The 25 Food Project Finale Recipes Conclusions and an Exit Interview

Our Project has come to an end. The Husband-Elect, a six-foot, 205-pound man in his mid-30s, has been successfully fed for a week on $25. Needless to say, we are celebrating with beer.

Thanks to everyone who wrote throughout with suggestions (especially wosnes and CJ). Your ideas were super helpful, especially during a mid-week culinary rut, when my sinuses threatened to take over the world.

Included below is a breakdown of the week: the final numbers, an analysis of what worked and what didn’t, the Husband-Elect’s exit interview, and recipes made over the last seven days. I’d love to hear what you think and what you would have done differently.

In the meantime…

THE NUMBERS

Final cost total: $24.99
Daily cost average: $3.57
Daily calorie average: 2631 calories
Daily fat average: 86.7 g fat
Daily fiber average: 38.4 g fiber
Daily average prep time: About 48 minutes per day, total

The fat and fiber are a little higher than recommended, and the calorie intake means he’ll probably lose some weight over the course of a year. I’m satisfied, though still kicking myself for not including protein. Maybe next time.

About the prep time: staying within a strict budget means you gotta cook at home. For me, 48 minutes a day is worth it. Your mileage may vary, and that’s okay.


THE THREE MOST UNEXPECTED FINDINGS

1) Husband-Elect was always full at the end of the day (sometimes egregiously so). I never thought he would go hungry, but I figured the budget restrictions would mean some deprivation. It wasn’t so.

2) Including produce was tougher than expected. Stating the obvious: when your budget is this limited, fruit and vegetables are expensive, at least compared to a box of pasta. Since produce isn’t very calorie dense, serving it and still hitting that daily 2600-calorie number was rough. We managed, but with effort.

3) How much the average adult male eats compared to the average adult female. Honestly? It was eye opening. At 5’ 9”, I am not a small woman, but the comparative amount of calories, fat, protein, and fiber he required blew me away.

About that last part: I have a newfound, monstrous respect for those of you who feed athletes, teenage boys, larger guys, and anyone who requires a lot of calories in general. I shudder to think what this project would have been like using my mountainous younger brother, who makes The Rock look like Steve Buscemi.


WHAT WORKED OUT

• Starting with a big chunk of meat and stretching it as far as it would go. I used a 3.5-lb pork shoulder over and over: in tacos, on top of egg noodles, as a breakfast side, in a peanut sauce, etc. It always felt significant, even when it was only a few ounces.
• Making a big pot of chili at the beginning of the week. Dense, nutritious, and filling, the veggie-and-bean dish became the basis for a lot of lunches. I only wish I had used it in more creative ways.
• Coupons, shopping from the circular, and unexpected discounts. I found fantastic bargains on potatoes, canned tomatoes, dried egg noodles, and organic salad greens. Staying flexible with the plan and keeping an eye out for bargains was vital.
• Big, healthy breakfasts. They kept Husband-Elect sated for a good chunk of the day, and I didn’t have to scramble to make up the calories later.
• Baking. Ain’t nothing wrong with a few homemade cookies, which are usually cheaper and always better tasting than store bought.
• Starches. Potatoes, pasta, rice, oatmeal – some not terribly healthy, others outrageously so. But they filled him up for little cost, and it helped.
• Fruit. Especially bananas. Versatile, cheap, nutritious, portable, readily available. We always have a big bowl, and now I know why.
• Peanut butter. How did people live before peanut butter? Thank you, George Washington Carver or Mr. Jif or whomever.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK OUT

• Using too few generics. Tiny flavor differences, huge price differences. Buying house brand foods would have halved the cost of some dishes.
• Not allowing for more snacking and grazing. I mentioned this a few days ago, but it’s tough to avoid eating when the urge strikes, whether you’re on a budgetary diet or an actual diet.
• Low-fat foods. I buy skim milk and 2% cheese, because he can’t tell the difference and I per them for myself. When you’re trying to pack in so many calories, these are not helpful. It made me wonder how households manage when one person is trying to lose weight, while the other is eating normally.
• Canned beans. I should have bought dried. They would have gone much further.
• Coffee. It’s not terribly expensive, but it has no real nutritional value, either. Two cups on Sunday almost killed my budget.

EXIT INTERVIEW WITH THE HUSBAND-ELECT

How do you feel?
I feel well fed, but I think I was somewhat overfed. During the experiment I felt like dinner was too much, and by the time I got home from work I wanted less more often. With a full breakfast and healthy lunch followed by a hearty dinner, my stomach was bloated each night.

Do you feel like you ate too little, just enough, or too much?
I think I ate a little too much. Again, dinner every night was an enormous meal after being filled for much of the day. Fantastic food, but I think I could have had less each night, maybe a smaller dinner with a little healthy snack later. I’m not much of a dessert person, and although it was a nice treat, I wouldn’t want a dessert every night for a week ever again.

What was the best part about the week?
I think when you got linked to by Boing Boing and Lifehacker. Also peanut butter spread on banana bread. Yes I know I’m contradicting my previous dessert statement, but something like that glorious combo is a magical rare treat, not something to toss in to fill out a calorie count. And when I say magical, I mean at least a third level cleric healing spell magical.

What was the worst part about the week?
The worst was being told I could have bacon on Saturday and Sunday then having that dream ripped away and replaced by something not bacon.

Has it changed any of your opinions on money and food?
It certainly has. It’s reminded me that it’s nice to have some cash to treat oneself, and I’m grateful that I can afford a dinner out and a beer sometimes, because I missed them. On the other hand, I’ve always enjoyed a home cooked meal, and this past week I got plenty of them. I also appreciate that YOU love these things so much, so I can enjoy it with you, and stuff my face. Thanks!

What are you going to eat tomorrow?
Pizza and beer and nachos and lobster and ostrich. In a slurry. Or maybe sushi. With a salad.

Do you like the shirt I’m wearing?
It’s ok. I think you’re much cuter in the plaid blue and white number your sister gave you.


RECIPES

These are the foods that got us through the week. Some aren’t terribly healthy, but all are inexpensive and tasty as heck.

Banana Ice Cream with Peanut Butter
Brown Gravy
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
Gingersnap Oatmeal
Light Banana Bread
Maple Morning Polenta
Pancakes
Peanut Sauce
Roasted Chickpeas
Slow Cooked Puerto Rican Pork
Snickerdoodles
Traditional Mashed Potatoes
White Bean Dip

A grocery list is forthcoming.


RELATED POSTS

In case you want more details, these posts document every step of the experiment. Its a good thing we own several calculators.

The $25 Food Project: One Man, Seven Days, 21 Meals
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Ask the Internet: $25 Grocery List from Scratch?

In the meantime, readers, I’d love to hear what you have to say. The comment section awaits!

~~~
If you like this article, you might also like:

• The Argument for Spending More on Food
• The Case for Frozen Food
• Spend Less, Eat Healthier: The Five Most Important Things You Can Do

Top 10 Links of the Week 1 22 10 – 1 28 10

This week, we question authority, stand up to The Man, and discuss some lovely options for midday snacks. Tally ho!

1) Serious Eats: How Do You Eat for a Week for $50?
I think this thread might be longer than the Constitution. And the ideas are just as excellent. What, me exaggerate?

2) GMA: Grocery Bill Was Out of Control, but Year-Long Meal Plan Saves Texas Woman Time and Money
Leslie Chisholm, mother of four boys, started planning her family’s dinner a year in advance. It took some time, but she’s managed to reduce her grocery bill by half. Moms take note! (Note: it’s a video.)

3) Slashfood: What Can I Get You Folks – Using Your Coupon
“For whatever reason, coupon users tend to be among the most impolite diners,” says Slashfood columnist/waitressing vet Hanna Raskin. Here, she suggests ways to avoid being that guy. A solid comment thread follows the post. (Incidentally, when I worked in the food industry, the very best and very worst customers were almost always senior citizens.)

4) Jezebel: OK Helps Kourtney Shed Baby Weight with Photoshop Phony Diet
This whole piece is just emblematic of why I love Jez, but especially this sentence: “Since women have already learned from other magazine covers to loathe their ‘bikini bodies’ and that they should be wrinkle-free after 40, why not send the message that their bodies arent good enough mere days after theyve brought forth life?”

5) Jezebel: Whole Foods Employee BMI Discount Raises Legal Concerns
Whole Foods is giving discounts to workers in good shape. Normally, this would anger me, since it seems like discrimination. But here’s the hitch: if you’re trying to project a certain image with your business, does it make sense to encourage employees to uphold that impression? Hooters does it. (Note: This is a devils advocate kind of question. IMHO, its discrimination.)

6) The Kitchn: Quick and Light – 14 Ideas for Fresh and Easy Snacks
All of a sudden, I’m hungry for kale chips. And roasted chickpeas. And granola. And … you get the idea.

7) The Simple Dollar: Trimming the Average Budget – Alcoholic Beverages
For all this talk about frugal food, you don’t see booze mentioned very often. Trent attempts to remedy the situation with smart tippling strategies. As always, the comment thread is required reading. Drink up!

8) Coupon Sherpa: Recipe for Survival - 23 Ways Restaurants Save Money
Restaurants have taken some serious hits these last few years, so it’s logical they’re making cutbacks. Many are pretty reasonable, but a few border on unethical, e.g., the porcelain plates with bumps built in to make it look like you have more food. (Thanks to Simple Dollar for the link.)

9) Consumerist: You Ignore Calorie Info for Yourself, but Not Your Kids
Oh, man. So interesting. Parents buying fast food dinners for their kids saved 100 calories per meal when the nutritional data was posted on the menus (670 calories vs. 570 calories). Apparently, this can mean 10 pounds per year, ungained by children.

10) Serious Eats: Taste Test – Veggie Burgers
Morningstar Grillers: still the best! Even after all these years out of college, when vegetarian friends taught me they were totally the best!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Boston.com: Weight Watchers Sues Jenny Craig
It’s like the ‘90s East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feuds, starring Valerie Bertinelli instead of Suge Knight.

The Kitchn: 6 Ways to Reuse Oatmeal Tins
As someone on an oatmeal kick of epic proportions, this will come in handy.

Neatorama: Brain Slug Cupcakes
Because sometimes, you just want a cupcake shaped like a brain slug.

New York Times: The New Old Way to Tote Your Beer
If you’re a serious microbrew fan, growlers are your best friends. They’re essentially gallon jugs that you can ill at local pubs/specialty stores. One of roommates does it, and it’s saved him quite a bit of cashola.

Serious Eats: Finally, a Heavy Metal Cookbook - Hellbent for Cooking
For those about to cook, we salute you.

Wise Bread: Frugal, Gluten-Free Living – Kitchen Tools That Stretch Your Budget and Time
Celiac folks! Look here! I swear its not weird.

AND ALSO

McSweeney’s: Benefits Not Provided by “Friends with Benefits.”
My most excellent and hilarious friend Tony got a piece in McSweeney’s! This is the link to it. Because that’s what we do here.

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

The Family Addiction Tree

Hi,

Going through the book "Anatomy of a Food Addiction: The Brain Chemistry of Overeating" by Anne Katherine, is like reliving my childhood. After doing the assignment of recalling my family members and ancestors and what addictions they had, I can see it kind of runs in the family. We have a couple of people who were alcoholics or drug users. We had some who were obese. We had some who were diabetic or had chronic illness. So, while I dont blame them, I dont have to blame me, either.

I also like that the book does not stop with the explanation of how sugar and starches affect my brain chemistry making me, driving me, to over eat. At first glance it seems that the way around the addiction is by giving up the sugar and then life will be grand. So sorry, it does not work exactly that way. That would be the "diet mentality." Dieting does not actually work for a food addict either, because there are other things going on than just food chemistry.

At some point we (addicts) learned to sacrifice our emotional needs for our physical well being. The adults we were around were not very skilled at cuddling us or paying attention to us or teaching us the skills to deal with the emotions of life. They are not to blame. They were not taught these things either. They were doing the best they could.

Nonetheless, in my own family, there were some forms of abuse going on. Striking anyone (a child or teen) with a belt, or punching them in the face is abuse. Not providing the affection they needed or teaching them how to deal with their inner nature is also abuse, of a different kind. Some people in other families suffered even worse. Those children went to certain adults for physical affection and cuddles and got sexually abused. So very sorry for those this happened to. Glad to say that did not happen, as far as I know, in my family. I know it did not happen to me. There were one or two odd instances of sexually inappropriate behavior (we had many kids in our family) but they were not abusive, were not repeated, and were not ever mentioned again. I dont consider those to be too important or life changing, although there may have been an affect of which I am unaware.

All these kinds of things happening to a child shapes how that child deals with life. They learn how to survive but they do not learn how to enjoy being alive. They learn that they are supposed to know things they dont know. They learn to not get too close to the edge of a cliff or they might just fall over and then be berated for being stupid. They become very responsible. They learn that there are times when they might need a cuddle but they have also learned they are not supposed to ask for what they need.

They discover that food can be comforting when they need comfort. Their adults are very busy taking care of what is important to adults... like work or cleaning or whatever they are occupied with. The child learns to keep things hidden from their adults and they may turn to food (or other substances) which actually does give a real and physical kind of comfort, if only for a short time. They learn to trust the process of eating, even after they begin to understand it also does them harm.

The generic descriptions I was reading actually brought back specific memories of my own. Little instances that verified what the author was saying about how the addiction grows. I remember when I was a young adult wishing that I had had the opportunity to go to "charm school" because I had such a rough time with relationships.

This is not a book about wallowing, or blaming, it appears to be simply a way to open my eyes a little so I can begin to learn how to deal with things another way. It is pointing out the need. The promise is that I will learn a much more healthy way to deal with the stresses of life.

I am intrigued and hopeful. Im also a little scared, but, I shall forge ahead. I want to get beyond this over eating thing once and for all. I know I will have to continue to exercise my new skills for the rest of my life, because, from experience, and from the authors writing, I already know my brain acts differently and that may not go away. But hopefully, Ill learn some new skills and go on from there.

Looking ahead,

Be back soon,

Marcia

Top Ten Links of the Week 9 10 10 9 16 10

1) Food Politics: This Is Good News? UN Says 925 million People Are Chronically Hungry
2) NY Times: Ranks of Hungry Shrink, but Remain Large
Ten years after the world’s wealthiest nations promised to reduce hunger by half in 15 years, there has been .5% decrease in the number of hungry people around the globe. But experts say the situation is not hopeless. “While all the movement in terms of aid is in the right direction, [Jacques Diouf, the director general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization] said, the pace needs to be accelerated.”

3) Food Politics: Corn Refiners Ask FDA to Replace “HFCS” with “Corn Sugar”
Big Corn wants a little rebranding for HFCS, I see. Be sure to check out Marion Nestle’s reader updates on the etymology of corn syrup’s moniker. It shows how susceptible we are and always have been to marketing.

4) Lifehacker: Budweiser, Balsamic Vinegar and How Expectations Affect Our Views
Hold up! We fall for marketing because of brain science. Behavioral economics professor, Dan Ariely, explains how our brains use information to make decisions and form opinions with a fascinating experiment with Boston students as his lab monkeys. My guess is the balsamic was a improvement on a classic.

5) The Minimalist: The Food Processor: A Virtuoso One-Man Band
Mark Bittman dedicates a love song to his food processor. Tonight, I’m going sprinkle some rose petals around the kitchen, turn down the lights, and put on some soft music while my Cuisinart and I make sweet, sweet poblano hummus.

6)Chow: How Do You Get Rid of Fruit Flies?
7)Lifehacker: Capture Fruit Flies with a Cup and Apple Cider Vinegar
Dueling fruit fly remedies: which one works best? You be the decider.

8) Science Daily: Only 5% of Americans Engage in Vigorous Physical Activity on Any Given Day
The report also states, “The most frequently reported moderate activity was food and drink preparation.” If we’re not exercising, at least we’re cooking.

9) The Kitchn: Best Way to Keep Greens Fresh? The Bath Towel Method
I can’t wait to try this. My tried-and true-salad spinner just bit the dust, and I’ve been enjoying the space it vacated.

10) Chow: Hazmat Investigates Exploding Sauerkraut
High school science class gets explosivo and requires a visit from HazMat. What was the most fun you ever had in science class?

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Food Politics: Department of Talmudic Investigation: Define Candy
For the love of taxes, someone has to draw the line between candy and cookies. The differential ingredient is flour, but as you might guess, it’s not that simple.

Jezebel: The World’s Smallest Cow
Jezebel: Worlds Tallest Dog Meets Smallest Dog
A banner week for cute and extremely sized animals!

NY Times Diner’s Journal: The Baker’s Apprentice: Peach or Apple Pie
Food writer Emily Weinstein gets a pie-making lesson from Sarabeth Levine of New York’s Sarabeth’s Kitchen. Luckily for us, she shares what she learned.

NYTimes The Curious Cook: For Old Fashioned Flavor: Bake the Baking Soda
Mmm...apparently lye makes good pretzels as well as soap and drain cleaner. Or just use toasted baking soda.

Unplugged: 3 Tips for Efficiently Stocking the Fridge
via The Kitchn
Save money on food and electricity with these oh-duh reminders.

There I Fixed It: So Is this Food Full of Iron?
Brilliant! Where was this hack during No Stove Month?

AND ALSO

National Maritime Museum: Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010

Lets feel small together.


Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Ask the Internet How Are You Changing Your Eating Habits

Sweet readers! How have you been? Were slowly approaching full-swing mode here at CHG, and should resume our regularly scheduled program soon. (As it turns out, new marriage + new pet + new job as Food Editor of Grandparents.com + new apartment + holidays in three different, non-adjacent states = not conducive to blogging.)



From Flickrs Mike_Fleming



In the meantime, Id love to hear from you on this lovely question:

Q: How are you changing your eating habits for 2011? Will you be cooking more? Buying less processed food? Going on an Monte Cristo binge for the entire month of February? (*coughs* *raises hand*) Do tell.

A: Personally, the year will begin with a massive effort to re-normalize my relationship with food. My all-cake diet will come to an end. Ill resume eating vegetables again. The bajillion dollars Ive been blowing on office lunches will dwindle down to zip.

After that ... Im not sure. Maybe Ill try some crazy bean recipes? Or work with the slow cooker a bit more often? Or just drink. That works.

How about you guys? The comment section, she is open.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

The Privilege of Living with Diabetes

Dear Beautiful Person (who happens to have diabetes),

Today, you are here. Is there a purpose to your being here? A universal, master purpose? Many claim to have the answer to this, but the honest response is that no one knows. The question is, in fact, irrelevant. You are here. That is a fact. Everything else is just speculation.

It matters not if its an illusion, a grand plan, a godly design, or a happenchance. You are here.

And while you are here, think upon the magnitude of your existence: The last science knew, the universe was 13.8 billion years old. During much of that time, Earth was a big, hot mess. Life only began to evolve 3.5 billion years ago. Modern man, alone, has only existed for about 200,000 years...  and only in the last 30 years or so, have we seen vast improvements in industry, technology, education, science... and medicine.

Medicine.

If you would have been diagnosed with diabetes (of almost any type) back in the 1800s, it was most certainly a death sentence -- if not, a very challenging life.

Insulin wasnt discovered as a treatment for diabetes until the 1920s, thanks to Banting and Best, when many children were literally dying of malnutrition and emaciation. Banting had the heart to insist on not patenting their new-found medicine, so that it could reach as many as needed it.

Metformin was invented in the 1920s as well, and has been used in other countries since the 40s, and 50s. It was not, however, approved in the United States for use with type 2 diabetes until 1994! Yes, that is not a typo. 1994.

Back in the pre-insulin days, starvation was all people knew to do to control diabetes. To eat basically no carbohydrates, or really anything much -- as proteins and fats can also raise glucose (though, admittedly, to a lesser degree). Many simply died because it was so stressful -- or they just couldnt resist pinching food, while no one was watching.

It wasnt until the 1980s when a person with diabetes was able to monitor their levels, independently, and the first glucose monitors appeared. If they had insulin -- that was a good tool -- but if they didnt, all they knew to do was avoid eating sweets. Diabetes has always been with us, at least in the archaeological records, since Egyptian times, and weve known its a disease about high glucose, but aside from that, there wasnt much monitoring of glucose levels until well into the 80s. Ask anyone who was diagnosed many years ago, and they will tell you stories of urine testing (sometimes, once a month, at a doctors office), and sharpening and boiling their own needles, for sterility.

In fact... we really didnt know that diabetes was not a disease caused by eating excess sugar and sweets, until at least the early 90s. The other day, I saw a very old VHS tape for an old Vitamix blender I have acquired, and in it, they recommended diabetics substituting honey, in place of sugar. I guess in their minds, anything that was natural sugar, was not really sugar.

And here we are now... 2013. With a variety of different types of insulin, mimicking both basal and bolus outputs from our pancreas, insulin pumps and CGMs to allow us to eat with more freedom and catch hypoglycemic events, the knowledge of counting carbohydrates and the freedom to eat cake, diabetes alert dogs, and glucose meters small, sleek, or indistinguishable from an iPod, small, and painless needles... and on the thresholds of smart insulin, biohub and artificial pancreas options, and noninvasive glucose testing.

. . .

Yes. Diabetes is still hard. But we are blessed to live in 2013, and not 1913. We can see ourselves as the victims of fate, or as the blessed recipients of a grand universal lottery. Think about the kind of life you have the chance to pursue, right now... that you would have never had a chance to pursue back then. Let it sink in -- let its blessings humble you. 

Yes... diabetes can be embarrassing. But all disease is humbling. 

Even if you never had diabetes, life is much of an embarrassing process, as well... At birth, and near death... someone has to wipe our behinds. We get old, and lose our good looks... we may get cancer, and lose our breasts, we may get alopecia, and lose our hair... We may be like Farrah Fawcett, and get colon cancer -- colon cancer. 

Illness is humbling -- for we have to accept that we are frail, that we get sick, that we get old, and yes, sometimes... that we havent always done the best to take care of ourselves. But, can you think of anyone who has been perfect -- all of their lives? Always perfect? I know one or two who claim they were -- and you know what -- I honestly dont like them very much. For one, they are liars. They may have read the manual on living, but they havent actually lived very much. No one learns to ride a bike from reading a book -- and thus it is with living. Some of us just have to fall a few more times, than others... and it is our beautiful, gnarly scars, which make us who we are.

I never thought of Farrah Fawcett as much of a hero -- until her war with colon cancer. And I never thought much at all, about Ryan ONeal, until his passionate devotion to the woman he sought to wed on her deathbed. 

Dont be angry at your loved ones, beautiful person (who happens to have diabetes). It is not a matter of blame. It is not a matter of fault. Dont leave this world, and lose hope... for these massive amount of events I have listed had to have gone through... and for you to be here, in this point in time. Your loved one, well... your loved one simply LOVES you. They are in deep fear because they do not want to be without you -- at least -- not sooner than life will will. Can we blame them? 

I was angry once... at my father for (in my own warped perception) not trying harder, at life and circumstance, and God, and you name it. I was once that angry loved one... living in FEAR. Sheer fear. But, you see... for whatever reason, you are here -- in this very moment in time, and a time when you happened to meet your loved one. This is a very precious moment in time... In fact, to quote Lawrence Krauss -- a renowned Theoretical Physicist: 

“Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And, the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics: You are all stardust. You couldn’t be here if stars hadn’t exploded, because the elements - the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, all the things that matter for evolution and for life - weren’t created at the beginning of time. They were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars, and the only way for them to get into your body is if those stars were kind enough to explode . . . The stars died so that you could be here today.”

Is diabetes embarrassing? Well, sometimes... But I am in fact honored to be so privileged to be alive, today... right now... Experiencing this universe, the love of friends, and family... The patter of rain on my window pains, the loving purr of my cat, and the imperfect love and friendship of that idiot that still lives here which I call my husband.

Yes, I am honored... to be living here, and living with diabetes.

Nutritionism Food is More Than the Sum of its Nutrients

In a nutshell, "nutritionism" is the idea that the healthfulness of a food is based on the sum of the nutrients it contains.  I learned about this concept from Michael Pollan, who you may have heard of... he wrote "The Omnivores Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food", both phenomenal books that I highly recommend.  Pollan makes the argument that this is a reductionist philosophy that assumes we know more about the composition of foods and the inner workings of the human body than we really do.  I couldnt agree more.

Take the carrot, for example... we all know carrots are good for us.  Youve probably heard that theyre high in beta carotene.  Well, when researchers have taken beta carotene out of the carrot and given it to people in pill form, it turns out it doesnt do jack shit.  Is beta carotene useless?  Or is it just useless outside the context of the food it comes from? Context matters.  Were not as smart as we think we are, and we dont have it all figured out.  Studying individual nutrients outside the context of a real food tells us very little about what we should eat, and sometimes it just makes things more confusing.  We dont eat nutrients, we eat food.

If we want to learn how eating a carrot affects our health, then we need to study carrots.  Yet, as obvious as that may sound, we dont often study nutrition in this way.  We study the nutrients on their own, and then decide whether a food is good or bad based on which nutrients it contains.  There are plenty of examples where this paradigm has led us astray... here are just a few.


Dairy Fat
Unless youre from Mars, its been jammed down your throat that you should avoid butter and whole milk, and instead choose low-fat dairy products like skim milk (yuck) and low-fat cheese (double yuck).  Full-fat dairy products are high in saturated fat, saturated fat raises your cholesterol, and then you die of heart disease.  Ohh I never grow tired of hearing that one (**sarcasm**)!  In reality land though, people who eat more full-fat dairy have lower rates of heart disease and diabetes, and they sport better-looking cholesterol profiles (1).

So why are you told that butter kills you?  Because when you take saturated fatty acids out of the context of the foods they come from, isolate it in a liquid formula, and feed it to people, their cholesterol levels go up.  In real life, though, we dont drink palmitic acid from a beaker... it comes in a real food like cheese, along with other fats and lots of other shit we dont even know about yet.

Whole Grains
Whole grains are healthy, we all know that.  Theyre more nutrient-dense than ined grains, and they have more antioxidants too!  This is what Michelle Obama tells you.  What she doesnt tell you... is that whole grains, despite containing more vitamins and minerals, deplete your body of important minerals.  You may have heard of them... zinc, calcium, magnesium... some pretty important nutrients!  Its also been shown in controlled studies that whole grains, despite containing more antioxidants, do NOT increase your bodys total antioxidant capacity!  For real (2, 3).  Nutritionism done set us down the wrong path.

Canola Oil
Ah canola oil... the dietitians new darling oil.  It didnt explode onto the scene until 1998, but it has already become a staple oil in many American households (4).  And because its high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat which lowers your cholesterol when you drink it out of a beaker, its been touted as a healthy oil.  But consider how its made...



I cant believe how perfectly this narration illustrates my point.  It really is just too good to be true!

Still think canola oil is healthy?  I dont care what anyone says, having a lot of monounsaturated fat doesnt change the fact that it looks like elephant poop in processing.  Nothing about this process is natural.  Plus, more and more canola seeds are genetically modified (5, 6).  I aint messin wit dat shit.


Dont get me wrong, nutritionism has its place.  Focusing on nutrients has gotten us to where we are today in nutritional science.  Learning about essential nutrients, for example, has allowed us to effectively feed someone through a tube or an IV in severe trauma.  And in all honesty, we can make a pretty good guess at the healthfulness of a food based on the nutrients it contains.

But we would be extremely arrogant to think that we fully understand food and its intimate relationship with our bodies.  Sometimes, you just have to trust real food.  You dont really believe that God put the fat in the milk to kill us do you (7)?

Veggie Might Steamed Asparagus Dont Gild The Lily Shoots

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism. She says: Please delight in these darling lambs from Avillion Farm and my favorite asparagus "recipe" from an April 2009 visit to NC. Veggie Might will return with reshing new content next Thursday.

Sometimes vegetables should just be left alone.

This past weekend, I spent three glorious days in the North Carolina sunshine with my best friend, A., and her husband and two-year-old. It was little C’s birthday, and I just couldn’t resist a circus-themed party.

Friday night before the big event, A. and I were fixing dinner: something light and fast before the hotdogs, cupcakes, and apple juice to come. A is the manager of the local farmer’s market in her area. One of the perks is first dibs on fresh produce while the farmers set up their stalls.

From her fridge, she pulled out a bundle of perfect, young asparagus stalks: the first of the season and the sweetest I’d ever tasted. We ate the thinnest stalks raw as we washed and snapped off the ends of the rest.

C toddled up and A. gave him a stalk. He took the asparagus and munched gleefully. I’ve never seen a kid eat vegetables like that. (I’ve also never typed the word “gleefully” before, but hey.)

“Sautee or steam?” A. asked.

“Steam,” I replied. It seemed like gilding the lily to put those perfect stems of green spring goodness in oil or butter. Turns out asparagus is a member of the lily family. Who knew? (Well, the people at that link and Mark Bittman.)

As you know, I’m a big fan of sautéing vegetables in garlic. How many recipes have I shared with that step? But even I know when to leave well enough alone.

A. seemed to know just how long to cook the asparagus, but I would have had to get help. I don’t trust myself for two reasons; I get impatient, and I get distracted.

I have no patience for standing over a pot of boiling water, even for a few minutes. After a minute has past, you can guarantee I will have wondered off like a two-year-old to see what else is going on, and then the veggies will have overcooked.

According to Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, asparagus should be boiled in a skillet or steamed in a pan with just a bit of water at the bottom “just until the thick part of the stalk can be pierced with a knife.” Well, just how long is that? It depends on how much you’re cooking, of course. In our case, a bunch of about 20 stalks took 3 minutes to steam. A set a timer which let us wander guilt-free.

They were perfect: tender, slightly crunchy, vibrantly green. I know that, classically, asparagus is served with hollandaise or mayonnaise, but I’ve never understood why. Who thought to drench something so light and delicious with such heavy sauces?

We didn’t even think to salt our Carolina-grown spring bounty. If A. salted the water, I didn’t notice.

Our supper of fresh-from-the-farm veggies was one of the easiest and best meals I’ve eaten in a while. It reminded me that, sometimes, it’s best to let food be itself.

Steamed Asparagus
Serves 3 – 4

20 asparagus stalks
1/2 cup of water

1) Wash asparagus and break off woody ends.

2) Put water in sauce pan. Put asparagus in steamer basket or bamboo steamer and place over sauce pan. (You can also use the Mark Bittman methods above.)

3) Bring water to boil.

4) Steam for approximately 3 minutes or until thick ends of stalks are tender.

5) Dress as desired or eat plain. Plain is good. Really good.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price* per Serving
Four servings: 15 calories, .1g fat, $.37
Three servings: 20 calories, .13g fat, $.50

Calculations
Asparagus: 60 calories, .4g fat, $1.50
TOTAL: 60 calories, .4g fat, $1.50
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 15 calories, .1g fat, $.37
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 20 calories, .13g fat, $.50

*Price is from my local market.

The Importance Of Eating Your Greens

Eating your greens may be even more important that previously thought, with the discovery that an immune cell population essential for intestinal health could be controlled by leafy greens in your diet.

The immune cells, named innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), are found in the lining of the digestive system and protect the body from bad bacteria in the intestine. They are also believed to play an important role in controlling food allergies, inflammatory diseases and obesity, and may even prevent the development of bowel cancers.

Dr Gabrielle Belz, Ms Lucie Rankin, Dr Joanna Groom and colleagues from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institutes Molecular Immunology division have discovered the gene T-bet is essential for producing a population of these critical immune cells and that the gene responds to signals in the food we eat.

Dr Belz said the research team revealed T-bet was essential for generating a subset of ILCs which is a newly discovered cell type that protects the body against infections entering through the digestive system. "In this study, we discovered that T-bet is the key gene that instructs precursor cells to develop into ILCs, which it does in response to signals in the food we eat and to bacteria in the gut," Dr Belz said. "ILCs are essential for immune surveillance of the digestive system and this is the first time that we have identified a gene responsible for the production of ILCs."

The research was published in the journal Nature Immunology.

Dr Belz said that the proteins in green leafy (cruciferous) vegetables are known to interact with a cell surface receptor that switches on T-bet, and might play a role in producing these critical immune cells. "Proteins in these leafy greens could be part of the same signalling pathway that is used by T-bet to produce ILCs," Dr Belz said. "We are very interested in looking at how the products of these vegetables are able to talk to T-bet to make ILCs, which will give us more insight into how the food we eat influences our immune system and gut bacteria."

ILCs are essential for maintaining the delicate balance between tolerance, immunity and inflammation. Ms Rankin said the discovery had given the research team further insight into external factors responsible for ILC activation. "Until recently, it has been difficult to isolate or produce ILCs," Ms Rankin said. "So we are very excited about the prospect for future research on these cells which are still poorly understood."

ILCs produce a hormone called interleukin-22 (IL-22), which can protect the body from invading bacteria, Dr Belz said. "Our research shows that, without the gene T-bet, the body is more susceptible to bacterial infections that enter through the digestive system. This suggests that boosting ILCs in the gut may aid in the treatment of these bacterial infections," she said.

ILCs help to maintain a healthy environment in the intestine by promoting good bacteria and healing small wounds and abrasions that are common in the tissues of the gut. They may also have a role in resolving cancerous lesions. "The discovery of these immune cells has thrown open a completely new way of looking at gut biology," Dr Belz said. "We are just starting to understand how important these immune cells are in regulating allergy and inflammation, and the implications for bowel cancer and other gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohns disease," she said.

"Understanding the biology of ILCs and the genes that are essential for generating them will help us to develop methods of targeting these cells," Dr Belz said. "This might include boosting ILCs in situations where they may not be active enough, such as infections or some cancers, or depleting them in situations where they are overactive, such as chronic inflammatory disease," she said.

The American Medical Association Recognizes Shared Decision Making

Readers of the Disease Management Care Blog may be surprised to learn that the American Medical Association "recognizes" shared decision making.  A document recommending precisely that is available for your reading pleasure here.

Its a good review of the topic and makes for interesting reading. While the DMCB knew that the term "shared decision making" was specifically mentioned in the Affordable Care Act, it didnt know that there was an group called the International Patient Decision Aids Standards (IPDAS) Collaboration that is developing and piloting standards.  It also didnt know that there is an academic entity in Canada called the Ottawa Health Research Institute (OHRI) that is devoted to research on the topic.  The one area in which the Americans seem to still be leading, however, is commercializing the concept.

The AMA also recognizes that shared decision making can make the physician-patient relationship stronger, opposes any effort to link it to insurance coverage and supports more pilot programs.

This makes the DMCB happy to be an AMA member.

Once a week enough exercise the origin should be two and a half hours

Once a week enough exercise, the origin should be two and a half hours - So far, the experts always suggest that we diligently exercising regularly every day. But a recent study says that exercise once a week is enough, as long as we do it for two and a half hours in a row.

According to researchers from Queens University, anyone who can work out for 150 minutes at the weekend were able to get the same benefits as those who regularly exercise every day.

"Sometimes a lot of people are too busy in the active work so they can not exercise regularly. So long as they can meet the time 150 minutes a day to exercise alone, it has included healthy," explained lead researcher Dr. Ian Janssen, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

Health guidance is suggested that adults do physical activity every day for a total of 150 minutes. But there is no definite rule whether the exercise should be done 20-25 minutes every day, or 150 minutes a day greetings directly.

This study also proves that the health benefits of exercise 150 minutes to be had, no matter whether a person do it little by little each day or directly in a single day.

The results subsequently published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism.

Efficacy of lemon fruit can inhibit the growth of cancer cells

Efficacy of lemon fruit can inhibit the growth of cancer cells - This fruit is very fresh when served with drinks and food. The content of vitamin C are also many benefits to the body. In addition to toning properties, it turns out lemons are also useful for the treatment of cancer, which is to slow the growth of cancer cells. There was also a lot of other benefits, what are the benefits and other advantages, such as in the quotation er to the Huffington Post following.

Enzyme

Lemon helps the liver to expel toxins from the body through natural enzymes contained therein. It also triggers the bodys overall health and keep skin clean.

Calcium

Citric acid in lemons role in cleaning calcium deposits in the blood vessels, pancreas, and kidney stones at the same time.

Antioxidants

Lemon accounted for a high dose of antioxidants in the body in the form of vitamin C in it. Eating lemons also effective to reduce wrinkles in the face.

Immune system

Vitamin C is also an immune system booster which counteract fever and flu.

Electrolyte

Lemon is a good source of electrolytes because it contains potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Electrolytes are tasked to prevent the body from dehydration and maintain its functions in order to keep it running smoothly.

Circulatory

Flavonoids in the fruit juice are compounds that improve blood circulation, blood pressure control, and reduce inflammation.

Acidity

PH or acidity levels in the body can be kept balanced with diligent eating lemon.

Cancer

Lemons contain citric pectin and limonoids were shown to inhibit the spread, growth slows, and kill cancer cells.

Thats 8 health benefits of fruit juice for the body. You can try it in a practical way, namely by making the lemon juice and drink it every morning. With regular drink it, you will get the properties.

Top 10 Links of the Week 4 30 10 – 5 6 10

So much good stuff going on this weekend: Mothers Day, beautiful weather (in NYC), and tonights Season 4 premiere of Friday Night Lights, the best hour-long drama on TV. 

But before any of that: Clear eyes! Full hearts! The links!

1) New York Times: For Corn Syrup, the Sweet Talk Gets Harder
HFCS has taken a huge publicity hit in the U.S. the last couple of years, and it’s being lected in sales. Less money is never a good thing for any business, so food manufacturers are taking steps to replace corn syrup with real sugar. Honestly, I don’t know how much better that is anyway, but HFCS admittedly kind of freaks me out. So … yay?

2) Almost Frugal: You vs. the Grocery Store
LOVE this post about combating supermarkets’ subtle ways of getting you to buy extra stuff. Think of it like a casino: go in with a plan, and you’ll walk out with your pants still on. (Um … you know what I mean.) (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

3) Frugal Green Family: Considering a CSA? Weighing the Pros and Cons
For those of us still on the fence about a CSA share, this fabulously thoughtful post should seal the deal, either way.

4) Get Rich Slowly: The Savvy Shopper’s Guide to the Farmers’ Market
Need help navigating your farmer’s market? Go here. Do it now. Before you start cluelessly wandering your local produce gathering like a noob. Heh. Noob.

5) Surviving and Thriving: I glean ketchup packets. So what?
“Want to be considered weird, embarrassing or just plain cheap? Be frugal among people who aren’t.” In her new blog, MSN’s Donna Freedman discusses life as a frugalist, and why some people look at it weirdly (but probably shouldn’t). Good stuff.

6) Publix Penny Pincher: How to Make Your Cashier Love You
I first read the title as “How to Make Your Cashier Make Love to You.” Needless to say, it’s not about that. BUT, these simple supermarket tips will turn grocery shopping into a much more pleasant experience for everyone involved. Remember: Cashiers are people, too! (People who enjoy making love.)

7) HuffPo: A Table, Les Enfants! Dinner Is Served!
Neat piece about mealtime cultural differences between the author’s American family and French in-laws. At home, she’s always eaten quickly, mostly for fuel. Abroad, she parks her derriere and takes the time to enjoy the frommage. Tres bien.

8) stonesoup: 10 tips for optimum vegetable storage
Yes! This! Your parsley will never wilt prematurely again. (Photo courtesy of The Kitchn.)

9) Non-Meat Athlete: 7 Steps to Eating Less Meat Now
We all know that consuming less beef, poultry, and pork is better for our health and bank accounts. But how do we start? This guy knows. Oh, how he knows. (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

10) The Atlantic Food: Among Dorms and Dining Halls, Hidden Hunger
Hey low-income college kids! Do you want an education, or do you want to eat? Unfortunately, more of you are being forced to make that decision. Fortunately, there are an increasing number of food programs being created to address the problem. Still, yikes.


HONORABLE MENTION

Associated Press: Expert: Surface area of Gulf oil spill has tripled
The AP piece is a few days old by now, but it’s still a solid overview of the Gulf catastrophe. This NYT article is newer, and explains how it might affect our seafood supply. What a mess, people.

Casual Kitchen: Meat Versus Miles - Why Less Meat is Better Than Going Local
Ideally, you can be doing both and still saving some cash. But slowly phasing meat out is a tad more effective.

Culinate: Gas vs. Electric Cooktops
I grew up on electric, and started using gas when I began renting. I will never switch back. And you can punctuate it. (Photo from Wikimedia.)

Food Politics: Where Do Farm Subsidies Go? Now We Know.
It’s your tax dollars at work. In the fields. For major corporations, mostly.

Get Rich Slowly: Getting Paid to Lose Weight with Healthy Wage
Is competing for a cash prize a good way to drop some pounds? Adam Baker is gonna find out. His Healthy Wage team has three months to lose, with $10,000 at stake.

The Kitchn
How Does a Food Lover Maintain a Healthy Weight?
Whipping Cream or Egg Whites: Soft, Firm, and Stiff Peaks - A Visual Guide
Link #1: Huge comment thread chock full of sweet suggestions.
Link #2: Ooo! My angel food cakes will be much happier now.

Money Saving Mom
Freezing Homemade Baby Food
Is Freezer Cooking Really Worth it?
Link #1: Looking to cut down on Gerber jars? Here’s how.
Link #2: Crystal’s first reason alone is enough to make me want to try this. Dishes are the scourge of humanity, people.

My Paper Crane: the dirty dozen cheat sheet
Need a super-cute graphic reminder of what organics to buy? This is your post.

NY Times: Farmers Cope With Roundup-Resistant Weeds
Dude. Nature ALWAYS wins. This could be very not good. Or just the opposite, if it’s publicized enough.

Serious Eats: Are There Foods You Can’t Keep in the House?
M&Ms. I will eat every one of them in a single sitting, lick the bag when they’re gone, and snort the air for chocolate dust particles afterward.

Simple Bites: Ten Ingredients You Must Have on Your Spice Rack
Guest poster Lydia Walshin runs down a list of her ten essentials, including a surprising #10. While I might add cloves, it’s a solid roundup.

This Mama Cooks: Healthy Comfort Food Weekly Meal Plan
It’s essentially a recipe roundup, but it’s a REALLY good recipe roundup. I want to go to here.


AND ALSO

The Seattle Times: Local boy with cancer turns into a superhero for a day
Favorite. Story. EVAH. 13-year-old Erik Martin is struggling with cancer, and loves superheroes. So, Make-A-Wish got most of Seattle together (seriously, it’s a cast of thousands) to turn him into one. I swear, this will warm your heart, kidneys, spleen, and every inch of your intestines. Go now!

Betty White SNL Promo
If you can’t catch FNL, go for SNL. The second take nearly made me cry laughing. St. Olaf, represent!



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The Medical Home News Question The DMCB Answers Other

The Disease Management Care Blog is happy to serve on the National Advisory Board of Medical Home News.  MHN has important insights and updates on the implementation of Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH).  It also regularly poises a "Thought Leaders Corner"question and prints answers from the PCMH community.

The December 12 issue question was:

What is the single most important issue to overcome in terms of widespread implementation of the medical home model?
A growing shortage of PCPs?
Lack of payer commitment to reimburse care coordination?
Lack of incentives to adopt/implement EHRs?
Lack of sufficient team culture being taught?
Other?

The Disease Management Care Blog naturally answered "other...."

"While I used to think the most important issue was finding generalizable approach to care (template) and an accompanying business model that has consistently been shown to reduce health care costs in a clinically and statistically significant manner, I’m changing my mind. 

The most important issue is the emerging link between accountable care organizations and the medical home to the exclusion of all other approaches to care.  The medical home has had its victories, but much of the published high quality research is from highly integrated settings and even then, it’s unclear if the avoided claims expense is greater than all the indirect and direct costs. We still don’t know if the medical home can succeed in the other kinds of networks being established by ACOs. 

As a result, if ACOs stumble and prove to be an unsuccessful reprise of the 1990s style physician-hospital initiatives, the medical home could be taken down before we know if it can work in non-academic, non-Medicaid community settings. 

This promising baby could be thrown out with the bathwater."

If, despite the DMCBs participation, youre interested in subscribing to MHN, getting your boss to pay for it or giving a years worth of issues as a fitting holiday present, more information can be found here.

Smoking marijuana can lower the risk of diabetes

You would have to know the negative effects of smoking marijuana. But it turns out marijuana also has benefits. Recent research has shown that people who regularly smoke marijuana have a lower risk of developing diabetes.

Marijuana users had lower insulin levels. This indicates control blood sugar better. If the link between cannabis and prevention of diabetes clarified, then it is likely researchers will develop diabetes treatments using the substance in cannabis, namely THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

The study, published in The American Journal of Medicine found that people who smoke marijuana regularly have insulin levels 16 percent lower compared with those who never smoked marijuana.

Those who used marijuana also known to have a smaller waist, while a large waist circumference can increase a persons risk of developing diabetes.

Currently marijuana is generally used in patients with cancer or experiencing severe pain. The use of marijuana as medicine is allowed in 18 states, as reported by the Daily Mail.

The study looked at 4,657 patients. Approximately 579 people use marijuana, 1,975 marijuana use in the past but had stopped, and 2,013 people have never used marijuana. Insulin and glucose were then measured through participants blood samples after fasting for nine hours.

As a result, users of cannabis had insulin levels 16 percent lower than those who had never used marijuana at all. Murray Mittleman of the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center also explained that in previous studies researchers found that rates of obesity and diabetes is lower in cannabis users.

Although the substance in the cannabis plant is known to control and prevent diabetes insulin, Indonesia would allow the use of marijuana for treatment?

The Latest Cavalcade of Risk Is Up!

The latest Cavalcade of Risk happens over at Lynch Ryan Workers Comp Insider. Light bulbs, threats to health worker safety, coming costs for individual health insurance, the regulatory environment, claims management and the details behind life insurance are among the many interesting topics for your risky reading pleasure.

Enjoy!

Saturday Throwback Defending the Doyenne The Semi Cheap Kind of Healthy Goodness of Rachael Ray

Every Saturday, we post a piece from the CHG archives. This one is from November 2007.

From The Onion

Yes, she plugs Dunkin Donuts.

Yes, her recipes occasionally dont work. (The applesauce in this one? Takes almost 45 minutes to mushen.)

Yes, she undertips on her $40 a Day show, the nutritional aspects of her 30-Minute Meals are occasionally questionable, and if I hear “yummo” one more time, I’m going to kill a kitten.

Yet, undoubtedly, Rachael Ray is one of the best things to happen to American kitchens in the last 20 years.

Sweet, sweet Anthony Bourdain was pretty rough on her in his Time interview (“She genuinely offends me.”), but I think he might have confused her with She Who Shall Not Be Named. And while some of his criticism was warranted (seriously, WHY is she shilling for Dunkin?), most of it was a wee bit off.

Think about it. No other ‘90s and ‘00s cheflebrity (not even Emeril) has driven average citizens back to their stoves like Ray has. Nor has anyone else made sort-of upscale cooking look as affordable and achievable. Oh, it’s easy to rag on the ear-splitting accent and the kitchen-sinkiness of some of her meals, but Ray-Ray’s good points far outweigh the bad. In fact, let’s break ‘em down:

She encourages fresh ingredients. Though Rachael’s the spokesperson for donuts, Munchkins, and other assorted sugar, her shows nearly always highlight produce and non-processed foods. I’ve never seen her break out a pre-chopped onion or a store-bought meal base. And while her dishes may be high in calories and fat, they don’t contain half as many bizarro chemicals as most convenience foods.

She tries to keep things vaguely affordable. As opposed to other, more upscale TV chefs, Rachael thinks like a middle-class mom, focusing somewhat on frugality. She may use a large number of ingredients, but most aren’t particularly exotic or expensive. Plus, she’s pretty good about mentioning thriftier substitutes.

She stretches. You will never find authentic Mughal Indian or Indonesian dishes on 30 Minute Meals. You might even raise an eyebrow at what she calls Greek food. However, Rachael often tries to bring one or two ingredients relatively unfamiliar to American palates into her cooking. It’s a solid way to introduce kids and finicky adults to foreign cuisines without overwhelming them, and she should be lauded for it.

Her recipes are available for free. Sure, Ray-Ray makes sweet bank off her cookbooks, but as of this morning, 1558 recipes were on Food.com, and several hundred more were listed at her personal website (stunningly, at RachaelRay.com). She doesn’t HAVE to do that, and would make even more moolah if she didnt. Yet, its a concession she make for her economy-minded fans. Its really great, actually.

She knows her audience. Maybe this is an insult to those who believe all cooking shows should be aimed at French Culinary grads, but working moms can’t be braising beef or whipping up a gelee every night of the week. Rachael aims her food at families and/or young people getting into a kitchen for the first time, not professional or even proficient chefs. That’s why her dishes are relatively simple, fresh, and fast. In her case, brevity is the soul of food, not complexity. And that’s just fine.

Her food isn’t intimidating. I’ve been to two of Mario Batali’s restaurants, and the man doesn’t make dinner; he makes manna. Alas, trying to duplicate those dishes at home would be extraordinarily time-consuming, expensive, and well beyond most folks’ humble culinary expertise. For better or for worse, Rachael avoids cooking methods that busy people would find unmanageable. Like Bourdain says, taking the path of least resistance should never be encouraged (especially in the kitchen) but again, she’s marketing to home cooks with massive time constraints.

She’s not a chef, and doesn’t pretend to be. Ms. Ray is not a dummy. (Loud, yes. Dumb, no.) She knows her limitations, admits them readily, and tackles the big, bad job of meal-prepping anyway. That takes guts, as well as some level of competence in the kitchen. Ray/Batali didn’t beat Flay/DeLaurentiis on Iron Chef because they got lucky.

I’ve now spent the first day of my thirties defending a celebrity. If youll excuse me, I’m going to the bathroom to wash my brain, but if anyone has any other convincing arguments for or against her, bring ‘em! I’d love to read.

A diet of resistant starch helps the body resist colorectal cancer

As the name suggests, you can’t digest resistant starch so it ends up in the bowel in pretty much the same form it entered your mouth. As unlovely as that seems, once in the bowel this resistant starch does some important things, including decreasing bowel pH and transit time, and increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids. These effects promote the growth of good bugs while keeping bad bugs at bay. A University of Colorado Cancer Center review published in this month’s issue of the journal Current Opinion in Gastroenterology shows that resistant starch also helps the body resist colorectal cancer through mechanisms including killing pre-cancerous cells and reducing inflammation that can otherwise promote cancer.

“Resistant starch is found in peas, beans and other legumes, green bananas, and also in cooked and cooled starchy products like sushi rice and pasta salad. You have to consume it at room temperate or below – as soon as you heat it, the resistant starch is gone. But consumed correctly, it appears to kill pre-cancerous cells in the bowel,” says Janine Higgins, PhD, CU Cancer Center investigator and associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Higgins describes studies showing that rats fed resistant starch show decreased numbers and sizes of lesions due to colorectal cancer, and an increased number of cells that express the protein IL-10, which acts to regulate the body’s inflammatory response.

”Resistant starch may also have implications for the prevention of breast cancer,” Higgins says. “For example, if you let rats get obese, get them to lose the weight, and then feed half of the rats a diet high in resistant starch – these rats don’t gain back the weight as fast as rats fed a regular, digestible starch diet. This effect on obesity may help to reduce breast cancer risk as well as having implications for the treatment of colorectal cancer.”

“There are a lot of things that feed into the same model of resistant starch as a cancer-protective agent,” Higgins says. “Much of this information currently comes from rodent models and small clinical trials but the evidence is encouraging.” On the table now is a menu of benefits and while it’s just now being studied which benefits, exactly, will pan out as mechanisms of cancer prevention, one thing is clear: resistant starch should be on the menu.

5 bad habits in the morning

5 bad habits in the morning - It has often been mentioned that skipping breakfast is a bad habit that should be stopped. But other than that, there are many other bad routines that are often done in the morning. What is it? Check out more as reported by the Huffington Post following.

Difficult to wake up in the morning

Many people are having trouble up early fault of their own, which was late in the day before. Though keeping the ration was still trying to wake up early and important to do in order to maintain the bodys biological clock.

Delaying alarm

Alarm delay will not make feel more reshed because youve got a chance to sleep longer, but it can damage the sleep system and make the body feel weak. Instead of delaying alarm, better install an alarm and put it in a place away from the reach of the hand.

Sleep and wake up at will

As mentioned previously, keeping the bodys biological clock needs to be done in a way to sleep and wake up at the same time. If you accustom yourself to sleep and wake up at will, the body will feel weak and lethargic.

Exercise on an empty stomach

Exercise after waking up is a good habit. But what makes it worse is exercising on an empty stomach. Better wake up 15 or 20 minutes early, enjoy fruit and hurried exercise.

Skipping breakfast

Research shows that skipping breakfast can increase the risk of diabetes. Not only that, no breakfast also affect mood and memory of the men. So stop this bad habit as soon as possible.

Thats bad habits in the morning. Hopefully you are not one of those people who always do.

Ask the Internet Emergency Lunch

Sweet readers! I know you’ve been on the edge of your collective seat for the results of last week’s Top 5 Fruits poll. Your wait is over. The winner is...

Apples!

23 votes: Apple

19 votes: Banana, Blueberry

18 votes: Strawberry

16 votes: Pineapple

13 votes: Peach

12 votes: Cherry, Mango

11 votes: Raspberry

10 votes: Watermelon

8 votes: Grapes

7 votes: Blackberry

6 votes: Orange, Pear

5 votes: Cantaloupe, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Nectarine

4 votes: Clementine

3 votes: Cranberry, Honeydew, Lemon, Lime, Pomegranate

2 votes: Apricot, Black Raspberry, Papaya, Passion Fruit, Plum, Pluot

1 vote: Acai, Asian Pear, Chirimoya, Date, Green Coconut, Guanabana, Guava, Lychee, Mangosteen, Medlar, Pacay, Persimmon, Pitanga, Plantain, Raisin, Rhubarb, Tangerine,

It was an agonizing decision for most of you, and I feel your torment. My favorite fruit, grapefruit, didn’t fair so well, but that’s okay. Come winter, Ill be in heavenly grapefruit bliss. Onto this week’s Ask the Internet query.

Picture this: You’ve just returned from vacation to an empty fridge and messy house when you get the call to start that 10-hour/day freelance job you’ve been hoping for. At the same time, you’re taking over the editorial responsibilities of the most delightful food blog in the whole wide web. (Or fill in your own madcap scheduling scenario.)

Q: What do you throw together for a healthy, quick, last-minute lunch that does not involve peanut butter and jelly for 5 days straight?

A: Yes, it’s been a little hectic around CHG headquarters in Kris’ absence. There have been several days in which I succumbed to the evils of Midtown Lunch—$8 salads and $10 sandwiches. But, I’ve culled a few new tricks, including cooking beans in the crock pot and quinoa in the office microwave. Results forthcoming!

Readers, what about you? How do you handle bagged lunch in a pinch?

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