one man's ceiling
Thursday, February 22, 2007
the alcohol metabolism thing
having given up pasta for lent inspired my zuska to give up her much-loved wine for the next 39 days or so. she posted about it here. she mentions that i had long suggested that eliminating alcohol would help in her quest to lose weight as it effects metabolism.
in the comments one of her faithful readers demanded, nay SHOUTED at me to site my sources. it's funny, because you accumulate knowledge over a long period of time and you just get to the point where you accept your knowledge as fact. then one day someone says "oh yeah? prove it, pasta boy!" and then you think hmm, where did i hear that? was it someplace credible, or did some homeless guy on the street shout that at me one day and it just lodged itself into the fact-y part of my gray matter?
this was one of those times where i love the internet.
after a few minutes of searching (something that could have been done in the time it takes to SCREAM AT ME to cite sources) i accumulated the following quick response (if you've zoomed over to zuska's site, or read it already, you can skip ahead):
the two primary points (i don't know which came first) were dr. dean ornish's and dr. andrew weil's work. ornish is a physician whose worked at the preventative research institute where he pioneered a study where people lost weight and reversed the effects of heart disease simply by changing their diet. dr. weil is a harvard educated physician who has been espousing the effects of spontaneous healing of a variety of minor and chronic ailments through the uses of alternative medicines, natural remedies and dietary changes as well. ornish initially may have alerted me to the idea that food isn't the enemy, and weil finally broke down my resistance to eastern and alternative medicines.
i hate to take such defensive stances on things, or beat them into the ground, but i was forced. had one harmless error not shouted at me i would never have been compelled to go digging. and as a former twenty-something know-it-all i can remember just how resistant i was to ideas that shattered the very foundations of my long-held (occasionally hyper-ignorant) beliefs. my current stance on such things is to let them brush past with a knowing laugh, but once i get shouted at, well, the gloves come off.
having given up pasta for lent inspired my zuska to give up her much-loved wine for the next 39 days or so. she posted about it here. she mentions that i had long suggested that eliminating alcohol would help in her quest to lose weight as it effects metabolism.
in the comments one of her faithful readers demanded, nay SHOUTED at me to site my sources. it's funny, because you accumulate knowledge over a long period of time and you just get to the point where you accept your knowledge as fact. then one day someone says "oh yeah? prove it, pasta boy!" and then you think hmm, where did i hear that? was it someplace credible, or did some homeless guy on the street shout that at me one day and it just lodged itself into the fact-y part of my gray matter?
this was one of those times where i love the internet.
after a few minutes of searching (something that could have been done in the time it takes to SCREAM AT ME to cite sources) i accumulated the following quick response (if you've zoomed over to zuska's site, or read it already, you can skip ahead):
two general problems with alcohol: it provides empty calories (they have no nutritional benefit) that the body cannot convert into energy and it weakens the liver which is the primary organ for dealing with fat metabolism. in addition, alcohol is full of sugars, stimulates the appetite, and prevents the body from recognizing when it has been sated, especially by fats, allowing for an over-stimulated appetite and excess eating.looking over the various sources i can safely say
all things you'd want to avoid if you were trying to lose weight.
general stuff here on diets and alcohol
www.jrussellshealth.com/alcwt.html
i find dr. weil fairly credible
www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA360805
here the point is that while alcohol itself doesn't add to weight increase in and of itself, the addition of alcohol to a person trying to lose weight is negatively impacted
alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa35.htm
yes, it's thin on supporting documentation, but consistent WITH WHAT MY DOCTOR ONCE TOLD ME
www.bodytrends.com/articles/diet/performnut.asp
here we get a report that says alcohol increases metabolism, but in doing so slows down the ability to burn off fat
www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/alcohol.htm
more of the same
www.drgillianmckeith.com/nutrition-weightloss.php
what i have found is that nay-sayers tend to suggest that alcohol in moderation is fine, and there are those studies showing the medicinal benefits of red wine, but the fact remains that alcohol has more going against it than for it in a person looking to modify their diet and or weight. zuska gets more benefit out of the cup of red grapes i put in her morning smoothie than she would in a glass of wine at the end of the day -- nutritional benefits of the grapes, medicinal from the skin, and lower in calories.
is this enough documentation?
the two primary points (i don't know which came first) were dr. dean ornish's and dr. andrew weil's work. ornish is a physician whose worked at the preventative research institute where he pioneered a study where people lost weight and reversed the effects of heart disease simply by changing their diet. dr. weil is a harvard educated physician who has been espousing the effects of spontaneous healing of a variety of minor and chronic ailments through the uses of alternative medicines, natural remedies and dietary changes as well. ornish initially may have alerted me to the idea that food isn't the enemy, and weil finally broke down my resistance to eastern and alternative medicines.i hate to take such defensive stances on things, or beat them into the ground, but i was forced. had one harmless error not shouted at me i would never have been compelled to go digging. and as a former twenty-something know-it-all i can remember just how resistant i was to ideas that shattered the very foundations of my long-held (occasionally hyper-ignorant) beliefs. my current stance on such things is to let them brush past with a knowing laugh, but once i get shouted at, well, the gloves come off.
Labels: alcohol, andrew weil, blog comments, dean ornish, diet, weight, zuska
¶ Thursday, February 22, 2007 6 comments
Saturday, January 20, 2007
the spinach mushroom lasagna thing (and a zuska secret)
i already mentioned the mushroom-spinach lasagna thing in the previous post which prompted the call to make it again. the recipe below is what i just finished making; it's never the same recipe twice, and its adaptability is what makes it good.
first, it has no noodles in it. my substitution is eggplant, but it can be made simply by layering ingredients like a lasagna. then i guess you can call it a casserole. if you'd prefer a layer of zucchini it would work just as fine, as would the elimination of that layer altogether.
also, this time it was made with sweet pork sausage. i recognize this eating of meat thing may offend some but the carnivores of the house would just as easily eat my flesh if i forced vegetarianism on them so i just roll with it. the dish originally is totally meatless and i've included adjustments if you're eating meat free.
it isn't vegan because it requires cheese. yes, requires. cheese. what donuts are to homer simpson, cheese is to various occupants here at chez frommage.
also, this takes a bit of prep time. almost two hours before i tossed it into the oven, then another 30 to bake. good if you've got the rest of the fam doing something else (and this would be the previously hinted at secret) like playing video games. yes, while i was sauteing and slicing and whatnot my lovely zuska was sitting on the floor in front of the tv playing with my prehistoric playstation. you'll notice there's no number following the word playstation because the original unit had no number. yes, we're in the 20th century gaming stone age here, and it's a marvel that we've kept the game locked up and away from the girls for this long.
so zuska slipped easily into her gaming childhood playing spyro while i was in the kitchen making...
eggplant-spinach-mushroom lasagna
place olive oil in large skillet and heat to medium
add sausage meat and cook, flattening and crumbing until mostly done, about 7 to 10 minutes (obviously you skip this if you aren't using meat)
add chopped onion and mix until soft, another 3 to 5 minutes
add the mushrooms and mix again
add basil and oregano and salt, mix, and lower heat to medium low and let sit
meanwhile...
to prepare the spinach mixture:
heat butter to a large saucepan on medium until melted
add garlic and saute until fragrant, not too long
toss in the spinach and mix. if the spinach is still a bit frozen (or even all the way) don't worry, it'll still work.
mix occasionally and let the water cook out
meanwhile...
to prepare the eggplant:
fill a large bowl with cold, salty water
slice the peeled eggplant extra thin using a mandoline
put the slices into the water to leech out any bitterness, about 10 minutes or so
remove from the mater and pat dry
finally...
to assemble the lasagna/casserole:
preheat the oven to 375 degrees
drop a half cup of marinara into the bottom of a 9x12 pan.
note: if you have a real lasagna pan that at least 3 inches deep, great, otherwise get out a 9x9 square pan and make a second, smaller dish as you go (this usually ends up in the freezer and eaten the following weekend as a lunch or an emergency meal)
separate the eggplant slices into thirds and line the bottom of the pan(s) with a layer of eggplant
take one third of the tofu and crumble onto the eggplant (this replaces the usual ricotta, with few people ever knowing the difference, which cuts the dairy fat and adds some healthy protein)
sprinkle one fourth of the mozzarella cheese atop the tofu
next layer is one third of the mushroom (and sausage) mixture followed by
one third of the spinach mixture
top with another half cup of marinara and do it again
after the third layer top with marinara, then mozzarella, the the parm
into the oven for 30 minutes, let sit for a couple after it's out, serve to loved ones
i already mentioned the mushroom-spinach lasagna thing in the previous post which prompted the call to make it again. the recipe below is what i just finished making; it's never the same recipe twice, and its adaptability is what makes it good.
first, it has no noodles in it. my substitution is eggplant, but it can be made simply by layering ingredients like a lasagna. then i guess you can call it a casserole. if you'd prefer a layer of zucchini it would work just as fine, as would the elimination of that layer altogether.
also, this time it was made with sweet pork sausage. i recognize this eating of meat thing may offend some but the carnivores of the house would just as easily eat my flesh if i forced vegetarianism on them so i just roll with it. the dish originally is totally meatless and i've included adjustments if you're eating meat free.
it isn't vegan because it requires cheese. yes, requires. cheese. what donuts are to homer simpson, cheese is to various occupants here at chez frommage.
also, this takes a bit of prep time. almost two hours before i tossed it into the oven, then another 30 to bake. good if you've got the rest of the fam doing something else (and this would be the previously hinted at secret) like playing video games. yes, while i was sauteing and slicing and whatnot my lovely zuska was sitting on the floor in front of the tv playing with my prehistoric playstation. you'll notice there's no number following the word playstation because the original unit had no number. yes, we're in the 20th century gaming stone age here, and it's a marvel that we've kept the game locked up and away from the girls for this long.
so zuska slipped easily into her gaming childhood playing spyro while i was in the kitchen making...
eggplant-spinach-mushroom lasagna
- 1 pound sweet pork sausage, removed from its casing
- 1.5 pounds mushrooms, sliced (2.25 lbs. if you're skipping the meat)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 packages frozen spinach, about 2 lbs, thawed to room temperature
- 5 cloves of garlic, run through a press
- 2 medium sized eggplants, peeled
- 2x 26 oz cans marinara
- 1.5 pounds skim mozzarella, shredded
- 0.5 cups grated parmesan cheese
- 1 pound firm tofu, rinsed and pressed of extra moisture
place olive oil in large skillet and heat to medium
add sausage meat and cook, flattening and crumbing until mostly done, about 7 to 10 minutes (obviously you skip this if you aren't using meat)
add chopped onion and mix until soft, another 3 to 5 minutes
add the mushrooms and mix again
add basil and oregano and salt, mix, and lower heat to medium low and let sit
meanwhile...
to prepare the spinach mixture:
heat butter to a large saucepan on medium until melted
add garlic and saute until fragrant, not too long
toss in the spinach and mix. if the spinach is still a bit frozen (or even all the way) don't worry, it'll still work.
mix occasionally and let the water cook out
meanwhile...
to prepare the eggplant:
fill a large bowl with cold, salty water
slice the peeled eggplant extra thin using a mandoline
put the slices into the water to leech out any bitterness, about 10 minutes or so
remove from the mater and pat dry
finally...
to assemble the lasagna/casserole:
preheat the oven to 375 degrees
drop a half cup of marinara into the bottom of a 9x12 pan.
note: if you have a real lasagna pan that at least 3 inches deep, great, otherwise get out a 9x9 square pan and make a second, smaller dish as you go (this usually ends up in the freezer and eaten the following weekend as a lunch or an emergency meal)
separate the eggplant slices into thirds and line the bottom of the pan(s) with a layer of eggplant
take one third of the tofu and crumble onto the eggplant (this replaces the usual ricotta, with few people ever knowing the difference, which cuts the dairy fat and adds some healthy protein)
sprinkle one fourth of the mozzarella cheese atop the tofu
next layer is one third of the mushroom (and sausage) mixture followed by
one third of the spinach mixture
top with another half cup of marinara and do it again
after the third layer top with marinara, then mozzarella, the the parm
into the oven for 30 minutes, let sit for a couple after it's out, serve to loved ones
Labels: eggplant, lasagna, mushroom, playstation, spinach, spyro, zuska
¶ Saturday, January 20, 2007 1 comments
