Saturated fat is vital to human health

This post includes a summary of a paper published in Lipids Volume 45, Number 10 941-946 and a recipe for clams with bacon and chilli butter.

Study title and authors:
The Complex and Important Cellular and Metabolic Functions of Saturated Fatty Acids

Philippe Legrand and Vincent Rioux

Books:

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/767q8847k48g2609/

This paper is a review that summarizes recent findings on the metabolism and biological functions of saturated fatty acids (SFA). Some of these findings show that SFA may have important and specific roles in the cells. Elucidated biochemical mechanisms like protein acylation (giving us energy) and regulation of gene transcription (building proteins) are presented. SFA is also involved making polyunsaturated fatty acids more bioavailable and apoptosis (controlling cell death).

The variety of their functions demonstrates that SFA is vital to human health.

More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Websites : Videos : Food Mall

Recipe of the day

Clams with Bacon and Chilli Butter

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter, chilled

Food Mall: Clams

1 red chilli, seeded and minced

2 shallots, finely chopped
pinch freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
3 rashers bacon
24 small clams

Preparation method
1. In a small bowl, mix together butter, chilli, shallots, black pepper and salt. Form the mixture into a ball shape, and securely wrap with cling film. Place in the freezer approximately 30 minutes, until firm but not solid.

2. Preheat the grill. Cook bacon until browned. Cut each slice into 8 pieces.

3. Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add clams and cook for 15 to 20 seconds or until open; drain and rinse.

4. Arrange clams on a medium baking tray. Top each with 1 piece of bacon. Distribute equal portions of the butter mixture onto each clam atop the bacon.

5. Checking often to avoid burning, grill the clams 2 to 3 minutes, until the butter mixture has melted and bacon is crisp.



Humans evolved eating a high saturated fat diet

This post contains a summary of a paper published in Lipids Volume 45, Number 10 915-923 and a recipe for fennel pork chops.

Study title and authors:
Saturated Fats: A Perspective from Lactation and Milk Composition

J. Bruce German and Cora J. Dillard

Books:

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/606x3q2x0n291241/

The authors examined the evolution of lactation, and the composition of milks that developed through millennia of natural selective pressure and natural selection processes. They found that human milk, contains 50% of it's total fatty acids as saturated fatty acids.

They postulated that mammary gland milk has evolved with a high saturated fat content because of the benefits it gives to humans, and that the current 'low-fat' dogma does not take these benefits into consideration.

More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Websites : Videos : Food Mall

Recipe of the day

Fennel Pork Chops

Ingredients

4 pork loin chops

Food Mall: Pork Loin Chops

2 tablespoons garlic salt

1 tablespoon fennel seed
225ml (8 fl oz) white wine

Preparation method
1. Sprinkle garlic salt on both sides of the pork chops.

2. Pour a little olive oil into a frying pan. Put the pork chops in the frying pan and place fennel seeds on top of the pork chops. Ten to 15 fennel seeds per chop will probably do. Let the underside of the pork chop brown, then turn over. Once both sides are browned flip again.

3. Pour the wine into frying pan; cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes and flip the pork chops over. Cover them again and let them simmer for another 10 minutes. Make sure the wine doesn't completely evaporate or the pork chops will burn. You may have to add a little more wine to the pan.



Director of worlds longest running heart study says those that eat more cholesterol and fat - weigh the least and are more physically active

This post includes a summary of a paper published in the Archives of Internal Medicine 1992;152(7):1371-1372 and a recipe for

Study title and author:

Concerning the Possibility of a Nut...

Books:

William P. Castelli, MD

This paper can be accessed at: http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/summary/152/7/1371

The Framingham Heart Study is a long-term, ongoing cardiovascular study on residents of the town of Framingham, Massachusetts. It is the worlds longest running heart disease study and began in 1948 with 5,209 adult subjects from Framingham, and is now on its third generation of participants.

Dr. William Castelli, a director of the Framingham Heart Study, declared: "In Framingham, Mass, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person's serum cholesterol...we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol,ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories, weighed the least, and were the most physically active"

More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Other Websites : Videos : Food Mall

Recipe of the day

Bacon Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

◦1/2 c liquid (but NOT hot) bacon fat*

Food Mall: Bacon

◦1 egg yolk (if you use local, pasture raised chicken eggs, you don’t have to worry about bacteria)

◦1 t lemon juice

Method:
Put the egg yolk, mustard and vinegar in the smallest bowl of your food processor. Start the blade running and slowly add the bacon fat. Slowly means–take spoonful of fat and add a single drop into the bowl of the food processor. Once that has combined, add another drop. You should start to see an emulsion forming. At this point, you can add the fat as a slow drizzle. Continue until all the fat is gone. The mayo is finished when it’s creamy and a little thick. All in all, it’ll take about 6 minutes.

*Heat the oven to 350. Place 8 slices of bacon on a baking sheet and cook until browned about 25 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and reserve it for another recipe. What’s left should be about 1/2c of rendered bacon fat. Make sure the fat has cooled down a bit before making the mayo.

Eating vegetables with fat increases vitamin A uptake

This post features a summary of a study published in the Journal of Nutrition 1999;129:1549-1554 and a recipe for alfresco beef.

Study title and authors:                                                                                                        Books:

Children's Consumption of Dark Green, Leafy Vegetables with Added Fat Enhances Serum Retinol (vitamin A)

Etor E. K. Takyi

Nutrition Unit, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana

This study can be accessed at: http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/129/8/1549
 
Etor found that eating dark green, leafy vegetables with fat significantly enhanced serum vitamin A, compared to eating dark green, leafy vegetables without fat.  
 
More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Websites : Videos : Food Mall

Recipe of the day

Alfresco Beef

Ingredients:

1 x 1.3kg/3lb lean topside, silverside or sirloin joint
Salt and freshly milled black pepper                                                         Food Mall: Silverside Beef

3 large sprigs fresh rosemary, cut into smaller sprigs

300ml/½pint medium rosé wine
4 fresh bay leaves, torn
30ml/2tbsp olive oil
2 whole unpeeled garlic bulbs, cut in half horizontally
2 large red onions, peeled and cut into wedges

Method:
1.Preheat the oven to Gas mark 4-5, 180-190°C, 350-375°F.

2.Place the joint on a chopping board and make several slashes over the surface with a sharp knife, taking care not to cut any butcher’s string or meat bands. Season on both sides and push the rosemary sprigs into the slits.

3.Place the beef in a strong, large plastic freezer bag and add the wine, bay leaves, oil and garlic. Seal the bag, place on a large plate and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

4.Remove the garlic and bay leaves from the beef marinade (reserve the marinade) and transfer to a large non-stick roasting tin with the onions. Place the beef on top of the onions, pour over the marinade and open roast for the preferred, calculated cooking time, basting occasionally with any rich meat juices. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.

5.Transfer the beef to a large warm plate, cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

6.Slice the beef and serve with the pan juices, red onions, a new potato salad and corn on the cob.

Saturated fat and protein protective against stroke

This post includes a summary of a study published in Stroke 1984 Vol 15, 15-23 and a recipe for meatballs with tomatoes and collards.

Study title and authors:

Books:

Epidemiologic studies of coronary heart disease and stroke in Japanese men living in Japan, Hawaii and California: incidence of stroke in Japan and Hawaii

Y Takeya, JS Popper, Y Shimizu, H Kato, GG Rhoads and A Kagan

This study can be accessed at: http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/15/1/15?ijkey=e2d039e67dea3a433f712e9867e9398316b85ff0&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
 
The authors conclude that the data from Hawaii and Japan show that dietary animal protein and saturated fat are protective from the incidence of stroke.

More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Other Websites : Videos : Food Mall 

Recipe of the day

Meatballs with Tomatoes and Collards
 
Ingredient list:

Food Mall: Ground Chuck

1.25 pounds of ground chuck

1 pound of shredded collard greens
2 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup of chicken or beef stock
1sweet yellow onion
Extra virgin olive oil
Dried oregano
Dried parsley
Ground cumin
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Salt

Directions: Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pressure cooker over medium heat. Chop onion into bite-sized pieces. Add to pot with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper and cook several minutes until soft, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add about one pound or 10 handfuls of shredded collard greens to pot. Add two cans of diced tomatoes with all the liquid in the cans. Fill one can with water and add it to the pot. Add about one cup of chicken stock. Add salt, garlic powder, cumin, and black pepper to taste. I like a nice dusting of each.

Put ground beef into a mixing bowl. Add one teaspoon each of salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add two tablespoons each of oregano and dried parsley. Add one egg and mix all ingredients together by hand. Roll meatballs to a size just larger than a golf ball and drop into pot on top of collards and tomatoes. Lock top on pressure cooker. Increase heat to high. After achieving high pressure, reduce heat to the lowest level consistent with maintaining high pressure. Cook under high pressure for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, allow pressure to come down naturally, and remove top. Use a slotted spoon to transfer vegetables and meatballs to plates or bowls. Enjoy!



Infertility specialist recommends a zero carb diet to increase conception rates

This post features a video by a reproductive endocrinologist and a recipe for Texas-style BBQ beef back ribs.

Michael D. Fox, MD who is a reproductive endocrinologist/Infertility specialist in Jacksonville, Florida recommends a zero carb diet for women who are experiencing problems in conceiving.



More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Websites : Videos : Food Mall 

Recipe of the day

Texas-Style BBQ Beef Back Ribs

Servings: Serves 6-8                                                                                 Food Mall: Beef Back Ribs

Ingredients:

2 racks of beef back ribs (7 ribs per rack)

2 Tbsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. ground oregano

1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

Instructions:
Combine all spices. Rub over surface of ribs to coat well.

Preheat oven to 300F.

Place ribs on a rack in a roasting pan. Add 1/2-inch of water to bottom of pan. Cover pan with foil and tightly seal edges.

Bake at 300F for 2 hours.

Remove ribs from pan and place on grill over medium coals for 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Cut between ribs to serve.