Locavore

(noun): A person interested in eating food locally produced, not moved long distances to a market.

This would apply to anyone concerned about sustainability and eco-conciousness.

Normally, much of the food that you find at a chain market travels thousands of miles on a truck before getting to the market, causing excessive use of gas and creation of pollution.

Shopping at farmer's markets not only supports local farmers (by cutting out the middleman), but also cuts down unnecessary wastes of natural resources. By definition, "local" food is within a 100 mile radius, which is much less compared to 1,000 miles. There's less time travel between the item to the customer, ensuring maximum freshness.

I love shopping at farmer's markets. I've gotten THE BEST strawberries at the East Hollywod Farmer's Market. It's great to know you're supporting your local community AND receive awesome quality produce at the same time.

The weather is warming up, and it's definitely a great time to visit your local farmer's market. Plus you gotta love all the free samples :)

Ancient Grains

What in the world is an "ANCIENT" grain?

This has been a new popular food trend popping up all over the place. By definition, an ancient grain (which by the way are not all technically grains) have been around forever and unchanged. This is opposed to corn, rice, and modern varieties of wheat, which have undergone selective breeding over thousands of years, and look and taste much different from their previous ancestors.

 And just like the 7 wonders of the world, there are 7 ancient grains!
(All nutritional values are based on 1 cup cooked)

1. QUINOA: Pronounced "keen-wah". Considered a complete protein (most plant based foods are incomplete protein as opposed to meat souces).
•  Protein/Fat/Carb/Fiber: 8g/4g/39g/5g
•  High in magnesium, phosphorus, manganese
2. SPELT: Popular grain in ancient Greece.
• Protein/Fat/Carb/Fiber: 11g/2g/51g/8g
• High in niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese
3. AMARANTH: Favorite grain among the Aztecs and American Indians.
•  Protein/Fat/Carb/Fiber: 9g/4g/46g/5g
•  High iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese
4. BUCKWHEAT: A fruit seed related to rhubarb, originating from central Asia.
• Protein/Fat/Carb/Fiber: 6g/1g/33g/5g
• High in magnesium and manganese
5. MILLET: Smallest of all grains. Commonly used in bird feed :P
• Protein/Fat/Carb/Fiber: 6g/2g/41g/2g
• High in manganese
6. BARLEY: Oldest of all grains. 10,000 years old. Originated in Middle East and North Africa. Comes in hulled (w/ bran) and pearled (w/o bran). Think of it like brown and white rice.
• Protein/Fat/Carb/Fiber: 4g/1g/44g/6g (for pearled...can't find hulled values for cooked)
• High in manganese
7. RYE: Normally not eaten whole in mass quantities. Used in breads. Rye flour is also available.
• Good source of protein, fiber, manganese, selenium

I haven't tried spelt, amaranth, or millet, but the others are great additions to your grain pantry. Quinoa has a chewy texture and a nutty taste, and is great in hot dishes or cold salads. I eat buckwheat in the form of noodles (soba) which is a staple in my diet. Love how fast it cooks (5 minutes). Barley is delicious is stews and soups. And rye I've only had in bread which add a great flavor...normally eaten with pastrami!

There are some common misconceptions that ancient grains are "better" than regular grains. I think whole wheat and brown rice are great as well, but these are definitely some great options to add variety to your plate.

CDA Annual Meeting 2012

I had the opportunity to attend my first dietetic conference few weeks ago in April. This one was hosted by the California Dietetic Association (CDA) and took place at Ontario this year.

I definitely enjoyed myself, attending numerous presentations about new finds in nutrition. One of my favorite speakers was Douglas Paddon-Jones who talked about protein source, distribution and intakes for optimal health throughout the lifespan. His findings state that we don't necessarily need to add more protein into our diet, but a redistribution of our protein sources can greatly maximize our protein synthesis (ie muscle formation) for optimal health. For example, a typical American breakfast is carb heavy (cereal, pancakes, muffins, toast), lunch is moderate protein, and dinner tends to be very protein heavy. His findings state that there is a threshold of protein synthesis with 30g of high quality protein in one meal (vs. another experiment he conducted of 90g of protein did NOT produce 3x protein synthesis, as it was similar results to 30g of protein). So what does this mean? Any excess of protein from a meal does not benefit a person in regards to protein synthesis.

Here's a short video clip highlighting the points:

Another aspect of the conference was the exhibition. Meaning lots of free SWAG! Here's my loot on both days it was open for viewing. Lots of samples to try out and a few cool things such as reusable tote bags, measuring spoons, cutting board, water pouch, and of course pens.

I haven't gotten the chance to try EVERYTHING yet, but here are a few noteworthy ones I'd like to share.

Flatout Flatbread (Light Spinach): One of the biggest items I managed to score (it says "For Display Only", but I was able to finagle it!). A full-size sample of spinach wraps. These are low-carb (15g) wraps high in fiber and protein (9g each). I find it kinda ridiculous that the first ingredient on the label is WATER lolz. Taste wise, not so good. It has a chalky texture to it. Tried making quesadillas, and even the cheese couldn't mask the grossness. High hopes for this product. FAIL.

Pop Chips (Jalapeno Potato, Sweet Potato, Thai Sweet Chili Potato): All brand new flavors to the Pop Chip line! These things are never fried or baked...but POPPED! A lower fat snack alternative to regular chips. Jalapeno definitely has a spicy kick to it. Sweet Potato tasted like sweet potato. And Thai Sweet Chili and had a sweet and savory taste to it. Good flavors!

VitaMuffin VitaTops (Deep Chocolate): These sounded promising. Can't go wrong with chocolate right? And high fiber content of 9g?? Hmm, didn't taste terribly bad. Wasn't great either. Pass.

Udi's Gluten Free Muffin Top (Blueberry Oatt): My first try of a gluten-free product! Gluten-free meaning no wheat products (ie. regular all-purpose flour). This particular product is made from oats. Tasted ok.

Chimes Ginger Chews (Peppermint, Mango, Orange): These things pack a strong punch of ginger flavor Ginger is second on the ingredient list (next to sugar). Good tasty alternative to ginger ale soda (which most brands really doesn't have any significant ginger) if you get motion sickness.

Somersaults: They main ingredient is sunflower seeds, with the rest being a combination of whole wheat flour, sesame seeds, vital wheat gluten, sunflower oil, evaporated cane juice, and chicory root. They ended up being crunchy bites. These actually were pretty tasty. I really enjoyed the sweeter flavors (dutch chocolate, cinnamon crunch versus the savory ones. Has 6g protein and 3g fiber. Sensible snack.

Western Bagel (Alternative Bagel): This was probably my favorite one. So good that I ate all my samples! Just kidding, I gave them all out because I thought it was the best tasting one. Had a very pleasing taste and texture. I tried the Sweet Wheat one. What I really liked about this was that it was high fiber (7g) AND high protein (8g). Checking the nutritional label it's a bummer that the high fiber is from inulin and not whole wheat. Enriched wheat is always missing nutrients compared to whole wheat. But I still think it's still a good option in terms of a carb source on the go!

Looks like this year, high fiber is a big thing. Many of these products are boasting high fiber through the use of inulin (also found in FiberOne bars), which in my personal experience creates SO MUCH GAS. Not sexy.

Overall, I still prefer whole foods over packaged goods. Not only do you get so much more nutritional benefits, it's tastier too! Win-win situation.

I like to *poke poke*...Tuna Poke!

photo courtesy of Tim Wut

I had tuna poke (pronounced POH-kay) before, but recently I had this interesting variation at K'Ya restaraunt in Laguna Beach that my roommate took me to. It's sweet and savory with a beautiful sheen to the dressing. I tried looking online for a similar recipe but none provided that sweetness I loved, so I made this one up on the fly, but it came out really well. Super easy to make...promise! 

Ingredients

• 1 lb sashimi grade tuna
• 1 pickling size cucumber (the small ones), peeled
• 1 avocado (ripe but slightly stilll firm)

Dressing

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 lime (juice only)
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 scallion finely diced (white and light green parts only)

Extras

• Sesame seeds
• Furikake (rice seasoning...has dried seaweed)
• Fresh seaweed salad
• Black pepper
• Green tops of scallions

Directions

1. Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Cut the tuna, cucmber, and avocado in 1/4 inch cubes. Place all in a large bowl.
3. Drizzle the dressing all over tuna, cucumber, avocado mix. Toss gently, avoiding mushing the avacado.
4. Toss in any extras you like! I put sesame seeds, furikake, seaweed salad, fresh cracked pepper in mine. Garnished with green onions leftover from the dressing. But you can always get creative :)
5. Serve immediately. Goes great with rice balls, tortilla chips, fried wonton strips, salad, etc.

Miracle Berry - Flavor Tripping!

 After having giving up sugar for Lent, I was so excited to recently have the chance to experience the world of "flavor tripping"! What exactly is it you ask?

Synsepalum dulcificum is a plant that produces small red berries, known as "miracle berry" or "miracle fruit" (pictured above on the far bottom). These berries, when consumed, causes sour foods to taste sweet, but also plays an effect on bitter foods as well. The fruit contains a molecule called miraculin which binds to the taste buds of the tongue, changing the perceived perception of sour flavors. The exact mechanism is unknown, but it's been used for centuries in Africa and ALMOST become an all natural sweetener alternative in the U.S.

In 1970's, Robert Harvey came across this plant when in New England and thought he had finally discovered a safe, natural plant sugar alternative as opposed to the chemical artificial sweeteners. It received many positive responses from diabetics and dieters alike after clinical trials. He and his colleagues were able to extract the main ingredient in order to make it a marketable item, and the FDA cleared this product for use. In 1973, his office was broken into and files stolen, clearly a case of industrial espionage. Then in 1974, right before product launch, the FDA came in and retracted their clearance, stating the berry was an additive, which classified it like any artificial sugar, meaning it would have to go through years of testing for safety and efficiency. Funny, cuz later the same year, the FDA approved aspartame. ASPARTAME. The same artificial crap shown to cause cancer in rats. HMM. Shows you how little the FDA cares about us and how much money goes in their pockets. Did I say that out loud? Oops. 

Anyways! Enough of the history lesson. So how does one acquire these berries? FYI...these are totally legal in case you were wondering. You can get them off numerous sites, but my friend got them here: http://www.mberry.us. You can purchase the fresh berries, which have a very short shelf life of 2-3 days. You can always opt for the tablet form too which lasts 12 months from manufacture date. The tabs off this site you can split in half and have enough for 2 flavor trips. The berries are a novelty item I think. You have to buy the berries/tabs in bulk, at least 10-15. Which is why many people throw flavor tripping parties. The more the merrier!

I had a berry, and in order to get the full effects, you want to place the berry in your mouth. The skin will easily come off and you want to move the pulp of the berry around your tongue getting every inch of taste buds covered. Don't forget the bottom! You got a few taste buds there too. Give it a few minutes till all the pulp is gone, and spit out the seed. Eating the skin is optional (all the active ingredient is in the pulp anyways). I got a tablet as a take home, and pretty much you just want to halve it and rub it all over your tongue till it dissolves. Easy right? Now the fun part!

What kinda foods do you wanna try? Sour citrus fruits for sure. Anything with a sour tang will taste sweet. Be sure you have these prepared in advance. A usual flavor trip lasts anywhere from 15-60 minutes. Mine was only 15. I feel totally gypped. But here are the foods (with my personal experiences) that I got to shove my face with in those sweet 15 minutes:

• Lemons: by far my FAVORITE item. These tasted like candy and I ate them by the handful. My stomach hated me. So much.
• Limes: surprisingly not the same effect as the lemons. Tasted ok.
• Grapefruit: tasted deliciously sweet.
• Strawberries: like they were sugar coated
• Pineapple: ridiculously sweet
• Worcestershire sauce: sweet and smokey (strawberries + Worcestershire sauce = yummy)
• Apple cider vinegar: tasted like just cider
• Sour cream chips: sour taste gone, tasted like regular chips
• Jalapeno chips: tasted slightly sweet and spicy
• Tabasco: tasted like sweet and sour with a kick
• Goat cheese: suppose to taste like cheesecake/frosting...tasted like just goat cheese (I think the effects wore off by now)
• Guinness stout beer: suppose to cancel out bitterness and taste like chocolate milk...tasted like Guinness (which is still good to me! but bummer!!)

I'd highly recommend grazing on crackers/bread or take some Pepto Bismo to coat the stomach to offset all the acids you'll be ingesting. My tummy was HURT-IN!

...

Oh in case this isn't enough flavor tripping for you, try the REVERSE trip.

Gymnema sylvestre is an herb that reduces the sweetness of foods. My friends call it the "sugar destroyer". You can get it at health food stores or vitamin shops. It's sold in capsules and is normally used to help diabetics. When swallowed whole, the gymnemic acid binds to your stomach walls, preventing consumed sugar from being absorbed into your system and is simply passed out. BUT, when you open the capsule, spread that powder all over your tongue (tastes pretty nasty btw...almost like dried grass), the gymnemic acid blocks the sweet receptors on your tongue. This caused all sugars to not taste sweet anymore. This trip lasted 15-30 minutes on average. Brown sugar tasted like sand in my mouth. The strawberry tasted unripened. Cookie wasn't sweet, but I could still make out the butter and salts. Pretty much, life became very sad!

What was a bit peculiar is when I tried a bit of Smucker's jam, which contained high-fructose corn syrup. THAT definitely still tasted sweet. Which is a bit disturbing at how highly manufactured it is to taste that way.

FUN FACT: My friend tried the sugar destroyer first, confirmed that his sweet receptors were blocked by eating some sugar, then immediately tried the miracle berry. Although unable to taste sugar the second time (due to sweet receptors blocked), was able to taste the sweetness of the strawberry (due to the sourness being perceived as sweet). Therefore we can somewhat  conclude that the sugar destroyer blocks sweet receptors, while the miracle berry turns sour receptors into thinking sour is sweet. But of course more data needs to be collected before we can confirm.

Flavor tripping, anyone??

A Teaspoon of Sugar

Everyone knows that drinking lots of water and eating low-sodium is good for your health, but what about SUGAR?

It’s recommended that our diets only contain 6 teaspoons of sugar or less. This is referring to additional sugar (typically the refined white stuff, but also including honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, etc), and not the naturally occurring sugars in fruits (fructose) and milk (lactose), which are considered low-glycemic.

Hmm, 6 teaspoons? You’re prolly thinking, “That’s a lot!”. Unfortunately, it’s not. It’s hard to gauge how much sugar there is in packaged products because it’s listed in grams. Who the hell knows what 10 grams of sugar looks like? FYI, 1 teaspoon sugar = 4.2 grams. I like rounding down to 4 to make my life easier when computing.

So let’s take a can of Coca-Cola. It has 39 grams of sugar. Just off the top of my head, that’s like 10 teaspoons of sugar! Way over the recommended limit. You don’t drink soda you say? Well let’s take a cup of yogurt. Healthy, right? A single serving of Yoplait strawberry yogurt has 26 grams of sugar. But what about the fruit and milk? Aren’t those sugars ok? Fine, let’s look at Yoplait LIGHT (no sugar added). It has 14 grams of sugar from milk and fruit (not to mention artificial sugars). So clearly, the other 12 grams of sugar (3 teaspoons) in the regular is added.  That’s half your day's worth already. From a so-called healthy snack! You’re better off with plain yogurt and adding your own fruit.

Food companies sneak in sugar EVERYWHERE. Cereals, snacks, pasta sauce?! Yes, pasta sauce has anywhere from 1-3 teaspoons of sugar per ½ cup serving. And who really only eats ½ a cup?

But what makes things worse is that many food companies are now using high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) instead of just plain ol’ sugar. Why? Because it’s sweeter, cheaper, and extends shelf life.  But what makes HFCS so bad? First off, it’s highly processed, more so than refined sugar. It produces more advanced glycation end products, which causes wrinkles and sagging (eww!). Also, it’s been shown to create higher levels of triglycerides which is a risk factor of heart disease. And of course, it promotes fat storage around your waistline. I know, ugly :(

...

So to kick start the Lent season, I’ve decided to abstain from SUGAR. Which I define as any added sweetener with caloric value. So no more donuts, granola bars, or even KETCHUP.

And no, I won’t go on the artificial sugar route…because I don’t like the taste of it to begin with and I’m sure there are tons of health hazards consuming it by the truckloads. Except for sucralose, which is a derivative of sugar and isn’t metabolized in the body (it’s in my protein powder) and sugar-free gum.

I hope in this process to become more conscientious, about the foods I eat and to help me eat cleaner as well. Cleaner means leaner! ^_^

w-TEA-f?!

On cold night's like this, tea really hits the spot. My current favorite is green tea with barley. It has a nice toasty flavor to it.

With so many varieties...what is what??

Most tea is from the Camilla sinensis plant and depends on how it's processed. As soon as the tea leaf is picked, it begins to wilt and oxidize (ferment). Drying the tea leaves stops this process. The longer the oxidation the more robust the flavor. However fresh leaves (ie unoxidized leaves) have higher levels of some phytochemicals, especially antioxidants...this applies to white, yellow and green. All these teas derived from the C. sinensis plant contain caffeine. Here are the different varieties from youngest to oldest.

• White: Wilted and unoxidized
• Yellow: Unwilted and unoxidized, but allowed to yellow
• Green: Unwilted and unoxidized
• Oolong: Wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized
• Black: Wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized
• Post-fermented: Green tea that has been allowed to ferment/compost

Now I've never heard of yellow tea, but read that it is allowed to dry slower than green, which causes the leaves to yellow. Sometimes the smell can be mistaken for black tea, but the taste is in between white and green. Post-fermented tea are aged in open air for additional months to years, with the most common variety being Pu'er.

You also have other varieties such as:

• Rooibos: African for "Red Bush". Commonly called South Africa red tea. High in antioxidants and no caffeine.
• Chai: Black tea (therefore caffeinated) of Indian origin with spices. Can be sweetened with sugar and mixed with milk/cream.
• Herbal: No caffeine. Varieties include ginger and chamomile.

Now every tea has an optimal brewing temperature and time. This is to ensure the flavors properly develop without becoming bitter. General rule of thumb is that the younger the tea, the lower water temperature to avoid destroying their delicate flavors. Older teas such as Oolong and Black can withstand higher temperatures which will also allow more complex flavors to be extracted. Steeping time and how many times you can infuse your tea leaves will vary as well.

Here's a general guideline:

Type	Water Temp	Steep Time	# of Infusions
White Tea	65 to 70 °C (149 to 158 °F)	1-2 minutes	3
Yellow Tea	70 to 75 °C (158 to 167 °F)	1-2 minutes	3
Green Tea	75 to 80 °C (167 to 176 °F)	1-2 minutes	4-6
Oolong Tea	80 to 85 °C (176 to 185 °F)	2-3 minutes	4-6
Black Tea	99 °C (210 °F)	2-3 minutes	2-3
Pu’er Tea (Post-Fermented)	95 to 100 °C (203 to 212 °F)	Limitless	Several
Herbal Tea	99 °C (210 °F)	3-6 minutes	Varied

Now grab some tea and get brewing!

Soba Noodles (my favorite carb)

I was introduced to the wonders of soba last year in 2010 by my friend Tim Wut. WTH is soba you ask? Simply put, it's buckwheat noodles, traditionally Japanese.

And all I can say is that I LOVE it. It's high in fiber, good source of protein, low in fat AND cooks in 5 minutes (while brown rice can take up to 45 minutes). But be careful, not all brands are the same. Some have virtually no nutrition value, so be sure to read the label. My favorite brand so far is by the company CJ. It's actually a Korean brand, but they also make soba noodles called "zarusoba". It has a combination of buckwheat flour and yam flour which gives it it's high fiber and protein content.
 

 Looking at the label, you can see that each serving dishes out 270 calories, 11g fiber, 17g protein, 0g of fat as well as 24% of your daily value (DV) iron. Compared to 1 cup brown which has 216 calories, 4g fiber, 5g protein, 2g fat, and 5% DV iron. The downside is  that it's much higher in carbs (about 42%) as well as containing loads of sodium. I'm hoping most of it leeches out while I'm boiling the noodles.


Even with those high numbers, I still prefer soba as a quick meal in a pinch. It's easy to make, tasty, and filling. Boil in water for 5 minutes, strain and rinse with cold water (or warm if you like your noodles warm) and serve with your choice of veggies and/or protein. There's also soba sauce, which is flavored with soy sauce and bonito flakes, but loads of sodium as well, so use in moderation. I like to toss in whatever I have on hand. Pictured below I have spinach, corn kernals, toasted sesame seeds, dried seaweed, and fresh crab ^_^

 
CJ brand foods is a wholesale company, so you can only find their products in stores and a few online stores. Korean markets will carry it, such as H-Mart, but so far I find that Freshia market is the best value at a pack of 8 bundles for $5.49. This is defininitely a staple in my pantry!

Not-So-Evil Sprouts

It's been awhile since I've blogged. I know I've neglected it for a looooooooong time. I didn't really have a strong focus back then, writing about whatever food. But after starting grad school this year with a focus on a masters in nutrition, I've been excited about good healthy food again!

Now I've always had this bad connotation about brussel sprouts. I blame it on TV. Kids giving disgusted looks when they see brussel sprouts. And I figured it tasted pretty gross too.

But I had brussel sprouts some time last year from a friend who was obsessed with Jean Claude Van Damme aka "Mucles from Brussels". And I'll admit it tasted pretty good. And I just recently been eating it more often now since it's a winter crop, so it's pretty abundant at markets such as Trader Joe's and Costco.

It's a cruciferous veggie and in the same family as cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, kale.

A 1 cup serving of these sprouts offer over a full daily value of Vitamin C (125%) and K (195%), with some Vitamin A and folic acid as well (13% DV each). And 3g of fiber to boot.

Plus it's super easy to cook. I usually just like to rinse, cut it half or quarters, saute with a bit of olive oil and garlic, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Be careful to not overcook (turns soft and gray) which can cause a sulfurous odor, glucosinolate sinigrin, to be released, which can also taste a bit sharp like horseradish. May be the reason people dislike brussel sprouts in the first place!