Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Hurry, GET ON BOARD the LOWCARB, and OTHER HEALTH LIVING TRAIN, is leaving the station..
CookingWithCarlo.com ^ | Oct 12 2003 | Carlo3b Dad, Chef, Author

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.

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.

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..
SOOOO.. put down the Kiss and go kiss someone..

 


TOPICS: Announcements; Culture/Society; Editorial; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: atkins; caleries; carbs; chickenlivers; diets; fat; food; fun; health; lowcarbs; recipes; skinny; vegetables
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 281-300301-320321-340341-355 last
To: carlo3b
The Low Carb Chef's Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix The Low Carb Chef is happy to announce that finally, a chewy double chocolate chip cookie mix has been perfected that will work just a well in your kitchen as it does in The Chef's Bakery! You will not believe the taste The Chef has been able to achieve in these chocolate, chocolate chip cookies. If you are ready for a REAL treat, this is one you can give yourself and only count up 2g effective carbohydrate for each LARGE (1 ounce) cookie! Each cookie is sweetened with a combination of Splenda and Maltitol. You can find this great new mix in the Low Carb Chef Area or the Cookies Area
341 posted on 11/20/2003 7:22:49 AM PST by XBob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 340 | View Replies]

To: Auntie Mame
I have been in this industry for ^&#* years.. LOL  I know what some of the rumors are about Aluminum stuff being deadly, and that dear girl is, lets just say, BS..  I know dozens of doctors and scientist that use them and I asked that question from many qualified sources, and all they say is that there are paper thin garbage sold years ago that may have been a cheap and dangerous.. Not the stuff that Chef's use.. and ahem.. am a Chef, indeed.. Ha!
As for Stainless Steel, and Hot Spots, which are frequently found low-grade cookware.
Hot spots are a weakness in the steel, and will never repair itself, and as far as I am concerned a lost cause.

I use Calphalon Pro Nonstick, and they have Stainless and Aluminum (which I use), and have for a very long time. I represented another major company as a spokesman, but received only one small Calphalon skillet as a gift for doing a demo for the Chicago Junior League, and feel in love with it. It's easy to maintain and cooks evenly. Also and for a professional chef, an important feature is that it isn't too heavy.. So you can consider it as an option.
This is where I would check if you were really going to price Calphalon!

I also have a full set of ENAMELED, and I really love them, as a 2nd choice.
Finally I have a large Cast Iron bean pot, that I also make my cornbread in.. I would fight a divorce lawyer to keep this ugly Bad Boy.. LOLOL

Here is the caring and handling of whatever good stuff that you purchase...



CARING AND USING - STAINLESS STEEL POTS AND PANS

It’s surprisingly easy to keep stainless steel clean. A simple wash and wipe dry is generally all it takes.

For best results, wash or wipe over your stainless steel with a hot water solution containing mild detergent or washing up liquid, rinse with clean water and wipe dry with a soft, dry cloth.

'Wiping dry’ is the secret to maintain those gleaming good looks, so don’t leave your pots and pans dripping on the draining board or water droplets on your appliances or accessories.

The ‘wipe dry’ routine is especially important in hard water areas as it will prevent the build up of a gray colored film caused by lime scale deposits.

Avoid using abrasive cleaners, scourers and wire wool as they will leave scratches. Non stainless steel wire wool pads are particularly damaging as they often leave behind tiny fragments which can rust onto the surface.

SSA Recommends:
The E-cloth – a really clever cleaning cloth that consists of millions of tiny ultra-microfibres, which collect and trap the smallest of dirt particles, including grease. Many of our members including Neff and Belling have tested the E-cloth in conjunction with their products and say it works a treat!

E-Cloths are sold in packs and contain a general purpose cleaning cloth and a glass/polishing cloth. All you have to do to keep your stainless steel looking ship-shape is wet the general purpose cloth, wring out the excess water and wipe over your stainless steel surfaces. Then, rub over with the polishing cloth to wipe dry. The polishing cloth can also be used on its own when the surface is only lightly soiled. It really is as simple as that.



CARING AND USING - CAST IRON POTS AND PANS

Seasoning

When you season cast iron, you are embedding grease or oil in the pores of the cookware. Without proper seasoning, cast iron will rust when exposed to moisture or water. To season your cookware, first warm your cast iron, then rub a thin layer of shortening, corn oil, olive oil, or the oil that you prefer all over the the surface of the pan, inside and out. Warming the cast iron opens the pores. Lay the pan upside down inside a 350 degree oven. Most cookware manufacturers suggest heating the pan for one hour, while some cooks suggest twice that for just the right amount of seasoning. The shortening or oils will turn in to a non sticky, hard coating. Allow the pan to cool overnight as it will be quite hot. Some cooks recommend repeating this process a couple of times. Seasoning should be repeated after each use of the cookware.

Note: Acidic foods, such as tomatoes, can deteriorate the seasoned coating of your pots and pans.

Remember that most of the pots are Pre-Seasoned when you buy them these days.
Rinse with boiling water before use.
Cleaning the pot - Fill inside of the pot with warm water, let soak and then scour clean. Always dry the pot over a heat source.
Lightly grease with either olive or vegetable oil. Leave a dry paper towel inside to absorb moisture
 

Using Your Cast Iron

Preheat your cookware before preparing your meal. Water droplets should sizzle, then roll and hop around the pan, when dropped on to the heated surface. If water disappears immediately after being dropped, the pan is too hot and will surely burn your food. If water only rests and bubbles, the pan is not quite hot enough.

Caution: Do not pour significant amounts of cold liquid in to a hot skillet or pot, this can cause the cast iron to break.

CLEANING AND CARING FOR - CAST IRON POTS AND PANS

Everyone has their own methods for cleaning cast iron.

Some people never use water to clean their cast iron ware, they just wipe or scrape out he cookware and re-season as needed. When the cookware is re-heated, it will kill any bacteria so this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Cleaning your cast iron ware can also be done using conventional cleaning methods using dish soap, scouring pads and rinsing. After doing this kind of cleaning, you should always heat the cookware to evaporate any water left and re-season to prevent rusting.

Cast iron can be dried quickly by heating on top of the stove until the water just stops sizzling. For new cast iron pans, it is a good idea to rub a little oil into the clean pan before putting it away. Do this the first hundred times the pan is used and you will never have to do it thereafter.

The following instructions must be used with caution and at your own risk. We provide this as information only.

The method below can be used for black cast iron, nickel or chrome coated iron, but NOT porcelain coated or aluminum.

Lye Wash Cleaning Method for extreme cleaning:

Soak cast iron pieces in lye water. Mix 1 can of lye (i.e., Red Devil) with 4-5 gallons of water in a plastic container. A large heavy plastic laundry tub works very well. Suspend pieces utilizing steel coat hangers. Usually several days to a week for really dirty pieces will be enough. Pieces can be left in the tub for months and they do not rust and are not damaged by this method.

Lye is environmentally safe, but very dangerous/caustic and must be used with care. Keep away from small children and animals/pets. NEVER NEVER NEVER add water onto lye. ALWAYS ALWAYS add lye to water. It may not seem important, BUT IT IS. The reaction of lye with water is exothermic (in other words, very violent and hot). It can get so hot that it will boil. So remember, respect the lye and add lye to water.

The solution will feel "soapy" when you have a good "working" solution, BUT, if the solution comes in contact with the eyes or skin, it must be washed off immediately. This stuff will "eat" your clothes and skin. Always wear eye protection and where rubber gloves (Use dishwashing gloves).

As a safety precaution, the container should be covered. This will prevent evaporation, minimize the chances of spills, and protect against foreign objects falling into the vat.

The lye wash can be used for more than one "batch" of cleaning. In fact, the water will turn REALLY black but that's OK, just add more lye when it stops working.

Remove pieces after soaking and rinse with hose and relatively high water pressure. If grease does not wash away, try wiping with stainless steel souring pad or brush. Repeat the lye bath as required.

After piece(s) are dry, brush with fine steel brush on drill or wire wheel. Do not use a brass brush.

Repeat the lye bath if necessary.

Wash the piece in dishwashing soap and warm water and rinse thoroughly. Dry. You can speed the drying by placing in the oven at 200 degrees.

Removing Rust:

LYE does not remove rust, do the following:

Soak pieces in solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water for several hours. Now this will depend on each piece, BUT remember vinegar is an acid and acids EAT metal You will ruin your piece if you let it stay in the bath too long. This is NOT like the lye bath.

Remove from vinegar solution, rinse and rub/brush to determine if rust has been removed. Repeat vinegar bath if required.

Rinse off and dry, oil, wipe, and buff with a soft cloth.


HOW TO CARE FOR ENAMELED- POTS & PANS

Remember - only use VEA approved cleaners on your enamel.
Recommended Cleaners

·         Do not plunge hot pans into cold water immediately after use.

·         Clean your pans with hot soapy water.

·         For removing really stubborn marks you will be safe with any cleaning product which bears the recommended symbol of the VEA for general use on vitreous enamel.

·         Save fuel and prolong the life of your pans by using a gentle heat when you start cooking. This will also help to prevent food burning on to the base of the pan.

·         If a vitreous enamelled pan becomes stained (after boiling beetroot, for example) first fill it with water and then add a teaspoonful of household bleach. Soak for a few hours and clean in the usual way.

·         In hard water areas, drying pans immediately after washing will prevent a whitish film forming.
 


342 posted on 11/20/2003 9:20:49 AM PST by carlo3b (http://www.CookingWithCarlo.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 340 | View Replies]

To: carlo3b
267 - re - Fresh Tomato Sauce:

Fresh Tomato Sauce

2 -3 fresh tomatoes
1 clove garlic per tomato, diced
olive oil,
salt & pepper

1) Wash and dice fresh tomatoes.
2) Heat oil, garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper in a sauce pan.
Stir until it cooks down and forms a mildly thick sauce, 5-10 minutes.

---
Xbob's Really Fresh tomato sauce:

Same ingredients, except add onions.

Get a bushel of fresh tomatos from the farmer's market (super cheap - relatively - when in season).

Heat a giant pot of hot water, and blanch and skin the tomatoes.

Put all ingredients in a blender and chop/blend/etc to desired consistency.

Use some immediately - in coctail sauce on shrimp, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce. Freeze remainder in zip-lock bags, for future use in small quantities - and you can have excellent very fresh, very good tomato sauce - if you want to cook it up, do it. Works very well, is easy and cheap and long lasting.

Very different than the 'fresh cooked' tomato sauce, and very good.
343 posted on 11/20/2003 10:09:19 AM PST by XBob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 267 | View Replies]

To: carlo3b
I have always known that at the end of a stressful day, Oreos were good for me. Didn't need scientists to tell me this.

Red

344 posted on 11/20/2003 10:15:40 AM PST by Conservative4Ever (Wm. Wallace did not cry 'diversity' while being disemboweled.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: XBob
Fabulous website.. great products.. :)
345 posted on 11/20/2003 10:23:21 AM PST by carlo3b (http://www.CookingWithCarlo.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 341 | View Replies]

To: Conservative4Ever
I have always known that at the end of a stressful day, Oreos were good for me. Didn't need scientists to tell me this.

This reminds me of the group of eggheads that discovered that there was a factual difference between Boys and Girls.. DUH! Who doesn't know that guys hair is longer and have more gold earrings than girls.. sheeeh

346 posted on 11/20/2003 10:27:32 AM PST by carlo3b (http://www.CookingWithCarlo.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 344 | View Replies]

To: carlo3b
LOLOLOLOL.....you know Mr. C4E?
347 posted on 11/20/2003 12:21:35 PM PST by Conservative4Ever (Wm. Wallace did not cry 'diversity' while being disemboweled.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 346 | View Replies]

To: Conservative4Ever
you know Mr. C4E?

That little devil.. who doesn't.. LOLOL

348 posted on 11/20/2003 1:19:44 PM PST by carlo3b (http://www.CookingWithCarlo.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 347 | View Replies]

To: carlo3b
This is great information about cookware. Mine are on their last legs but I think 30 years is pretty good service. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
349 posted on 11/20/2003 10:48:29 PM PST by Auntie Mame (Why not go out on a limb, isn't that where the fruit is?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 342 | View Replies]

To: varina davis
LowCarb Bread Machine Bread

Ingredients:

1) Pour yeast into bottom of bread machine pan. Add sugar and water. Stir, and let sit. (This is "proofing" your yeast to see if your yeast is alive. If it's not bubbling, it's dead and you can replace it without wasting all of the other ingredients).
2) Seperately,, mix all other dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add oil to bread machine pan. Add mixed dry ingredients.
3) Set your machine to the basic cycle (3-4 hours) and bake.
Cool on a rack and enjoy.
* The sugar is totally consumed by the yeast and does not contribute to the carb count.
Makes 16 slices. 3.4 carbs per slice.

LowCarb is copyrighted to, Morelli Enterprises Inc.

350 posted on 11/21/2003 8:06:53 AM PST by carlo3b (http://www.CookingWithCarlo.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 348 | View Replies]

To: carlo3b
I need a recipe for an orange/cranberry relish or gelatin salad.
351 posted on 11/21/2003 9:43:37 AM PST by RJayneJ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 350 | View Replies]

To: RJayneJ
LowCarb Cranberry Orange Country Relish

352 posted on 11/21/2003 10:11:02 AM PST by carlo3b (http://www.CookingWithCarlo.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 351 | View Replies]

To: RJayneJ
Two Step Orange Gelatin Salad and Ta Da

353 posted on 11/21/2003 10:23:53 AM PST by carlo3b (http://www.CookingWithCarlo.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 351 | View Replies]

To: carlo3b
Well, that was speedy! Thanks!
354 posted on 11/21/2003 10:52:31 AM PST by RJayneJ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 353 | View Replies]

To: STARWISE
Just ran across your post from Oct. I'm wondering if you have tried Suzanne Somers "Somersweet"? I have begun having kidney paid after drinking anything with Aspartame in it, so have stopped using it and returned all Diet sodas to the market.
355 posted on 01/05/2004 12:30:11 PM PST by WestCoastGal ("Hire paranoids, they may have a high false alarm rate, but they discover all the plots" Rumsfeld)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 281-300301-320321-340341-355 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson