Book Review: Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies

I wanted to try a different type of post today and review a cookbook that is recently on the shelves of your favorite virtual bookstore.  Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies has the kind of grabber title that appeals to the populace, but the common sense and grounded science that comes from experts in the field of nutrition.

http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Belly-Cookbook-For-Dummies/dp/1118692667

Here's what I liked about the book:

• All three authors are RDs (Registered Dietitian).  Just as you wouldn't consider someone who simply has an interest in surgery to take out your appendix, so you shouldn't seek nutritional advice from someone merely interested in nutrition.  Go with the credentials.
• Excellent instruction on the science behind the premise before you get into any specific eating plans.  I think it is critical that people educate themselves when making changes to their diet and health.  Knowledge is power, and power means change.
• Not a one-size fits all.  There are different levels of recommendations depending on your health, motivation and ability to change.  
• Large variety of recipes.  I love food and love to cook and because of that, I'm always seeking out something new and delicious.  The book is loaded with recipes that cover varying dietary restrictions from vegan to gluten-free.
• Bonus cooking tips.  At the end of the book, there are some tips and recommendations listed on spices and cooking gadgets.  They really are trying to equip the reader not only for health, but culinary success.  
• Avoidance of the "d" word.  I love that these dietitians recognize the dangers of a diet mentality and address the importance of long-term, lifestyle changes rather than quick weight loss that is doomed to fail.  

So if you're looking for some motivation, more knowledge, or simply a different source of healthy eating information, you might consider giving Flat Belly Cookbook a longer look.

Chocolate: Unraveling the Ancient Obsession

Chocolate has been around for thousands of years.  Some of the earliest evidence of chocolate dates back to 1900 BC.  And interestingly enough, it was used exclusively as a bitter drink.  Not until the mid 1800s was chocolate made into the sweet bar form we know and love today.  So what is the real scoop on chocolate - are there really any health benefits or is it all just hype?

There are three main categories of chocolate: milk, semi-sweet/dark, unsweetened.

•   Milk chocolate has the least amount of cocoa solids or cacao –containing 20% – 34%. 

• The semisweet/dark category ranges from 35% in the lightest semisweet – to 99% found in the darkest bittersweet chocolate.

• Unsweetened chocolate contains 100% and contains pure chocolate liquor mixed with some form of fat.  (Cocoa powder also falls into this category though it is not mixed with another fat to become solid, but left as a powder)

This cacao or cocoa solids are the component of chocolate that provide the health benefits you’ve probably heard about.  It contains flavonoids that provide antioxidant benefits, sulfur, magnesium, essential fatty acids and even fiber.  These compounds may help with cholesterol levels or help reduce the damaging effects of free radicals in the body.  Darker types of chocolate contain more of those compounds and less sugar than the lighter milk chocolate.  The higher the percentage of cacao, the more fiber the chocolate contains.  However, regardless of the type of chocolate you prefer, it is best to remember that chocolate fills a cameo role in balanced, varied diet.  

Tip: the higher the percentage of cacao, the higher the price tag seems to be.  So try making your own bittersweet chocolate by combining equal parts by weight of semisweet chocolate chips and unsweetened baking chocolate.

Combine both kinds of chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave on high for 20-30 seconds, stir, then repeat until chocolate has completely melted. Frequent stirring is crucial to prevent burning.

You now have a lovely, liquid, bittersweet chocolate that is between 70-75% cacao.  Try using it to dip fruit, or stir in some nuts, spread it out onto waxed paper and let cool, then break into bark pieces. 


 

Sit Down, Slow Down, and Unplug

I saw this photo by Suspended Coffees on Facebook (link below) and it reminded me of one of my mantras.
Suspended Coffees

Sit down, slow down and unplug.  If every day we made it a priority to do those three things when we ate, we would actually be able to:

1. Taste and enjoy our food, thereby receiving more nutrition from food that appeals to us.  (The science behind this is called the cephalic phase of digestion and basically when we eat food that is appetizing to us, we absorb more nutrients such as iron from that food as compared to food that doesn't appeal or engage our senses.)
2. Give time for our bodies to register fullness or satiety.  When we slow down, we actually eat less and achieve a more comfortable level of fullness.
3. When we remove distractions and focus on food and company or conversation, we are much less likely to over eat, and more likely to find satisfaction in our eating experience.
4. And lastly, it's just good manners.
 

So when you are about to eat something - consider my three simple pieces of advice: sit down, slow down and unplug - and find real enjoyment in food.

Resolve to Re-work Your Recipes

Healthful eating doesn't require giving up your favorite flavors or recipes.  Rather, take a look at your favorites, standbys and go-to recipes and see if there are ways you can improve the nutrition without sacrificing the flavor you love.  To give you an example, here is a example of a recipe re-work:

Original recipe:
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions: Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg.  Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with applesauce to creamed mixture.  Mix in oats and chocolate chips.  Fill 12 muffin papers 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Re-worked recipe (green indicates changes made):
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
1/4 cup canola oil, margarine or butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg (can substitute 2 egg whites)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (can use skim milk)
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions: Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg.  Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with applesauce to creamed mixture.  Mix in oats and chocolate chips.  Fill 12 muffin papers 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

The reworked recipe is lower in fat, calories and sugar yet higher in fiber.  Swapping unsweetened applesauce for whole milk reduces the fat and makes for a wonderfully moist muffin.  If you don't care for a moister texture, stick with skim milk.  I also added a little cinnamon because I love how the flavor approximates an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. 

Keep an eye out for ways to add fiber, fruits, veggies and whole grains to your recipes while keeping fat and sugar content in check and you'll soon be a whiz at recipe modification.  

3 Positive New Year's Nutrition Resolutions

When you think about making new years resolutions, diet and exercise often top the list.  If you think about the way you make exercise resolutions you don’t focus on what not to do “I won’t sit on the couch as much, I won’t be a sedentary lounge-about” instead you make goals that add positive change “I will go to the gym 3 days a week or I will train for a race”.  However when it comes to diet, we often focus on the negative: “I will give up chocolate or sugar, or I will cut out carbs”.  Instead it would be much more productive, sustainable and enjoyable to focus on positive change to add in to our diet.  

Fresh Living Segment 

3 things to add into your diet to get the most bang for your buck:

• Drink 64 oz water daily - naturally crowds out soda or other less nutritious beverages (water bottle display)

• Eat 9 fruits & veggies/day - naturally crowds out convenience, high calorie foods (produce display)

• Add a few meatless meals to your weekly menu - helps increase the fruit and veggie intake, higher fiber, lower saturated fat = heart healthy/weight management friendly (beans, nuts, soy display)

Notice there is nothing hear about eliminating foods - even convenience, dessert or fast foods.  But if you really commit to adding in the healthy components of nutrition, the fun/play foods will recede back into the cameo role they should be playing in your diet. These changes keep you from feeling deprived, and is much easier to maintain longer than the second week of January, instead they become life-long habits that can improve how you feel now and increase healthy longevity.

Tasty Party-Fare Makeovers

I love appetizers, dips and noshables as much as the next guy, but that doesn't mean I go hog-wild and offer my family and friends an artery-blocking buffet.  Here are some links to my favorite made-over recipes that are so tasty you don't miss the original:

•  Spinach Artichoke Dip This recipe from Cooking Light is a real crowd pleaser.  Instead of the reduced fat cream cheese - try Greek Cream Cheese (cream cheese made from greek yogurt).  Serve with some whole grain pita chips or my favorite: Triscuits.
• Chocolate Cherry Chunk Meringues This isn't necessarily a makeover recipe, but I wanted to include it as a good substitute for Christmas cookies or calorie-laden desserts.  Plus, I'm a sucker for chocolate, cherry and meringues!
• Mushroom Polenta Canapes I love, love, love this appetizer!  It is fairly simple - but adds a lot of flavor and wow-factor to your party.  Plus it's low fat, decent fiber content make it a great savory substitution for any fried, battered, pie-crust-filled appetizer you pick up at the store.
• Spring Rolls At 100 calories per serving - these beat the pants off of any fried egg roll.  Consider letting your guests help with the assembly - as it makes it more fun and efficient.  
• Hot Bean & Cheese Dip Instead of going with a nacho-cheese dip for your southwest flavor-fix, try this recipe.  Loaded with fiber and lower in calories and sodium than store-bought ones.  Serve with veggies or whole grain chips.  
• Sweet Chipotle Snack Mix Instead of putting out the candy dish - set this mix out.  Such as tasty flavor combination - enjoying healthy nuts and seeds never tasted so good.
• Water  No this isn't a link . . . no recipe needed.  The best makeover for cocktails or party beverages is to not drink your calories.  You might want to provide some fun garnishes for the glasses:  Freeze cranberries on a skewer to use as a substitute for ice.  Lemon, lime and blood orange slices make a gorgeous garnish for the ultimate calorie free beverage.  

I had a makeover request for a buffalo chicken dip recipe.  While there are some variations in the different recipes out there - some of the constant ingredients involve cream cheese, sour cream and cheese.  So here are my tips to lighten it without losing it's flavor identity:  Go with a mix of reduced fat and fat free cream cheese (or greek cream cheese), swap out the sour cream for nonfat greek yogurt and go with a strong-flavored cheese but less.  For example: instead of using 2 cups of cheddar or colby jack cheese, use 1 cup sharp cheddar.  And if it calls for blue cheese - the flavor is strong enough that a little goes a long way, so the quantity is usually fairly modest.  Serve with celery and keep in mind that it is all about balancing portions.  Have some, but don't make a dip appetizer your entire meal.

Don't forget to set out plenty of fruit and veggie trays - and enjoy noshing on them the next day or two.  Have a healthy, festive and merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookies & Insurance Premiums

At a glance you may think that I've lost it.  Christmas cookies and insurance premiums may seem to have nothing in common, but hear me out.  At this time of year plates, boxes and bags of treats, cookies and goodies start showing up on our doorsteps.  Family, friends and neighbors (as well as ourselves) are busy baking this time of year.  Yet, we are trying to keep things in balance and not end the year with a extra pounds and the blood pressure that goes with it.  So what is the first line of defense against these holiday confections?  The break room at work.  Might seem like a good solution, but think it through a bit.  Now you can nosh at home and at work - and probably with greater variety since everyone else brings their treats to work as well.  Does this mean you should never share with co-workers?  Of course not, but don't make the office your dumping ground for mediocre calories.  We all get bored or tired at work, and a trip to the break room for a random cookie becomes just the ticket. . . to poor health that is.  Here are some alternative options:

• Be selective - if you don't LOVE it, chuck it.
• Be generous - with commercially wrapped items, donate them to a food bank.
• Be patient - if it is your all-time favorite, freeze it and portion it out slowly over time.
• Be thoughtful - always express appreciation for the effort and craftsmanship put into the offer, but be thoughtful of your co-workers and don't sabotage their healthy habits.

Remember that being gracious doesn't mean you have to consume every crumb.  Think about the health of your co-workers - if not from personal consideration, them from the effect that all those co-workers' extra pounds and ensuing health problems will have on your insurance premiums.