Low-Glycemic Eating at the Farmer's Market

Often readers tell me that eating low-glycemic is too technical and complicated. It really isn't, as our trip to the Farmer's Market in San Francisco last weekend illustrates. The market offers unique foods and many low-glycemic treats. We nibbled our way across aisles filled with a large array of ripe succulent fruit, vegetables, and other locally-produced foods. Low-glycemic samples included fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, and dried fruit. The Honey-Orange Almonds were medium glycemic as were the small bites of dark-chocolate covered toffee. Although both were made with honey or sugar, none of the ingredients were high-glycemic, so the food itself was in the medium category. (Sugar is medium glycemic.) The bread samples were high-glycemic. Once you add white or finely-ground whole wheat flour to a recipe, it most likely is high-glycemic, or close to it.

I purchased dried orange slices and plan to order dried lemon slices online. They were tangy, refreshing, and low-glycemic. We couldn't sample the unusual varieties of legumes as they were uncooked. But I plan to purchase them later for winter soups. If I can't find them in Salt Lake, I'll order them online. Legumes are low-glycemic.

For lunch, we ordered Dungeness Crab deviled eggs at the Market Bar. The low-glycemic deviled eggs came heaped with crab and topped with a tangy Louis dressing. They gave us enough high-quality protein endurance to enjoy a couple more hours at the market. After this light lunch, we sampled salami slices flavored with orange zest and fennel seeds – another low-glycemic high protein snack. Meats, nuts, seafood, and eggs have a zero glycemic value because they don't contain carbohydrates.

Towards late afternoon, I purchased two thin crisp chocolate chip cookies – they were made with flour, so most likely they were high-glycemic. If they contained enough butter or fat, they could have been medium-glycemic, but when it comes to dessert-type foods with viturally no nutritional value, I figure they're high-glycemic.

Our local Farmer's Market doesn't come close to the grandeur of San Francisco's. But I'm resolved to shop ours more frequently to eat more local produce and support our local farmers. A local grocery store here in Salt Lake sells locally grown produce. It just tastes better.

Eating low-glycemic is easy if you know the basics - fruit, vegetables, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, meat, seafood, poultry, butter, and olive oil are low-glycemic. That list gives you plenty of options for preparing wonderful meals and feasts.

fat gene - petrochemical detox - renew from stress

Were you born with the “fat” gene? If so, read on. The good news is that you can override it – by doing 3-4 hours of body movement every day. In addition to your ideal one hour of exercise daily, add body movement: walk, take the stairs, park at the outer regions of the grocery store parking lot. (Like you I wish that keying and screen time is considered active, but it’s not.) Doing 3-4 hours of body movement daily requires a big lifestyle change. But it’s probably worth it for all of us – regardless of our genes.

During a week of breathing in smoke from a very nearby forest/mountain fire, I re-ignited by petrochemical allergies. I was super uncomfortable sitting near someone wearing strong perfume, breathing in the fumes of tiki lamps at an outdoor party, and so on. The next week I searched for hours to find a viable way to detox from petrochemicals and get desensitized so I could more easily live in the world. Here’s what I found and what is working (fingers crossed): take hot baths with Epsom salts frequently or daily and take 200 mcg of selenium daily. Infrared saunas and vigorous exercise help sweat out toxins. If you want to learn more about selenium, google “selenium protocol.” I’m 10 days into my program and I see and feel a difference, but the selenium protocol works slowly – over about 2 months. Supposedly I’ll get to the point where cigarette smoke doesn’t bother me. That’ll be the day!!! I’ll keep you posted. If you have any suggestions, please send them to me.

Stress is so fattening. I’m teaching at a couple conferences this fall on stress and have found a new way to decompress and renew: do what you loved doing as a child. Did you love riding bikes? You can do that now. I loved playing in the woods near our house in Ohio. Today, hiking is similar and as much fun. One friend liked playing with her dolls - today she’s a national director with Mary Kay “playing” with makeup and skin care and working in collaboration with many women.

Think back. Did you like games, the guitar, reading novels, playing house? Find ways to translate that into your life today, and do it often. You’ll feel renewed and your stress will dissolve.

Late-breaking health news- BPA in plastics such as water bottles, baby teething toys, and more is now linked to diabetes and heart disease. You can read the details at http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5809117&page=1

Wishing you all the best,


Lucy Beale
Author, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss
www.Lucybeale.com
801-501-8240

Low GI recipe: Kiwi and Tomato Salad

The fresh basil and flavored vinegar impart a colorful summery-Mediterranean flavor to this simple salad. It's very low glycemic.

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes

2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 kiwi , peeled and sliced
2 TB. coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 TB. olive oil
1 TB. flavored vinegar, your choice. I used a sweet wine vinegar infused with lavendar.
2 TB. shredded Parmesan

1. On a serving platter, arrange tomato and kiwi slices, alternating them.
2. Sprinkle basil on slices. Sprinkle on olive oil, vinegar and Parmesan.

Stress-low-glycemic brownies-beef

Stress alert. Increase your stress and increase your weight. From mid-March through July 15, about 4 months, I was avidly and intensely writing my next 2 books which will be in bookstores right after Christmas 2008. I worked hard to meet tight deadlines. Even with long hours of research and computer time, I maintained my normal daily exercise routines and ate less food than normal, probably because writing is sedentary.
Yet, by July 15, my jeans were too small. I'd definitely gotten bigger. I had midriff and midlife bulges in lots of places. Since I never weigh myself, I can't give you numbers. But I can tell you that other people noticed and said something about my weight gain. Yuck.
Yet, today, four weeks later, my jeans fit fine again. I have breathing room, so to speak. I haven't dieted or exercised more. In fact, I've been eating more food. What happened?
Only one thing changed – my stress levels. About 2 weeks after deadline, my cortisol (stress) levels returned to normal and so did my weight.
Lose weight by losing stress. It's way fattening. Here's some activities I used to decompress: caught up on everything I'd postponed: sent baby, wedding, and birthday presents, managed personal accounting and finances, read a couple novels while lying on the sofa all day nibbling on chocolate, went hiking lots, caught up with friends and emails, started painting watercolors again, played bridge and Scrabble, worked the NY Times crossword puzzles, tossed out dated magazines and such. I organized my space and my life, planned a weekend getaway with my husband, and culled my closet of dated or worn clothes.
What's on your list? What relaxes you? What incompletions do you need to complete? What can you do reduce on-going stress? Start with activities you love, then add in others, perhaps yoga, hot tub, gardening.
Chocolate with chili is fabulous. Sample chocolate bars flavored with chili, or with chili and cherries. Lindt and Chocolove bars are amazing. The slight burn of the chili adds a wonderful flavor that enhances the chocolate. Chocolate is 48 on the glycemic index scale, which is low-glycemic. These bars are so satisfying that a piece or two is usually enough.
In writing recipes for my book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Recipes, I found satisfying substitutions for the two biggest high-glycemic ingredients: flour and sugar. Here's a recipe for my brownies with suggestions for substitutes to lower the glycemic index and preserve the great taste. Book will be in bookstores late December 2008.
Lucy's Brownies

2 sticks butter – use only butter
1 ¾ cup sugar or 1 ½ cup xylitol
5 eggs
1 cup flour, or 1 cup almond, pecan, or hazelnut flour
1 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground chili powder (optional)
1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional) or 2 squares baking chocolate, shaved into tiny bits

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Fold in flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, chili powder, and chips.
4. Bake in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper for 20-30 minutes.

Note: make 1 cup nut flour by processing ¾ cup raw nuts in a food processor until it forms a flour.

Here are some other substitutions I used in the cookbook:
Use up to one-third Hi-Maize corn starch in place of flour in a recipe. Purchase online or at amazon.com.
Use oat bran, wheat bran, or wheat germ in place of some flour in recipes.
Good flour substitutes are pecan, almond, hazelnut, and walnut flour. Powdered chick peas also work.
I don't worry about using small amounts of sugar in recipes – it's better than artificial sweeteners. Use honey in salad dressing and sauces.
Avoid white potatoes and instead use red potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Big news: now the experts are touting beef for weight loss. It's about time.

Have a great rest of the summer. Relax. De-stress.

Warmly,

Top 18 ways to gain weight.

I know you want to manage your weight and most likely lose some. I created this list so you can identify personal behaviors that cause weight gain - some you may not be aware of.

This list seems very tongue-in-cheek. Perhaps it is, but these top 18 ways are serious - they work effectively and quickly. Adopting these habits guarantee that you’ll gain weight and have a really tough time losing it. And if you already have some of these habits, you can change them into their opposite positive and lose weight.

1. Overeat.
2. Eat foods you’re allergic to. Most common: wheat, dairy, soy, sugar.
3. Eat junk food and fast food.
4. Fill up on starches and sugars. Become a starch-arian.
5. Use food to manage challenging emotions.
6. Sit around. Increase your screen time.
7. Stay away from exercise.
8. Stay indoors.
9. Never develop creative interests.
10. Drink lots of liquid calories –sodas, alcohol, juice, etc. They count double or triple a chewed calorie.
11. Drink diet sodas and beverages sweetened with aspartame.
12. Avoid eating meat, poultry, and seafood.
13. Clean your plate.
14. Eat only one meal a day.
15. Skip breakfast.
16. Avoid eating eggs.
17. Yo-yo diet.
18. Stay up late.

Please post your questions and comments and I'll respond.

Have a terrific June and July,
Lucy Beale

Playtime for Weight Loss

All work and no play - not only makes us dull and boring, it makes us super-stressed. And super-stressed adds on the pounds as fast as overeating.

I'm writing two books concurrently. Both have tight deadlines. Yes, it was my idea: I assured my agent and editors that I could do it. This is the truth: I dream all night long of recipes. I awaken having created new recipes IN MY SLEEP.

I needed a play break - communicating 8-10 hrs. daily with a computer screen expands one's mind and also one's behind. I started going to playtime. At playtime they give us balls, mats, barbells, hand weights, step platforms, bands of rubber tubing, Bosu balls. music, and an instructor. For one whole hour I don't need to think, in fact, I can't think - if I want to keep pace with the instructor and use the equipment effectively. I'm a klutz with equipment so for safety reasons alone I have to forget my deadlines and turn my attention to the barbell in hand.

In actuality, my playtime is Power Pump class. It's $6 at the nearby community fitness centers. They offer lots of classes daily so I can fit them into my writing schedule. Yesterday, I purchased a punch card that lowers my cost to $3. The results: handling the stress better, my upper arms look better in summer clothes, and I feel happier because I took time to play.

The lesson: the harder we work, the more playtime we need. High stress causes weight gain even if you don't overeat. Break up concentrated screen time with activity. Get out and say hello to the sun.

Both my books will be on the shelves next January. I'll tell you more about them specifically as time draws near. Have a fabulous June.

All the best, Lucy

Lucy's Letter-April 08

What's your wiggle factor? The very activities that may have gotten you
in trouble in grade school are much applauded today. Why?
Because the more you wiggle, fidget, and have trouble sitting still,
the thinner you are. Yes, researchers have found that people who
can't stand to sit still for long actually burn more calories just
sitting.

If your wiggle factor is low, you can change it. Start with daily exercise. As you body becomes accustomed to more movement, you'll find that sitting for too long makes you restless - whether you're watching TV, having screen time, sitting in meetings. You'll want to stand up and stretch. shift in your chair, and find things to do with your hands. Finally you'll be rewarded for not being able to sit still for long.

Last month I received a two-book deal from my publisher, Penguin, (wonderful and fun) and I've been sitting at the computer and writing for long hours at a time for weeks. Even though I'm writing about weight loss and wellness, book writing is sedentary and intense. It's easy to think that just a little more chocolate will help. The combination of deadlines, creative stress, coordinating with my co-author, long hours in front of the screen make it hard to keep extra pounds at bay. What helps most is getting up and moving, doing cross crawls, going for a walk or doing the Tibetan exercises. Encourages more blood flow to the brain.

What do you do to avoid the sedentary non-wiggling life? Respond to this question at my blog where I'll also post this newsletter. That way, others on my list can read your suggestions and perhaps you can pick up a couple new ideas.

Both of my new books will be on the shelves before next January. I'll tell you more in the upcoming months.

Eating as recreation: We were out shopping a couple Saturdays ago and stopped in at Jason's Deli for lunch about 1 pm. The luncheon crowd had the place packed: grandparents, parents, children, and babies. Pat and I shared a small muffaletto and salad. I saw so many people eating for recreation.

People have always eaten for recreation. That's human nature. What's different today is that we have so much more food, so much more prosperity, and so much more time to EAT. And eat we do. Much to the detriment of our health and certainly to our waistlines.

Perhaps it's time to mix it up. For some social events, have food be the sideline and have an activity the main event - hiking, biking, playing bridge, going to plays, movies, shows, to Art Walks, museums and more. Broaden your recreational bases.

Hi-maize. I've been baking with hi-maize to test recipes for my new cookbook and I'm impressed. It's a corn flour that's a resistant starch with a low-glycemic index value. Resistant starch is super health promoting. You can substitute up to 1/3 of the flour in a baked good recipe with hi-maize. Since I seldom bake with flour, I use 2/3 nut flour (almond,s pecans, or hazelnuts) to 1/3 hi-maize. You can purchase
online at http://astore.amazon.com/wwwweightl056-20/detail/B000FJVMMQ/104-6476902-2527904. If you use hi-maize, let me know how it works for you. None of my guests (testers) have noticed any difference in taste or texture.

All the best. Have fun wiggling.

Lucy Beale
www.Lucybeale.com
Author, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss