Recipes and Foods

Really good foods you must add to your kitchen

2008-12-11T02:41:00.000-08:00

Read also the article:
Really bad foods you must get rid of

Since your fridge is probably looking bare like your college days it's time to stock it up so that even Chef Pasquale would be very happy.

Again, this is not the David Letterman Top 10 list but it is a very good start to being fully prepared to having the ammunition required to build massive muscle.

BEVERAGES - Get ready to start drinking a lot of water. Invest in filtered water and avoid tap water if you know your local area comes from poor sources. Also, drink 2-3 cups of green tea a day for its high antioxidant profile and more than a handful of health reasons. Chuck the killer fruit juices and soda!

BONELESS CHICKEN BREASTS - If your budge permits, aim for free-range chickens (organically fed) as a the most superior choice. If you can not afford these regularly than go for the grain-fed, store-bought type because they carry minimal body fat.

COOKING SPRAY - Only buy the ones made from canola or olive oil

CHEESE - Typically the cheeses that have a stronger taste will serve more purposes. They have a better protein and fatty-acid profile and they provide more taste to your food. Cheese is higher in fat so use it in moderation and aim for a variety of cheeses, such as Feta, goat, Havarti, aged white cheddar and Parmesan.

DRIED FRUIT - This is a great source of easy calories. Just a small handful of some dried fruit has the same amount of calories as a large apple. If you're trying to gain weight, then dried fruit can work to your advantage, but if you are trying to lose weight then be very cautious.

Good sources are currants, dates, pears, mango, apples, and banana. Just don't eat the extra sweetened ones and those loaded with hydrogenated oils as an additive.

EGGS - Omega 3 eggs should always be chosen because they are laid by chickens that were fed a diet rich in ground flaxseed.

EGG WHITES - Egg whites can be a little pricey if you buy them in the cartons, but can save you the headache and mess of cracking and storing half your fridge with egg carton boxes.

Instead, buy a few cartons of pasteurized egg whites that are a great substitute to top off an omelet with some high quality protein. Egg whites are also great to throw into protein shakes, but don't be surprised if your significant other runs away because of wicked stink bombs.

EXTRA LEAN GROUND SIRLOIN - Always go for the leanest sources available. Your local grocery store should meet your requirements but feel free to venture down to a farmer's market and go for grass-fed beef freshly ground.

FRUIT - Always go for an assortment of colors and make sure your fridge is always stocked with fresh fruit. I typically shop for seasonal fruit from a quality perspective and cost perspective. If you can, go for local and organically grown produce.

Examples are apples, grapes, bananas, kiwi, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, mango, oranges, tangerines, and pineapple.

GREEN TEA - Go for the one with out any extra flavoring or fillers. An organic green tea without any extra herbs is the best.

GRAINS - Here is some safe ammunition on the grain side: oats (not the instant oatmeal loaded with sugar), oat bran, whole flaxseed's, quinoa, whole barley and wheat bran.

LEAN TURKEY AND CHICKEN SAUSAGE - This is great to mix things up, and while you might not want to buy this all the time there is nothing wrong with the occasional street meat!

LEGUMES - Kidney beans, split peas, chickpeas and lentils are excellent sources of fiber and a great addition to your arsenal.

MEAT, POULTRY AND FISH - There are many exotic selections to choose from and the best advice I can give is VARIETY! Eat a wide assortment and do not limit yourself to one shopping center. Rotate your shopping trips to farmers markets, the super-size grocery store and smaller grocery stores. Each will carry a different selection of meats.

MIXED NUTS - These are easy calories and a great source of good fat to balance out your meals. The best sources are walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans and peanuts.

SAUCES AND CONDIMENTS - There are many options that will enhance your taste buds while not counteracting the nutrient profile of the meal.
Here are some safe bets: pesto, salsa, curry sauce, tomato pasta sauce, balsamic vinegar, white cooking wine, red wine, raspberry vinegar and flavored flax oil.

SALMON -Genuine wild salmon is better than farmed salmon because you will benefit from its higher quality Omega-3 profile and absence of mercury and toxins.

SPICES - Here is where the fun comes in. You don't have to be a gourmet chef to know how to use certain spice combinations but it may take some experimentation. Consider this free food and customize your spices to your dish. Focusing on just some of the basics like salt, pepper, fresh garlic, basil, oregano, chili powder, and cinnamon will bring your food to life.

VEGETABLES - If you know which aisle the chips and cookies are better than where the fresh produce section is then we have some work to do. You should be able to pick your vegetables from your local food market with your eyes closed. This should be the one section in the grocery store you are more familiar with than any other. Here are your staples: spinach, broccoli, peppers, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, cucumbers, celery and carrots. Try and aim for the colors of the rainbow - the more variety the better.

About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain

Really bad foods you must get rid of

2008-12-11T02:29:00.000-08:00

By Vince DelMonte

Read also the article:
Really good foods you must add to your kitchen

It would be easy to write out a Top 50 list of foods that you should avoid at all costs. However the reality is that this is rarely the cause for getting fat and not achieving your goals. There are actually very few BAD FOODS. I learned from an old university professor who said, "There's no such thing as good or bad food; there is only good and bad times to each certain foods." And yes, there are some foods that you should avoid at all costs but there is not a 'David Letterman's Top 10 List.'

However, I will lay down some guidelines that will give you a better chance of seeing your six-pack sooner than later. Eating some of these foods immediately after your workout will do little harm because they will be converted right into your muscles, but you will be better off leaving them on the shelves at the grocery store.

Here's What to Dump in the Garbage

SODAS AND JUICES - excluding or including can be the difference between skinny and fat. Go ahead and read for yourself on your next 'healthy' fruit juice the amount of sugar. You have two ingredients- sugar and water.

HIGH FAT PROCESSED MEAT - sausage, pepperoni, bacon and related foods are loaded with the type of fat that will shorten your lifespan, and are also loaded with sodium. Don't confuse these for good sources of protein.

FROZEN DESSERTS AND ICE CREAM - again, more sugar to transform your six pack into a keg.. Sugar and oil-laden sauces - whether it is ketchup, barbecue or horseradish sauce, the majority of nice packaged sauces are quick injections of spiced-up high fructose corn syrup.

You're better off spicing up your meals naturally without all the sugar and extra empty calories.

MOST PROCESSED FOODS - make sure your warning sirens go off when you see anything packaged in colorful wrappers, boxes, bags or containers. These foods promote 'healthiness' but fail to admit the degree of processing it went through. Do your own experiment - next time you are unsure of a processed food just take a look at the ingredient list. If you see more than 5 ingredients that you can not pronounce then you have to wonder what the heck you are putting in your body. Most of these foods have an exhaustive list of 'fillers' that preserve the shelf life and have nothing to do with nutrient value. Avoid this stuff at all cost!

CRACKERS - refer to the above but you get to choke down a mouthful of sodium too.

WHITE FLOUR PRODUCTS like white bread and bagels - manufacturers first remove the wheat seed's bran, its six outer layers, and the germ, which results in more than 75% of the vitamins and minerals being lost and over 95% of the fiber being lost. It gets worse. What little is left gets bleached in chlorine dioxide to give the bread a shelf life. It is further whitened by adding chalk, alum, and ammonium carbonate to make it feel and look more improved for the customer. An anti-aging salt that I do not even know how to spell or pronounce is added to the final stage.

A few synthetic nutrients are then added back into the white flour and labeled 'enriched,' but in reality there has been no real 'enrichment' of the original product, only deception and destruction. Did you know that rats will die within seven to 10 days after being put a diet of white flour?

BAKING SUPPLIES - more chemicals to wreak havoc on the human body.

POTATO CHIPS - a cumulative batch of chemicals to put an enormous amount of strain on the pancreas, which is forced to protect your body from these chemicals.

MYSTERY FOOD IN ROTTING TUPPERWARE CONTAINERS - even though Aunt Wilma makes a mean turkey dinner and has supplied you with leftovers until next Christmas, there is no reason to test its life span! Do an inventory once a week and chuck any foods that have exhausted their expiration date.

Here's What to Add to the Kitchen

Since your fridge is probably looking bare like your college days it's time to stock it up so that even Chef Pasquale would be very happy.

Again, this is not the David Letterman Top 10 list but it is a very good start to being fully prepared to having the ammunition required to build massive muscle. -- to continue reading c-lick here

About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain

Buckwheat nutritional values

2008-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Buckwheat is rich in manganese, magnesium and fiber. Buckwheat contains the health-protecting and immune system supporting flavonoids rutin and quercitin. The protein in buckwheat is composed of all essential amino acids, which makes it a complete, valuable protein very helpful if you are on the vegan diet.

More on Buckwheat:
Blueberry buckwheat pancakes
Buckwheat tips
Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage Recipe
(This recipes can be cooked with rice or buckwheat stuffing)

Buckwheat, cooked

	100 grams	1 cup (170.0 g)
Energy	343.00 kcal	583.100 k
Protein	13.25 g	22.525 g
Fiber, total dietary	10.00 g	17.000 g
Total fat	3.40 g	5.780 g
Carbohydrate	71.50 g	121.550 g
Minerals
Sodium, Na	1.00 mg	1.700 mg
Magnesium, Mg	231.00 mg	392.700 mg
Copper, Cu	1.10 mg	1.870 mg
Potassium, K	460.00 mg	782.000 mg
Zinc, Zn	2.40 mg	4.080 mg
Manganese, Mn	1.30 mg	2.210 mg
Iron, Fe	2.20 mg	3.740 mg
Phosphorus, P	347.00 mg	589.900 mg
Calcium, Ca	18.00 mg	30.600 mg
Selenium, Se	8.30 mcg	14.110 mcg
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	0.00 mg	0.000 mg
Vitamin B-12	0.00 mcg	0.000 mcg
Retinol	0.00 mcg	0.000 mcg
Thiamin	0.10 mg	0.172 mg
Pantothenic acid	1.23 mg	2.096 mg
Vitamin B-6	0.21 mg	0.357 mg
Niacin	7.02 mg	11.934 mg
Folate, total	30.00 mcg	51.000 mcg
Riboflavin	0.42 mg	0.723 mg
Vitamin A, IU	0.00 IU	0.000 IU
Cholesterol	0.00 mg	0.000 mg
Amino Acids
Histidine	0.31 g	0.525 g
Proline	0.51 g	0.862 g
Leucine	0.83 g	1.414 g
Arginine	0.98 g	1.669 g
Glutamic acid	2.05 g	3.478 g
Glycine	1.03 g	1.753 g
Threonine	0.51 g	0.860 g
Tyrosine	0.24 g	0.410 g
Lysine	0.67 g	1.142 g
Aspartic acid	1.13 g	1.926 g
Phenylalanine	0.52 g	0.884 g
Alanine	0.75 g	1.272 g
Valine	0.68 g	1.153 g
Cystine	0.23 g	0.389 g
Isoleucine	0.50 g	0.847 g
Methionine	0.17 g	0.292 g
Tryptophan	0.19 g	0.326 g
Serine	0.69 g	1.165 g

Avocado Mandarin Salad

2008-11-03T05:11:00.001-08:00

Makes 4 servings

1 package (9-10 ounces) mixed salad greens
1 can (15 ounces) mandarin oranges, well drained
1 package (6 ounces) cooked and sliced chicken
2 thin slices red onion, quartered
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
1/2 cup prepared light Italian or balsamic vinaigrette dressing
2 ripe avocados, seeded, peeled, and cut into chunks

In large salad bowl, combine salad greens, mandarin oranges, chicken, onion, and pecans. In small bowl combine dressing and 1/2 cup avocado cubes. Mash and blend into dressing. To salad add remaining avocado cubes and dressing. Toss and serve.

360 calories per serving; 18 grams protein; 30 grams carbohydrate; 21 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat, 12 grams monounsaturated fat, 5 grams polyunsaturated fat); 35 milligrams cholesterol; 10 grams fiber; 510 milligrams sodium

For more information
The American Dietetic Association/National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics.
ADA's Consumer Nutrition Information Line (800/366-1655) provides recorded messages with timely, practical nutrition information as well as referrals to registered dietitians. Messages are available 24 hours daily with new topics each month.

This fact sheet is supported by a grant from California Avocado Commission. Acceptance of this grant does not constitute an endorsement by ADA of any company's products or services.

© ADAF 2000. Reproduction of this fact sheet is permitted for educational purposes.

Image by AllPosters.com

What's in avocadoes? Nutrition and recipes

2008-11-02T03:33:00.001-08:00

Avocado: Nature's whole food

Enjoy delicious meals made with a variety of fruits and vegetables and reap the potential benefits of the many phytochemicals found in foods from plant sources. Phytochemicals are substances which plants naturally produce. Hundreds of these substances contain phytosterols and antioxidants.

Avocado is power-packed fruit with just 5 grams of fat per serving ( 1/5 of an avocado). The majority of the fat is monounsaturated -- the same type found in olive oil -- which studies have shown may increase HDL (good) cholesterol, but has little effect on LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables:

* Beta-sitosterol is an important phytosterol found in fruits like bananas, apples, cantaloupes, grapes, plums, and cherries. High phytosterol intake has been linked with lower blood cholesterol levels. Among all commonly eaten fruits, oranges and avocados contain the most beta-sitosterol and contain at least twice the amount of the phytosterol found in other foods, including corn, green soybeans, and olives.
* Glutathione, a phytochemical found in fruits and vegetables, acts as an antioxidant. Antioxidants help the body by ?mopping up? free radicals that are known to play a role in the development of heart disease and some cancers. Avocados may be one of the best fruit sources of glutathione, which may offer some protection against oral, throat, and other types of cancer.

Additional health benefits of avocados

While phytochemicals have received a lot of attention lately, other important nutrients are found in fruits and vegetables.

* Avocados along with other fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense in vitamins E and C -- antioxidants that help promote healthy teeth and gums and protect the body tissue from oxidation damage.
* Folate is another important nutrient that promotes healthy cell and tissue development. Consuming enough folate is essential for pregnant women and women of child-bearing age. Avocados contain more folate per ounce than other fruits.
* Potassium is a mineral that helps the body's fluids and other life-essential minerals stay in balance. The richest fruit sources of potassium are avocados and bananas.

The ripe way to eat healthfully

Store unripe avocados in a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter. Avocados are also easy to ripen. Place them in a paper bag with an apple for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. When they're dark purple or black in color and yield to gentle pressure, they're ready to eat!

* Wash, then cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed.
* Twist the halves in opposite directions to separate.
* Slip a spoon between the seed and the fruit and work the seed out.
* Slip a spoon between the skin and fruit and scoop away from the peel.

When avocados are ripe, they can be stored in a refrigerator or freezer for later use as a spread for sandwiches or for a delicious dip!

* Mash the remaining fruit in a covered storage container.
* Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon or lime juice per 1/2 mashed avocado to prevent discoloration and enhance flavor.
* Lay plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture before covering. Refrigerate up to two days.
* Label container and use within two months if freezing. Season before use.

Toss up new menu ideas using kitchen staples along with tasty avocados, salad greens, mandarin oranges, and avocado balsamic vinaigrette.

More about avocados:

For more information
The American Dietetic Association/National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics.
ADA's Consumer Nutrition Information Line (800/366-1655) provides recorded messages with timely, practical nutrition information as well as referrals to registered dietitians. Messages are available 24 hours daily with new topics each month.

This fact sheet is supported by a grant from California Avocado Commission. Acceptance of this grant does not constitute an endorsement by ADA of any company's products or services.

© ADAF 2000. Reproduction of this fact sheet is permitted for educational purposes.

Olive oil, the good fat

2008-11-02T03:19:00.000-08:00

Olive oil is not the "least bad" fat. It's a very "good" fat!

To appreciate olive oil as a power food, banish from your mind the notion that it's the "least bad" fat. It is a heart-healthy food that is good for you. You need dietary fat to lose weight, but you need the right kind. Olive oil is one of the best. Choose extra-virgin olive oil and you'll also enhance the flavors of your food. The kind of fat that olive oil is mostly made of (monounsaturated fat) actually lowers your levels of the bad, LDL cholesterol and blood fats called triglycerides. The fats you'll be avoiding (saturated fat) raise those levels. That alone qualifies olive oil as a power food par excellence.

In Sonoma County each year, there's a festival called the Blessing of the Olives. That's how central olive trees and the foods they yield are to the economy and the eating habits of the region. Olive oil, the most treasured gift of these trees, is just as central to The Sonoma Diet. There's probably no food choice you'll make that does more for your health and weight loss efforts than olive oil.

Which is good news for your taste buds, because no other vegetable oil comes close to olive oil's rich and pleasing flavor. It's at the heart of Mediterranean cuisine's appeal. Research has made clear that a major reason for southern Europeans' low rate of heart disease is their liberal use of olive oil as their main source of dietary fat. By adopting olive oil in the same way, you'll get the same benefits. And because you'll learn to enjoy olive oil in healthy amounts in place of the harmful fats you may be used to, you will lose weight.

Happy Halloween! Pumpkin pancakes recipe

2008-10-31T05:53:00.001-07:00

Tom Venuto’s “pumpcakes” (pumpkin pancakes)

Tom Venuto
Burn the Fat

Happy Halloween! I’m going to do my due diligence today to help you avoid the candy dish and other Halloween - Thanksgiving temptations by giving you a delicious healthy alternative! Try this treat: High protein pumpkin pancakes (aka “pumpcakes”). Enjoy!

7.5 oz (212 g) of canned pumpkin
1/3 cup (27 g) oatmeal dry
1/3 cup (40 g) multigrain or whole wheat pancake mix
1 scoop (26 g) vanilla (or plain) protein powder
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
Sweetener (brown sugar or splenda): Optional
Yield: makes 2 large (5 inch wide) pancakes

Nutrition information for 2 pancakes, unsweetened
Calories: 507
Protein: 44.1 g.
Carbs: 69.7 g.
Fat: 5 g.

Russian white bread "Sitnyj"

2008-10-31T04:06:00.001-07:00

Russian Sitnyj bread is famous for it's resistance to pressing: no matter how hard you press it, as soon as you stop, it returns to its form.

Recipe

Starter

1/2 lb white wheat flour, non-bleached, non-enriched
1 cup warm water
1 sachet yeast

Mix the ingredients and let stand in a warm place for 4 hours

Dough

1/2 lb white wheat flour, non bleached, non enriched
3 oz durum flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. sunflower oil

Mix the dough ingredients with the starter, let stand in a warm place for 1 hour. Kneed very thoroughly for at least 20 min. Cover with a think cloth and let stand for 1,5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 465 F. Grease a bread form with the oil, pour the dough into it, and let stand one more hour. Alternatively, carefully turn the bowl with the dough upside down letting the dough bulk drop onto a greased flat baking sheet. In this case, you'll have your loaf in the form of a flatter dome.

Bake for 40 minutes at 465 F.

Mike Geary's variation of healthier pancakes

2008-10-30T04:44:00.000-07:00

by Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - Truth About Abs

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that your typical pancakes are certainly
NOT the type of food you want to eat if your goal is fat loss or staying lean.

However, for years, there's been a basic type of modified pancake recipe floating
around in bodybuilding circles that is a healthier version (although not my
favorite)...

Basically, the bodybuilder version is as simple as using a carton of egg whites in a
blender, adding some dry oatmeal and vanilla whey protein (and a few other minor
ingredients), and then cooking them up as "protein pancakes".

I'll be honest with you... this bodybuilding pancake recipe tastes more like
sweetened eggs than it does like pancakes.

So what I've done is come up with my own variation of healthier pancakes that
actually TASTES like pancakes. Of course, we know that most pre-made pancake dry
mixes are not the healthiest option. However, they can be more convenient for most
people than trying to make pancakes from scratch.

Here's what you can do to make much healthier pancakes:

1. Take only 1/3 of the quantity of pancake mix that the box calls for. So if the
box says to use 1 cup of dry pancake mix, just use 1/3 cup instead. This way, you're
greatly reducing the amount of refined wheat flour and sugar that are in these mixes
by only using 1/3 of the amount recommended.

I know I'm usually pretty strict with ruling out ALL refined wheat flours, but
sometimes just reducing the quantity and substituting the remainder with healthier
ingredients is the best option for something like this.

2. For the remaining 2/3 of the dry mix, substitute in a mixture of equal parts oat
bran, rice bran, and whey protein. You can find oat bran at most grocery stores, and
rice bran at health food stores.  Try using a little cinnamon too if you like the
taste (it also boosts the antioxidant content).

3. Use whole eggs instead of egg whites and use 1 extra egg than what the recipe
calls for to increase the protein and healthy fats content.

More info about eggs


4. After mixing in the milk called for on the box, whisk the mixture in a bowl. Now
you're ready to pour the healthier pancakes into the pan. Don't forget to top them
with some blueberries or other berries for some extra taste and healthful benefits.

5. The best oil to use in the pan for cooking is virgin coconut oil. I use virgin
coconut oil for most of my cooking as it's one of the healthiest options. It's a
much more stable oil for cooking so it's not prone to the oxidation and free radical
production that typical vegetable oils are prone to.

You can get virgin coconut oil at - go here

Also, be sure to check out their coconut flour, as it's a great super-high fiber
alternate flour that can be used in baking (note that if you use coconut flour, you
should mix it with another type of flour to balance the moisture content as coconut
flour tends to soak up more moisture than other flours).

If you're confused about which cooking oils are healthy and which are not - go here


Again, the trick to this recipe is using only 1/3 of the dry pancake mix (since
that's the least healthy part of this recipe) and the other 2/3 of the dry materials
are the oat bran, rice bran, and whey protein to boost the fiber and protein content
of the pancakes.

I only do pancakes on occasion as they are a nice treat, but at least with this
recipe, you have yourself a much healthier version of pancakes that are quite high
in fiber and much higher in protein and healthy fats than your typical pancake
recipe... but they still taste like pancakes and are delicious in my opinion!

And do yourself a favor and please do not ruin this meal by dousing it with your
typical fake maple syrup, which is usually all high fructose corn syrup!

Instead, a much healthier option is to simply top it with berries or other cut fruit
instead of syrup.

Enjoy!

Feel free to fwd this email to all of your friends, family, and coworkers that might
enjoy it.

Til next newsletter,
Don't be lazy... be lean.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - Truth About Abs

Power foods

2008-10-27T04:03:00.000-07:00

Health benefits of almonds, broccoli, and red wine

After almonds, broccoli, and red wine appeared on the list of "power foods" dieters started asking us questions about their health benefits. Our readers' questions about nutrition values of almonds, broccoli, and red wine are answered by Tanya Zilberter, PhD

Almonds help reducing cholesterol better than oats and soy, the two recognized champions. Eating a handful of almonds with skins a day reduce risk of heart disease.

A study published in the May 2005 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that almonds can reduce artery-damaging inflammation.

Another study involving overweight and obese people showed that an almond-enriched low calorie diet can help shed pounds more effectively than a low calorie diet alone. Dieters eating almonds had a 62% greater fat and inches loss(International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, January 2, 2004)

More about almonds -> click here

Recent dieting trend turned to the benefits of red wine. The Mediterranean group of traditional diets have red wine on their staple food list, along with olive oil and fish. Research showed that having a glass of red wine daily can prevent heart disease.

More about red wine -> click here

Broccoli is considered a power food because of its exceptional nutritional value. As an article published in September 2004 issue of the Journal of Nutrition revealed, it contains plant chemicals with significant cancer-preventive effects.

More about broccoli -> click here

Broccoli is one of the small number of vegetables and fruits that significantly reduced the risk of heart disease, as showed research reported in May 4, 2004 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Here's an almost full list of nutrients in 1 cup of broccoli (first figure is amount; % is for Daily Values):

Calories 24.64
Calories from Fat 2.77
Total Fat 0.308g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.0475g 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.147g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0211g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 23.76mg 1%
Potassium 286mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 4.61g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2.64g 11%
Protein 2.62g 5%

Nutrients in fresh, canned, and frozen spinach

2008-09-30T04:20:00.000-07:00

Characters A, B, C, and E refer to the corresponding vitamins

1 cup of spinach contains:

Cooked from fresh

			% RDA
A	2,260	mcg	323
B6	0.73	mg	49
B12	0.009	mcg	0
C	56.1	mg	75
E	9.3	mg	62

			% RDA
Calcium	559.5	mg	47
Cholesterol	0.0	mg	--
Copper	0.75	mg	84
Iron	12.5	mg	156
Magnesium	351.1	mg	110
Manganese	3.3	mg	184
Niacin	2.0	mg	14

			% RDA
Pant. Acid	0.39	mg	8
Phosphorus	215.3	mg	31
Potassium	1,791.7	mg	38
Riboflav	0.8	mg	73
Selenium	6.1	mcg	11
Sodium	667.8	mg	51
Thiamin	0.24	mg	22
Zinc	2.6	mg	32

Cooked from canned

			% RDA
A	1,08	mcg	156
B6	0.21	mg	14
B12	0.0047	mcg	0
C	29.1	mg	39
E	4.5	mg	30

			% RDA
Calcium	272.3	mg	23
Cholesterol	0.0	mg	--
Copper	0.39	mg	43
Iron	4.9	mg	62
Magnesium	162.9	mg	51
Manganese	1.3	mg	71
Niacin	0.83	mg	6

			% RDA
Pant. Acid	0.1	mg	2
Phosphorus	94.5	mg	14
Potassium	742.3	mg	16
Riboflav	0.3	mg	27
Selenium	3.0	mcg	5
Sodium	88.6	mg	7
Thiamin	0.035	mg	3
Zinc	0.99	mg	12

Cooked from frozen

			% RDA
A	3,53	mcg	504
B6	1.0	mg	67
B12	0.015	mcg	1
C	60.6	mg	81
E	16.8	mg	112

			% RDA
Calcium	871.9	mg	73
Cholesterol	0.0	mg	--
Copper	1.1	mg	120
Iron	16.5	mg	206
Magnesium	518.4	mg	162
Manganese	4.8	mg	266
Niacin	2.9	mg	21

			% RDA
Pant. Acid	0.55	mg	11
Phosphorus	317.6	mg	45
Potassium	2,408.5	mg	51
Riboflav	1.2	mg	105
Selenium	17.4	mcg	32
Sodium	1,297.9	mg	100
Thiamin	0.4	mg	36
Zinc	3.6	mg	45

Hunza Bread

2008-09-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

by Tanya Zilberter, PhD

Just one or two small pieces of bread would ruin a person's appetite for 5 or 6 hours. Is this a low-carb recipe?

"Like so many great discoveries in medicine, This "miracle" bread was discovered "almost by accident". Aleen Colvin, wife of a Swedish health researcher, was trying to modify a 2,000-year-old, high roughage bread recipe used by the little known people of Hunza, who were being studied by her husband."

"The Hunzas are widely known to be the healthiest people on earth. Their bread is the main part of their diet. Aleen was trying to make this bread even better tasting so that her children would eat it and benefit healthwise. She succeeded in coming up with a recipe that was absolutely delicious. Everybody loved it. But, then a startling discovery was made. Just one or two small pieces of bread would ruin a person's appetite for 5 or 6 hours!"

Now, is this a low-carb recipe?

Let's see. I would violate HunzaMiracle.net copyright giving out the entire recipe set but I can give you the figures I found myself for the basic recipe ingredients.

To calculate carb grams for serving:

1. Subtract Fiber grams from Carb grams for any two of the flowers - you receive two Net gram numbers
2. Add these two Net gram numbers for entire recipe.
3. Divide the result by 20 (the number of flat breads in the recipe)

Nutrients in Hunza Bread

Nutrients in Kunza Bread made with 2 cups of combination of flours listed here -->	SUNFLOWER SEEDS	OAT BRAN	BUCKWHEAT FLOUR	MILLET FLOUR	TRITICALE FLOUR	WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
	1 cup	1 cup	1 cups	1 cup	1 cups	1 cups
Calories	820.8	228.78	402	756	439.4	406.5
Protein (g)	32.83	16.09	15.12	22	17.16	16.44
Fat (g)	71.42	6.51	3.72	8.4	2.34	2.28
Carb (g)	27.07	61.57	84.72	145.8	95.03	87.12
Fiber (g)	15.12	14.32	12	17	18.98	14.64
Saturated Fat (g)	7.49	1.24	0.81	1.44	0.42	0.38
Monounsaturated Fat (g)	13.62	2.21	1.14	1.54	0.23	0.27
Polyunsaturated Fat (g)	47.15	2.58	1.14	4.26	1.02	0.93

As you can see, it can be considered a low carb bread, naturally low carb. It allows experimentation and can be further de-carbed. The weight loss program based on this bread and its modifications reminded me the Fat Fast method (click here). Together, this does makes sense to me and I am going to try and write here what happens.

The Benefits of Probiotics

2008-09-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

The story begins in 18th century with the famous
treatise by Russian physiologist Ilia Metchnikov "The
Prolongation of Life," later translated into English
(New York, SP Putmans sons, 1908.)

Metchnikov speculated that Bulgarian centenarians
achieved their longevity in part due to the
consumption of large quantities of fermented milk
containing different cultures of lactobacilli, then
known to the lay public as "Bulgarian staff" and after
Metchnikov's treatise known as probiotics.

Described as single or mixed cultures of live microbes
that beneficially affect our health by improving the
properties of the friendly bacteria residing in our
intestinal tract, probiotics
should --

- contain live micro-organisms, freeze-dried or in a
fresh or fermented product (though even heat-killed
forms can be effective in some cases);
- be effective when applied in food, pill, capsule
form, as an aerosol, or locally; and
- improve the health and well being

Bacteria and yeasts have been used for years: in
sourdough breads, wines and fermented dairy products.

Now regarded as beneficial to our health, probiotics
are quickly gaining interest as functional foods. Some
of the research-supported supplement manufacturers'
claims include:

- improving intestinal health
- enhancing the immune system
- enhancing the bioavailability of nutrients
- reducing lactose intolerance
- decreasing the allergy reaction
- reducing risk of certain cancers
- controlling bacteria-related ulcers
- reducing serum cholesterol
- antagonising microbial contamination of food
- reducing tooth decay

The mechanisms of the health-promoting effects of
probiotics are still mostly unknown. Researchers think
that they may involve --

- normalizing gut pH;
- antagonizing pathogenic microbes through production
of anti-microbial and antibacterial chemicals;
- competing with pathogenic microbes for available
nutrient
- stimulating immune cells, e.g., the lactobacillus
casei strain "shirota;" and
- producing the ferment lactase to digest lactose.

A newly identified probiotic, bifidobacterium lactis
(HN019), was proved to protect against salmonellas.
According to New Zealand's Milk and Health Research
Center: "[D]ietary supplementation with HN019 provides
a unique opportunity for developing immune-enhancing
probiotic dairy food products with proven health
benefits."

What's Available Over the Counter?

Thus far, studies have shown low viability of
probiotics in market preparations. It is generally
agreed that a probiotic must be capable of colonizing
the intestinal tract to influence human health; this
requirement disqualifies many of the species currently
used in fermented dairy products.

Many -- but not all.

In the Netherlands, the anti-pathogenic effects of
commercial fermented dairy products were clearly
demonstrated. The products included buttermilk and
three types of yogurt. The natural raw buttermilk
successfully fought both yeasts and bacteria, but this
was not observed with pasteurized buttermilk products.

Lactobacillus GG, a variant of lactobacillus casei
mentioned above, has been studied extensively in
adults and children. When consumed as a dairy product,
it multiplies in the intestinal tract and from
colonies. It was shown that this probiotic
successfully fights many forms of diarrhea, bacterial,
virus and antibiotics-caused.

Sources

J Am Diet Assoc 2001;101(2):229-38
Curr Opin Pediatr 2000;12(5):477-81
Microbiol Immunol 2000;44(4):213-22
J Dairy Sci 2000;83(4):894-907 and 641-7
Eur J Clin Nutr 2000;54(3):263-7
Immunol Cell Biol 2000;78(1):80-8

Food sources of carnitine

2008-09-26T00:55:00.000-07:00

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) is a stabilized form of the amino acid metabolite L-Carnitine and is utilized in the same manner in the body. ALC plays an important role in protecting and supporting brain functions.

Life revolves around one simple premise – we need energy to live. And while energy comes from a wealth of sources, the transfer and utilization of long chain fatty acids plays a vital role in this crucial process. NOW Acetyl L-Carnitine (ACL) does exactly that. As we age, our natural production of ACL gradually shows signs of decline. Incorporating this stabilized form of L-Carnitine into our diet is an effective way to ensure that we’re producing the energy we need to live full and active lives.

Food sources of carnitine


Beef steak, cooked, 4 ounces	56-162mg
Ground beef, cooked, 4 ounces	87-99mg
Milk, whole, 1 cup	8mg
Codfish, cooked, 4 ounces	4-7mg
Chicken breast, cooked, 4 ounces	3-5mg
Ice cream, ½ cup	3mg
Cheese, cheddar, 2 ounces	2mg
Whole-wheat bread, 2 slices	0.2mg
Asparagus, cooked, ½ cup	0.1mg

Food Sources of Vitamin C

2008-09-14T09:03:00.005-07:00

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005

Food Sources of Vitamin C ranked by milligrams of vitamin C per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. (All provide ≥ 20% of RDA for adult men, which is 90 mg/day.)

Food, Standard Amount	Vitamin C (mg)	Calories
Guava, raw, ½ cup	188	56
Red sweet pepper, raw, ½cup	142	20
Red sweet pepper, cooked, ½ cup	116	19
Kiwi fruit, 1 medium	70	46
Orange, raw, 1 medium	70	62
Orange juice, ¾ cup	61-93	79-84
Green pepper, sweet, raw, ½ cup	60	15
Green pepper, sweet, cooked, ½ cup	51	19
Grapefruit juice, ¾ cup	50-70	71-86
Vegetable juice cocktail, ¾ cup	50	34
Strawberries, raw, ½ cup	49	27
Brussels sprouts, cooked, ½ cup	48	28
Cantaloupe, ¼ medium	47	51
Papaya, raw, ¼ medium	47	30
Kohlrabi, cooked, ½ cup	45	24
Broccoli, raw, ½ cup	39	15
Edible pod peas, cooked, ½ cup	38	34
Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup	37	26
Sweetpotato, canned, ½ cup	34	116
Tomato juice, ¾ cup	33	31
Cauliflower, cooked, ½ cup	28	17
Pineapple, raw, ½ cup	28	37
Kale, cooked, ½ cup	27	18
Mango, ½ cup	23	54

Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table.