Decadent “dessert” drink soothes Thai spice burn. Authentic Thai restaurant recipe to make at home.
Restaurants use authentic Thai tea; yellow food color gives bright orange color w/ vanilla aroma. Panthai brand is used.
Or use black tea; version with pekong black tea bags was great--no brilliant orange color, or subtle hint of sweet vanilla.
THAI ICED TEA
DO AHEAD BTB 4 c water; add cup thai tea mix (or 4 black tea bags). Add 3/4 c sugar; gently stir/dissolve.
Gently boil 3 min. Steep offheat 30 min minimum; then cool. The more concentrated the tea, the better the final taste.
W/ Thai tea mix, strain out tea leaves. Set aside to cool.
W/ black tea bags, LIFTOUT tea bags and set tea aside to cool. Can do to here early in day, then fridge/chill.
ASSEMBLY Layer in glass filled w/ ice, 3/4 chilled Thai tea mix. Top off w/ HnH,
(or coconut milk, whole milk, low-fat milk or sweet/cond/milk). Stir and serve.
How Food May Improve Your Mood
NYT ^ | May 6, 2021 | Anahd O’Conner
FR Posted on 5/12/2021, 3:35:04 PM by BenLurkin
A healthy diet promotes a healthy gut, which communicates with the brain through what is known as the gut-brain axis. Microbes in the gut produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate our mood and emotions, and the gut microbiome has been implicated in mental health outcomes.
The first major trial to shed light on the food-mood connection was published in 2017. A team of researchers wanted to know whether dietary changes would help alleviate depression, so they recruited 67 people who were clinically depressed and split them into groups. One group went to meetings with a dietitian who taught them to follow a traditional Mediterranean-style diet. The other group, serving as the control, met regularly with a research assistant who provided social support but no dietary advice.
But the diet group made big changes. They replaced candy, fast food and pastries with whole foods such as nuts, beans, fruits and legumes. They switched from white bread to whole grain and sourdough bread. They gave up sugary cereals and ate muesli and oatmeal. Instead of pizza, they ate vegetable stir-fries. And they replaced highly processed meats like ham, sausages and bacon with seafood and small amounts of lean red meats.
The diet benefited mental health even though the participants did not lose any weight. People also saved money by eating the more nutritious foods, demonstrating that a healthy diet can be economical. Before the study, the participants spent on average $138 per week on food. Those who switched to the healthy diet lowered their food costs to $112 per week.
The recommended foods were relatively inexpensive and available at most grocery stores. They included things like canned beans and lentils, canned salmon, tuna and sardines, and frozen and conventional produce, said Felice Jacka, the lead author of the study.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...