‘”Healthy” Whole Grains’
I was reading a super piece on Free The Animal about "healthy" whole grains and rather than try to peck around and re-write what and link I am simply going to post it in the entirety. HERE it is!
Scallops!
Crabs to Go on Rt50/589 has had killer seafood selection this Summer. The local Scallops have been off the hook so we have played with a bunch of cool recipes. Give this one a shot!
· 1 lb. sea scallops
· 2 Tbsp olive oil
· 1 C chopped onion
· 1 C sliced mushrooms
· 2 cloves minced garlic
· 1 C chopped tomatoes
· 1/4 C chopped parsley
· 2 Tbsp lemon juice
· Oregano
· Pepper
· 1 hard boiled egg, chopped
· 2 Tbsp pine nuts
In a large saucepan, heat the scallops in 1 Tbsp of olive oil until opaque, around 5 minutes. Transfer the scallops and liquid to a bowl and set aside. Rinse and dry the pan.
Now, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in the pan, this time, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-5 min more, then add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the tomato, lemon juice, chopped parsley, oregano, and pepper. Boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the scallops and liquid, and bring to a boil. Serve into bowls, top with the chopped hard boiled egg and pine nuts.
Water
We have worked hard to rid our lives of as much plastic as possible. We have finally gotten rid of all of the plastic in the gym!
Recipe
I don't get bored with my food, but I amd hearing folks say they are. GOOGLE! If I have Grouper and am not sure what I want to do I will often simply Google "grouper" if the ingredients are not Paleo I will make substitutions, often times they are simple. Another great source is EVERYDAY PALEO. A wonderful resource! I made this the other night and it was GOOD!
Spice Rub Crock Pot Chicken
1 5-6 lb free range organic chicken - giblets removed, rinsed, and patted dry with paper towels
1 white onion sliced
1 tsp sea salt (optional)
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
Cover the bottom of the crock pot with the sliced onions. Mix all spices in a small bowl and then rub the spice mixture all over the whole chicken. Place the spiced chicken on top of the onions in the crock pot, cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours (depending on your crock pot). No need for any liquid, the chicken will cook in it’s own juices. Make sure you spoon the onions and a little bit of the juices over the chicken when you serve it. I served my chicken with our favorite brussel sprouts, steamed for 5 minutes and then sauteed with a little olive oil, dried dill, garlic powder, and pepper.
Yay Shel!
Shelly is a worker, but her nutrition was very up and down. She buckeled down for The Whole30 and food has become much better for her.
Working with Whole9, food becomes less of a chore and it is simple. EAT REAL FOOD while avoiding bread, sugar, flour wheat. The ineviatble question becomes what to eat.
Chicken, pork, fish, shrimp, beef, turkey, vegetables, most nuts, some fruits.
GREAT Info!
The Grain Manifesto
There is some great information out there about grains. The folks at The Whole 9 put up a great piece that really covers all the bases!
The Grain Manifesto
We’re continuing our “manifesto” series (refer back to dairy and peanuts for earlier offerings) with the one topic most likely to spur controversy – grains. Our Whole30 program doesn’t include grains of any kind – no breads, cereals, pasta, rice, not even fake grains like quinoa or gluten-free substitutes. We’re about to tell you why. (Note, we are well aware that this information may run counter to everything you’ve ever been told by your parents, doctors, personal trainers, government agencies and TV advertisements. For that, however, we make no apologies… because all the people who have been selling you Whole Grains for Health all these years have been just. Plain. Wrong. We understand if this makes you kind of angry. It makes us angry too.. but that’s a topic for another post.)
Why We Don’t Eat Grains
A. Grains provoke an inflammatory response in the gut
Lectins are specialized proteins found in many plants and foods, but are found in high concentration in grains (particularly wheat), legumes (particularly soy), and dairy. The most commonly referenced grain lectin is called “gluten”, but there are many others which are found even in pseudo-grains like quinoa. Lectins serve many biological functions in animals, but foods with high concentrations of lectins are harmful even if consumed in moderate amounts.
Lectins are hardy proteins that do not break down easily, and are resistant to stomach acid and digestive enzymes. They migrate through your digestive tract largely intact, and disrupt the intestinal membrane, damaging cells and initiating a cascade of events leading to eventual cell death. (Translation: lectins destroy the cells that line your intestines, leading to small “microperforations” or tiny holes in your intestinal lining.) These holes allow intact or nearly intact proteins, bacteria and other foreign substances to cross into the bloodstream – where they do not belong. As the immune system notices foreign substances in the body, it responds and attacks. The immune response can manifest in an unlimited number of conditions (not just in the digestive tract!) commonly referred to as “auto-immune” in nature.
It’s important to note that these cautions are not just critical for those with a diagnosed Celiac condition. These negative downstream effects happen to everyone who eats grains, to various degrees.
B. Grains spike insulin levels
Grains pack a whopping amount of carbohydrates in a very small package. As most grains are also heavily processed (yes, even whole grains) they are broken down into blood sugar (glucose) in your body very quickly. A high amount of ingested carbohydrate broken down very fast leads to a spike in blood sugar. The body, demanding homeostasis, then releases a massive dose of a hormone called insulin to pull blood sugar levels back down. This is often referred to as an “insulin spike”.
When too much blood sugar is present in the system, your body quickly runs out of places to store it as useful energy, and will store any excess as body fat. In addition, when too much insulin is present in the system, the cells in your body become desensitized to the hormonal “message” insulin is trying to send. Since the message isn’t getting through, your pancreas is prompted to release even more insulin when your body doesn’t need it. Finally, chronically high insulin levels lead to a condition in which your body has trouble releasing the energy already stored in your cells. This is a bad place to be. If (via a diet high in carbohydrates) this pattern continues, insulin levels continue to rise, fat stores continue to grow and the body becomes completely incapable of responding to its own directions.
C. Grains have an acidifying effect on the body
A net acid-producing diet promotes bone de-mineralization (i.e. osteopenia and osteoporosis), and systemic inflammation. Grains are one of the highest acid-producing food groups. By replacing grains and grain-containing processed foods with plenty of green vegetables and fruits, the body comes back into acid/base balance (and a more positive calcium balance). Recent research out of Tufts University has also shown that a more alkaline diet preserves muscle mass. We like muscle mass.
D. Grains are “empty calories”
All grains – things like oatmeal, pasta, breads and cereals – have two things in common. They are calorically dense, and nutritionally meager. A small portion of grains packs a whopping amount of calories, almost all in the form of carbohydrates. All those calories, however, contain a miserly amount of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (also called phytochemicals). Compare the calories, carbohydrates and vitamin profile of two large slices of whole grain bread (100 grams) to one cup of chopped, cooked broccoli (184 grams – nearly twice the mass). (Nutritional stats from NutritionData.com)
Note that we’re not saying there is nothing good to be found in grains. They do contain vitamins and minerals in various proportions and amounts. But the serious down sides of grains far outweigh any potential health benefits. Bottom line – there is NOTHING found in grains that you can’t get from a better source with NO down sides (like vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds).
Living Paleo
We asked folks to do The Whole9 for 30 days. That 30 has come and gone for most and getting on with your life is now the goal. We have always stated that the diet you do is the best diet for you. Here are some really great tips. This is a great site also!
10 Tips When Eating Paleo
- Enjoy eating paleo. Enjoy what you eat. If you are unhappy with what you are eating you are unlikely to continue to keep eating that way, and once the nutrition is gone, staying fit and healthy becomes much harder.
- Pre-cook food. Spend a few hours at the beginning of the week and cook big batches of food. This will allow you to minimise the amount of time that you have to spend cooking during the week.
- Cook more that you need. This is similar to the previous tip, the idea being that if you cook more than you need for one meal then you can eat it later, or the next day.
- Rather than cutting yourself off from all of those foods which you enjoy that aren’t 100% paleo friendly, simply eat smaller amounts and be moderate.
- Do not keep junk/unhealthy food that you know you shouldn’t eat, in the house. For most people, if it is in the house they will eventually eat it.
- Do not run out of food. This is horrible. Do not let it happen to you.
- Try planning out your meals for a week. This comes easily to type one personalities, for the rest of us it can be a nuisance. Though this has the benefit of ensuring you know what you need in the house for the week, and eliminates that time wasting period during which you try and figure out what you should cook for dinner.
- Keep a handy meal replacement shake/can of tuna in your car/office/desk/bag for a paleo friendly snack in case plans change.
- Learn to use spices; this will do wonders for you and will offer variety and different flavors to your meals.
- Eat lots of vegetables; try and eat a good variety with many different colours.
So What Now?
With so many of you finishing your Whole30and doing a great job, the inevitable question is..."what now?" Every person is going to have some slight variations here, and that is part of what the 30 is about. The people that FINISHED with us, did not go off at all. No "special" meals or "I was at a party" "it was my anniversary" they did the entire program from start to finish. Folks stayed over and over, but the ones who did The Whole30 really did it. My plan is to eat 100% clean with one "open meal" per week. Some people are looking at 100% and two open meals, and others are varying on and off schedules. The feedback from folks is that much of the food that you thought you wanted back in your life will now do some damage to you when eaten, others welcomed things back. It is a slippery slope, and you need to trad carefully. Finding balance will be the key; a way to eat forever without having to diet. Try to stick to good whole food based on lean proteins, vegetables, some fruit and healthy fats. If you need any help, let us know!
Ribs!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup paprika
2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried ginger
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon black pepper
3 racks baby back ribs
Tropical BBQ Sauce, recipe follows
Whisk all ingredients together.
For the ribs:
Directions
Rinse and dry ribs. Place on a clean cutting board and pull off the membrane, the thin fatty skin that lines the underside of the ribs. Trim the ribs of excess fat and meat. Liberally season both sides of the ribs with 1/4 cup of the tropical dry rub. Wrap ribs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours so flavors can permeate.
Preheat grill to 200 to 225 degrees F using charcoal and indirect heat.
Place ribs meatier side down on the grill away from the flame. Cook the ribs 2 to 2 1/2 hours total, turning the ribs halfway through, until ribs bend.
