Posted on 10/12/2003 8:20:04 AM PDT by carlo3b
Eat some Chocolate Cake and just Relax..!!Maybe not!.. It's A GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS story...
We always knew this was so, but most of us were at a loss to explain it.. Eating something devilish, like cake or anything sweet, makes us simmer down.
Well, let me try to explain it in words that may assist us all in understanding.. This is with the help of, none other than the prestigious National Academy of Sciences.
THE GOOD NEWS. Those sweet and fatty foods that we often turn to in times of stress might in fact calm nerves, and relieve anxiety. That's the good news in an innovative biological theory of people's responses to stress. (If you are already stresses, you should stop here an get another Hershey's kiss, before proceeding)
The bad news (You knew this was coming so calm down) is that for those with chronic nervousness, and unusual levels of stress, those extra servings of comfort food come with potentially dangerous baggage, extra fat around the waist. SHAAZAM!
If that didn't do it for you .. Chronic stress, brought about by everyday trials and tribulations, is less well understood than are intermittent bouts of extreme, and acute stress. Here is what scientists know, that when a cat is suddenly attacked by a dog or a person prepares to give a speech, the adrenal gland pumps up production of stress hormones, including those known as glucocorticoids. When present at high-enough concentrations, glucocorticoids provide feedback to the stress-response system, eventually shutting it down.
To the researchers, it is still unclear how the stress response is controlled in animals that remain anxious for days at a time. However in the labs of physiologist Mary F. Dallman of the University of California, San Francisco and her colleagues, they aim to close that knowledge gap.
Drawing on their animals studies and experiments, these and other scientists propose that glucocorticoids work differently in the long term than they do in the short term. Meaning, that when chronically present in the brain and body, the hormones maintain the stress response instead of shutting it down. At the same time, they drive animals to seek out pleasurable foods, much the same as we do in our own nest. This directs the added calories to accumulate as abdominal fat,
However, there is a bright light in this process, at least in animal experiments. That unwanted extra fat eventually checks the glucocorticoids' alarmist effects and tells the brain to Whoa!
The results from several laboratory experiments with rodents (isn't this comforting.. get another Hershey's Kiss) support this view, the scientists say. In one set of conclusions, Dallman and her colleagues simulated chronic stress by increasing the brain concentration of a rodent version of the glucocorticoid called cortisol. As cortisol concentration rose, the rats responded by drinking increasingly more sugar water, eating increasingly more lard, and gaining abdominal girth. Ugh!
In an additional experiment, the researchers found that rats (maybe even you, you dainty mouse) with extra padding produce less-than-average concentrations of a brain chemical that triggers early molecular events underlying the stress response. HUH?
"If you put on some extra weight, there seems to be some sort of signal that says things are better," says Norman C. Pecoraro of UC-San Francisco, a coauthor of the paper. While Dallman and her coworkers don't know what signal the abdominal fat sends, they suspect it's involved with the regulation of metabolism.Whatever accounts for the urge to eat a big helping of Lasagna, it's best not to indulge in it every day. The abdominal weight gain that Dallman and her colleagues have linked to glucocorticoid action increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. {{{{{SHUDDER}}}}} OH! I see... *<@)... I just thought you should know..The model "puts a new and more meaningful slant on what we mean when we talk about 'comfort foods,'" says Bruce S. McEwen of Rockefeller University in New York. "These may actually calm down an important brain system linked to anxiety."
In a fast-paced society where food is easy to get, glucocorticoid action probably causes chronically stressed people to take in extra calories and to gain weight, says McEwen.
"People are somehow stressed, and they are self-medicating because food is available," adds Pecoraro.
"We also eat sugar and fat because they are good tasting and cheap," notes Adam Drewnowski of the University of Washington in Seattle. The stress response isn't the only brain pathway that controls consumption of sweet and high fat foods, he adds.
SOOOO.. put down the Kiss and go kiss someone..
Except if you have one night a week where you go out to dinner or something, I can eat what I please as long as I don't go overboard. I have found that you will still lose weight, control your appetite (and your blood sugar if that is an issue) albeit a little slower. Which isn't a bad thing, IMO.
Other adult beverages are more, you need to check em out and drink accordingly.
In fact, I'm off to have a few right now, have a good night.
Absolutely! I never had any particular love for the qualities of cauliflower, until I started messing with a Low Carb menu..
I should buy stock in a cauliflower Farm, because I firmly believe cauliflower will be a mainstay in the kitchens of pasta, and noodle lovers. My kitchen is no exception.. A big hand for Mrs. Tube :)
This is off a website EDiet.. http://www.ediets.com/news/article.cfm/article_id,8094
1. Chicken salad, tuna salad, turkey salad! Enjoy on a bed of lettuce with other fresh veggies or as a sandwich on low-carb bread.
2. Quesadillas! Fill low-carb tortillas with meats, vegetables and cheese.
3. Sandwiches! Stuff a low-carb tortilla or low-carb bread with avocado slices, chicken, sprouts and other veggies and protein.
4. Leftovers! Leftovers are great for both lunch and dinner. If you make a roast chicken the night before, you can use the meat as a base for either a salad or sandwich.
5. Ready-to-drink shakes or handy snack bars! Supplement these Atkins products with a piece of cheese or fresh vegetables. If you have moved beyond Induction, you can supplement with a some berries or a handful of nuts as well.
6. Caesar salad, Cobb salad, chef salad! Any salad that contains proteins (cheese, luncheon meat made without nitrates) and low-carb dressing is a healthy option.
... and 3 more pages of ideas.. Go for it!
You are correct, there has been little talk about the qualities of Sugar Twin. My best guess is that others have found the newer stuff to have a bit less aftertaste.. You answered the reason in your question.. you have been using the product for a long time and acquired a taste for it. The newcomers had more choices, and picked a new brand for their taste.
One nice thing about Sugar Twin is that it measures exactly like sugar, making it easier to convert recipes..
Fall Garden Herbs and Vegetables Chicken 1) Combine Keto or bread crumbs and 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, and dredge chicken in mixture.
- 1/4 cup low carb bread crumbs or 1/4 cup crumbed fried pig skins
- 6 Tbls shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
- 4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves
- 2 Tbls olive oil
- 10 lg mushrooms, quartered
- 1 lg green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 lg tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 lg garlic clove, pressed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 Tbls dried basil
- 1 Tbls chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano
2) Cook chicken in hot oil in a large skillet over medium high heat 4 minutes on each side or until browned.
Remove chicken from skillet.
3) Add mushrooms and bell pepper to skillet; sauté 3 minutes.
4) Add tomato, garlic, and salt; return chicken to skillet. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
5) Stir in basil, oregano, and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings 5.8 grams of carbohydrate per serving.
LowCarb Cheeseburger Quiche Lunch Snacks
Makes 6 servings 2.2 grams of carbohydrate per serving.
Haven't we been saying that about a lot of folks that are somewhat misfits.. Misswired! LOLOL
I am not on anyone's plan. I simply cut out nearly all carbs and generally eat less. You have to understqand that I used to take in mega carbs. I have friends/relatives that had some serious side effects on Atkins.
I like to have a few Kohlrabi in the fridge for a afternoon filler.
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