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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..
Hardly any flour and LowCarb to boot.. Almost better than.... some other things.. :)
1) Heat margarine, chocolate, milk, apricot preserves, and espresso crystals in small saucepan, whisking frequently,
until chocolate is almost melted.
2) Remove pan from head; continue whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is
smooth.
3) Whisk in egg yolk and vanilla; add Equal®, whisking until smooth. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar to
stiff peaks in large bowl.
4) Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites; fold in combined flour and salt.
5) Lightly grease bottom of 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment or baking paper. Pour cake batter into pan.
Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven until cake is just firm when lightly touched, 18 to 20 minutes, and toothpick
comes out clean (do not over bake).
Carefully loosen side of cake from pan with small sharp knife, which will keep
cake from cracking as it cools. Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack; refrigerate until chilled, 1 to 2 hours.
Remove cake from pan and place on serving plate.
Spread with Chocolate icing, unless your nuts.."" in that case, spread with whipped cream or a cream substitute (Cool Whip), and sprinkle with crushes pecans!""
Serving size: 1 piece
Yield: 12
Exchanges: 1/2 Bread, 2 Fat
Nutrition:139 Calories, 3g Protein, 11g Carbohydrate, 11g Fat
The Icing on the Chocolate Cake
1) Heat milk and chocolate in small saucepan, whisking frequently, until almost melted, remove from heat and whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth.
2) Whisk in Equal. Cool to room temperature, refrigerate glaze, if necessary, until thickened enough to spread.
Serving Size:1/12 of recipe
Yield: 12
Exchanges: 1/2 Fat
30 calories, 1g Protein, 3g Carbohydrate, 3g Fat
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Here is your chance to GET ON or GET OFF this and other Carlo3B, all important..(LOVE AMERICA, This is Your Country), (I'll be Damned), (Bwhahhahahh), (The Hell you say), (Aweeeeeee), (snif) ... PING LISTS.If you wish to remain* on it, just sit back and enjoy our wonderful exchange of ideas and you will be alerted whenever we start posting, Historic, Patriotic, Family, and Diet, and a wholesome exchange of recipes and other valuable info re: various food management threads.
*If you have been flagged to this thread on this post, you are already on our temporary ping list, other pings don't count... :(
To be removed** or added to the list, simply respond to this post publicly, on this thread, or Freepmail me with your preference.
Darn, I baked the famous German prune-plum kuchen this week and ate the whole thing myself! With whipped cream, yet! Well, the plums are only available a few weeks out of the year, so I wasn't about to let this window of opportunity go by unnoticed.
Forgive me, Father Carlo, for I have sinned (and enjoyed every minute of it).
I promise to shape up, at least till Christmas season!
Leni
GOOD GRIEF! WELL! If that isn't the worse thing I have ever heard! You had better hurry and eat this, as punishment!.. :o).. shame..
LowCarb Almond Mousse Supreme
Top with whipped cream and a tsp of fruit or berry on the top is pretty.
3 grams carb per serving
There have been many nights at work when the stress levels are high and the crew are snapping at one another, that I resort to my secret weapon. I go to the store and bring back loads of chocolate!! As soon as the endorphins kick in, the atmosphere changes and everyone loves each other again. Laughter and good-natured teasing replace snarling and sniping. Works every time!!
It's a perfect time of year for hiking, of course, I've been hiking since April. But it's nice to be in the woods with no mosquitoes and black flies for a change! Did see a couple of coyotes this morning and tons of clucking geese overhead.
Anyway, just want you to know that I had my wife buy all new cookware yesterday because we are going to start trying your recipes (my wife is on the diet too now). The backyard grill is stowed in the shed for the winter and it's time to make some food indoors again.
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