Don't Eat Those Fries

Don’t eat those fries, by Chris Freytag



Everybody loves all-American french fries, but the kind we love are not always the healthiest choice! It my be easy to order that side of fries when you are eating out or take some fries to go at your favorite fast food restaurant when you are getting something for your kids, but if you want to control your weight you probably want to think again. A medium fries at McDonald’s is 390 calories, which may not seem “soooo” bad, but it’s 19 g of fat. And Burger King has 480 calories and 23 g of fat in a medium order of fries!

Don’t get me wrong…I am not totally shunning french fries. I am part of that crowd that occasionally gets a craving for some savory fries. And honestly, fries seem to go so well with a lot of the things we are all grilling this summer…think burgers, shish-kabobs, BBQ chicken, etc. But, I have a great answer for you. As an alternative, TRY my homemade fries! They are delicious, will kill that craving and potatoes actually have nutritious value to them! They are perfect for a side dish for anything you are making this summer and I sometimes do them on the grill.

Here’s the recipe (It’s easy!)

Ingredients:
* Potatoes - (depending on how many you are feeding - about a half to whole per person)
* Extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil, Sea salt & black pepper
** optional spice ideas: cinnamon, cumin or curry powder

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash potatoes and cut into long slices or wedges. (I keep the skin on).
Brush with olive oil, and shake on salt, and desired spices on both sides.
Bake on baking sheet until brown and crispy, about 40 minutes, flip them over once or twice.

As an alternative, grill on non-stick tin-foil.

And, if you are feeling more adventurous, try sweet potato fries. These are my favorite. You’ll get an added boost of beta-carotene and they are absolutely delicious!

Diet According to the Zone Diet -

Interesting eating by SueK24, forum in Prevention Magazine

My diet is eaten according to Zone guidelines and rules, and, as much as possible, is organic food or food raised without hormones, pesticides, drugs, etc. It is basically composed of lean protein, lots of fresh veggies, fresh fruit, primarily monounsaturated fats, and little to no grains to speak of. This translates in actual food to things egg whites, soy, fish and seafood, some chicken and turkey, and a huge variety of veggies. I eat very little dairy, mostly yogurt now and then. Most of my veggies are either eaten raw or lightly cooked. A small bowl of steel cut oats now and then is about the only grain I eat.

I go very light on the higher glycemic index/glycemic load fruits and veggies, treating them as condiments. This category contains things such as anything in the potato family, corn, most winter squashes and starchy veggies, most root veggies, some legumes, peas, tropical fruit, raisins and other dried fruit, bananas, melons, and grains. Berries (strawberries, blueberries, black berries, and raspberries) make up half or more of the fruit I eat.

This is a sample of the of the many veggies I eat: various colors and types of peppers, celery, cucumbers, cabbage, bok choi, navy beans, eggplant, leeks broccoli, cauliflower, greens of all kinds, onions, mushrooms tomatoes, summer squashes, turnip, fennel, black beans, chick peas, kidney beans, lentils, kohlrabi, spaghetti squash, green beans, yellow beans, brussel sprouts, jicama, and radishes. Besides berries, most of the fruit I eat is as follows: apples, cherries, oranges grapefruit, lemons, limes, kiwi, plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines and grapes. My primary sources of monounsaturated fat are organic extra virgin olive oil, non-irradiated almonds, avocados, almond oil and macadamia nuts.

Daily I try to include certain foods known either for their and/or anti-aging properties, things such as extra virgin olive oil, toasted sesame oil, garlic, turmeric, ginger and aloe vera. I also take a daily anti-oxidant rich multi vitamin and mineral supplement, a liquid polyphenol supplement with a high ORAC rating, and an ultra-refined fish oil concentrate, one which has attained the IFOS?s 5 star rating to assure its potency and purity; that?s purity re heavy metals, and chemicals (you can google IFOS, International Fish Oil Standards, from more details). Additional spices and condiments I try to eat frequently are cinnamon, raw cacao powder, curry (because it contains turmeric), parsley, basil, miso, chili peppers and lemons.

Mangosteen - Its like ice cream

BMangosteen

kelp

Kelp forests occur in cold, nutrient-rich water and are among the most beautiful and biologically productive habitats in the marine environment. They are found throughout the world in shallow open coastal waters, and the larger forests are restricted to temperatures less than 20ºC, extending to both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. A dependence upon light for photosynthesis restricts them to clear shallow water and they are rarely much deeper than 15-40m. The kelps have in common a capacity for some of the most remarkable growth rates in the plant kingdom. In southern California, the Macrocystis can grow 30 cm per day.

Xanthone Antioxident Garcinia

So what exactly is Garcinia and what does it do?:

Garcinia is a plant genus of the family Clusiaceae native to Asia, Australia, tropical and southern Africa, and Polynesia.

Many species of Garcinia have fruit with edible arils. But most are eaten locally; some species' fruits are highly esteemed in one region, but unknown just a few hundred kilometres away. The best-known species is the Purple Mangosteen (G. mangostana), which is now cultivated throughout Southeast Asia and other tropical countries.

Most species in Garcinia are known for their gum resin, brownish-yellow from xanthones.

The whole mangosteen fruit contains powerful antioxidants—compounds that inhibit oxidation or reactions promoted by oxygen and peroxides. Antioxidants are known for their ability to protect the body from the deteriorating effects of free radicals.

Free Radicles - A constant in our food, air and environment, free radicals invade our bodies every day. Free radicals (or compounds that seek an electron in order to become atomically balanced) attack our cells, stealing electrons from any substance they come in contact with. By removing electrons from healthy compounds, free radicals inflict damage—often known as oxidation—which is irreversible.

Functional Claims:

• Neutralizes Free Radicals
• Supports a Healthy Cardiovascular System
• Supports Cartilage and Joint Function
• Strengthens the Immune System
• Promotes a Healthy Seasonal Respiratory System
• Maintains Intestinal Health
• Other Supportive Papers

Acai Friut Nutritional Content,

Nutritional Content:

A powdered preparation of freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin (Opti-açaí, K2A, Inc.) was reported to contain (per 100 g of dry powder) 533.9 calories, 52.2 g carbohydrates, 8.1 g protein, and 32.5 g total fat. The carbohydrate portion included 44.2 g of dietary fiber.^[15] The powder was also shown to contain (per 100 g): negligible vitamin C, 260 mg calcium, 4.4 mg iron, and 1002 U vitamin A, as well as aspartic acid and glutamic acid; the amino acid content was 7.59% of total dry weight.

The fat content of açaí consists of oleic acid (56.2% of total fats), palmitic acid (24.1%), and linoleic acid (12.5%).^[15] Açaí also contains beta-sitosterol (78–91% of total sterols).^[15][16] The oil compartments in açaí fruit contain polyphenols such as procyanidin oligomers and vanillic acid, syringic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, and ferulic acid, which were shown to degrade substantially during storage or exposure to heat.^[17]

As a dietary supplement:

Recently, the açaí berry has been marketed as a dietary supplement. Companies sell açaí berry products in the form of tablets, juice, smoothies, instant drink powders, and whole fruit.

Marketers of these products, such as Monarch Health Sciences, parent company of MonaVie, make claims that açaí provides increased energy levels, improved sexual performance, improved digestion, detoxification, high fiber content, improved skin appearance, improved heart health, improved sleep, and reduction of cholesterol levels.

Antioxidant activity of Juice:

When three commercially available juice mixes containing unspecified percentages of açaí juice were compared for in vitro antioxidant capacity against red wine, tea, six types of pure fruit juice, and pomegranate juice, the average antioxidant capacity was ranked lower than that of pomegranate juice, Concord grape juice, blueberry juice, and red wine. The average was roughly equivalent to that of black cherry or cranberry juice, and was higher than that of orange juice, apple juice, and tea.^[22]

A study in 12 healthy fasted human volunteers demonstrated that blood antioxidant capacity was increased within two hours after consumption of a commercial açaí juice beverage or applesauce.^[23] The generation of reactive oxygen species was not significantly affected by acai juice consumption.

It Took 10 Years to Get People To Recognize Antioxidants

While it took so very long for the general population to recognize that antioxidants are beneficial to long term health, now we must educate everyone about the specialized benefits of certain types of antioxidants. Hopefully that process won't take as long.

Following are some basic antioxidants. Stay tuned and we will explain what they might do for our bodies.

Acai - The Acai berry comes from a species of palm tree native to the Central and South American rain forests. Studies have shown that the Acai berry is considered to be one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants.

Garcinia Cambogia - A small fruit that resembles a miniature pumpkin. It has been studied for both appetite suppression and fat loss. It is indigenous to India and parts of Asia.

Kelp - Kelp has been used in China for over 5,000 years. In the 1860's it was discovered that some seaweeds serve as hypermetabolic thyroid stimulants and since have been used for weight loss.

Green Tea - Herbal derivatives from green tea leaves contain many antioxidants primaly known as green tea catechins (GTC). (3) EGCG has been shown to be a natural product for the treatment of obesity.