Pasta, Not Bacon, Makes You Fat. But How?

One of the most utterly surprising scientific findings of recent decades has got to be that fat isn’t so bad for you after all. (Apart from, you know, potentially bringing on serious heart conditions.) In fact, if you’re looking for a reason for America’s ballooning girth, you’ve got to lay the blame on carbohydrates--in other words, bread and pasta, the very things that the government once advertised as the foundation of a healthy diet in the food pyramids we all grew up with.

The funny thing is, though, that those low-carb diets, at this point, probably feel like another fad. The Atkins rage came and passed, after all. So it’s worth recounting the science behind how carbs make you fat, and it’s all laid out in this infographic created by Column Five for Massive Health, and based on Why We Get Fat by noted science writer Gary Taubes.

The first panel illustrates some basic food science that I’ll bet you didn’t know in much detail. Namely, the long chain of events that leads to you porking up:

The biggest culprits seem to be carbs. But does reining in carbs actually make you skinnier? Yes: Even compared with traditional calorie restriction diets, low-carb regimes like the Atkins diet make you lose far more weight while keeping calories the same. Decreasing fat, meanwhile, does nothing to lower your weight:

But what’s so wrong with carbs themselves? In short, they cause our insulin levels to go haywire, and that, in turn, causes our cells to pull in more fat:

It’s crazy enough that carbs, long thought to be pure and wholesome for so many years, turn out to be the devil--especially since it just seemed to make so much sense that eating fat would make you fat. With that in mind, you’ve got to wonder how many surprises science still holds for us when it comes to food.

Ground Beef Burrito

Cooking for 12 is a big jump from cooking for 2.   Besides making sure that there would be an adequate amount of cutlery available for everyone, dinner should also be carefully planned.  Either you end up making too much food, or not enough.  Then all you can do is order Chinese take-out.  Or pizza.

Unless, you’ve rented some dancing monkeys for the night to keep your guests entertained, and make them forget their empty stomachs.

Which I doubt you’ve done.  But if you have, please send me the company’s number as I like monkeys.  Ones that won’t rip off my face or my hair out of my skull, of course.

Cooking for a dozen is a bit tricky.  But I love to host dinner parties and I like to feed people.  Whether they like it or not.  Kidding.  Heh.

Anyway, where was I.   Although it may seem to be a daunting task to feed heaps of people, you can do it with a little bit of:

Preparation – make food that can be put together the night before, then just whip them out and cook  ‘em the next day.

Motivation – mine is,  If prison guards can do it, the heck, I can too! 

I know, there must be 20 to 30 cooks over there.  But hey, this is MY motivation, so get your own.

For tonight’s menu,  one of the recipes I went with was Beef and Bean Burritos.  Because they’re easy to throw together, and I can freeze them for up to roughly 2 weeks – the longest I’ve left them in there before cooking, and still live to tell the tale.   Also,  I have a can of  Chipotle Peppers I’ve been ardently waiting to make use of.  Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce with a smoky & spicy flavor that goes so well with meat.   And it warrants a statement that  proves  my incredible  grasp of the English Language — Me likey!

Main Ingredients:

12 Wraps

Cooking Oil

500g Ground Beef

1 medium-sized Onion, chopped

1 TBSP. Chipotle in Adobo Sauce

1 TSP. Hot Sauce

1 can (420g) Chilli Beans

1 can (400g) Tomatoes

2 cans (440g) Refried Beans

2 cups Cheddar Cheese, grated

1 TSP. Cumin, ground

1 TSP. Oregano, ground

1 TSP. Paprika, ground

Salt & Pepper

Toppings:

1 can (400g) Tomatoes

1 cup Cheddar Cheese

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Instructions:

Grab a pan, heat some cooking oil in it, dump in the ground beef and cook until brown.   Don’t forget to make cutting motions with the spatula so you don’t end up with meatballs, or worse, a giant hamburger.  Nothing wrong with that, the idea has its appeal, actually.  But we are making burritos right now.

When the meat is sufficiently brown, push to the side and cook the onions until translucent.

Then comes the Chipotle Peppers.  Hooray!
Slice in the middle and take out the seeds.  Then chop into tiny pieces.

 

Spoon it into the pan.
(Uh, yeah. The one in the photo resembles an ice-cube.  But you can scroll down to the Quick Notearea for the reason)

A dash of hot sauce will make it better-er.

And then season with oregano, cumin, paprika, salt & pepper, according to taste.
Or if you have taco seasoning, you can use that instead.

 

Mix well, baby.  Ah, the kitchen smells wonderful.  I like it.

Where’s my can opener???  I swear, one day I will re-organize the stuff in the drawers!

Add the chilli beans with the beef.  I bought the salsa flavored ones and it’s got corn and bell peppers included.  If your can of beans is pretty standard, feel free to dump in 1/4 cup each of (cooked)corn kernels & bell pepper(diced) in the mix.

Then pour in the tomatoes.

Simmer for another 5 minutes, turn off the stove, and set aside.

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In another pan, heat the refried beans on medium-high temperature until soft.

Combine cheese with refried beans.  Mix thoroughly until the cheese melts in .

Like so.  Then, turn off the heat and prepare the wraps.

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Nuke the wraps for 30 seconds each so they don’t break when you fold them.

Then layer the refried beans mixture and the ground beef stuff on it.

 

Fold the wrap – top, bottom, then left over right.  Folded side facing down.  Or just roll it however you want.

 

At this point, you can enclose the wraps in foil and place them in your freezer.  To be taken out when needed.  Don’t forget to defrost in the fridge before cooking or your burritos will end up with cooked outsides, and cold insides.

Or… you can ditch that idea and go straight to cooking the burritos.

If not fussy, place the wraps on a plate, drizzle with tomatoes on top.  Then sprinkle on some grated cheddar.  Nuke in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.  Eat.

But if you can be bothered, do the same procedure but plunk down the burritos onto a lightly-greased baking pan instead.

 

Bake on fan-forced setting in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for around 5 to 10 minutes.  Or until the cheese topping melts.

 

Plop on a plate and if you have some fresh coriander leaves on hand, tear them into pieces and scatter all over.  I prefer basil over coriander though, so I use that instead.

Then go ahead, serve to the inmates on death row.
I mean, your friends.  My friends, our friends.  You know what, I’ll stop talking.

Seneca quote:

 "As long as you live, keep learning how to live."

Old Enough_Aunt Carol Usher

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How To Eat Out Without Gaining Weight

When you are trying to lose weight, you’ll often come across the same old advice about how to avoid temptation – stop eating out, cook at home, and tightly manage your grocery list. Although this advice works in a controlled environment, we all know that you are not a research subject and life is not a bio lab. Real life is messy and sometimes things don’t always go according to plan. Eating out is convenient if you are a single guy or gal. Plus, you won’t always have time to pack lunch for work despite your best intentions.

Eating out isn’t all about convenience either. In most cultures, social experiences are shared around food. Sharing a meal is a way to connect with the people that you love without the distractions of everyday life. Having a fulfilling social life is one factor that helps determine how healthy you are too. Supportive social networks have shown to extend life expectancy in scientific studies.

Losing weight and enjoying your social life don’t have to be incompatible if you make the right choices. According to a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, educating diners about healthy food choices when dining out helped study participants lose an average of 1.7kg over 6 weeks. The 35 middle aged women who were studied maintained their frequency of eating out, and the only intervention by the researchers was a 6-week educational program called Mindful Restaurant Eating.

Although most cuisines offer both healthy and unhealthy choices, some cuisines offer a greater number of healthy options. The next time you make plans to eat out, choose a cuisine that offers the most healthy options.

Best cuisines for eating out:

• Thai – Thai cuisine is rich in vegetables, lean meats, and antioxidant-rich spices. Dig into traditional seafood soups and veggie-packed coconut curries. Steer clear of fried appetizers, rice and noodle dishes, and desserts.


• Japanese – Japanese cuisine is known for its low carb, high protein dishes and low calorie options. Vegetarians, lowcarb dieters, and seafood lovers will all find options that will please their waistlines and tastebuds. Dig into sashimi, seaweed salad, and miso soup. Steer clear of california rolls made with imitation crab, white sticky rice, and tempura.


• Greek – Greek cuisine is rich in heart healthy olive oil, as well as lamb, yogurt, and eggplant. Many greek dishes combine healthy herbs, vegetables, and protein to create aromatic and savory options. Dig into stuffed grape leaves, lamb kabobs, and stuffed tomatoes. Steer clear of baklava, spinach pie, and cheese pastries.


• American (West Coast) – Also known as California fresh cuisine, the sunny central and southern west coast of the US offers up colorful and low calorie dishes. Alice Waters, founder of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California, helped to shape California cuisine by emphasizing organic, fresh food presented beautifully and simply. Her tradition lives on in this decidedly unfussy way of eating. Dig into crab and avocado salads, shrimp tacos, or stop by a local juice bar. Steer clear of the fast-food burger joints that California is famous for.


• Spanish – The Spanish tradition of eating tapas (small plates) has become popular in American urban centers. Small servings allow you to have better control over your portions, but watch out for fried and carb heavy tapas. Dig into mussels, tomato-based dishes, and ceviche. Steer clear of flan, chorizo, and paella, which contains white rice.

Worst cuisines for dining out

• Pub-style – American inherited UK pub culture and put a modern spin on it. Sure, most American pubs don’t serve heavy UK classics like bangers and mash or shepherd’s pie. Our pubs do serve foods that will similarly sit like a rock in your stomach while they help to slow down alcohol absorption. Most pubs offer only one or two dishes that health-conscious eaters can enjoy, but they are typically afterthoughts on the menu and not very tasty. The worst offenders: chili cheese fries, bacon cheese burgers, and fish and chips.


• Chinese (Americanized) – What do you get when you fry chicken in transfat, then coat it in high fructose corn syrup and salt? The American version of Chinese food of course! It’s a shame that most Chinese food restaurants don’t serve authentic Chinese food, and instead fill their menus up with General Tso’s chicken. The worst offenders: sweet and sour sauce, fried egg rolls, and pork fried rice.


• Italian – Although there are lots of healthy foods in traditional Italian cuisine, most of the dishes in Italian restaurants center around wheat. Whether a dish is served on a crust (like Neapolitan pizza), over pasta, or with a side of breadsticks (I’m talking about you, Olive Garden), the waistline expanding carbs found in Italian restaurants outweigh the health benefits of most of the dishes. The worst offenders: pizza, fettuccine alfredo, and the bread basket that comes before your appetizer.


• American (Midwestern) – Sorry Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan – your favorite traditional foods are not good for people looking to keep weight off. Midwestern classics like mac n’ cheese, green bean casserole, and sausages are midwest staples. Midwestern American cuisine is influenced by the heavy foods of Polish, German, and Eastern Europe that were popular with immigrants in the mid 19th century. The worst offenders: German chocolate cake, Chicago deep dish pizza, and pierogis.

Have fun eating out this weekend, but be sure to make good healthy choices!