Coffee Toffee Crunch Cake

We celebrated Ron's special birthday this last weekend and I ordered an old fashioned Blum's coffee toffee crunch cake. It is so delicious!

Tropical Oils

This is the latest on tropical oils. I think the key word again is moderation, limit your use of all oils to a minimum and stick to the healthiest oils like olive and grapeseed, and canola. But have fun with the other flavors out there too!


(Berkeley Wellness)
Tropical oils are being touted as a healthier alternative to partially hydrogenated oils, which contain trans fats. Are they really better for you? 
Tropical oils were once the favored fats for giving processed foods a pleasing texture and good shelf stability. But starting in the late 1980s, these oils fell out of favor because most of the fats they contain are saturated, and saturated fats were linked to elevated blood cholesterol. Partially hydrogenated oils, which largely replaced tropical oils at the time, were subsequently found to be even worse for your heart because of their trans fat.
Now, tropical oils are back again. You can find them in an increasing number of packaged foods, including crackers, cookies, pie crusts, energy bars and spreads, as well as microwave and movie theater popcorn.
Tropical oils: understudied and unclear
Lab research suggests that palm oil, though highly saturated, may act more like healthful unsaturated fats in the body, in terms of its effects on blood cholesterol. But the evidence is conflicting. One study from Brazil, for example, found that palm oil improved cholesterol in healthy people. In contrast, a study from Thailand found it increased cholesterol in women who already had high cholesterol. Meanwhile, population studies have not consistently linked consumption of palm oil to heart disease. In reality, there have been too few human studies in English-language journals to know if palm oil is detrimental, neutral or possibly even beneficial.
Published research on coconut oil is even more scant. In one study, in Lipids, women who consumed coconut oil for 12 weeks had no undesirable changes in cholesterol. And in some countries where people consume a lot of coconut oil, cholesterol levels tend to be low. There’s no evidence, however, that coconut oil strengthens immunity, improves digestion or prevents heart disease, arthritis or other chronic diseases, as some websites claim. Due to its chemical structure, it does take a few more calories for the body to process coconut oil, compared to other fats—but any calorie-burning effect would be minimal at best. It is certainly no treatment for obesity.
A breakdown of tropical oils
All fats are mixtures of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Though most of the fatty acids in tropical oils are saturated, not all saturated fats are harmful. In some studies, palm oil’s main fatty acid, palmitic acid, had no effect on cholesterol. Palm oil also contains a fair amount of monounsaturated fats. Similarly, though coconut oil is highly saturated, its fats seem to have a neutral effect on cholesterol levels in most people.
Moreover, the effect of saturated fat varies from person to person, depending on genetics, weight, other dietary and lifestyle factors and even gender. In addition, tropical oils contain other substances that can affect the risk of heart disease—and how the oils are processed may matter, too. What’s key is your overall diet. Adding tropical oils in the context of a healthy diet is unlikely to affect blood cholesterol significantly.
Our advice
Early research that raised red flags about tropical oils was faulty. You should still limit these oils, however, since their effects on cholesterol aren’t fully understood. And snack foods containing tropical oils tend to be high in calories—and low in nutrients. Be aware, also, that manufacturers may use a process called interesterification, which changes the structure of the oil so that it performs like a partially hydrogenated oil without the trans fat. That sounds great but we don’t yet know whether interesterified fats might have their own adverse health consequences. If you see the term “fully hydrogenated” palm or palm kernel oil on a food label, it may indicate that interesterified fats are present.

Healthy Tidbits

We know about yogurt as a probiotic but sourdough bread?

Sourdough Bread Aids Digestion

The next time you make a sandwich, pay attention to what's holding your cold cuts and cheese. San Francisco's famous sourdough bread contains lactobacilli, a probiotic which may benefit digestion.
(Web MD)

Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks

We took another road trip, this time to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons last week. Beautiful country! Part of the trip was spent in a photo workshop of Yellowstone. The theme was wild life photography. We saw mostly Buffalo, but also Elk, Coyote, Prong horn deer, Bald Eagle and other wildlife.We started our trip in the Grand Tetons park and stayed at Jackson Lake Lodge, very nice. 

            

This is the view from our bedroom picture window!
I wish I could write more about the food we ate while on our trip but alas, the food was marginal. I am sure there are some good restaurants there but with limited time on our hands they were hard to find. 
The landscape at Yellowstone was not only spectacular but a little 'creepy' with all the hot springs in the park. As you drive thru the park there are plenty of bubbling pools of hot volcanic water and steam!

I found out that the park sits on a live volcano which is due to erupt one of these days! We watched 'Old Faithful' geyser and had lunch in the historic Old Faithful Inn. Very cool place.

Healthy Tidbits

I thought this was a good reminder to keep us on track with ideas for eating healthy. These foods should be staple items in your house all the time. 

I always keep snacking vegetables in the refrigerator for those before dinner munchies. I also keep a variety of nuts in a container in the refrigerator for snacking too.

10 Best Slimming Foods

By Julie Meyer, R.D.

Looking for a miracle diet food? It's time to call off the search — there's no such thing. "If you take in more calories than you expend, you gain weight," says David Katz, M.D., of the Yale Prevention Research Center in Derby, Connecticut. "It's simple biology, and no milkshake or mackerel can save you from that fate." But before you throw in the towel, there are certain foods that promote satiety (the feeling of fullness that comes after a meal) more than others. While they're not miracle foods, they can help you eat less over the course of the day. "When you're looking for foods that are going to keep you fuller for longer, look for ones high in fiber, healthy fats and protein, or with a high water content," says Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Penn State University and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. "The additional benefit is that a lot of these foods are also really good for you and packed with important nutrients, vitamins and minerals."
Apples
An apple a day may keep the fat pants away, too. This portable fruit is the perfect snack, with a high water content and both kinds of weight-busting fiber: soluble, which helps prevent blood sugar spikes that lead to cravings, and insoluble, which helps fill you up. "A medium apple is about 85 percent water with 5 grams of soluble fiber, making it a snacking powerhouse," says Elisa Zied, M.S., same calorie level. To sweeten the pot, apples also contain quercetin, a flavonoid shown to help fight certain cancers, reduce cholesterol damage and promote healthy lungs.
TIP: Organic apples are worth the extra cost because commercial apples retain more pesticide residue than fruits you peel, such as oranges or bananas. And with half the fiber and most of the iron, magnesium and vitamin C, you definitely want to eat that peel to get the full slimming benefits.
Eggs
They're a great source of protein, which may be key to keeping you full. A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that when people ate two eggs for breakfast, they took in more than 400 fewer calories over the next 24 hours than when they ate bagels. "The study proved our hypothesis that eating eggs induces higher satiety and keeps the subject fuller for longer," says lead researcher Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, Ph.D., from Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Although this was only a one-day study, eating eggs regularly may have long-term weight management benefits, says Dr. Dhurandhar.
TIP: For a healthier egg, farmers are improving the hen feed by adding canola oil, alfalfa, rice bran and even sea kelp. Try Eggland's Best eggs, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, along with more vitamin E and less saturated fat than regular eggs.
One study found that eating a breakfast of two eggs can leave you feeling full longer than a bagel.
Cauliflower
"When you are trying to lose weight, non-starchy vegetables such as cauliflower are one of the few foods that can be eaten in unlimited quantities," says Dr. Rolls. It's good for you, too. Cauliflower contains the cancer-fighting phytonutrient sulforaphane, as well as a good amount of folate and vitamin C, which may be helpful for weight loss. In fact, a review from Purdue University pointed to vitamin C status as a key factor in how much fat is burned during physical activity. All that and it's pretty tasty, too. (If you're not a cauliflower fan, try spinach or broccoli.)
TIP: Love the creamy consistency of mashed potatoes? Steam a head of cauliflower and mash it with garlic salt, a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese and a touch of butter.
Lowfat Yogurt
If the yogurt ads are to be believed, you should be fitting into that itty-bitty bikini before you know it. While yogurt and other dairy products are not weight-loss magic bullets, there is some truth in advertising. A recent study at the University of Tennessee found that dieters eating three servings of yogurt daily lost twice as much weight as their non–dairy– eating counterparts on a 12-week weight-loss program. Why? "Calcium combined with other bioactive compounds found in dairy products slows down the process of making fat and increases fat burning, especially around the belly," says lead researcher Michael B. Zemel, M.D., a professor of nutrition and medicine at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. No word yet on how effective ice cream is at burning fat, but we're not holding our breath.
TIP: Sneak more dairy into your diet by adding plain yogurt to dips, sauces and salad dressings. You get the health benefits without the added sugar of flavored yogurts.
Oatmeal
Mom didn't know how right she was: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day — just eating it can make you slimmer. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley analyzed a national six-year survey and found that people who ate breakfast had a lower body mass index (BMI) than people who skipped breakfast, and that those who ate cooked cereal had a lower BMI than any other breakfast-eating group. Also, oatmeal was ranked as the most satiating breakfast food on the Satiety Index, developed by Australian researchers a decade ago, and it's the third most satiating food overall. "Oatmeal helps you stay fuller longer, since it's packed with fiber and is a good source of protein," says Dr. Katz.
TIP: If you don't have time for cooked oatmeal every morning, make muesli by mixing old- fashioned oats with plain yogurt, dried fruit and fruit juice and leaving it in the fridge overnight.
Peanuts
Almonds and walnuts have been getting all the glory these days, but don't discredit peanuts, the most commonly eaten nut in America. Researchers at Purdue University found that peanut eaters end up eating less over the course of the whole day and are more likely to maintain weight, even if given as many peanuts as they want. So what is it about peanuts? Is it the protein? The fat? Turns out it's a little bit of everything. "We've tried to isolate different components of the nut to determine what makes it so filling,' says Richard Mattes, Ph.D., a nut researcher at Purdue. "But there is something special about the whole package."
TIP: Calories do count, so look for single-serving sizes at convenience stores and drugstores.
Soup
We all know soup is good food, but who knew it was slimming, too? A recent study published in the journal Obesity Research found that adding two 10-ounce servings of broth-based soup to a weight loss diet each day can almost double the amount of weight lost in a six-month period. Why? Adding water into a food makes it more filling than drinking water separately. "The water in soup adds volume to a meal and helps you feel fuller, without extra calories,' says Dr. Rolls, lead researcher on the study. "As a result, you take in fewer calories over the course of the day."
TIP: Add your own veggies or fiber-rich beans to broth-based canned soup to keep you full longer.
Fish
You might be surprised to learn that fish tops oatmeal and vegetables in the satiety department. The Australian Satiety Index ranks steamed white fish such as halibut or cod as the number-one most filling food out of 38 common foods. Also, a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that people ate 11 percent less at dinner after having fish for lunch versus those who ate a beef lunch. "This study demonstrated that a protein-rich lunch meal with fish protein reduced calorie intake compared with the same-calorie lunch meal of beef protein," says lead researcher Saeedah Borzoei, Ph.D. Why is it so filling? "We are still learning about the filling properties of fish, but we do know that fish has a strong flavor, which can lead to greater satiety and less of a need to eat," notes Dr. Katz.
TIP: To add some flavor to grilled fish, try a quick marinade of soy sauce, lime and ginger.
Bulgur
High-fiber grains are a great way to round out a meal, and fine-cut bulgur is easy to cook. Bulgur, which is a quick-cooking form of whole wheat, takes about 10 minutes or less to prepare once water is boiled and is a great substitute for white rice and pasta, which are low in fiber and heavily processed. "Fiber helps prolong the insulin response so you don't have the blood sugar spikes you have with low-fiber carbohydrates like white pasta or rice," says Dr. Katz. With all the good fiber comes some other benefits: iron and vitamins E and B6.
TIP: Find bulgur in health-food stores and organic markets. For a quick side dish, combine fine bulgur with chicken broth, diced canned tomatoes and some cooked onions.
Salad
When most people think of dieting, they think of salad. But if that means some sad greens topped with unripe tomatoes, it's no wonder diets don't work. "Salads are a great opportunity to add a lot of filling foods into your diet at one time: fresh vegetables, lean protein, beans and healthy fats," says Dr. Rolls. And research backs it up. A study from Penn State University found that women who ate a salad before a pasta lunch ate fewer calories for the whole meal than those just digging into the pasta.
TIP: Start your salad with mesclun, arugula or spinach. Not only are these greens tastier than iceberg, they also contain more iron, calcium, vitamin C and folate.

Copyright © 2011 Everyday Health, Inc. The material on this web site is provided for educational purposes only, and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information. Use of this site is subject to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Green Exercise

 It is so much more exhilarating to walk outside in the woods or on a beach! You don't even need a walk man to occupy your mind. (probably because you are watching out for bears)!


(Berkeley Wellness)
Exercise is good for your body and mind. But exercising in nature can be especially restorative, recent research shows.
Lately, researchers have been looking at what happens to our brains and bodies when we’re walking in a forest, in the mountains or by the sea. The study of such “green exercise” usually falls under the umbrella of environmental psychology (or ecopsychology). The Japanese, in particular, have been studying what they call “forest bathing” (Shinrin-yoku)—that is, spending time in nature for thera­peutic effects.
Studies have found, for instance, that people do better on tests involving memory or attention after trekking through the woods than after walking in a city. People have increased vitality (that is, physical and mental energy) and a greater sense of well-being after walking through a tree-lined river path than after walking indoors. Other studies have even found that patients in hospitals tend to recover more quickly when they can see trees from their windows.
The proposed benefits of green exercise include giving the brain a respite from the multi-tasking of everyday life. If you enjoy hiking, you know that you become more aware of your surroundings—the sounds, smells, colors. Time slows down. Somehow this refreshes the brain and makes thinking clearer. Japanese researchers have found that walking through forests can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and improve various aspects of immune function for anywhere from a few hours to a few days afterwards—while walking in a city does not. They suggest that various airborne chemicals emitted from plants may play a role.
All it takes is 5 to 20 minutes of green exercise to boost mood and energy levels somewhat, some research has found, though longer forays in nature produce greater benefits. Other studies indicate that there’s a “third-day effect”—a special stage of relaxation and mindfulness that occurs after a couple days of hiking. Being out of the range of cell phones and email may be a factor, too.
Not everyone enjoys hiking or can do it, of course. Other green exercise activities—by the shore or even in a city park—may be your thing. Find what kind of environmentalist you are, and enjoy.

Breakfast at Firesign Cafe

We had another great breakfast at Firesign Cafe on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. We have been eating here for 20+ years, that should tell you how great it is! I love their waffles and I had the granola waffle with real maple syrup. Ron had their special potato and vegetable scramble with eggs which came with their yummy coffee cake. Their portions are plenty big! How great is sitting outside on their deck in beautiful Lake Tahoe having a hearty breakfast!