Posted by Dom on March 30th, 2007 — Posted in News
“Don’t drink alcohol. Take vitamins. Avoid eating eggs. We’ve heard these pieces of nutritional advice for years - but are they accurate?”
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and this article, the answer is “not necessarily”.
Among the nutrition myths are “eating eggs will raise your cholesterol level” and “eating carbohydrates makes you fat” - which is sure to cause some discussion!
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Posted by Sylvia on March 22nd, 2007 — Posted in Tips
Photo By avlxyz
What’s in season now?
As we head directly into Spring, it’s time to get the last of our winter roots and veg and start serving fresh green salads with radishes on the side. Right now is the time for fresh young spinach and watercress both of which make for a wonderfully delicate salad with just a touch vinegar and oil as dressing. Young spring onions and fresh green herbs are a wonderful addition, especially parsley and mint, all of which come into their own in late March. And you know when mint comes into season, spring lamb can’t be far off — perfect for cooking fast and serving pink.
Fruit and Vegetables in season now
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Celeriac
- Endives
- Leeks
- Mint
- Parsley
- Rhubarb
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Spring Onions
- Watercress
Meat, Fish and Seafood
- Cockles
- Lemon Sole
- Lobster
- Rabbit
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Spring Lamb
- Venison
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Posted by Dom on March 13th, 2007 — Posted in News
This ad from DontDieForADiet.com is currently showing in British cinemas:
I think it speaks for itself. [Via 10ad]
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Posted by Dom on March 12th, 2007 — Posted in Opinion
By Yuliana Hendarto.
Tired of being overweight?
Have you finally got the resolve to lose weight and keep it off once and for all?
Can Atkins help you realize your dreams?
Before you jump into the bandwagon with the illusion of losing weight fast and painlessly, read this report to find out if it really works, or you’ll end up in the hospital instead.
What is it?
The ever-popular program called Atkins basically involves extremely low-carb intake, or even none at all. The theory behind the Atkins diet is that, because the body will digest any sugar stored in the body first to get the energy it needs, it is really hard to lose the fats in your body. So if the body’s sugar storage is depleted, it will then turn to fats, and then protein, to get its energy. Hence you’ll finally get to lose those flabby fats if you reduce your sugar intake dramatically.
Does it work?
It seems that the severely obese people might find the program works well. They’ll start losing weight really quickly, especially at the beginning. However, it will soon reach a pleateau.
Another problem with the Atkins is the sugar cravings that many people will have because of the drastic reduction in sugar intake. This leads to cheating in many cases, which then just throws you off the program.
Is it safe?
Biologically speaking, if the body is deprived of sugar, it will enter a “starvation mode” where it will try to conserve any amount of energy. This is because the body is tricked into thinking that it is being starved.
This is actually a natural self-defence mechanism which preserves and prolongs the human life when you’re truly starving. Hence you hear cases where people still survive even after 30 days without any food at all. However, this also means that the body will then convert ANY kind of sugar it can absorb, into fats as soon as possible! That’s why the moment you cave in to that sugar craving, it destroys everything.
In actual fact, several people have ended up in hospital after such a severe reduction in their sugar intake. Hence it is not advisable to totally eliminate sugar from your diet all at once.
A Modification
Instead of totally eliminating carbohydrates from your diet, you can just reduce it in stages. Another alternative is to switch to complex carbohydrates.
What else should I watch out for?
If you’re trying to do Atkins, please do not combine it with heavy exercise. Exercise requires sugar, which is the body’s main fuel. With such a low-carb intake, the body will then start to digest proteins to produce sufficient energy for the exercise, which then results muscle loss.
While the diet recommends a higher intake of protein, and lower of carbohydrates, it does not mean you can consume as much meat or fatty food as you wish. That will be a sure way to damage your kidney and liver. Maintain a high intake of vegetables and fruits to lessen the impact.
Is it recommended?
Only with the advice of nutritionists or doctors. Even then, it should be done in moderation. Do not completely eliminate your sugar intake. Also, take note that the quick weight loss is usually only visible for those who are really overweight.
The best thing is still to have a balanced diet and a good exercise program in place.
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Posted by Dom on March 8th, 2007 — Posted in Recipes
By Yuliana Hendarto.
Defined broadly, mushroom is the ‘visible’ fungus, or the fruiting body of a fungus which is found above ground. While not all mushrooms are safe to eat, the edible ones enjoy a somewhat special status in many cultures. In fact, the Egyptian pharaohs thought mushrooms should only be enjoyed by royalties, and hence took control of the whole available supply!
Sounds like it enjoys the same status as the ‘royal’ chocolates?
I think so. And it’s definitely one of my favorite foods too. Let’s see what comes to mind when the word ‘mushroom’ is mentioned:
Cream of mushroom soup, mushroom masala (curried fried mushroom, really good!), portobello mushroom salads/burgers, stuffed mushrooms, mushroom quiche, and many many more… Everything with mushroom is always so yummy! Even if you only fry it in butter.. hmmm.. that’s good enough for me!
So anyway, I have one interesting recipe to make stuffed mushrooms. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 medium mushroom, firm, closed caps
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons minced onion or green onion
- 1/4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup soft bread crumbs (see below)
- 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons water
- salt & pepper to taste
Preperation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Wash mushrooms quickly under running water; drain on paper towels.
Pull stems from mushrooms and chop finely.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat; add chopped mushroom stems and onion. Sauté until tender.
To make the soft bread crumbs, put bread on cutting board and use fork tines to tear off crumbs, or use food processor to make finer crumbs. One slice bread makes about 1/2 cup lightly packed crumbs.
Stir in Worcestershire sauce, soft bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle salt over mushroom caps and fill with sautéed mixture, mounding over the top.
At this point, you may cover and refrigerate these mushrooms for up to 24 hours.
Before serving, put 2 tablespoons of water in a shallow dish and arrange stuffed mushrooms in dish. Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Makes 8 to 10 appetizers.
Let me know if you like it!
Some extra tips/fun facts on mushrooms
Psychedelic Mushrooms
These mushrooms are more commonly known as the “magic mushrooms”. Especially famous in the Netherlands (walk along the streets and you can see several of those “coffee shops” having it!!), they have certain psychoactive properties, which means it can induce hallucinations. The effects vary from person to person though, and can range from positive to negative feelings. The highly toxic mushrooms can even cause nausea and permanent damage when taken in large doses.
Mushrooming
This is the activity of mushroom-picking! It can be an eye-opener and exciting adventure, so the next time you go on a vacation or hiking trip, keep an eye for a local mushrooming activity. Take a look at this website for more info on mushroom picking.
Fun Link
Try the mushroom quiz here: http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz55096651748.html
Sources
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