Food Variety, Calorie Intake, and Weight Gain

Let's kick off this post with a quote from a 2001 review paper (1):

Increased variety in the food supply may contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity. Thirty-nine studies examining dietary variety, energy intake, and body composition are reviewed. Animal and human studies show that food consumption increases when there is more variety in a meal or diet and that greater dietary variety is associated with increased body weight and fat.

This may seem counterintuitive, since variety in the diet is generally seen as a good thing. In some ways, it is a good thing, however in this post we'll see that it can have a downside.
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Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky "winner"... ice cream!!

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Book Review: Salt, Sugar, Fat

Michael Moss is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist who has made a career writing about the US food system. In his latest book, Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, he attempts to explain how the processed food industry has been so successful at increasing its control over US "stomach share". Although the book doesn't focus on the obesity epidemic, the relevance is obvious. Salt, Sugar, Fat is required reading for anyone who wants to understand why obesity is becoming more common in the US and throughout the world.

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Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky "winner"... energy bars!

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Moroccan Spiced Burgers on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with Ismaila Alfa

 I will be featuring these burgers on tomorrow's CBC Weekend Morning Show with Ismaila Alfa.  Excellent beef and lamb are found locally.  Try these on grilled Naan (Afghani or North Indian and a soft egg!)

Moroccan Spiced Burgers

1 lb ground beef or lamb

1-2 tbs Ras el Hanout (available from Chef Karen or Dino's Grocery Mart on Notre Dame)

pinch salt

1 egg

Mix ingredients well together and form into patties or oblongs (K�fte shaped)

Grill over high heat until desired cooked state.  Let rest and serve with your favourite condiments such as Dijon mustard, caramelized onions, tomato chutney, soft egg, cheese, etc.

Enjoy!

From Russia With Love

Last night I had the pleasure of presenting the following recipes on the them of, From Russia with Love, for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy at the Madison Square MLCC.  Bran Adams, Education Coordinator for the Conservancy, provided information on the plant life and theme while Jody Twomey, of the MLCC, provided beverage pairings.

1. Field Mushrooms with Toast
Paired with Radio Boka Tempranillo  $12.70

8 ea fresh field mushrooms
3 tbsp butter
salt, greens

Grated nutmeg

� cup Tempranillo or Pino Noir wine
toasts

Method:
Stew mushrooms in their own juice with salt for 25 minutes. Chop very finely and spread on toasts and decorate with green parsley.

2. Baklazhanovaya Ikra recipe (a Georgian area Ikra)

Paired with Flat Roof Manor Merlot  $13.25

1 large eggplant

2 roasted red peppers
1 ea onion
2 ea tomatoes
2 ea garlic cloves
2 tbs vinegar
2 tbs vegetable oil
salt
pepper
fresh parsley

Method:
Pierce an eggplant with a fork in several places, put on a baking sheet and bake, about an hour, turning while baking, until soft. Cool down. Cut the eggplant, lengthwise, in two halves. Scoop out the pulp and chop until very fine. Chop onion very finely, peel tomatoes and chop, mince garlic cloves. Mix onion, tomatoes and pulp, garlic, oil, vinegar. Stir thoroughly and season on your taste. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Baklazhanovaya Ikra is served with chopped parsley.

3. Beef Stroganoff

Paired with Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay  $15.65

1 1/3 lb beef, cut into strips against the grain
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs flour
salt and pepper
1 green pepper, chopped
1-2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1/4 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 cup white wine
1 cup cream (I used sour cream)

Toss sliced beef with seasoned flour and set aside. Saut� onions in butter and olive oil until translucent and add the beef. Brown beef and add mushrooms. Add green pepper and spices. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Add white wine and season to taste. Flour must simmer for at least one minute to remove floury taste.

Serve over egg noodles.

Enjoy!

4. Russian Tea Cakes

Paired with Frangelico and lime

1 cup butter

� cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups presifted flour

� tsp salt

1 cup finely chopped walnuts (can use pecans or almonds)

*Note, if mixture dry and crumbly, add egg and/or a bit more butter.  Depends on humidity.

Cream butter, add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy.  Add vanilla, flour and salt.  Mix well.  Add in nuts.  Use 1 tsp � 1 tbs, depending on the size of crescent or cookie that you prefer, to shape in hands to make the crescents.  Bake on ungreased sheet at 325�F for 30 minutes.  Roll in icing sugar while warm. 

These cookies take time to make but look and taste good.  They freeze well but do not pack well.

Enjoy!

Glucagon, Dietary Protein, and Low-Carbohydrate Diets

Glucagon is a hormone that plays an important role in blood glucose control. Like insulin, it's secreted by the pancreas, though it's secreted by a different cell population than insulin (alpha vs. beta cells). In some ways, glucagon opposes insulin. However, the role of glucagon in metabolism is frequently misunderstood in diet-health circles.

The liver normally stores glucose in the form of glycogen and releases it into the bloodstream as needed. It can also manufacture glucose from glycerol, lactate, and certain amino acids. Glucagon's main job is to keep blood glucose from dipping too low by making sure the liver releases enough glucose. There are a few situations where this is particularly important:

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Are Animal Crackers Paleo?

Warning -- Satire -- April Fool's Post

Every child loves animal crackers, those sweet and crunchy animal-shaped biscuits. But are they compatible with a Paleo diet? Some people might think they already know the answer, but consider this: our ancestors evolved on the African savanna, eating the plants and animals found there. Inside each box of animal crackers is an assortment of tiny savanna creatures such as giraffes and elephants.

To get to the bottom of this, I interviewed Robert Pearson, CEO of Animal Cracker Products Inc., who explained to me how these crackers are made.

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