Hurry, GET ON BOARD the LOWCARB, and OTHER HEALTH LIVING TRAIN, is leaving the station..

CookingWithCarlo.com ^ | Oct 12 2003 | Carlo3b Dad, Chef, Author

[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..

 

[carlo3b]

Down 4 lbs. last week. Thanks for the pings and your recipes.

Standing ovation!!!

[carlo3b]

You have absolutely wonderful recipes.. Thank you ...I'm gonna cut and paste into your kitchen.. Yummm :o)

[carlo3b]

Hey my FReeper FRiends:

Not everyone on these ping lists are following the LOW CARB methods of dieting. Some are following other methods of weight loss, and healthy eating life choices.

I hope in each and every case, you never substitute fresh foods that are readily available for pills or supplements. No claim of any company can or should be accepted that lead you to believe otherwise!

These tips on dieting and food preparation are invaluable, but as you and everyone know, they are meant to be an opinion based on a general rule, or personal experience. No major change in your diet or exercise regiment should be attempted or advice should taken that would be substituted for sound medical procedures and Physician pre test.

Before embarking on these suggested methods of weight loss, located on these threads or any diets for that matter should be attemped before you are certain that your body and mind are ready. You should be familiar with all of the data that is available.. PRO, and CON, especially the contrary opinions!

We report, you and your Doctor decide!

[carlo3b]

Low-carb Breading

• 3 oz. bag of pork rinds, crushed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. poultry seasoning or Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. pepper


1) Coat chicken with egg.
2) Mix other ingredients.
3) Roll chicken in mixture to coat it.
Pan fry chicken in butter or olive oil.

[ChocChipCookie]

Hubby and I started induction this past Monday. I can already tell that I've lost weight, quite a bit. I'll weigh myself in the morning to get an official total. Dh is really, REALLY missing his Coke and Gatorade, but he has stuck to our low-carb meals 100%. I'm amazed at the difference, so far. No cravings, no overeating. I had 2 or 3 days of feeling tired, but now I have plenty of energy.

[carlo3b]

Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole

• 1/2 lb. sausage
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 12 eggs
• 1/4 c. chopped green pepper
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese


1) Brown sausage.
2) Beat eggs and add other ingredients to eggs.  Mix in sausage and cheese.
3) Spoon into a casserole dish or muffin cups.
Bake at 350o until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

[Mean Daddy]

Please put me on your low carb ping list. Will post a low carb cheesecake later.

[carlo3b]

I'm amazed at the difference, so far. No cravings, no overeating. I had 2 or 3 days of feeling tired, but now I have plenty of energy

BRAVO... I am really proud of both of you, sticking to the INDUCTION phase, especially him.. With a wife who's name is ChocChipCookie, you really have to be strong enough to kiss her good morning and not chew her face off.. *<]:-)

[dalereed]

I didn't gain or lose on the cruise but Sheryle was hoping to gain 10# and wound up dropping 5#, too much fun and going day and night!

Anyone that misses the Freeper cruises is really missing out on a lot, we're ready for the next one!

[carlo3b]

This Substitute for flour when baking for someone with a wheat allergy;

• 6 cups rice flour
• 2 cups potato starch
• 1 cup tapioca flour


Mix together and use, 1 for 1, as a replacement for all purpose flour in cakes and breads.  Adding 1 tsp of xanthan gum powder per cup of flour is a good idea to replace the chewy texture that the gluten in wheat provides.

Other choices for different flours can be found in Asian markets. If they have only sweet tasting rice flour, then you can usually find the plain white rice flour at a health food store or an Indian food market.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Thank you very much, Carlo!

I'll put this to good use.

[Rocket4]

Is sucralose different from these sweetners when it comes to the toxicity problem?

I've been doing Atkins since July and have lost 27 lbs.

I feel better with my blood suger being more stable, but I am always looking for ways to substitue something sweet for those times when I need a taste after dinner.

[Ditter]

I think I am going to pass on the pork skins breading recipe Carlo. LOL If you say its good I'm sure it is..... but......... it sounds icky.

[Rushmore Rocks]

Try it....it is really quite good. I add some crushed Durkee's French Fried Onions to mine.

[BuckeyeForever]

There have been very few studies done on sucralose (Splenda) for safety. It is made by altering the disacchiride that is sucrose (table sugar). I.e., sucrose is glucose and fructose, two simple sugars, in one larger molecule. To make sucralose, you remove three hydroxyl radicals and substitute a chlorine atom for each hyroxyl. Voila - a metabolically "inert" sugar that gets passed through the body and apparently has no significant effect on insulin production. There are a lot of substances that have three chlorine atoms ("trichloro-" solvents for example) that are toxic. But so far, at least, there haven't been any studies indicating sucralose is harmful.

Atkins, in his later books, indicated his disfavor for aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet), believing it may fool the pancreas into producing insulin even though it does not get metabolized the way sugars do.

Personally, I try to avoid aspartame, but that is hard to do given its prevalence in the low carb food/drink market. I use sucralose when I can, and cross my fingers.

[MinuteGal]

Hi, Reeds! I'm already checking out some exciting new stops for "FReeps Ahoy III" in spring. Hope everyone is putting some bread away....you know the kind I mean.

Wouldn't it be great if Carlo could join us on the cruise?????

Hi, Carlo!

Leni/Bahama Mama

[Victoria Delsoul]

Mmm mmm yummy! Thanks Carlo.

[Ditter]

OK...... if you insist. ;9}

[Dionysius]

Add me as well, Carlo. I've lost 20 lbs in five weeks on Atkins and my Cholesterol has dropped to 211 from 280. There's still a ways to go, but I'm sold. Thanks!

[dalereed]

The cruise lines must be really hurting. I keep getting e-mail offers on cruises that are like $1,000 for 7-9 days for balcony suites and $500-600 for inside cabins.