The researchers found that people who ate avocado every day as part of a meal had a greater abundance of gut microbes that break down fiber and produce metabolites that support gut health. They also had greater microbial diversity compared to people who did not receive the avocado meals in the study.
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. “An avocado a day keeps your gut microbes happy, study shows.” ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201215175758.htm (accessed December 16, 2020).
Journal Reference
Sharon V Thompson, Melisa A Bailey, Andrew M Taylor, Jennifer L Kaczmarek, Annemarie R Mysonhimer, Caitlyn G Edwards, Ginger E Reeser, Nicholas A Burd, Naiman A Khan, Hannah D Holscher. Avocado Consumption Alters Gastrointestinal Bacteria Abundance and Microbial Metabolite Concentrations among Adults with Overweight or Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Nutrition, 2020; DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa219
Funding for the research was provided by the Hass Avocado Board and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
It’s snowing today so clearly chili had to be made. I made a trip to the grocery store yesterday but didn’t have chili on the brain so I was missing some ingredients. I know I had two green peppers in the fridge but somehow I used them both yesterday. No worries because part of the Pandemic Pantry mindset is to use whatever is on hand, improvise, and try not to waste any food. So if you don’t have two cups of leftover sauteed onions and peppers sitting in the fridge, it’s OK. Use a fresh pepper. No stewed tomatoes? No problem, use what you have on the shelf. Sub ground beef for ground turkey. Let your provisions and imagination be your guide.
1 T extra virgin olive or grapeseed oil 1 /2 medium sweet onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 cups leftover sauteed onions and green pepper from last night’s dinner of faux fajitas OR 1 large green pepper 2 tsp garlic powder OR 2 cloves fresh garlic chopped 1 tsp each oregano, paprika, chili powder, cumin 1 can (15 oz) stewed tomatoes 1 cup low sodium beef broth
1 small can mild green chilies 3 T tomato paste 1 cup red wine 1 pound dried pinto beans 1 lb ground turkey Salt & pepper to taste Cayenne pepper to taste
Place the dried beans into a stock pot large enough to hold the beans when fully plumped up. Rinse the beans with water several times. Fill the pot with fresh water and soak overnight OR use the quick soak method of bringing to a boil, cover and let sit for one hour.
Drain then add fresh water to the beans. Bring to a boil, add your soup recipe seasonings, then lower the heat down to a simmer. The seasoning for the beans is based off my Sopa de Frijol con Vegetal soup recipe. Leave out the tomatoes until later. (No salt and no chili powder yet).
Allow the beans to simmer for several hours.
In a different large stock pot heat the oil and saute the onion, celery, and green pepper (if using fresh) until softened. Add the garlic (fresh or powder) and saute for another minute.
Add the meat and brown.
Add red wine and cook off the alcohol.
Add the stewed tomatoes and break up the tomato chunks into smaller chunks. Add tomato paste, stir well and simmer until mixture thickens.
Time to toss everyone else into the pool. Spices, tomatoes, chilies, broth, cooked beans.
Simmer for several hours. Stir occasionally. Add more broth if the chili gets too thick.
Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and your favorite hot sauce.
Yum.
More odd tips
Don’t add salt until the beans are cooked through and soft. If your chili powder has salt in it I would add after the beans have softened. The recipe will make approximately eight servings. You need Texas Corn Bread with this or ANY chili. I’m not kidding. As always this chili is mild because you can always add the heat but if you make the chili too spicy to begin with…good luck. I had some kidney beans but decided not to put them in this chili.
This recipe is not in the book pictured. But I always flip through the book to see what other cooks put in their chili. Besides, I love the cover.
Mid-afternoon seasoning adjustments
You’ll need more than one cup of broth. I’ll end up using between one and two cups to get the consistency where I want it to be. I might change the OR for garlic powder and fresh garlic to AND. Added more onion powder, chili power, dried cilantro, salt and pepper. The beans are soft and will get softer because I’m letting the chili go another two hours on the stove.
One of the few prospective longitudinal studies examining the influence of key elements of a comprehensive set of food outlets, both large and small, the study followed two groups of 3 to 15 year-old children in four New Jersey cities — Camden, New Brunswick, Newark, and Trenton. These cities were known to be initiating policy and environmental changes aimed at childhood obesity prevention. The first group was studied from 2009-10 to 2014-15, the second from 2014 to 2016-17.
Less healthy changes were found in children when their exposure to convenience stores increased over time. For example, exposure to an additional convenience store within a mile of a child’s home over 24 months resulted in 11.7 percent greater likelihood of a child being in a higher body mass index range compared to other children of the same sex and age at the end of the study. In contrast, exposure to an additional small grocery store within a mile over 24 months resulted in 37.3 percent lower odds of being in a higher body mass index category. No consistent patterns were found for changes in exposure to supermarkets, restaurants, or pharmacies.
Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, Francesco Acciai, Kristen Lloyd, David Tulloch, Robin S. DeWeese, Derek DeLia, Michael Todd, Michael J. Yedidia. Evidence That Changes in Community Food Environments Lead to Changes in Children’s Weight: Results from a Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2020; DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2020.10.016
Stillwater, OK is home to Oklahoma State University, about 46,000 residents, and exactly one vegan company: the Beet Box food truck. While vegan options can be found all over the country, it’s true that some areas want for plant-based eats more than others. Randon Moore and Gwnyeth Yvonne were two vegan college students who decided to fill this gap in Stillwater, and their efforts resulted in the city’s number one food truck (that just happens to be vegan).
Thanksgiving is now one week in the past and the time has come to see if I’ve managed to take off what I put on for the holiday. The digital truth teller read 175.4 and again I remind myself never get too high, never get too low. The downward trend in happy numbers began in pre-pandemic February. Unfortunately the reason why I lost five pounds was a GI bug. Back then I wrote the following in my journal (lightly edited for the blog to remove the F-bombs):
Tues 2/25
I was hit with viral gastroenteritis. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve had a bout of stomach flu and I forgot how unpleasant this can be. Last night I pushed down some baked potato despite a lack of appetite. I was in bed at 7:30 pm fading in and out of alertness. I was up numerous times during the night either drinking water or peeing. The first time I got up the chills were so bad I thought I might have the full blown flu. This morning I feel washed out and headachy so I took some ibuprofen. The headache is gone. The washed out feeling is improving. Despite advice to the contrary I had three mugs of coffee. Nothing worse than recovering from a stomach bug with no caffeine. I managed to eat a piece of toast but I’m still not hungry. At the The Boss’s suggestion I took a sick day. I feel good enough to work but decided not to push it. I will be home most of the day recuperating.
What happened in February could have been Covid but I’ll never know without taking an antibody test. I began the year at 192 and the downward trend was ignited by a nasty stomach bug. You hear so much nowadays about people putting on weight from the pandemic. Too bad my book won’t be finished anytime soon to help the people struggling with weight gain. I’ll keep pecking away at the keyboard. Promise.
For a hint on how to take off or maintain your weight check out The 90% Solution.
Now I can’t believe I’ve been pecking at the keyboard for over three years and pretty much gotten nowhere on the book.
Tomato paste is used to thicken and enhance the flavor and color of sauces, pasta fillings, salad dressings, soups, stews, chili, or in any items where you’d like the tomato flavor to stand out. You can coat sliced vegetables (such as potatoes, parsnips, plantains, or mushrooms) with tomato paste and bake or grill to create a tangy crust. Friends of ours use tomato paste as a sandwich spread, instead of ketchup. Use it sparingly, however, because tomato paste has an intense flavor. If you are using only a portion of a can of tomato paste remember to store the remainder in plastic or glass, never metal, and never, ever in the can (no, we have not been peeking into your refrigerator). If you like, you can freeze properly-stored tomato paste until it is needed.
Now I know I’m not the only crazy cook who freezes tomato paste. I typically buy the larger 12 ounce can, use what I need for what’s cooking and freeze the rest. Use a piece of plastic wrap large enough to hold the leftover paste in the shape of a small sausage. Mold your leftover paste into this tubular shape and freeze. The next time you need tomato paste, remove from the freezer, unwrap carefully and with a sharp knife cut off what you need. The paste will defrost quickly in your hot dish. Re-wrap and put back in the freezer. Repeat as needed.
The researchers found that people who ate dried fruit were generally healthier than those who did not, and on days when people ate dried fruit they consumed greater amounts of some key nutrients than on days when they skipped. However, they also found that people consumed more total calories on days when they ate dried fruit.
Previous research has found that poor diet contributes to nearly half of deaths from cardiovascular disease in the U.S., with a lack of fruit being a major factor. According to the researchers, fruits provide an abundance of nutrients, including fiber, potassium and several heart-healthy bioactives.
Valerie K. Sullivan, Muzi Na, David N. Proctor, Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Kristina S. Petersen. Consumption of Dried Fruits Is Associated with Greater Intakes of Underconsumed Nutrients, Higher Total Energy Intakes, and Better Diet Quality in US Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2016.. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2020; DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2020.08.085
Mix butter with sugar until very light and fluffy.
Add salt, extract, flour, nuts and mix well.
Chill until dough is easy to handle.
Shape into crescents.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake until light brown, 12-15 minutes.
While the cookies are warm, dust with confectioner’s sugar.
“I thought you said you didn’t like these cookies>”
“No, I never said I don’t like these cookies. They’re just my least favorite cookie you bake.”
Least favorite means I like the other cookies you bake better than this one. But the damage to our relationship was already done. My penance was being limited to one cookie. One. Cookie. Ouch!
Note the last two lines on the recipe card. Yes, these cookies are much better with chocolate. (and the picture of the cookie is for the reader who complained once about not enough food pictures).
Never get too high, never get too low. Trust the Process which has been developed and refined for nearly 45 years of weight loss followed by weight gain followed again with weight loss… The Truth Machine today displayed 177 and I am both pleased and relieved. I survived another Thanksgiving feast! Reading this you might think I’m compulsive about my weight. Guilty as charged. You get kind of obsessed with your weight when you never want to be 370 pounds again, ever. I am 70 inches tall. In high school I was the shortest (and heaviest) power forward on the hardwood. I had a decent shot but was better at rebounding because I took up so much space. I was also Captain of the tennis team but that’s a whole other story.
The roller coaster of shifting weights has been the story of my life. A constant struggle. A battle between the food within reach and my brain, one saying yes, the other saying well, here we go again. Part of the problem of losing a lot of weight is complacency. Knowing what works and what to do is not the same thing as doing that thing. I got lazy and allowed myself to balloon back up to 200-205. The Truth Machine had lost its policing effect. My brain started rationalizing, hey it’s a hell of a lot better than 370! Besides most people gain weight as they age…
I’m old enough now to remember what life was like before unsocial media. One (of the many) things I dislike about unsocial media are those dumb ass reminders in your online photo collections: One Year Ago Today…Two Years Ago This Week, etc. Well, at Thanksgiving this year for me, this unsocial media feature got a bit less unsavory.
“I saw a Memory on my photo timeline the other day. We were on the beach in Rhode Island and you looked heavier than you do now.”
“You mean fatter.”
“Not fatter, just heavier. You look really good now.”
And this ends the story of the best Thanksgiving ever observing Covid-19 pandemic guidelines while preparing turkey in a way you’ve never done before. Random Thoughts the Day After Thanksgiving 2020. The turkey turned out great and I got validation my weight loss efforts were working (again). The Mojo is back. I’ll be working on my book for a few hours today.
Remember the Mantra: never get too high, never get too low. The Truth Machine this morning stared back at me with the number 179. Yes, we had a very good Thanksgiving how did you know? Too much sugar, too many calories, too much of a good time. But remember the mantra. I’m convinced my number will come down again. Maybe not today or tomorrow but the number will come back down.
A random encounter at the grocery store may have changed my Thanksgiving turkey buying habits forever. As I was mindlessly staring at the frozen birds another shopper came over, excused himself and reached for what appeared to be a very small turkey breast. He already had one in his other hand so I just had to ask,
“What is that?”
“Boneless breast. My wife doesn’t want any other type of turkey for Thanksgiving and told me to get two.”
I picked up one of these from the freezer section and examined it. I’d never seen a boneless turkey breast roast before. Bone in yes, boneless no. What the hell why not? I bought one only to be told by MY wife when I got home to go get another one so we can have leftovers. Which I did. The only picture I snapped was the pre-roasting picture. I didn’t take a picture when the turkey came out of the oven because the turkey skin didn’t brown but the veggies in the pan did.
Uncooked and not recommended to be consumed without cooking first.
Defrost for two days in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Remove the outer wrapping, pat dry with paper towels and do not remove the string webbing holding the breast meat together in a roast shape.
In a roasting pan scatter chunks of onion, celery and carrots (peeled or unpeeled, up to you).
Season the veggies well. I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and parsley ( I couldn’t find any rosemary or that would have gone into the mix). Sprinkle the veggies with some olive oil.
Place the roasting rack in the pan, spreading the veggies enough so that the rack sits firmly in the pan. Position your breasts so that they don’t fall through the rack.
Rub olive oil (or melted butter, your choice) on the breasts. Season well. I used the same seasonings as in Step #5 with the addition of onion powder. No rosemary unfortunately.
Tent the pan with aluminum foil and roast for 1.5 hours. Remove the foil at this point and continue roasting for another 30 minutes. (broil for five minutes if you want to try and get the skin brown for pictures).
Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes, foil tent back on to keep the meat warm. Using a pair of kitchen scissors carefully cut and remove the string webbing.
Slice and serve.
Each boneless breast is approximately 3 pounds and will provide 4-6 servings. Since our Pandemic Inspired gathering was 4 adults and 2 Tiny Humans we had plenty of turkey for leftovers. Two of the four adults are dark meat aficionados and we sacrificed our personal preferences for ease of preparation. Everyone was quite pleased with how the boneless roasts delivered very moist and flavorful turkey.
garyskitchen.net 