Tag Spices

The Many Benefits Of Cinnamon

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Originally published on mensphysique.com on Tuesday, 05 March 2013

http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-kitchen-eating-strategies/7644-the-many-benefits-of-cinnamon.html
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Most of you have added cinnamon to your meal plans and know what a flavor boost it can provide to an often dull and monotonous regimen. Some of you also recognize the health benefits which cinnamon provides. This article is directed at individuals who are not aware of the powerful health benefits of this spice.

Ever since I discovered the health benefits of cinnamon a few years ago I have made sure to incorporate a half-teaspoon of this fragrant spice in my first meal of the day. Cinnamon spice is obtained from the bark of the cinnamon tree and can be purchased either in its whole quill form (cinnamon sticks) or as ground powder. I find it more convenient to use the powdered form, but a cinnamon stick in a mug of hot tea is fantastic on a cold winter day.

Cinnamon got a lot of attention a few years back in a 2003 study involving patients with diabetes. Subjects who were given 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon per day demonstrated a measurable reduction in blood sugar, triglycerides, blood pressure, body fat mass, waist circumference, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. Studies conducted since that time have determined that cinnamon helps to stabilize blood sugar levels by decreasing insulin response in non-diabetics as well.

As if the blood sugar stabilizing effects weren’t enough, cinnamon has the following health benefits:

· ANTI-FUNGAL AND ANTI-CANDIDA: Especially effective in individuals who are prone to yeast overgrowth.

· ANTI-CLOTTING EFFECT

· ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES

· RELIEVES PAIN FROM ARTHRITIS

· INHIBITS BACTERIAL GROWTH AND FOOD SPOILAGE

· FIGHTS ULCER CAUSING H. PYLORI

· FIGHTS E. COLI BACTERIA IN UNPASTEURIZED JUICES

· INHIBITS GROWTH OF LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA CANCER CELLS

· NATURAL MIGRAINE REMEDY

· EXCELLENT SOURCE OF MANGANESE (almost 50% of RDA)

· GOOD SOURCE OF CALCIUM AND DIETARY FIBER

Cinnamon is a versatile spice which can be added to savory dishes while also enhancing sweeter dishes. It can also serve to curb cravings for sugary food items because of its satisfying flavor. Cinnamon is especially tasty in tea, oatmeal, cream of wheat, protein pancakes. If you haven’t added this amazing spice to your daily meal regimen, I highly recommend you do so today!

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes

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Original post can be found at:

http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-kitchen-eating-strategies/9393-slow-cooker-sweet-potatoes.html

Food prep continues to be a tedious process for me, despite the fact that it is a regular occurrence. I am sure many of you can relate to such woes and are searching for ways to cut prep time down so you can take care of more important things in life. Usually I roast sweet potatoes in the oven, but I was particularly unmotivated the other evening and decided to adopt a lazy approach while still using the delicious marinade I typically mix up. I use a heavy hand with the spices because I want that holiday flavor, so you might want to cut down the portion of spices if you want a more basic flavor.

I usually avoid using the slow cooker because food items tend to get mushy, but as long as the potatoes are cut into large sections, that should not occur. Another bonus is that your place will smell incredible when these are cooking!

sweet potato crock pot
Ingredients:

5 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, washed and cut into large cubes

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

Place sweet potato crock potsweet potato sections into a clean plastic bag. Mix remaining ingredients together, then pour into bag. Twist bag so that it is securely closed, then shake it so that the potatoes are evenly coated with the marinade mixture.

Open bag and pour contents into slow cooker. Add 1 cup water and set cooker on low.

My Recipe For Yummy And Competition-Friendly Sweet Potatoes

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Please note that this makes a BIG batch!

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds sweet potatoes or yams
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Cut the sweet potatoes/yams in cubes (I peel them beforehand if not too lazy) and place in a clean bag. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Add mixture to bag, secure opening and shake until potatoes are evenly coated. Place on roasting pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake for 55 minutes at 450 degrees.

Makes 16 3 ounce servings. YamsYUM!

“Healthy” Sandwiches

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When Jared catapulted Subway Sandwiches into mega success as a result of the ad campaign which featured his weight loss, people became even more enamored of the convenient meal option which has come to define lunch for many people.  However, it makes a HUGE difference what bread, meats and condiments are used.  On the very, very rare occasion when I have to get a Subway sandwich (I think the last time I had one was 5 years ago), I will ONLY get the oven roasted chicken breast.  Why?  Because I avoid cold cuts like the plague.  Cold cuts have been deceptively packaged in grocery stores with labels like “fresh”, “oven roasted”, “99% fat free”, etc.  But the fact remains that cold cuts are extremely high in sodium, usually in the form of sodium nitrate which prolongs the shelf life of these meats.  The problem is that the body breaks down the sodium nitrate in such a way that can become carcinogenic.

Even with use of such preservatives, cold cuts can still harbor dangerous bacteria, the most common of which is Listeria.  Listeria infection is characterized by fever and chills, abdominal pain and vomiting.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to touch a food item which has a high risk of causing such symptoms.  Pregnant women and infants are particularly susceptible to such infection and should avoid consuming processed meats entirely.

Add to this a couple of slices of bread made with processed flour and a dollop of mayonnaise, and you have created a meal that is full of carcinogens, sodium and saturated fat and seriously lacking in nutrition.

A healthier choice is to make your own sandwich with Ezekiel Bread, gluten-free whole grain bread, or P28 Bread (www.highproteinbred.com), a dollop of pure organic mustard, Romaine lettuce, and a nicely grilled portion of skinless chick breast.  sandwich

Move Over, Potato Chips…Here Come Healthy Kale Chips!

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Kale chips are a healthy alternative to potato chips and they are absolutely DELICIOUS!   You can either purchase these ready-made from stores like Whole Foods or save a considerable amount of money and make them at home.  They are incredibly easy to make, even for people who are oven-shy.  YUM!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
You will need a large bunch of kale, about the size of a basketball.  Rinse and dry very thoroughly.  Separate the leaves from the thick stems and break up into small bite size pieces.  Spread out on cookie sheets.  Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over pieces.

This is where it gets fun.  You can sprinkle Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, black pepper, kosher salt, or use my favorite which is lemon pepper (Trader Joe’s makes a great version).

Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until edges turn sightly brown and kale is crispy.  Remove from pan and allow to cool before eating.

‘Tis The Season – How To Stay Lean During The Holidays

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Last year I posted a little blurb about off-season maintenance which I think deserves a re-post.  This is especially appropriate since I recently made homemade (unclean) fudge and plan to make it again.  Keep in mind that you can still indulge in these little cheats as long as you keep the rest of your meals clean.  If you do this, you can absolutely maintain a good degree of leanness throughout the holiday season.

There are a few tricks to minimize the amount of bad foods which you may be tempted to devour.  You can consume a small amount of lean protein right before you have a carb cheat.  This will slow down digestion so that the carbs aren’t stored as readily.  Another trick is to drink a glass of water before you indulge in a decadent treat.  This will help to fill you up so you consume less food afterward.  When you are aware that you will be at a function in which tempting foods will be around, make sure your meals beforehand are kept clean and that you you eat every 2-1/2 to 3 hours to ensure that you won’t be ravenous come party time.  One of the worst things you can do is skip meals beforehand in hopes that the caloric deficit will balance out the overindulgence later.  All this does is squash your metabolism and increase your chance of overeating.

As long as you eat clean the remainder of the time, you should be able to stay within a few pounds of your maintenance weight if you do not compete, or within a few pounds of competition weight if you do compete.  Case in point:  I have been eating clean the vast majority of the time, with rare cheats here and there.  Though I was not in contest prep mode for NPC Nationals on November 9th and 10th, I weighed in that week at 117 pounds which is one pound over my competition weight, and had a waist measurement of 22.75 inches.  Last week, I had pizza twice but kept all other meals clean, and was able to maintain my weight at 117 lbs. with a 23 inch waist measurement.  The last thing I want to do is to unravel the results of all the hard work I have invested and continue to invest into my physique.  I did not skip any meals when I had these fun foods but just continued on my usual clean food path.

Some of you may be wondering what the cleanest choices are when you are at the holiday banquet.  Though this reflects the common holiday foods which are rather calorie dense, here are some of the better choices out of the bunch:

  • Roast turkey breast
  • Green beans without butter
  • Mashed potatoes made with whipped butter and Greek yogurt instead of milk and regular butter
  • Pumpkin Pie

Some of you may also be wondering what I am planning on cooking and eating, so here is my Thanksgiving menu:

  •  16 pound turkey
  • my secret stuffing recipe which has lots of goodies in it but is relatively low in fat and calories compared to other exotic stuffing recipes
  • mashed potatoes made with light butter and Greek yogurt
  • creamed spinach
  • my homemade fudge
  • whole cranberry-mandarin orange relish
  • turkey gravy
  • rolls
  • wine
  • store-bought chocolate pecan pie (which I probably won’t eat)

Obviously there are some items on my menu that fall outside of my “clean food guidelines”, but since the holidays only come once a year, and since I am only cooking one holiday feast which will be served on one day, I have no qualms about it.   This is the time during which we should count our blessings and spend quality time with the people we love without getting anxious about what we are eating.  However, this does not mean you have free license to go nuts on bad foods for the next month!  If you end up indulging in other foods, don’t beat yourself up.  Instead, enjoy the feast and resume healthy eating the next day.  Happy holidays!

My Favorite Clean Snacks

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I will start out by saying that I rarely allow myself to snack on foods that are not on my meal plan.  However, every once in a while I will get a hankering for something different, and will allow myself to indulge in small yet healthy food items.

Here are some of my favorite snacks:

  • 1 cup of Fage nonfat Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon agave nectar, 1/4 cup fresh blueberries or dried cranberries, and 1/4 cup high protein granola
  • Lundberg Sesame Tamari rice cake with 1 tablespoon of spicy hummus
  • low carb wrap (if I use the P28 wrap I will use 1/2 wrap) with 1 tablespoon of spicy hummus, 3 ounces of shredded chicken, dash of hot sauce and 1/2 cup mixed greens
  • low carb wrap with 1-1/2 tablespoons of raw almond butter and 1/2 sliced banana
  • 1/2 apple and 1/4 cup raw almonds or raw walnuts
  • 1 slice of toasted P28 Bread with 1 tablespoon of raw almond butter
  • 1 slice of toasted P28 bread with 1/2 sliced avocado, hot sauce, garlic powder and fresh black pepper
  • 1 sliced tomato with several slices of buffalo mozarella and a drizzle of olive oil with fresh black pepper
  • Quest Bar
  • Protein shake made with unsweetened almond milk and 3-4 ice cubes (EvoPro Chocolate is my favorite)
  • pancake made with 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1/4 cup dry rolled oats, dash unsweetened almond milk and 3 egg whites
  • 4 ounces Hinoichi Firm Tofu scrambled with 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup brown rice, dash of low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 inch slice of vegan banana bread (one of these days I will share my secret recipe which I developed and which is moist and DELICIOUS!

 

 

The general guideline I use, besides selecting foods I truly love, is to make sure I get a decent amount of protein in each snack.  I also make sure that the fat in my meal comes from a healthy source.

I hope this dispels the rumor that snacks cannot be healthy, nutritious or filling.

What’s In My Kitchen?

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When I first began competing in 2009, I decided to rid my pantry of food items which contained unhealthy ingredients.  Things like bleached flour, granulated sugar, canned soups, dry soups, crackers and breads were cleared off the shelves.  Frozen dinners were tossed out, as were cheeses, cold cuts, cow’s milk, and juices.  I replaced those items with whole foods which I continue to stock on a regular basis.

 

Here is a list of items which I have on hand at least 95% of the time, if not constantly.  I also eat these items on a daily basis:

  • eggs
  • boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • ground turkey
  • ground beef
  • orange roughy or tilapia
  • old fashioned oats
  • brown rice
  • rice cakes
  • whole wheat pasta
  • marinara sauce
  • whey protein isolate
  • P28 Bread Products
  • spinach leaves
  • asparagus
  • romaine lettuce
  • cucumber
  • green peas
  • green beans
  • yams
  • apples
  • prunes
  • bananas
  • almond butter
  • raw almonds
  • raw walnuts
  • olive oil
  • balsamic vinegar
  • almond milk

 

With respect to pantry items, I always have:

  • green tea bags
  • ground coffee
  • tomato salsa
  • hot sauce
  • oat flour
  • couscous
  • cream of wheat
  • a LARGE variety of all types of spices

 

Occasionally, I will purchase:

  • firm Japanese tofu
  • fresh salmon filet
  • flank steak
  • Fage Nonfat Unflavored Greek Yogurt
  • Nonfat feta cheese
  • Spicy Hummus

 

I make sure to avoid stocking forbidden foods for the most part, though I do admit that there are a couple of gluten free cracker brands which I will purchase from time to time, as well as chocolate peanut butter, 70% cacao bars and a high protein granola.  Keep in mind that these items are RARE treats and for whatever reason I have enough willpower to let these items sit on the shelf for the vast majority of the time.

The key to shopping in a healthy fashion is to purchase whole foods and also be prepared to purchase these items at least once weekly for maximum freshness.

 

 

Stay tuned for segments on how to cook for a whole week so that you have all your food ready to go for a busy work schedule!

Tricks To Add Flavor To Your Food

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If you have only used salt to flavor your food in the past and now gaze upon the salt shaker with trepidation because of all you have heard about high sodium diets and heart disease, your world is about to open up dramatically.  I know of a lot of people who are downright paranoid about the smallest extra sprinkle of salt and wish I could tell them that a certain amount of sodium is actually vital to good health.  Nevertheless, this discussion will center mostly around favorite salt-free seasonings and herbs, with the occasional mention of a couple of low sodium flavorings.  In addition, I will share which spices can cut a craving for something sweet pretty effectively.

Garlic is an excellent flavoring for food, as is onion powder, both of which impart a liveliness to foods.  Fresh or powdered ginger is also an excellent flavoring and can be used in savory or sweet dishes.  Mrs. Dash is a well-known salt-free seasoning which consists of a plethora of herbs and spices.  My personal favorites for punching up the flavor of poultry and fish are cayenne pepper, white pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon pepper (both with salt and salt-free), oregano, basil, and lemon juice.  I especially love cayenne pepper when it is mixed into ground bison with garlic since it seems to tone down the gaminess of this meat.  When I make sweet potatoes, the seasonings I turn to are cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves.  These spices in combination are so delectable you won’t miss the sugar.  Look for “apple pie spice” and “pumpkin pie spice” to get these spices already pre-mixed.

Cinnamon is also a fantastic spice to use on oatmeal and cream of wheat and will help to regulate blood sugar levels.  If you want even more of a treat in your oatmeal, you can use almond milk in place of water, then add slivered almonds or chopped nuts and fresh or dried berries to the mix while it is simmering on the stove.

Every once in a while when I am not prepping for a contest I will make brown rice with low-sodium chicken broth mixed in.  I usually use equal parts broth and water to keep the sodium content low.  The flavor which results is truly amazing!  A salt-free alternative to this is to sprinkle Mrs. Dash into the cooker and mix it in before you start it.

Happy eating!