Sweat It Out

Are you ready to sweat? If not get ready because after you eat some of this you will be.

Fresh Salsa
6 Roma tomatoes
3 fresh jalapeno chilies (stemmed and seeded)
2 Serrano chilies, stemmed (optional)
1 Medium red onion, rough chopped
1/4 chopped garlic
1 1/2c crushed tomatoes(canned)
1 bunch cilantro, rough chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a stock pot, put your tomatoes, chilies and about 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it begins to boil lower heat to medium high and let cook for about 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Remove from heat. Drain off and save the water for later. Add tomatoes and chilies to a blender and add your canned tomatoes, garlic and onion. (You could also do the same thing with a hand blender and just leave everything in the pot) Blend until uniform texture appears. Add a little of the reserved water if it is too thick to your liking. Add cilantro, salt and pepper and blend until everything is incorporated. That's it you're done. It is that easy.

Why is this good for you? Great question, and here is the answer. Chili peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin. It is what makes the pepper hot. The hotter your salsa the more capsaicin it contains. Capsaicin can speed up your metabolism and is an effective appetite suppressant.
A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that capsaicin helps to prevent obesity by reducing the number of fat cells in the body and that it has been discovered to speed up the death of immature fat cells. Awesome, I know, but thats not all. Peppers contain high amounts of vitamin A and C and biofalvinoids which are antioxidants.(see Blog post about antioxidants for more info) Capsaicin also helps you to sweat which is one of the best ways to detoxify your body and cool off on a hot day.
On top of the many benefits of the peppers, the tomatoes are also there to lend a healthy hand. Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants as well. They get their rich red color from lycopene, an antioxidant. So when picking out tomatoes look for the ones with the deepest richest red color you can. Tomatoes are also high in vitamins A and C.
The cilantro packs quite a healthy punch as well. Cilantro can protect against the salmonella bacteria. It's a good source of iron and magnesium. Cilantro contains flavinoids, another antioxidant. It even helps settle the stomach and prevent flatulence.
So make up a double batch of this salsa and put it on everything! Eggs in the morning, a low carb turkey wrap at lunch, and maybe some fajitas for dinner.(see "Sore Muscles" entry for fajita recipe) Just be careful not to sit in front of the TV with a giant bag chips to enjoy with your salsa. A few chips and salsa is ok just don't go overboard. Enjoy!
Have a happy healthy day!!
Chef Matt

EzineArticles!!

Hello all!!
It's June and we all know what that means. Weddings!! Which means I am very busy:) Caterings are great this time of year, however it means I don't have a lot of time to post blogs. Not to worry, I am still going to make time to post some awesome workout food recipes. In the mean time, I have had two articles published on EzineArticles.com Check it out and I will be back with some more tastey workout food recipes!!
http://ezinearticles.com/?id=2389927
http://ezinearticles.com/?Protein---How-Much-Do-I-Need?&id=2389558
Have a happy healthy day!
Chef Matt

Weight Loss. Don't Starve Yourself!

Hey all. It's been a busy few weeks. I ran across this article today and wanted to share with you. I will be back in the next few days with another awesome recipe. Have a happy healthy day!
Chef Matt

#1 Reason You Won't Lose Weight If You Starve Yourself - Want to Learn Why
By Pierre William Trudel

Many of you think that starving yourself, even temporarily, will help you lose the weight quicker. Anyone telling you this is wrong. Your body is a very fine tuned instrument and it knows the signals that can help you, and also the ones that can harm you.

The #1 reason you won't lose weight if you starve yourself is that their is a signal sent to your brain as soon as you deprive your body of nutrients. Your mind gets the signal and puts into motion the protection mechanisms to hold all the resources it can to prevent you from losing body weight. This brain signal has been well documented and much research has been done to show the effect it has in protecting your body, from yourself, for as long as it can.

The body weight you are at needs basic nutrients to insure you survive.Your mind controls the body weight by obeying your commands. If you tell your mind to store fat, it will. If you tell your mind to lose fat, it will also, but only if your strategy leaves enough nutrients to maintain life. The basic requirements to sustain life are the ones that permit you to function everyday. Let me give you an example.

If you weigh 200 lbs and you are eating 2800 calories everyday to maintain that weight, your mind will maintain your level of eating to ensure your body stays at 200 lbs.

If you are trying to get down to 180 lbs your mind will allow you to go to maybe 1700 calories to help you get there. The difference of 900 calories per day is what will help you get to the desired weight.

If you want to get there quicker by eating less calories your mind sends an alert signal that will make it virtually impossible for your body to accept less than the minimum it needs to keep you healthy.

Your body will automatically start to store fat anywhere it can to protect you from danger.

If you try and eat less than your body needs, it will start shutting down and disaster is right around the corner.

When people decide to do stupid things like this, their appetite increases when they stop. You might have tried this in the past and regained all the weight, and more.

Please get the right information before you decide to lose weight too quickly. Food for thought.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pierre_William_Trudel
http://EzineArticles.com/?1-Reason-You-Wont-Lose-Weight-If-You-Starve-Yourself---Want-to-Learn-Why&id=2390344

Ode to Oats

Being that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, shouldn't you eat the best thing you can? Yes, I agree. The perfect way to start your day is with oatmeal. Now, I am not talking about the instant oatmeal that is flavored and full of sugar, I am talking about the oatmeal the comes in a container that says "oatmeal", "Irish oats", "rolled oats", etc. Why oatmeal? Glad you asked, oatmeal is a kind of super food. It contains insoluble fiber, a cancer-fighting property which attacks certain bile acids and reduces the toxicity.

Oats contain soluble fiber as well. Soluble fiber helps reduce LDL(bad) cholesterol without lowering HDL(good) cholesterol. It also slows the digestion of starch meaning, you can avoid sharp rises in your blood sugar that tend to occur after a meal.

According to a study done by the Harvard Medical School, that the consumption of oats and other breakfast cereals has been shown to reduce the risk of hypertension and myocardial infarction. In short, oats are good for heart and help prevent heart disease.

Oats are also a great source of cancer-fighting antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium. Along with being a good source of zinc, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium, oats are also a good source of protein.

So now that you know how good oats are for you, we come to the tricky part, making oats taste good. Boiled in water can be rather bland. So what I like to do is make my oats with milk, this adds calcium and a little more protein for you looking after your body building workouts.

Another thing to do is to boost the antioxidants by adding dried cranberries, dried blue berries or even fresh strawberries. Just steer clear of the granulated sugar. If you need the sweet for your oatmeal, use honey.

One last pointer, I like to use steel cut or "Irish" oats. They give a better texture to your oaty breakfast experience. Add a glass of orange juice and a fresh espresso and you have a perfect begining to your day.

Have a happy healthy day!

Chef Matt

Protein, How Much is Too Much?

This entry was prompted by some weight lifting/bodybuilding forums I was on the other day. I wanted to share my views on the subject. The standard rule of protein consumption is about 0.6 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. This is a good rule to follow if you are simply trying to stay healthy and have a balanced diet. However, if you are weight training and trying to pack on the pounds of muscle, you need to up that figure to 1 to 1.5 grams. Any more than that and you are inviting trouble. This is where a lot of the debate comes in.

How much is too much?

The truth is, nobody really knows. I have been reading through several medical journals including The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, JAMA, and The Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and nobody has found any conclusive evidence that there is such a thing as too much protein. There are risks though of renal damage and hyper filtration but mostly for those who have already been diagnosed with liver or kidney problems. To avoid developing any risk of hyper filtration or renal damage make sure and drink plenty of water.

Here's my final thought on the matter. If it's muscle growth you're are looking for, go ahead and bump up the protein just don't get in the ditch and start consuming 300grams a day. The truth is, only intense exercise generates a cellular message that stimulates DNA to begin expanding muscle fibers. An over abundance of protein will not generate these messages. Diet comes in after the muscles are stimulated.

If you just want to eat healthy and stay fit, then stick to the lower end. I have included a link for you to calculate how much protein you need for the day.

http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/protein.asp

Now time for a recipe.



Seared Beef Medallions w/mushroom shallot sauce



2 8oz beef tenderloin fillets(cut in half so you have 4-4oz medallions)

1 shallot, rough chopped

4 mushrooms, sliced (I prefer shitakes)

1c flour

1tbs kosher salt

2tsp granulated garlic,or 1tsp garlic powder

1tbs black pepper

1/2c red wine

olive oil

In a small bowl mix flour and seasonings then dredge the four beef medallions in the flour. In a saute pan, add 3 tbs olive oil and heat over med high heat. When oil is nice and hot place you beef in the pan and cook for about a minute or so on each side until golden brown.(This about medium rare, if you want them more done after removing them form the pan, place on a cookie sheet and place in a 300F over until they are cooked the way you like them) Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same saute pan add your shallots and mushrooms. Toss for about 45 seconds then add the red wine and reduce until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.

Serve on a plate with some roasted mashed potatoes and sauteed fresh spinach and spoon your shallot mushroom reduction right over the beef and enjoy.



Roasted Mashed Potatoes



2# potatoes (I like to use Yukons or red B potatoes)

4 oz butter

1 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste



heat oven to 375F. Place potatoes on a sheet pan and roast, uncovered, for about half an hour or until fork tender. When potatoes come out place in a bowl and add butter and start mashing. You can use a potato masher or a fork. I use a french whip. Add milk and mash some more. If it is too stiff for your liking, and more milk but careful not to add too much. Then salt and pepper to taste and you are done. It's that easy.



Enjoy and have a happy healthy day!

Chef Matt

Water, Aqua, Eau!!

I just wanted to throw a little tid bit of information your way about water. Water? Yes, water. Water is an essential part of proper nutrition, especially if you are active. I am not here to tell you how much water to drink per day. There is a big debate in the nutrition community on how much is enough. I want you to know how to consume your beverages, particularly when you are eating.

What happens when you throw ice into boiling water? It lowers the temperature and it stops boiling, right? Ok, well the same thing happens to your stomach when you drink ice water(or any other cold beverage). When you eat or drink anything cold it lowers the temperature of you digestive juices and actually slows down your metabolism. So, the next time you are having breakfast, lunch dinner, snack,etc. drink room temp or even warm beverages and save the cold water for when you are exerting yourself or you need to lower your body temperature, say after an intense workout or a long run.

I came across an article if you are interesting in reading about the water consumption debate.

http://www.itmonline.org/arts/water.htm

Have a happy healthy day!!
Chef Matt

Antioxidants: Get to Know Them

What are antioxidants anyway? Glad you asked, antioxidants are nutrients that our bodies produce naturally to counteract the damage of free radicals.
What are free radicals? Another smashing question, glad you asked. When our cells use oxygen, they produce by-products which can cause damage. These by-products are free radicals. There are more in depth scientific explanations that involve the make up of the unstable molecules and the nucleus and so on, but for our purposes just know that they are bad.
Antioxidants on the other hand are very good. They act as kind of a free radical scavenger and repair and prevent damage caused by the free radicals. Antioxidants affix themselves to free radicals while absorbing the elements before they have a chance to infiltrate healthy normal tissue. Many common and serious health problem have been attributed to oxidative damage (free radicals). These include heart disease, macular degeneration(ARMD), diabetes, cancer and even the flu. A recent study out of London found that 5 servings of fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of stroke by 25%. Antioxidants also enhance immune defense and in turn lower the risk of cancer and infection. Unfortunately, in today's toxic world, your body needs more antioxidants than it can produce in order to actively fight free radicals.
What are the best sources for antioxidants? Yet another great question. Antioxidants are best found in the following vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium(the mineral), and flavonoids.
Vitamin A can be found in bright colored fruits and vegetables, such as, carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, peaches, squash, cantaloupe, etc. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits as well as tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli and most other green leafy vegetables. Vitamin E is found in nuts & seeds, whole grain, leafy vegetables, vegetables oils and liver oil. Selenium is a mineral found in fish & shellfish, red meat, eggs, chicken and garlic. Flavonoids are found in soy, red wine purple grapes, pomegranate, cranberries, tea & coffee.
So as you can see antioxidants are in a lot of flavorful foods, so you know what that means, recipe time.

Shrimp & Pasta Recipe
12 oz box of your favorite whole wheat pasta
20 medium raw shrimp (peeled and de-veined)
2 tbs chopped garlic
1/4 c dry white wine (NOT COOKING WINE)
1 Roma tomato (small dice)
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, heat 2 tbs olive oil over med high heat. Add garlic then shrimp to hot pan. Saute until the shrimp become slightly opaque. Add tomato, salt and pepper then de-glaze with white wine.
3. Add pasta to shrimp and remove from heat. Be sure to toss pasta around quickly to keep it from sticking. Then drizzle more olive over the top and serve. Sprinkle each dish with a little fresh shredded Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4

For an extra antioxidant rich meal, try out this appetizer.

Strawberry Bruschetta
1 pint fresh strawberries, washed, trimmed, and small diced
1 shallot, fine dice
2 tsp chopped garlic
3 tbs chopped fresh basil
2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

salt & pepper To Taste
3 tbs olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Lightly mix and serve with water crackers or fresh Crostinis.
Now pair this with an antioxidant rich Pinot Noir. Louis Latour has become my new favorite.(Which just happens to be available at my restaurant)

Enjoy your antioxidants and have a happy healthy day!
Chef Matt