Tips from gaining health

As I continue to watch the BBC series "Supersize Vs. Superskinny" on Youtube, I keep finding bits of inspiration and ideas that I think might help me to reshape my thinking about the subject of food, eating, fasting, and losing weight.

Clearly I have beliefs about how and what I eat that seem to work against me rather than for me. It all still boils down to "if you want to lose weight, you have to eat less"  but eating "more" is a hard habit to break.

One of the things that I have noticed about the two polar opposites between the supersized and the superskinny is that neither one is sane about food. The one seems to be focused on continually eating and the other is focused on continually not eating. One gets by on as much as they can humanly consume and the other gets by on as little.

They both seem to indulge in what they like. There are as many of the skinnies eating junk food and chocolate bars as there are fatties. It is just that the skinnies eat one chocolate bar and call that a meal, whereas the fatties, eat a whole bag of chocolates as dessert after a large meal.

It really is all about portions. Imagine eating chocolate for breakfast every single day of your life and being skinny. Some of them do that. The problem is that for the rest of the day they dont eat regular meals. Some of these adults eat child sized portions when they do eat, and then drink energy drinks or whatever they are hooked on, even cola, instead of meals for the rest of the day. One busy young man drank four glasses of orange juice for his evening meal, every day. It seems that about every three days or so the skinnies might eat what could be called a meal and often it is the same exact meal every time they eat. They are not hooked on variety or the tastes or textures of food, except that some of them are super picky and there are a lot of things they wont eat because they are unappealing to them in some way.

It seems like an odd phenomenon to this supersizer. Clearly both of these groups of people operate within a set of beliefs that they have somehow created for themselves.

Another thing Ive noticed as I have been fasting is about water. Ive learned to drink water when I get the feeling of hunger while Im fasting. I have no qualms about drinking water often to quench my desire for food. And it helps.

As I put these things together in my head Ive come up with the idea of how our hunter gatherer ancestors may have related to their environment in ways that I had not considered before.

We need air all the time and under normal conditions we have no worries about that. It is always there and we dont think about it. It was the same for our ancestors.

I always thought that the next two things that are needed for survival were food and water, but I am beginning to think I may have that backwards. I think it should be water and food. I think it is clear that we can go for weeks on end without food, if we have to and we remain alive, although this is surely not desirable or easy. Thinking about people lost in a desert in the movies they seem to only be able to go without water for about 3 or 4 days before collapsing.

Our ancestors often settled down wherever there was fresh clean water available so the air and water were free. It was the food that we had to work for. Whether it was hunting or gathering you had to go out and find the food. That is why the "invention" of agriculture allowed civilizations to settle down and grow up. If you have to hunt for the food every day you dont expect to get three big meals a day. I think "three square meals" may be a modern invention and that how we are meant to eat is small portions for a few days and then a big portion -- you know, the day they caught a water buffalo and had a feast!!

So when considered in that fashion, it makes sense to think that drinking water is higher on the priority list which is: 1 air, 2 water, 3 food. (Im not concerned with shelter or anything else for this discussion.) It seems it may have been much easier to go to the near by stream and get a bucket of water than to traipse around looking for berries and bunnies whenever you got that "I want something feeling."

Using both my experience from fasting, and what Ive observed in the "skinnies," drinking water during an intermittent fast is not only essential to health, it makes perfect sense that it is a natural "substitute" for food. I call it "substitute" based on my life long belief that that feeling meant I was hungry. Ive mentioned before that I still cannot tell the difference between hunger and thirst. We respond to those feelings based on our beliefs.

I think the thing that seems hardest for me to do is to reduce my portion size. I have always been what I thought of as "a big eater." This was brought home to me tonight when Dr Jessen said to one of the very slender women who wanted desperately to put weight on, that she needed to stop eating child-sized portions and start eating lady-sized portions. I had never heard it called that before, but I knew immediately that I needed to stop eating big and start eating like a lady. LOL I just heard that tonight.

That is why fasting appeals to me. It lets me still eat "big" every other day or so.

I have actually been working on portions but I still seem to want to dabble in big more often than Im beginning to believe I should. I have reduced my plate size but I most often eat out of a bowl. I have always perred and deep bowl to a shallow one for a couple of reasons. The first one being it holds more. The second being it is easier to control the food in the bowl if it has high sides. I always eat my scrambled eggs in a bowl with a spoon. It just makes better sense to me.

I thought it was funny when a friend looked down her nose at my offer of a bowl and spoon when I fed her scrambled eggs at my house. She insisted on a plate and fork and I could tell by her demeaner that she thought I was really stupid. I actually thought she was just stuck in her ways! It is so much easier to scoop them with a spoon and get every last bit, than to try to stab something with a fork that always gets away or falls off or breaks apart. I dont really care what others think about this, I still per the spoon for floppy food. It just makes more sense to me.

Anyway Ive been resisting the shallow bowl idea because I just dont like them. I have been picturing the contents of the deep bowl as prettier if it sits in the bottom of the bowl and only fills it about half way. That has been helping.

Now if I can only get enough sense to stop binging. So far Im doing better with that in the last few days. My weight has been going down in small increments every day so I am pleased with that and hope Im back to where I was by the time I go to the doctor on the 15th, although Im not sure that is possible. I guess Ill see.
 
Be back soon,

Marcia

According to this CNN article, its naïve for the Disease Management Care Blog to expect U.S. Presidents to never lie. From time to time, political realities force occupants of the Oval Office to use falsehoods to advance a greater good and/or protect the integrity of their office.  Whats more, when theyre found out, voters tend to be remarkably forgiving. So, When Mr. Obama repeatedly reassured Americans that "you can keep your health insurance," the DMCB should conclude that this was business-as-usual statecraft and that it will all work out.

But even if many Americans sign up for health insurance and the President rebuilds his approval ratings, the contrarian DMCB has a deeper concern.

It thinks a dishonest "tone at the top" can have a corrosive effect on how Americans will access their premium subsidies. 

In the business world, it is well known that the misbehavior of corporate boards and C-suite leaders can infect an entire company. The Board Chairs or the CEOs dubious financials, revenue schemes, stock manipulation, predatory behavior or just plain arrogance can roll right through the managerial ranks and destroy a company in a matter of months. When leaders lie to serve some other business need, you can be sure that others in the company will also lie.

The same may be true for the government of the United States. Its one thing to lie about Japans military might (Roosevelt), trading arms for hostages (Reagan) or Iraqs weapons of mass destruction (Bush), its quite another to lie about buying health insurance. The DMCB suspects that "tone of the Oval Office" is subtly signaling to regulators, insurers and ultimately consumers that its OK to manipulate the truth when it comes to buying health insurance.

Recall that as part of health orm, the health insurance exchanges prompt applicants to estimate future income. Its also temptingly easy to misrepresent projected 2014 income.  A mild "fudge" that lowballs income can make the difference of thousands of dollars in subsidies.

Long before the President landed in hot water over his "you can keep it" promise, Americans had a huge incentive to lie about their income. That has been especially true for low income earners who really need the insurance. Now that everyone - including Mr. Obama - has admitted that he stretched the truth, the DMCB suspects Americans now have one more reason to do the same when it comes to getting health insurance subsidies. Once that pattern of insurance fraud becomes established in the marketplace, the DMCB thinks it will never go away and hundreds of millions of dollars will go to where its not intended year after year after year.

The DMCB predicts tens of thousands of Americans who purchase insurance on the exchanges will succumb to lying in 2014.

You read it here first. 

Coda: The good news is that when it comes to the health insurers who are responsible for signing up the millions of Americans, theres no evidence that theyre helping enrollees lie.  The DMCB suspects that in the battle to capture market share, its just a matter of time until one of them has a renegade employee or two who channel the President and likewise help prospective customers to lie. Well see.

One of our commenters, Elisabeth, posted the following link to a good online conversion tool:

ACCU-CHEKs A1c Calculator

Just enter your average blood glucose reading and it will return an estimate of your HbA1c.

Thank you, Elisabeth!
________
Elisabeths comment appears in a post from 2006: Conversion Tool - A1c to Blood Glucose

With a couple more potlucks in my immediate future, and summer picnics and barbecues just around the corner, I wanted to give potlucks a little more VM time. Plus, they’re just so much fun.

A potluck can be a vegetarian’s feast for a king or slim pickin’s. You’ll either be faced more choices than you’ve had in your life or endless bacon-topped casseroles and bread. But at least you can eat what you brought—and as everyone knows, bread good.

A potluck is also a good opportunity to show omnivores how amazing vegetarian/vegan food can be. I always try to choose foods that are low on cost and big on flavor. Here are some tips to help you decide what to make for your next potluck without ending up in debtor’s prison.

Choose a scalable recipe
Recipes that will take you easily from 4 to 24 servings are your potluck friends. Grain, bean, and vegetable dishes with only a few ingredients will make your life so much easier. The idea is to maximize the amount of food, not effort. Doubling a stuffed grape leaves recipe means rolling twice as many grape leaves, while doubling a grits and quinoa recipe means using a bigger pot.

Use seasonal produce
Seasonal produce, as we often remind you, is cheaper produce. Save money and serve your friends the pick of the crop. If it’s the dead of winter, frozen is the way to go.

Use pantry items
No need to buy a ton of specialty ingredients. Raid that pantry. At a potluck, people will likely only sample your wares. Your effort will go well appreciated, but it also may go back home with you. Use the opportunity to blow through that lentil stash you’ve been hoarding.

Enlist the spice rack
Those lentils will seem a lot less boring if they’re punched up with some zippy herbs and spices.

Know your audience
Sometimes it’s impossible to accommodate everyone’s dietary needs, but a little effort goes a long way. Ask yourself a few questions before assembling your dish: Does this have to have meat? Can the cheese go on the side? Can I do only half with cheese/bacon/cream of lard sauce? Your lactose intolerant, gluten-free, vegan friends will kiss you just for trying.

Don’t be afraid to fail
A potluck is an opportunity to be experimental and adventurous. Take a chance and shock the church ladies, by all means. The first vegetarian recipe I made was stuffed mushroom caps with tofu; I was sure to blow the minds of my family at Christmas dinner. To my great surprise, it was the hit of the night—and no one batted an eye at my “secret” ingredient.

Occasionally a dish falls flat and is not the success you hoped. That’s the beauty of a potluck. Even if your dish bombs, no one goes hungry. And if everyone loves it, you will explode with joy.

Favorite Potluck-Friendly Recipes
Mains
BBQ Seitan Bites (**)
Nopales Chili (**)
Pumpkin Orzo with Sage (*/**)
Toor Dal with Ginger and Green Chilies (**)

Salads
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn (**)
Daikon (or Jicama) and Mango Slaw (**)
Esquites (*)
Potato Salad for Rainy Day People (**)

Vegetables
Cauliflower with Garlic, Ginger, and Green Chilies (**)
Red Cabbage with Apples (**)
Roasted Asparagus and Chickpeas (**)
Tunisian Beans and Greens (**)

Fruit/Desserts
Rice Pudding (**)
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble (**)
Sublime Fruit Salad with Mint (**)
Vegan Ginger Cookies (**)

(*) vegetarian—contains dairy and/or eggs
(**) vegan—contains no animal products

Readers, what are your favorite vegetarian potluck recipes? Any great tips you’d like to share? The comments are open and caring. Spill, if you will.

If you enjoyed this article, you may fancy

• Vegetarian Meal Planning for Meat Eaters
• Feeding a Group on Vacation
• Classy Parties on the Cheap

Earlier this year, Casual Kitchen (my new favorite blog) posted a stupendous essay called How to Tell if a Recipe is Worth Cooking with Five Easy Questions. A phenomenal guide to recipe analysis, CK’s tips are invaluable whether you’re reading a cookbook, browsing the web, or picking through Grandma’s age-old dessert file. The post was so good, in fact, it inspired me to write a sequel of sorts – one focusing on simplifying online recipe searches.

See, combing the web for recipes can be a tricky venture. Between quasi-independent monsters (AllRecipes, Chow), corporate mega-sites (Cooking Light, Food Network) and neato personal blogs (The Wednesday Chef, A Good American Wife), there are literally millions of dishes to pick through. As taste is totally subjective, and reviews range from right-on to catastrophically misleading, there’s no easy way to discern the bad from the good.

Since I tend to take most of my food from the ‘net, I had to learn how to pick through the labyrinth quickly and efficiently. What follows, then, are a few self-spawned tricks to navigating the endless internet recipe abyss – guidelines to help you choose the cheapest, healthiest, er, good-est recipes ever. Hope they help. (And feel free to add more in the comments section!)

1) Be specific. Whether you’re googling a Coq au Vin or trying to pinpoint a butternut squash soup on AllRecipes, specificity is key to finding exactly what you want. Lots of the larger sites have some method of narrowing down the parameters of your hunt – an Ingredient Search, a Collection Search, or some way of marking off categories (Healthy, Course, etc.). If you’re starting big with Google or Yahoo, try to enter particular terms – the ingredient list, the preparation method, “light,” etc. The more specific you are, the more accurate the results will be.

2) Check the number of reviews. A recipe with 1,436 reviews and 1228 comments is infinitely less scary than one with two reviews and no comments. A large pool of reviewers means the dish has been around awhile, and it’s at least vaguely working. Helpful serving suggestions and/or useful substitutions are likely included within the comments. (This isnt to say, "Dont try new things," but rather, "If youre looking for a sure bet...")

3) Choose a recipe with a high rating. I find regular ol’ people (as opposed to high-falutin’ pro critics) are much more lenient on food. They’re just as likely to give five stars to a merely edible dish as they are to a meal that really knocks their socks off. So, when sampling from the AllRecipes, Epicurious, or Food Network sites, try not to use a recipe that has less than four stars / three forks. If you’re entertaining, make sure it has at least 4-1/2 (but it’s never a good idea to try a dish for the first time on guests, anyway).

4) Follow all Casual Kitchen’s advice. Once you find a tantalizing-looking recipe, read through it. Make sure you like and/or are willing to experiment with all the ingredients. Then, check to see if each one is readily available, either on hand or at the local store. After that, ensure you’re comfortable with both the prep time and the techniques employed. Finally, consider price and ease of big-batch cooking. If your potential meal hits all of these qualifications, it’s probably a winner.

5) Take suggestions to heart. If two-thirds of 254 reviewers think the sugar should be halved in a certain dish, go for it. Recipe writers can make mistakes sometimes, and reviewers are just the folks to correct them. But remember – majority rules. If Megdoodle from Monkeybutt, Kentucky likes quadruple the amount of red pepper in her chili, but 200 other commenters say the spice is just right, side with the 200.

6) Read/consider the available nutrition information. No one wants to serve their kids a lard casserole. When you’re scouting recipes, check to see if the calorie, fat, and fiber readings are included on the webpage. AllRecipes and Cooking Light do this consistently now, and you can occasionally find them on Epicurious and Food Network (with Ellie Krieger and Kathleen Daelemans, in particular). If dietary info isn’t available, try scanning the list for key words – “stick of butter,” “1/4 olive oil,” “fried,” etc. It’ll do your health better in the long run.

7) Stick with a chef you trust. If you’re a frequenter of the Food Network site or a big fan of Lidia Bastianich’s online collection, hang out with her cuisine for awhile. Make her classics. Work your way through her oeuvre. The same goes for personal blogs. I love and dream of emulating Orangette’s writing and cooking skill, and her food photos are absolutely to die for. Yet, I’ve tried a few dishes from her site (Butternut Squash Puree, Chickpea Salad, and Green Beans) and I don’t think our palates quite match up. On the flip side, Deb from Words to Eat By totally works for me. Her Amazon Cake, Pumpkin Bread, and alternate glaze for Baoot Contessa’s Turkey Meatloaf put me squarely in her culinary corner. The moral is: all in all, finding a cook you trust is worth his/her weight in meatballs. That said …

8) Maybe avoid Sandra Lee (and other cooks who use too many prepared ingredients in their recipes).  Um ... Kwanzaa Cake. Nuff said.

9) Link baby, link. Cooking bloggers, in particular, are excellent sources for … yep, finding other excellent cooking bloggers. Once you find a chef/site you like, scroll through their link list. Odds are, someone just as awesome lies at the other of that URL.

10) Bank recipes. Find a recipe you like, but don’t have the ingredients on hand right that very minute? Start a Word file. Over time, you’ll amass dozens of dishes that caught your eye at one time or another, and it’ll make for easier rummaging down the line.

Have more ideas or suggestions for simplifying online recipe searches? The (comment) lines are open! We’re waiting for your call advice!

(Photo courtesy of Flickr.)

For those whose mothers lived beyond 85, mortality rates were 40 per cent lower

The offspring of parents who live to a ripe old age are more likely to live longer themselves, and less prone to cancer and other common diseases associated with ageing, a study has revealed.

Experts at the University of Exeter Medical School, supported by the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care in the South West Peninsula (NIHR PenCLAHRC), led an international collaboration which discovered that people who had a long-lived mother or father were 24% less likely to get cancer. The scientists compared the children of long-lived parents to children whose parents survived to average ages for their generation.

The scientists classified long-lived mothers as those who survived past 91 years old, and compared them to those who reached average age spans of 77 to 91. Long-lived fathers lived past 87 years old, compared with the average of 65 to 87 years. The scientists studied 938 new cases of cancer that developed during the 18 year follow-up period.

The team also involved experts from the National Institute for Health and Medical Research in France (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale), the University of Michigan and the University of Iowa. They found that overall mortality rates dropped by up to 19 per cent for each decade that at least one of the parents lived past the age of 65. For those whose mothers lived beyond 85, mortality rates were 40 per cent lower. The figure was a little lower (14 per cent) for fathers, possibly because of adverse lifestyle factors such as smoking, which may have been more common in the fathers.

In the study, published in the Journals of Gerontology: Series A, the scientists analysed data from a series of interviews conducted with 9,764 people taking part in the Health and Retirement Study. The participants were based in America, and were followed up over 18 years, from 1992 to 2010. They were interviewed every two years, with questions including the ages of their parents and when they died. In 2010 the participants were in their seventies.

Professor William Henley, from the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “Previous studies have shown that the children of centenarians tend to live longer with less heart disease, but this is the first robust evidence that the children of longer-lived parents are also less likely to get cancer. We also found that they are less prone to diabetes or suffering a stroke. These protective effects are passed on from parents who live beyond 65 – far younger than shown in previous studies, which have looked at those over the age of 80. Obviously children of older parents are not immune to contracting cancer or any other diseases of ageing, but our evidence shows that rates are lower. We also found that this inherited resistance to age-related diseases gets stronger the older their parents lived.”

Ambarish Dutta, who worked on the project at the University of Exeter Medical School and is now at the Asian Institute of Public Health at the Ravenshaw University in India, said: “Interestingly from a nature versus nurture perspective, we found no evidence that these health advantages are passed on from parents-in-law. Despite being likely to share the same environment and lifestyle in their married lives, spouses had no health benefit from their parents-in-law reaching a ripe old age. If the findings resulted from cultural or lifestyle factors, you might expect these effects to extend to husbands and wives in at least some cases, but there was no impact whatsoever.”

In analysing the data, the team made adjustments for sex, race, smoking, wealth, education, body mass index, and childhood socioeconomic status. They also excluded results from those whose parents died prematurely (ie mothers who died younger than 61 or fathers younger than 46).

Around the environmentally-/socially-conscious foodosphere (those being categories and a word I just made up), tons of focus falls on farmers markets and CSAs. Last time round these Green Kitchen parts, we looked at why eating locally and getting your food from those sources is so good (for you, the planet, and your wallet). But not everyone has access to a greenmarket or CSA. So how can we eat green without a greenmarket? Like this:

Buy Local at the Supermarket
In the last year, I’ve noticed that Whole Foods has started highlighting local produce with big signage, but even your average (or below-average) supermarket tells you where produce comes from. If you can’t find vegetables from your local area, aim for your region, or even your country or hemisphere. The shorter the food had to travel to get to you, the fresher it is and the less carbon its transport put into the air.

Buy Seasonal
Citrus is not local to me by any means, but when it’s in season it’s cheaper and way more delicious. Supermarket asparagus this time of year is also probably coming from closer by than South America, where it often hails from in off-season months.

Buy Unprocessed
Processed food comes with packaging, which takes resources to manufacture. Then the processing of the food itself takes power, which (odds are) isn’t coming from a happy green windfarm. You also save yourself the sodium and additives gunking up the works. 99% of the time, unprocessed foods are way, way better for you.

Process Food Yourself
Some processed foods are value-added - for example, turning milk to cottage cheese makes it a more protein-dense food. Processing cabbage into sauerkraut makes it tastier and better for you. These are usually old-timey sorts of processing your grandma could’ve done on a farm. So, try it yourself! Make your own bread, jam, cheese, or pickles. You’ll be spending kitchen time rather than cash, and accruing valuable post-apocalypse survival skills. Oh, and you control what goes into your food, in terms of energy and ingredients.

Store it Right
A full fridge or freezer uses less energy to stay cold. And don’t leave that door open! Keep your shelves organized so you don’t have to stand there with the door open looking for stuff.

Cook!
If you’re reading this website, you’re probably already on the cook-your-own-food bandwagon, but it does more than save you money and pounds (or pounds and kilos, if we’re being British). Cooking is just a way of processing food yourself. You save on packaging, you skip the mysterious additives, and you choose how much energy is expended.

Don’t Cook!
Even if you sign up for green energy for your home, no energy is even better. A raw or minimally-cooked meal saves on power usage, whether it’s electricity or gas. And when you do cook, use efficient appliances.

Eat Ethical Animal Products
Although I’m a vegetarian, I am a passionate believer in humane and environmentally-sound meat-eating. However, most large-scale meat production puts a huge tax on resources by consuming food resources (and the water and energy that goes to grow those crops) and polluting the environment with untreated animal waste. Look for grass-fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and milk, and buy cage-free, hormone-free eggs. The extra cost is worth it. You might not be able to eat as much meat this way, but you can also choose, then, to eat a little less.

Choose the Right Fish
The Environmental Defense Fund has a handy guide to choosing fish that are good for you and the ocean: Use it.

Compost
Why send scraps to the landfill when you can turn them into fertilizer? (Not that way.) Start a compost pile or get a worm bin. (It’s not nearly as gross as it sounds.) In New York City, the Lower East Side Ecology Center collects compostables, and I make my contribution every couple of weeks. See if an organization in your town does the same.

Bike or Walk to the Market
Truckers aren’t the only ones putting carbon into the air to transport food. If you can walk or bike to the supermarket, do. If it’s too far, consolidate your trips. You’ll save cash on gas, too.

Don’t Buy Bottled Water
Come on.

It’s kind of amazing how many of these ways to be good to the Earth also end up being good to our bank accounts. It sometimes takes a little more effort, but it isn’t actually harder to make these choices. And that extra hour in the kitchen every so often is something I’ve really come to love. I’m hoping to delve into canning this summer. Is there anything you’re planning on tackling to make your kitchen a little greener?

(Photos courtesy of And Now a Word From Our Sponsor [cows], DCist [jars], and Eaves.ca [bottles].)
~~~

If you like this article, you might also enjoy:

• Angus Anguish: Is Angus Beef Worth the Money?
• Food Labels That Ate My Sanity
• Newsflash! Scientists Getting Closer to Lab-grown Meat

Three years ago (!), we posted a piece called Cheap, Healthy Party Food, filled to the brim with inexpensive, Super Bowl-appropriate recipes. Most of them came from thoroughly vetted outside sources like All Recipes and Cooking Light. All appeared delicious.

Since then, between CHG and my weekly Healthy & Delicious column at Serious Eats, we’ve compiled hundreds of our own recipes, many of which are floofin’ perfect for the Packers/Steelers game. We made and ate every single one of these, and can recommend them without reservation. Even to your Dad (whom I’m sure totes loves healthy food, especially on Super Bowl Sunday).

If you have suggestions or excellent, apropos recipes from your own blog, leave ‘em in the comment section! Together, we can make this the most delicious Super Bowl since the last time Pittsburgh was in it.

(Special note: Frugal shoppers! Even if you hate football with the white-hot intensity of a thousand angry suns, this is a great week to stock up. Look for sales on cheese, sour cream, beans, frozen foods, crackers, dip, and more at your supermarket.)

APPETIZERS
Baked Loaded Potato Skins
Greek Antipasto Pitas
Greek Salad Skewers
Provencal Deviled Eggs
Roasted Pepper Halves with Bread Crumb Topping
White Bean Bruschetta
White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Wraps with Spinach
Zucchini Crostini

DIPS, SALSAS, and GUACAMOLE
Avocado Corn Salsa
Baba Ghanouj
Black Bean Dip
Easy White Bean Dip
Fresh Salsa
Guacamole-Bean Dip Mashup
Lemony Hummus
Mango Salsa
Raw Tomatillo Salsa
Roasted Eggplant Spread
Seven-Layer Taco Dip
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip
Tomatillo Guacamole
Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce)

CHILI
All-American Chili
Cactus Chili
Camp Stove Veggie Chili
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Turkey Chili
Turkey Chili with Beans
Vegetarian Chili on the Fly
White Chicken Chili
Winter Vegetable Chili

SALADS and SIDES
Avocado Chicken Salad
Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa
Chickpea Salad
Chili-Spiced Potatoes
Ellie Krieger’s Refried Beans
Gazpacho Pasta Salad
Golden Delight Egg Salad
Greek Orzo Salad
Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
Lime Chicken Salad with Avocado and Tomato
Malt Vinegar Oven Fries
Potato Salad with Green and White Beans
Potato Salad for Rainy Day People
Quick Red Posole with Beans
Semi-Southern-Style Cornbread
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

MAINS
Baked Ziti
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Blue Cheese Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Chicken Fried Rice
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
Chipotle Pork Tenders
DIY Hot Pockets
Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Grilled Flank Steak with Tomato Relish
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Homemade Pizza
Italian Turkey Sliders
Macaroni and Cheese
Pork Tacos
Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches
Skillet Chicken Fajitas
Sloppy Jacks
Spiced Chicken Skewers
Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn
Tofu Banh Mi
Vegetable Lo Mein

DESSERTS and SNACKS
Black Bean Brownies
Crunchy Pecan Cookies
DIY Microwave Popcorn
Roasted Chickpeas
Tamari Almonds

Readers? Your recipes?

~~~

If you like this article, you might also like:

• A Beginner’s Guide to Beans, Plus 42 Bean Recipes
• Cheap Healthy Beef, Part I: Recipes and Methodology
• Cheap Healthy Pork: Recipes, Methodology, and Tips

This job will allow you to interact directly with the patient. This is a
good position for someone that wants to see the immediate rewards of
the efforts they put into their job. You can work directly for the
patient, or their family, or you can work through an agency that will
place you with a patient.There are several types of positions in most home health care
agencies, but the two most common are Personal Care Aide (PCA) or a
Home Health Aide (HHA). Both of these positions require specific
training and supervision by a Registered Nurse. Although both positions
are similar, there are some differences between the two.A Personal Care
Aide gives the patient help with the activities required for daily
living. They may help bathe the patient and help them with walking and
exercise. They are also trained to assist with toileting, and transfers
with mechanical lifts. A PCA will often be employed to assist with
cleaning, running errand, and providing meals.A Home Health Aide
provided all the nonprofessional nursing services listed above. They can
provide all the same services as a PCA, but a HHA is additionally
trained in other areas. They often provide services such as recording
fluid intake, or taking the vital signs of the patients. They may also
provide assistance with bandage changes and are trained to recognize
signs of infection.This industry is one that provides the benefit of a
career that leaves you feeling like you have made a difference at the
end of the day. Although the home health care industry may not provide a
lot of flexibility in positions, it does provide an ample supply of job
opportunities because of our aging population.

Researchers in Ireland and the UK are investigating whether dogs can detect a falling blood sugar in their diabetic owners. Anecdotal reports suggest they can.

Dr. Deborah Wells from the School of Psychology at Queens University, Belfast (pictured), and Dr. Shaun Lawson from the University of Lincoln, UK, are looking for 100 type 1 diabetics to complete an online survey.

They are also seeking video footage of dogs reacting to their owners low blood sugar levels.

Anyone interested in partaking in the study may contact Dr. Deborah Wells at 028-9097-4386 or email d.wells@qub.ac.uk
________
Queens University press release:
Dogs Sniff Out Diabetes
BBC News summary:
Dogs To Sniff Out Owner Diabetes

Hi,

Its official! I lost an average of 2.5 pounds in week two for a current total of 9.5 pounds lost so far.  My blood sugar on Saturday morning was 99, too. Of course I expect an increase in weight after the cheat meal but if it happens to go like last week that should right itself by Monday or Tuesday.

I had my spaghetti cheat meal yesterday with my friend Julie. I had been thinking about and planning on cooking the spaghetti myself and on Saturday (my day seven) I was surprised that I enjoyed waiting. I chose to follow the rules and not have it for breakfast so I had salad and eggs for my morning meal. I actually kind of put it off till later in the day and savored the expectation that "today is the day." Part of me wanted to even put it off till the next day just so I could savor the expectation a little longer. How funny!

The day itself, was rainy. In fact I have not seen the meadow across from my home so full of puddles and run off before. The deep drainage ditch was about half full of water and I was kind of amazed by that. It started raining some time in the night and when I woke in the night it was coming down heavily and steadily. When I got up in the morning, it was so rainy that I wanted to stay in bed. I turned up the heat to my normal daytime temperature and crawled back under the covers until the place warmed up. Of course I then fell asleep and did not actually get up until noon!! It was still raining and I decided to do indoor exercise rather than go for a swim. I just did not want to go out in all that rain.

I got out my exercise plan and did all the "land" exercises plus traction for my neck. That felt pretty good. Then I got the idea to call Julie and see if she wanted to join me for dinner. I knew I could never eat all the spaghetti by myself. I had decided to cook it all to avoid having "remaining" ingredients in the house. I was glad when Julie decided to come over and join me. I had forgotten about the Parmesan cheese and garlic bread so called and asked if she had any. She stopped at the store and got some of both. We had a real good time and the spaghetti was some of the best I ever made -- even though I burned the onions. Julie kept telling me they were carmelized -- but I did not think black edges was exactly carmelized. I thought it might ruin the flavor, but, it really did not seem to even affect it. Then afterwards I gave all the leftovers to Julie and she happily took them home with her!

Been wondering where Tricia is. I thought maybe she would post last night but I did not hear from her. Hope I did not scare her off. That would be a shame. I was really enjoying the back and forth between us.

Today I seemed to have a bit of a hard time getting back on the program. At one point when I was napping between church sessions I fell asleep and was dreaming about eating bread from a loaf that never seemed to dry out no matter how long the bag was left open. In the dream I kept going back to get more and more of it to eat. When I woke up, it took some decision power to make the right food choices. If I had had some left over spaghetti in the house, I think the temptation would have been more than I could resist, but since it was not there, I simply ate right and moved on.

I did not have such strong feelings after the last cheat meal but every day is a new day and you have to deal with what is current. I did take a tiny side step for my evening meal (by the way I did not go to evening service). I did seem to want some "carby" food pretty strongly, so I steamed some broccoli and ate a quarter-pound hamburger with spicy brown mustard. The steamed veggies just seemed to lay on my tummy for quite a while and I did not feel "right" after eating them. Later I had some raw salad and then began to feel better.

I think I am back on track again and am looking forward to making a new salad tomorrow morning.

Not much more on my mind about all this so Im signing off.

Hope you are doing well!

Be back soon,

Marcia

Research at Oregon State University has found that one particular omega-3 fatty acid has a powerful effect in preventing liver inflammation and fibrosis – common problems that are steadily rising along with the number of Americans who are overweight.

The American Liver Foundation has estimated that about 25 percent of the nation’s population, and 75 percent of those who are obese, have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This early-stage health condition can sometimes progress to more serious, even fatal diseases, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, as well as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The study, published online in the Journal of Nutrition, was one of the first to directly compare the effects of two of the omega-3 fatty acids often cited for their nutritional value, DHA and EPA.

In research with laboratory animals, it found that EPA had comparatively little effect on preventing the fibrosis, or scarring, that’s associated with NASH. However, DHA supplementation reduced the proteins involved in liver fibrosis by more than 65 percent.

“A reduction of that magnitude in the actual scarring and damage to the liver is very important,” said Donald Jump, a principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute at OSU and a professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences.

“Many clinical trials are being done with omega-3 fatty acids related to liver disease,” Jump said. “Our studies may represent the first to specifically compare the capacity of EPA versus DHA to prevent NASH. It appears that DHA, which can also be converted to EPA in the human body, is one of the most valuable for this purpose.”

The issues have taken center stage as the weight of Americans continues to rise, with a related increase in the incidence of fatty liver disease and liver damage.

NASH is a progressive form of liver disease that is associated with chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, resulting from excess fat storage in the liver. Chronic inflammation can eventually lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, or even liver cancer. While management of lifestyle, including weight loss and exercise, is one approach to control the onset and progression of fatty liver disease, other approaches are needed to prevent and treat it.

About 30-40 percent of people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease progress to NASH, which in turn can result in cirrhosis, a major risk factor for liver cancer. While this research studied the prevention of fatty liver disease, Jump said, ongoing studies are examining the capacity of DHA to be used in NASH therapy.

The levels of omega-3 oils needed vary with the health concern, officials say.

“Omega-3 fatty acids are typically recommended for the prevention of cardiovascular disease,” Jump said. “Recommended intake levels of omega-3 fatty acids in humans for disease prevention are around 200-500 milligrams of combined DHA and EPA per day.”

Levels used in therapy to lower blood triglycerides, also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, are higher, about 2-4 grams of combined EPA and DHA per day. The OSU studies with mice used DHA at levels comparable to the triglyceride therapies.

“DHA was more effective than EPA at attenuating inflammation, oxidative stress, fibrosis and hepatic damage,” the researchers wrote in their conclusion. “Based on these results, DHA may be a more attractive dietary supplement than EPA for the prevention and potential treatment of NASH in obese humans.

Mediterranean meals do not have the same effect

A single junk food meal – composed mainly of saturated fat – is detrimental to the health of the arteries, while no damage occurs after consuming a Mediterranean meal rich in good fats such as mono-and polyunsaturated fatty acids, according to researchers at the University of Montreal-affiliated ÉPIC Center of the Montreal Heart Institute. The Mediterranean meal may even have a positive effect on the arteries. The findings are being presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, which runs in Toronto until Wednesday, by the head of the study, Dr. Anil Nigam, Director of Research at the Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Centre (ÉPIC) and associate professor at the universitys Faculty of Medicine.

Bad fat vs. good fat

Dr. Nigam undertook the study to compare the effects of junk food and typical Mediterranean meal on the vascular endothelium: the inner lining of the blood vessels. By measuring endothelial function, it is possible to determine how easily the arteries will dilate after a temporary, five-minute occlusion, following the consumption of the two types of meals. This is a very interesting analysis for researchers to perform as endothelial function is closely linked to the long-term risk of developing coronary artery disease.

The study also revealed that participants with higher blood triglyceride levels seemed to benefit more from the healthy meals. Their arteries responded better to the Mediterranean meal compared to people with low triglyceride levels. "We believe that a Mediterranean-type diet may be particularly beneficial for individuals with high triglyceride levels, such as patients with metabolic syndrome, precisely because it could help keep arteries healthy," Dr. Nigam said.

Mediterranean meal vs. junk food meal

The results were established in 28 non-smoking men, who ate the Mediterranean-type meal first and then the junk food-type meal one week later. Before beginning, the men underwent an ultrasound of the antecubital artery at the elbow crease after fasting for 12-hours to assess their baseline endothelial function. The researchers then tested the effects of each meal. The first was composed of salmon, almonds, and vegetables cooked in olive oil, of which 51% of total calories came from fat (mostly monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats.) The second meal consisted of a sandwich made of a sausage, an egg, and a slice of cheese, and three hash browns, for a total of 58% of total calories from fat: extremely rich in saturated fatty acids and containing no omega-3s. At two hours and four hours after each meal, participants underwent further ultrasounds to assess how the food had impacted their endothelial function.

Dr. Nigam and his team found that after eating the junk food meal, the arteries of the study participants dilated 24% less than they did when in the fasting state. In contrast, the arteries were found to dilate normally and maintain good blood flow after the Mediterranean-type meal.

"These results will positively alter how we eat on a daily basis. Poor endothelial function is one of the most significant precursors of atherosclerosis. It is now something to think about at every meal," Dr. Nigam said.

“So, are you a vegan now?” my bff, ACS, asked on my recent trip to NC. “You always post vegan recipes on the blog.”

“No,” I said, “I bake and mostly cook vegan, but I still eat eggs and some dairy.”

My diet is about 90% vegan, with the occasional spinach feta omelet and cheese pizza making their way in. I primarily share vegan recipes with the CHG audience because they most closely represent my diet and I love to show how accessible vegan cooking can be.

A common misconception about vegan cooking is that it requires lots of specialized ingredients, and that it’s boring and bland. Not true! So many of my favorite, everyday recipes are easy and made from vegetables and pantry staples found in the average American kitchen.

A common misconception about vegetarian and vegan cooking is that it’s heavy on the meat substitutes and tofu to replace the protein in meat. Also not true! I eat tofu about once a week and meat substitutes about twice a year—on the 4th of July and Thanksgiving when I have veggie hot dogs and fake turkey respectively.

Many of your favorite recipes are probably already vegan; they’re just not called vegan because they’re “normal” food: spaghetti with marinara sauce, guacamole and salsa, stir-fry veggies, beans and rice... It’s also easy to make everyday vegetarian recipes vegan.

Here are 3 quick tips:

1) Leave out the cheese.
Cheese is often sprinkled on a dish for extra flavor but not crucial to its success. Just leave out the cheese to make your dish instantly vegan. Unless you’re making a cheese sandwich.
Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca
Camp Stove Veggie Chili

2) Replace butter with oil or nonhydrogenated shortening/margarine.
Saute vegetables in olive oil or nonhydrogenated margarine instead of butter. Substitute nonhydrogenated shortening or margarine for butter in your baked goods. You’ll save on the trans- and saturated fats, as well.
Pindi Chana
Poached Radishes with Tarragon

3) Use plant milks.
“Plant milk” sounds bizarre, I know, but there are so many choices now: soy, rice, almond, coconut, hemp...the list goes on. Try them until you find one you like; then swap out cow’s milk for your plant-based favorite. (Look for unsweetened varieties if you’re counting calories.)
Whole Wheat Scones with Corn, Tomatoes, and Basil
Vegan Rice Pudding

Advanced veganization:

4) Ditch the eggs.
Baked goods don’t need eggs to be delicious. Sometimes, especially in cookies, eggs can merely be eliminated. Other times, you’ll want to substitute tofu, flax seeds, or powdered egg replacers. The Post Punk Kitchen offers a primo primer in vegan baking, so you never have to be afraid to try going eggless.
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Vegan Ginger Cookies

These tricks can apply to any number of recipes in your arsenal, especially if you’re planning a dinner party and are unsure of the dietary needs of your guests. Since plant oils contain no saturated fats, these tips can also help you get a handle on your blood pressure and cholesterol, if you need assistance in those areas.

Before you know it, you’ll be veganizing wildly and deliciously, and no one will be the wiser—unless you write about it in your blog.

~~~

If you dug this article, point your shovel toward:

• Vegetarian Meal Planning for Meat Eaters
• 10 Ways to Eat Less Meat
• I Want to Be a Tofu Butcher

A few months ago, our own Jaime posted a piece called Little Meals for One. It was a brief, well thought-out article all about simple, small-scale home cooking. I loved it, as did many readers who were looking for both inspiration and validation. (A spoonful of peanut butter IS TOO a meal, dangit.)

Because sometimes? You just want food in your mouthhole. You want it in a single portion, and you want it a.s.a.p. Why? Well, maybe you’re late coming home from the office. Maybe it’s a lazy Sunday afternoon in August, and you have no great urge to further heat your already-sweltering apartment with a 450ºF oven. Maybe you’re just really hungry, and whipping up a whole lasagna for one person seems totally freaking insane.

Unfortunately, quick, single-portion recipes are hard to come by, probably because it’s difficult to prepare most gourmet meals in smaller serving sizes. So, how do you do it? How do you make a convenient, speedy meal without resorting to A) expensive and unhealthy processed food, B) takeout, or C) licking crumbs off your kitchen floor?

Well, first, it’s good to keep tricks these in mind:

1. Keep your rigerator, pantry, and freezer stocked with food easily portioned into small servings: eggs, cheese, pasta, etc.
2. When you buy bigger packages of food (meat, veggies, etc.), portion them off in smaller grab-and-go bags as soon as you arrive home from the supermarket.
3. Look for recipes where you broil, grill, steam, sauté, boil, and microwave. Avoid recipes where you roast, braise, soak, brine, or marinate.
4. Keep low-cost, high-impact condiments and ingredients handy. Stuff like soy sauce, capers, olives, roasted red peppers, parmesan, curry powder/sauce, Dijon mustard, and horseradish can lend big flavor to tiny dishes in a hurry.
5. Don’t limit yourself to traditional dinner cuisine. Breakfast and lunch foods taste just as good at 7pm.
6. Don’t limit yourself to traditional American cuisine. Soups, curries, and stir fries are healthier and just as fast as burgers and hot dogs.
7. Consider raw fruits and vegetables for side dishes. They’re healthy as all get out, and take zero time to prepare.
8. Load up your freezer to your heart’s content. Frozen meats and produce can be defrosted quickly and cooked even faster. Consider canned versions of certain foods, as well, but be discerning when it comes to both sodium content and taste.
   
9. Before you do anything, scan your fridge for ideas and ingredients. Bits and pieces can become ingredients in larger, more delicious meals.
10. Speaking of bits and pieces, consider using many smaller foods to create one large meal. Eggs, a piece of fruit, and a side of ried beans never killed anyone.
11. Most of all, K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple, Sistah)
    

After that, it’s always a good idea to er to the basics: a.k.a. Dinners You Learned to Make When You Were 12. Often, these are the easiest options because you already have the ingredients on hand AND youre familiar with the foods. Like:

• Bagels (with low-fat cream cheese, lox, butter, PB&J, etc.)
• Baked potatoes
• Breads (with dips, cheese, veggies, or quick soups)
• Chicken or turkey sausages
  
• Cottage cheese
• Couscous mixed with anything (chopped vegetables, beans, etc.)
• Crackers with toppings of your choice
• Eggs (omelets, scrambled, sandwiches, baked, etc.)
• Fruit
• Grilled or broiled chicken or pork tenders
• Mashed black, pinto, or cannellini beans
• Oatmeal (sweet or savory, a la Mark Bittman)
• Pasta (with sauce, vegetables, cheese, etc.)
• Pierogies (boiled/steamed)
• Pizza bagels/English Muffin pizzas
• Portobello mushrooms
  
• Raw vegetables with simple dips (hummus, baba ghanouj, etc.)
• Rice mixed with vegetables and/or salsa
• Salads (vegetables, fruit, bean, or otherwise)
• Sandwiches (hummus, PB&J, grilled cheese)
• Shish kabobs (meat, veggies, or fruit broiled on a stick)
• Smoothies
• Steamed or sautéed veggies
• Stir fry
• Turkey burgers
• Wraps and/or soft tacos
  
• Yogurt
  

If those fail to float your boat, you might want to do a quick search for some recipes around the web, using the terms "Meals for one," "single serving," or "15 minutes or less." Here are some fast, simple, cheap, healthy suggestions from CHG. All of them can easily be rescaled to feed one person.

• Autumn Apple Salad
• Baked Eggs
• Black-Eyed Pea Salad
• Bodega Beans
• Broiled Eggplant Japonaise
• Creamy Parmesan Orzo
• Egg Drop Soup
• Egg McMuffins
• Eggplant Mini Pizzas
• Garlicky Broccoli Rabe
• Grape and Feta Salad with Rosemary
• Hummus
• Light Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
• Light Garlic Bread
• Miso Soup
• Moroccan Beet Green Omelet
• North African Style Chickpea Salad
• Pancakes (Buttermilkand Whole Wheat Buttermilk)
• Parmesan-crusted Portobello Mushrooms
• Pea Soup
• Polenta
• Refried Beans
• Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Parmesan
• Shaksouka (Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce)
• Stuffed Peppers

Sweet readers, how about you? What do you eat when you need something small, fast, and nutritionally sound? Do tell. Lets make this the biggest single meal list, ever.

Ignore the fact that its snowing outside-- Wait, dont ignore that. Take a moment to enjoy that. Its snowing! But ignore it in terms of the point Im about to make.

Ignore the fact that its snowing. Ignore the fact that its about 50 degrees in my apartment, that Im wearing sweatpants and a hoodie and my hat. Ignore the down comforter on my bed, the cold toes, the date on the calendar.

How do I know its winter?

Lets take a look at whats recently come out of my kitchen. Breakfast Sunday: an improvised take on what I remembered of Kris Shaksouka – canned diced tomatoes, half an onion, a carrot, and eggs poached therein. Lunch today (and for the rest of the week, and taking up some space in the freezer): lentil soup made with dried lentils, canned tomatoes, frozen spinach, and an onion. Breakfast tomorrows looking like a smoothie with frozen cherries and blueberries.

Where have all the fresh veggies gone?

Winter is rough on lots of people – the suns gone, its hard to spend time outside, and winter coats are uncomfortable and bulky. Snow is lovely and sweaters are cozy, but this time of year can bring your mood down. (I always wish, walking past Christmas decorations in December, that our holiday of sparkly lights took place a few months later, when even the snow is dreary and we could really use a little extra glitter.)

Winters an extra downer for local eaters, though. Im not even a 100% locavore. Not at all - I love bananas and avocados and cans of coconut milk. I do appreciate the environmental and economic repercussions of shopping at the farmers market, but I keep doing it because I love how it feels. Meeting farmers, knowing where my kale comes from. Even just the ritual of the market – walking between stalls, comparing produce, and the week-to-week cycle of the growing season. From asparagus to tomatoes to butternut squash, thats how the year goes.

But now weve, like we do every year, come to the end. The farms are mulched over and resting for the winter, and just about every night brings a freeze. We have a few more weeks of the real hardy stuff – kale and leeks and Brussels sprouts – and food that stores well lasts a little longer. Apples and onions and winter squash stick around basically until springtime at the year-round greenmarkets (so do bison meat and eggs). But the growing season is drawing to a close, and with it goes a big part of what I love about cooking.

From Flickrs stevendepolo

So many of my culinary decisions in the warmer months are based on what I find at the market – radishes are cheap or the parsnips look nice, and I get inspired and try something out. (Maybe this is just a relief from my usually agonizing decision making process.) But in winter I dont think I get down cause the foods not local – the problem is that, for the next five months, all of the food is the same. Cheap and mediocre at my local supermarket, or pricier and lush at the Whole Foods downtown, its shipped in from wherever, in-season in California or Chile or Taiwan, and nothing changes from one week to the next.

What do you do when your local veggies dry (or freeze) up? Do you come up with new, slightly less local, guidelines? Maybe food from your country, or hemisphere, rather than a 300-mile greenmarket radius? Maybe I can let sales direct me in winter the way the seasons do the other half of the year. Do you transition to canned and frozen foods? Canned tomatoes beat fresh ones seven months out of the year, and frozen kale – flash-frozen when its fresh – is looking mighty good, and cheap, compared to the produce section at Whole Foods.

Ive got my freezer supply of mashed cauliflower and apple sauce, and theres always room for soup in there, too, but its not enough to make it through until spring. Whats most important about how you choose where to get your food? Is it price, convenience, localness, or just the experience of it all? And how do you make the second-best choice feel good?