What Properties Make a Food "Addictive"?

Although the concept of food addiction remains controversial, there's no doubt that specific foods can provoke addiction-like behaviors in susceptible people.  Yet not all foods have this effect, suggesting that it's related to specific food properties.  A new study aims to identify the properties that make a food "addictive".

Introduction

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Work With Us at Healthy World Cafe!

Healthy World Cafe is now accepting applications for two part-time positions: Shift Leader and Cafe Assistant to work with the cafe manager and volunteers at 24 S. George St., York, PA.

View the job descriptions.

Please send your letter of interest and resume by July 10, 2015 to:

HWC Personnel Committee
P.O. Box 1226
York, PA 17405

Statin use is associated with weight gain and a large increase in diabetes

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association International Medicine 2014 Apr 24

 

Study title and authors:

Different Time Trends of Caloric and Fat Intake Between Statin Users and Nonusers Among US Adults: Gluttony in the Time of Statins?

Sugiyama T, Tsugawa Y, Tseng CH, Kobayashi Y, Shapiro MF.

Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles2Department of Public Health/Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan3Depa.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24763487

This study examined the effects of statins on caloric intake, weight gain and diabetes. The study lasted eleven years and included 27,886 adults, 20 years or older, who completed a 24-hour dietary recall.

The study found over an 11 year period:

(a) The caloric intake of statin users increased by 9.6%.

(b) The caloric intake of non users DECREASED by 1.9%.

(c) The BMI of statin user increased by 1.3

(d) The BMI of non users increased by 0.5

(e) Diabetes increased by 7.8% in statin users.

(f) Diabetes DECREASED by 0.4% in non users.

This study shows statin use is associated with weight gain and a large increase in diabetes.

 



Food Reward Friday

This week's luck winner... soy sauce!!

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Fluffy Teff Flour Pancakes (Gluten-Free and Vegan)

I have a new favourite ingredient and it is called teff flour. Never heard of it before? I hadn't either until I started experimenting with gluten-free baking. There are numerous gluten-free flours out there: oat, buckwheat, sorghum, almond, coconut, corn; the list goes on and on and on. Now, I can't really go into any specifics on why teff flour is so popular other than share my own highly subjective experience: it works great in pancakes. I've had issues in the past with gooey, not properly cooked, gluten-free pancakes and let me tell you, it ain't pretty. But to my great surprise, these ones turned out really light, airy and fluffy! Triple yay!

So from what I can understand, teff is an ancient grain that has been used in Eastern Africa for ages. Ethiopians and Eritreans use the flour to make their special, sourdough flatbread called Injeera. Like many other seeds and grains, teff has an excellent nutrient profile. It's high in calcium, iron, zinc and many other vital trace minerals and provides all of the 8 essential amino acids. Also, for some reason it makes for an awesome gluten-free flour substitute which is the main reason I use it. Because pancakes, you know.

You can find teff flour in health food stores, the gluten-free section in many conventional grocery stores and online. (Try this one, from Bob's Red Mill, for example. You can get up to $10 off your first herb.com order using my promo code "PWF503"). Hope this recipe works as well for you as it did for me!

Pancakes:

- 1/4 cup oat or buckwheat flour

- 1/4 cup white teff flour (same nutritional stats as the dark one, just two different colours!)

- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

- 3 tbsp - 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

- 1/4 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp baking powder

- Optional: 1 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice (I use a sugar alcohol called erythritol which I absolutely love!)

- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Toppings:

Anything you want really, here are a few suggestions:

- Fresh fruit and/or berries

- Drizzle of maple syrup

- Coconut chips and raw cacao nibs

How to:
1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and make sure that the baking powder and soda are evenly divided throughout the mix.
2. Add the applesauce and almond milk and stir well. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken.
3. Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan or a regular frying pan with a spoonful of coconut oil over medium to low heat.
4. Add the apple cider vinegar to the rest of the batter right before cooking.
5. Fry small spoonfuls of the batter for a couple of minutes on each side. Don't make them too big/thick, they might not cook through!
6. Serve with toppings of your choice!

The secret of healthy living and slim body of Japanese women

Samurai cooking. Image: program.hiff.org

If you noticed, when you vacation in Japan or when you meet Japanese people in your town, you probably never thought: Why do Japanese people in general have a slim body. Do they do a special diet? Similarly, the Japanese women, they not only have a clean skin, and healthy, Japanese women also known for having a slim and healthy body.

The Japanese, as well as Japanese women turn out obsessed with food. The Japanese are even referred to as a food utopia. Along the road or in a grocery store there are a variety of food on display in their stores. If the Japanese are so fond of eating, how could they stay slim, healthy, even longevity? Apparently, the secret of healthy and slim tips they have found, which is behind the kitchen of Japanese women.

The main tips of Japanese women in order to stay slim:

You need to understand, it turns out the Japanese women eat in small portions.

Since childhood, the Japanese people have been accustomed to eating in small portions. There is a Japanese proverb: "Hara hachi bunme", which means' eat until 80% full course.' If you watch carefully, they also eat slowly, they do not hurry, because every mouthful to be enjoyed perfectly. Each dish was served in a small dish or bowl. In addition to reducing the size of food portions, this way also beautify the look of the dish. Perhaps you also find a Japanese tradition of eating this in Korean soap operas. It turns out the women of Korea also slim as Japanese women. They have a tradition of eating that is similar to one another.

Japanese daily menu consists of fish, soy, rice, vegetables, and fruit.

In the classic Japanese-style home-cooked dishes, so their diet consists of grilled fish, a bowl of rice, vegetables, a serving of miso soup, and no fruit as dessert. They also enjoy a cup of hot green tea. Mere knowledge to you, it turns out the fish and soybean consumption in Japan is very high. They are also crazy about fresh vegetables. Their favorites are broccoli, bean sprouts, cabbage, and seaweed, which proved to have a high nutrient.

 

Japanese food. Image: web-japan.org

Japanese people rarely eat red meat. However, when meat served as a main dish, the meat will be cut tipis- thin, and served in moderation. Therefore, the Japanese dish is lower in fat, especially saturated fat, and higher good fats, such as omega-3 fats they get from fish. They also rarely eat fast food. Due to the influence of Western culture, they also consume milk, butter, cheese, and pasta, sometimes served in their homes, but not exaggerated, as the tradition of the American or European.

The Japanese turned out a lot more walking.

For the Japanese, have your own car it would drain too expensive. Therefore, they walk away from their home or office to the train station, and the Japanese have a train at a fairly high speed. On foot, they always burn maximum calories.

Japanese women is always enjoy a healthy breakfast.

In Japan, breakfast is the most important daily activities, even the portions are often larger than lunch or dinner. Every morning, there are hundreds of thousands of Japanese women prepare breakfast for themselves and their families. That classic Japanese-style breakfast consisting of green tea, a bowl of rice, miso soup with tofu, and onions, seaweed (nori), and a little omelette or a piece of grilled fish. The breakfast menu could provide the energy and nutrients is quite high. An important reason why they are very concerned with the breakfast, because breakfast will prevent excessive for lunch.

Japanese people often steaming food, instead of frying.

Instead of frying or grilling food in the oven, Japanese women prefer steaming, sautéing, boiling, or roasting in the pan bumpy. The advantage of this cooking tradition is, substances in food ingredients will not be damaged. Moreover, Japan is also famous for its food enjoyed raw food, like sashimi. In addition, Japanese food is not much wear spices, cream, or sauce. 'Mission' major Japanese food is more emphasis on the beauty of the natural color, as well as letting out the original flavor of food. Instead of using animal fat, butter, or heavy oil, Japanese women also used to cook with a little canola oil or dashi, the broth of fish and sea plants.

 

Healthy food. Image: 12wbt.com

Just as the tradition of the Asian community, the Japanese people are also a huge fan of rice. However, the portions were not excessive. By eating rice, they can avoid eating too much bread or sweet snack. In ancient times, Japanese people are eating more healthful brown rice because it is high in fiber. As time went on, they switched to white rice. However, there is a recent trend, it turns out the Japanese women began to return to the old traditions, where they enjoyed the red rice. In restaurants and grocery stores, brown rice and brown rice more easily found.

Japanese women love to snacking, but in a special way.

Although always eat healthy food, Japanese women were also like snacking. They are also fond of chocolates, pastries, ice cream, rice cracker, and red bean cake. However, they do not snacked constantly. In addition, the portions are also small. Cakes in Japan most of it small (3 square centimeters) and packaged one by one. By doing so, the Japanese women are accustomed to eating only one or two cakes, and keep the rest to be eaten later. D Bank Tokyo there is even a The chocolate in a department store, which receives deposits chocolates, and stored in a special place at a certain temperature. The chocolate can be taken whenever you want.

Japanese women have a 'special relationship' with food.

Japanese women are not happy dieting like American women. Not because their daily food has been healthy, but because they have their own point of view in terms of food. They do not associate food with fat or slim body problem. In contrast, Japanese women have a 'healthy relationship' with food. They enjoy a variety of food and not dizzy limit what can be eaten and are not, or are fattening and not. You do not think the body of Japanese women stay slim and healthy just because of genetic factors. Research Menzies School of Health Research in Australia proves that, if the Japanese implementing the Western lifestyle, then they will suffer from heart disease and cancer.

Do you want to slim as Japanese women? Let's try to follow the Japanese diet, but you can still enjoy your tradition.

 

Healthy World Cafe featured in The Washington Post

We were thrilled to see Healthy World Cafe featured in the Travel section of The Washington Post in June. Melanie Kaplan, a freelance writer in the D.C. area, joined us for a volunteer shift earlier in the month, rolling out chapati dough and working in exchange for her meal.

She offers a beautiful look at One World Everybody Eats, F.A.R.M. Cafe, SAME Cafe and others that paved the way for a pay-how-you-can cafe in York, plus a fantastic glimpse at the spirit of Healthy World Cafe and our mission to build a sustainable community by providing nourishing food for all.

Check out the article online, and join us for lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday!

(Also, psst... you, too, can volunteer. Sign up at bit.ly/volunteerHWCYorkPA!)