Dietary Sugar & Mental Illness Connection

Here's an interesting article and one more reason for us to avoid sugar. Take a look:

Is Dietary Sugar Driving You Nuts?
By E. Jean Perrins

Highly respected researcher Malcolm Peet has come across an extraordinary link between dietary sugar consumption and mental illness. This British psychiatric researcher has done an extensive analysis which proves a strong link between foods that contain sugar or convert to sugar in the body and the risk of developing both schizophrenia and depression.

According to his research, there are two ways that in-body sugar can influence mental health in a toxic way. As he reported in Psychology Today, first, sugar can suppress the activity and function of an important growth hormone in the brain called BDNF. This hormone regulates the health, functioning and maintenance of neurons within the brain. It also promotes new neuronal connections in the brain which support optimal memory function. BDNF levels in the brain are severely low in schizophrenia and depression. If sugar and sugar-forming foods are added to the diet, it can potentially bring on these conditions or make them worse. These two conditions very often result in shrinkage in the brain in areas which are affected by either depression or schizophrenia. In other word, brain damage can result.

Secondly, Peet discusses how sugar and sugar-forming foods triggers glycation in the body which contributes to a whole litany of chemical reactions that promote chronic inflammation. This is a different type of inflammation than results when the body needs to heal a small scratch or an insect bite. A little inflammation is necessary in the short term to trigger an appropriate immune response to heal a wound.

In the long term, a continuously irritating inflammation response in not a good thing, it actually disrupts the normal functioning of the immune system by making the various types of white blood cells lazy and unresponsive, in addition to causing problems in the brain.

There is increasing scientific evidence that inflammation is responsible for a whole string of serious and chronic illnesses and diseases, like arthritis, IBS, diabetes, dementia, Alzheimers, auto-immune diseases like Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, not to mention gout and acid reflux. A number of mental health challenges arise as well. Even if these diseases are not yet present, scientists say the risk and the potential for them is there.

The definition of sugar and sugar-forming foods include the actual sugar itself, in addition to high fructose corn syrup, flours, refined grains, cereals, cakes, cookies, candies, chewing gum, donuts, baked goods, puddings, pastries, ice cream, and any other product containing sugar.

Cave men didn't eat sugar, because there wasn't any for many centuries. We did have an innate sweet tooth which guided us to eat whatever fruit we could find, when it was available. Because fruit was relatively scarce or unavailable because it was too high in the trees, we didn't have a problem with our sweet taste buds. When we discovered sugar cane a few centuries back, our sweet tooth became more of a curse. We developed cravings for sweet foods or foods that turned sweet in the body causing problems with foods we were not designed to eat consistently in large volumes. If you actually start reading labels in the supermarket, you will see how many products actually contain sugar or corn syrup. Some researchers are saying that corn syrup is even more dangerous than the toxic sugars in our bodies.

Peet suggests that as this research has come to light, he is encouraging his mentally challenged patients to cut out sugars and simple starches for a couple of weeks to see if they notice any improvement in their depressive symptoms. For the few that have had the courage and the determination of reduce their intake of sugars, breads, crackers and other refined foods, they have reported encouraging improvements in their mood, memory, mental clarity, focus and overall energy. Maybe it's time to look at how your mental state is influenced by your diet.

Jean Perrins is a former nurse and admitted health nut who writes health articles for a number of on-line and off-line sources. As an avid researcher, she knows how to squeeze every ounce of health in a body. To access more of Jean's articles, go to [http://www.drinkalkalineionizedwater.com]http://www.drinkalkalineionizedwater.com.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-Dietary-Sugar-Driving-You-Nuts?&id=3481537] Is Dietary Sugar Driving You Nuts?

Savory Provence Buttered Halibut

Hello Everyone!

Since I love "Day 6" living and the recipes developed for it I'll be posting pictures and reports here for you to enjoy! This was tonight's dinner and it was outstanding! It just goes to show that healthy living does not have to be expensive, time consuming or icky. I am so excited for my LAWLS Neighbors to get started with these recipes - you are going to be thrilled and so will your tiny tummies and the loved ones at your tables.

You can also follow this thread in the Neighborhood to see what others are cooking for Day 6!


The Details:
Page 172 of Day 6: Beyond 5 Day Pouch Test
12/14/2009
4 Servings.
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Estimated Cost: $12 or $3.00/serving

Nutrients per 4-ounce halibut steak: 185 calories; 9g Fat; 24g Protein; trace Carbohydrates; trace Dietary Fiber.

Sauteed the zucchini & mushrooms in the same butter/herb mixture as made for halibut.
Individuals seasoned with finishing salt & pepper to taste. Jim loved it and had second helpings. I enjoyed half my serving and was full, will be quite happy with it for lunch tomorrow!

Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test by Kaye Bailey

Day6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test

Hey Neighbors -- This week you should be receiving via USPS my new book Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test! I am so anxious for feedback, so thought I'd open a place for your comments. Let me know what you think: I'm tough, I can take it. Please don't be too mean about the delays, though, I already feel lower than a Wyoming lizard's belly about all the problems we had on this project!

Also, if you didn't see it in the 5DPT Bulletin today, here is part of an interview my publicist did with me on the new book:

Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test
An Interview with Kaye Bailey

By Hamilton Fish


[HF] Kaye, your new book "Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test" was released November 30th as a follow-up to the successful 5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual. Why was there a need for a follow-up?
[KB] So many weight loss surgery patients have successfully found their pouch again by doing the 5 Day Pouch Test. The question is asked time and again, "What do I do on Day 6?" So it just made sense to assess what exactly works for maintainers, for myself, what concepts are important to embrace on a daily basis to stay on track. I compare the 5 Day Pouch Test to an airbag deployment, it is an emergency measure, not something you want to deploy with any frequency. So the concept of Day 6 is to figure out what works in a real life to keep us in the safety zone but still travel the roads of life.

[HF] So what are some of the secrets of Day 6 that keep you in the "safety zone"?
[KB] Well, there are the obvious things such as the Four Rules and of course remembering to avoid slider foods and respect the liquid restrictions. But I introduce several new ideas I think are meaningful. The "I Heart DIET" concept really empowers us with a new way of thinking about the word diet and having a food plan. As I explain when we have a diet or food plan we generally maintain weight or lose weight. But if we have no plan that is when weight is most commonly gained. DIET is an acronym for Daily Intelligent Eating Triumphs and it plays a leading role in the Day 6 way of life for us. It's not difficult or threatening or intimidating, though, it is empowering. I think when we use I Heart DIET properly it is one of the first times in our life that we release guilt that is often associated with eating. There are many other nuggets of wisdom and inspiration I think will be meaningful to my WLS Neighbors.

[HF] What do you love about your new book?
[KB] Wow. Well, I love the cover Gerald designed using the rainbow concept from the LivingAfterWLS website. I love that I was able to write in the same voice I have talking to close friends, like I was really connecting with everyone who reads it. The WLS Neighbors are so important to me, so inspiring. When I sat down to write I truly imagined having them with me, there in conversation. We connect on so many levels. This was really special to me. And I love that I have learned so much from so many over the last 10 years that this was a collection of shared knowledge and experience. We understand one another and I think it shows in this book, the deep connection. And of course I loved the recipe testing we did. You were there for a few recipe tests: good friends, good food. No complaints about that!

[HF] Is there anything you don't love about the Day 6 book?
[KB-Laughing] Well, this project had some freaky-doodle bobbles that nearly sent me on an extended stay at the funny farm! For example, the final manuscript was sent to me for sign-off and it left from Nebraska the same day that John {Kaye's agent} had flowers direct shipped to me from Miami. The flowers arrived in Wyoming the next day, but the manuscript took 5 days to get here - both on FedEX overnight! How do you explain that except for freaky-doodle? Maybe my next book will be the "5 Day Freaky-Doodle Test!" It's easy to laugh now, but it was a long frustrating 13 weeks from the time my manuscript was finished to when I had the books in my hands.

[HF] You mentioned the recipe testing. There is a big recipe section in this book, so will you be cooking a holiday meal using Day 6 recipes?
[KB] Oh absolutely! I think there are 66 all-new recipes in the "Cooking with Kaye" section. Let's see what I can think of off the top of my head. For a holiday brunch Scandinavian Scrambled Eggs would be perfect. So rich and creamy and easy to make ahead, add some fresh fruit and you have a perfect holiday brunch. There is a broiled halibut with savory Provence butter: elegant & delicious. I think there is a tomato basil salad that would look very Christmassy and go with any lean protein. And if you can find fresh strawberries the perfect dessert is the Strawberries Romanoff. Anyone who serves this is going to look like a culinary rock star! Oh, I could do several holiday meals from this book!

[HF] What is the most important message you want your readers to get from the Day 6 book?
[KB] Well, the first most important message is from my heart, that each and every WLS Neighbor matters and they are not alone. I hope that message is clear with my words because I wrote from my heart. The next most important message is the power of knowledge. I think we were not told quite a few things before surgery and if they were explained to us we would be more successful with our surgery. I used the book to explain some things we need to know like why we get in the habit of slider foods, why carbonation is bad, why alcohol affects us so differently. Things like this. Nobody really tells us ahead of time, and later when we go to our centers with questions we are often dismissed. But we are smart people, a little bit of knowledge is so powerful in making better use of this tool.

[HF] Are you working on a new book?
[KB] Isn't that like asking a woman in the delivery room if she's planning on having another baby? [laughs] Actually, there are two books in the works for publishing in 2010. One is called "Nurturing Neighbors" and it is a support group leader handbook. The other is the "I Heart DIET Cookbook."

Recovery Monday on YouTube

Fun Times in the Neighborhood

Hello Neighbors & Welcome Back after the Thanksgiving Weekend. I hope your plates were loaded with lean-mean protein and you enjoyed great times with your family and friends. Now, with the first of the Feasting Holidays under our belt, we can get on with the fun at hand! In the Neighborhood, of course! Check out these great opportunities to enjoy a little holiday Joy with your LivingAfterWLS friends:

2009 Holiday Swap

Fun Friday Goes Experimental

Get Fit the Wii Way

Son of a Witch Read Along

Back on Track with the 5 Day Pouch Test

The LivingAfterWLS is the best place to carry on conversations about you, your weight loss surgery experience and your life. It is an advertising free destination, a safe haven circle of friends. Don't travel this journey without making the Neighborhood your home.

But when you need a quick fix of inspiration and support catch up with LivingAfterWLS & Me on Facebook & Twitter -- Here's the Links

Kaye Bailey on Facebook

LivingAfterWLS Neighbors on Facebook

Kaye's 5 Day Pouch Test Group on Facebook

Follow LivingAfterWLS on Twitter


See you around!!

Thanksgiving Strategies

Subscribed to me on YouTube!

Free Pocket Journal with Purchase LivingAfterWLS Store

Hey Neighbors -- Wanted to alert you to a promotion we have in the LivingAfterGeneral Store!!

Enter coupon code THANKYOU at checkout and receive our all new Know Your Numbers Journal ($5.95 Value) free with your paid order! This is our way of saying thanks for being a loyal Neighbor and thanks for your support of LivingAfterWLS project. Proceeds from the General Store keep the Neighborhood advertising free so we can focus on being good Neighbors and building genuine relationships.

Here is a little look at the Know Your Numbers Journal - It is a great tool and yours Free with every order!



Good records are the key to early detection & prevention of disease. This 36-page guide helps men & women stay informed about important numbers, such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings, as well as recommended screenings for cancer, hearing loss and much more. Includes room to keep years of results in one handy guide. Record dates of medical/dental exams, weight, blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, vision, hearing, bone density, cancer screenings, contact information and much more. A must have for any health-conscious individual.!


Shop Now

Ham & White Bean Soup

Delicious!

1 Tablespoon canola oil
2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 large carrots, diced
1 teaspoon You Have Arrived Savory Provence Seasoning Blend
1 pound cooked ham, trimmed and cubed
3 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, canned, drained and rinsed
1 (32 ounce) box chicken broth, reduced sodium
1 bay leaf
ground black pepper, to taste

Get Your LivingAfterWLS You Have Arrived Mug

In a large heavy stockpot or Dutch oven heat the canola oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, shallot, celery, carrots, and You Have Arrived Savory Provence Seasoning Blend. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add the diced cooked ham, the drained and rinsed Great Northern beans, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes for flavors to marry. Remove from heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and season with pepper, do not add salt. Remove bay leaf. Serve warm, 1 cup per person.

I love the cover of my new book!

View full-size image

220 Pages, Soft-Cover, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2-inches - See Full Cover
66 All new recipes for Day 6 Family Friendly Eating

Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test is Kaye Bailey's follow-up to her powerful 5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual, which has helped countless thousands get back on track with their weight loss surgery. In Ms. Bailey's generous spirit of compassion and belief in others she shares her secrets for working with the surgical weight loss tool, not against it, to achieve optimum success and long-term weight maintenance. No gimmicks. No quick fixes. Just simple common sense delivered in the powerful "you can do this" style we have come to expect from Ms. Bailey.

In Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test Ms. Bailey invites readers to consider their relationship with the word diet as she introduces a revolutionary new concept for nurturing a strong and reasonable respect for food.

Day 6 is the way-of-life weight loss surgery patients will follow if they want to control their weight for the rest of their lives.
"This is the book I wish I had read before having surgery in the first place - it would have made all the difference in my success or failure."
-- Alyce Pittaway, Laparoscopic GastricBypass 2002

SKU#5662212

Sale Price: $25.95

Bonus Fun Friday

I'm not sure if Gwenda knows the Neighborhood is back online, so I'm going to toss-out a *Bonus* Fun Friday for this weekend.... Hope you don't mind, our darlingGwenda little down under Fun Friday Hostess...

November 13th is the third Friday the 13th of 2009 -- and it seems I (personally) have been on a run of rotten luck lately. But the saying goes, third times a charm. So my question for this Bonus Fun Friday -- Does the adage 3rd times a charm override the misfortune of Friday the 13th? Get out of bed or pull the covers over your head on the third Friday the 13th of the year?

...... cool prizes presented to you from the LivingAfterWLS General Store.


Let the game begin .......

a bit under the weather

hey Neighbors -- I'm not ignoring the Neighborhood, emails or PMs. I'm just feeling pretty lousy and hanging-out like a lump on the couch. I think I have food-borne illness since eating a deli lunch of questionable freshness yesterday. Jim thinks the stress of the last few weeks has whipped-a** on my little body and I just need to chill-out and rest. HA! I'm sipping copious amounts of Emergen-C and resting best I can. I really need to get feeling better soon. KeepHerKitty is home with me, not feeling so chipper herself:



In good news:

Our new little booklet "Know Your Numbers" is now in stock at the LivingAfterWLS Store -- Such a cool tool, go here:

Exciting Personal News: I learned this week I get to be the custodian of my beloved grandmother Florine's dining room set. My grandmother was a goddess of entertaining, including a stint in Washington DC hostessing political powerhouses and a lifetime of grandly hosting her cherished family. I am wigged-out excited for this because of the history of this family heirloom, but also because we gave our dining set to our son last year and have not replaced it! This year we can eat Thanksgiving at the family table. (Last year we ate off paper plates sitting on crates of 5DPT books!).

Speaking of Grandma Florine, for years she hosted Gingerbread House party for oodles of aunts, uncles, cousins, and kin. Grand family tradition. Grandma passed in April 2007 and the following holiday season I honored her by replicating her childhood home in Gingerbread:



This year I will honor the LivingAfterWLS Neighbors by making & donating on your behalf a Gingerbread House to our local Relay for Life Festival of Trees. I want to include our rainbow and penguins --- any other suggestions? If you've heard me speak about the Emperor Penguins you understand the connection.

The Gingerbread House featured above is still presentable -- I preserved it and I can hardly wait to make it the centerpiece on my Grandma's table... I think she would be pleased.

Ok -- time for more rest.


Please share your ideas for our LivingAfterWLS Gingerbread House. What do you think about skinny snowmen? LOL!

New! Know Your Numbers Health Journal

I'm very excited to introduce a new product in our LivingAfterWLS General Store - Ready to ship to you today:

Know Your Numbers Journal

Good records are the key to early detection & prevention of disease. This 36-page guide helps men & women stay informed about important numbers, such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings, as well as recommended screenings for cancer, hearing loss and much more. Includes room to keep years of results in one handy guide. Record dates of medical/dental exams, weight, blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, vision, hearing, bone density, cancer screenings, contact information and much more. A must have for any health-conscious individual.! SKU#1241718434 Sale Price: $4.95 (SAVE 15%)

Shop the LivingAfterWLS General Store

LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood

Welcome Home Neighbors!

So glad to have you back after an agonizing week-long outage. The strength of our relationships was truly realized when we were suddenly disconnected and unable to gather here in support and friendship. I appreciate the loyalty of each of you and treasure the kind messages and shows of support, particularly when it became necessary to cause a public stink to get results from our Internet Host.

Please join me in giving Melinda (melsreturn) a big cyber-hug for opening her Recovering Fatty Home to us. She gave us a special room and made us quite comfortable, treating us as her cherished guest. She is a valued member of our community here and a treasured leader in her own community. Please join me here in offering your words of gratitude.

Thank you again, everyone.

And Welcome Home.

Lemon Broccoli Chicken - 20 Minute Recipe

Oh does this look yummy! I found this recipe on the label for Campbell's Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup! A side dish of steamed broccoli with a squeeze of lemon would make a perfect meal! Here's the details:

Lemon Broccoli Chicken
Ingredients:
1 Lemon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I'd use canola)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (10.75 ounce) can Cream of Broccoli Soup
1/4 cup milk
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Cut 4 thin slices of lemon. Squeeze 2 teaspoons juice from remaining lemon into a small bowl.
Heat oil in skillet. Cook chicken 10 minutes or until browned.
Add Soup, milk, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Top with lemon slices. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve warm.

Sounds wonderful! Let me know if you try it!

Neighborhood Needs Your Tweets

I need your help.

Have you ever been stuck on the perpetual hold circle never to get results? That's how I've spent most of my time since Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

The entire LivingAfterWLS suite is hosted by Register.com -- a high-priced host & domain register that promises "100% online time because 99% is not enough." We use this web host because, until now, we believed in their lofty promises and security claims:

"our website hosting solutions give you more of what you need to succeed online - including state-of-the-art features, world-class support and guaranteed reliability that other business web hosting providers can't match." -- Register.com

On November 3, 2009 Register.com outsourced technicians crashed the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood.
De

These same technicians have failed to restore the Neighborhood; Register.com has failed to react to my calls for site support or restoration.

I have been patient.
I have been understanding.
I have been polite.
I have been apologetic to the LivingAfterWLS Neighbors.

But damnit. Time's Up!

The Neighborhood WAS online and growing since March 2006 and WE have made it our safe haven circle of friends support community. We are authentic: We are family.

And nobody at Register.com is listening to how important this is to us.

Their accounts payable is happy to listen when I call to update an expiration date on payment card. They are happy to take my call when I add a web domain. But six days after crashing our Neighborhood -- and I get "assurance we are watching this" and "you are important to us" after numerous calls. But nothing happens.

Here's how you can help:
Using your Twitter account please message:

@Register_com FIX LIVINGAFTERWLS.COM NOW

Your very frustrated friend,
Kaye

Oven Baked Porcupine Meatballs

Hello Neighbors!

Last night I posted this picture to Facebook: Dinner of Oven Baked Porcupine Meatballs. The recipe is featured in my new book, Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test, on page 179. But since the book is a bit behind schedule and so many of you have already ordered I'm offering up the recipe here today! These meatballs are super delicious and actually quite easy to make. I served them with baked butternut squash and heated store-bought gravy. There is just enough rice to get a nice "bite" without going carb-crazy. I hope you enjoy. There are 66 all-new recipes in the new book -- recipes for Day 6 Living that keeps us on track with our weight loss surgery and keep our tummies happy. Here you go!

You can still pre-order my new book at a discounted price and save $4.00 off the cover! And I've promised to sign all pre-order copies. Go Here

Oven Baked Porcupine Meatballs

This recipe reminds me of the great casserole foods from the 1970's. My mom made the meatballs with the rice mixed in with the meat. But rolling the meatballs in the pre-soaked rice gives the meatballs more bite without overindulgence in starchy carbohydrate. Any ground meat will work in this recipe, but if you use ground chicken or turkey be sure to add a small amount of olive oil or other fat so the meatballs are succulent.

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
Cooking spray
1 pound ground veal
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 bunch green onions, minced
1/2 cup water chestnuts*, canned, drained, diced
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Soak rice in hot tap water in a large bowl while preparing meat mixture. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place baking rack on top so that fat will drip through rack to foil lined sheet. Spray rack with cooking spray. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine ground veal, rice wine vinegar, green onions, diced water chestnuts, cornstarch, egg white, sugar, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form into 24 evenly sized meatballs. Drain rice in a sieve and transfer to a shallow dish. Roll each meatball in rice to coat and place 1-inch apart on baking rack. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until meatballs are done. Serve warm.

Serves 6, 4 meatballs each. Per serving:243 Calories; 6g Fat; 18g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber.

*Water chestnuts are the edible tuber of a water plant found in Southeast Asia. They are bland with a hint of sweetness and valued for the crunch they add to stir-fried dishes.



Copyright 2009
Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test by Kaye Bailey

Autumnal Seasoning Blend

A custom blend of savory autumnal herbs and spices: thyme, sage, marjoram, celery seed, spices, herbs. Low-sodium. Use for poultry, pork, roasted vegetables. Net weight: 2 ounces. Volume: 1/2 cup. Decorative keepsake tin with hand stamped autumnal motif accenting all-natural jute sleeve. Great for gift giving.

Eight Free recipes with each purchase!

Limited Edition - Only 48 Available

Buy Now - $8.25 + S&H

The 2-ounce container (1/2 cup volume) is plenty to flavor your favorite autumn roast poultry, pork and vegetables throughout the cold winter months and will stay fresh and flavorful stored in the functional reusable tin. Tin measures 4-1/4"x 2-3/4" x 1-1/4" deep. Spice blend is delivered in tin tightly preserved in resealable plastic bag for optimum freshness.

"Smells like Thanksgiving, and stuffing and home. Delicious. "
Kaye's husband Jim

Learn More

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Roast Turkey

Discovered this recipe on myRecipes.com -- The turkey looks great without the mashed potatoes and comes in at a whopping 55g protein per serving. Turkey is rich in amino acids which build strong bones and muscles and strengthen the immune system! What could be better at the end of the day than a delicious serving of tender roast turkey? Enjoy!

Serve this slow cooker roast with mashed potatoes and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.

Yield

8 servings (serving size: about 4 ounces turkey and about 1/3 cup onion mixture)

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup julienne-cut drained oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning mix (such as McCormick's) OR 1 teaspoon You Have Arrived 2009 Autumnal Seasoning Blend
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (4-pound) boneless turkey breast, trimmed
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preparation

Combine first 9 ingredients in an electric slow cooker. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup broth and flour in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add broth mixture to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. Cut turkey into slices.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 368 (26% from fat)

Fat: 10.7g (sat 2.2g,mono 5.6g,poly 2g)

Protein: 55.3g

Carbohydrate: 9.8g

Fiber: 1.2g

Cholesterol: 159mg

Iron: 3.2mg

Sodium: 527mg

Calcium: 44mg

Holly Rudin-Braschi, Grill Power, Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

Food Borne Disease: Refresher Course

As cold and flu season is upon us much of our focus is on preventing just that: colds and flu. But now is also a good time to refresh our memories on food handling safety and illness prevention from food borne disease. We can take two approaches to protect our health from food illness: kitchen cleanliness and proper food storage and food preparation.

Kitchen Cleanliness: even in a spotless kitchen cross-contamination can occur. Good housekeeping practice means immediately washing anything that comes in contact with raw meat using a cleaning rag that is dedicated exclusively to clean-up of instruments and surfaces that have come in contact with raw meat or poultry. Some restaurants use pink dish rags for work in areas where raw meat is handled and white cloths in areas where cooked food is handled. It is wise to confine the handling of raw meat to as small of area as possible, such as the sink, and wipe down thoroughly after meat preparation.

A dilute mixture of warm water and chlorine bleach is an effective disinfectant for sterilizing surfaces where raw meat has been handled. For convenience keep on hand disinfecting wipes by Lysol or Clorox that kill 99% of bacteria. Use the wipes to clean counters and tools and then discard to avoid spreading bacteria and contamination from the cloth to other surfaces. I keep a spray bottle with 1/3 chlorine to 2/3's water at hand to spray surfaces and wipe dry with paper toweling. Allow the chlorine mixture to set on the surface a few minutes before wiping clean and discarding the paper toweling.

Food Handling: Safe food handling begins at the time of purchase. In the best case meat or poultry will be used shortly after purchase, but if not should be stored between 28F and 32F in the meat compartment of the refrigerator. If the meat will not be used within two days it should be wrapped in a non-permeable plastic and stored in the freezer until use, but no longer than 6 to 12 months. Meat should only be thawed in the refrigerator, never at room temperature where bacteria, yeast, molds or viruses could develop.

E. coli is the best known of food borne bacteria and can live in meat and vegetables. In fact, any food can be contaminated with it: undercooked hamburger and roast beef, unpasteurized milk, unpasteurized cider processed from unwashed apples which fell on soil contaminated by the manure of sick cows, vegetables grown in soils fertilized with cow manure. There is no way a farmer, however careful and conscientious, can know which cow is contaminated and which is not. So it is up to the cook to prepare the foods they serve properly in accordance with safe food handling guidelines.

The US Departement of Agriculture has prepared a list of Farenheit temperatures to which meat, poultry and eggs should be cooked in order to kill foodborne bacteria. Temperatures should be measured with a clean instant-read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the meat. Reference the table below:

Fresh ground beef, veal, lamb, pork: 160F
Beef, veal, lamb: roasts, steaks, chops: 145F (medium rare); 160F (medium); 170F (well done)
Fresh pork: roasts, steaks, chops: 160F (medium); 170F (well done)
Ham: cook before eating: 160F
Ham: fully cooked, to reheat: 140F
Poultry: Ground chicken, turkey: 165F
Poultry: whole chicken, turkey: 180F
Poultry: breasts, roasts: 170F
Poultry: thighs & wings: cook until juices run clear
Stuffing: (cooked alone or in bird): 165F
Egg dishes, casseroles: 160F
Leftovers: 165F

For more information contact the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.

Fruits and Vegetables: Raw foods, such as produce, should be washed thoroughly under cool running water in an area free from contaimination from raw meat preparation. Separate utensils and cutting boards should be used for produce and meat to avoid cross contamination.

Vegetables are best stored chilled to slow deterioration. Chilling of fruits and vegetables causes all metabolic activities, including respiration, to slow down. Most fruits and vegetables are best stored at refrigerator temperatures and in conditions whree oxygen is limited. Store vegetables in the crisper compartment of the refrigerator, unwashed, until the time of use.

Soups On!

You Have Arrived Mug & Feed the Carb Monster Soup Mixes

The combination package lets you try both Feed the Carb Monster Soup mixes (Hearty Vegetable & Tomato Basil) for a great low price and enjoy them in our ever-popular "You Have Arrived" 16-ounce bistro style soup/coffee mug. A $24.95 Value -- Save $2.00!! Free sample of the You Have Arrived Finishing Salt with every purchase!!
SKU# 1244568753