Did you know that a gram of alcohol has 7 calories? That's nearly twice the amount of a carbohydrate (4kcal/g) or protein (4kcal/g). Fat has 9kcal/g. Those 7 empty calories offer zero nutrition benefit in addition to its interference with the body's ability to use fat, sabotaging even the best weight loss plans.

Studies are always describing the cardiac health benefits of a glass of wine. The latest breaking news is about the benefits to bone density from a pint of IPA. Whether or not the health benefits of these are accurate in the real word (outside the parameters of a controlled study) is somewhat unknown. We do know somethings. Most people do not have just one drink. After one drink you are more likely to eat more and thus to over consume. The over consumption out weights any benefit from the alcohol.

And no - if the study says 1 drink a day is good for you, you can't save them all up and drink 7 on Saturday night! Ha!

How do I know what I should weigh?

An American's image of what a body should look like is ballooning out of control. Frequently, when I tell patients what their 'ideal' body weight would be they look at me like I have a green face. "No way! I will be skin and bones if I weigh that!" is usually their response.

With ever enlarging bodies and ever increasing feelings of needing to be thinner for women (or fitter for men), clothing designers have also modified their sizing charts. They have more sizes and have inflated the sizing so that women think they are smaller then they are. Today's size 2 would have been a size 6 forty years ago, and if you were a size 2 you were so sick and emaciated it was saddening.

So how do you know what size you should be? There a couple of equations we use in the health care setting to give us a round about figure.

Women: 100 pounds + 5 pounds x # of inches over 5' you are
Men: 106 pounds + 6 pounds x # of inches over 5' you are

example:
5'6" W: 100 + 5x6 = 130 pounds
6' M: 106 + 6x12 = 178 pounds

The BMI can be slightly more accurate because if your BMI falls between 18.5 and 24.9 then you are considered to be a 'healthy' weight. So it gives more of a range for a healthy weight. The only problem with BMI is that it does not account for muscle mass on men, which, on some, can be a major percent of his body weight. Thus, a very fit and trim male can have a BMI which indicates that he is overweight when in fact his body fat percent might only be 6 or 8 percent.

A lesson in protein needs...

It no secret that the amount of protein Americans consume on a daily basis is somewhat exorbitant. We eat egg sandwiches for breakfast, double quarter pounders for lunch, and roasted chicken or a steak for dinner. Meat is just the obvious place to find protein, but it is everywhere: dairy, breads, fish, meats, beans, grains, soy, nuts, and all the packaged items in between. While protein is a very useful food tool for weight loss, because it fills you up and keeps your feeling of satiety (or fullness) longer then carbohydrates, most people have no idea how much protein they need for their individual body.

In the hospital/health care setting we calculate grams of protein needed by a patient's body weight in kg.(Here is where you can feel free to play along) To find you weight in kg:

Take your weight in pounds/2.2 = weight in kg

For all healthy adults (read: healthy/normal weight, no kidney or liver disease, nervous system disorders, pregnant/lactating women or recent major surgery/trauma) the body needs 0.8 grams of protein per kg.

take weight in kg x 0.8 = grams of protein needed per day

Now how much protein are you eating? General rule of thumb is that 1 oz of meat has 7 grams of protein, so the 12 oz steak from the restaurant has 84 grams of protein (read: more then a full days protein for most people)

Comsuming more protein then your daily need is not detrimental to your health, unless you are eating 2-3grams of protein/kg per day on a regular basis. At that point it can start to be hard on your kidneys. Good news is - most people, especially women don't that point :)

to figure out daily intake: log what and how much you are eating - add up the grams of total protein for the day / your weight in kg = grams of protein/kg body weight eaten!

Penne with Bok Choy and Spicy Sausage

Bok Choy, or Asian Cabbage, is high in potassium and Vitamins A & C and it tastes pretty darn good too (with out the super gaseous effects of regular cabbage)!!

1 pound Bok Chok (baby Bok Choy preferred)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 oz penne pasta (I like Barilla Plus-it has good flavor and more protein & fiber!!)
2 spicy Italian chicken sausages or high quality andouille sausage
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
1 cup reserved pasta water

1. In small sauce pan cover sausages with water and boil until cooked - about 7 minutes - remove from pan and let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile bring water to boil for pasta. Once water is boiling, drop bok choy in to cook for 1 minute. Remove Bok Choy from pot, rinse in cold water to preserve color, and then dump pasta in to cook.
3. Heat oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper, salt and pepper. Let cook until fragrant - tops of 5 minutes - you don't want garlic to burn!
4. While garlic is sauteing, roughly chop up sausages and bok choy into large chunks.
5. When pasta is almost cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
6. Mix vinegar, sausage and bok choy in with the garlic oil.
7. Drain pasta and combine with bok choy in saute pan. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved water. Toss to coat pasta and mix well with other ingredients.
ENJOY!!

Chocolate Pancakes

Who doesn't like chocolate in the morning, especially when it is brunch time in the late morning-early afternoon. Pancakes are my favorite treat from childhood, chocolate pancakes, make this treat seem almost sinful!





1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 egg whites (or equivalent liquid egg white)
2 cups low fat buttermilk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon walnut oil (can use canola or safflower if you like)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon peanut butter powder
1/4 cup Splenda (or white sugar)

1. Preheat skillet on stove top to medium-high heat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together until batter is very smooth and all lumps are gone.
3. Melt some butter in bottom of skillet. Spoon batter into pan. It will take about 3 minutes to cook one side. Watch the batter. It will talk to you! When you start to see bubbles forming you are getting close, when the bubbles start to pop, you are ready! FLIP! Be sure to flip it before all the bubbles pop - this is what creates fluffy pancakes, trapping the bubbles and air in that dough when you flip it over.
4. Cook another 2 minutes and it is ready!

Enjoy with pure maple syrup and/or fresh peach or raspberry preserves!

Challah!

While the rap revolution may have popularized the word (written in the slang "HOLLA!") not much has changed in the way of making this ancient holy Jewish bread. It doesn't do all that well sitting around, so it really is best enjoyed fresh from the oven or later the same day you bake it.


1 teaspoon yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
4 large eggs
1/3 stick of butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups, unbleached white flour (you will need more then this most likely)

1. In a large bowl combine water, sugar, yeast - let sit 2-3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, crack eggs into a smaller bowl, and whisk to break up yolks and combine with whites.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan on the stove.
4. Combine butter and eggs into the yeast/water bowl. Add 4 cups flour and the salt.
5. Keeping one hand 'wet' (in bowl), and one hand 'dry' (holding onto bowl), swirl your hand in a circular motion to start combining the ingredients. As the dough begins to form a ball you can start to kneed it with the one hand in the bowl. Add more flour as your need it if the dough becomes to sticky to work with. Continue to knead until dough is soft and smooth - maybe 5-7 minutes.
6. Remove dough from bowl, drizzle bowl with olive oil, replace dough in bowl and roll in oil to completely coat.
7. Place kitchen towel over bowl and let rise 45 minutes - 1 hour.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with PAM cooking spray.
9. Divide dough into 3 sections. (Technically it should be six, and at one point I was taught how to properly braid the Challah with its 6 sections but I can't lie, I don't remember how to do it in the slightest!)
10. Taking each each section by itself, place both your hands side-by-side on top of the piece of dough. Roll your hands simultaneously back and forth over dough moving the hands outward to the edges as the dough starts to roll out into a rod formation. Lengthen the dough to about 1 foot. Repeat with remaining two pieces of dough.
11. Place the three rods of dough next to each other. pinch the top end together, then start braiding it as you would hair. When you get to the bottom, pinch the three ends together again to form a seal so that the braid doesn't unwind in the oven. Transfer to baking sheet and put into oven.
12. Bake for 30 minutes. It will be slightly browned and will have risen to almost double in size.
13. ENJOY!!!

Serve with traditional accompaniments of honey and Kosher salt or butter if you like or just enjoy piping hot from the oven with lunch or dinner!

Couscous with Chard, Cherries and Feta

Chard is a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Iron, Calcium and Fiber

Serves 4


2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 whole shallot bulb, sliced thin
1 1/4 cups Israeli couscous (larger sized balls)
14 oz fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried mint
2/3 cup dried sweet cherries
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped
1 15oz can of chick peas, drained
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
salt & pepper

1. Heat oil in large skillet. Add garlic and shallots. Saute until soft.
2. Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil in sauce pan. Add couscous and dried mint. Stir. Cook mostly covered until soft, stirring periodically.
3. When garlic and shallots are soft, add swiss chard. Cover and let chard steam for 3 minutes. Flip chard over, steam 3 more minutes.
4. Uncover, add chickpeas to skillet, season with salt and pepper and saute 1 minute.
5. When couscous is done, stir in cherries.
6. Spoon couscous in bowls.
7. Spoon chard mix over couscous.
8. Top with feta.
ENJOY!!

A nice chilled Praire Fume would go fabulously with this. If you can find Wollersheim Winery Praire Fume, I would highly suggest that one!

The bounties of a Vermont Lake

I hope that everyone was fortunate enough to spend the fourth of July weekend with friends and family, laughing and playing and enjoying wonderful food. After two days in the village of Lake Placid, New York, riding, shopping, and eating - I headed East, across Lake Champlain by ferry to visit a college roommate on Lake Dunmore. It is a beautiful, scenic spot, and the cabin was occupied by a family rooted with VT pride, growing a vegetable garden, brewing their own IPA beer, recycling and buying local, fantastic food.

My first taste was of bacon from a local butcher. Each strip was 2/3 fat and 1/3 meat - a nutritional nightmare perhaps, but that fat means flavor and if you cook it all off you are left with strips of delicious, crunchy meat. The right balance of smoke and salt, gave the tender meat a great flavor, perfect for a BLT dinner! The bacon was so good, I had to indulge again the next morning, but this time it would be inside a breakfast sandwich (egg, Cabot cheddar, tomato, spicy brown mustard) on a multi grain English Muffin (you knew something healthy would its way into the equation).

As soon as I got breakfast down the hatch, I began to be tormented by the wafting smells from the smoker of lamb and a Cajun crusted brisket slow cooking away. To keep my mind off food, I enlisted the help of the girls with preparing a large pitcher of Sangria, (and then refilling it countless times). We first used a Gewurztraminer with strawberries, peaches, oranges and an apple. The subsequent refills were with a Barbara di Alba (red) with apples and strawberries. The perfect thirst quencher after water skiing and for sitting on Paradise Island - a jumbo inner tube anchored near shore for a group floatation session.

About 7 hours later our first course arrived on the table for picking. Local cheeses (pepper jack, sun dried tomato cheddar, and brie), homemade pickles, rustic bread, salumi, olives and the fabulous lamb. I told the Vermonters their lamb was going to have a vigorous Armenian inspection, and though no Armenian would have dared to give the meat a little pepper kick, I did enjoy the different perspective on the preparation. Even after 7 hours in the smoker, the meat was cooked rare, it was juicy and tender with a crisp skin on the outside.

Later, the brisket came out with coleslaw, potato salad, and grilled aspargus. The grill master was sorely disappointed with his brisket (the Cajun-chili peeper rub gave excellent flavor and created a nice thick crust around the meat which kept it moist) mainly due to its lack of tenderness. He had the attitude of a champ though stating that he would not be had by the brisket - it was only his second attempt at cooking one and he was going to figure it out! The night was finished off by a superb homemade blueberry pie with real, creamy vanilla ice cream (more to come on the pie later!)

It really is quite amazing, how wonderful foods are when they are grown and sold right in your back yard. The flavors are so much warmer then foods bought at a conventional grocer. The added plus is that you get to have something to eat that your friends 200 miles away don't have access too, and for me, that makes it even more special and perhaps maybe even more tasty!