Debra Wein Pic
Friday, February 1, 2013
This Week's Topics
Chickpea Pancakes
Worthwhile Links
Tough Times and High Calorie Choices
Preventing Sarcopenia
Measure YOUR Metabolism!

Chickpea Pancakes

Serves 8

 

Ingredients

1 cup chickpea flour (or garbanzo bean flour)

5 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 cup canned or cooked cannellini beans or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed (TIP: Opt for BPA-free cans.)

2 tsp chopped fresh basil leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste, divided

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 450�F.

Prepare pancake: Pour 1 1/3 cups water into a medium bowl. Add flour to bowl slowly, whisking in until smooth. Allow mixture to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. When hour is complete, stir in 2 tbsp oil and 1/2 tsp salt.

Heat a 10-inch cast iron or oven-safe heavy skillet on medium-high. Add 2 tbsp oil, pour in batter and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until edges of pancake begin to turn golden brown. Do not flip. Place skillet in oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until crisp around edges and light golden brown. Slide pancake onto a cutting board and slice into 8 equal wedges.

Meanwhile, prepare tapenade: In the bowl of a 4-cup food processor, place beans, remaining 1 tbsp oil, 3 tbsp water, basil and garlic and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape mixture into a sealable container, cover and set aside until needed. (Mixture can be stored for 1 to 2 days in refrigerator.)

To serve, spread 1 tbsp bean puree onto each pancake wedge. Garnish with additional basil leaves, if desired. Eat as you would a slice of pizza - with your hands!

 

Nutrition Analysis

Per serving (1 2-inch pancake wedge and 1 tbsp bean puree): Calories: 149, Total Fat: 9 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 11 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 4 g, Sodium: 32 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg

 

Source

Worthwhile Links
Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Visit our blog

Check out our award winning Worksite Wellness Programs!  

 

SNaC Byte Archive

 
Be Nice...
Share SNaC Bytes
Join Our Mailing List

Greetings! 
DW

 

What do food coloring, brominated vegetable oil (BVO) and synthetic hormones have in common? They are all banned substances in other parts of the world but are allowed into the U.S. food stream.

 

Read more about these banned substances in this article in Shape magazine. What can you do to avoid these chemicals? Skip (or at least reduce) the amount of processed food you eat. The closer to the earth you eat, the fewer chemicals you'll be exposed to. 

 

Have a healthy week!

-Debra 

 

Tough Times and High Calorie Choices

Although we didn't hit a Great Depression-era financial crisis, we're still pretty deep in the effects of the Great Recession. We tend to think about the poor economy hurting our bank accounts, but it could also be hurting our waistlines. In a new article published in Psychological Science, researchers claim that bad news about the economy could cause us to pack on the pounds.

 

In this study, researchers invited subjects to join in a taste test for a new kind of M&M. Half of the group was told they were trying a new high-calorie candy, while the other half was told they were sampling a new lower-calorie M&M. All of the participants were asked to fill out an evaluation form regarding the taste of the candy.

 

In reality, there was no difference in the caloric value of the M&Ms. The researchers wanted to see how many of each type of M&M the participants ate while exposed to posters with different messages. Some posters contained neutral sentences while other posters showed sentences related to struggle and adversity. It turned out that those who were subconsciously primed to think about struggle and adversity ate about 70 percent more of the "higher-calorie" candy vs. the "lower-calorie" option. Those primed with neutral words did not significantly differ in the amount of M&M's consumed. The researchers speculate that the results of this study show that when there is a perception of tough times, people tend to seek higher-calorie foods that will keep them satisfied longer.

 

Bottom Line: According to the researchers, it may be a good idea to turn off the television to avoid bad news about the poor economy, gun violence and the deep political divide of our nation, and let our brains rest from all the negativity. Avoiding bad news can certainly help our mental health, and as this study shows, it may help our overall health as well.

 

Source

Preventing Sarcopenia

Many older adults are at risk of sarcopenia, which is the gradual loss of muscle mass. While losing muscle may not seem like a big threat to health, the negative repercussions of muscle mass loss can be extreme, resulting in injury and subsequent loss of freedom.

 

Researchers wanted to find out what factors can improve or slow down the development of sarcopenia. They reviewed research literature to identify nutritional factors that contribute to the loss of muscle mass. While the best weapon against sarcopenia is resistance training, the researchers also found that diet is very important.

 

The protein guideline for healthy adults is 0.8g/kg (about 55 grams for a person who weighs 150 pounds). The protein recommendation in this research article called for an intake of 1.0-1.2 g/kg of body weight per day for optimal skeletal muscle and bone health in elderly people to prevent sarcopenia. 

 

Vitamin D also plays a role in preventing sarcopenia and adequate vitamin D can be ensured through exposure to sunlight and/or supplementation, if required. Vitamin D supplementation in seniors, and especially in the institutionalized elderly, is recommended for optimal musculoskeletal health.

 

The last recommendation in this review article is to avoid excess intake of acid-producing nutrients (meat and cereal grains). Instead, choose foods that have a more alkaline effect like fruits and vegetables.

 

Bottom Line: Diet and supplementation are important for seniors who are sometimes forgotten or are not as aggressive at taking care of their own health. Our aging population needs to ensure that they are doing at least a little weight training and eating foods that will keep their bodies in tip top shape as they age.

 

Source

About Sensible Nutrition 

How is YOUR metabolism? 

Ever wonder if your metabolism is keeping you from reaching your weight goals? Let a Sensible Nutrition RD measure YOUR metabolism and tell you the truth! Call 781-741-5483 or send an email to [email protected] to schedule your appointment.  

 

About Sensible Nutrition

Sensible Nutrition is a consulting firm established in 1994 that provides nutrition and fitness services to individuals, universities, corporate wellness programs and nonprofit groups. SN's client list includes the United States Coast Guard, Blue Cross Blue Shield, EMC, Putnam Investments, Corcoran Jennison, Harvard Business School, the Boston Ballet and Children's Hospital. For more information about our corporate wellness services, please check us out at www.wellnessworkdays.com.

 

SN services: One-to-one counseling, fitness counseling and training, group lectures, metabolism measures and more! Let the Sensible Nutrition staff develop a nutrition program to help you finally reach your health and weight goals! Gift certificates are available!

 

Debra Wein, MS, RD, LDN,  President and Co-Founder writes a regular nutrition column for the National Strength and Conditioning Association's  Performance Training Journal, has been quoted in Family Circle, Muscle & Fitness, Shape, Self, Men's Health, Allure and Prevention and has appeared on Fox 25, Channel 56, Channel 5, New England Cable News and several radio stations.

 

Contact us at www.sensiblenutrition.com or 781-741-5483.

SNac Bytes Footer