Low Carb Stuffed Mushrooms - Recipe

This is a low carb recipe for Stuffed Mushrooms that everyone loves, even my non-low carb friends. In fact, I'm always requested to bring these to parties or get-togethers.

Just in time for your New Years eve party!

INGREDIENTS:

1. 60 Button Mushrooms (approximately 2") Cleaned & De-stemmed
   
2. 1lb. Package of Bob Evans Ground Italian Sausage - Browned
3. 3 or 4 Slices of bacon - Cooked and Crumbled
4. 1 8oz Package of Cream Cheese
5. 1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese or Asiago Cheese - Grated
6. 1/4 Cup Red Onion - finely Chopped
7. 1 Cup of Portabella mushrooms or Use the Stems from the Button Mushrooms - Finely Chopped

Combine Ingredients 2 through 7. Spoon mixture into each of the hollowed Button Mushrooms and place in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. You will need 2 dishes.

Place in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for approximately 20 to 30 minutes until hot. Do not over bake or they will be dry.

The combined ingredients can be made in advanced and stored in the refrigerator. Baking time may take an additional 10 to 15 minutes if prepared from a cold state.

Yields 60 stuffed mushrooms. Each 1 has approximately 1/2 carbohydrate.

Cholesterol...the Good, the Bad and The Truth

We’ve all been told to keep our “bad” cholesterol low and our “good” cholesterol high but the truth is cholesterol isn’t good or bad.

Almost every cell in our body is capable of producing cholesterol but it is primarily made in the liver. Cholesterol is needed to produce our bile acids and sex hormones and is used as a “spackle” to patch up damage to our arteries caused by free radical damage and other injuries. It supports the functions of the brain, nervous system, liver, blood and skin.

Cholesterol is fat soluble and therefore it doesn’t dissolve in blood so it’s carried to and from the cells by lipoproteins.

HDL (“good” cholesterol) transports cholesterol from tissues and other organs to the liver and conversely, LDL (“bad” cholesterol) moves the cholesterol out of the liver and to the tissues and organs as needed.

Cholesterol test results are usually broken down into three categories that make up the total cholesterol count.

1. HDL-High Density Lipoprotein has the ability to calm the immune system and reduce inflammation. It’s important to have this number as high as possible but minimally >40.
2. LDL-Low Density Lipoprotein. This is the number that gets most physicians in a tizzy but new research has proven that the number isn’t as important as the particle size of the LDL in determining cardiovascular risk. A VAP test can determine whether your particle size is large and fluffy (Type A) versus small and dense (Type B). The small, dense particles oxidize causing free radical damage and inflammation leading to higher cardiovascular risk. The VAP test is quite expensive but there is an alternative way of determining the LDL particle size and that’s from your triglycerides.
3. Triglycerides-Fat. Your Triglycerides are a surrogate marker for LDL particle size. Low Triglycerides mean large, fluffy (Type A) LDL and result in low risk cardiovascular disease

My Triglycerides are 41. How did I get them so low? Triglycerides are directly tied to the amount of carbohydrates you eat and whether your insulin mechanism is working properly. I was over-weight and insulin resistant when I decided to eat foods that kept my insulin levels even (low-carb) which resulted in losing 70lbs and very low Triglycerides. You can read about my weight-loss here.

There are many natural ways of raising HDL and lowering Triglycerides and LDL such as increasing sources of omega 3s ie salmon. Stay away from trans fats ie hydrogenated (even partial) oil, margarine and processed oils. If you have any questions concerning this information please don’t hesitate to contact me at Sonja@actionhealthylife.com

Health Concerns Microwaving with Plastic

This time of year, with all the holidays, parties and get-togethers, there is an overabundance of leftovers stuffed in refrigerators across America. Most of us, without giving it thought, will grab the plastic container of hot n spicy weenies and place them into the “magic warmer” known as the microwave. But the combination of these two technological wonders, plastic and the microwave, may not be beneficial to your health.

Studies have found that all plastics commonly used for food packaging or storage can leach chemicals into the food, especially when heated. The fats and oils in food along with the heat allow the chemicals to penetrate into the food.

Most toxins/chemicals are fat soluble and are therefore stored in our adipose tissues. This means the more obese you are, the more storage you have for toxic substances.


The International Plastics Task Force (IPTF) recommends avoiding these plastics

• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or vinyl) - Used to make Reynolds Wrap and Polyvinyl Films. This is what most grocery stores use to package meats and other items.
• Polystyrene (PS) in it’s inflated form is called Styrofoam, but is also used in it’s non-inflated form in some brands of disposable plastic cups and bowls and in most opaque plastic cutlery.
• Polycarbonate (and other resins) which contains biphenyl-A. Most plastic baby bottles are made of polycarbonate as are clear plastic sippy cups, storage containers and some brands of clear plastic cutlery.

The IPTF also advises that the safest way to store foods is in glass or ceramic containers and to avoid heating/microwaving foods in plastic. They aren’t alone, even Dr. Rolf Halden, (PhD, PE, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and the Center for Water and Health at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) when asked “What about cooking with plastics?”, Replied:
“In general, whenever you heat something you increase the likelihood of pulling chemicals out. Chemicals can be released from plastic packaging materials like the kinds used in some microwave meals. Some drinking straws say on the label “not for hot beverages.” Most people think the warning is because someone might be burned. If you put that straw into a boiling cup of hot coffee, you basically have a hot water extraction going on, where the chemicals in the straw are being extracted into your nice cup of coffee. We use the same process in the lab to extract chemicals from materials we want to analyze.

If you are cooking with plastics or using plastic utensils, the best thing to do is to follow the directions and only use plastics that are specifically meant for cooking. Inert containers are best, for example heat-resistant glass, ceramics and good old stainless steel.”


So how do you avoid plastic containers and cling wrap from touching your food? With Kinetic Go Green Glass-Lock Storage Food Containers.

I came across this product on Bonanzle (Time-4-More) and was elated to find an airtight storage solution alternative to plastic containers. The Glass-Lock storage containers are:

• Microwave safe
• Tempered glass (Tempered glass is manufactured through a process of extreme heating and rapid cooling, making it harder than normal glass.)
• Top rack dishwasher safe
• Silicone air and liquid tight lid (this is the only part of the container that is not microwave safe.)
• Freezer safe
• Can safely go from freezer to microwave

This product can be purchased on-line from Arrowearth as well as other eco-friendly green products.

Resveratrol - Cellular Anti-Aging

I wrote of the importance of supplements in my previous blog and mentioned Antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals caused by a multitude of forces including the sun, chemicals, toxins, pollutants, and trans fats.

Free radicals are unstable molecules due to the fact that they have an unpaired electron in their outer orbital. They attempt to become stable by gaining an electron from a healthy cell. This creates a chain reaction of events that creates free radical waste products and oxidation. Free radicals can also alter our DNA which causes cellular aging.

Antioxidants are found naturally in our fruits and vegetables, especially in the most colorful produce. But many of us don’t eat properly and are exposed to high levels of pollutants. Even our current food supply is less nutrient dense than it was 50 years ago so supplementation is even more important now.

There are a variety of antioxidants but the one that everyone has been talking about and is referenced in over 2,000 research publications, including studies conducted by Harvard University, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institute of Aging is Resveratrol.

This chemical compound (also known as a phytoalexin) can be found in certain plants including raspberries, blueberries, mulberrries, and even peanuts. But found most abundantly in 3 varieties of grapes: Vitis vinifera, labrusca, and muscadine grape. The plant uses resveratrol as an antibiotic against bacteria, fungi and is released during times of stress.

In 2003 Dr. David Sinclair (associate professor in Harvard Medical School’s Department of Pathology) discovered that Resveratrol extends the life span of mice by as much as 24% and the life span of othe animals, such as flies and fish, by as much as 59%. The mice in his study not only lived longer but had lower incidence of diabetes. The amount of resveratrol the mice were given was equivalent to the amount found in 300 glasses of red wine.

For additional information on anti-aging products that contain Resveratrol, please feel free to contact me at sonja@actionhealthylife.com

resveratrol- anti aging research