Eats « Weekly Gravy

Being on a weight-loss diet day in and day out for months on end can be challenging and even discouraging. What’s more, following the same never-ending diet could be the reason you aren’t getting the results you’re looking for. A study in the International Journal of Obesity found an alternative that can provide better weight loss results and is easier to stick with. The “MATADOR” study recruited 51 participants, all obese men. MATADOR is short for Minimizing Adaptive Thermogenesis And Deactivating Obesity Rebound. After four weeks in which their caloric needs were calculated, participants followed either a continuous diet or a “restricted intermittent diet” of two weeks on followed by two weeks off for 16 weeks. Men who followed the restricted intermittent diet achieved greater weight loss at the conclusion of the study. This suggests that a two-week-on, two-week-off diet plan could help you shed unwanted weight and keep it off. One theory is that the breaks keep your metabolism from resetting at a lower caloric need, a reset that makes it harder to keep losing weight without more calorie cuts. There’s one caveat to trying this strategy on your own: It’s important to refrain from overindulging during your off weeks. Make sure your eating during off-weeks is balanced, with a variety of foods totaling about 500 calories a day more than you eat during… read on >

From Halloween through New Year’s, holiday weight gain affects people the world over and, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it can happen with any major holiday, not just the winter ones. As you might know firsthand, it’s a lot harder to lose that weight than to put it on. So even if you start every new year with just an extra pound or two, if you repeat this pattern yearly, your weight will just keep rising. That’s why the best approach is preventive — being aware of extra calories, starting now. There is another, separate challenge to healthy eating during the cold weather months in many parts of the country — much less availability of locally grown fruits and vegetables. It’s still possible to buy foods like berries and peppers, for instance, but you’ll pay a higher price, and in some regions, the selection of fresh produce simply shrinks. That helps explain the results of a study that polled women in North Dakota. Researchers found that diet quality was lower in winter when foods like corn, berries, tomatoes and lettuces were less available. What to do? Switch to dark leafy greens, squashes and root vegetables, and supplement with frozen fruits and vegetables, which can be as nutritious as fresh because they’re typically packaged soon after harvesting. Another smart… read on >

If you’re looking for a way to liven up your dishes with a great tasting, low-calorie condiment, zesty gremolata is for you. Gremolata is an Italian chopped herb mix and, as exotic as it sounds, it takes just three ingredients to make: lemon zest, parsley and garlic. It’s full of flavor but has hardly any calories, and it’s naturally fat- and salt-free. You can mix up a batch and then use it as a delicious accompaniment to grilled meats and fish instead butter- or oil-based sauces. Or toss it with pasta for an alternative to tomato sauce. It makes an especially tasty way to flavor mushrooms for a very healthy side dish. Basic Gremolata 1 lemon 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 3 garlic cloves, minced Use a vegetable peeler to remove yellow zest from the lemon, being careful not to get any of the bitter white pith layer. Mince the peel and transfer it to small bowl. Note: If you have a microplane grater, you can use it instead to make the zest. Add the parsley and garlic. Store for up to five days in the fridge. As an accompaniment to a protein, this makes enough for two servings. Multiply the ingredients as needed. Mushrooms With Gremolata 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound mushrooms, such as button or Cremini 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/8… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Infants need a balance of nutrients to grow properly and be healthy, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. Although homemade formulas may seem healthy or inexpensive, they may not meet your baby’s nutritional needs. The academy mentions some do’s and don’ts of homemade baby formula: Do choose recipes that have been reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Don’t feed your infant milk made from very young cows or milk substitutes. Don’t use formulas imported from other countries. Don’t add excess water to powdered formula or non-concentrated liquid formula.

Want to get more fish in your diet with a lot more flavor? This two-step technique yields a crispy outside and flaky fish within. Cooking fish in a skillet is a fast and flavorful way to prepare this healthy, low-calorie protein. The trick to searing fish and getting a crisp top is to start with a light dusting of flour. This alternative to breading also saves a lot of calories. Then, to get the same type of crunch without deep-frying, give your filets a short blast in the oven. If you’ve shied away from cod in the past, it’s time to try it again. It’s a high-protein, low-fat fish, and a good source of B12 and niacin. Crispy Cod With Spinach 2 tablespoons gluten-free or whole-wheat flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon paprika 3 tablespoons grapeseed or safflower oil 2 6-ounce cod filets Cooking spray 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 pound baby spinach 1 tablespoon butter Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place flour on a plate and mix with salt, black pepper and paprika. Dip filets into flour mixture and transfer to another plate. Add the oil to an oven-safe skillet and warm over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Add the filets and cook, without turning, for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy. Flip the filets in the pan and… read on >

The popular herbal supplement kratom may cause liver damage, researchers warn. Kratom is widely available in smoke shops and online. It’s a botanical product made from Mitragyna speciosa, a tropical evergreen tree found in Southeast Asia. At low doses, it’s a stimulant. At high doses, it has an opioid-like effect. Use of kratom has risen sharply since the start of the opioid epidemic, and more than 90 deaths have been linked to it, researchers say. “There are risks associated with using kratom, and liver injury is on the list of things that are a potential consequence of using it,” said William Eggleston, a clinical assistant professor at the Binghamton University-State University of New York’s School of Pharmacy. He wasn’t involved with the study, but reviewed the findings. There were eight cases of reported liver injury associated with kratom products in the study. Eggleston said this may not seem like a lot, but they are enough to be concerning. “Maybe we need to re-evaluate whether or not this drug should be available as a dietary supplement,” he said. Unlike prescription drugs, dietary supplements don’t need approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. And though kratom is a legal herbal supplement, the FDA has warned against its use. The agency has called it “opioid-like” and cited concerns that it might pose an addiction risk. Some patients… read on >

Want to have your cake and eat nutritiously, too? You can do both if you lighten up your baking. The typical buttery layer cake may taste good, but its main ingredient is white flour, which is basically devoid of nutrition. Using almonds and coconut in place of flour packs in nutrients like fiber, vitamins E, biotin and B2. You get to savor a rich-tasting cake that delivers nutrition in every bite. Eat it plain or glaze it with jam as described in the recipe to keep calories low. But even if you frost it, you’ll have a healthier slice than traditional cakes. Lighter Layer Cake Cooking spray 2 cups whole almonds 3/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut 2 teaspoons baking soda Pinch of salt 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 1/4 cup skim milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup sugar-free or low-sugar jam in the fruit of your choice 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Place almonds, coconut, baking soda and salt in a food processor and process until a fine meal forms. Place butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat on high with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time… read on >

Is emotional eating your downfall? One way to find out is with the EADES or “Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress” questionnaire developed by Amy Ozier of Northern Illinois University. First published in 2007, it has been used and refined by many other researchers over the years, not just in the United States, but around the world. The questions aren’t complicated. They ask how well you cope with stress and other problems, whether you use food as a way to self-soothe in times of distress or even as a reward in times of happiness, and how much control you feel you have over your eating, all with the goal of pinpointing eating behaviors that typically lead to weight gain. Emotions That Can Prompt Eating Stress Sadness Fatigue Feeling down on yourself Anger Not feeling that you’re in control of your own life Some other risk factors for emotional eating are not having a support network of family and friends, and feeling incapable of handling problems on your own. Strongly agreeing with statements such as you overeat when stressed, you keep eating even after you feel full, and you reach for food when you’re tired, angry or sad, are signs that your eating habits are related to more than true hunger. Keeping a food journal that includes how you feel every time you eat… read on >

Too much salt has long been linked to high blood pressure. In fact, one way to help control blood pressure is to reduce your salt intake. Research done at Vanderbilt University and published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation shows that salt may also be involved in weight gain. Traditional thinking has been that salty foods make people drink more water, but the scientists found that it actually reduces thirst and makes people more prone to overeating, weight gain and even metabolic syndrome, which can lead to diabetes and other serious conditions. Packaged Foods With High Salt Content Smoked and cured meats, like frankfurters Frozen dinners Canned meals Salted nuts and seeds Processed cheeses Crackers and croutons Since most Americans eat 50% more salt than recommended on a daily basis, it’s more important than ever to find ways to cut back. The National Kidney Foundation suggests limiting prepared foods with a high salt content. In addition to packaged and deli meats, some canned and frozen foods, from beans to vegetables, can have very high salt levels, so always read labels. Foods you may not associate with being salty could still have sodium in the ingredients. Look for no-salt-added brands. When that’s not possible, rinse the food under cold running water to remove as much salt as possible. When cooking and seasoning foods, replace salt —… read on >