All posts tagged: health foods

Why I Love Greek Yogurt

Published by

Just a few years ago, probiotics were considered to be an “alternative” thing that only hippies were into. Most “probiotics” were pills with only one or two bacterial species, and there was little concern about quality control. Most medical practitioners considered probiotics to be a rip-off, or a fad. And there was no evidence that probiotic bacteria can even live or form colonies in our guts, so it was assumed that they could not affect our health.   My how things have changed.   Technological advances, thanks to the Human Genome Project, have given us a much better idea of the microbes in our guts. Instead of relying on culture techniques (trying to take bacteria from our guts and grow them on an agar plate or in a tube- which they don’t like, because they only like to grow in our guts), we can now identify them using DNA/RNA sequencing of their genes. And wow! We discovered that thousands of different kinds of bacteria live in our guts, and some of them are the same …

Mindful Eating, Or- How I lost 35 pounds by enjoying my food more

Published by

Like many people, I found myself overweight in middle age. Quite overweight, in fact. With a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30, I was more than overweight. My fasting blood glucose levels were still in the normal range, barely. My mother continued to remind that I have Type 2 diabetes in my family. What to do? As a scientist who has studied obesity and body weight regulation, I knew that dieting was not an option. The starvation response/ diet induced obesity, and all that. So… I decided to take my own advice. Background: There are two kinds of things that influence how much we eat: “Head Factors” and “Gut Factors”. Head Factors are “psychological” things such as how appetizing the food looks and smells. Social cues or influences, emotional situations, habits and conditioning (e.g. always eating a snack at 4 PM) are also powerful influences on what and when we eat. Gut Factors are signals from the gut (and/or liver) that convey the gut’s opinion about how much we should eat, and may also influence …

Tiramisu with Fruit

Published by

In the U.S. we always think of Tiramisu as a tasty and maybe decadent dessert. But in Italy it is often eaten as an afternoon “pick-me-up”. Well why not? It has espresso, chocolate, and marscapone (Italian-style cream cheese). So, stimulants and protein! We like to add fruit for a refreshing tang, appealing color, and of course: micronutrients and anti-oxidants. Of course! That’s why we eat Tiramisu- for the antioxidants. I have adapted this recipe from a blog called “Cooking for Engineers”. The blog describes the experience of comparing many different recipes and concluded this one was the simplest one that tasted like real Tiramisu. Traditionally it is made in a casserole dish but we like to put it in trifle bowl because it is nicer to see the layers. Tiramisu with Fruit 8 oz. heavy whipping cream 8 oz. marscapone, at room temperature (it is easier to fold into the whipped cream than when it’s cold) 1-2 Tablespoons marsala (Italian sherry) 1-2 Tablespoons vanilla 1/3 – ½ cup dark chocolate, grated About 8 oz. (or …