Ezine Vol 1:9, "Carbs- A Necessary Evil?"

"Your Easy Eatin' E-zine"

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"Helping You Cope With Your Cooking Quandaries"

Volume 1: Issue 9, April 30, 2004

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>>>>>>>>>>>> Table of Contents <<<<<<<<<<<<

Welcome from Chef Kevin

>> Welcome from Chef / Owner Kevin Wagner<<

Hi there, good to "see" you again :-) Thanks for taking the
time to read my ramblings this week, I really appreciate it!

Due to overwhelming response to my last article on carbs,
I'm continuing with a sequel this week. Seems to be a very
popular topic, no matter which camp you're in, pro or con.

This week's recipe "Southwestern Bean & Squash Stew"
is very healthy and delicious. Try it out and see.

Just a reminder to my local fans about my *FREE Chef
demos at the Annapolis Save Easy. See the schedule near
the bottom of this ezine. Don't forget to book your cooking
class as well, from our upcoming selection.

Off we go.....

*Warning: Chef Kevin has been known to babble on about topics
that strike a chord, or a nerve, within his spirit. While his views may
be sometimes unique, they are never ill-intentioned, and are
presented solely for the purpose of enlightening his readers and
helping them achieve success in their cooking endeavors. Chef
Kevin claims no responsibility for the content nor the occasional
long-windedness of any of his replies or writings.* :-)

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>>>>>>>>>>>>> Featured Article <<<<<<<<<<<<<

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Carbs - A Necessary Evil?"
"Carb Abuse Ravages North America"

by Chef Kevin Wagner

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Or at least that's what the headlines should read.

As I stated in my last article, "To Carb or not to Carb",
carbs are being blamed for a lot of problems these days.
*See http://www.cooking-solutions.com/articles.html

But can we really put the blame solely on them?

Do we attribute the over-use of alcohol on the alcohol,
or the user? Can you say "Prohibition"? :-)

Why are we so quick to judge carbs for the problems
they "can" cause, then? Seems like people are using the
same philosophy to label these poor little guys. Won't
be long before the "carb crusaders" will be lobbying for
a ban on bread and pasta, or consumer warning labels
explaining the evils this addictive substance.

Might sound a bit far-fetched, but you know how these
things can snowball...

Let's look at some truths that the "Atkins Activists"
don't tell you...

Carbohydrates are an essential part of our diet. Eating
carbs produces a chemical in your brain called
"serotonin", that elevates mood and suppresses appetite.
When you stop eating carbs, your brain stops regulating
serotonin. And only carbohydrate consumption naturally
produces serotonin.

MIT researcher Judith Wurtman states: "When serotonin
is made and becomes active in your brain, its effect on
your appetite is to make you feel full before your stomach
is stuffed and stretched. Serotonin is crucial not only to
control your appetite and stop you from overeating; it's
essential to keep your moods regulated."

Antidepressant medications are designed to make
serotonin more active in the brain and extend that activity
for longer periods of time to assist in regulating moods.
Carbohydrates raise serotonin levels naturally and act
like a natural tranquilizer.

It's a fact that women have much less serotonin in their
brains than men (I'm not making this stuff up :-). A low
carb diet will make women feel irritable, more so than
men.

Also, a high-protein diet doesn't allow your brain to
produce serotonin, which explains why some people
can still feel hungry after eating a 16 ounce steak or
a bag of beef jerky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Sidebar
There is no "one diet fits all" program. If any diet you
go on doesn't make you feel better after a week or so,
that's your body telling you it's not right for you. Listen
to it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wurtman goes on to say: "There are people we call
carbohydrate cravers who need to eat a certain amount of
carbohydrates to keep their moods steady. These people
experience a change in their mood, usually in the late
afternoon or mid-evening. With this mood change comes
a yearning to eat something sweet or starchy."

Been there... done that... got the T-shirt :-)

That being said, however, doesn't mean you need to eat
three chocolate bars or a pound of pasta to satisfy these
cravings. We have to take responsibility for our own
actions. That's the hardest part. We have to blame the
parent... not the child.

Those of us that are carb lovers/addicts, simply eat too
many of them, or at least, too many of the wrong kinds.

Will power is still the hardest part, especially when
there's a loaf of fresh, warm bread calling your name :-)
Placing the blame on the bread ain't gonna help you after
you eat half of it.

Let's just try to be reasonable before this whole
"carb-o-mania" thing gets out of hand... if it hasn't
happened already.

Remember, diets will come... and diets will go... but
common sense will last you a lifetime.

Feel free to share this article with your friends,
after all... everyone can use a little help :-)

Until next time.....

Yours in Food & Friendship,
Chef Kevin

Kevin Wagner is Chef/Owner of "Cooking Solutions",
providing personal culinary assistance and helpful,
friendly advice. From catering services to cooking
lessons, recipes to cookbooks... visit the web's
friendliest food site at:
http://www.cooking-solution.com

Email ChefKevin@cooking-solutions.com with
questions or response to this article.

*Reprint of this article granted with contact information intact*
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>>>>>>>>>>>> Recipe of the Week <<<<<<<<<<<<

Southwestern Bean & Squash Stew

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
1 each medium red & green pepper, chopped
1 cup carrots, large dice
1 fresh jalapeno chile, minced with seeds
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBS. olive oil
1 19 oz. can pinto or lima beans
1-19 oz. can kidney beans
1 ½ cups tomato juice
2 cups hard variety squash, large dice
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Cooking Instructions:

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute onion, peppers,
carrot, jalapeno and garlic in olive oil over medium-low
heat until onion is translucent and the mixture develops
a moistened appearance.

Drain the bean juice into the pan and add the tomato juice,
squash, salt and cumin.

Simmer, un-covered, for 20-30 minutes until squash is tender.

Taste, re-season as desired.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve over rice accompanied by warm corn bread.

You can find this, and many more in our online cookbook here at
www.cooking-solutions.com Just click on “recipes”.

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>>>>>>>>>>>> Cookbook Review <<<<<<<<<<<<

Title: "Eating Well for Optimum Health"

Author: Andrew Weil

ISBN#: 0641548397

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Review:

From one of our most trusted authorities on health and
alternative health care, a comprehensive and reassuring
book about food, diet, and nutrition. Dr. Weil provides us
with a program for improving our well-being by making
informed choices about how and what we eat. He explains
the safest and most effective ways to lose weight; how diet
can affect energy and sleep; how much fat to include in our
diet; what nutrients are in which foods; and much more.
He makes clear that an optimal diet will both supply the
basic needs of the body and fortify the body's defenses and
mechanisms of healing. And he provides easy-to-prepare
recipes in which the food is as sensually satisfying as it is
beneficial. Eating Well for Optimum Health stands to
change -- for the better and the healthier -- our most
fundamental ideas about eating.

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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Quick Tip <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

"Working with Hot Peppers"

Chiles and hot peppers are one of my favorite things
to add punch to a dish, but they need to be handled with
some care and caution.

Most of the time when cutting chiles and hot peppers,
I wear disposable gloves to avoid getting the juice into
any small cuts I may have on my hands. Also, this nearly
guarantees that I won't accidentally touch my eyes with
the very hot juices left on my fingers from these little guys.

If you don't wear gloves, be sure to thoroughly wash your
hands immediately after cutting your chiles... and I do
mean thoroughly.

If you've done this before, you'll know what I mean ;-)

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>>>>>> Upcoming Cooking Class Schedule <<<<<<

Annapolis Save Easy Chef Demo:
Friday, May 7, 2004, 3:00-5:00 pm.
Featuring:
"Mixed Greens with PC Thai-Apricot Vinaigrette"
"PC Memories of Thai Marinated Chicken"
"PC Thai Chocolate Brownies"

Digby Superstore - Monday May 3, 2004 6 - 8 pm.
"Grilling Ribs"

Digby Superstore - Thursday, May 6, 2004 11 am. - 1 pm.
"Cooking with Herbs"

Digby Superstore - Monday May 10, 2004 6 - 8 pm.
"Grilling Burgers & Beer Can Chicken"

Call customer service (902) 245-4108 to reserve your seat.

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>>>> Copyright and Unsubscribe Information<<<<

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Thank you so much for your time, it's been fun! If you enjoyed
this issue, spread the word! Who couldn't use a little of Chef
Kevin in their emailbox :-)

Until next time.... have a great day, and Happy Cooking!!!

Yours in Food & Friendship,
Chef Kevin
Chef / Owner of Cooking Solutions

Kevin Wagner is Chef/Owner of Cooking Solutions, catering, teaching, and consulting services located in Bear River, Nova Scotia. Email: ChefKevin@cooking-solutions.com in response to this article or other questions.

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"Your Easy Eatin' E-zine"

>>>>>>>>>>>> Table of Contents <<<<<<<<<<<<

>> Welcome from Chef / Owner Kevin Wagner<<

>>>>>>>>>>>>> Featured Article <<<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>>> Recipe of the Week <<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>>> Cookbook Review <<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Quick Tip <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>> Our Featured Sponsor <<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>> Upcoming Cooking Class Schedule <<<<<<

>>>> Copyright and Unsubscribe Information<<<<

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