Archive for Nutrition
10.09.06
Posted in Nutrition at 9:51 am by Rob
I have a problem. My problem is that I like pasta. I am not a pasta freak by any means but I do enjoy it fairly often. The down side is that I can’t eat the recommended serving size and so I completely blow my caloric intake. I mean, 2oz dry pasta is about 200 calories and I know I double or triple that and that is with no sauce on it. Don’t get me going on Alfredo to top it off. I think I have found my saving grace. I had been doing some reading on various flavors of pasta and was looking for an alternative to the “white” forms. I had been using whole wheat pasta because it is more nutritionally sound than the processed versions and yet I was still unhappy with the calories that were involved.
Sure the fiber and whatnot were great but it still limited my toppings and other items I could have for that meal so I wouldn’t kill my intake for the day. Now, you know I do not eat low carb, I just don’t eat processed carbs. Well, that is kind of a lie, lately I have been slipping a bit but I do limit them whenever I can. Anyway, back to my story. So, I happened to be reading about a Japanese noodle called Shirataki. They say it has no calories and about three grams of soluble fiber per serving. It is just glucomannan and water, 96% water and 4% glucomannan (the fiber). I decided to give them a try and headed off to the local Asian market to get some.
My first impressions, they are packed in water and are almost clear. More of a see through white. I opened the package and there was a slight odor to them, not overpowering though and it goes away after rinsing them in hot water for a bit. My first dish with them was a spicy Korean pork dish. I tried one as is and it had no taste of it’s own but in the dish it soaked up all of the flavor of the dish I was making. I suggest that you cook it in the same pan as the meat you are making to impart that flavor in to the noodles. Now, they aren’t perfect in that they are a bit chewy, I like to think of them as the calamari of the pasta family. You don’t notice after a bite or two anyway.
Since then I have also made spaghetti, cook it in your sauce for best results. Cooking in water makes them watery in my opinion. I have also made a Cajun dish with crawfish that was outstanding. If you can’t find it under Shirataki you should be able to locate it under Konyaku instead. I can eat a ton of this stuff but you need to remember that it is fiber and too much can cause trouble. A company called House Foods also makes it with tofu in it. There are all kinds of styles you can get from the angel hair or spaghetti sized noodle to fettuccine and lasagna. Even a brick that looks like a tofu brick and even some with seaweed in it. I have even seen rigatoni, penne and linguine. There is a shape for almost any pasta style you need.
You can store these for a year but don’t freeze them; they don’t take well to that. If you have blood sugar problems then this is the way for you to get your pasta and have no side effects. Dare I say, it’s almost perfect.
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01.23.06
Posted in Nutrition at 8:39 pm by Rob
The first major study of Cumin in cancer prevention and treatment was performed by scientists at Cancer Immuno-Biology Laboratory of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. They concluded that a healthy immune system will detect and destroy cancer cells before the cancer endangers the patient, including colon and breast cancer. Cumin can be effective for both cancer prevention and treatment.
It also has powerful antioxidant effects and protects the liver from damage by drugs and chemicals.
Chicken curry anyone?
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01.01.06
Posted in Nutrition at 11:17 pm by Rob
Did you know that cinnamon can knock out E. coli , one of the most virulent foodborne microorganisms that exists today? Researchers at Kansas State University discovered in laboratory tests about one teaspoon (0.3 percent) of cinnamon killed 99.5 percent of the bacteria in raw ground beef and sausage.
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12.30.05
Posted in Nutrition at 9:17 am by Rob
Seems I never get enough time to post that often. Most of the time I dont post because I never feel I have enough to say to warrant it. Then I feel like I am neglecting my blog. So, from now on I will be making short “Did you know?” posts about interesting things I come across. Most will be food related as I do like my food. So, here is the first installment.
Broccoli,
Did you know that broccoli can help promote beneficial estrogen metabolism. This is a good thing for men in their thirties and beyond as we slow the production of testosterone the older we get. So, the broccoli helps increase good estrogens by up to 75%. These bind to blood protiens to leave greater levels of free testosterone in the body.
I guess if you dont eat your broccoli you may really be a girly-man. There is a way out, cauliflower and kale have the same effect so if you arent into your green friends you can still get your goodies.
Hmmmm, I guess this was a long post.
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11.13.05
Posted in Nutrition at 10:59 am by Rob
So, I subscribe to several health related magazines. Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Men’s Health and whatnot. I went online to renew my Men’s Health subscription and was browsing their website. I noticed an online article titled “How to get thinner by the minute”. I always read articles of this nature to see if I can find anything useful.
This one was interesting, as it talks about eating throughout the day instead of just three large meals. This is something I have believed in for a long time. What made it interesting though was the way they talked about eating different things at different times of the day.
They touch on the fact that different carbs affect your body differently, that fast-burning ones like grains, potatoes and candy raise blood sugar faster than slower burning ones like fruits and veggies. Both of these types of carbs can be good for you if eaten at the right time. Not only is it what you eat but when.
They state that one needs to eat every three hours after breakfast. Waiting longer causes your blood sugar to lower and to make up for it your body starts “eating” away at your muscles. So, starting with breakfast, eat protein and slow-burning carbs along with a small portion of good fat.
The only time to change is after your workout, the meal after your workout should be liquid and two hours after should be some of those faster burning carbs. Protein, veggies and some pasta is perfect for this time.
They also have a recipe for a “Super Shake” and you can find that here; Super Shake.
It is called the clock diet, and while I despise the word “diet”, I am going to be the guinea pig and give this a go. At this point, not loosing any more weight, I am trying new eating and workout routines to see if my body will respond.
To learn more you can go to menshealth.com and click the Weight Loss navigation button at the top to read more.
I will keep you posted as I progress.
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