Low-Fat Foods Are Making You Fatter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLtQLDptI1g&feature=youtu.be
Buckle up as Adam goes on a dieting roller coaster ride to illustrate how low-fat diets can actually make you fatter, why counting calories is a waste of time and why you shouldn’t necessarily trust extreme reality shows that promote sustained weight loss.
My Thanksgiving Wish for You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWe4GpTaO8I
When this time of year rolls around my thoughts turn to you.
Our dieters.
I am grateful for each and every one of you, so I just wanted to say Thank You for supporting Plan Z.
I also wanted to give you a little ditty I found pretty entertaining. Finally a song about our favorite -- butter. Little did we know that all the guilt we had about butter was misinformation. My hero, Julia Child had it right all along when she said, "With enough butter, anything is good!"
Cheers,
Sugar Cookie Wedges
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe.
Servings: Makes approximately 16 wedges
Ingredients:
For the Sugar Cookie Wedges
- 3 cups SUPER FINE GROUND almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill is easy to find in most grocery stores)
- 1 cup of carbalose (low carb flour)
- ¼ cup gluten-free oat flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill. You can find this in most grocery stores)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated erythritol, like ZSweet
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (use REAL vanilla, not artificial)
For the Frosting
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered erythritol
- 3 to 5 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tsp REAL vanilla extract
- food coloring and sprinkles, etc optional
Instructions:
For the Sugar Cookie Wedges
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. (Just lock the sheet in and cut the excess away.)
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, carbalose, oat flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and erythritol until creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract, and then beat in almond flour mixture until dough comes together. (If you’re like me, your mixer will clog up trying to do this but just UNPLUG your mixer and use your finger to loosen the dough and finish up using a wooden spoon).
Press dough firmly into prepared pan and smooth top with a flat-bottomed glass. Bake 30 minutes, until just golden brown around the edges and slightly more firm to the touch. Remove and let cool in pan.
For the Icing
Beat together butter and powdered erythritol.
Add cream, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is achieved (I used three tablespoons). Stir in vanilla and optional food coloring.
Spread or pipe onto the large cookie. Then cut into wedges when you serve. One nice thing about this is you can set out the big cookie and a knife. People can then cut off a fresh slice so it will be nice and moist. You can give them an example of a 1” wedge cut so they see they don’t need a big piece. At a dinner party you can cut the wedges in the kitchen and put them on little dessert plates and serve. You’d be surprised how many people comment on how GREAT it is to be given a small dessert instead of the traditional, large one.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Ellen's Thanksgiving Seating Strategy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peQ43ezWt2E
Wondering where to seat your Thanksgiving dinner guests? Ellen has the solution. In this funny video Ellen is giving her audience plenty to be thankful for with her tips for a less stressful seating arrangement.
Enjoy!
Eggnog Cheesecake with Gingerbread crust
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe. This will be my contribution to dessert at our family dinner party this year. Most often a cheesecake like this has a crust made out of gingersnaps. I’m making mine this way and you’ll swear you’re eating a gingerbread crust without all the sugar. This cheesecake is sort of a production because you also have to make the Zola double cream eggnog. It doesn’t take much time and the decadence is well worth it. Besides, you’ll have leftovers to drink on another night. (You can make the eggnog with our without the booze).
Ingredients:
For the crust
- coconut oil or butter for greasing the springform pan
- 4 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil), melted
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tsp of Truvia
- 2 cups super fine ground almond flour/meal
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp of ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup of chopped walnuts (optional)
- pinch of salt
For the Cheesecake
- 3, 8 oz packages of full fat cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 1 cup of ZSweet sugar substitute
- 2 tsp of ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp of vanilla
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup of Zola’s double cream eggnog
- 2 Tbl of flour
Instructions:
Oil or butter the inside of your 9” springform pan. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
In your food processor whiz all of the crust ingredients to combine. Press the mixture across the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides.
In your mixer bowl add the cream cheese, ZSweet, nutmeg, and vanilla for about a minute, until smooth. On low speed mix in the other ingredients.
Pour the batter over the crust. Smooth it out.
Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees. Turn off oven. Crack the door and let it cool for another hour as the oven cools. Then cool on rack until it’s completely room temperature. This helps to reduce the likelihood of your cheesecake cracking the in the middle.
Cover and chill overnight. Cheesecake always tastes better on day 2.
You can spread sweetened whipped cream over the top of the cheesecake to serve or alternately spread Truwhip over the top. (Truwhip is like Cool whip without all the chemicals and sugar). Or you can serve your cheese cake with no topping. It will be good any of these ways.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Bistro Chicken with Port Wine-Mushroom Sauce
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot) recipe.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
- 1/3 cup cracker or crouton crumbs (pick your favorite flavor)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 Tbl chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 boneless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 lemon
For the Port Wine-Mushroom Sauce:
- 2 shallots, diced
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 8 oz sliced button mushrooms
- 1 tsp flour
- 1/2 cup port wine
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
For Chicken:
You'll want to make cracker crumbs. If you've had a bad day, just take crackers and put them in a baggie and smash them. I use a full can of soup or broth if I don't have a handy rolling pin. Croutons make good crumbs for this dish, too. Take out your aggression on the crackers. What flavor of crumbs you choose will make a slight difference in the dish.
Mix the cracker crumbs, cheese, parsley and salt and pepper on a large plate. Put the first half cup of melted butter on a smaller plate. You are setting up an assembly line.
One at a time, place each chicken breast in a plastic bag. Use the same soup can or a meat mallet to flatten the chicken breast to less than one-half inch in thickness. Just squish down the fattest parts so it will cook faster and spread it out. Try to keep the extra piece (the tenderloin) that sticks off still attached, but don't worry if it falls off. When one breast is squished, take it out of the bag, roll it in the butter and then put it in the crumb mixture and turn it over. You want to coat both sides. Press it down so you get crumbs and cheese mixture all over. Then do the next breast, and then do it again until you get all 4 ready to go.
Now heat the olive oil in your large saute pan. Put in all 4 breasts. Cook on medium high just 3 to 5 minutes until you get the first side nicely browned. Turn over. Brown the second side. When all 4 breasts are browned on both sides, you're ready for the oven. If your sauté pan is okay to put in the oven, you can just pop them in. If the handle is not oven proof you'd better put them in another pan. A 9" by 13" oven-proof pan will do just fine. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken and pop the pan in the oven. The chicken will only take 15 to 20 minutes at 425 degrees to cook because you've already partially cooked it in the sauté pan and because you flattened it to make it cook faster.
For the Port Wine-Mushroom Sauce:
Heat your butter and olive oil in a medium sauté pan. Add shallots. Cook over medium heat until the shallots just begin to cook. Add mushrooms. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add flour and port. Cook quickly to boil off half of the port, and then add the half and half. This sauce will thicken up fast, so turn down the heat and add the nutmeg. The only trick to this is to try to time the sauce thickening to when your chicken is about done. But don't worry. If the sauce seems too thick before your chicken is done, just turn it off. When the chicken is coming out of the oven, let it sit on the counter and add a little more half and half to your sauce, then turn the sauce back on medium low and reheat the sauce until it's at a consistency you like. Then serve.
Final pointers:
After the 15 minutes of baking time, check one piece of the chicken by cutting into it at the fattest point. If you don't see any pink, you are ready to eat and you can put on the sauce. I serve the sauce UNDER the chicken because I want my chicken to remain crispy on the outside.
I also served mine with a warm pear salad.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Monster Mouths
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe.
Ingredients:
For the Lips:
- Granny Smith apples (these will make ghoulish green lips) or
- Red Delicious apples (these will make red lips)
- a lemon
For the Gums:
- peanut butter
For the Teeth:
- white chocolate covered raisins
- a few dark chocolate covered raisins for black teeth (optional)
- peanuts
Instructions:
Remove the core from the apples and slice them. Squeeze fresh lemon on the slices to keep them from turning brown. Then, to make your mouths, smear a nice helping of peanut butter on one side of an apple slice. Nestle four or five peanuts (or chocolate covered raisins) into the peanut butter. Finish the mouth by adding another smear of peanut butter to another apple slice and softly press them together. Don't press too hard or your mouth will explode!
A fun and delicious snack for Halloween!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Glug, Glug
According to familydoctor.org, half of your body weight is water. Some other organizations say it’s as much as two thirds water.
Your body depends on water to survive. Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to work properly. For example, your body uses water to maintain its temperature, remove waste and lubricate your joints. Water is needed for overall good health.
There are questions about how much water to drink, when to drink it, and does it really have to be water.
I’m going to clear up some misconceptions and give you some new hints. There are the old school things we learned over the years, and then there’s the newest information. Let me relate both.
Old School: Drink 6 – 8, 12 oz glasses of water per day. That’s plenty.
New Perspective: The latest theory is we really need more. If you divide your weight by 2, that tells you ideally how much water YOU should be drinking each day. Obviously, since weight is factored in, this varies by individual.
One way I look at it is to set a goal to drink 100-125 oz per day. For most overweight people that’s pretty much on target. We found out here at Plan Z that if you do drink 100-125 oz per day, you lose 30% more weight than those who drink 70 oz or less in a day. That’s a significant difference!
Be sure to drink all day. Don’t flood your system with a lot of water at once. Keep a bottle of water handy or a pitcher of water on your desk and keep filling it and sipping throughout the day.
Old School: If you’re on a diet, drink water. It will keep you full.
My Perspective: I personally found that to be hogwash. I’d starve myself and when I felt hungry I’d down a bunch of water in an effort to fill up my stomach. That did the trick, but it only lasts about 15 minutes and then the hunger is back. That is true when it’s true hunger. Studies show many folks mistake being thirsty for being hungry. If you go right for food to satisfy this craving, you’ll just eat too much and gain weight. Try water first.
One study showed that if you wake at night hungry, that glass of water you drink just might satisfy you long enough to get back to sleep. That’s the only case where I can see water being a way to squelch hunger. But that’s not likely to last long either if you are actually hungry. You’re likely to wake up again.
How can you tell if you’re drinking enough water? Look in the toilet. If your urine is clear or pale yellow you are hydrated. If it’s golden or amber, you are either not getting enough water or something else is going on. Be aware.
What if you don’t like water? I suggest you work on this effort. You can add flavorings to your water like lemon, lime, cucumber; even a few mashed strawberries. Once you start to drink enough water, often enough, you begin to crave water. Over time you’ll prefer water. Some like it cold, some on ice and some room temperature. If you drink it cold or on ice your body has to heat it and that burns a few more calories each day.
I suggest you get at least 70 ounces of water like I describe above. Then you can incorporate things like sparkling water. You can buy flavors of sparkling water that have no calories, no carbohydrates and no artificial sweeteners or artificial flavorings -- or buy plain sparkling water and flavor it with stevia drops. Those taste just like soda. They even make cola, cherry, and vanilla. Imagine a cherry coke or vanilla makes cream soda. You don’t need to drink soda; ever again. That stuff is nasty. Other things to skip include: fruit juices (fructose is sugar), energy drinks (those can be dangerous) and sports drinks. Sports drinks should only be a resource for heavy (and I mean heavy) exercisers – like people who run marathons or are professional athletes who are working out in very hot weather. They are the only ones who will burn off the calories consumed without gaining weight. They also have nasty ingredients your body does not want.
Things like organic tea and sparkling water count toward your 100 oz.
If you drink coffee, factor in that regular coffee is a dehydrator so you need to drink even more to make up for it.
For weight loss: water is magic. Water helps eliminate waste. When you burn fat it’s got to come out somehow. It comes out in your waste; mostly your urine.
And one more thing: As you get older your body is more at risk of dehydration. Your brain doesn’t recognize the thirst signal as well as you age. So if you are older (or know someone who is), pour a glass of water. And drink up.
Cheers,
Orange Vanilla Water
When you miss soda but know in your heart it’s bad for you, try this.
Orange – Vanilla Water
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. Flavored water provides a refreshing change to your water drinking routine. Just use your creativity - you can add whatever delicious flavorings you want to make it special. Today I was feeling like oranges and vanilla, so I decided to give this a whirl - and it's delicious!
If you miss soda but know in your heart that it’s bad for you, try a recipe like this one.
Ingredients:
- 60 ounces of water
- 1 sliced orange (don’t even have to peel it)
- ½ tsp of organic vanilla extract
Instructions:
Pour the water into your pitcher. Add the sliced orange and the vanilla. Stir. Leave this in your refrigerator for at least an hour to infuse the flavors and then sip throughout the day.
A tasty treat.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
After losing 37 pounds I feel 100% better
After David saw a long time friend of his have great success on Plan Z, he decided to try it for himself.
"I had handicapped plates on my car, and I was walking with a cane because I was in a lot of pain. And I spend an enormous amount of money on just my medication every month and my insulin (because I'm a diabetic). And I thought, you know, either I'm going to have to just lay down and die, or I'm going to have to do something about it."
Although he was skeptical because of a negative experience with the Atkins diet, he ordered Plan Z and committed to the program. He stayed true to the program and followed it consistently. After 50 days, Dave lost 37 pounds. He was amazed, and his doctor was very impressed. Not only did Dave lose a lot of weight, but he no longer needed the high levels of diabetes medication that he was taking before.
"I don't park in the handicap parking anymore, I leave that for somebody else who really needs it. I park further away but that's ok because I don't need a cane anymore. I feel 100% better...I just can't believe how much 37 pounds made a difference in my life. It's incredible."
Listen to his inspirational interview.
"I've been really educated. Very educated. The videos and the stuff that you send us - I never miss one, I watch everything....I've learned how to eat. You wouldn't think that's something I would have to learn, but I learned what to eat and not to eat....
"If you're going to commit to this, commit to it 100%. It's not nearly as bad as you think as far as diets go. Nobody likes the word diet, but -- wow. Once you start losing weight, and you will, you'll be encouraged. Every time you look down at the scale it's going to give you that much encouragement...This is a commitment, it's a lifetime change, it's a change for the better, you'll feel better, you'll look better, and your doctor will like you better. I guarantee it."
-- Dieter Dave
The best arthritis pain killer that I've ever had
"I finally get it. I finally had someone tell me the truth about what I should put in my body and what I shouldn't put in my body....The education that you and Zola have given me is just second to none...I know without a doubt that I'm going to eat healthy for the rest of my life." -- Dieter Jim
Dieter Jim is a sixty-two-year-old truck driver who has it figured out. Obviously he’s figured out how to lose weight. He lost 46 pounds in his very first 50-day round of ZReduction.
He’s also learned how to fuel his body.
Even when he eats lunch in his truck.
He works the loading dock in the morning. He’s in and out of that truck twelve hours a day, five days a week. At 248 pounds, he used to come home exhausted. And very sore.
No more.
Listen to his story. He’ll tell you about the good news he got from his doctor at his last checkup. Plus, he had some great news for his doctor.
Find out why going to the supermarket has become a new adventure.
And hear why he sometimes yells at the radio as he’s driving.
It’s all good:
His weight.
His health.
And his dedication maintaining both of them.
2nd Tuesday Call - September 11th 2018
On the 2nd Tuesday of each month, I host a live webcast for dieters only. I'll share the latest dieting information. And let you in on my favorite recipes coming out of the ZKitchen. You’ll hear an inspiring interview with a successful dieter, too. Plus, you can be part of the webcast by posing questions and sharing your own Plan Z story with the audience.
- It’s back to school time: You might be back into your regular routine already but let me shake things up a bit by offering up a yummy, new, after-school treat for the kids and the young at heart. My newest recipe. Listen in for creative ways to serve it.
- The importance of hydration: I did some research and gathered up some interesting information on why it’s important to be hydrated when you’re on a diet. You’ll be surprised at the benefits of drinking your water. It’ll motivate you to keep it up even when you’re not dieting!
- VP Anger Management, Chris, is going to step in to offer up some scary information on the dangers of processed foods and fast food. You’ll be shocked when you hear his 7 warnings of processed and fast food. His goal is to make you so angry you’ll stop eating them for good.
- Dieter Dave from Eureka, CA talks about how he’s benefited health-wise from losing his first 37 pounds. He no longer parks in the handicapped parking space at work.
Reversing Type 2 diabetes starts with ignoring the guidelines
https://youtu.be/da1vvigy5tQ
Can a person be "cured" of Type 2 Diabetes?
Dr. Sarah Hallberg provides compelling evidence that it can, and the solution is simpler than you might think.
She provides evidence that ignoring medical guidelines and adopting a low-carb, high-fat diet is the way to do it.
Hallberg is the Medical Director of the Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program at IU Health Arnett. Watch her TEDx presentation at Purdue University, Indiana and her evidence that type 2 diabetes can reversed.
The results from Hallberg’s clinic raise interesting questions about what our carbohydrate consumption should be and how we could be helping type 2 diabetics all over the world.
Is the "obesity crisis" just a disguise for a deeper problem?
What if obesity has nothing to do with eating too much? Peter Attia, MD, President and co-Founder of the Nutrition Science Initiative, says we don't know enough about the science of weight gain, and that clinicians -- and society -- should stop blaming the victims.
A Trio of Super-Simple Breakfast Casseroles
Plan Z Phase: These are Z3 (ZReboot) recipes.
I'm thinking of starting a company called “Just Add Eggs.” Well, maybe I'm kidding but this just might be a theme for these breakfast casseroles. I made them all the same way. I did the prep-work the night before and with one exception, the next morning all I did was add the eggs and popped them in the oven. You'll see what I mean when you read the recipes. Easy Peazy!
When the casseroles come out of the oven they will be puffy and golden. Once you cut them they will begin to fall but they will taste just as great. I did all three of these and served them on a brunch buffet for 30 people. If you are serving a crowd, follow my directions for advance prep the night before and save yourself a lot of time in the morning when you'd rather sit with the paper and drink your coffee or visit with your guests.
Green Chili and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole
Servings:
Makes 6 single serving pieces. Or 10 brunch buffet pieces.
This is the easiest one to make.
Ingredients:
- 1 can (4 oz) of chopped green chilies, drained
- 12 oz of grated cheddar cheese
- 12 eggs
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Take out your 9" x 13" pan. Spray it with butter spray. Then spread your chilies on the bottom of the pan.
Spread the cheddar cheese on top. Now if you are prepping the night before this is all you'll do. Just cover the 9" x 13" pan with plastic wrap and put it in your refrigerator. Next day proceed. If you are making this all in the morning, no need to stop. Just follow the rest of the directions.
Crack the 12 eggs into a blender. Blend to whiz the eggs and make them smooth. Just 7 – 10 seconds will do it. Pour the eggs over the chilies and cheese. Sprinkle with grated sea salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until set. The top will be a very light golden brown. If you want to be sure it's done you can poke a knife in it. If the knife comes out clean you're done.
Pepperoni, Green pepper, Onion and Provolone Breakfast Casserole
Servings:
Makes 6 single serving pieces. Or 10 brunch buffet pieces.
Ingredients:
- 20 – 30 little one-inch pepperoni circles cut julienne (into skinny strips)
- one green pepper, chopped
- one cup of chopped onion
- 12 oz of grated provolone cheese (you can buy packages now that are grated provolone/mozzarella mix; you an use one of those if you prefer)
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup of sour cream
- salt and pepper
Instructions:
Take out your 9" x 13" pan. Spray it with butter spray. Then spread your pepperoni on the bottom of the pan. Add the green pepper and onion and finally top with the grated cheese.
Now if you are prepping the night before this is all you'll do. Just cover the 9" x 13" pan with plastic wrap and put it in your refrigerator. Next day proceed. If you are making this all in the morning, no need to stop. Just follow the rest of the directions.
Crack the 12 eggs into a blender. Add the sour cream. Blend to whiz the eggs and sour cream to make the mixture smooth. Just 7 – 10 seconds will do it. Pour the eggs over the other ingredients. Sprinkle with grated sea salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until set. The top will be a very light golden brown. If you want to be sure it's done you can poke a knife in it. If the knife comes out clean you're done.
Mushroom, Pepper and Cream Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Servings:
Makes 6 single serving pieces. Or 10 brunch buffet pieces.
Ingredients:
- 16 oz of sliced mushrooms. You can use any kind you like. I used baby bella.
- 2 Tbl of butter
- 1/2 cup red, yellow or green bell pepper, chopped (I used a mix)
- 8 oz of cream cheese cut into 1/2" bits
- 12 eggs
- salt and pepper
Instructions:
Take out your 9" X 13" pan. Spray it with butter spray. In a sauté pan add the butter and the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until soft and beginning to brown. Add them to the casserole. Top that with the chopped peppers and then scatter the cream cheese bits on top. Now if you are prepping the night before this is all you'll do. Just cover the 9" x 13" pan with plastic wrap and put it in your refrigerator. Next day proceed. If you are making this all in the morning, no need to stop. Just follow the rest of the directions.
Crack the 12 eggs into a blender. Blend to whiz the eggs and make the mixture smooth. Just 7 – 10 seconds will do it. Pour the eggs over the other ingredients. Sprinkle with grated sea salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until set. The top will be a very light golden brown. If you want to be sure it's done you can poke a knife in it. If the knife comes out clean you're done.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Pandora's Lunchbox: How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal
Melanie Warner reports on how food science has created inexpensive products that according to the author are devoid of nutritional value, addictive, and of potential harm to one's health. The author examines the proclivity of processed foods and the commonly used ingredients, which make up approximately 70% of the calories consumed in the United States.
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. If you leave out the zucchini and eat this like a stew and leave off the Parmesan, it qualifies for a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
This is a traditional Italian Dish that is known for spice. It’s also usually served over pasta so you’ll see that this one can be served as a stew in a bowl or over sautéed zucchini noodles. You’ll never miss the pasta. I have given you a range for adding the heat so what I’d recommend is you start on the lower side of the scale, taste it after it’s been cooking for a bit and crank up the heat later or even after you serve it. That way everyone gets custom heat in their dish.
Serves: 2 and can be doubled easily
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp of avocado oil (avocado oil has a very high smoke point so it’s good for cooking at high heats)
- 1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- up to 1 tsp of cracked pepper flakes. I’d start with ½ tsp and taste later.
- 5 ripe, plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 Tbl of minced Italian parsley
- ½ tsp of black pepper
- a good grate of sea salt
- 1 cup of water
- ¾ lb of cooked, medium shrimp-peeled and deveined (You can also use uncooked shrimp. You just have to cook them longer in the pan.) I use 30-41 count shrimp for this dish. Remove tails.
- a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
In a large sauce pan, add the oil and heat it. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, on medium high to loosen up the onion. Stir often so it doesn’t stick. Then add everything else except the shrimp.
Cook on a medium bubble for 10 minutes to meld the flavors.
Add the shrimp. If they are cooked, you only need to get them heated. If they are raw you’ll need to cook them in the sauce for 4 – 5 minutes depending on how large they are.
When the shrimp are done you are ready to plate. I served over zucchini noodles.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
But What About My Beer?
When people embark on Plan Z we tell them that while they are in the ZReduction phase of Plan Z that it’s a good idea to not drink alcohol. We learned from those who experimented with wine, beer or cocktails that they lost about 60% less weight when they drank. Most people would say that’s just not worth it. When you commit to a diet you want to lose as much as you can as quickly as you can.
So invariably I get this question. It comes up about once a week. “But What About My Beer?” This is often said with a bit of a whine. “But What About My Beeeeeeer?”
I tell my dieters when they are finished losing the weight and are solidly into the maintenance phase of Plan Z they can get their beer back, but they might want to get picky about which ones they choose to drink. Then I give them some hints.
I’m not a beer drinker so I have to look to the experts and those who have done Plan Z and are willing to share their stories for input.
This article appeared recently in the Chicago Tribune. If you are a craft beer fan and really love to read reviews, you’re going to love this article.
Read the full review HERE
A bunch of craft beer experts (brewers) got together and did a blind taste test. They tested 15 beers and discussed each of them in succession. The group of beers included some Big Beer offerings and some craft beer offerings. It’s interesting to read and see how serious they are about their beer and how they can be just as nuanced as any wine snob.
The idea was to taste “light” or “lite” beers and pick the best ones. Then, with each beer, they listed the winners, the alcohol content (percentage) and the calories. You can see who came out on top, middle and the bottom toward the end of the article.
I’m going to save you taking the time to read the whole thing if you just want the finalists.
But, I am going to give you the top 5 winners and their carb counts. I’m not so interested in the calories. They are all low calorie, but they are considerably different in carb count.
Here goes:
Number 1 was a big surprise. It’s Coors Light. Maybe it should not be a big surprise. It just came in number 1 across the nation as the most popular light beer and it’s from the Big Beer industry so it’s widely available. Coors light has 5 grams of carbs. Although you can find beers with 2.4 grams of carbs or less (I’ll give you some of those too a bit later), 5 grams is a pretty good number for a beer.
Coming in at #2 was a craft beer called Founders brewery Solid Gold. The guys really raved about this one. Unfortunately, even though it’s categorized as a light beer it has 12 grams of carbs in a 12 oz glass.
That’s more than twice Coors Light. So do you want two beers? Or one with twice the carbs?
#3 was a beer called Totally Naked. It’s from a Wisconsin brewery located in New Glarus. I’m not sure if you can even get it outside the state of Wisconsin. That comes in at 11 grams per 12 oz glass.
Spiteful Lager (made in Chicago) came in at #4. I couldn’t find the carb count for this beer anywhere. I even went to DRAFT Magazine’s exhaustive list of beers and their carb levels and it’s not listed.
#5 is another surprise - Corona Light. They loved it. And it’s only 5 grams of carbs.
There are tons of lists of low calorie or low carb beers. This article from Shape Magazine lists the most popular national brands and how many carbs they have. This article has drinking opinions included too.
https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/15-bikini-friendly-beers
Oh yeah, I promised the ones with the lowest carb levels that were rated by the Chicago brewer group from the article. They include:
Beer Carbs per 12 oz glass
Greens Trailblazer .5 (This is the first I have seen a beer this low)
Bud Select 55 1.9 (I had a dieter who thought he’d hate this and decided it was pretty good)
Miller 64 2.4
Rolling Rock Green Light 2.4
I have no idea if these taste like sewer water or maybe worse, taste like nothing. You’ll have to do your own ratings.
Next time you’re in a pub and they have one of those big lists of craft beers and you’re trying to decide which one you want to try, know you can Google it and find out. With rare exception the carb count information is available.
Cheers!
Mushroom Bacon Soup
I had a hankering for bacon. My husband wanted mushroom soup. And thus, this recipe was born.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. I designed this broccoli cheese soup for the average cook. It only takes a few minutes to chop the veggies and then put it in the pot and let the magic happen. All you have to do is stir it. How easy is that? It’s also designed so you can use your favorite cheese and each person eating it can vary their cheese. For example, my husband had cheddar in his bowl and I had blue cheese in mine.
Servings: Serves 2 – 4
Ingredients:
- 2-3 cups of chopped broccoli. I use the florets and the top stems but I don’t use the woody longer stem.
- 2 cups of whipping cream
- 1 cup of broth
- ½ cup of chopped onion or 1 tsp of onion powder
- ½ cup of chopped red pepper. This is optional, it gives the soup a bit of color.
- ½ cup of chopped celery. This is also optional.
- 1/3 cup of grated cheese of choice + extra for serving. Cheddar, gruyere, blue cheese, pepper jack would all work.
- 3 Tbl of butter
- 1 Tbl of white flour
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a medium soup pot melt your butter. Add the flour and stir until it turns light brown. This is called making a roux and will help thicken the soup. It will only take a minute or 2 on medium. Add the onion or onion powder and stir.
Begin to add the cream and the broth. Pour it in one cup at a time and stir so it incorporates the flour. Season with salt and pepper. Put in your broccoli, pepper and celery bits. Stir it all up and cook it on medium until it thickens. About 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it. You want your cream to have little bubbles but you don’t want it to boil over. If you want your soup a little thinner, you can add more chicken broth and/or cream. Your choice. Add 1/3 cup of cheese and stir. I cook it for 10 minutes to get the veggies cooking and then let it sit for 10 minutes. The veggies will be cooked but still have a little crispness to them.
At this point you can decide if you want it to be chunky soup or if you want to blend it. I blend half of mine and leave the other chunky. To do this you need a full-sized blender. Put in half of the soup and hold the top down securely with a towel. Blending HOT food can be a bit tricky. Turn the blender on LOW. That will be plenty to blend it and you won’t end up with the top trying to pop off.
Pour the blended soup back in with the chunky bits and stir.
To serve I put extra cheese in the bottom of the bowl and pour the soup over the top. This way my cheese gets all melty.
This soup will travel well and will reheat in a microwave easily.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Do artificial sweeteners make you fat?
I pulled the following from USA Today.
Maybe switching from regular soda to diet doesn't help as much as we thought.
A new study from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University links artificial sweeteners to obesity and diabetes, claiming sweeteners change how the body processes fat and uses energy.
Researchers fed groups of rats diets high in sugar or artificial sweeteners including aspartame and acesulfame potassium. After three weeks, blood samples showed significant differences in concentrations of biochemicals, fats and amino acids.
"We observed that in moderation, your body has the machinery to handle sugar," said Brian Hoffmann, lead researcher on the study and assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University. "It is when the system is overloaded over a long period of time that this machinery breaks down. We also observed that replacing these sugars with non-caloric artificial sweeteners leads to negative changes in fat and energy metabolism."
Findings were presented during the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting held in San Diego.
Before you scramble to dump out all those artificial sweeteners, researchers note this study doesn't clearly say whether they are better or worse than sugar.
"As with other dietary components, I like to tell people moderation is the key if one finds it hard to completely cut something out of their diet," Hoffmann said in a statement.
This is not the first research suggesting artificial sweeteners might have a negative impact on your health. Last year, a study claimed drinks with artificial sweeteners could increase a person's risk of dementia or stroke.
Four years ago, a separate study published in Nature said sweeteners have an equally direct impact on causing diabetes as sugar.
The studies just go on an on. I found things on credible websites that date back to the 1970’s. Researchers have known for decades that artificial sweeteners are not good. I read things recently that show that regular consumption of artificial sweeteners leads to sugar cravings. The receptors in your brain don’t “read” artificial sweeteners like they do sugar. When you eat sugar the satisfaction signal kicks in telling your brain you don’t need more. That never happens with artificial sweeteners. You never get enough.
And now they are observing that your body won’t process fat the same way when you regularly consume artificial sweeteners, so your midsection gets fatter even though you are consuming something that has no calories.
This is all difficult to relate and to understand. I do know that with Plan Z dieters the elimination of artificial sweeteners and artificial flavorings makes them feel better. We can all get enough satisfaction eating items enhanced with natural sweeteners (like stevia) so why not stick with those? And over time, even with my own experience, I realize I need less and less of a sweet taste to get that sweet satisfaction. Getting the artificial sweeteners out of your system clears the way for fruit to taste sweeter than you ever realized. That’s a gift from Mother Nature you can savor.
Cheers,
Peach Parfait
Layer, layer, layer. Yum, yum, yum!