Click on the title for the recipe...
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
6.18.2011
Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread
Click on the title for the recipe...
4.16.2011
How the Word “Organic” Tricks You
The “certified organic” label means more than pesticide-free produce: It may make you underestimate the calories in that food, a new Cornell University study finds.
In the study, subjects were asked to guess the calories in two sets of cookies, yogurt, and chips—one labeled organic, the other as regular. Although all the products were actually organic, participants estimated that the “organic” cookie contained an average of 161 calories versus 216 calories in the “non-organic” cookie. They also rated the organic cookie as more nutritious.
“There seems to be a widespread perception that the term organic is closely associated with the term healthy—despite the fact that the term organic refers to a method of production rather than the actual nutritional content of the food,” says Jenny Wan-chen Lee, a Cornell University graduate student who completed the study as part of her master’s thesis research. (Related from MensHealth.com: The State of the Organic Union.)
The finding shows that organic foods fall under a “health halo”—a phenomenon where the “presence of a supposedly healthy food within a meal leads people to misjudge their entire meal as being healthier,” Lee says. Clouded by this health halo, you’ll be more likely to underestimate calories consumed, overeat, and derail the 6-pack abs you’ve been working on.
For example, if you order a Subway sandwich—which is thought of as healthier than a McDonald’s Big Mac—you may be more inclined to order chips or a cookie. Ultimately, you’ll eat more calories than you would have done had you merely ordered the Big Mac without any sides, Lee explains.
In a previous series of four studies on the health halo effect, people estimated sandwiches and burgers contained up to 35 percent fewer calories when they came from restaurants claiming to be healthy compared to when they came from restaurants not making this claim, found Pierre Chandon, Ph.D., a professor at INSEAD business school, and Brian Wansink Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. In fact, one of the studies found that when shown sandwiches with the same number of calories from McDonald’s and Subway, people guessed the McDonald’s sandwich had an extra 151 calories.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go organic. (Here’s how eating organic can boost your metabolism). Rather, it’s a caution not to overindulge—“organic” doesn’t mean low-calorie. “The first step to avoiding the health halo is just knowing it exists. Realize that you might underestimate the calories in healthy foods, so always check the nutrition label for the real facts,” Lee says.
If you’re looking to lose weight, cutting calories is only part of the equation. Read these other 9 Weight-Loss Rules that Work.
—Bari Lieberman
Magnificent Mac and Cheese
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- 1 lb fusilli, cavatappi, or elbow macaroni
- 1 qt milk
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 12 oz Gruyére, grated
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 lb fresh tomatoes, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs (made from 5 slices white bread, pulsed in a food processor)
Step 1
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drizzle the oil into the boiling water, add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions. Drain well.
Step 2
- Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but do not allow it to boil. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour all at once. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Whisk in the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked pasta and stir well. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Step 3
- Arrange the tomato slices on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; toss with the fresh breadcrumbs to coat evenly, and sprinkle all over the top of the casserole. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the pasta is browned on top. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
The Freshest Margarita
Recipe:
2 oz Milagro Silver Tequila
6 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 or 1 oz of raw organic agave (depending on desired sweetness)
Instructions:
Shake. Strain over ice. Should be sharp, crisp and tart.
Recipe courtesy of Los Feliz, 109 Ludlow St., New York City.
4.14.2011
9.27.2010
Avoiding the Afternoon Crash Without Caffeine, Taurine, or Quercetin
Start at Breakfast
Eat the wrong thing, like sugary cereals, and your insulin spikes, then crashes, causing lethargy. A 10-ounce bowl of oatmeal with walnuts gives the right amount of carbs to get you going.
Snack Intelligently
A few hours after breakfast, you’ll start to feel hungry again. Reach for whole-wheat crackers with natural peanut butter. These foods contain nutrients that metabolize slower and maintain blood-sugar levels.
Take a Speed Walk
Japanese scientists have discovered that taking a three-minute speed walk every half hour may increase oxygen flow to the brain, helping keep you more alert.
Hydrate Often
The body often mistakes thirst for hunger. Forgo more snacks and keep a glass or reusable bottle of water handy. Drink an ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight a day.
Eat a Smart Lunch
A heavy lunch makes you tired. Instead, eat grilled chicken (lean protein) and avocado (healthy fat) on whole wheat (fiber to keep you fuller longer and carry you through the afternoon).
9.23.2010
Power 12 Foods: Never Go Hungry
The Power of Food
These 12 power foods make up a large part of your diet. The more of these foods you eat, the better your body will be able to increase lean muscle mass and avoid storing fat. They have been proven to do one or more of the following:
- Builds muscle
- Helps promote weight loss
- Strengthens bone
- Lowers blood pressure
- Fights cancer
- Improves immune function
- Fights heart disease
9.22.2010
Getting Lunch to Work for You
Between fast-food joints, school-lunch programs and Chinese buffets, finding a good-for-you lunch is getting harder and harder. Want to pack healthier lunches for the whole family? It's easy -- all you need to do is a little planning. Click on the title to find out more.
So I've been making some game changing decisions in my life when it comes to eating and working out. So far so good. I'm gonna start posting some tips and recipes on the blog for anyone who is trying to do the same. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that getting in shape is a lifestyle and not so much a temporary fix.
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