“Completely removing sucrose from a low-fat diet may unexpectedly disrupt gut health and promote inflammation and metabolic dysfunction, highlighting that balanced nutrition is more important than simply eliminating sugar,” said Rasheed Ahmad, Ph.D., principal scientist and head of the Immunology & Microbiology Department at the Dasman Diabetes Institute, in Kuwait City, Kuwait
To evaluate the effects of eliminating sucrose, the researchers measured glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, circulating metabolic hormones, the gut microbiome, and inflammation in both the colon and liver.
Despite maintaining similar body weights, mice on the sucrose-free diet experienced several negative health changes compared with the control group. These included poorer glucose control, insulin resistance, imbalances in gut microbes, intestinal inflammation, and changes associated with fatty liver disease. Scientists found a surprising problem with sugar-free diets – https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260614011843.htm The Endocrine Society. “Scientists found a surprising problem with sugar-free diets.” ScienceDaily (accessed June 14, 2026).
15 oz canned Low Sodium Black Beans, rinsed and drained
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
1-1.5 T light brown sugar
dash salt
dash of ground black pepper
dash dried cilantro
Prepare the dressing by mixing the olive oil, lime juice, spices, sugar, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Place everything else in a bowl. Dump the dressing in. Mix well.
Put the bowl on the kitchen countertop and allow the corn to fully defrost
If you have time, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to marry. If not a good hour or two at room temperature should allow the flavors to marry.
Before serving, toss, taste and adjust seasonings.
I seriously wonder if there are any original recipes out there. You think to yourself “Let’s make a black bean and corn thing tonight”. So you do what everyone else does and hop on the internet to find numerous recipes that are pretty much the same. Full Disclosure: This recipe is a copycat and my inspiration was here.I don’t want to be accused of stealing a recipe that everyone makes in some form or another. (I found this post in my list of unpublished drafts from years ago and just published so the link may not work).
Tips and Things Most Cooks Don’t Tell You.
I used garlic powder, not fresh garlic. Use fresh if you like BIG garlic flavor. Powder is more subtle. Instead of red onion I used sweet onion and only about a quarter cup. No jalepeno. Too spicy. Watch the size of your lime. I used the juice from a half of a lime but it was a huge lime.
Researchers at Loma Linda University Health report that eating eggs may be linked to a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in adults age 65 and older. Their findings suggest that regular egg consumption could play a role in supporting long-term brain health. Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center. “Eating eggs could cut Alzheimer’s risk by 27%.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260506225214.htm (accessed May 7, 2026).
Eggs are a rich source of nutrients relevant to brain health. They provide choline, a precursor to acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine, both of which are critical for memory and synaptic function [11]. Eggs also contain lutein and zeaxanthin-carotenoids that accumulate in brain tissue and are associated with improved cognitive performance and reduced oxidative stress [9,11]. Other key nutrients in eggs include high-quality protein rich in tryptophan (a serotonin precursor involved in mood regulation, cognition, and melatonin synthesis) and DHA [21], an omega-3 (n–3) fatty acid important for synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and neuronal membrane integrity [9,11,21]. Emerging evidence also highlights the role of egg-derived tryptophan peptides in enhancing attention, reducing stress reactivity, and improving executive function in older adults [11]. These nutrients may act synergistically to support cognitive resilience and mitigate neurodegenerative processes. Notably, deficiencies in choline and DHA have been documented in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease [21,22]. Jisoo Oh, Keiji Oda, Gabriela Chiriac, Gary E Fraser, Rawiwan Sirirat, Joan Sabaté. Egg Intake and the Incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease in the Adventist Health Study-2 Cohort Linked with Medicare Data. The Journal of Nutrition, 2026; 101541 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101541
It’s funny to note most of my posts about eggs were rants about the cost.
The two new meta analysis reviews (studies of studies) found that consuming whole grains reduces your risk of diseases that shorten your life. One published in BMJ analyzed 45 studies and concluded that whole grains can help you live longer by cutting your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, respiratory disease, and infectious diseases. The other report, published in the journal Circulation, reviewed the data in 14 studies that combined had more than 786,000 participants. It noted that for every 16-gram (about a slice of bread) increase in whole grain consumption, mortality risk is cut by 7 percent. 5 Things To Know About Whole Grains – https://www.bluezones.com/2016/12/5-things-know-whole-grains/
Behind Aspen’s international skiing luster lies a deep, competitive hockey culture that makes for a tough beer league. A drive to win the bragging rights to the battered Pell Cup turns architects, bartenders, contractors, lawyers, teachers, ski bums, and friends into fierce, fist-throwing rivals…former pros, Division I college players, and old goats—or, more accurately, has-beens and never-weres—battle away for what may be the hardest-earned, least-known trophy in nonprofessional hockey: the Pell Cup. Named after longtime Aspenite Peter Pell (a notoriously sharp-tongued player who never won the cup himself), this dented piece of pewter is a horrible, miniature replica of the Stanley Cup, the National Hockey League’s holy grail. If you look past the beer and whiskey stains, you will see nearly a half century of Aspen’s history etched in the names of its hockey clubs, sponsored by bars, camera stores, laundromats, and other long-gone businesses. Is Aspen a Hockey Town at Heart? – https://www.aspensojo.com/travel-and-outdoors/2019/02/is-aspen-a-hockey-town-at-heart
It’s not really “reporting news”—it’s more like an insider nod to something meaningful within a very small professional circle.
🏆 What the post is actually about
The “Five Time Pell Cup Champion” refers to the Pell Cup (not the sailing trophy you’ll see if you Google it—that’s unrelated (Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias)).
In this context, the Pell Cup is:
An insurance underwriting competition
Known mainly within groups like underwriting societies
A test of evaluating complex insurance cases (medical + financial risk)
Winning it multiple times = elite-level reputation inside that niche
🧠 How to interpret the post
👍 What’s likely accurate
The achievement itself is probably real
These competitions are:
small
community-known
hard to fake without being called out
So when the blog says “five-time champion,” it’s very plausible.
⚠️ What’s missing (and why it matters)
The post likely:
Doesn’t name or fully identify the winner (or gives minimal detail)
Doesn’t link to an official source
Doesn’t explain the competition structure or verification
That’s typical of this blog’s style:
assumes the reader is “in the know”
🔍 Trustworthiness (specific to this post)
✔️ Reliable for:
“This happened” (industry milestone)
General significance (“this is impressive in underwriting circles”)
❌ Not reliable for:
Verifiable sourcing
Complete context
Independent confirmation
🧩 Bigger picture (important)
This post is a good example of how the blog works:
When it talks about industry culture or people → usually credible but informal
When it talks about health, science, or big conclusions → much more questionable
✔️ Bottom line
The Pell Cup post is probably accurate—but not independently verified.
Over the years when I invited friends over for dinner they got pretty excited. One day I asked a guest what’s with all the excitement?
Chinese food! They were expecting something I really sucked at making. To this day I don’t make much Chinese/Asian stuff. I’d rather go out and eat something someone actually knows how to make.
So Lesson #13 is this: technique. This is the how and why a dish, despite following the recipe exactly, tastes better than yours.
I found this video and I now know why my Chicken and Broccoli never tastes as good as the restaurant versions.
Who says you can’t teach an old trick new dogs?
Memo to Self – Don’t be discouraged to learn there are Chinese Americans out there more Chinese than you.
garyskitchen.net 