Egg-ception vs. Egg-ceptional

You just need a loaf of bread, or a gallon of milk. But it's not that easy is it? Upon entering the grocery store you'll find dozens if not hundreds of products available in the category you are looking for. Bread is not just bread anymore, and milk is not just milk. And the same thing applies to eggs. An egg is an egg. Or at least that is what I used to think when I was a child. But now we have countless products when all we really want is just an egg. And so it comes to this...what's with all the fuss about eggs and egg substitutes? Does it make a difference which one you select, why care about it? 

Let's first look at the nutritional information between an egg substitute like Egg Beaters and a normal egg. As you can see, yes, the egg beater has less calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, with the same amount of protein.

From this information I would definitely choose the egg beater over the egg. That is definitely the top choice as of yet. But you have to take a closer look! It's not just about the nutritional information anymore these days. You can obviously see that an egg is just an egg, but the Egg Beaters is held in a carton which means only one thing. Processing. The food has been processed, it is not in its natural form anymore. So the thought changes from what the Egg Beaters don't have, to thinking about what it does have now because of the processing. Let's now look at the ingredient list to see which one comes out on top. 

Ingredient List for an Egg: Eggs contain 1 ingredient:

        Egg

Ingredient List for Egg Beaters: Egg beaters contain 20 ingredients:

Egg Whites, Less than 1%: Natural Flavor, Color (Includes Beta Carotene),Spices, Salt, Onion Powder, Vegetable Gums (Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum),Maltodextrin. Vitamins and Minerals: Calcium Sulfate, Iron (Ferric Phosphate), Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol Acetate), Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Mononitrate), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin D3

From a quick glance these ingredients don't look bad. They include egg whites, natural flavors, vitamins/minerals, and spices. But you have to look even closer. 

First of all, the natural flavors are anything but natural. According to the Natural Health News & Scientific Discoveries website, "There are also plenty of "food products" on the shelves that read "all natural" on the label, but they still contain large amounts of synthetic, laboratory-concocted food agents, many of which cause diseases and disorders." I have even read that this natural flavoring can contain MSG. This website also describes that "Monosodium Glutamate is a neurotoxin that can be legally hidden from you and/or be labeled "natural flavors" in the ingredients list. MSG is not a natural flavor - in fact, it can cause brain lesions, neuro-endocrine disorders, and neurodegenerative disease in humans...The FDA does not require that any source of MSG be identified... Yet in hundreds of studies around the world, scientists are creating obese mice using MSG because it triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese. This is what the FDA calls natural. There's even a name for the fat rodents that eat this "Natural Flavor" additive: they're called "MSG-Treated Rats." Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance. Since its introduction into the American food supply 50 years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to processed meals, soups, chips, and fast foods. The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food." Makes you think right? 

Now what about the vitamins/minerals? Some of you may not realize that vitamins and minerals may need help 

to be absorbed and used properly  in order to work. For example, Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron. Fat-

soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are better absorbed with a meal higher in fat. And calcium needs to be 

combined with Vitamin D. Fooducate explains the problem with Egg Beaters. It says that "There are a whole bunch of added vitamins and minerals that try to mimic what was lost with the removal of the egg yolk. For example a single egg yolk contains 13% of the DV for vitamin A. Egg beaters throws in 15%. The problem with this nutrient specific approach is that science has yet to identify hundreds of other nutrients and their interaction amongst each other when naturally present in a food. Selecting a few nutrients and focusing on them instead of on a whole food is part of a larger problem in the US food food system today." 

Xantham Gum is another one that sounds really scary, but this very popular food ingredient has not been known to cause serious issues as of yet. It mostly is known to cause bloating or an upset stomach. What is it? According to Fooducate, "Xanthan gum is made by fermenting corn sugar with bacteria..It is the same bacterial that creates black spots on broccoli and cauliflower. The result is a slimy goo that is then dried up and ground into a fine white powder." It is used an emulsifier or an ingredient that blends different ingredients and helps them stay blended while it sits on a shelf waiting for you to purchase it. Think of mayonnaise. The reason all the ingredients stay blended is due to an emulsifier. Xanthan Gum also acts as a thickener. In a normal egg, the egg yolk acts as a truly natural thickener, but Egg Beaters takes out the egg yolk in order to reduce the calories, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. All of these lower numbers makes the public turn to these products instead because the product is "healthy". 

So in my eyes, the EGG WINS!

But my thought on it all is this. Why would you eat a product that was created in a science lab when you could eat a product that was created perfectly? Smile frequently, laugh often, and eat real food! So choose the egg-ceptional, not the egg-ception. 

Troubadour Coffee Roasters - Rethink Coffee

Yesterday my mom and I hit the gym, perused the local antique shops, and then happened upon a new coffee shop I've never been to before. Shh, don' tell the barista at Starbucks!

Troubadour Coffee Roasters

We parked in the back and walked back to the front of the store. Now my first impression of the shop? "This is sort of dumpy...and empty". I wasn't expecting much at all from it. The barista behind the counter welcomed us warmly and asked if we had ever been to there before. Upon acknowledgement of being first timers he explained the difference between his shop which has been open about a year and half and the chain coffee shops like Starbucks. Upon looking at his website I found some information I would like to share straight from their website.

"We are passionate about our coffee. We source our beans through three importers direct from the farms and cooperatives, we roast them on-site, and we make each beverage to order. We do not offer flavors, syrups, smoothies, frappes, meal-type foods or most typical coffee shop drinks, but for good reason. We are very focused on the quality aspect of our coffees and want you to experience coffee for the passion, craft and art of it.  Coffee is the seed of a fruit and if its grown, processed, roasted and brewed properly,  the results will be amazing and not bitter or burnt.  Why cover up the good?  Pure and simple and without attitudes or snobbery we challenge you to Rethink Your Coffee."

I must admit I was the first one to be skeptical. I've had so many bitter coffees before that's why I always add Almond Milk. So he explained that coffee should not be bitter and that if it is the coffee is bad. So I figured, "Hey, its worth a try!" I ordered a latte and let me tell you...it was the best latte I have ever had.

You could taste the coffee and it was a little sweet due to the caramelization of the milk,but not from added sugars, syrups, or flavorings. I was so impressed especially since a few days prior I had ordered a latte from Starbucks and could barely drink it due to the high amount of sugar. It just tasted fake and was sickening. This was so different. Sweet, yet not overwhelming at all. And the coffee tasted great! Now granted I've only had one latte there, but I cannot wait to go and get something else. They even have a shelf of coffees that you can choose from that they will fresh brew if you ask them. And the service was exceptional!

So I guess you cannot judge a book from its cover or a coffee shop from your first observation. There just might be a nice surprise waiting for you if you would just give it a chance.

What a great place for those passionate about their coffee!

Checkout51.com

In this day and age people are looking to save money anywhere. They stick to a tight budget, make sacrifices, clip and carry around coupons, and skimp on the gouda. (And yes, that WAS a HIMYR reference!) Recently I found a new website that is definitely worth checking out!

Checkout51.com

What's the concept of this website? It's actually quite simple. Each week you can check the website and see what offers are listed for that week. The week's offers change on Wednesday at 11:59pm. For example, some of the offers this past week include bread, eggs, tomatoes, apples, and avocados. But there are also cleaning products, canned products, and some snacks also offered. Next to the offer you will see a price listed. So if you purchase these items you will receive that amount back from your purchase!

Well this all sounds nice and good, but how do you go about getting that money? Simple! Simply take a picture of your receipt from the grocery store with those products on the receipt. But make sure when you take a picture that the receipt is clear and the date MUST be visible. Remember that the offers change every week, so something you bought two weeks ago would not be valid anymore. And if your receipt is too long you can add more than one picture in order to get all of the items included. 

After taking a picture upload it into the website and select the items that you are requesting the money for. For example, this week I bought eggs, apples, and avocados. After sending in my receipt I selected those items. It takes up to, although its never been that long for me, 48 hours for your receipt to be approved! You can see below that I don't have any receipts waiting for approval and that's because I went grocery shopping Monday and they got approved on Tuesday! So I am done for the week. But this is where you would see the amount of receipts waiting for approval. 

I've only had up to two receipts so far because I went to two different stores. The great thing is that you don't have to shop at any specific store. Choose your weapon...is it Costco, Wal*Mart, Giant Eagle, Heinens, Aldi's, Target? Or it is all of them? Doesn't matter, upload as many receipts as you want for that week. I always try to go grocery shopping then jump on the computer right away so that I don't forget and its done and out of the way. And the best news of all, it only takes a few minutes to complete! 

As you can see I've only been doing this for two weeks and have already racked up $3.50. It's not much, but for not doing very much work I know it'll add up quickly. So now I have my electronic money, how do I get my cold hard cash?? They've got a button for that!

After you rack up as least $20 you can cash out and get a check sent to you. Or you could keep racking up your money until you have even more available. Is this something you might want to explore? Why not try it? If you have some skills on the computer, even just a few, then you'll be absolutely fine with this website and endeavor.

Why does this website appeal to me? I do what any good wife does. I look through the coupon books and clip them nicely and organize them. I have them available while grocery shopping then eventually get tired of holding them or irritated as I drop them all over the place so they almost always end up in my pocket. And yes, you've guess it. I scan and pay for my items and walk right out of the store without using any of them despite all of my best efforts to save a little money here or there.  

Yes, I suppose you could use both the clipped coupons AND this website as well. But for those of us who are worthless coupon cutters at least we are getting something back for these purchases. I wanted to spend a few weeks using the system before I recommended it, but so far I am more than happy with it. Why not give it a try? 

Edamame Ed-ventures!

Now I'm a little ashamed to admit this, especially since I've been a vegetarian for 5 years now coming up in September. (Wow, I can't believe I've gone that long without bacon!) But I have never had edamame in the immature form. Sure I've had tofu and soy milk. But edamame is immature soybeans instead of mature, hard, and dry soybeans that are used to make soy milk and tofu. Walking through Costco I saw a large bag of organic edamame calling my name. So I bought the bag, brought it home, and opened it up not sure what exactly to expect. I boiled the edamame and drained them and found them looking quite similar to sugar snap peas. Now again remembering that I've never had them before I bit into one edamame pod and found it hard and fuzzy and gross. It was not until I reread the package that I found out I need to take the beans out of the pod.

After boiling the edamame pods I found that the beans slipped out very easily into my colander. So I spent a few minutes "de-beaning" the pods. Now I tried the edamame and found it quite delicious as I ate it as it was meant to be eaten! The beans looked awfully similar to lima beans, but have a harder texture than lima beans. They are just absolutely beautiful and look great in stir-frys, noodle-dishes, or just as a snack.

Now the real question comes into play...are they husband approved..?! 

Frozen, Yet Fresh

Wandering the grocery store aisles and you can find some interesting items. One of these items is Dorot, frozen herbs ready to use for cooking. I thought that this was one of the coolest ideas. I've also found herbs in a squeezable bottle which sort of grossed me out and I called into question the freshness of the product.

I wanted to try this but at the time I didnt want to spend the money on it. But recently I was able to come across some fresh parsley. I knew that there was no way that I would be able to eat all of the parsley by myself in the time before it went bad. So I decided to be a little creative in my own right. So I started by taking off the leaves and rinsing the parsley with a good fruit and veggie wash from Trader Joe's. After washing the fresh leaves I chopped them up as finely as I could with the knives I had available. I also chopped up fresh garlic and added some other herbs and coconut oil. You can see below what it looked like after I was done with it.

After I was done mixing it all together I got a clean ice cube tray and filled the spaces with the herb mixture to freeze it. I put it in the freezer to harden so that I could not only save it for later, but also maintain the nutritional quality of the herbs. Parsley is actually related to celery. It is high in Vitamin A, C, K, and Folate (which is imporant for a healthy pregnancy). The flavonoids in parsley also act as antioxidants. Antioxidant help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. 

I left the herbs in the freezer there for about 20 hours until it was solid and was easily removed. This is how they turned out! Nice little cubes that I am easily able to add to spaghetti or anything else in order to spice it up a little. Why not try to add a little spice to your life? Even if you don't have or can't have fresh herbs with your living situation, don't fret. You can definately take the fresh herbs from the store and do this so that they don't go bad.  I know that we have had plenty of herbs go bad sitting in our fridge. So save your money, time, and health with fresh herbs! 

CONTAINS SULFITES

Cheddar...
Mozzarella...
Gouda...
Fontina...

Sliced so delicately and arranged so beautifully, who of us can resist a good cheese plate? Choose your favorite and enjoy it as it melts away in your mouth. Couple this with good friends, laughter, and fine wine and you're set for a great Saturday night!

People look for many things when searching for wine...type, region, and vintage. But most people see and roll over the little adage on the back of the bottle..."CONTAINS SULFITES". I know that I never used to think about it or honestly, even know what it really even meant. But in among my thirst for knowledge I did some research on what sulfites really are.

According to the USDA National Organic Program, sulfites are a synthetic food additive.  Sulfites do occur naturally in the wine making process, but this post specifically deals with the addition of SYNTHETIC sulfites. Synthetic sulfites are added to wine during the wine making process. It is used as a mild antioxidant preservative and stabilizer. They are added to wine in the form of sulfur salts, S02 gas or sulfur dioxide solutions. Once added to wine these sulfites bind to other substances in the wine and then cannot be smelled or tasted. The sulfites that end up not binding with other substances in the wine are considered free and these can be smelled and tasted and can react with sinus tissues causing a reaction. There is some debate between whether this causes headaches, allergic reactions, or asthma issues. Either way some people have a bad reaction when drinking wine.

Sulfites are measured by parts per million or ppm. Organc wine contains under 10 ppm, "Made with Organic Grapes" contains about 150 ppm, and regular wine contains about 350 ppm. So you can see that the sulfite levels are drastically reduced in organic wine. The small amount of sulfites in organic wine are the ones that occur naturally and are therefore, not synthetic materials.

The price of Organic wine does not differ very much from regular wine. The bottles I have seen started at $10/bottle. Why not make the switch and see if it makes a difference in your life?

www.freywine.com

Vegetable Gardens

I live in an apartment. Most people understand the irritations that come from apartment living...nosy neighbors, cigarette smoke drifting into the doorway, and trying to find a place to wash your car. I could deal with all of these things if it wasn't for the worse of it all; the inability to have my own vegetable garden. Most young girls think of how they'll decorate their new house. What is the color scheme? What type of dishes should I buy to match the decor in the kitchen? How should I arrange the furniture? But not me. 

I don't remember much from my childhood. But one of my best childhood memories grew in a vegetable garden. I was young and innocent. It was a warm and sunny day; a great day to be outside away from the noise of the world on the television. I found myself lost in among the rows and rows of various vegetables and fruits. This was one of the largest gardens I've ever been in. It was Apa's garden. Apa is grandfather in Hungarian. He was a strong man at that time; different than today, stricken by the difficulties of age. Dark, thick hair hung in his face as the sweat beaded on his forehead from the hard work. He was always a strong man to me and ate like he was in the old country once again. With one fare swoop he could pick us up and we always felt safe. 

You could tell he was working hard as he dug into the ground further on in the garden. I knelt down by the rows of strawberries. My little knees left imprints in the dirt and I didn't mind because I was so enthralled by the strawberries. They were amazing in color; bright red and shining in the sunlight. Apa taught me how to pick them properly. He explained which ones were just right to harvest. It was my job to pick them and he moved on to other garden duties leaving me there. I was set on doing a good job because I knew all too well that homemade strawberry shortcake was imminent. My basket was only half full and even if I wanted to carry it back to the house I wouldn't be able. It was too heavy for me to carry, but I didn't worry I knew Apa would come to my rescue. To this day I've never seen strawberries such as those. They were as big as my fist and tasted sweeter than any dessert could. Now I know I was little at the time, but even for my parents and grandparents that sat around the table later that evening the size of the strawberries was still immense. I saw the intricate nature of the strawberry plant as I picked. It was hard work but I loved every minute of it. 

I wasn't sure what time it was or how long we'd been out there but I knew we were done when Apa turned around, wiped the sweat from his brow, and started heading toward me. He grabbed the basket and we headed toward the house. I ran all the way there to meet my grandma who was waiting for us. What was to follow was the best homemade strawberry shortcake you'd ever had. I remember my whole family was there. I didn't say much, but everyone else did. I was focused on the fruits of my labor formed in a decadent but delicate dessert. Despite that I also noticed the tomatoes in a round colorful bowl next to me. Apa had been working on the tomatoes that afternoon. I picked one up and held it in my hands. It took both hands to hold the tomato and even then it was larger and spilled over the sides of my fingers. These were tomatoes you only needed one slice for on a sandwich. I noticed the aroma of the tomato was strong and unmatched as I put it back in the bowl. That large bowl still only held about three or four tomatoes at a time. I don't know what his secrets were, but he must have brought them from the old country. He knew his way around a vegetable garden.

Nowadays the garden is overgrown and lost in among the weeds. Apa is too old now to work in the garden, but every time I drive down the driveway I see the garden in the distance and remember fondly the time spent there. And so...my love of vegetable gardens was planted and nurtured right there. I want to create my own memories but apartment living isn't conducive to a vegetable garden...at least not the one I have already planted in my mind..

Youbar: Fresh, Customized Nutrition Bars

I do a lot of thinking and I realized that I have spent countless hours in the granola bar aisle trying to choose the best option available. I can't get this one because of the HFCS, I can't get that one because of the preservatives, and that one won't work because of the lack of fiber or protein or whatnot. To most, granola bars are an item you may just grab off of the shelf and move on. But due to my education and need to know the products available out there I have studied them all. I was thrilled to find a website that some of you may have heard about...youbars.com. 

YouBar is a website where you can literally customized and create your own nutrition bars from scratch. 

Choose the base, protein powder, nuts & seeds, dried fruits and berries, sweeteners, seasonings like chocolate, grains & cereals, and infusions. I couldn't help but play on the webiste adding this and taking out that. 

The nutrition label conveniently placed on the side of the website changes as you add or take things away from your own bar. Besides adding ingredients you can determine the amount included in the bar from fewer, average, or extra of an ingredient. My bars shipped on Monday and just arrived today! I busted one open and had at it. It was so good! Soft, chewy, sweet, and healthy. What did I include in my bar? 

My bar included the following:

• Organic Dates (base)
• Whey Protein
• Dark Chocolate Chips
• Organic Quinoa
• Organic Agave Nectar
• Organic Coconut
• Blueberries
• Organic Chia Seeds
• Greens blend of green tea, spirulina, and chlorella
• That's it!!!

I have the option to reorder the same bars or try something different next time. And the best part? I can create the name of my granola bar. What did I name it? "A Taste for Change". I thought about it long and hard and I came up with this name quite simply. Nothing will change unless you take a chance, take a risk, take a taste. Changes are easier to make when they are small. So take a taste of healthy living, good nutrition, and overall well-being to make a difference in your life. Well, it made sense to me! So why not check them out to see if it's something you would want to try.

Experiment Details

A girl walked into a gas station. No it’s not the start of a joke, but what I did the other day. I felt awkward and lost as I made my way to the large refrigerators.  I found myself stopped in front of the rows and columns of pop in varying sizes, colors, and bottle shapes.  I had a mission so I stayed put trying to find just the right pop for my experiment. And as I stood there I felt like everyone in the entire gas station was staring at me. Most people would not think twice about a young girl in her twenties cruising the pop section. But as mentioned before I felt so awkward and lost. Pop is not something that hits the counters of our kitchen often unless we’re feeling sick and buy ginger ale. Even then, we buy the organic natural ginger ale from Giant Eagle. I was in a whole different world.

I was actually excited about the ban on pop that the City Board of Health in New York had proposed. Unfortunately it was recently denied by New York State’s highest court on June 26, 2014. This ban would prohibit the sale of pop in greater than 16 ounces quantities. I remember listening to this proposal on the radio a year ago as well as the influx of arguing that followed. People argued that it was a proposal against the freedom of Americans. They argued that people should know when to stop drinking pop and should be responsible for their own diet.  This is great advice for those who are able to say no, but what about those with disordered eating whether its binge eating, EDNOS, or a food obsessions?  But on the other hand, some, along with myself cheered the proposal as an effort to reduce the obesity epidemic. In the end it was a victory for the food industry when the proposal was denied. It was decided that the City Board of Health was exceeding its authority.

Pop is the largest consumed beverage in the United States currently. People drink 44.7 gallons a year individually. This amount is equal to 375 pounds a year. Is it any wonder that American’s waist line is larger than ever? It is great to learn, though, that compared to 2005 Americans drank 6.8 gallons less of pop a year and consumed 3 gallons more water. So we are on the road to recovery, which is great as we see the obesity epidemic climb. Positive things are coming out of little changes such as replacing pop with water. And maybe the prediction that the children alive today will not outlive their parents will be a thing of the past. I know as well as many others that we can never completely fix this world, but its great to see some type of positivity occurring. This reduction in pop is not because of a lack of trying by the food industry. I just recently heard a commercial for Coke on the radio. The advertising ploy this time, “Find your name on a Coke this summer!” Standing at Wal-Mart near the Coke display I saw two young girls frantically searching for their name. The laughter and fun enjoyed by these girls seemed somewhat odd to be had over a display of pop. But they did have a good time. And the food industry knows that it can connect good experiences with pop. So when you go to a baseball game, movie, carnival, or other places people search out pop because they have been conditioned quite brilliantly.

All of this led to my desire to conduct this experiment.  What happens to bones when emerged in pop compared to milk? What would be the outcome after a few weeks? Does pop consumption increase risk for osteopenia or even worse, full blown osteoporosis? What ingredients in each product created the final outcome? People have probably heard of this experiment before and if you have just let me have my fun. It was something that I wanted to really see for myself. Please follow up in a few weeks for the results of the experiment!

(Source: New York Times & Huffington Post)

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite

I just started reading "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Diet" by David A. Kessler, MD. I only read the Introduction and I'm hooked. More thoughts to follow. Why not check it out?

Homemade Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Many of you have probably seen the picture I posted on Instagram of the homemade whole wheat bread I made. Well, here it is, the recipe so many of you have been asking for. Now to be perfectly candid, I got this recipe from www.100daysofrealfood.com. I was searching for a healthier banana bread recipe in order to use up some bananas in my kitchen that were on its last leg. I was a little creative with this and added some things to it to make it my own. I'll list the recipe then add in my own additions afterward.

Homemade Whole Wheat Banana Bread:

Ingredients - 

2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 cup plain yogurt 

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil 

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions-

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease pan

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt

3. In a separate bowl combine the bananas with yogurt, honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla 

4. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until blended. But do not over mix. 

5. Pour batter into prepared pan.

6. Bake large loaf for 40-50 mins or until it comes out clean with a toothpick. 

Additions-

1. Instead of mashing the bananas to a purée consistency I left some small chunks in there. I've found that those chunks give the bread a more moist feel. Instead of bread flavored like banana there were actually chunks in it that have the bread a specific unique quality to it. You may be able to see the banana in the picture I posted with this entry. 

 2. Why not add walnuts either in or on top of the banana bread? Walnuts help decrease LDL (low density lipoproteins) which is your bad cholesterol and they contain between 375-500mg of potassium per 100 grams of walnuts. Potassium counteracts the effects of sodium and can help lower your blood pressure.

3. Use coconut oil instead of canola or olive oil. Canola and olive oil are the best traditional oils out there but coconut oil gives your bread added health benefits! Classified as a superfood coconut oil had many amazing benefits. Although once criticized and avoided like the plague the saturated fat in coconut is not dangerous. It is different than the saturated fat in steak or cheese since the saturated fat in coconut oil is a medium chain triglyceride. This type will not clog your arteries since these medium chain triglycerides are metabolized differently. These MCTs actually increase energy expenditure or calorie burn while keeping you fuller for longer therefore leading to weight loss. Coconut oil also can increase HDLs (high density lipoproteins) which is the good cholesterol in your body. Higher HDL means lower LDL. These are just some of the many health benefits of coconut oil. (Source: Authority Nutrition-An Evidence-Based Approach) I bought mine at bulkapothecary.com but you can find it in almost any grocery store. Sometimes you'll find the container says something like "76 degrees" that means that the coconut oil will solidify below 76 degrees. Just FYI. 

4. Just for something sweet before I baked the bread I added cinnamon on top of the bread. Spices are often forgotten or replaced by creams and sauces in various recipes. But spices have so many health benefits. Cinnamon for example, According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine cinnamon is used to treat muscle spasms, vomiting, diarrhea, infections, the common cold, loss of appetite, and erectile dysfunction. Tel Aviv University researchers discovered cinnamon may help prevent Alzheimer's. And a neurological scientist at Rush University Medical Center believes cinnamon can help stop the destructive process of MS. 

5. I also added along with the cinnamon a little bit of brown sugar for a nice sweet and crunchy top. This was purely for taste! 

I hope you all try and enjoy this recipe as much as my family has! I even took some to work. I left it there at 6am when I clocked out and by 9pm that same day when I went back in it was GONE! Go on, what are you waiting for? 

"Salt, Sugar, Fat" by Michael Moss

I began reading the book, "Salt, Sugar, Fat" by Michael Moss some time ago. I am still trucking along and finished the sections on sugar and fat. Now I start the final section on salt. It has taken me some time due to the science involved in the book as well as facts and studies included. A good read don't get me wrong, but not one that I am able to breeze through by any means imaginable. I came across information in the section devoted to fat in the foods we eat that actually made me stop reading, look up, and say outloud to no one in particular, "Wow, THAT explains it!" What am I referring to? Let me start from the beginning to establish context. As Michael Moss brings out in "Salt, Sugar, Fat" Aristotle was the first among the food scientists to begin exploring our ability to detect the flavors in the food we eat. The five categories of our official roster of primary tastes include the following: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and also umami which is a meaty, savory type of flavor. One might think that fat may be included in sweet but sweet classifies sugar content and fat would be part of an oily category. Fat or oily is not included in our five primary tastes because it cannot meet one important prerequisite. Scientists must understand how each taste interacts with our taste buds. Simple, right? Think again! All of those other five taste are picked up and detected in our tongue by specific receptors. Those receptors deliver that flavor or taste to the brain. No receptors have been found for fat or oily. I would start to feel bad for fat if it wasn't so tricky a thing! The section on sugar plainly explained that food companies find the "bliss point" of sugar in foods. That's the point where the food isn't too bland or too sweet. It's the point where it's just right (think of Goldilocks and the three bears) and it's here where consumption increases and where people find themselves returning for more. Too little sugar and too much turns consumers away but ahhh, once you find that bliss point it's smooth sailing from there. Unlike sugar, where too much of it in a product turns people away fat does not have a bliss point. So no matter how much fat a product contains the fat was so appealing to the brain people did not know when to stop eating. Our bodies want fat when we eat it it generates pleasure from the reward center of the brain. The book, "Fat Detection: Taste, Texture, and Post Ingestive Effects" brought out that the compulsion to overeat or overindulge fat products could be suppressed by the same drugs that doctors use to block and counter the effects of heroine. This was actually the earliest evidence suggesting the connection between obesity and drug addiction! Fat doesn't hit us hard like something with too muh sugar, it actually coats the tongue leaving these receptors less able to detect flavors. Wow, THAT explains it! My love as well as many other's love for fat, rich foods. (Fortunately I have found many great alternatives to what products line the shelves. Simple switches will be discussed in another post!) Americans consume so many products most high in sugar, salt, and fat but you have to take into consideration how our bodies work. In connection with fat our bodies are working against us. The brain connects fat with life. It makes sense, the more fat in food the more fuel there is available to use for energy or to store for later, like a time of famine. Thankfully but also unfortunately we live in a time when food is easy to come by. Fast, cheap, and convenient. But I'm not quite sure how "convenient" hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes are...just something to think about. 

Battling the "Who cares?" people of the world!

Why create a blog? Well as most of you know I went to school for Dietetic Technology. It's a step down from Registered Dietitian but depending on the job you care for patients/clients with their nutritional needs. But besides that education I have a real love of health, fitness, overall well being, and DEFINATELY I can't hide it...food! As I was posting my various thoughts on all of those subjects on Instagram I decided that I didn't want to start inviting those people in the world who are "Who cares?" type of people. The people who judge you based on your views, actions, and of course, their own insecurities. If they are putting you down then you won't be putting them down. And they create a sense of power gained and will hold onto for as long as possible. So I wanted a safe zone to write about whatever I wanted to...Research, food and nutrition experiments, and overall random thoughts on overall well being since most of these topics are debatable and could cause upset if discussed long enough. But this blog is just me and myself, so those who wish to can read what I post and I can be free to express myself. I hope you all enjoy! If there is anything you specifically want me to talk about just drop me a line. A few of the things I want to post on are the following: effects of milk and pop on bones, processed foods, alternatives to restaurant foods, gardening, organic vs. nonorganic food, losing weight, spices, sodium, specific health problems, emotional health, etc. These are just some of what you can expect!