 1-inch squares
2 zucchini (1.5 lbs) cut into 1-inch cubes
1.5 lbs tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon thyme, minced
1/2 Tablespoon rosemary, minced
2 Tablespoon parsley or basil, minced
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until hot.
Add the onions and stew for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, then the eggplants and peppers, cover and cook slowly for 20 minutes.
Add the zucchini, cook for 5 minutes, then lastly add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes or less.
Season with salt and pepper and the minced herbs.
Calories 220
Calories from Fat 150
Total Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 15mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Soluble Fiber 1.13 g
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.14 g
Sugars 10g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 60%
Vitamin C 160%
Calcium 4%
Iron 8%
Nora Pouillon, true believer in a sustainable lifestyle, is a longtime advocate for increasing the quality and nutritional value of the food supply. She is the chef and owner one of Washington, D.C.’s most popular restaurants, “Restaurant Nora”. Featuring organic, multi-ethnic cuisine, the internationally-known Nora opened in 1979 and has been praised for its delicious, high quality food, and healthy approach to eating in publications as varied as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times Magazine, USA Today, Gourmet, Self, Vogue, and Modern Maturity. In April 1999, Nora became the first certified organic restaurant in the country which means that at least 95% of all the ingredients served in the restaurant are certified – and proving you can successfully run an upscale restaurant that is good for you and for the environment.
Goody’s Vegetable Soup
- At December 07, 2010
- By Katherine
- In Recipes
- 0
I first experienced this soup at a pot luck dinner with a group of colleagues in Les Dames d’Escoffier, a professional group of women in the food and wine fields. My fellow Dame Goody Solomon made it and when it was passed around, I was mesmerized by the soup’s delicate aroma. When I tasted it, I was surprised that a simple vegetable soup could be so delicious. The tender vegetables imparted a sweet and complex flavor. I couldn’t get enough. This was the only dish I got seconds of.
I love it and swear by it as a weight loss aid. Eat this with every meal and you’ll not only be bowled over by its flavor and look forward to every meal, you’ll see results.
10 – 12 servings
4 Quarts Defatted Chicken Stock (see Goody’s recipe for Chicken Stock)
1 Large Can of Tomatoes with Juice,
2 Parsnips,
1 Large Potato
5 Carrots
1/4 Large Cabbage
2 Stalks Celery
1 Medium peeled Onion
1/2 tsp butter or light margarine per serving (optional)
Bouquet Garni:
1 Large Clove Garlic
4 Sprigs of Fresh Parsley
2 Sprigs of Fresh Dill
Cut all of the vegetables into bite size pieces. To make the “bouquet garni,” place the garlic, parsley and dill in a cheese cloth, tie with a string. Put vegetables and bouquet garni in the chicken stock and simmer until potatoes and carrots are soft – about 40 minutes.
When serving, garnish each bowl with 1/2 tsp of butter or light margarine.
Goody Soloman is the executive editor of the Food Nutrition Health (FNH) News Service in Washington, D.C., in which she reports on government policies affecting food, nutrition and health. Her career has been multi-faceted with stints as an award-winning syndicated food columnist, a restaurant reviewer, consumer correspondent, magazine writer, television personality, book author, public speaker and teacher.
Calories 100
Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 320mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 3g 13%
Soluble Fiber 0.89 g
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.04 g
Sugars 4g
Protein 10g
Vitamin A 100%
Vitamin C 25%
Calcium 6%
Iron 15%
Analysis with 1/2 tsp butter
Calories 120
Calories from Fat 20
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 5mg
Sodium 340mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 3g 13%
Soluble Fiber 0.89 g
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.04 g
Sugars 4g
Protein 10g
Vitamin A 100%
Vitamin C 25%
Calcium 6%
Iron 15%
Blizzard Bloat
- At December 07, 2010
- By Katherine
- In Articles
- 0
Watch out for Winter Weight Gain
Have you noticed your weight creeping up this winter? Are you experiencing more cravings than usual, especially for heartier, more fattening foods? Well, take heart. You’re not the only one experiencing “blizzard bloat,” the creeping up of body fat hitting a large number of people during the winter months.
In the animal kingdom, fattening up in winter is critical for survival. Animals overeat to store enough excess fat to survive until spring. The human animal has a similar natural instinct, probably leftover from the days when food was scarce in winter and shivering in the cold caused us to burn our fat stores too quickly, leaving us too thin to survive (aaaah, those were the days!). But now, with temperature control, improved agricultural techniques and a cupcake shop on every corner, that leftover but highly frivolous instinct just causes trouble. We humans fatten up just for the fun of it!
Though these old instincts are plausible as a cause of winter weight gain, there are more complex—and controllable—causes too. The most important probably involve decreases in both sunlight, and its negative side-effects, and physical activity. Together, they can contribute to enough of a calorie imbalance to cause weight gain. Here’s how.
Sunlight. Some people are particularly susceptible to light deprivation, caused by the decrease in daylight hours during the winter. This affects the neurochemical serotonin, responsible for your mood and appetite, prompting increased food cravings and weight gain.
Physical Activity. When it’s cold outside, we’re less physically active and cut back on subtle calorie-burning activities such as short walks and light outdoor chores. These caloric expenditures may only add up to about 100 calories per day, but this translates into a 3-4 pound weight gain during the winter months.
What should you do to both improve your mood and curb your cravings?
Increase your exposure to sunlight. Bundle up and go outside to reverse the symptoms of light deprivation. You’ll feel refreshed and less bored, and your appetite may be more controllable. The amount of needed daylight varies for each individual. In general, the more the better. One hour daily in the morning, ideally at sunrise, is most helpful. If you’re not an early bird, several hours on the weekends may help make up for a lack of sun during the week. Also, try taking little walks outdoors at lunchtime or any time you can get a break during daylight hours.
Increase your activity level, even just a little. During just one exercise bout, your brain releases feel-good chemicals, called endorphins into your body. These chemicals reduce pain, increase feelings of well-being and elevate your mood. If you’re regularly active, these benefits multiply. A brisk 30-minute walk just three times a week relieves major depression just as effectively as an antidepressant in most adults, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Wear a pedometer to keep track of your activity level and to motivate you to get more (I recommend the “Omron HJ 112”).
- Increase your intake of a colorful array of fruits and vegetables. These low-cal but filling carbohydrates increase seratonin production, helping to regulate mood and appetite. They also help you feel more satisfied for fewer calories, and research shows adding them to a meal could save at least 100 calories (translating to 4 or 5 pounds during the colder months).
Some Tips:
- To lower the calories and increase the portion size of a favorite recipe, pump up the volume by adding vegetables as often as you can. This way, you can eat your usual portion for fewer calories.
- Choose fresh fruits over dried fruits or juices. For 100 calories, you could eat 1/4 cup of raisins or two cups of grapes. (You’re more likely to fill up on the grapes.)
- Start lunch or dinner with a bowl of broth-based vegetable soup or a big vegetable salad with low-calorie dressing.**
- Turn main courses into soups or salads by adding broth or vegetables.
- Try the following recipes
The Flat Abs Diet
- At December 07, 2010
- By Katherine
- In Articles, Recipes
- 0
(with recipes)
(excerpted from Katherine Tallmadge’s SHAPE Magazine article)
Just can’t get rid of your flabby belly, even though you do sit-ups and crunches until you’re ready to drop? Or maybe you’re so mortified by the condition of your fat abs that you’ve relegated your best suits, bathing suits and skinny jeans to the dark recesses of your closet.
Before you dump on (or just plain dump) your workout for not giving you killer abs, you should know the real culprit could be your diet-and even your high-stress lifestyle.
When it comes to going from fat to flatter abs, new research shows that what you eat is just as important as how–or even how much– you work out. And lifestyle counts, too, because while stress doesn’t just mess with your head-it can also induce a pooch.
As a longtime weight-loss specialist, I can assure you that flat abs aren’t an impossible dream or something seen only on fitness models. In fact, I’ve helped thousands of people (myself included) whittle flabby middles into beautiful flatter bellies by combining an eating plan especially designed to decrease fat and bloating with aerobic exercise, strength training and stress management.
Following are eight strategies from the country’s leading weight loss, nutrition and stress experts, all designed to take you from fat abs to flatter abs in just four weeks, plus delicious recipes that fill you up without making you feel or look bloated. With my plan, you’ll build show-off abs that are the center of attention when you’re wearing a fitted suit, a bathing suit, a pair of skinny jeans–or nothing at all!
Tired of going undercover every summer to avoid exposing your less-than-ripped abs? From analyzing your protein needs, eating more fiber and less salt to reducing stress, the following eight strategies are all the secrets you need to build a better, bare-it belly worthy of any bathing suit. So make this the summer you finally ditch the beach shifts and baggy shorts you’ve been hiding behind.
Tip 1. Personalize Protein Intake!
When you lose weight or body fat, unfortunately, you lose muscle along with it, so even if you lose weight, you’ll still be flabbier! But new research has found that finding the right amount of protein to eat, distributing it strategically through the day, and before and after work-outs, is essential for not only effective weight loss, it’s more likely to minimize muscle loss and maximize fat loss, taking you from fatter to flatter abs. Keeping muscle stores high is critical for several reasons.
“Losing muscle decreases resting metabolic rate, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat,” says William Evans, director of the Nutrition, Metabolism, and Exercise Laboratory at the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
In addition, bone health, muscle function, muscle strength, muscle mass and immune function – all are impaired with an inadequate protein intake.
But, how much protein do you need? And, how can it be maximized to protect – and even build – muscle as you lose body fat?
In Pursuit of Protein
Although for most Americans the recommended dietary allowance of protein may be adequate, if you’re losing weight or are worried about the inevitable bone and muscle loss which accompanies aging (starting in your 30s!), consider increasing your protein.
Protein can be found in a wide range of foods. Animal protein is in seafood, dairy, meat, poultry and eggs. Vegetarian protein can be found in legumes, soy, vegetables and grains. And while it’s true that high-protein foods often bring fat and calories along as uninvited guests, it doesn’t have to be that way.
The lowest-calorie animal protein sources are the leanest. Go for seafood, poultry with no skin, lean veal cuts, pork tenderloin, lean beef cuts such as the round or tenderloin or 95 percent lean hams (less than 3 grams of fat per ounce), fat free dairy products such as skim milk, yogurt and cheeses. Soy products also provide great low-calorie options. Toss two to four ounces of lean beef, chicken or seafood or 12 ounces of spiced tofu into your salad and gain 14 to 28 grams of high-quality protein and no more than 100 to 200 calories.
How much protein do I need?
At present, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is computed using the following formula:
0.37 grams of protein per pound of ideal body weight (this usually means people are eating about 15 percent of their calories as protein). Though, this may not be enough if you’re trying to build muscle or prevent muscle loss while dieting, exercising heavily or aging.
New evidence suggests that to protect bones and muscle, to achieve flatter abs and a fitter, more muscular body, we should consume more, though the amount of protein should never be more than 35 percent of daily calories (we’re not talking Atkins Diet levels here). Balance is everything. It’s important to avoid eating too much – or too little!
Personalized Protein Formulas
If you’re trying to maintain muscle, multiply your ideal weight by 0.45 grams of protein per pound
Sample for a (ideally) 200-lb man: 200 lbs x 0.45 grams protein per pound = 90 grams protein daily (in no more than 30 gram increments per meal *see below)
Sample for a (ideally) 130-lb woman: 130 lbs x 0.45 grams protein per pound = 59 grams protein daily (in no more than 20 gram increments per meal *see below)
If you’re trying to build muscle, and you’re weight training, multiply your weight by 0.55
Sample for a (ideally) 200-lb man: 200 lbs x 0.55 grams protein per pound = 110 grams protein daily (in no more than 30 gram increments per meal *see below)
Sample for a (ideally) 130-lb woman: 130 lbs x 0.55 grams protein per pound = 72 grams protein daily (in no more than 20 gram increments per meal *see below)
If you’re a serious body-builder, multiply your ideal weight by 0.69
Sample for a (ideally) 200-lb man: 200 lbs x 0.69 grams protein per pound = 138 grams protein daily (in no more than 30 gram increments per meal *see below)
Sample for a (ideally) 130-lb woman: 130 lbs x 0.69 grams protein per pound = 90 grams protein daily (in no more than 20 gram increments per meal *see below)
How is protein most effective?
You cannot eat a large amount of protein in one meal and expect it to be effective. Protein must be distributed through the day in no more than 20 gram increments per sitting (for women) and 30 gram increments for men. A “sitting” is separated by at least two hours. Eating an amount above these levels at any one meal or snack cannot be utilized as protein in your body, so it is wasted as pure calories. To maximize the availability of protein to your muscles (and not waste it) you’ll need to distribute it more evenly through the day. For most of you, that means finding ways to eat more protein earlier in the day and less in the evening (when most of you get the lion’s share of your protein). And possibly even adding high protein foods, such as nonfat yogurt, a skim latte or even edamame (fresh soy beans) to your mid-morning and afternoon snacks.
There is also evidence that if you eat protein 30 minutes before your workout and a little immediately after, this will enhance muscle-building. But remember, don’t bother exceeding the total of 20 grams for women or 30 grams for men, unless there is at least two hours between feedings. For instance…
Women: eat 10 grams before the workout and 5 – 10 grams aferward
Men: eat 10 – 15 grams before the workout and 10 – 15 grams afterward
WHERE DO I GET PROTEIN?
8 ounces milk/yogurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 grams protein
1/2 cup cooked beans/tofu . . . . .. . . . . . 8 grams protein
1 ounce meat/fish/chicken/cheese (the leaner the meat,
the more protein and the fewer calories). . 7 grams protein
1 large egg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 7 grams protein
1/2 cup cooked or one ounce
dry (1 slice bread) grain . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 grams protein
1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw vegetables . . 2 grams protein
Tip 2. Eat more fiber
Not eating enough fiber may be a major reason people are getting fatter and flabbier, says leading fiber researcher David Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., professor of nutrition and medicine at the University of Toronto, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Food and Nutrition Board. To ditch the fat and show off firm, beautiful abs, you need to eat at least 25 grams of fiber (women) daily (38 grams for men) he says. Fiber, which is the indigestible part of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole-grain foods, helps give you flat abs for three reasons:
- The “bulk” factor Imagine a dry sponge. That’s what fiber is like. When it fills with water in your digestive tract, it makes everything move through more quickly. Not eating enough fiber causes constipation, which can make your stomach stick out and add up to five pounds more on the scale.
The “fill” factor Because high-fiber foods like fruit and vegetables add bulk to your meals without adding a lot of calories, they keep you full longer and help you lose weight, say researchers at the Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University who concluded that lowfat diets work only if they’re also high in fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods, all of which fill you up on fewer calories and less fat. Lowfat diets that are also low in fiber and high in sugar, salt and preservatives can lead to bloating and weight gain.
In a study conducted by Barbara Rolls, a professor at Pennsylvania State University and author of Volumetrics (Avon, 2000) subjects who ate vegetables with their meals consumed about 100 calories fewer without making up for the caloric deficit later. While saving 100 calories a day may not sound like much, it translates into losing 10 pounds in one year. Use just this one trick–and there goes your tummy!
The “chew” Factor The psychological “chew” factor also plays a role here. “High fiber foods require more chewing and take longer to eat,” explains Leslie Bonci, R.D., author of The American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion (Human Kinetics Press, 2002). “Because your mouth is more involved in the eating of high-fiber foods, you feel more satisfied with a high-fiber meal that provides fewer calories but tons more food than a low-fiber meal,” she says.
How to add fiber to your diet comfortably One cautionary note: It’s important to add fiber slowly but consistently to prevent side effects. “Make higher fiber choices throughout the day, don’t have all your fiber in one bunch,” says fiber expert Jenkins. “This is particularly important with ‘viscous’ fiber–a type of soluble fiber found in beans, oats, barley, and rye, which also has the benefit of lowering blood cholesterol,” he says. For best results, increase your fiber intake slowly over the course of two months and drink plenty of water to keep your food moving. Below is a 4-week guide on how to up your fiber intake from 3 to 26/38 grams without developing uncomfortable side effects. In fact, the only change you’re likely to notice is your stomach getting flatter and flatter.
4-Week Fiber-Up Guide
Week 1:
Add one to two servings of Whole Grain Cereal (adds 4 – 8 grams of fiber) as your breakfast cereal every morning. Enjoy one cup of fresh fruit on the side (adds 2 – 6 grams of fiber)
*Fiber countdown: 6 – 14 grams daily
Week 2:
For lunch, make a sandwich every day using two slices of 100 percent whole-wheat or whole rye bread instead of white bread (adds 4 – 6 grams of fiber). Add 1 cup vegetable salad on the side (adds 2 grams of fiber)
*Fiber countdown: 12 – 22 grams daily
Week 3:
For dinner, sprinkle 1/4 Cup to 1/2 cup garbanzo, pinto or black beans in a salad, soup or stew (adds 4 – 8 grams of fiber). Add 1/2 cup sautéed greens on the side (adds 2 grams of fiber)
*Fiber countdown: 21 – 26 grams daily.
(Note: To reduce discomfort and bloating, the key is to keep your fiber high consistently every day and throughout the day. You may experience gas if you’re eating a low fiber diet with the occasional high fiber food. Your body doesn’t get a chance to get used to it. If you have problems, try nonprescription products like Beano)
Week 4:
Add 2 cups or pieces of fruit as a mid-morning and afternoon snack every day (adds 4 – 12 grams of fiber).
*Fiber countdown: 25 – 38 grams daily! See how easy that was?
Tip 3. High Quality Carbohydrates
Consuming too many carbs promotes fat abs. For flatter abs, make 45-65 percent of your total daily calories carbs. Balance is the key here, so don’t go below 45 percent (You NEED at least 120 grams daily for brain functioning as carbs are the only fuel your brain uses) or above 65 percent which can lead to water retention, bloating and temporary weight gain that shows up in your middle.
When you eat carbs, they break down into glucose, which is stored as glycogen in muscle and the liver. When glycogen is stored, it carries with it four times its own weight as water, compared to no water at all for protein and fat, according to Peter Garlick, Stoneybrooke University professor of nutrition. If you eat an extremely high-carb diet or in one meal eat more carbs than usual, you’ll store excess water, experience bloating and gain temporary water weight. (This is why people who go on no to very low-carb diets lose weight so quickly. They’re really just losing water.) To avoid bloating and weight gain caused by consuming too many or the wrong kind of carbs, follow these tips:
- Fill up on fruits and vegetables These are the least bloat-promoting foods because they contain plenty of water and fewer carbs and calories for their volume.
- Avoid high-carb/empty calorie foods like fast food, snack cakes, cookies, chips, crackers, candy, etc. These foods are high in carbs, sugar and sodium, which causes bloating and weight gain, and are low in fiber and nutrients.
- Focus on balanced eating. To get flat abs, it’s essential to eat the right amount of healthy carbs-or 202 – 292 grams daily (based on eating 1,800 calories daily). For best results, eat at least three to five 4-ounce servings of veggies (15 to 25 grams of carbs); two to four 4-ounce servings of fruit (30 to 60 grams of carbs) and about 1 cup (8 ounces cooked or 2 ounces dry, the equivalent of 2 slices of bread) of whole grains per meal (90 grams per day).
- To determine how many healthy carbs you need to build flatter abs, multiply your daily calorie intake by 0.45 (if you want the lowest amount of carbs recommended) or 0.65 (if you want the highest amount recommended) then divide by 4 calories per gram. If you eat 1,800 calories daily, for example, that’s 202 – 292 grams of carbs per day Tip 4. Drink up!
Many people believe that drinking too much water will give them puffy abs, but just the opposite is true. Not drinking enough water will leave you bloated. That’s because when you get dehyrated or consume excessive salt, your body produces the hormone aldosterone. which causes your kidneys to retain sodium to restore normal blood volume. Since water naturally follows sodium, water retention increases-and you wind up with fat abs.
“Even though we associate water with being bloated, drinking more water can help to flush sodium out of the body, and that reduces the bloat,” said Jeff Hampl, Ph.D., R.D., nutrition researcher and assistant professor at Arizona State University. An easy way to tell if you’re drinking enough is by checking the color and quantity of your urine. If it’s pale yellow and high volume, you’re doing OK. If it’s dark and scant, you are probably dehydrated. And if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Follow these tips and you’ll stay hydrated and healthy:
- Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. If you are trying to lose body fat, why fill up on high calorie beverages? If you eat a lot of high water-containing foods such as fruits, vegetables and low sodium soups, you can count half the volume as water. Plus, you get the benefit of filling up with fewer calories!
- The National Academy of Sciences’ Food and Nutrition Board says you require a millileter of water for every calorie. So, to determine your water needs, simply divide your daily calorie need by 30 ml/ounce. If you need 1,800 calories daily, your water need is 60 ounces per day. Add at least 50% more water if you’re extremely active or you’re spending time in hot weather.
- · Go for cold or iced beverages rather than warm or hot ones. Choose cold liquids like plain, cold water. These empty from your stomach more quickly than warm or hot beverages because the cold temperature stimulates your intestines to contract and liquids keep moving through faster to reduce bloat.
- Avoid carbonated drinks Fizzy drinks, including soda pop and spritzers, slow down stomach emptying and increase bloating BECAUSE…. of the excess air trapped in the bubbles creates gas and slows down stomach emptying.
- Watch your intake of alcohol and caffeine Both are natural diuretics, which increase fluid loss and don’t replace your body fluids as effectively as water, juice and caffeine- and alcohol-free beverages. Because they promote dehyration, alcohol and caffeine can also fatten abs.
Tip 5. Watch the sodium!Sodium may have a bad rep, but it’s actually essential for regulating body fluids and blood pressure as well as for nerve transmission, muscle function and absorption of important nutrients. We just don’t need much for all this to happen. According to the NAS’ Food and Nutrition Board, the average person needs just 500 milligrams of sodium a day. Most of us consume five times that, or 3,000 to 6,000 milligrams per day. The consequence of all this sodium-most of which is consumed as salt and preservatives in processed foods, fast foods and restaurant foods–isn’t pretty for your abs. That’s because where sodium goes, water follows. When you eat a high-sodium meal, say, from your favorite Chinese take-out at 3,000 mg per entree, your body responds by retaining water. This results in edema and, possibly, a rise in blood pressure. Sodium’s visible traces are outlined the next day when you stand sideways in your full-length mirror: major B-L-O-A-T! Even though bloating is temporary, it’s hardly any consolation if you want to wear something fitted that day. Here’s how to keep your sodium intake at a healthy level.
- Limit salt to 1 teaspoon daily. The American Heart Association recommends you consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily-roughly 1 teaspoon of table salt- which you will get while eating natural foods through the day. That’s enough sodium to replenish your supply even if you’re working up a major sweat.
- Choose fresh, natural foods over fast foods, commercial or packaged foods Instead of ordering French fries ( 290 mgs of sodium) have a baked potato (10 mgs). Instead of a pickle (1,730 mgs), enjoy a fresh cucumber (6 mgs). Instead of store-bought tomato sauce (1/2 cups has 520 mgs), try topping your pasta with fresh, diced tomatoes (10 mgs per tomato). And beware of cured meats. Three ounces of ham packs in 1,180 mgs of sodium, compared to just 30 mgs for the same amount of roast pork. Soups are also notoriously high in sodium; some canned varieties contain more than 1,200 mgs per cup. Read labels carefully and stick with low-sodium brands like Healthy Choice. Tip 6. Eat lite at night
It never fails. If you have a heavier-than-normal evening meal or snack and weigh yourself the next morning, you’ll be up by several pounds. But as depressing as it may seem at the moment, a quick gain like that is always water weight; you simply cannot gain that much fat overnight. So if you eat lighter the following night, it may all just disappear. But eat heavily too many nights in a row and that temporary water gain becomes permanent fat gain-and fatter abs.
Evening eating is problematic for most people, as it can be related more to emotional issues than real hunger. You’re tired, lonely, bored, anxious, you want to relax, want a reward, want to party, etc. There are tons of reasons for eating too much at night which have nothing to do with hunger.
In a study conducted by C. Wayne Callaway, M.D., a former metabolic specialist in Washington, D.C., people who skipped breakfast or lunch and ate their largest meals later in the day had lower metabolisms, meaning they were burning fewer calories making it harder to lose or maintain body fat..
Some tips to get you started: ·
Evenly distribute your calories/meals throughout the day. Eat 1/3 in the morning, 1/3 at lunch and no more than 1/3 of your calories in the evening. For most people, it means doubling up their breakfast and lightening up their evening meals considerably. By staying full and energized, you’ll avoid hunger pangs, maintain an even energy flow, and make better food choices (no bingeing or craving) and enjoy the most efficient burning of calories.
Studies show people who eat proportionately more earlier in the day end up eating fewer overall calories, and that helps turn fat abs to flatter abs.
If you absolutely have to eat at night because you’re hungry, pick something low in calories, but high in protein/nutrients so it doesn’t produce a pooch in the morning! Try fruit, vegetables, or maybe a hot cup of skim milk with a dash of honey, vanilla, and/or cocoa powder. It may not be what you’re craving, but once you eat it, you’ll realize it hits the spot perfectly. You will go to bed feeling light and will wake up hungry for a nice, big breakfast – a great start to the day!
Tip 7. Reduce Stress!
How you eat and exercise is not the only thing affecting whether your abs are fat or flat. New research shows that stress triggers the hormone cortisol to turn up your appetite and deposit fat around the organs in your abdomen. This weight is associated with heart disease, diabetes and cancer. It particularly becomes a problem after the age of 30 because of the natural shift in hormones already occurring.Simple stress that goes away rapidly doesn’t cause much of a problem–think quick traffic jam. But if you’re ruminating and worrying over an issue that will not go away, this can lead to prolonged increases in your cortisol, one heck of a stress-related appetite–and fat abs. To reduce stress-related eating, try incorporating the following suggestions:
- Move it or lose it A recent study conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle showed cardiovascular exercise is especially effective in reducing midsection weight gain.
- Chill out. When you feel stress building, take a few moments to breathe deeply and regroup. Then consider some enjoyable alternatives to eating that can ease your tension. Consider taking a bubble bath, getting a massage, listening to some soft music, making a phone call to a loved one, taking a yoga class, walking around the block-whatever it takes to get out of the high stress lane and into the relaxation zone.
-
- · Listen to your body signals. If you’re hungry, eat! If you’re craving food but you’re not sure if you‘re hungry, wait a little while. You’re probably not. (Hunger is a lot like love – if you’re not sure, you’re probably not!)
- Make sure you eat enough calories To lose weight without sabotaging your metabolism or experience low metabolism bloating, keep your caloric intake as high as possible but still slightly lower than what you need to maintain your healthy weight. Never cut your calories so that you’re eating more than 250- 500 calories below the calorie level necessary to maintain your weight, according to the metabolic experts.
- Cardiovascular exercise burns body fat and calories, and improves health. Studies show that simply walking is ideal for losing belly fat. As you improve cardiovascularly, your body becomes more efficient and burns more fat with each exercise bout. I’ve found that a minimum of 4 – 5 miles per day or 10,000 steps (if you’re using a pedometer) is necessary for flatter abs and a leaner body,
- Strength training: metabolism is dependent on lean body mass so muscle-building is important to increase your metabolism permanently and keep your need for calories high, And since muscle mass naturally declines as you age (starting in your 30’s!), building muscle is essential to keeping lean. In fact, as you become stronger and use heavier weights in your workout — an indication that you‘ve gained muscle — you can eat more food because your need for calories naturally increases with muscle gain. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends strength training all of your major muscle groups twice a week.
8. The One-Two Punch: cardio and strength training
To keep your metabolism firing and flab loss consistent and predictable, regular cardiovascular activity is a must.
Katherine Tallmadge’s Favorite Stirfries
Stir Fried Shrimp and Vegetables
(excerpted from Diet Simple)
Serves 8
Shell and clean 1 lb. uncooked shrimp; dredge with a mixture of 2 T soy sauce, 1 t fresh ginger, chopped, and 1 T sherry. Heat pan, add 2 tsp oil and saute the dredged shrimp. Remove shrimp from pan.Reheat pan, add 2 tsp oil, and partly saute 1-1/2 C onions, sliced lengthwise, and 1 C celery, cut in 2-inch lengths. Add 12 water chestnuts, sliced lengthwise, 1/2 lb. (3C) fresh bean sprouts or snow peas or 1 can (1 lb) drained bean sprouts and the sauteed shrimp. Add a mixture of 1 T cornstarch and 1/2 C soup stock or water. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Serve hot over rice or vermicelli.
calories: 110, fat: 3 g, sat fat: 0, carbohydrates: 9 g, fiber: 2g, protein: 11 g
Stir Fried Pineapple Chicken
Dredge one pound of uncooked chicken meat, cut in one-inch pieces, with a mixture of 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 2 tsp cold water, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Saute 1-1/2 cups onions, 1 cup celery 10 water chestnuts, sliced lengthwise, in 1 Tbsp sesame oil for 2 minutes or less and remove from pan. Saute the dredged chicken in 2 tsp oil until brown. Add the vegetables, 4 large slices of canned pineapple, cut in wedges, and finally 4 Tbsp pineapple juice to the chicken and simmer until thoroughly heated. Serve hot over rice or vermicelli. Serves 6.
calories: 230, fat: 11g, sat fat: 2.5g, carbohydrate: 16 g, fiber: 2g, protein: 17 g
These recipes are adapted from the out of print “The Art of Chinese Cooking” by the Benedictine Sisters of Peking (Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1956)
The French Culinary Institute’s
Veal Stew with Carrots, La Boutarde
excerpted from Diet Simple
This Veal Stew is one of my favorite all time recipes. I have served it several times to guests, who most of the time ask for seconds. It’s the perfect meal for a brisk Fall or Winter day, sitting in front of the fire with a nice glass of wine and a good piece of bread. The aromas fill the house with comfort., they make you feel like your (fantasy) French grandmother is whipping something up for you and your friends in the kitchen.
This is also a very simple recipe. The preparation time is not long. But you do have to smell those wonderful aromas for an hour or two before you can take your first bite. I add at least an hour extra to the cooking time because I double the vegetables – and the herbes de Provence. I also use wine only (no water). But this is the beauty of a recipe like this. The measurements are not precise. You can cook to your own taste.
The veal rump can be found at a butcher’s or a specialty market, if you can’t find it at your grocery store. A substitute would be veal shoulder, which is typically used for veal stews, but is not as lean as the rump. If you’re on a budget, beef round is an excellent — and very lean — substitute, than the veal shoulder.
Serves 4
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil.
2 Pounds Veal Rump, well-trimmed and cut into 2” cubes
Salt and Freshly Ground White Pepper
2 Medium Carrots, cut into 1/2″ slices
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1-1/2 Cups Dry White Wine
1 Cup Water
2 Medium Very Ripe Tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence*
1 Bay Leaves
3 Small All-Purpose Potatoes, peeled and quartered
Warm the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add no more than half of the veal and sear for 3 minutes, or until the veal has evenly browned on all sides. Do not crowd the pan or scorch the meat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the veal to a Dutch oven. Continue searing the veal until all of the meat has been browned. Season with salt and pepper.
In the same saute pan over medium heat, saute the carrots and onions for 3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Reduce the heat and stir in the wine. Using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously to lift the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour into the Dutch oven. Add the water, tomatoes, herbes de Provence, and bay leaf.
Place the Dutch oven over medium heat and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for one hour. Add the potatoes and simmer for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Place an equal portion of the stew in each of 4 warm shallow soup bowls.
Chef’s Note: Herbes de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs that often includes basil, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, and others. Look for it in the spice section of your supermarket.
Per Serving:437 Calories, 12 g Total Fat, 4 g Saturated Fat, 149 mg Cholesterol
Too Many Choices! How Variety Leads to Obesity
- At December 07, 2010
- By Katherine
- In Articles
- 0
Scenario one:You’re at a party and there is one type of cookie offered – chocolate chip with walnuts. How many will you have? One? Two? Three? You’re at another party and there are eight types of cookies. How many will you have? One of each? More?
Scenario two: For your snack, you have a choice of eating apples OR a fruit salad filled with a variety of fruits like tart berries, mangoes, pineapple, sliced sweet bananas, crunchy apples and nuts. Will you eat more of the apple or the fruit salad?
A client of mine recently attended a dinner party with the clear intention of just nibbling on a few things. But by the time her evening was over, she was stuffed, what she ate seemed a blur, and the food lingered in her stomach like a rock. Her plan that evening was to eat conservatively: to taste just one of each passed hors d’oeuvre before she sat down to dinner. What she hadn’t counted on was “one of each” turned out to be five fattening little hors d’oeuvres, and that was before sitting down to a four course meal! Her experience is not unusual.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that my clients who attend a lot of receptions, parties, and restaurants have more trouble losing weight than their eat-at-home counterparts. I always assumed the problem was the fattening nature of the food or the large portions you’re more likely to get while out.
And while these may indeed be important issues, new research is indicating that the single most important factor causing excessive caloric intake may instead be: too much variety.
Variety? I’ve always been taught that variety was the spice of life – a good thing. My advice has always been that eating a variety of foods is the basis of good nutrition, and that’s been the mantra of nutrition experts through the centuries.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if one of the very things we Americans hold dear – variety and freedom of choice among the most diverse and expansive food supplies in the world – is the very thing making us fat?
The urge for dietary variety is important for health and was helpful during evolution. People who ate different types of food each day were – and are – more likely to obtain all the essential nutrients. Infants embrace variety and when presented with a large array of different healthful foods will naturally select a well-balanced diet, according to a classic study from the early 1900’s. But today, because of the wide array of unhealthy, fattening food available, our attraction to dietary variety may be getting us into trouble. The scientific evidence has been building for decades.
Animals eat more when given variety, according to several studies conducted over the past forty years. When rats are switched from regular rat chow to a variety of choices, they eat more calories, causing weight gain
Studies confirm that humans don’t react any differently than rats. More is eaten during a meal containing a variety of foods, than during a meal with just one food, even if that one food is a favorite, concluded a classic study published two decades ago in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
This study found that when people were offered different shapes or flavors, they ate more. When subjects were offered more than one shape of pasta in a bowl, for instance, they ate more than when there was just one shape in the bowl. Apparently, as you’re eating the same food, the pleasure of its taste and appearance decreases, while a different food still remains attractive. This, concluded the study, promotes consumption of a varied diet. At the time, researchers weren’t as concerned about overconsumption and didn’t know if the effect would last over time or cause weight gain.
But, given the recent concern over Americans’ expanding waistlines, the concept was recently tested. Two studies, published in 1999 and 2003 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that when people are exposed to more dietary variety and restaurants (where there is more variety by definition) over six months, overall calorie intake and body fatness increases. Interestingly, people react the same way in cultures as diverse as American and Chinese.
“Variety has an enormous passive effect on calorie intake,” says Susan B. Roberts, the study’s co-author and professor of nutrition at the Tufts University Medical School. “The higher the variety of items you are confronted with, the more most people consume without even realizing it.”
My client’s dinner experience was the perfect illustration of the concept. She ate more, simply because there was more variety. Even if she became satisfied with one course and didn’t finish it, a new flavor from the next course created excitement. Had there been fewer courses or only one type of hors d’oeuvre, she would have eaten less – and been satisfied. But because there were five types of hors d’oeuvres, she ate five! (though she was tempted to eat more of one or two, which she liked more than the others)
Today’s variety is overwhelming and usually involves an array of high fat and calorie options, which the studies showed increased body fatness. (though, vegetable variety increased leanness, but we too rarely benefit from this fact)
“Variety creates torture,” says Barry Schwartz, professor of psychology at Swarthmore College and author of “The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less” (Harper Collins, 2005). “At a buffet, people may choose everything for fear that if they only choose some things, they’ll regret their choice. Of course, taking everything guarantees you’re going to take too much.”
Schwartz and Roberts both agreed that this urge is so innate that limiting choices is the only solution to overeating and weight problems. This may be why rigid diets seem to work well – at least temporarily – no matter what type they are, or why going to a spa where choices are limited, is such a relief for some people. Roberts suggested an even more extreme measure.
“If I could move everyone in America to Senegal, an agricultural community, everyone would be thin!” says Roberts.
But minus the ability to eat by rigid, depriving – and often unhealthy – dietary rules indefinitely, luxuriate at a spa, or move to Africa, what’s a person to do?
* Serve a variety of fruits and vegetables to your family and guests, and they’ll eat more healthy foods, without being the wiser,
* Reduce the variety of fattening appetizers, side dishes, and desserts, no one will notice,
* Control the food in your environment, since you’ll tend to eat whatever is accessible. Make sure a variety of fruits, vegetables and healthy foods are more easily available,
* Eat as much variety of flavors, textures, colors and shapes at each meal – within your calorie allotment – to feel the most satisfaction with the meal,
* Before going to a restaurant, review the menu (ie, online) and make your choice ahead of time so that you’re not tempted by the fattening array of choices once you’re there,
* Always grocery shop with a list, so the variety of fattening food doesn’t suck you in.
Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
- At December 07, 2010
- By Katherine
- In Articles, Recipes
- 1
The Mediterranean Diet is widely known as one of the healthiest diets on the planet, maximizing your immune system, and significantly, lowering your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, infections, neurological diseases, cognitive decline, and more. It’s a complex diet containing many foods which contribute to its health benefits. It’s plant-based, high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fish, low-to-moderate in dairy and meat (very low in saturated – animal – fat) and the occasional glass of wine. Olive oil is the diet’s principal source of fat. There is also a high level of physical activity.
It was first observed in the 1950s by nutrition scientist, Ancel Keys, that people in Greece, southern Italy, southern France, and other countries bordering on the Mediterranean, eating their local food, experienced few nutritional problems and rarely suffered from heart disease. Since then, many studies have confirmed that this mixture of foods, we now call the Mediterranean diet, has many important properties which may help prevent not only heart disease, but certain cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and even weight gain. These benefits are caused by establish research: a reduction of oxidation, and inflammation,
While every element in the Mediterranean diet is important, eating fresh, extra-virgin olive oil may trump everything. The type of fat you eat is critical to your health. This is because fat ends up in all of your body’s cells. It acts as a cell lubricant, improves flexibility and communication between cells, and is important for cell metabolism and gene expression. If the fat you eat is saturated – solid at room temperature – as in butter or animal fat – this decreases cellular flexibility and functioning. So, following the Mediterranean diet, but eating the wrong kind of fat, could reduce your health benefits immensely.
Olive oil, the staple of the Mediterranean diet, is unique in many ways. First, it’s made from a fruit which is exposed to the elements. This exposure forces olives to synthesize antioxidants to protect themselves and concentrates the valuable nutrients in the oil, which is high in compounds called polyphenols, Vitamin E and caretenoids. Polyphenols are also found in wine, tea and cocoa and are known for protecting the heart in many ways – reducing blood clotting, lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol, raising good (HDL) cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. Vitamin E is a well-known antioxidant, which helps prevent oxidation and cellular aging and may help prevent diseases such as cancer. Caretenoids are plant compounds giving the olive its color. They’re important for your immune system, your skin, your vision, bones, reproduction, and may reduce cancer risk. Olive oil is also high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acid called Oleic acid.
To extract the oil from olives, which has been done since 3,000 B.C., it is cold pressed without heat or chemicals and this helps preserve the nutrients in the oil. Extra Virgin, the highest quality, is cold pressed only once. It maintains a certain acidity (below 0.8), which is important for its nutrient content, staying power, and superior flavor and cooking characteristics.
The stability and nutrient content of the oil depends on a variety of factors – harvesting and storage practices – but one of the most important factors I learned about in Italy was: freshness. Olive oils should be green and fruity. They should smell like fresh olives. Mediterraneans consider olive oil a seasonal food. And studies confirm that as days, weeks and months go by after harvest, the nutritional quality of the oil diminishes. “Eighteen months is currently considered to be the maximum time for keeping virgin olive oils after production,” according to the French Institute for Fats and Oils, and that’s only if harvest and storage conditions are ideal. Bruised olives, hot temperatures, oxygen, sunlight – all reduce nutrition and quality.
“Polyphenol content reduces by 40% within four months when olive oil is exposed to light,” said Armando Manni, CEO, MANNI Organic Exra-Virgin Olive Oil, at the New York University- and James Beard Foundation – sponsored conference I attended at the Villa La Pietra outside Florence, Italy last spring. “Olive oils must carry a date of harvest,” said Manni. Unfortunately, most olive oils sold in United States grocery stores don’t carry harvest dates. The rare bottle I found with a date will often be two or three years old! “Sold by” dates are not useful because some companies will make that date two or three years after harvest. Not good, according to the experts. I’ve found smaller companies will more likely carry bottles with harvest dates and I only buy olive oil from the most recent harvest – and use it up quickly!
Contrary to popular belief, eating the Mediterranean way is the most economical way to eat. It is a diet borne of poverty: the Mediterraneans ate mostly plants which were grown in their locality. This is all that they could afford and it happened to be the healthiest diet on the planet. Several studies have confirmed the cost savings of this way of living and eating:
* Researchers from the Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods Institute at Laval University studied 73 healthy women in free-living conditions for 12 weeks and found that adherence to a Mediterranean diet led to a reduction in daily dietary cost and overall caloric density concluding that increased dietary cost is NOT a barrier to the promotion and adoption of a Mediterranean diet. (Journal of Nutrition 2008;138:54-9)
* Researchers from Glasgow found that after six-weeks, a Mediterranean dietary intervention not only reduced pain and stiffness in a group of rheumatic women but presented an effective method for increasing the daily consumption of healthy foods at low cost. (Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2007;66:1239-43)
* After a cost utility analysis comparing the Mediterranean diet to a prudent Western diet over a time frame of ten years, a team from Monash University concluded that the Mediterraean diet was highly cost-effective for persons after a first acute myocardial infarction. They went on to state that replicating the Mediterranean diet intervention in other countries and health settings could substantially improve health outcomes and reduce the use of health care resources and that the Mediterranean Diet represented an important opportunity for cost-effective preventive care. (Journal of Nutrition 2006;136:1879-85)
For more information on the cost of eating healthy, see “Fit and Frugal.”
See the new Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.
“Olive oil should be in an opaque container (not clear glass) as sunlight destroys it. Store it in a cool, dark place, tightly covered after using it – away from heat and sunlight,” says Dennis Lurgio, President of Imports, LLC of Narragansett, Rhode Island (www. dellortooil.com). Mr. Lurgio imports award-winning, fresh extra-virgin Oleificio Dell’Orto Olive oil from his ancestral village in the Campagnia region of Italy. Lurgio only sells bottles from the most recent harvest, which he says will usually be in Fall or Winter – and his bottles carry the harvest dates.
“Olive oil buying is personal and taste-driven. You can’t go wrong with a Tuscan or Umbrian olive oil, which are strong and flavorful. It’s great for anything, dipping bread, salad dressing, cooking. Sicilian oils may be stronger, Ligurian oils may be lighter and better for fish,” says Bill Menard, Owner of Bella Italia, an Italian goods and gourmet foods store in Bethesda, Maryland. Menard, who is passionate about Italian food, says most of his bottles are harvest-dated, but he keeps track of harvest and bottling dates of all of his oils, knows all of his producers, who include Italian families in the olive oil business for hundreds of years.
The following is a typical Mediterranean dish…
Katherine’s White Beans with Garlic and Basil
Step-by-Step Pictorial Guide to Katherine’s White Beans with Garlic and Basil
excerpted from Diet Simple
My friends love these beans. I love these beans. They’re always a hit. Every time I serve them, I’m asked (begged) for the recipe. They taste deceptively rich and are easy to make. The garlic and abundance of fresh basil added at the end fills the house with irresistible aromas. This is a warm and satisfying dish which can be eaten in many ways. My friend David uses them as a dip (what can I say, he`s a shrink and a priest!). My (very healthy) friend Alan loves them so much he eats them for breakfast (another weirdo)! I bring them to pot lucks to serve alongside lean ham.
I love to fill a large plastic container with them in the frig, ladle a heap into a microwave-safe bowl, and heat them up for lunch along with a slice of hearty whole grain bread topped with smoked turkey, lean ham or light cheese (or all three) – and some crunchy lettuce. One of our favorite ways to eat these beans is with spicy sausage. Just slice a spicy chicken sausage of your choice into a microwave-safe bowl, smother with the beans and pop in the microwave. Together with a greens salad and a tart dressing, you’ve got a winning combination.
I usually double the recipe so I have plenty of servings during the week. Without any meat, it’ll last more than a week in the frig. Your colleagues at the office will be jealous when they smell your private bowl heating up. Let them eat cake!
4 servings:
1/2 pound dried small white (cannellini) beans, or 24 oz. canned rinsed bean
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1-1/2 Onion, Chopped
4 Garlic Cloves (more or less to taste– I double it)
1 Quart defatted Chicken Stock (2 Cups if using canned beans)
Salt to Taste
12 Oz. (3 medium) fresh or canned Tomatoes, drained, peeled and chopped
1 Large Handful of Fresh Basil
Juice from 1 Lemon (1/4 cup)
Freshly Ground Pepper
If you’re using dried white beans:
Soak the beans in one quart of water overnight or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse. Add one quart Chicken Stock (or more if you like the dish more soupy) to the beans along with one clove of garlic and 1/2 onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1-1/2 hours or until the beans are almost tender. Add more water or stock to keep moiste. Add salt to taste and finish cooking until beans are tender.
Continue with your cooked dried beans or start here if you’re using canned white beans:
Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot or casserole and saute the remaining one onion and garlic over low to medium heat for 10 or 15 minutes or until soft. Add the tomatoes, and more salt to taste and bring to a simmer. Simmer about ten minutes then add the beans with their cooking liquid and simmer 15 – 20 minutes. If you used canned beans, rinse the beans then use enough stock to keep the beans moiste while cooking. At the end of the cooking time, add the fresh basil (it will get bitter if overcooked), fresh lemon juice, and freshly ground pepper. Mix together. Then I let the beans sit at room temperature overnight to let the flavors blend before I refrigerate and heat to serve.
You can also add greens to this dish for more authentic Mediterranean flavors and nutrition.
Nutritional Information:
Calories 290
Total Fat 4.5g 7%
Saturated Fat 0.5g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 180mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 15%
Dietary Fiber 16g 63%
Soluble Fiber 4.15 g
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.21 g
Sugars 9g
Protein 19g
Vitamin A 15%
Vitamin C 60%
Calcium 15%
Iron 35%
Adapted from Mediterranean Light, by Martha Rose Shulman (Bantam Books, 1989) Mediterranean Light is one of my favorite cook books and I have been recommending it to clients for years. I know you’ll love it too.
For more recipes, buy Diet Simple: 192 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations (LifeLine Press, 2004)
Kjerstin’s Crab Cakes
- At December 07, 2010
- By Katherine
- In Recipes
- 0
MY MOTHER’S recipe for crab cakes is very light, but tastes rich. These crab cakes are versatile, too. I’ve served them for brunch alongside fried eggs and hash browns and they make a great crabcake sandwich when placed between slices of toast. You can hold the crabcake mixture in the refrigerator for up to three days and make fresh crabcakes in an instant.
Ingredients | 4 Servings | |
1 pound crab meat, fresh or canned 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 1 egg 2 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise 1 tablespoon bay seasoning |
1/2 tablespoon mustard juice of 1 lemon dash of Worchestershire sauce dash of cayenne pepper a few drops of Louisiana-style hot sauce (or Tabasco) |
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Directions |
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Per Serving | ||
calories 230 total fat 10g saturated fat 1.5g |
carbohydrate 7g dietary fiber 0g protein 26g |
Butternut Squash
- At December 06, 2010
- By Katherine
- In Articles, Recipes
- 0
By Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D.
The coming of fall is symbolized, for each of us, by different events and moments: the first turning of leaves, a bracing snap of cool air, rediscovering forgotten favorite sweaters, children returning to school, the palpable shortening of September and October days.
For me, one of the harbingers of autumn is the huge winter squashes at my local farmer’s market. Squash, technically a fruit, comes in a dazzling array of sizes, shapes and flavors. Butternut is one of the most popular, flavorful and nutritious.
Winter squashes, particularly butternut, are far superior to the summer squashes and zucchini in taste and nutrition because of their deeper color and higher carbohydrate and nutrient content. The most potent squashes are the more deeply colored varieties, especially pumpkin and butternut. Their color is provided by one of the most powerful nutrients: beta-carotene.
Characterized by a chubby bowling pin shape, a buff/beige color on the outside and a deep orange on the inside, the butternut is an exceptional source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant which converts to vitamin A in your body. Beta-carotene is critical for your immune system, your skin, your vision, bones, reproduction, and more. Studies show that people who eat foods high in beta-carotene and people with high blood levels of beta-carotene have a lower incidence of certain cancers. But you won’t get the same results with a beta-carotene supplement. Study after study has shown disappointing results with the supplements. So, only the food will do! But that’s a good thing for us squash lovers.
Apparently, each squash is a bustling little factory of nutrients and phytochemicals, the plant compounds with potent powers of healing. When acting synergistically in a food, these nutrients provide a more powerful health punch than the individual nutrients alone. Some of the most important nutrients in squash are antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and vitamin C, which are powerful substances believed to reduce inflammation, improve immune function and help prevent heart disease and cancers, among other benefits.
But there are other good reasons to eat butternut squash.
Butternut squash is also a great source of fiber (good for your gastrointestinal system), potassium (important for your heart and lowers blood pressure), vitamin C (a great antioxidant important for your skin, bones and healing), magnesium (important for muscle function, the heart, bones, blood clotting, and improves diabetes),manganese (important for metabolism and bone formation) and calcium (important for your heart and bones). And a big plus: it’s low in calories, only 82 calories in a cup (7 ounces) of baked squash cubes.
Interestingly, when you buy canned pumpkin pie filling, you are most likely buying butternut squash – not pumpkin squash, according to Molly Jahn, professor of plant breeding at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Jahn has developed one of the newer and most flavorful varieties of butternut squash, called “bugle.” The bugle, smaller than the usual butternut (3 –4 pounds rather than 4 – 5 pounds) has superior disease resistance and health.
”A healthier plant makes a tastier product,” says Jahn.
The average grocery store probably will not label the variety of butternut squash. So, I encourage you to buy from your local farmer or farmer’s market, where they are sure to know if their butternut squash is a bugle.
The darker the butternut, the more ripe and ripeness adds sweetness, flavor and superior nutrition. You can even eat the seeds of the butternut squash, but the seedcoat should be removed as it’s quite hard. There are known health benefits of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and, while butternut squash seeds haven’t specifically been studied as much as pumpkin seeds, the benefits are probably similar.
Bon Appetit!
Katherine’s Butternut Squash Soup with Curry and Ginger
About 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 Small Butternut Squash
4 Cups Water
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 Cup Chopped Sweet Onion (about 1 medium)
1 Clove Garlic, crushed (2 cloves, if you like it spicy)
1 tsp Curry Powder (2 tsp, if you like it spicy)
1 Tbsp fresh Ginger, about 2 inches, grated (2 Tbsp, if you like it spicy)
1 Cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste
Cut Butternut Squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place squash face down in baking pan with 4 cups water. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until soft when pierced by a fork.
While the squash is baking, prepare the aromatic vegetables and spices: Place the oil in a large iron skillet or soup pot on medium-high. Add onions and garlic and fry until golden. Stir in curry powder, ginger, and a pinch of salt and simmer on low for a few minutes.
When the squash has cooled to the touch, pour all the water in which the squash was cooked into the skillet and stir to scrape up the bits of aromatic vegetables and spices. Scoop out the butternut squash meat, leaving the skin, and stir into the mixture in the skillet. When room temperature, puree the vegetable and spice mixture in a blender or food processor with the broth. Better yet, just insert the Cuisinart Smart Stick (my new favorite toy) into the pan, using an up-and-down motion until ingredients are pureed…. So easy, mess-free and YUMMY!
NOTE: Adjust seasonings by adding more salt, pepper or spices, if desired. Adjust consistency by adding more water or broth. Also, any similar winter squash will work well if Butternut is not available.
The entire pot of soup makes about 6 cups and is about 500 calories.
Griffin Market* Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 10 – 12
5 lbs Butternut Squash
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Medium Onions, coarsely chopped
4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 Pinch Allspice
2 Pears, peeled, cored and chopped
2 Qts. Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds or Pecans for Garnish
Cut the butternut squash into pieces no more than one inch thick, discarding seeds. Place squash pieces in a roasting pan and bake at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes or until the squash is very soft. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan or stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, thyme and allspice and cook until the onions are light gold in color. Add the onions, thyme, and allspice and cook until the onions are light gold in color. Add the chopped pears and stock and raise the heat to bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Scoop the squash pulp from the skins and add to the pot. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Allow soup to cool for 30 minutes, remove the thyme sprigs and puree in batches in a blender on high speed until very smooth. Do not overfill the blender. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper. The amount will vary based on how much salt your stock contained. Serve immediately or cool and divide into freezer containers.
Other varieties of winter squash such as hubbard, acorn, sugar pumpkin, or delicate may be substituted. Roasting time will be shorter for the thinner walled squashes.
*Laura and Ricardo Bonino were the owners of Griffin Market in Georgetown, which is sadly now closed. They specialized in all things Italian. Ricardo and Laura met at Roberto Donna’s Galileo where Ricardo was the sommelier (hence the fine selection of wines found in Griffin) and Laura worked as a chef at Galileo’s exclusive Laboratorio (hence the delicious freshly made delicacies available, too). They now own an Italian restaurant in South Carolina!
Super Fruits & Vegetables
- At December 06, 2010
- By Katherine
- In Articles
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Every Sunday morning I rush to my Farmer’s Market (www.FreshFarmMarkets.org) to taste the latest local delicacy. It’s the highlight of my week. Lately I’ve been buying several quarts of strawberries weekly, but starting soon, I’ll have cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, plums, peaches, and more to choose from!
This is the perfect time of year to enjoy the most ripe, fresh, flavorful fruits and vegetables – as you can get just about everything you need locally. Whenever my clients make a large purchase at their Farmer’s Market, they see a nice reduction on their scale. This is because fruits and vegetables are the lowest calorie foods you can eat. But they also give you plenty of volume from their naturally high water content – and this helps you feel nice and full.
Fruits and vegetables not only help you lose weight, but improve your health dramatically.
More than 200 studies of various research designs have revealed a strong association between diets high in vegetables and fruits ( five cups daily) and a lower risk for cancer. This is why the National Cancer Institute recommends a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
The American Heart Association is also getting into the act. Its latest guidelines place more emphasis on eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, rather than on restricting fat because of fruits’ and vegetables’ influence on the prevention of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Many other health organizations, as well as the United States Department of Agriculture, are getting on the bandwagon and recommending a plant-based diet as protective against chronic diseases.
The research is clear and compelling. We‘ve known the positive statistics for decades. (Of course, our grandmothers knew them before the scientists did… and Thomas Jefferson, before that!) But scientists are just beginning to understand why fruits and vegetables prevent disease so effectively.
Apparently, each fruit and vegetable is a little factory of nutrients and chemicals — called phytochemicals — with potent powers of healing. An apple alone contains more than 150 beneficial, disease-fighting chemicals. And these are substances you can’t get from a pill. They act synergistically in the foods so the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. While an apple has only 6 mg of Vitamin C, it has 1,500 mg of Vitamin C anti-oxidant activity because of the interaction of the Vitamin C and the other nutrients in the apple.
Research has found that when some substances are added together, they boost each other and produce more than a double effect. This may explain why studies on supplements have failed to show the same health-enhancing and cancer-preventive effects as a diet high in vegetables and fruits — the whole foods..
The phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables, when eaten whole, have antioxidant effects, stimulate the immune system, enhance cancer-fighting enzymes, influence hormone metabolism positively, and even have antibacterial and antiviral effect. Phytochemicals are the compounds found in plants. (“Phyton” means “plant” in Greek.) By definition, all plants contain them. The term technically includes vitamins, minerals and fiber. But in the common usage, it has come to refer to all the other compounds in plants that our bodies have evolved uses for. Many of these compounds are potent antioxidants. Others are anti-inflammatories, and still others stimulate the body’s detoxification enzymes. You get them in sufficient quantities by eating the 5 cups of fruits and vegetables that the USDA recommends. All fruits and vegetables contain them–but the greatest concentration of beneficial phytochemicals is generally found in the most intensely colorful fruits and vegetables. (Notable exceptions would be onions, garlic and cauliflower.)
More than 900 different phytochemicals have been found in plant foods and more will be discovered. These protective plant compounds are an emerging area of nutrition and health, with new research reported every day.
Recommended book: The Color Code: A Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimum Health
Powerful Fruits and Vegetables That Hold Promise for Human Health
While eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is recommended for maximum health, there are some which we call the “superstars,” which you should try to eat daily.
1. Broccoli Family
People who regularly consume brussels sprouts, cabbage and broccoli have reduced incidence of certain cancers, especially cancer of the colon. They actually provide potent anti cancer enzymes in the body.
2. Tomatoes
Men who consumed 10 or more servings of tomato products a week had a 35% decrease in risk of prostate cancer relative to those who consumed 1.5 servings or fewer per week. This is largely attributed to “lycopene” in the tomatoes, which is also in other red fruits such as watermelon, pink grapefruit and guava. Men with lycopene levels in the top 20% had a 46% decrease in risk of heart attack compared to those in the bottom 20%. Lycopene is a potent scavenger of gene-damaging free radicals.
3. Dark Green Leafy Veggies (kale, spinach, collard greens and turnip greens)
People who consumed spinach or collard greens 2 to 4 times per week had 46% decrease in risk of age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of preventable blindness) compared to those who consume these vegetables less than once per month. This is attributed to the phytochemical “lutein” in the carotenoid family. Absorption of carotenoids in your body is increased by cooking and by the presence of fat (so cook in a little healthy olive or canola oil!)
4. Garlic
The Iowa Women’s Study found the risk of getting colon cancer was decreased by 32% in realistic periodic consumption of garlic. This is largely attributed the the “alliinase” found in garlic. Allinase is preserved in foods if garlic is crushed and allowed to stand for 10 minutes before it is cooked. This result should also be found in other “Allium” family foods: onions, leeks, chives, scallions.
5. Berries and Red/Purple Grapes
Red/Purple fruits and vegetables such as red and blue grapes, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, beets, eggplant (skin), red cabbage, red peppers, plums and red apples are loaded with powerful antioxidant called “anthocyanins.” They delay cellular aging and prevent formation of blood clots. Full of potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. In animal studies.
“In tests at Tufts University, blue foods quenched more free radicals than any other foods. Blueberries and blackberries were clear winners among fresh fruits.”
(“The Color Code: A Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimal Health” by Joseph, Nadeau and Underwood)