Archive for the 'health' Category

The Second Best Food Ever

Published by Hal on January 17, 2008 in health. 1 Comment

I’ve been trying to work out at least twice a week, and I need to find time during the week to go a few more times. I’m by myself tonight, as my wife has returned to our hometown for a wedding this weekend. So when I finished my third (!) workout for the week, this evening, I had to figure out what I was going to eat.

We’ve been really bad this week, in that we’ve gone out to eat nearly every night. And I don’t mean to a local place, which we like to do, but to a chain. Otherwise, I’d probably write about it. So, that means we haven’t really gone to the grocery this week. Which also mean that we have not a lot to choose from in the pantry.

I saw a delicious looking pasta dish I wanted to try out, but my time was a little off (don’t you usually carb it up before you work out?). Plus, I was cooking for one, and we aren’t going to be able to eat at home for the next several days because of this wedding. One thing I knew we did have was a potato.

Yes, folks, a plain and humble potato. And do you know what I did with it? I poked it full of holes, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and nuked it for 7 minutes. Then I put some buttery spread on it (I should have used butter, since I had it), a tiny pinch of salt, some shredded cheddar, and some fresh ground pepper. Yum!

Of course, that’s not much of a dinner. So I did what any good guy bach’in’ it for the day would do–I also had some tortilla chips, some Frito’s, and some bread I made the other day (which I need to post about–Saturday maybe?). Oh, and some turkey sausage bites that I didn’t realize needed to be “refrigerate after opening”ed until after I had popped about 4 in my mouth. Hopefully I don’t get sick.

Anyway! The potato–it’s great, because, like a banana, you get all kinds of goodness in one package. There’s only something like 110 calories in an average sized russet, and it’s packed full of nutrients! Of course, I killed some of the low-calorie-ness by added spread and cheese, but it was more tasty that way!

In fact, I would add it to my “Top Ten Energy Boosting Foods.” Potatoes rock. And, they are ultra versatile. Eat one today :)

Do you have a food to add to the “Top Ten…” list? What’s your favorite way to prepare a potato?

Image provided courtesy of Spotrick.

Wholesome Wednesday: Kicking the Caffeine Habit

Published by Hal on January 16, 2008 in Wholesome Wednesday and health. 1 Comment

I didn’t make a resolution to cut back on the caffeine this year, but I know it’s something I need to do. There are many days when I could drink 4-5 sodas a day (at least they were diet, right? Right?). So, since Sunday I’ve been cutting back on the caffeine. I’ve only had one caffeinated beverage today, and I had none yesterday. so I think I’m doing okay.

I was surprised looking back at my old starred posts in my RSS reader for caffeine related entries. I found several that caught my eye enough then to flag, and a few I now want to share:

It seems that caffeine is everywhere, not just in our drinks. I remember seeing lotion in the store that advertised caffeine as an ingredient to help firm up your skin. Need some additional invigoration? Check out these items the folks at mental_floss found when they asked the question “Is our nation caffeine obsessed?” Between Starbucks and the caffeine infused soap, I’m going to go with yes…

Lucy Nixon posted as part of the Well Fed Network that she was giving up coffee after 27 years. No particular reason, just last her taste for it. She was quick to point out some of the bad effects from caffeine, such as stiffening arteries and magnesium deficiency (bad for your hear). But, science has pointed out there are some good things, too, like reducing the risk of some neurological disorders, diabetes, gout, and cirrhosis as well as providing beneficial antioxidants (check out the post for the sources of these claims).

Trent, at the Simple Dollar, posted several times about curbing the caffeine addiction, not just because it’s a more healthful choice, but because it costs lots of money.

Lifehacker suggests that you can quit procrastinating if you cut the caffeine.

That not enough motivation for you? Want to know how much caffeine can kill you? Check out this mental_floss post. It would take nearly 500 bottles of Ale-8-One to kill me… I love the stuff, but goodness!

But, if you’re used to it, caffeine is not so much a diuretic. That means, as much as I thought it was bunk that Coca-Cola was claiming Diet Coke was an integral part of your daily hydration needs, it might not have been so far off point.

Tea has lots less caffeine than coffee, ounce for ounce, but if you’re still worried, Lifehacker teaches you how to cut 80% of the caffeine from your tea when you brew it.

So how do you cut the caffeine habit? If you’re used to lots of caffeine, I wouldn’t quit cold turkey. Caffeine is an addition, and it will cause withdrawal symptoms if you just give it up one day. This is how I do it (because, I’ve done it more than once, and I anticipate I’ll probably do it again in the future).

First, I start the day with a caffeine free drink (like orange juice, or water). Then, I proceed as normal through the day until I start to get a headache from the lack of caffeine. Once this happens, I’ll allow myself a regular Coke (diet, of course). And, I continue this process until the next headache occurs. Eventually, the span between the headaches get longer and longer until you can’t distinguish between a tension headache and a caffeine withdrawal headache. I’ll fill the drink space between with caffeine free or caffeine light drinks, like juice, water, caffeine free soda, or ice tea (which has less caffeine than soda, so I don’t worry about it so much). Something I discovered today it to work out. I had a headache, one soda didn’t cut it, but a 45 minute deep water exercise class did. Funny how that worked out (no pun intended!).

Of course, this might not work for you. Caffeine is a stimulant, so you might experience sluggishness instead of, or together with a headache. It will pass, if you just keep the willpower to press on.

Have you given up caffeine in the past? How did you do it?

Image of the beans provided courtesy of eyeore2710. Image of the Ale-8-One bottle provided courtesy of eclecticlibrarian.

Top Ten Energy Boosting Foods

Published by Hal on January 6, 2008 in health. 2 Comments

My wife and I just returned home from a marathon two weeks at her parents’ for the holidays. You can imagine, after being on vacation for two weeks, I’m exhausted! It sounds counter-intuitive, but we’ve all experienced this strange phenomenon, needing a vacation from our vacation before going back to work. It’s in that spirit that I thought I’d present my list of top-ten energy boosting foods:

10. Whole wheat pasta with meat sauce. One of the many things I’ve read about energy boosting foods is they must appropriately mix a good quality carbohydrate with the right amount of protein and fat (what I’ll call the “Essential Three”). The carbohydrates provide quick energy, while the protein and fat each provide mechanisms for delivering essential nutrients and a slow-releasing source of energy. The total package, then, is pasta with a meat sauce. Of course, I’m not talking a large bowl of this stuff, but only 1/2 cup of pasta and a couple tablespoons of sauce. About 200 calories, half from carbs, the other half from protein and fat.

9. Peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat toast. Like with pasta, this provides the Essential Three, but the proportion of fat is a little higher, adding to a feeling of satiety. Of course, since peanut butter is loaded with fat, be careful not to over do it. Just two tablespoons with two slices of toast. About 250 calories, about half from fat and half from carbs with some protein from the peanut butter for good measure.

8. Fried egg on a whole-wheat English muffin. Here, I’m looking the other direction for a satiating snack, with the protein in eggs. You can reduce the fat content by using only an egg white, but with only one egg, you’re not talking about a ton of fat to begin with. However, if you’re watching cholesterol, you might just want to skip the yolk for that reason alone. About 200 calories.

7. Trail-mix or granola. 1/4 to 1/3 cup of this should be enough to satisfy a craving and provide you with a quick energy boost. Most good quality trail mixes and granolas will be full of whole grains, nuts, and/or dried fruit, providing carbs and protein. Be careful which mix you choose, though, and watch out for sugar content. Better yet, make your own!

6. Low-fat yogurt or cheese. I’ve heard several times (sorry, I’m not looking for a site ;) ) that people who consume at least three servings of dairy a day have a slimmer waistline. Regardless, these items provide you with some much needed protein, giving you an energy boost for the long haul

5. Nuts. Nuts provide the same advantage as dairy, in that the protein provides a long lasting source of energy. Only have about 1/4 cup at once, because nuts are also usually loaded with (good) fat, but fat none-the-less.

4. Oatmeal. Generally, oatmeal is a good energy source because it’s almost exclusively carbs. Non-quick oats are usually best for providing long term energy because they contain lots of fiber, which slows digestion. In a pinch, quick oats are good, too! Of course, watch the sugar content.

3. Fresh fruit. Fruit always gives me a good pick up. I particularly love grapefruit, bananas, and berries. In fact, I think bananas are the swiss army knife of the fruit world. They are rich in nutrients, provide a healthful source of energy, and are incredibly portable. Next time you need a quick energy boost, reach for this yellow fruit and you’ll be pepped up in no time (scientifically, the reason might have something to do with easily digested carbs, and perhaps a small amount of Vitamin C).

2. Orange juice. The idea with OJ is similar as with just fruit, except I read that the vitamin C in orange juice (or, just about any other good source, such as other citrus, dark leafy greens, and other fruits) may actually boost your energy levels when consumed regularly. This article mentions that about 200-300 mg of C is probably sufficient; that equals about five kiwi, 2 red bell peppers, or 24 ounces of orange juice.

1. Water. Probably the best way to boost your energy is to stay properly hydrated. Think about it–how do you feel when you have a hangover, which is basically a state of extreme dehydration? Really sluggish and yucky. Most people need 60-100 ounces of water a day, coming from various sources: food, beverages, water. And, it’s the best kind of calorie: none! Additionally, it fills you up, making you less hungry. Did you know, too, that most of the time when you feel hunger, it’s not really hunger but thirst your body has mis-interpreted?

Tying it all together. This blog is about everyday cooking, while not blowing up your wallet. So, I think it’s fitting to point out that these suggestions run no more than approximately $1 per serving (pasta with meat sauce might be more, because meat is more expensive than produce and other types of food). So, stop spending $2 per can of some energy drink and stock up on on these foods! They are easy, quick, and cheap. And, they will do a better job of keeping you perky in the long run than some chemical suspended in a flavored sugar syrup.

What about you? I’ve seen some of these lists all over the internet, so I know I’m probably missing some really good suggestions. What are your favorite energy boosters?

Image of banana, yogurt, et al. provided courtesy of Earl Gray under a Creative Commons License.Image of water in a glass provided courtesy of bram_app under a Creative Commons License.

Disclaimer: I’m not a nutritionist, doctor, or some other health professional. Please do not take this post as health advice; it is solely for your reading enjoyment, and hopefully some occasional enlightenment. If you want to check something, do some web research or ask an expert. I express no warranties, implied, explicit, or otherwise; read and heed at your own risk! ;)

Five Food Cures for New Years Over Indulgence

Published by Hal on December 31, 2007 in health. 0 Comments

In a few hours, many of us will be waking up after a night of heavy partying and, perhaps, heavy drinking. There are many “cures” for the common hangover, but the only real cure is time and rest. In the meantime, you can try these foods and beverages to ease the transition back your normal self (I write this from my own experience, though I did browse to get some ideas and check some facts. You can check some of the sources here and here)

Photo courtesy Timothy K. Hamilton, Creativity+ Photography

1. Water.

The biggest reason why people have hangovers is because people are dehydrated. Alcohol is a natural diuretic, meaning you expel more liquid than you consume. Unfortunately, your brain needs hydration to function properly, and alcohol robs you of this important source of hydration. If you plan on drinking tonight, have several ounces of water before you go to bed and a tall glass first thing when you wake up.

2. Chicken Noodle Soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup is the jack of all trade in the food world. You feel better when you’re sick and you have a bowl. So, too, will you feel better when you’re hung over. Why? First, the soup hydrates you. Second, food coats your stomach, which is already irritated from all that firewater you consumed last night. Plus, who doesn’t feel better after a steamy bowl of yummy goodness?

3. Gatorade, Powerade, or some other sports drink.

This is very similar to water, because of replenishing your body’s liquid stores. But, sports drinks are particularly useful if you got a little sick. When you up-chuck, you mess up your body’s natural balance of salts and minerals. Sports drinks replenish these important nutrients and restore the natural salt balances in your body.

4. Bananas.

Like with sports drinks, this all purpose fruit has several minerals that your body needs, particularly after taking a pounding the night before. Like with chicken noodle soup, eating a banana will coat your stomach and lessen the effects of any irritation.

5. A big, juicy, greasy burger and french fries.

Okay, so this flies in the face of conventional wisdom that says when you eat after a night of heavy drinking, to eat bland foods. But, often times, after my stomach has had a few hours to wake up after my brain does, this is the only thing I crave. The reason it works probably has to do with the starch in the bun and the potatoes, but I like to think the grease soaks up any remaining alcohol in your stomach. Regardless, this has always worked for me, so I’m recommending it to you.

Hopefully, you had fun last night, or will have fun tonight! Hopefully these tips will help you recover more quickly. I’d love to hear what else works for you in the comments–I might need them myself ;)

Welcome

Published by Hal on December 7, 2007 in health, recipes and technique. 0 Comments

I’m about to post another recipe from last night, and I just updated Recipes: Whipped Cream with pictures (I’m trying to get my shadowbox plug-in to work correctly, though, so please bear with me). However, I wanted to extend a heartfelt welcome to my new visitors and readers!

I just logged into the admin area and saw I had five comments–you should have heard how excited I was. Thanks for your comments and participation!

What to eat, what to eat? (Also, pin oats for breakfast)

Published by Hal on December 5, 2007 in health and recipes. 1 Comment

I just posted the first “Weighty Wednesday” update, and I addressed what food I ate during the week (okay, just tonight as I undid everything I did at the gym on the way home!).

However, I didn’t really address what happens when you’re just trying to eat during the day or during the week. I’ll start off with breakfast and what usually worked for me. I used to eat a grapefruit every weekday for breakfast, or sometimes some oatmeal.

However, I really liked something I tried this weekend, and I could tell that my body liked it, too! I bought some steel cut pin oats to make that Cincinnati delicacy, goetta, and ended up having some for breakfast! I used 1/3 cup of oats to 1 cup water and a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil and reduce to simmer for 10-20 minutes. How long you simmer depends on how chewy you want your cereal–I let it go for 20 minutes and it was pretty crunchy :)

When the cereal is done, you can eat it plain or you could spice it up some. I added a few tablespoons of milk, about two table spoons of brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla extract. Yum! Of course, you can add what you like; try some raisins, bananas, or any other fruit you would normally put in oatmeal.

I liked the pin oat breakfast because it was hearty and filling, plus, it’s really healty for you! This recipe makes about 1 cup of cooked oats, and it only has something like 200 calories and about 4 grams of soluable fiber! Take the cholesterol out of your system while you fill up on a healthy breakfast!

Do you have a favorite “weight loss” breakfast food?

New Segment: Weighty Wednesday

Published by Hal on December 1, 2007 in Wholesome Wednesday, about me and health. 1 Comment

Hi, my name is Hal and I’m fat.

Okay, I’m not majorly obese, though I’m sure my BMI would indicate that I am on the heavy side of obese, if not just *shudder* morbidly so. This wasn’t always the case. When I was 8, I was rail thin and this lasted for several years until one tragic incident where I was walking to the convenient store and had a gun pulled on me (well, not just me, and we can’t be sure if it was a gun, but it looked like one). And, then, another time when I was trying to walk to a friend’s house and someone came after me with a bat (I don’t really thing with true malice, just trying to mess with me more than anything).

Yes, I had a tragic and scary childhood (sometimes). I didn’t live in a bad neighborhood, but I guess at that time (this was just before the reversal in violent crime rates, circa 1990) messing around like that was just the thing to do; or, at least, I remember it that way because of the culture I was exposed to.

Anyway, around that time, I got scared to even really walk outside. So I didn’t. And I packed on the pounds. It doesn’t help that genetics aren’t really on my side, either. Both sides struggle with it to some degree, and so do I. Welcome to America, I suppose. Well, it got real bad until I was a junior in college when I finally decided to do something about it. During 2003, I went to the gym at least three times a week–in the summer it was even more, like 5 times a week. I eventually started running and I lost 100 pounds.

Problem is, I don’t deal well with major change. At least, that’s one of the only things I can think of. Makes some sense, because I’m very type A, and I want to control my environment to a fault. It seems that one of my coping mechanisms is to overindulge in tasty and not necessarily healthful things :) So, I started picking up weight again… first in 2004 when I started grad school (about 15 pounds). Then in 2005 when I started working (about 30 pounds). Then in 2006 when I got married–and let it all go ;) (about about 20 pounds). And finally, this year, when we made a really drastic change with my wife going back to school which involved losing an income and moving to a completely new area (about 15 pounds).

If you’re counting, that means in 4 years I’ve gained back about 80 of the 100 pounds I lost in 2003.

So, today is the day to turn around. I rejoined the gym here at school and I’ll try to start going again at least three times a week–my officemate and I have something of an agreement that we’ll do this together and try to help each other out. And, I’ll watch and document what I eat better (one of the things that really helped, initially, was Weight Watchers–and I liked the program a lot, because you could eat anything, but you had to be accountable to the program and yourself). If I do it right, it will take close to a year, again. But, if I do it right, and keep doing it, I should be able to put all of this behind me.

Why am I telling you this on a food blog? Because half the battle is what you put into your body. So, I’m introducing a segment called “Weighty Wednesday,” where I will either post a naturally healthful recipe or a more healthful interpretation of a full-fat classic.

Plus, if I keep my progress documented for all the world to see, I might be more accountable to myself, right? Let’s hope so. Look for the first update on Wednesday!

Learning to Cook: “…and so can you!”

Published by Hal on November 29, 2007 in about me, health and technique. 3 Comments

My wife often asks me “where did you learn how to cook so well?” I touched on this very briefly in the post “My inspiration,” but I thought I would revisit the topic for this particular post.

When I was a kid, I was forbidden to touch the stove. I think the logic was that I was too young to learn how to cook, and I would probably just end up hurting myself. That didn’t stop me, because I still tried to cook things, and usually just simple things like mac and cheese or ramen. Sometimes, when I stayed home from school, I would watch TLC (probably the first of the mainstream lifestyle channels) and there would be cooking shows. I remember a cajun cooking show, probably some others, and “Yan Can Cook.”

Yan Can Cook was hosted by Martin Yan, and the premise of the show involved Martin cooking traditional Asian cuisine and goofing off, in an engaging way. I always remember the tag-line of the show: “If Yan can cook, so can you!” I remember being so rapt by this show, and wondering if I could ever cook like that. I never tried Asian cuisine at such a young age, but my passion for it has never waned.

After watching such shows (and there were others, which I’ll discuss later), I would occasionally experiment. Once, I made a tuna salad, and I must have used nearly every spice in the cabinet. From what I remember, it didn’t taste too bad, but it might have been over salted. I’m sure the spice combination was something like basil, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, garlic salt, salt, and pepper. My grandmother said I was turning into quite the little chef when I told her about it later that night.

Knowing that I wasn’t allowed to cook when I was kid (though I still did), I find it really interesting that conventional wisdom says something very different today, nearly 10 to 15 years later. You’ve seen those spots on FoodNetwork about cooking with your kids, right? And there are all kinds of recipe books for children (heck, even a quick Google Search on “cooking with kids” gets nearly 14 million hits, with websites that seem devoted to cooking with your children). Researchers now say that cooking with you children can impart some very beneficial knowledge, such as good food choice and integrating math, science, and language skills. It might even keep your kids from getting fat!

Do you remember when you first learned to cook? What are some of your stories?

Healthy Benefits: A Garlic Lover’s Dream Come True

Published by Hal on November 28, 2007 in cooking in the media and health. 1 Comment

Unlocking the Benefits of Garlic

Good news for you garlic lovers (which means good news for my wife and me)! We’ve heard for a long time that Garlic is supposed to be good for you and the benefits are numerous (this blog post highlights protection against many cancers and heart damage due to a heart attack) but until recently science could not explain why. It turns out that garlic emits a very small amount of a compound that is actually poisonous in large doses. Think of it as botox for the body–in small doses, this poison–hydrogen sulfide–kick starts hydrogen sulfide production in red blood cells, but only just enough to provide some antioxidant and vessel relaxing benefits. Amazing, huh?

These results were achieved using the equivalent of two garlic cloves, but the heaviest garlic eating countries eat upwards of 12 cloves per day! Here are some ways to get your garlic fix:

Rub the cut side of a clove of garlic on warm toast
Mince garlic and include it with your caramelized or sweated onions (add it last, because garlic burns quicker than onions)
Three words: forty clove chicken (from the slow cooker)
Garlic goes great in Italian, Middle Eastern, and Asian cuisine

Worried about the smell? This article has a cure–eat fennel seeds to help neutralize the smell!

Can’t get enough garlic? What are some of your favorite garlic recipes?