THE DIET WARS, a Battle of the SEXES.. How LowCarb can this go?

CookingWithCarlo.com ^ | Oct 21 2003 | Carlo3b Dad, Chef, Author

[carlo3b]

THE DIET WARS, a Battle of the SEXES

That guy who wrote "Men are from Mars Women are from Venus", the book that no one ever read, ...( a Sleepless in Seattle... sigh), had a great concept, but he had it all wrong.

Never fear, I have straighten it all out for everyone.. :)

*** REMOVE ALL LIQUIDS FROM MOUTH ALERT ***

I, your Natures Sex Chef.. sigh , who knows exactly everything a man needs to know about women, has the answers to the age old questions separating the genders, even where food is concerned... Really!

Women, would prefer Mars, the milk chocolate bar, over a Schwarzeneggered guy most days of the week!
Men, would choose Venus DeMilo, hands down (no pun intended), a naked chic in a bed sheet 10 to 1 over anything else.

Any Questions yet, .. lets see hands.... none? Good...  I thought so..  There's more!

Men and women folk do have other less startling differences in their eating preferences.  For one thing, women have no problem eating a selection of raw fauna and grasses and topped by a bland sour concoction, and littered with potpourri, with a side order of gooey soft curdled stuff, with a teaspoon of boysenberries!

Men would poke a plate of that stuff with a stick to see if it was a nesting area for pheasants before they'd think of eating it!

Women find it acceptable and even somewhat amusing to count things and keep a journal or diary. If a man has to do anything with numbers or instructions that total 3 or more, it won't happen twice. It may not the first time as in travel directions.

For ions we have attacked excess body weight using the intake of calories as a gage. Since an average women can count better than the average guy, counting calories favored the fairer sex.. Further, women get absolutely giddy when they are offered salads, vegetables and tasteless accruements. All of which are low or lower in the dreaded caloric content. So women should have no reason why they should ever worry about eating or carrying FAT!  Right? Perhaps not.

Men are mostly meat and potatoes kind of guys. Vegetable are what meat producing critters eat, salad and vegetable stuff, so why should someone eating them, have to do it too. But Fats, not the jazz singer, the blubber stuff, is what is found in the meat products so preferred by Guys.  Ergo, Guys should have a significant disadvantage over Dolls in the battle of the bulge. Right?

MORE? Surprise, surprise, there are a great deal more differences between the genders, and some of them are even anatomical! Where the fat accumulates also differs between genders.

When it comes to losing weight, women really do face a disadvantage compared to men. More than a few scientific studies have now shown that women accumulate fat faster than men and lose it at a slower pace.

When we are born, both the sexes are about the same weight. Each gender has a body fat totaling up to 12% of body weight. Things stay about the same all during adolescence. However during puberty girls get fatter, and unbelievably, boys become leaner. Girls by  the age of 18, have 20-25% body fat and boys have 15-18%.

It gets even more ominous for girls just because they are girls. We also know that adult women have a build in genetic code that is designed carry extra weight, because of  pregnancy, she would be able to cater to the additional supplies of nutrition to her baby. A women has a lower resting metabolism than men. This means that they burn fewer calories to maintain basic life functions. The differences can be quite significant. A small framed woman may need only 1000 calories to maintain normal body functions and a large framed woman may need about 1600 calories. Conversely men may need anywhere between 1400-2000 calories to carry out normal bodily functions.

Fat also settles differently on men and women. Men usually tend to store fat around their bellies whereas women store fat on their hips and thighs. Research on obesity indicates that fat deposit on the hips and thighs is more difficult to lose. Women's hormones favor depositing fat in that region and not removing it from there except during breast feeding which burns approximately 800 calories a day.

Diet & Nutrition expert Anjali Mukherjee explains:

We all can see that men have an apple shaped body with a large waist-to-hip ratio and are known to be at an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Normally, women develop a pear-shaped body with less fat deposits around the abdomen and more in the lower body parts. Such bodies even if obese do not stand a high risk for heart disease. This goes to show that two people with the same amount of body fat may have different health risks. Since excess fat in women is a part of the cosmic plan, they can gain weight even with healthier eating practices. But since fat in men was never meant to be, most men gain weight due to a rich diet or lack of adequate physical activity. Hence, obesity in men is associated with a greater likelihood of health problems than obesity in women. A point to note here is that women who have male type fat distribution (apple shaped bodies) also share the same increased health risk as men.

Men lose weight faster because abdominal fat is easy to burn than fat around the hips and thighs (the place where women tend to store fat.) This also explains why women who add on considerable weight to their lower body during pregnancy have a much harder time losing it after childbirth,... breast-feeding is an excellent way of losing weight around the hips and thighs. (mark that down guys) All this obviously means that many women who are counting calories, suffering hunger pangs and regularly following work-outs are still likely to put on extra weight or even face a tough time losing weight. This often causes anxiety and confusion.

Soooo, where does all of this fantastic information finally get to a bottom line, more aptly the waistline?

I believe the different genders being so inherently different, should attack weight loss much differently. For most men, the Dr. Atkin protein diet is a natural, especially in the early or "Induction phase".  How much easier it is for the average Guy for instance, to go on a diet where torture starts with a main course of charred RED MEAT? Later it has everything a man loves including some limited pastas and breads.. hold the potatoes!

The method I would recommend for girls is a diet called, the South Beach Diet, a modification of the Atkins Diet. The South Beach Diet was written by and designed by Miami cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatson. I can not help but think this entire concept is a knock-off of the Atkins, but it does have a few significant differences that really favor women in my opinion.  It still has most of the same restrictions in the early phase, but early and later stages allow for the more vegetables and fruits. This I believe is healthier for anyone, especially women.

This will not make die-hard Atkins Diet gurus happy, but I have watched too many folks fail after trying so hard.
I want women and men to stop counting everything, calories or carbs and everything else. I have found that the thinking and counting food and it's components, keeps the laboring thought of diet, dominating too much of their thought. Thinking about eating, and fretting about it constantly, is IMHO, why so many people fall off the wagon and eventually return to their old bad habits. Thinking about food all the time, makes you hungry, all of the time!

These two diets are not so restrictive in what they ask of the dieter to lose and maintain weight, therefore counting things is not, in my opinion, as necessary. Following the book will tell you what you what you can and cannot eat. A public school dropout knows the consequences of eating the wrong foods will reverse all the successes. The Atkins diet says you must count carbs, South Beach is not so stringent.  However, here is my disclaimer, those following the letter of the law with these diets will enjoying better results, and a faster weight loss. Use your best judgment.. Men usually don't count anything anyway, I am just removing the guilt.. :)

I believe the differences between genders will also have an effect on the continued success of maintaining a safer diet. Choosing a diet that is more compatible with your own lifestyle assures a fair chance for an on going lifelong modification to your eating habits.  The dramatic weight loss enjoyed by both Atkins, and SB in "The Induction" will slow appreciably in later stages, and so be it.. I want you to find a comfortable diet that will alter your eating habits that is sustainable, and therefore a successful healthy life.

What I can help with, and what I want to do for everyone, aside from solving all gender differences between the sexes, (ahem) is I will assist you in your planning a long term (bi-weekly) menu for success. By preplanning a menu which has been thought through, so thinking about food, and what to eat is solved, and the only thing left is shopping, warming/cooking and dinnertime.

If I can get you to set aside a couple of hours every week to prepare the foundations of your menu, I can show you how to solve the only pitfall in dieting, whichever one you choose. I give you my word. http://www.click2asia.com/lounge/index.php?y=tothepoint&id=23

[carlo3b]

That is a great find and a terrific source for fast and easy recipes.. way to go.. a big thanks from all of us!

[carlo3b]

Playing sports with the meat and potatoes tends to jam up the buttons on the remote.

Sheeesh.. girls.. :)

[jellybean]

So, you're saying I'm doing it wrong? Should I stuff the remote inside the meat and potatoes? Do sports come before or after the other stuff??

[carlo3b]

LowCarb Nutty Hot and Spicy Banana Cake

• 1/2 cup real butter (1 stick) at room temperature
• 1/2 cup cream cheese (full fat) softened
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, (or, pecans)
• 1 cup granulated Splenda *
• 1/2 cup Diabetisweet *
• 1 tsp Sweet 'N Low Brown Sugar *
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 tsp cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp sugar free banana extract
• 1 tsp sugar free vanilla extract


1) Cream butter, cream cheese, nuts, and sweeteners well.
2) Add eggs - one at a time - beating well after each.
3) Mix almond flour with baking powder and spices.
4) Add egg to mixture a little at a time while beating.
5) Add banana, and vanilla extracts.
Pour into greased 9"-10" Springform pan (or 9" round cake pan) and bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes.

*  There are many great sweeteners now being marketed, these are a few that lean itself to baking. Diabetisweet, is new to me and I am really impressed with it's stamina in baking.
Makes 8 servings. 6.2 grams of carbohydrate per serving.

[carlo3b]

Try this on those beasts. This should calm'm down. :)

 

LowCarb Hot off the Grill Sirloin with Green Peppercorns

• 3 Tbs.. pure olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 sirloin steak, about 2 1/2 lbs.
• 1 Tbs. Green Peppercorns
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 tsp. lemon juice

Preheat the Grill or broiler to high.
1) In a small bowl mix the olive oil, salt, garlic and black pepper together. Evenly apply to both sides of the meat. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
2) Dry-roast the Peppercorns in a small frying pan over medium heat until they darken a shade. Remove from the heat. Finely grind half of them in a spice or coffee grinder.
3) Using a food processor, or blender, mix the egg, Dijon mustard, salt, garlic and the finely ground cumin seeds.
4) With the motor still on, carefully add half of the oils in a slow steady stream.
5) Add the lemon juice and continue adding the rest of the oil until it is thoroughly emulsified. Add a little water if the mixture seems too thick. Remove to a bowl and stir in the whole peppercorns seeds.

 Grill or broil the steak, 3-4 minutes on one side, 2-3 on other to achieve medium-rare. Remove the and rest the steak for a few minutes, then slice very thinly across the grain and serve with the pepper oil, or on the side.
 
 

[mamaduck]

ions, eons, ah, what's the difference!?!

Personally, I like steak AND salad. :-)

[carlo3b]

ions, eons, ah, what's the difference!?!

I see you have found once again, what appears to be mistake in my essay, which would prove be so uncharacteristic of my intellect and writings.. *** REMOVE ALL LIQUIDS FROM MOUTH ALERT ***  when actually it may be you, (rolling eyes.. :) that may not have the appropriate physiological knowhow to comprehend the depth of my composition..

The target of your latest unwarranted attack on my grammar is perhaps somewhat excusable.. Ions vs eons.. Ions, was actually exactly the word that I intended to use. If I might be faulted (/tongue-in-cheek) for anything, it may be that I misjudged the reader's level of knowledge in morphology that deals with the structure of organisms.

• Ions : an atom or group of atoms that carries a positive or negative electric charge as a result of having lost or gained one or more electrons.

You mistakenly assumed that I was referring to eons, the measurement of time.. Bwhahahahahahahahahhaahah   sorry that would really be funny.   Had you been correct I would have been guilty of the misuse of a word, (a 1st), which as you see would approach a criminal persecution of my superior literary acumen..

ERGO  Spelling, Grammar, and Composition.. CARLO3B  A++... *<]8^P

[jellybean]

Try this on those beasts. This should calm'm down. :)

Calm 'm down?? I'm tryin' to fire 'm up!!!

Can't wait to try the recipe!! This week-end for sure!

[MadelineZapeezda]

Carlo, I tried this at our local Costco's demonstration and I've been eating it ever since:

Buy 1 brick of QUESO BLANCO Cheese. Cut slabs about 1/2 inch thick.
Fry in teflon pan with NO oil on high heat until it browns.
Flip and do same.

That's it....then eat This cheese will keep its shape and get a nutty flavor. We shake Lawry's garlic salt on top. That's it. It's sooooooooooooo good!

[carlo3b]

QUESO BLANCO Cheese, Fritos (Fried)

Yummmmmmmmmmm!

[carlo3b]

Chiles Rellenos Fritos

Fried Stuffed Chiles

• 12 large chiles poblanos or any chiles for stuffing
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 16 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 oz.Queso Blanco, cut in 1/2 inch-thick strips
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup flour, (I know, I know..:)
• Oil for frying

 1) Cook and stir onion in hot oil until tender.
 2) Add garlic, tomatoes and salt.
 3) Simmer 10 minutes. Keep tomato sauce warm.
 4) Place chiles in shallow baking pan. Broil and turn chiles until skin blisters.
 5) Place in paper bag and close for about 10 minutes. Wipe the outside of chile with damp cloth to remove    charred skin.
 6) Make a slit from top to bottom on one side of the chiles. Open the top and carefully cut below the stalk. Remove veins and seeds, being careful not to break the flesh.
 7) Stuff with cheese strips.
 8) Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add one yolk at a time, beating after each addition.
 9) Heat about 1 inch of oil in large skillet. Roll stuffed chiles in flour then in egg batter.
 10) Gently place in hot oil and brown both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve with tomato sauce.

[SeaDragon]

Buy 1 brick of QUESO BLANCO Cheese. Cut slabs about 1/2 inch thick. Fry in teflon pan with NO oil on high heat until it browns. Flip and do same.

Oh, wow. That sounds tasty and easy. You eat these just as a snack??

[MadelineZapeezda]

Usually as a snack. Try them, they're awesome. (Sometimes you just get tired of cold cheese.)

[SamAdams76]

Well I got my first blood work done since starting the "normal-carb" (I refuse to call it low-carb) diet back in April. The results are very encouraging. My total cholesterol is now 176. It actually dropped 9 points since my last reading and this is after eating at least 2 eggs every day for six months! So much for the theory that cholesterol intake adversely affects the cholesterol in your body. They have nothing to do with each other, it all depends on how much cholesterol your own body produces, and your body will produce its own cholesterol even in the total absence of cholesterol in your diet.

In fact, everything was in the normal range, including triglycerides, HDL/LDL, blood sugar, etc. I am a perfect specimen of good health after six months of eating what many detractors STILL insist on calling a "unhealthy diet."

Now what I do is a hybrid of the normal-carb diets out there. What I do is simple. I don't eat any processed food and I don't eat any fast food. What I do eat is food in its natural form. Meat, vegetables, berries, eggs, nuts, yogurt, fish, olive oil, wine, beer, etc.

It's not as hard to do as you might imagine. For instance, I carry a bottle of olive oil in my glove compartment. If I am on the road and in a pinch, I just grab a salad at one of those chain restaurants, take it to the car and dump in the olive oil (I don't use dressing or vinegar at all but that's a matter of personal taste). I also carry tins of sardines and bags of nuts around with me so that I am never without something good to eat.

I can honestly say that I have not cheated a single time since starting this in April. It feels too good to eat this way to stop. Besides, when you cheat on this diet, you are only cheating yourself. It has been so long since I had something sweet like a candy bar, piece of pie or cake, etc., that plain yogurt with blueberries tastes just like ice cream and blueberry pie (only without the crust which I don't miss at all).

I'm not a low-carb fanatic (which is why I call my diet "normal-carb") but I do keep the carbs under 100g a day just by eating nothing but good, wholesome food. I eat all the vegetables I want and eat more veggies than I ever did in my life. The only natural food I don't eat is fruit but I have all the berries I want, which are low-glycemic and loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and other good stuff. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries - all good. And I get plenty of grapes in my wine. Maybe I'll add some other fruits back in when I lose all the weight. We'll see.

[Exit148]

Boy! You sound like a picture of success to me! Congratulations! Especially on the blood numbers. Eggs have been given such a bad rap for so long that they are thought of as bad food. NOT! What does your doctor have to say about it?

You are doing everything right. Fiber, protein, good fat-----all designed to slow the absorbtion of sugars and starches. You can add vinegar to that list. Just a little is all that is needed to delay digestion of the sugars.

Just keeping away from processed food is a big step --- because of all the trans fats and hydrogenated stuff.

I don't like calling it low-carb either. I don't use your term -- rather I say good-carbs. The way starches were meant to be. There is so much out there to eat, and the choices are for the taking. You can pick good or bad. Who said "We are what we eat"? Look at the people around you and you can see what choices people have made. Your choices have served you well!

I can hardly wait for my next lipid profile. I had one when I first started the SBD, but it was too soon to see results. My ratio has always been good, with the HDL balancing the borderline total cholesterol. But I would like to see that number drop. Never thought I would look forward to a blood test! LOL!Reading the stories on the SB forum, all have made great progress -- astounding their doctors -- some who which pooh pooh this diet lifestyle!

I wish Dr. Atkins had not had that terrible accident. He should have basked for years in seeing his theory defy convention.

On my way to DC tomorrow, I will be carrying my nuts, apples and peanut butter. It will be the first time in years that I will not be eating a Sbarro Philly Cheese Thick-crusted Pizza! I won't miss it as I am rarely hungry anymore following the protein snack regime that SBD proposes. My problem will be passing up the Spaghetti Carbonera at Luigi's, but they have other great choices.

I remember you as a tall man. Husky, but not obese. I probably wouldn't recognize you now! Keep up the good work. You are a perfect example that the old theories were off the mark.

I am a Sox fan and am in mourning.

[SamAdams76]

Being 6'3", I always carried my excess weight well up until the past couple of years when I really started to e-x-p-a-n-d that waistline. When I topped off at 300 pounds this past April, I resolved to do something about it. Click on my profile to see a recent picture of me. I look a lot different then I did back in 1998 (when we met during the "March For Justice" trip). I am now about 10 pounds less than when even that picture was taken. Now I am actually thin and it feels great. I haven't been this thin since I was 19 years old.

I went to a county fair a couple of weeks ago which I take my family to annually (up in Topsfield). Normally on those outings, I would eat over 4,000 calories easy and probably 500g of carb. I'd have deep-fried vegetables, candied apples, German fries, fried dough, apple pie and ice cream, and whatever else. I'd spend all day eating and it was hard to not stop to sample all the different foods. Well this year, I wasn't even tempted with any of that junk. I went to a booth that was serving stir-fry and had sirloin tips with peppers, onions and mushrooms. No rice. No bread. Instead, I had mixed vegetables which was broccoli, cauliflower and summer squash. I then had some honey-roasted peanuts later on near the bee house. I hadn't had honey in months and the sweetness overwhelmed me. I had to have my son finish them for me. I figure I had maybe 800 calories and about 30 grams of carb for time I was at the fair. Aside from the hard-boiled eggs and yogurt I had that morning, that was it for the day. And I wasn't hungry at all. BTW, I did not tell my doctor about my diet because I didn't want to get a lecture from him. I know that most doctors are hostile to any kind of low-carb plan. So I just thought I'd go in there and let my blood work do my talking for me. So when I go back for my next check-up, I'll have the blood work results to prove that I am doing the right thing. When the doctor asked me how I lost so much weight, I simply told him "exercise and good eating." He was very impressed with the weight loss but I think he will be more impressed if I can keep it off for the next visit. He probably sees hundreds of people who lose weight only to gain it right back again.

[Exit148]

I checked you picture and you look great - even with the 10 pounds!

It's funny about doctors. Some don't have a clue, then there are some like my regular Md. who is aware of everything that is going on, approves of homeopathy, and when SBD was explained, he approved.

Keep up your good work. When you feel so good, you know you are doing something right.

Actually, you are a Saint. Going to the Topsfield Fair and passing by all those aromas, qualifies you. If when I next go to NYC's Chinatown and the San Genarro Festival is across the street in Little Italy, I'll have an easier time of it. There, it is the sausage and peppers! In a crusted roll, but that will only hold the goodies and make them easier to eat!

[carlo3b]

Coffee May Protect Against Colon Cancer

From HealthDayNews

Oct. 23 — That morning cup of java might do more than just kickstart your day — it could actually help protect you against colon cancer.

German researchers say they've found a highly active compound, called methylpyridinium, in coffee that may prevent colon cancer. In studies with animals, this potent antioxidant compound appears to boost the activity of phase II enzymes, which are believed to protect against colon cancer.

The study results appear in the Nov. 5 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Scientists have suspected for years that coffee may offer some cancer protection. This is the first study that's identified a specific, highly active anticancer compound in coffee.

"Until human studies are done, no one knows exactly how much coffee is needed to have a protective effect against colon cancer," study co-leader Thomas Hofman, professor and head of the Institute for Food Chemistry at the University of Munster, says in a prepared statement.

"However, our studies suggest that drinking coffee may offer some protection, especially if it's strong," Hofman says.

He notes that espresso-type coffee contains about two to three times more of the anticancer compound than a medium roast coffee.

Methylpyridinium is found almost exclusively in coffee and coffee products. It's not present in raw coffee beans. It's formed during the roasting process from its chemical precursor, trigonellin.

The anticancer compound is present in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and is even found in instant coffee.
 

[jellybean]

LowCarb Hot off the Grill Sirloin with Green Peppercorns

I had this for dinner today and it was delicious!! However I ran into a slight glitch:

3) Using a food processor, or blender, mix the egg, Dijon mustard, salt, garlic and the finely ground cumin seeds.

How much cumin seeds? The recipe doesn't specify. I used 1/2 Tb. Still turned out great!

[carlo3b]

How much cumin seeds? The recipe doesn't specify. I used 1/2 Tb. Still turned out great!

Hmmmmmm... (LIGHT BULB)... I'd recommend using 1/2 Tbls... :o) ..... HAHahahahah!