Your Brain on Sugar

Excerpt from a Marie Clare article by Joanne Chen published 6/19

Is sugar worse for you than, say, cocaine? According to a 2012 article in the journal Nature, it's a toxic substance that should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol.

Researchers point to studies that show that too much sugar (both in the form of natural sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup) not only makes us fat, it also wreaks havoc on our liver, mucks up our metabolism, impairs brain function, and may leave us susceptible to heart disease, diabetes, even cancer.

80 percent of our food choices contain sugar. When tasting sugar, the brain lights up in the same regions as it would in an alcoholic with a bottle of gin. Dopamine—the so-called reward chemical—spikes and reinforces the desire to have more. (Sugar also fuels the calming hormone serotonin.)

Here, the most common sugar-induced issues. Click on the article to read more and get a handle on  how to beat them to prevent long-term damage—and feel your best right now.

STRESS EATING 

INEXPLICABLE WEIGHT GAIN

BRAIN FOG

AGING SKIN

A SLUGGISH WORKOUT

A pleasant meal setting may make you eat less

Excerpts from a Miami Herald article published 9/18/12 written by Sheah Rarback 

In the past Brian Wansink Cornell University researcher has done research to find the following:

• Bigger portions lead to greater consumption
• Visual cues stimulate food intake
• Drinking fine wine with food increases satisfaction with the entire meal.

The focus of his latest research was the impact of white tablecloths and mood lighting on diners at fast-food restaurants, and the results were surprising.

Diners in a higher-end environment take more time to eat, as expected, but, surprisingly, ate less. They left more food on their plates, consuming an average of 133 fewer calories. 

These were not the expected results. Usually, a slower meal translates to more calories. Interviews with the diners indicated that as they slowly ate, the food tended to lose its appeal and they stopped eating. 

Sheah Rarback is a registered dietitian on the faculty of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/18/3008482/a-pleasant-meal-setting-may-make.html#storylink=cpy

Eat your fruits & veggies

Excerpts from an 9/18/12 LA Times article written by Mary Macvean published in the Miami Herald. 

 

Adding more produce to your diet helps post-menopausal women lose weight in the long run, study finds

Some new research tried to figure out what might help post-menopausal women achieve long-term weight loss. And it turns out that adding produce to their diet didn’t show up as especially helpful in the short term, but in the long term it mattered.

Some behaviors are hard to maintain forever, and adding produce might be easier than avoiding all fried foods for the long haul.

Bethany Barone Gibbs, the lead investigator, said “Eating fruits and vegetables may not make as big a difference in your caloric intake. But that small change can build up and give you a better long-term result, because it’s not as hard to do as giving up French fries forever.”

The study, published last week in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, looked at overweight post-menopausal women.

Barone Gibbs, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh department of health and physical activity, said several factors work against long-term weight loss.

“Not only does motivation decrease after you start losing weight, there are physiological changes, including a decreased resting metabolic rate. Appetite-related hormones increase. Researchers studying the brain are now finding that you have enhanced rewards and increased motivation to eat when you’ve lost weight,” she says.

“If the goal is to decrease the burden of obesity, the focus must be on long-term strategies because changes in eating behaviors only associated with short-term weight loss are likely ineffective and/or not sustainable,”researchers wrote.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/18/3008472/eat-your-fruits-veggies.html#storylink=cpy

Uniq Fruit - things to know

Uniq Fruit on the tree in Jamaica

Buying a Uniq Fruit is easy. The loose, bumpy and somewhat mottled coloring skin is thick which has got to help keep the inside juicy with a great citrusy taste. The fruit is picked ready to eat, so no need to leave it out on the counter like other tropicals. Left out on the counter, it will stay ready-to-eat for up to 12 days. In the refrigerator, quite a bit longer. I've kept Uniq Fruit up to a month in my veggie drawer in the frig.


This fruit is great as an ingredient in salads. If you use it like a grapefruit, you may find yourself no longer buying grapefruit. Uniq Fruit's hint of tangerine makes it the favorite.


Considered an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber, Uniq Fruit contains fewer than 40 calories, about the same as grapefruit.

Gluten-Free Caribbean Red Papaya-Coconut-Pecan Bread

Easy to make, this bread isn’t too sweet to serve beside the meal but is sweet enough to bring in as dessert. It has a crumbly texture, like a light banana bread.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups Caribbean Red papaya, puréed or mashed (approximately 1/2 a papaya)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350°.

- Grease 9" x 5" loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans.

- With an electric mixer, cream together oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl.

- Add next 6 ingredients, then add the papaya.

- Beat until smooth. Stir in coconut and pecans.

- Pour into loaf pan(s).

- Bake 1 hour if using full-size loaf pan or 45 minutes if using mini pans.*

Serves: 9-12

Prep time: 30 minutes (excluding baking and cooling time)

Gluten-Free Papaya Mini Cakes

This recipe originates from France, where these mini-cakes are called financiers because the rectangular tins they are baked in make them resemble bars of gold. These mini-cakes are baked round with papaya providing the look of gold.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 egg whites, at room temperature

1/3 cup almond meal

1/4 cup corn flour

1/4 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

36 small pieces Caribbean Red papaya, about 1 cup

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 325°. 

- Line muffin pans with cupcake liners or coat with nonstick spray.

- Melt the butter over low heat and then cool. 

- In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Stop short of making soft peaks. 

- In a food processor, combine the almond meal, corn flour, shredded coconut and sugar.

- Pulse until texture is fine.

- Fold the almond mixture into the egg whites. Drizzle the melted butter over the entire mixture and stir. 

- Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and put into the oven. 

- After 20 minutes, top each with 3 pieces of papaya. 

- Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

- Serve at room temperature. Can be stored in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Makes: 12 muffin-sized cakes

Prep time: 30 minutes (excluding baking and cooling time)

Gluten-Free Caribbean Red Papaya Muffins

With the texture and look of carrot cake, these muffins deliver a sweet taste without a lot of sugar. Everyone serves blueberry and corn muffins, so why not Caribbean Red papaya muffins?

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups Caribbean Red papaya, mashed or puréed


Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350˚.  
- Line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl scramble egg then add butter, vanilla and sugar. Mix with an electric mixer on medium until smooth.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Add the papaya and mix completely.
- Bake full-size muffins for 20 minutes and mini muffins for 10 minutes.

Makes: 1 dozen full-size muffins, 2 1/2 dozen mini muffins

Prep time: 30 minutes (excluding baking time)

Gluten-Free Caribbean Red Cookies

These cookies join the ranks of gingersnaps – not too sweet but still hard to resist. Don’t let the number of different flours put you off. I’ve baked it several times with fewer flours (just using more of the other flours to equal the total amount).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Caribbean Red papaya, mashed into a purée
1/2 cup light olive oil
3 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp almond milk
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
2 1/3 cups gluten-free flour OR 1 cup sorghum flour, 1/3 cup gluten-free cornmeal, 1/3 cup buckwheat flour and 1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
- Combine the first four ingredients. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the rolled oats and all the flours together.
- Combine all remaining ingredients except the eggs and pecans.
- Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Add pecans.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350˚.
- Form 1" balls from the dough and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Let cool for 5 minutes. Using a spatula, loosen cookies and move to a wire rack to cool.

Makes: 24 cookies

Prep time: 45 minutes (excluding baking and cooling time)

Gluten-Free Papaya Spice Cake

Spice cake has a downright cozy taste. If there’s fruit in a spice cake, odds are good that it’s apple, and it makes you think of sitting in front of a fireplace. The fireplace becomes a beach when the fruit in spice cake is Caribbean Red papaya. Although Caribbean Reds provide a different taste sensation, this fruit can also be the catalyst for relaxing thoughts.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almonds
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup light olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 cups Caribbean Red papaya, cut up and mashed into purée
2 tsp vanilla


Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350˚. Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with greased parchment paper.
- Using a food processor, pulse the almonds into a fine meal. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
- To the almond meal add the rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and sea salt.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the remaining wet ingredients. Beat well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the larger bowl’s dry ingredients. Whisk until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 33 to 35 minutes, until done.
- Cool the cake before frosting.

Lime-Nutmeg Icing

The sweetness of Caribbean Reds in the cake creates a sharp contrast with the lime icing. It’s a sweet-tart treat.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp vanilla
3 dashes nutmeg

Directions:
- Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth and glossy.
- Frost the cooled cake.
- Chill for 30 minutes in the freezer before slicing.

Serves: 15

Prep time: 30 minutes (excluding baking and cooling time)

Gluten free, naturally sweetened Caribbean Red papaya recipes

Caribbean Red spice cake

Caribbean Red cookies

Caribbean Red mini cakes

Caribbean Red papaya-coconut pecan bread

Caribbean Red papaya muffins

Relish, not just about pickles

Sweet Heat - what makes it hot

Adding the heat to the Caribbean Red papayas was an assortment of peppers and chilies.


The sriracha used in the Curried Chicken and Papaya Salad is potent with only 1/2 teaspoon giving the pronounced jolt of heat. It's a Thai hot sauce made of a paste of chili peppers, vinegar and garlic. In Thailand, sriracha is popular as a dipping sauce for seafood, topping for sushi rolls and glaze for chicken wings. It may not be at your local grocer's. Besides an Asian market, you'll find this at Whole Foods.


Bird's eye chili (or bird chili) is a dried pepper used as a spice to deliver fiery zing in Filipino, Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese cuisine. It measures around 50,000-1000,000 Scoville units which is in the lower range of the hotter habanero chili. It got its name because birds like to eat it. This chili is popular in marinades and sauces for meats, poultry and seafoods. It may not be at your local grocer's. Besides an Asian market, you'll find this at Whole Foods. 


For the heat in the Frozen Papaya Coconut-Rum Cocktail and the Chilled Papaya-Watermellon soup, I used habanero peppers. In Central American, pureed or in a salsa, this pepper accompanies most dishes served at meals.


For my friends who are the milder sort, I used hot cherry peppers for chili in the Frozen Papaya Coconut-Rum cocktail. These peppers have one of the lowest Scoville scale rating of any chili pepper. These peppers are juicy and a bit sweet. Rumor has it, these peppers are the secret ingredient in authentic Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches where they are sliced, grilled or sauteed with thinly sliced meat. 

Summer Caribbean Red Spring Rolls

I’m new to the rice wrapper; I was somewhat intimidated, but no more. It’s a great way to ‘wrap’ things, particularly delicious things up.

Ingredients

1 cup Caribbean Red papaya (approximately 50% color with the fruit giving to a gentle squeeze.)

1 cup cucumber

½ cup baby carrots

1 tsp basil or mint

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp ginger

1 tbs rice vinegar

½ tsp bird's eye chili or other dried pepper

6 long strands of chive (optional)

6 rice wrappers

Directions

·      Thinly chop papaya, cucumber and carrots. You’ll want to chop pieces so none is larger than ½” on any dimension.

·      Finely chop fresh basil or fresh mint and combine with the produce in a large bowl.

·      In a medium bowl, combine fish sauce, grated ginger, rice vinegar and finely diced dried bird chili pepper.  

·      Moisten rice wrappers until pliable. Add filling, drizzle with sauce and roll up. Tie with strands of chive. 

·      Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

           

Serves 4

Prep time: 30 minutes


For information about chilies and peppers used in Sweet Heat recipes

Curried Chicken & Caribbean Red Papaya Salad

After years of lifelessly boring deli chicken salad, it’s time to take this salad on a different direction. The change agent being sriracha, a Thai hot sauce typically seasoned with garlic, vinegar, sugar and spices. No one will ever again say chicken salad is boring.


Ingredients

2 tbs mayonnaise

2 tbs plain greek yogurt

1 tsp lime juice

½ tsp curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

½ tsp Sriracha

1 cup shredded or cubed cooked chicken

1 cup Caribbean Red papaya (approximately 50% color with the fruit giving to a gentle squeeze.)

2 cups your choice lettuce

Directions

·      Mix together mayonaise, plain greek yogurt, lime juice, curry powder, salt, pepper and Sriracha.

·      Combine this dressing with leftover shredded or cubed cooked chicken and semi-ripe papaya chunks. Serve on a bed of greens.

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

For information about chilies and peppers used in Sweet Heat recipes

Chilled Caribbean Red Papaya-Watermelon Soup

Combining my two favorite summer fruits is a no-brainer; it’s the addition of habanero pepper that defines the genius behind ‘sweet-heat’. Whatever the stove’s heat could’ve added to the taste is instead sublimely provided by the habanero pepper’s flavor acting as a catalyst in the midst of summer’s fruit.

 

Ingredients

1 cup Caribbean Red papaya, diced

1 cup watermelon, diced

½ cup coconut water

2 tbs lime juice

dash of salt

½ tsp cilantro

½ tsp finely diced habanero pepper (optional – for sweet-heat!)

Directions

·      In a blender or food processor, combine papaya, watermelon, coconut water, lime juice, salt and cilantro.

·      For a sweet-heat addition, process in finely diced fresh habanero pepper.

·      Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with cilantro.

Serves: 2

Prep time: 15 minutes


For information about chilies and peppers used in Sweet Heat recipes

Frozen Caribbean Red Papaya Coconut-Rum Cocktail

Adding Caribbean Red papaya to your choice of coconut milk* or rum makes the summer’s heat is not that bad. But adding a hot chili pepper to take the edge off the sweltering temperature is mind-boggling. After the first sip, it all makes sense. Now that’s sweet heat!

Ingredients

½ cup Caribbean Red papaya, chopped

1 tbs pineapple juice

1 oz. coconut milk or spiced rum

½ cup ice

½ tsp finely mined dried hot chili pepper

dash nutmeg

Directions

·      In a blender, process ripe papaya, thinned with a little pineapple juice, spiked with coconut or spiced rum and ice.

·      To make it a sweet-heat cocktail, add just a small amount of finely minced, dried hot chili pepper, like a bird chili or something similar.

·      Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Serves: 1

Prep time: 10 minutes

*This also makes a terrific tropical Shirley Temple.


For information about chili peppers used in Sweet Heat with Caribbean Red papayas

Sweet Heat with Caribbean Red Papayas

Recipes for 

Papaya Coconut-Rum Cocktail

Curried Chicken and Papaya Salad

Summer Spring Rolls

Chilled Papaya-Watermelon Soup

Information about the chilies and peppers used in recipes

Plantains

It's easy to get off on the wrong foot with plantains, or platanos. They're often sold in grocery stores next to their cousins - bananas - as they bear the close resemblance you'd expect from relatives. But even though they look like bananas, they don't act like them, and they'll let you down if you fail to understand their unique character.


For starters, they must be eaten cooked. Never raw. They're prized in Latino cultures not as quick fruit snacks, but for their versatility, their starchy, potato-like qualities, and their longevity on the kitchen counter. As plantains slowly ripen, they go through major personality changes. When hard and green, they're traditionally sliced and fried for tostones, or chips. As plantains turn yellow-brown, they can be cut into strips or chunks and pan- fried, or added to soups and stews. And when black and smelling faintly like banana, they become semi-sweet (but never as sweet as bananas) and can be baked whole or in halves like potatoes, boiled and mashed with garlic or sauce, or grilled.


Once they turn black, cook plantains within a few days. When you're in a hurry, cut the ends from yellow-brown or black plantains, cut into 2-inch chunks, put in a microwaveable dish, and add water to a depth of about ½ inch. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until creamy and evenly softened. Then peel, mash, and season as you wish. Plantains are tricky to peel before they're dead ripe and black. When they're green or yellow, rinse and slice off the tips, cut into about four sections, slit the tough peel lengthwise, and remove the peel in strips, pulling up and across rather than straight along the length.


The skins can be amazingly stubborn, so attack with a knife and cut them away if need be. Or, add unpeeled chunks of yellow-brown or black plantains to water, soup, or stew, simmer for at least 20 minutes, lift out the chunks, peel, and return them to the pot. How do you prepare plantains?
Kale and Plantain Soup
Serves 4-6
This hearty soup comes together quickly, making it a good choice for a weeknight supper. Substitute spinach or Swiss chard if you wish, and add beans for an extra protein boost.

Ingredients
1 pound kale
2 large yellow-brown plantains
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 jalapeno chilies, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
2 tablespoons peeled, diced ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 quarts chicken stock
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparations
Strip the kale stems from the leaves and cut the leaves into ¼-inch strips.
Remove the tips from the plantains, cut them into 2-inch chunks, slit the peel lengthwise and remove it in strips. Then cut the chunks in half lengthwise and cut into slices.
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
Add the chilies, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
Add the kale and salt, cover, and cook, stirring several times, until the kale wilts, about 10 minutes.
Add the plantains and broth, bring just to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the plantains are tender.
Serve hot, garnished with scallions.

Recipe courtesy of the Latino Nutrition Coalition

Grilled Plantains with Molasses-Citrus Glaze
Serves 4-6
Use plantains that are black, and almost rotten looking, to experience the peak of their sweetness. Serve with chicken, seafood, or pork, or as a dessert.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons molasses
Juice of 3 oranges
4 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons dark rum
6 very ripe plantains (about 2 pounds)

Preparation
Make the glaze: Combine the molasses, orange and lime juice, and rum in a small bowl. Do not peel the plantains. Slice them in half lengthwise. (The skin will serve as protection and allow the interior to cook through before the exterior scorches.)
Over a medium fire, place the plantains face down on the grill and cook for 2 minutes, or until the surface is well browned. Turn and cook them face up for another minute. Remove the plantains from the grill and either paint or spoon the sauce over them. Serve immediately.

Recipe from The Thrill of the Grill by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby (William Morrow and Company).

Healthy Starfruit deviled eggs

It's time to get the deviled egg plate out of the back of the cabinet, eggs are off the 'bad' list* with a little help from starfruit which makes great deviled eggs without any additional fat.
Rather than making 24 deviled eggs (1 dozen cut in half) out of the same recipe, I had some fun and mixed it up. I used starfruit in each but changed the herbs featured in each. So the recipes are for one egg each and are approximate. As you can tell by the photo, dill, oregano and mint were used.

Ingredients per hard boiled egg
1/4 teaspoon greek yogurt (with a pinch of sugar to taste)
1/4 teaspoon starfruit, chopped finely (drain if you like deviled eggs chunky)

for Starfruit oregano deviled eggs
add a pinch of fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard

for Starfruit mint deviled eggs
add a squirt of Worchester sauce
add a pinch of fresh chopped mint

for Starfruit dill deviled eggs
add a pinch of fresh dill
add a squirt of lime juice

Directions
For all the eggs you are 'deviling', add the yogurt and starfruit.
Mix other ingredients as you desire.

*unless you have heart disease or high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, doctors say you can safely eat one whole egg per day. Check with your doctor to see if eggs are still on your 'bad' list

Starfruit Thai salad

Unique and tantalizing Thai salad is easy to make. The starfruit, cucumber, spring onions and sensuous dressing make it a luxurious treat for dinner or potluck. Adding chicken brings the salad into entrée status.

Ingredients
Salad
1 cup chopped chicken breasts
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, lightly chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, lightly chopped
3 spring onions, chopped
1 starfruit, sliced into stars

Dressing
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime
1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions
Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Just before serving, toss dressing and salad together.
Serves 4 as a salad or 2 for dinner