Superfoods!

There are so many different foods out there that have amazing nutrients that you would have never really thought of before. Many of us take food for granted, we love food for its taste and filling qualities, but who really pays attention to what the foods can do for you while you’re eating them. Here are some foods that may be doing more for you then you thought.

Yogurt! Yogurt is a perfect snack, it’s full of protein and minerals that are good for your body. Yogurt is of course a dairy product, which gives you a large amount of calcium. Calcium helps make your bones strong  Greek yogurt is even higher in protein and has less sugar than the other normal yogurts. The minerals found in yogurts also slows down the production of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that helps belly fat gather, but with yogurt the production of cortisol slows down making it easier to keep your belly flat.

Salmon is a great source for healthy fats and nutrients. It’s amazing how much your body can get from eating fish. Salmon is rich in omega-3, which is well known as a healthy or good fat as well as an essentially important fatty acid. Omega-3’s are believed to do a number of great things for our body. This fatty acid does a good job in helping calm down inflammations, it also helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and it has been seen to help slow down the build-up of plaque in arteries which will help prevent blood clots. 

Bell peppers are full of antioxidant vitamins A and C and carotenoids. These antioxidants are known to help prevent health disease, and helps fight off any other damage that may have harmed cells in your body. Bell peppers are also very high in potassium, making them a great source to get your daily dose. Potassium is important to enhance your muscle function and regulate your blood pressure. All bell peppers are good, green, yellow, orange, or red. It doesn’t matter the color, all bell peppers have the same antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. However, red bell peppers (the most mature bell pepper) are even richer and provide more of those vitamins than the other bell peppers!

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Chrisi Keating

Santa Clara University

Communications Major

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers

1 cup of cooked brown rice

1 lb 93% lean ground turkey

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can diced tomatoes (with italian seasoning is better)

tomato sauce - enough to cover the bottom of a casserole dish

2 tbsp canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place in a casserole dish - the bottom of the dish should be covered with a thin layer of tomato sauce.

In a pan, add canola oil and sautee the onions until translucent (5-7 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the ground turkey and brown.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked ground turkey, brown rice, and diced tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scoop mixture into each bell pepper half. 

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. If desired, uncover, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top, and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Number of Servings: 4

Wheat vs. White Bread

Ever since I was young I have loved bread. My grandma used to joke that she could tell if I was full or not depending on if I’d reach for the bread basket, if I couldn’t eat anymore bread, then she knew I was full. But I remember when I was in high school my mom decided it was time to switch from the delicious white bread, to wheat bread to make my lunch sandwiches healthier. I eventually switched back to the white bread when I began doing my own shopping, but now I wonder, is wheat bread really that much better for you? Should I grow up and give up the white bread?

The main difference between wheat and white bread, besides the color, is the flour used in the breads. White bread uses a flour that is very processed, while wheat bread’s flour is less processed. The more processed flour is, the less nutrients it holds. Wheat bread is typically made with all parts of the wheat berry, where as white bread has the bran and germ removed, removing a lot of the nutrients wheat usually has to offer.

When you don’t strip the wheat of all its parts (like in wheat bread) it is an excellent source of fiber. Fiber is helps make sure you continue to digest food well, and helps maintain body weight and a healthy heart. Fiber’s important, and a slice of wheat bread on average offers you 2 grams of fiber, where as the white bread only offers about 0.5 grams of fiber per slice.
White bread may taste good, however it is stripped of almost all the nutrients that we need and expect bread to have, and these days those important whole grains are found in more than just bread. Every product has more versions of itself than ever before. Cereals, pasta, rice, snack bars, and more all have whole wheat versions of themselves these days as well. 
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Chrisi Keating
Santa Clara University
Communications Major

Garlic Butter Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 (8 ounce) package spaghetti
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

• Directions

1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
2. In a small skillet over medium heat saute the garlic in olive oil.
3. Toss pasta with olive oil and garlic mixture. Add the parsley, salt, and ground black pepper to taste. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 477 | Total Fat: 29.3g | Cholesterol: 4mg

Pro Bike Racing to Ironman Triathlon in One Season

Her name is Liza Rachetto, she's a pro bike racer (PrimalWear/MapMyRide Pro Women's Team), she's raced the women's Giro d'Talia multiple times and she's directed the US Women's National Team at the Women's Tour de France. This year she's doing ANOTHER Ironman.

Yep, she's pretty bad ass and here's a great piece about how she raced as a pro and got ready for Ironman Canada 2012!

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Finally I have reached “taper” time in my training plan, therefore I have extra time to write and relax. It has been a whirlwind of a year/season that began with a series of criteriums in Victoria, Australia on January 1^st to racing in the women’s Giro d’ Italia last month! This was just six weeks before I should be preparing for my Ironman Triathlon. Regardless my coach approved Giro Donne and said it could only help my anaerobic fitness. Two weeks after finishing I completed my first ½ Ironman distance race and won the overall, guess he was right. Let’s hope the momentum continues as I try to qualify for Ironman Hawaii World Championships in October.

I’m doing my final days of taper preparation in Boise, Idaho, my hometown, where I am familiar with the terrain and a perfect altitude of 2800ft, and a short 10hr drive to Penticton where I will race in my 4^th Ironman.  Yet, it has been a 13 year hiatus with a knee surgery, transition to professional cycling, year of retirement from racing due to an autoimmune diagnosis and getting married.  I have been incredibly fortunate to use my bike racing and personal training/coaching experience to help me in this renewed challenge. However, there is always balance of life, health, career and relationships that need to stay in check along the way! In this article I hope to give a well-rounded outlook on training and racing at an elite level but will also provide guidance to the amateur athlete.  

First off, I currently race and train as a professional cyclist in my 8^th season.  One of the most valuable tools I have is my coach (Craig Upton), he provides me a weekly training plan so I can turn off my brain and focus on the workout at hand. I can also plan this training around my work and travel schedule, last minute adjustments are made as needed. He also coaches elite triathletes and has a very good program on setting up these workouts. Secondly, FOLLOWING the plan is critical. By going TOO hard, TOO long or executing poor recovery can be detrimental to the remainder of the week’s workouts- learned the hard way.

I also took on a nutritional coach (Stacy Sims) in the final weeks before my Ironman to advise and give me a detailed program on what I needed intake prior to and on race day.  Fortunately she has created her own drink mix OSMOnutrition.com based out of Fairfax and I am very lucky to have her time and coaching. Please make sure to practice what you will be eating or drinking on race day and before. Since you have put all the training and sacrifice into your event preparation, be kind to yourself and fuel your body accordingly!

So now that I’ve covered some training and nutrition there are other critical components including recovery and support.  SLEEP, yes I said SLEEP. I find that many athletes try to maintain a social life or add in that early morning training to neglect a critical component of their much needed recovery.  If you are still tired from the weekend’s hard workouts or a weekly interval session, do what you can to get a few more zzzzz’s during the week, it will make a world of difference.  Along with this can be a friend, spouse or therapist to provide some extra support leading up to the event. Spoil yourself and get that extra massage or spa treatment. At home see if you partner will fix a few of your meals or do your chores for you, these little things will go a long way when you can put your feet up! Yes, I am spoiled to have a husband (Jono Coulter) who has provided unconditional support during my last few weeks of training.

Staying  Motivated to Train. Just one year ago, I opened active.com to register for this ever popular race. I was anxious to sign up, nervous and butterflies rumbled in my stomach as I clicked on the icon [I ACCEPT] $625 later, ouch I had registered for 2012 Ironman Canada. Many questions stirred in my mind, “who would my training partners be?” “Where would I even swim??” “Would this negatively affect my cycling?” As the year went on, I learned to really enjoy the variety and new challenge. I found 2 good masters swim programs, realized I didn’t need training partners- but my GPS to keep me honest and social media to post my workouts or MVP to crush a few hills with friends on. SO much has changed in 13 years, I’ve slowly grown to adapt to the new ways of Tri-Training in 2012 and its fun!

Man's Best Friend

Many people believe that a dog can be a best friend. In truth, pets really do have a huge effect on our lives. Pets show affection whenever they can, they never judge, and they are always there for you. It’s amazing how much interacting with a pet can boost your mood. I have a cat, Scampers, and every time I or anyone else in the house is sick he will never leave our side. He lies in bed with you for however long it takes for you to feel better, but there is something about that support that he gives that is comforting and reassuring. No matter how many innovations we have, and no matter how complex technology gets the simple fact is that we humans are animals too. We have a good relationship with animals. 

Pets are a major mood booster. If you go home after a stressful day in the office to be greeted by an overjoyed dog, you will automatically start feeling better, and start thinking of other things than how work was. They are always going to be waiting for you and ready to share their unconditional love. A 2002 study from the State University of New York in Buffalo actually found that when working on a stressful task, people suffer from less stress if their pet is with them rather than their spouse, family or friend. 

A pet can be your very own personal trainer! What’s better than taking your dog for a walk, or playing with your cat, just to find out that what you just did really was an exercise. Dog owners are regularly more active and less likely to be overweight than people without pets. 

In a way, pets can even be guardian angels for your person. They always know when something’s wrong. All animals have a way of sensing when something is off. Cats and dogs as well as most other animals know an earthquake is coming before we feel it, and their odd behavior is an obvious warning sign that something is about to happen. Animals also have a way of sensing when something is going on with you, whether you are just sad, or something is physically wrong. Like I said earlier, my cat will not leave when someone in my family is sick, he stays with you until you are all better, and even then you can tell he’s kind of watching you, making sure. 

Dogs can also function as people’s health monitors.  Dogs have a way of smelling chemical changes, which is why they are also used for bomb and drug searches, but they also notice when your body chemistry changes. Dogs notice changes that we don’t even notice, even when it’s too late. For instance, they can sense when someone around them is about to have epileptic seizures and are able to warn them to sit down or lay down. A diabetic’s dog also often shows a dramatic behavioral change when they notice their owner’s blood glucose level drops.

A dog really can be man's best friend.
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Chrisi Keating
Santa Clara University
Communications Major

Anti-Aging Food

We all know that at a certain age, we begin to regret growing older. But there is nothing we can do to stop the aging process because no matter what we do we will always gain a year. There is no way to stop the actual aging in numbers; however, there are ways to fight the aging looks and problems. These foods could help you stay feeling young, keep you from losing your memory (and glasses)  and of course looking young.

It shouldn’t be too surprising to hear that some of the best foods that fight aging are a good variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, some protein, and of course, some healthy fats. Fresh produce has a lot to offer us, no matter what age!

But of course there are a few foods that help more than others. Blueberries are amazing!  These tiny little berries hold so much fiber, vitamins, and minerals that they should be in everyone's diet. Blueberries are high in both vitamin C and E, which offer your body a lot of benefits. Plus, they’re a great source for antioxidants. Vitamin C is known for its ability to help fight colds, protect against immune system deficiencies, eye disease and it has even been said to help prevent wrinkly skin (hence the magical anti-aging powers)! 

Green tea is also known for its anti-aging powers. Like the blueberries, it’s loaded with antioxidants and vitamins C and E, as well as other nutrients. No matter how you drink it, hot or cold, or use it to cook, this tea will help you feel and look young. On top of all those vitamins, the antioxidant found in the green tea called catechins may reduce oxidative stress by the eyes for over 20 hours. Green tea can also do wonders for the skin and wrinkles, which is why we are finding more washes and lotions being sold that contain green tea. It is also believed that green tea helps increase longevity, decrease arthritis, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's. 

And surprise; red wine is believed to help against aging as well! Believe it or not, but the whole a glass of red a night idea is actually kind of right. Red wine contains many antioxidants which can ward off age-related illnesses and may even limit tumor growth.
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Chrisi Keating
Santa Clara University
Communications Major

Beer on the Run?

Prosit! Cheers to all of you beer lovers; Spanish researchers have found that a pint of beer after running, cycling or exercise in general can actually be good for you! A beer after the big race has been passed off as a “carbo loader and fluid replacer” as to make the beer sound better. Everyone seems to enjoy a nice chilled beer after a grueling race or tough game. Beer is even found at almost all sporting events, whether you’re just watching, or participating, beer is inevitably consumed. So no wonder they make the Oyster Challenge like they do, beer and exercise may actually work well together - but in moderation, of course.

When I began writing this article, I started finding site after site recommending beer after exercise. A few years back, Spanish scientist Manuel Garzon and his class at the Granada University in Spain conducted an experiment to learn whether beer could be as hydrating as water after exercising. Garzon conducted the experiment by having 25 students run on a treadmill in 104 F temperatures until they were close to exhaustion. Half the students were given two half pints of Spanish lager, while the rest were given water. He redid this experiment for a month, concluding at the end that the students who drank beer after the exercise showed slightly better hydration then those who only had water to drink. But almost every site discussing beer and exercise will say that these results are not quite true.

Professor Garzon never actually got this study officially published, and the professor’s study never reached a full conclusion whether beer was better than water after exercise. But they did find that the beer did not hinder one’s rehydration after exercise, though it did not necessarily help it either. So either way it doesn’t really matter. 

A beer after the race will definitely stay many people’s favorite way to celebrate and relax! And there’s no reason it shouldn’t! 

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Chrisi Keating

Santa Clara University
Communications Major

Chicken Tropical Recipe

Here's a slow cooker recipe perfect for this time of year. Slow cooker makes it easy for you to prepare in the morning so it will be ready for you when you come home in the evening!

Ingredients:

A dab of olive oil, as needed

4 split happy free-range organic chicken breasts

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 Bermuda red onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 zucchini squash, cut into half moons

1 large red pepper, cored, cut into chunks

1 15-oz can pineapple chunks with juice

2 cups organic chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1-2 teaspoons curry- mild or hot, to taste* (I used red curry)

1-2 teaspoons paprika (I'd love to try smoked paprika)

Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

2 teaspoons organic brown sugar, or raw organic agave nectar

Later:

1 14-oz can coconut milk

1/2 cup sliced black olives

Juice from 1 large, or two small, limes

To serve:

2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked brown rice

Silvered almonds, if desired

Instructions:

Drizzle a touch of olive oil in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water and pat dry. Place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper, and pineapple chunks with juice.

Add the broth, spices, and brown sugar or agave.

Cover and cook on low or high- your choice- according to your slow cooker's instructions for cooking chicken and vegetables.

A half an hour before serving, add the coconut milk, sliced olives, and lime juice; stir a bit.

Cover and heat through for 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve- with all the broth- over hot cooked brown rice.

You Need Sleep

Don’t “wake up on the wrong side of the bed,” all you need is the right sleep and you’ll be waking up on the right side of the bed every day! Sleep is so important, there’s no reason we should be skimping out on it!! We all know that sleep is important, and have heard that many times, but it’s not until you lack sleep that you usually realize just how important it can be. The amount of sleep you get can really make or break your day. If you were watching the Olympics, you probably noticed that every time an athlete talked about preparing for their event they mentioned how early they went to bed or how much sleep they got! Sleep is important!

Our bodies work hard during the day and deserve to rest at night. Most people don’t sleep more than 6 hours a night on average, and most of them have difficulties falling asleep (especially during the work week) so what should be 6 hours into much less. 

For all of you that say your memory’s going, or isn’t as good as it was, get more sleep! Sleeping gives your brain time to commit information to memory. That’s why all professors have been saying sleep before a test is more important than cramming during an all-night study sesh. Your brain remembers information better after sleep then it does without it. 

Lack of sleep can also lead to weight gain.  Without sleep, our bodies don’t process and store carbs properly, leading to an increase in weight. 

Your mood is affected by sleep. We’ve all dealt with it before: if you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you often wake up feeling crabby and irritable. When we lack sleep we are often in an involuntarily bad mood that’s difficult to shake off. With the right amount of sleep you are more likely to be in a better mood.

And of course there’s the obvious reason we need sleep: so we don’t fall asleep at work, behind the wheel of a car or while on our bikes! 

I know, there are many different factors that stop us from getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep, but the closer you get to those 8 hours, the happier you will be! Chances are, you are doing something to sabotage the sleep you need without even knowing it. There are a couple little things we can change to help ensure our body gets as much sleep as we can give it. 

Don’t do work in bed. Your bed should be a place for sleep, it’s not a make-shift desk. By leaving your work outside of the bedroom, it’ll make your room into a place where you can escape work and stress, so you can relax and sleep. Try leaving all technology far away from your bed as well. By leaving iPads, phones, and computers out of sight, you will be less likely to want to check in with work and emails. 

Go to sleep at a decent time! There’s no reason to stay up late if there’s nothing to do -  the late night reruns can be watched some other time. Getting to sleep at a reasonable hour is one of the best things you can do to get the sleep you need. Even when you have a big presentation at work that you want to keep going over, or a big test in school the next day, getting a good night’s sleep will help you more than that all-nighter. 

Let yourself relax and unwind after a long day. Give yourself a break between working on the computer and trying to fall asleep. Take a shower, make yourself some tea, or read a book for a bit try to forget your worries, and relax for better sleep. Remember to relax!

Doing these things, and putting them into a sleep routine for yourself will help make sure your body gets the sleep it needs and deserves. You’ll wake up every morning feeling revitalized and in a much better mood!

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Chrisi Keating

Santa Clara University
Communication Major

Good Fat vs. Bad

Everyone assumes when they hear the word fat that it's bad. But there are different types of fat, the ones that are good for your body, and the ones that aren't. How do you separate the good from bad fats though?

Bad fats are obviously not good for the body. The bad fats often increase one's cholesterol, and not the good type. These bad fats include trans fats and saturated fats. The consumption of bad fats lead to negative effects for your body. These excess fats that your body does not need causes the unhealthy cholesterol to rise, as well as obesity and can make the risk of heart disease much higher.

Saturated fats come mostly from animals, especially the dairy products. Cheese and butter and ice cream are all known to be rich in saturated fats. Saturated fats are known for having negative effects on the body by increasing your bodies level of bad cholesterol.

Trans fats are synthetically produced, they are not found naturally. They are often found in packaged goods like chips, cakes, pies, cookies, fried foods, doughnuts, and of course it is found in most fast food. Trans fat are the all star winner of bad fats, not only do they increase the bad cholesterol, but it also depletes the good cholesterol your body has built up.

The good fat's have many different health benefits for you and your body. The fats that are good for are bodies are known as unsaturated fats, specifically monounsaturated polyunsaturated fats. These are the fats you want to make sure your body is getting!

Monounsaturated fats are found in many different foods, but specifically recieved by eating avocados, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, almonds, olives, pecans, and through vegetable oil. This fat helps lower the bad cholesterol found in your body as well as lower one's risk of stroke and heart disease.

Polyunsaturated fats are also known as omega fatty acids. These fats are found in vegetable oils, nuts, soy beans, canola and fatty fish like tuna herring, salmon, and sardines. These fats not only are good for your body and cholesterol, but also for the brain. Especially the foods with Omega-3 (seen in fish and soybeans) are important for brain function, growth and development!

Fat is important! A lot of people jump away from food when they hear the word fat, but you need to check and see what kind of fat you're dealing with. Our body needs fats, not the ones that come from junk food, but we need to make sure our bodies receive the good ones. 

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Chrisi Keating

Santa Clara University

Spicy Shrimp Salad

Ingredients

2 ears husked corn
Spicy Grilled Shrimp
2 heads Boston lettuce, torn1  red or yellow bell pepper, chopped2  celery stalks, sliced1/2 cup Light Ranch Dressing5 dashes hot sauce

Directions

1. Grill corn alongside Spicy Grilled Shrimp 10 minutes or until slightly charred, turning. Cool; cut kernels off cob
2. In large bowl, toss corn with lettuce, red or yellow pepper, celery, shrimp, Light Ranch Dressing, and hot sauce.

This same recipe works great with chicken or beef as a shrimp substitute! 

Food Myths

Myths. We listen to all sorts of myths. Whether we believe them or not is a completely different issue. But do you realize how many food myths you have probably heard and possibly believed?

Fruit juice for instance, is the basis of one of the biggest food myths! It is often assumed that fruit juice is healthy and good for us. However, people are surprised to find out that it really isn’t! Drinking fruit juice is not the equivalent to eating a fruit like many people often think. Fruit juice is loaded up with sugar, so much that they often have just as much sugar and calories as soda. The newer orange juice products with added calcium or Vitamin D don’t give your body the same amount of nutrients that eating the fruit would either.

Just because a food is said to be low fat doesn't necessarily mean it is healthier! Our bodies actually need some fat. Many foods that you find to be labeled with "low fat" are often low in the fats that are actually healthy. When picking food, we can't assume low fat means healthier. It all depends on what fats the food contains. Look for foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, fats from avocados, olives and nuts. Those are definitely dishes where you don’t want to be seeing the “low fat” label. Many “low fat” labeled foods are high in sugar and refined carbs like white sugar, which our body really doesn’t need. 

The "don't eat after 6 o'clock" rule. It's all bull!! There are the 6, 7, or 8 o'clock rules, but none of those rules are actually true. Yes, many celebrities swear by these rules saying that if you don't eat passed a certain time you'll lose weight, but it's not true. Our metabolism does slow down while we sleep, but it does not stop completely like many Hollywood dietitians have lead us to believe. The food will still be well digested if we decide to eat after 6, 7, or 8 o’clock!

Kids need milk to grow strong. Wrong! Humans aren't even technically supposed to be drinking milk after nursing (we are the only animal that does). Evolution has made our bodies, or most of our bodies, capable of digesting it. Children don’t need milk to get strong bones, there’s nothing wrong with drinking milk, but it’s not a necessity like many people believe it is. There are many other sources from which children receive calcium from, like leafy green veggies and beans. 

You're supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day? Nope. There's nothing magical about 8, and there is no real rule about how much water you should drink a day. Yes, water is important, but there's no reason to be paying attention to the number of glasses you are drinking, and 8 glasses won't magically make you healthier. The key is to stay hydrated.

A glass of red wine every day is healthy, sorry to disappoint but that is also a myth. Well it’s not necessarily awful for you either, but red wine has been seen to disrupt your body’s folic acid, which is a vitamin known for it’s anticancer effects, and has caused an increase of cancer found in women who drink a glass a day.

Be careful what you hear isn’t always true!

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Chrisi Keating
Santa Clara University

Gluten-Free

I’ve always seen restaurants with “gluten-free” options, or heard of people saying they don’t eat gluten. But I never understood what that really means! When I was younger I always just figured it was some new diet thing people were trying out. As I got older I knew that was wrong, but I still never really knew what gluten was, or why so many people were trying to avoid it, so it’s about time to learn about gluten!

Gluten is a composite formed from many different proteins found in types of wheat and other grains like rye and barley. These proteins form gluten and create the elasticity found in dough. As we all know, dough is a part of many different foods, especially carbs. Gluten can be found in bread, pasta, tortillas, bagels, cereal, pretty much anything made from wheat or rye flour. It can also sometimes be found in other foods and beverages like beer, cookies, lunch meats, soy sauce and even some ketchup. Gluten is even used as the base for imitation meats like veggie burgers. So if you want to stay away from gluten, you are going to have to check the labels well to make sure you are staying gluten free. 

10 years ago it seems like gluten was never a problem, and gluten-free options were never seen. Gluten-free is everywhere now though. Gluten free products have been popping up in all supermarkets and restaurants have been creating more and more gluten-free options to keep up with the people. Apparently some churches have even begun offering gluten-free communion wafers. But why has gluten become such a big issue lately?

For some people gluten can cause intestinal problems, which can lead to more serious sensitivities to gluten and diseases. However, this gluten sensitivity seems to be increasing in industrialized countries, like ours, which is why we have been hearing more about gluten now then ever before. It is believed that our countries are just to clean, that our bodies immune systems can’t handle all the same stuff our ancestors could. If we were to eat a little dirt when we were kids most people would consider a little dirt to be good, that it would help promote a healthy immune system. But with our society becoming cleaner our immune systems no longer can handle all foods as well anymore. This is why more people have discovered that their bodies feel better when they stay away from gluten. 

Even for healthy people, who do not have gluten sensitivity, gluten is still a difficult protein for their body to digest. So healthy people, as well as gluten sensitive people have been adopting gluten-free diets as part of their lifestyle now. 

Gluten-free is no big new fad; our bodies are evolving and are getting use to this nice clean society we’re living in. Gluten-free has become a lifestyle for many people now, and I’m guessing we are going to be seeing a lot more gluten-free products and restaurants in the future.

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Chris Keating
Santa Clara University

Amazing Gluten-Free Brownies

Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies

Makes 9 to 12 brownies

Adapted from “Ready for Dessert” by David Lebovitz

You can use salted or unsalted butter for these brownies. If you use unsalted butter and want to add some salt, use 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt. I also like to add 2 to 3 tablespoons of roasted cocoa nibs along with the nuts for added chocolaty crunch.

Use very low heat for melting the chocolate and butter. A good trick is to add the butter to the pan first, which melts faster than the chocolate, so you don’t burn the chocolate. You can use a flame-tamer if you’re concerned but I always melt it right over the lowest heat possible and never have had any problems.

Ingredients 

6 tablespoons (85g) butter, salted or unsalted (see headnote)
8 ounces (225g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch process
3 tablespoons (30g) corn starch
optional: 1 cup (135g) nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

1. Line the inside of an 8-inch (23 cm) square pan with foil so that it goes up the sides to the rim. Lightly grease the foil with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350º (180ºC).

2. Melt the butter and chocolate (and salt, if using) in a medium saucepan over very low heat on the stove top, stirring constantly until smooth.

3. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, then the eggs, one at a time.

4. Sift together the cocoa powder and corn starch in a small bowl then stir them into the chocolate mixture. Beat the batter vigorously for at least one minute, until the batter is no longer grainy and nearly smooth. It will pull away from the sides of the pan a bit.

5. Add the nuts, if you want them, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

6. Bake for thirty minutes, or until the brownies feel just set in the center. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing.

Storage: The brownies can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, or frozen for at least 1 month.

Troubleshooting: If the finished brownies are crumbly, that means you didn’t beat the batter long enough in step #4. You can then use the brownie bits to fold into ice cream for a fun treat!

Enjoy!

Small Plate, Big Fork?

I know it's been said before and it sounds weird, but eating off of a smaller plate can actually help you eat less! We are content with a meal when we think we're full, however our mind has a lot of power in that matter. In our mind, a proper meal usually looks like a full plate. Our mind can see a small plate full of food that looks like a meal, just as much as a large plate does. If we were to create a healthy sized meal on a smaller plate, and then dump the contents onto a large or normal size plate, the contents would no longer look like they make an entire meal. An illusion is created, the small plate full of food will look like it has more than the larger plate that is holding that same amount of food, but has some empty spaces. When you are filling your plate with food you are likely to fill up your whole plate, so the plate looks nice and doesn't have awkward empty gaps. By grabbing a smaller plate and serving yourself on that, when you fill the plate you won't have as much food, but the plate will still look appealing and comforting.
        Oddly enough, apparently eating your meal with a larger fork has that same effect as eating off of a smaller plate. Just as the look of our meal in front of us matters, the sight of our bite or fork full matters as well. Researchers at the University of Utah conducted a study (The Influence of Bite Size on Quantity of Food Consumed: A Field Study) testing the idea that a fork size could play just as big of a role in how much we eat as the size of the plate we eat off of.

The researchers used customers at an Italian restaurant to test this idea. They selected tables at random, giving the customers either uncommonly large forks, which were 20 percent larger than normal forks, or small forks, which were 20 percent smaller than the normal forks. Before bringing the food out to the customers, the researchers weighed the plate of food, and then weighed them once again when the customers were finished with their meals and the plates were returned.

Researchers found that overall the customers who ate with the unusually large forks left more on their plates at the end of the meal then those who ate with the smaller forks. But why is it that people often eat more when there's bigger portions in front of them, but eat less when they eat with a larger fork?

The researchers believe that people focus on the visuals while they are eating, like how quickly the food seems to be disappearing from their plate. A small fork makes it seem like you are progressing very slowly with eating your meal and as if you are not eating much. The diner feels like they are not consuming much of the food that is in front of them, meaning they do not think they are content or full and will continue eating.

That same logic can make sense of the small plate idea. If people have a bigger portion of food in front of them, when they eat it's going to look like they're making very little progress in eating the meal, and because it doesn't look like they are putting a dent in their meal until they eat a large portion of it. 

So remember, a small plate helps prevent you from overeating, but a big fork could help just as much!

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Chris Keating

Santa Clara University