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..
Well, since you ask me that way... Hmmmmmm.. OK, but you Texas girls can get a bit rowdy ..we'll have to keep an eye on you. :o)
The French take their Pumkin soup very serious and prepare it in a very unique way. Taste this beauty and you will understand why!
1) Sweat the leeks in a large stock pot in clarified butter, until limp but not brown.
2) Add the pumpkin, rice, brown sugar, ginger, tomato paste, and chicken stock.
3) Make sure your chicken stock covers the pumpkin chunks by 2-inches. Bring to a boil, then adjust to simmer and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender.
4) Puree the soup, preferably with a food mill or fine sieve. Reheat and add the cream. Season with salt, pepper, and mace. Serve hot.
Variations: Garnish your Pumpkin Soup with toasted pine nuts and use small, scooped out ornamental pumpkins as soup bowls.
(Serves 8)
Holloween Party Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1) Blend first four ingredients in a large bowl. Using a whisk, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
2) Pour into greased and floured cookie sheet.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool.
3) Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract, gradually add powdered sugar.
Frost cooled cake. Cut into bars.
* May substitute these 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. ground cloves, 1/2 tsp. ginger, 2 tsp. cinnamon, for the pumpkin pie spice.
OK, you asked for it!
I've tried several of your recipes. The ones we have enjoyed the most are the Mediterranean Pork Medallions, Sausage and Onion with Banana Peppers, LowCarb BBQ Mustard Sauce (served with Baby Back Ribs!), Chicken Little Carbs Cordon Bleu, and London Broil. But to date, the real winner was the Steak Aphrodite. Simply sublime. Just cooked that last night, and MrRedWhiteBlue commented on how great the steak was. I told him that it SHOULD be good -- after all how bad can filet mignon be when it is cooked in butter! Simply wonderful recipe, and a real "keeper."
I'll add a few low-carb favorites from other sources in later posts.
Ciao!
Almond Vanilla Maple Pecan Pie Filling:Preheat oven to 350º.
- 1 cup Splenda® sweetener
- 1 cup sugar-free maple syrup (0 carbs, be sure to read the label, some say sugar-free but have a lot of carbs)
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid Sweet'N Low® sweetener
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup pecan halves
1) Using a medium saucepan, mix Splenda®, syrup, butter, and Sweet'N Low® until thoroughly combined.
2) Bring to a boil over medium high heat, remove from heat, pour into a plastic bowl and cool until barely warm.
3) After syrup mixture is "just warm" add eggs and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
4) Sprinkle pecans evenly in the bottom of the crust. Pour filling carefully over pecans.
Bake about 30 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on a rack. When completely cool, refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Slice 8 equal servings. Store covered in the refrigerator.Note: If you use Sweetened Whipped Cream. Make sure to count the added carbs.
8 Servings at approx. 6.2 grams carbs eachAlmond Cookie Pie Crust
Preheat oven to 350º.
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Carb Solutions® vanilla shake mix
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1) Spray a 9" pie pan and then set aside.
2) In a medium bowl cream butter and shake mix thoroughly.
3) Stir in almond extract until well mixed.
4) Spray hand to prevent dough from sticking. Press dough evenly on bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Use palm of hand to press, do not use fingers.
Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on a rack.
Entire crust is just under 7. grams of carbs
1 1/8 pounds salmon filet
2 TBS red curry paste
Thai or Vietnamese Fish sauce, to taste (Nam Pla or Nuoc Mam)
1 red chile
1 bunch cilantro leaves
2 green onions
Cut the salmon up in rough cubes, remove seeds and stems from chili and chop finely. Chop up bunch of cilantro leaves and chop spring onions into small slices.
Put in blender and blend until the fish is pasty but whole pieces of chili, cilantro, and onion remain. Stir in curry paste and season to taste with fish sauce.
Form into small patties and refrigerate for two hours, then fry in neutral oil (peanut, etc.).
This recipe yields 3 main course servings, but smaller patties can be made for appetizer size portions. Based on 3 servings, the carb content is 0.5 grams per serving.
Comments: refrigeration is essential, otherwise the patties will disentegrate when you fry them. I found Thai curry paste at Kroger on the aisle with the international foods. It comes in a flat packet, like those mixes for sauces, gravies, chili, etc. I buy fish sauce at a local asian market, but if one cannot locate fish sauce then just leave it out of the recipe. I served these with Kraft Lemon and Herb tartar sauce (<1 gram carbs per 2 TBS serving), but next time I'm going to try it with a low carb peanut sauce.
from the Atkins Cookbook at http://atkinscenter.com
2 TBS olive oil
1 pound boneless ribeye steak
1/2 t salt
2 TBS butter, divided
2 large cloves garlic, pushed through press
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 c dry red wine
1/4 c reduced sodium beef broth
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Lower heat to medium. Sprinkle steak with salt. Cook steak 6 minutes per side for medium doneness. Remove steak from skillet and keep warm.
Melt butter in skillet. Add shallot and cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in wine, broth, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Cut remaining tablespoon butter in 4 pieces. Add piece by piece to sauce, stirring until incorporated.
Slice steak into thin strips. Top with sauce. Serves 2. 1 gram carbs per serving.
This is a classic veal dish from Northwest Spain, and Southwest France. Serve with mashed potatoes and yellow squash.
* Use fresh Espelette Peppers, (a Mediterranean variety) or New Mexican Red Chiles, or even a bit hotter, with Chipotle, and puree them in a blender with a little water. Another substitute is to use fresh red bell peppers with New Mexico red chile powder.
Serves: 4 to 6
OUTSTANDING
Serving Size: 4
1 cups white vinegar
2 garlic cloves -- pressed
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons whole peppercorns -- lightly crushed
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
6 whole chicken legs -- cut into drumstick and thigh pieces
1 cups water
3 tablespoons canola oil
In a large glass baking dish, mix vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and soy sauce; add chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour.
Transfer chicken and its marinade to a large saucepan. Add water and heat to boiling over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. With tongs, transfer chicken to a plate to cool.
Boil cooking liquid until it is reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Let sauce cool and strain into a small saucepan. Skim off fat and reheat.
Pat chicken dry with paper towels. In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat until very hot. Brown chicken in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a deep platter and pour hot sauce over chicken.
www.dietlowcarb.com
4 large pork chops
salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
12 ounces Miller Light
1/4 medium onion, sliced
Salt and pepper both sides of chops and brown over medium high heat. When browned, turn heat to low, add 1 can of beer and the sliced onion.
Cover and braise the chops, turning them occasionally, until the beer is almost gone (about 30 to 45 minutes). You will have thick "gravy like" drippings with onions at the end which gives the chops a nice brown appearance. Serve the onions on top of the pork chops. Very tender.
4 servings, 1.4 carbs per serving.
What could be easier?
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