seafood recipes
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Small Plates: Crabby Falafel 'Sliders'
This post is part of our Small Plates series, which is brought to you by California Pizza Kitchen.
Falafel sandwiches with crab, fennel, and harrissa mayonnaise. [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
I admit it up front: this is one of those wacky dishes that comes from a lot of places in general, and nowhere in particular. A plate that Archie Bunker would describe as “one of them things that's got a little too much of both, and not enough of neither.”
Fortunately, we're all a bit more open-minded than Archie, especially when it comes to deliciousness.
I'd never considered the prospect of a non-vegetarian falafel—particularly not one that combines falafel with seafood—until I read Cathy and Tony Mantuano's Wine Bar Food. In it, Tony Mantuano, chef at Chicago's Spiaggia presents Mediterranean-inspired small plates ranging from the highly involved (Crispy Lamb Shoulder with Peas and Mint), to the exceedingly simple (Baked Caciocavallo Cheese).
These crab and chickpea “sliders”* start with a slightly streamlined, miniaturized version of Mantuano's Falafel Crab Cakes (I use canned chickpeas, tweak the spice blend to make it more sandwich-friendly, and add a tiny bit of flour to help the patties hold together more easily during the frying stage), which he describes as from “southern Spain, which owes many culinary inspirations to the Moors of Northern Africa.”
* I've included quotes, because around these parts, it's dangerous to call anything a slider.
While he matches his North-Africa-via-Spain crab cakes with Greek tzatziki in an odd but delicious combination, for my New England palate, a tangy, mayo-based sauce is the perfect complement to fried seafood. In another nod to the Moors, I spike my mayo (store-bought does just fine) with a heavy does of spicy harissa, the chile-based North African condiment that lends merguez, Moroccan cous-cous, and lablabi their characteristic complex heat.
For crunch, a good Bibb lettuce would be fine, but I like the crispness and slight aniseed scent of shaved fennel. Flatbread or a North African-style roll might be good, but Martin's continues to prove itself and the King of all sandwich breads. Their party-sized buns have a soft, mild sweetness that goes perfectly with the naturally sweet crab meat.
Plus, as my diminutive wife will attest to, all the best things come in fun-sized packages.
Crabby Falafel 'Sliders'
- makes 12 sliders -
Note: Martin's party sized rolls come in packs of 24. Extra rolls can be wrapped in foil, placed in a zipper-lock freezer bag, and frozen for up to 3 months. Alternatively, the crab cake recipe is easily doubled. Avoid using canned, pasteurized crab meat if possible—it is far inferior to fresh-picked crab meat. Crab cakes can be made without food processor by mashing the chickpeas with a potato masher until rough paste forms, and finely chopping cilantro, scallions, jalapeño, and garlic before incorporating along with remaining ingredients listed in step 1.
Ingredients
One (14.4 ounce) can chickpeas beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped cilantro leaves
2 scallions, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, from 1 lemon
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped fine (optional)
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated on microplane or passed through garlic press
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 pound fresh picked lump blue crab meat
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 fennel bulb, cored, and thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
12 slider-sized potato rolls, toasted
1/2 cup harissa aioli (recipe follows)
Procedure
1. Place chickpeas, baking powder, cumin, cilantro, scallions, lemon zest, jalapeño (if desired), garlic clove, and flour in bowl of food processor. Pulse until mixture holds together, but chunky bits of chickpea still remain, about 8-10 one-second pulses (do not process into paste). Transfer mixture to large bowl and gently fold in crab meat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix again until homogenous.
2. Toss shaved fennel with lemon juice and olive oil in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Form crab mixture into 12 equal portions and form into patties roughly two inches across. Refrigerate crab cakes and fennel until ready for use, up to 8 hours.
3. Heat remaining oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Carefully add crab patties (if oil continues to smoke after crab patties are added, reduce heat to medium). Cook, gently shaking pan occasionally until deep golden brown, 2-4 minutes. Carefully flip using tongs, and continue to cook, gently shaking pan occasionally, until golden brown on second side, 2-4 minutes. Transfer cooked patties to plate lined with double layer of paper towels.
4. spread harissa mayonnaise evenly over bun tops and bottoms. Place a small pile of shaved fennel over each bun bottom. Top with crab patties, close sandwich, and serve immediately.
Harissa Mayonnaise
- makes 1/2 cup -
Note: Harissa is a spicy North African condiment made with chiles, spices, and vegetables. It can be found in cans or jars in the international aisle of many supermarkets, or is available online. I recommend DEA brand harissa, which balances out chile heat with complex vegetal flavors, and comes in a resealable metal tube.
Ingredients
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons harissa paste
1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
Procedure
1. Mix all ingredients in small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Store in airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
About the author: Become a fan of The Food Lab on Facebook for play-by-plays on future kitchen tests and recipe experiments. After graduating from MIT, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt spent many years as a chef, recipe developer, writer, and editor in Boston. He now lives in New York with his wife, where he runs a private chef business, KA Cuisine, and co-writes the blog GoodEater.org about sustainable food enjoyment.
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It was a few years ago when I was introduced to the wonder that is the Pio Pio sauce. A Peruvian restaurant in New York City, Pio Pio serves juicy, affordable rotisserie chicken. But it was the vibrant green dipping sauce that I became addicted to.
I interrogated the waitstaff at almost every Pio Pio location to know the contents of this spicy sauce. The only consistent answer? That no answer was the same.
Jalapeños and mayo. No, no, aji chiles, cilantro and oil. I had to face the reality that either no one knew what was in the sauce, the ingredients were top-secret, or both.
Light green, medium-hot, creamy, salty, tangy and oh-so-addictive, it seems that every Peruvian restaurant has its own secret recipe for this mysterious condiment. An internet search for “Peruvian sauce” tells the story of dozens of people anxious to know how to make the sauce for themselves. Helpful bloggers post their recipes on message boards.
One says the secret is a head of lettuce, one swears the sauce cannot be made without evaporated milk, and several point to Peruvian black mint as the key ingredient.
I tried many, many recipes to come close to the magic of Pio Pio's sauce, none of which hit the mark. Finally, I brought a container from the restaurant into work, hoping someone else could reverse-engineer the ingredients. My obsession, along with my frustration, was building, and I needed a slight break from the sauce that taunted me.
Chile Pepper Editor-in-Chief Laura Dankowski took on the challenge, blending my scattered notes from past trials, along with her own hunch of what she tasted. We decided both jalapeños and aji paste (usually found in the Mexican section of grocery stores) were a must, and Laura hit on the addition of cheese, which added the necessary touch of saltiness. It's not exact—but pretty darn close.
At Pio Pio, the dip garnishes rotisserie chicken, crunchy-fried seafood platters and salchipapa, an unusual but delicious combination of deep-fried potatoes and sliced hot dogs. But I use the sauce for anything in the place of salsa, whether topping a burger, garnishing a breakfast burrito, or spreading on a piece of fish.
And I'm just glad I can finally stop harassing the Pio Pio employees for the recipe and make it on my own.
The Green Peruvian Dipping Sauce (aka Aji Amarillo Sauce) Recipe »
Additional writing by Laura Dankowski.
About the author: Andrea Lynn is senior editor for Chile Pepper magazine, where she not only creates a wide range of zesty recipes for readers, but also participates in numerous tastings for hot sauce, salsa, and other spice-laden products (even chocolate!). Her favorite chile? A tie between the mild yet flavorful poblano and the mighty, reliable fire of the serrano.
Favorite this! (3)
Add comment March 12th, 2010 ivansimpson1987
salad
Sourse:Seafood Salad Recipe
ok fshes so overrated in the looks department..all i see is a camel in heavy makeup..or kris jenner in her 40's.. she claims she works so hard..omg…if you call batting your lashes in front of the camera and flashing your ugly fat ass all day ..wow…. and with her sex skills..shes seriously lacking for sleeping with all of blackville..lays their like a dead fish and says o shit over and over….someone please take chewbacca aka khloe monster.. and the rest of the hairy and kardashians and blow them off the face of this earth… i will sleep happy.. thank you..
Add comment March 4th, 2010 ivansimpson1987
Basic Ways to Be in Perfect Health
Everyone gets sick once in a while. Itis waited. Therefore they have sick time at work. That's why there are physician and insurance organizations. However there are a lot of general things to make sure you be in general perfect health. You must wash your hands. In general, not enough people do this. Especially after taking the restroom. Investigations have been done and a shockingly low percentage of men and women wash their hands after using the lavatory or before meals.
I always say: Consume liquid. Water cures all ills. Dehydration is the culprit of many general ill health like headaches and addition bloating. Eight cups of water is the minimum so be sure you're getting at least that much. Keep in mind that fruits and vegetable juices count towards your daily scoop of hydrating drink. Exercise. Exercise doesn't have to mean hours on the treadmill sweating away to exhaustion. Sport can be as easy as walking across the parking lot to the grocery store or doing housework. That's right! Airless get off calories! The more active in basic you are the more exercise you're getting. Consider getting a passometer. Pedometer's have shown that men and women who wear pedometer's are more effective than those who don't.
Add comment February 18th, 2010 ivansimpson1987
fat loss
A fat loss program is fruitful only when it consist a sensible planned diet and regular workout. The diet for fat loss should contain adequate nutrients our body needs. It should be such that it maintains the balance between the energy generation and energy expenditure. The following are some of the chief components of our routine diet: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.
Carbohydrates: They are known as the fuel of the body furnace. They are available in two forms: sugar and starch. Their only function is to generate heat in the body. They lacks in all the other nutrients that are required for the nourishment of the body. There is always a possibility of excess consumption of carbohydrates as they are cheap and easily available. When the food intake is in excess, coupled with the lack of physical activity, obesity may develop in such circumstances.
The metabolism of a fat person is not able to deal properly with the carbohydrates which are not therefore burnt away fully. The residue gets deposited as fat in the body. Carbohydrates are, thus, the greatest enemy of a fat person.
Sources: Grains, edible roots, sugar, jaggery and fruits like banana.
Proteins: They are substances that build our body. They contain an important element called nitrogen. For maintaining the health and the efficiency of the body nitrogen balance is very essential. Without protein the body cannot produce the necessary enzymes and hormones for the exchange of energy.
The importance of proteins lies in their high specific dynamic action. They expedite the metabolism which in turn burns away that food which is in excess of actual requirements. This high specific dynamic action of the protein controls the excess appetite and curbs the tendency to eat frequently. They also play an important role in draining away the excess fluid from the body. In short, for a fat person, if the carbohydrates are like a poison, the proteins are like nectar. Obesity is an indication of protein deficiency on the body.
Proteins are divided into two categories: vegetable protein and animal protein. Each of them has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Generally, the animal protein is considered to be of superior quality. However, vegetable protein is mixing of some pulses.
Sources: Milk, buttermilk, curd, pulses, cereals, fish, meat, eggs, etc.
Fats: They too perform the function of generating heat and energy in the body. Whenever excess food is consumed, it is transformed into fat and gets deposited. Fat is, thus the accumulated or stored energy in the body, which can afterwards be utilized as and when required. The fats protect the body against cold. They fill up all the vacant spaces between the body cells and make the movements of the joints smooth by lubricating them. They are an essential ingredient for the human body.
Vitamins 'A', 'D', 'E' and 'K' are soluble only in the fats. These vitamins are absorbed in the body only after they are synthesized in the fats. If the diet does not contain adequate quantity of fats, diseases caused by the deficiency of the above mentioned vitamins may develop.
Sources: Butter, ghee, oil, some grains and animal flesh
Vitamins: They are organic substances necessary, in small quantities, for proper health, efficiency and optimum metabolism in the body. They are essential for growth, for formation of bones and teeth, for vigor, for proper functioning of bones and teeth, for proper functioning of various internal organs and for longer life. They also supply the body with vitality and resistance power against disease. Diseases like beriberi, scurvy, rickets, etc. are caused by vitamin deficiencies.
Heating or cooking, more or less destroy vitamins and therefore it is advisable to eat raw vegetables and uncooked food.
Minerals: They too are as important as vitamins for the human body. They are essential for various purposes such as, for smooth functioning of various systems in the body, for the muscle tone, for maintaining regular heartbeats, for the free movements of blood and fluids in the antacids in the body and for a host of other important functions.
Of the many minerals, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, iron, magnesium, chlorine and iodine are more important for our body.
Know how to burn extra body fat at http://www.natural-fatloss.com - a complete fitness guide to make you and your family fit and healthy. Also find a wide range of beauty and fashion accessories at http://www.beautyandaccessories.com
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
AP Photo (2); Getty Images
First we obsess over stars’ “baby bumps,” then we shame the new moms into squeezing back into skinny jeans as quickly as possible. Katie Gentile on the double standard that hurts women.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is back in her “skinny jeans” just four weeks after giving birth to her daughter, reports Us Weekly. Ditto Ellen Pompeo, I read in People. Twice, Heidi Klum walked the Victoria Secret runway just six weeks after having a baby. Natalia Vodianova topped them all, taking to the catwalk a mere two weeks after giving birth.
In 2010, God help the celebrity who fails to shed the baby weight immediately, as she may end up on the wrong side of one of those ubiquitous “best and worst post-baby bodies” pictorials. It is chilling to watch the culture become more and more obsessed with babies, while the evidence of how these babies are created is removed from public view. The supermarket tabloids obsessively scope out “baby bumps,” cooing each time a C- or even D-lister conceives. But the second the bumps become bouncing bundles of joy, the pressure is on for the new mom to squeeze back into her skinny jeans. The post-baby body must banish the bump, or risk ridicule.
It’s as if we should actually believe the baby dropped from the stork, from the sky, from anywhere but that toned, buff body.
It used to be that People magazine confined news about pregnancy and babies to its “Milestones” section. Now baby obsession has changed the very structure of the magazine, giving us features such as “Mommy and Me Fashion,” “Celebrity Family Albums,” and the ever-popular rush to publish the first photos of celebrity spawn. Similarly, celebrity gossip magazines and blogs now devote entire sections to bump patrols, moms and babies (only occasionally dads), and a parade of post-baby body photos. In this “new” culture that seems to mix domestic ideals of the 1950s with the expanded opportunities of the 21st century, baby bumps—expanding breasts and bellies—are celebrated, photographed, tracked, and made an endless source of speculation. But we ignore the less attractive, yet all-too-real aspects of pregnancy: There are no swollen ankles, plump thighs, or puffy faces allowed on the red carpet.
Of course, intense scrutiny of women’s bodies is not new, and celebrity antics have long made for profitable media fodder, but the obsession with postpartum weight control is something new. These days, we rarely see a picture of a pregnant celebrity without the requisite estimation of weight gain, called “baby weight,” as if it is somehow separate from the mother’s body. The best way to get rid of it is breast-feeding, the tabloids tell us, claiming that lactation magically and effortlessly melts away pounds.
Yet as The New York Times recently noted, research is conflicting as to whether breast-feeding actually promotes weight loss. Breast-feeding may burn calories, but it also stimulates appetite, leading many women to eat more. The Mayo Clinic advises normal-weight, healthy women to exercise moderately and eat about 300 more calories per day while pregnant, gaining between 25 and 35 pounds over the course of the nine months. And Mayo advises women to lose only 1 postpartum pound per week in order to maintain solid nutrition. La Leche League advises that women not diet for the first 2 months after delivery to help their bodies recover and establish good milk flow.
Contrast this information with Us Weekly celebrating Ashlee Simpson-Wentz for sticking to her 1,500-calorie-a-day post-pregnancy diet, People discussing Liv Tyler’s postpartum fasting and colonics, or Ok magazine’s “Baby Weight Secrets,” which advise women to stick to fat- and carb-free diets and spend hours exercising daily.
It would be easy to see this obsession with post-baby weight control as just part and parcel of the usual misogynistic obsession with women’s weight. Female celebrities are under constant pressure to stay thin. But look at it another way: When women shed the baby weight, they are not merely getting back their pre-baby body, they are obliterating all the evidence of ever having had a baby in the first place. This means the one thing that only women’s bodies can do is expected to be immediately erased. The post-baby body is wrung of its recent life-giving feat. Sagging milk-filled breasts must appear perky; the once-swollen abdomen is made concave. It’s as if we should actually believe the baby dropped from the stork, from the sky, from anywhere but that toned, buff body.
Need more low-carb diet versus something else comparisons? You're in luck. A new study found that following a low-carb diet may be better for lowering blood pressure than taking an over-the-counter weight loss medication and sticking to a low-fat diet.
Both plans showed similar drops in weight and improvements in other health factors, but the low-carb diet came out ahead in lowering blood pressure. Researchers placed participants in two groups — one consisted of 57 people who ate a low-carbohydrate diet and were allowed to consume unlimited amounts of meat and eggs, but initially only 20 grams per day of carbohydrates (they could add a few extra grams if the cravings got too bad).
The other 65-person group was limited in the intake of fat per day — 30% or less of total calories, as well as restricted consumption of saturated fat (10% or less) and cholesterol (300 mg. or less). In addition the group took the over-the-counter weight loss drug orlistat. The study lasted for 48 weeks.
The low-carb group dropped an average of 5.9 points of systolic blood pressure (the top number that measures the heart's contractions) and 4.5 points on diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number measuring the heart at rest, between heartbeats). The other group dropped 1.5 points on systolic and 0.4 points on diastolic. More people in the low-carb group decreased their blood pressure medication.
On most other results the two groups were similar — the low-carb set lost about 9.5% of body weight while the medication/low-fat diet group lost about 8.5%, and cholesterol and trigylceride levels improved.
In the study, researchers said they thought the two groups would show similar drops in blood pressure since both lost about the same amount of weight, and because orlistat has been shown to slightly lower blood pressure. They speculate that the low-carb diet may have a diuretic effect, or that the lower serum insulin levels that occur with a low-carb diet could have an effect on sodium retention.
The study was published in the January 25th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
– Jeannine Stein
Photo credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
Add comment February 9th, 2010 ivansimpson1987
weight loss plan
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Losing weight and getting fit preoccupied Americans in 2009:
- Nearly one out of two American women, including high school girls, were on a diet.
- Over 40 billion was spent on branded diet plans.
- Children as young as 9 to 11 years old were sometimes or very often dieting.
Yet an epidemic of obesity continues to affect more people than ever before:
- Less than a third of adults enjoyed normal weight.
- Children were two to three times more likely to be overweight today than they were 30 years ago.
Can we begin to reverse these worrisome trends in 2010?
We can if we update our old views with new ways to look at fitness in the coming year.
Old View: It's hopeless! Efforts to lose weight are inevitably doomed to fail. Even if a person manages to lose weight, he or she will eventually regain the weight and add back even more.
New View: You can do it! Strategies for making healthier choices involving diet, physical conditioning and improved self-care are available to you and can be learned. Championing this view is Kelly Brownell, Ph. D., who heads the LEARN Program for Weight Management at Yale University. And thanks to widespread access to the Internet, peer counseling in online communities is expanding. Internet support may include food and exercise diaries, weekly counseling, online weight-loss lessons and motivational phone calls.
Old View: Thin is in! Most individuals, especially women, seek to lose weight because they have internalized the media's ultrathin ideal.
New View: Healthy is in! Health is replacing vanity as the primary reason for pursuing fitness and weight loss. In 2009, researchers reported that four healthy habits could reduce or eliminate 80 percent of major medical problems: eating a healthy diet, not smoking, exercising regularly and maintaining a normal body weight. This insight, combined with rising medical costs, is triggering a focus on fitness.
Old View: If you are fat, you are a bad person. Obesity is a personal problem caused by a lack of willpower.
New View: Obesity is a disease that is treatable. The cost of providing medical care per person has skyrocketed from $356 in 1970 to $8,160 in 2009. Moreover, in 2009, the cost of treating obesity-related medical problems reached $147 billion. Given these costs, obesity has become a public health concern requiring a multifaceted community-based approach. In response, community leaders in Albert Lea, Minnesota, implemented a comprehensive lifestyle program to improve the health and longevity of the city's residents. To increase employee productivity and reduce health insurance costs and absenteeism, corporate wellness programs are proliferating.
Old View: Low-fat diets are required to lose weight. Eating fat makes a person fat. To lose weight, a dieter needs to stick with low- or no-fat foods.
New View: Total calories actually determine weight. The total calories consumed by a person, whether from carbs, fats or proteins, determines weight. Since the goal is a balanced diet, the Mediterranean diet, which includes healthy fats, is recommended by the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association as a nutritionally sound and healthy eating plan. Nuts, which until recently were on dieters' “do not eat” lists, are making a comeback because of their health benefits, especially almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans and macadamia nuts. Momentum is growing for mandating information on the caloric content of fast foods and food products.
Photo courtesy of everystockphoto.com
Old View: Medical intervention is needed. Weight-loss drugs or bariatric surgery can solve the problem of surplus pounds for many people, and advances in medicine can address obesity-related problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer.
New View: A healthy lifestyle is the best way. Prevention, rather than treatment of obesity-related medical problems, will move to the forefront because of the rising cost of medical insurance and healthcare. While the number of bariatric surgeries will continue to skyrocket, family physicians will increasingly write exercise prescriptions in lieu of drug prescriptions.
Old View: Ignore overweight children. Children who are overweight will outgrow their chubbiness, so kids' surplus pounds can be ignored.
New View: Help overweight children now! Dr. Robert Murray, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health, is alarmed that nearly half of kids and teens are overweight or obese and, as a consequence, children's life expectancies are lower than their parents'. Treating childhood obesity is a serious medical problem that if ignored will place the child at risk for heart disease, diabetes and other serious medical conditions.
Old View: Don't ask, don't tell. Asking employees to modify their unhealthful behavior is an invasion of privacy and violates employees' right to choose their own lifestyle.
New View: Offer help, incentives and access to experts. In 2008, medical insurance premiums reached a record $15,609 for a family of four. Employers are proactively seeking to reduce costs (medical insurance, workers' compensation claims and absenteeism) by restructuring benefit programs. In increasing numbers, employees are being offered incentives to quit smoking or lose weight. They face penalties if they refuse to change habits that drive up the cost of healthcare.
Old View: Hard-core exercise one hour daily. Going to a gym daily for a 60-minute workout on a treadmill and resistance equipment is the best way to exercise.
New View: Diversity, fun and enjoyment. Thanks to popular television programs, dancing for fitness is back, particularly Zumba, a one-hour workout that fuses Latin rhythms with calorie-burning dance movements. Exergaming, such as Wii and Dance Dance Revolution, continues to grow in popularity with young and old alike. Michelle Obama has made the Hula-Hoop popular once again. The use of technologically sophisticated feedback gadgets, from pedometers to heart monitors, will expand. To attract members to the gym during tough economic times, more fitness centers will offer cardio cinema so members can watch a movie while exercising.
Will we continue to get fatter until 2018 when, according to research by Kenneth Thorpe, PhD, of Emory University, 40 percent of us will be obese (and another 33 percent overweight)?
If we are to succeed in reversing the obesity trends and mounting medical care costs, we'll have to find new approaches. And the more readily we learn from the past and update our understanding of the complex nature and causes of obesity, the more quickly we can successfully move into a healthy future.
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In today's modern day developed countries, there is a huge availability of a variety of foods. With this readily available food comes an obesity issue. With so many people struggling with their weight, the weight loss industry is booming. Many obese people are eager to try various products that promise weight loss. Although some of these products give the consumer short term boosts, long term goals are not always attained so easily. Long term goals are best reached through a balance of diet and exercise.
In order to accomplish your long term weight loss goals, you need to assess several factors before choosing a weight loss plan. The weight loss plan you choose should be something that you can easily follow considering your tastes and lifestyle. Any good weight loss plan should include some form of exercise that you can easily incorporate into your lifestyle as well. In addition, your plan should provide your body with a good balance of nutrition and should not deprive you of any food group or nutrient.
When reviewing various weight loss plans, you should also ensure that any that you are considering promote a diet low in fat and high in nutrients. Many fad diets will encourage followers to eat a lot of one food, such as the Atkins diet which promotes eating a diet primarily of protein. Many weight loss plans promise weight loss without exercise; they also promise weight loss by taking a miracle pill. These are not healthy ways to lose added weight.
When you begin your quest in choosing weight loss plan that meets your needs, determine your goals and consider your personal lifestyle that you must accommodate. When you've decided on a goal, make sure your goal is realistic for the time frame you are considering. A healthy weight loss should be no more than two pounds per week.
Once you've decided on your goal, share your ambitions with your friends and family and create a support network for yourself. Your friends and family will be able to support you and encourage your success. Many of them may be inspired to work on their own weight loss goal and you can share your successes and frustrations with each other as you work to achieve your goal.
As you begin your weight loss journey, be sure to keep a food diary. You need to write down every piece of food you eat each day and the time you consume the item. This will help you to realize what foods you are consuming and if there is a pattern. You may be able to correct some bad habits by recognizing your downfalls and avoiding some daily traps.
With any weight loss plan, you need to consult your doctor first to make sure the choices you are making are healthy choices. Your doctor will take your lifestyle and current health into account when advising you and can review vital information such as your blood pressure and cholesterol level. As you lose weight, your doctor can monitor your health and the positive results will no doubt motivate you to continue your journey.
Add comment February 8th, 2010 ivansimpson1987
Seroquel
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Seroquel (generic name quetiapine fumarate) is a psychiatric medication used as an antipsychotic in the treatment of schizophrenia and, as recently approved by the FDA, as a mood stabilizer in the treatment of both depressive and manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder. As with all medications, there are certain risks and side effects caused by taking Seroquel and these may vary depending upon the individual.
Based on my own personal experiences with Seroquel, the most common side effect is extreme sleepiness. This goes beyond the typical “drowsiness” side effect of things like over-the-counter allergy or cold medications. This is more of a “knock you out cold” lethargy. There's also a hangover effect that makes it almost impossible to get out of bed and get moving the next morning and a feeling of sluggishness throughout the day. Fortunately for a lot of people, including myself, that hangover effect goes away once your body adjusts to the medication which is typically a couple of weeks. After that passes, the Seroquel will continue to produce the drowsiness and functions as somewhat of a sedative or sleep aid for those taking it, especially at lower dosages (in the 25 mg to 200 mg range). Oftentimes a patient will be started on a low dose and work their way up to a manageable dose. During my own process of trial and error, I started out at 25 mg, went up to 300 mg which knocked me out for about 18 hours straight, and eventually settled on a 100 mg dosage taken every night. Others have gone to levels as high as 1800 mg without feeling any sedative effects from the drug at all.
According to Astra-Zeneca's Web site, the manufacturer of Seroquel, side effects can include dry mouth, dizziness, high blood sugar, weakness, constipation, abdominal pain, sudden drop in blood pressure upon standing, sore throat, weight gain, abnormal liver tests, and upset stomach. Of these, dry mouth, weight gain, and dizziness seem to be the most common although some of those tend to be temporary as well.
Some of the most extreme, and luckily rare, side effects are neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) and tardive dyskinesia (TD). TD symptoms include uncontrollable movements of the face, tongue, or other parts of the body. NMS consists of symptoms such as a very high fever, rigid muscles, shaking, confusion, sweating, changes in pulse, heart rate, or blood pressure, or muscle pain and weakness. NMS is potentially fatal so any symptoms should be reported immediately.
For information about Seroquel, I would suggest checking the Astra-Zeneca Web site at www.seroquel.com in addition to discussing it with your physician or psychiatrist.
I get out of bed and the waves of depression almost knock me over. I want to give in and crawl back into the comfort of my covers.
I make my way to my computer and try to focus. The depression keeps crashing over me. I want to give up and go back to bed, but I know giving in isn’t an option.
I phone my husband, just to say out loud to someone, “I am soooo depressed.”
“Why?” he asks.
“No reason. Just chemical.”
And that is the curse with which I live — messed up brain chemistry.
Sure, I am stressed and sad about numerous things. But it isn’t situation that rocks me everyday as I sit down to face my to do list. It is chemical.
Like nausea in the first trimester, my depression simply is.
But want to know something even worse?
Anxiety is waiting inside me too. Later in the day it will start burning inside my chest, racing my thoughts, stressing me out.
I will have a hard time staying calm when my ADHD, ODD son starts acting out. I will feel waves of panic as my daughter has fits of tics.
SO you ask — are you TAKING anything for all of this Janice???
Yes, the answer is yes. I just started with a new psychiatrist who is trying out a new medication for me. I have been on Paxil for years. I am still taking the Paxil — but adding Seroquel.
It is messy inside me right now as we play with the dosage. I am not sure about the Seroquel. Not sure at all. But, I will give it a bit more time I suppose.
It definitely is reducing my anxiety and evening out my mood swings. But I feel sedated and weak — exhausted trying to work and be creative.
Which brings me back to the title of this post, “If I tell you I am depressed, does it make you think less of me?”
Susan has written about her anxiety and panic attacks, (she is also on Paxil and Seroquel,) and I have written about my postpartum depression, but I still resist writing about my struggles.
I worry that people will read and judge me, that they will think I am weak and incapable of doing my job.
But I refuse to give into those selfish fears.
Those of us who struggle with depression and anxiety need to know we are not alone. We need to know that there are other strong, capable people out there who are also fighting the same battles.
And those who DON’T struggle with mental illness need to know that just because some of us battle it, doesn’t mean we don’t win. It doesn’t mean we are weak. In fact, we are strong. We fight every day.
So, while some who read this may look at me differently now, I need to write anyway.
Not only does someone else out there need to read this, but in writing it, I just beat back some of those waves and I am breathing a little easier…
YOUR TURN: Do you struggle with depression or anxiety? What was your first thought when you read the title of this post?
Written by Janice, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom.
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The Federal Drug Administration on Friday issued a warning to doctors that adolescents taking the drug olanzapine have an "increased potential" — in comparison with adults taking the new-generation antipsychotic drug — for weight gain and metabolic disturbances that could result in diabetes or elevated blood cholesterol levels.
"Clinicians should consider the potential long-term risks when prescribing to adolescents," the FDA said in a statement released Friday night. "In many cases, this may lead to prescribe other drugs first," the statement went on.
The agency has not approved the marketing of olanzapine — sold under the commercial name Zyprexa by the drug maker Eli Lilly — for use in children under 13 who are diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. But the medication, one of a class of psychiatric medications called the "atypical antipsychotics," is widely prescribed for young patients, despite growing evidence that call its safety profile into question for this population.
The warning comes in the wake of the October publication in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., in which a study showed that children and adolescents taking their first-ever course of Zyprexa gained, on average, more than 17 pounds over a 12-week period, as well as dramatic increases in triglycerides and cholesterol levels — all factors that put them at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. While two other antipsychotic drugs — Seroquel and Risperdal — were implicated in significant weight gain and metabolic changes, Zyprexa was found to carry the highest risks of all three.
The FDA said that in cases where physicians opt to prescribe olanzapine, the drug should be part of a "comprehensive treatment program," which could include psychological, educational and social counseling as well as medication therapy.
–Melissa Healy
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My grandmother used to tease me all the time that I would end up getting all of the things that she copes with everyday. I never thought she was right, but unfortunately I have been diagnosed with diverticulitis. What is diverticulitis you ask? Well this is what it boils down to…It means that pouches have formed in the wall of your colon. Part of your large intestine can become inflamed or infected. Let me tell you, this is not fun in any way.
When I first started having pain in my stomach, mostly on my left side I thought something horrible had happened. I started thinking my appendix etc…Well I went to the hospital and they could not figure out what was going on with me. They gave me pain meds and nothing seemed to work much. They found out that I also had several kidney stones (which I had no clue I even had lol). So they chalked it up to that and sent me home with some meds for pain and that was that. Well needless to say the pain didn't go away. It would not go away no matter what I did. I could not lie down or sit or stand without being in pain. At times the pain got pretty bad too. So I went back to the ER about 7 times before they finally diagnosed me with diverticulitis.
I had no clue what it was, I just knew that my grandmother had it also. So I asked about it and they told me. So they put me on some pain meds again and sent me home with a prescription for cipro and levaquin. They also gave me some muscle relaxers.
Now diverticulitis is caused by bacteria becoming trapped in pouches that form along the wall of the large intestine. The bacteria grow and cause inflammation and pressure that may lead to a small perforation or tear in the wall of the intestine. The symptoms can include pain in the abdomen, right or left side is possible and it doesn't seem to get any better no matter which way you move or lie or stand. Fever and chills, a lot of gas and I do mean a lot lol, diarrhea or constipation, nausea (which I definitely had!), loss of appetite which I also had.
I am only 37 and fortunately for all of you diverticulitis doesn't occur often in people under the age of 80. I am one of the unlucky 10 percent under 40 that has the condition. Now the only thing that helps diverticulitis is a high fiber diet. The doctors told me to give up nuts and seeds and corn etc…They actually say that there is no real link saying that these foods really do make the diverticulitis worse. I know from personal experience though that everytime I eat sesame seeds or corn (which is my favorite vegetable) my diverticulitis starts acting up again. You can tell by the changes in your bowel movements. They will become runnier and turn a different color then usual. You will also get very gassy, it is real easy to tell when it's coming on now that I have been diagnosed.
If you are diagnosed and start treatment right away you will usually see the symptoms subside in about 2 to 3 days. Usually there isn't a need for surgery or anything unless something else develops or your symptoms worsen even after dietary changes. There can for instance be complications with diverticulitis. You can develop an abscess a perforation (tear) or bowel obstruction can happen. If that happens you would need that part of your intestine removed. You could have elective surgery if you develop 2 or more attacks.
My suggestion to get through having diverticulitis is definitely watch which foods start to bother you more and like I said, once you are diagnosed and go through the first attack you will know when it is going to start to act up. I noticed that anything having corn in it and sesame seeds bother me more then anything else. Other people have different things bother them. So keep tabs on what foods make it act up more then others and drink a lot more water then you usually do. I was never a water drinker until now. I do not want to deal with that pain again. So it's easier to stay away from the foods that bother me and drink more water then anything else. I do not want to have surgery unless I absolutely have to. So for those of you that have been unlucky enough like me to be diagnosed with diverticulitis, good luck to all of you. Just take care of yourself and listen to your body and you should be ok living with diverticulitis.
Add comment February 5th, 2010 ivansimpson1987
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Are the severe and numerous risks worth the benefits?
Isotretinoin is a prescription drug intended for severe nodular acne. Results are often short-lived and acne returns within a week or two after the end of therapy. Acne symptoms caused by environmental allergens such as ingredients in body care and cleaning products and chloracne caused by dioxins cannot be controlled with isotretinoin therapy. For detailed information about the causes of acne, please read, “What Causes Acne?” Although isotretinoin therapy can control the production of sebum associated with acne during treatment, when treatment ends the environmental antagonists remain, and the acne returns.
Isotretinoin is a prescription drug intended for severe nodular acne. However, according to many reports, such as Use of isotretinoin (Accutane) in the United States: Rapid increase from 1992 through 2000, this drug is being heavily prescribed for moderate acne. In some cases, this drug is also being prescribed for mild acne that has not responded to other methods of controls. Sold under the brand names of Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, or Sotret, there are well over 2 million prescriptions written for isotretinoin. In addition, black market internet sales cannot be calculated.
There are incredible risks associated with isotretinoin. Severe birth defects, including clef palette and severe brain damage, are the most well known side effect. Liver function tests are required during therapy to monitor damage to the liver during the course of treatment. Other side effects are known that can have a life-long impact requiring medical care for the lifetime of the patient such as the following list of Accutane's Harmful Side Effects from YourLawyer.com. I was skeptical that all these horrible conditions are potential side effects from this single drug. However, the Roche documentation on Accutane supports every single one of these conditions as a potential side effect from this drug. There is actually one side effect missing from this list; hearing loss. Imagine never being able to hear your mother tell you she loves you again.
Here's the list of potential adverse reactions to Isotretinoin (Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, or Sotret):
Inflammatory Bowel Disease which includes: Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Proctitis, Enterocolitis, Ileocolitis, Ileitis, Rectal Bleeding, Sigmoiditis, Colitis
Musculoskeletal Disease which includes: Premature epiphyseal closure, Desiccation of the spine & dessicated discs
Vision Damage: Optic neuritis, Cataracts, Conjunctivitis, Corneal opacities, Keratitis, Papilledema, Blindness
Liver Damage: Cirrhosis, Hepatotoxicity, Hepatitis
Central Nervous System: Pseudotumor Cerebri (false brain tumor, can lead to blindness), Seizures, Stroke, Paralysis
Pancreas: Pancreatitis Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis, Hypertriglyceridemia
Immune System Disorder: Lupusm Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Connective Tissue Disorders, Wegener's Granulomatosis, Agranulocytosis, Diabetes, Hodgkin's Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Lymphadenopathy, Neutropenia
Kidney Disease: Glomerulonephritis, Hyperuricemia (Gout), Proteinuria, Rhabdomyolysis, Kidney Stones, Urogenital conditions, Hypercalcaemia
Cardiovascular Injuries: Arteriosclerosis, Calcification of coronary arteries, Calcification of mesenteric arteries, Calcification of poulmonary arteries, Fibrosis of the myocardium, Inflammation of the myocardium, Palpitations - Tachycardia, Vascular thrombotic disease, Vasculitis, Ventricular tachycardia, By Pass surgery
Skin Dieases: Acne fulminans, Alopecia, Bruising, Cheilitis, Dry mouth, Dry nose, Dry skin, Epistaxis, Eruptive xanthomas, Flushing, Fragility of skin, Hair abnormalities, Hirsutism, Hyperpigmentation, Hypopigmentation, Infections, Nail dystrophy, Paronychia, Peeling of palms and soles, Photoallergic/photosensitizing reactions, Pruritus, Pyogenic granuloma, Rash - including facial erythema, seborrhea, and eczema), Sunburn susceptibility increased, Sweating, Urticaria, Vasculitis - including Wegener's granulomatosis, Abnormal wound healing - delayed healing or exuberant granulation tissue with crusting
Psychiatric Diseases: Suicide and Suicidal Thoughts, Depresssion, Aggression, Psychosis
Birth Defects: New evidence is showing that birth defects may be paternal as well as maternal. In addition, the risks associated with birth defects by isotretinoin may be for the life of the patient rather than just during the course of treatment.
Internal Birth Defects: CNS abnormalities (including cerebral abnormalities, cerebellar malformation, hydrocephalus, microcephaly, cranial nerve deficit), cardiovascular abnormalities, thymus gland abnormality, parathyroid hormone deficiency
External Birth Defects: Skull abornormality, ear abnormalities (including anotia, mircopinna, small or absent external auditory canals, eye abnormalities (including microphthalmia), facial dysmorphia, and cleft palate[9, 10]
Social and environmental costs associated with isotretinoin are incalculable at this time.
Summary
Isotretinoin is the highest risk, including death, suicide, potential life-time risk of bearing deformed offspring and, should those offspring reproduce, the potential for their offspring to suffer abnormalities is not known at this time. The increased social costs for potential long-term adverse reactions is incalculable at this time. The increased risks for long-term, and potentially generational, costs of health maintenance of deformed offspring is incalculable at this time. The environmental fate of isotretinoin is unknown at this time. It is not known if isotretinoin can be removed from the waste stream prior to environmental release at this time. It is not known if there is the potential for isotretinoin to survive the disinfection process of public water supplies and be returned to public drinking water at this time.
To learn other treatment options for your acne, such as antibiotic treatment, chemicals such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide treatments and holistic treatment please visit: http://www.sunflowernaturals.com.
Resources:
1. Use of isotretinoin (Accutane) in the United States: Rapid increase from 1992 through 2000, http://www.accutaneaction.com/Press/AAD2002UseofIsotretinoin.pdf
2. Accutane's Harmful Side Effects,http://www.accutanelawyernetwork.com/index.html3. Roche, Accutante, Isotretinoin capsules, http://www.rocheusa.com/products/accutane/pi.pdf
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Because of its name, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) has obtained a rather nasty reputation among civilians and medical personnel alike. The idea that a person suffers from legs that simply want to move at night seems, at first glance, to be either a byproduct of another disorder or a natural human experience.
The recent media attention received by medications such as Sifrol has further antagonized the issue. Many people believe that restless leg syndrome is a disorder “made up” by the drug companies in order to sell more products. This isn’t the case, however, because studies have verified the potential for restless leg syndrome in many different conditions.
Also called Wittmaack-Eckborn’s syndrome, Restless Leg Syndrome is a disorder that affects the body’s extremities, particularly during the night. The patient may feel a strong urge to move limbs at regular intervals, and in some instances will experience pain or “tingling” sensations. Symptoms can begin in childhood and may affect the patient through adulthood.
Although restless leg syndrome can occur in any body part, the most common area is the legs – hence, the name. Because the sensations felt vary among patients, the precise feelings are not easy to identify. Some patients report itching or progressive tingling, while others report a strong desire to simply move, rather than a physical sensation.
The urges and sensations felt as a result of restless leg syndrome will be relieved – however temporarily – when the patient moves the body part. It can be as simple as a slight shift in position or it can be relieved through walking or stretching. In order to prevent the sensations as often as possible, many patients have turned to performing yoga or other exercises right before getting into bed.
If the patient attempts to sit or lie still, the symptoms will invariably worsen the longer the muscles remain inactive. Sitting or lying down quietly does nothing to relieve the symptoms, and will aggravate the sensations and desire to move.
Although 70% of sufferers claim that the symptoms only materialize during the night, some report the odd sensations at all hours of the day, and in all positions. Still, restless leg syndrome becomes worse at night, even if the symptoms are experienced throughout the day.
The most frustrating aspect of restless leg syndrome is that most people who have it don’t realize there is a problem. Most assume that they are the only ones who experience the strange sensations and urges, and are more likely to keep silent about them in front of family or even their physician. Some relief is experienced when a patient realizes that it is a common problem, but the symptoms do not go away.
Research is young for restless leg syndrome, and therefore little is known about it. Restless leg syndrome is considered an “idiopathic” disorder, which means that there is no identifiable cause for the affliction. This makes it difficult to treat, and even more difficult to understand. Patients often become frustrated because they are unable to find the right combination of lifestyle changes to eliminate or even ease the symptoms.
The most common way to relieve restless leg syndrome is by a simple “guess and check” method. Identify your activities that occur most often before the sensations begin, and try eliminating those factors one-by-one to see if their absence causes a decrease or pause in the symptoms. For example, some patients have linked caffeine before bed with restless leg syndrome. Staying away from coffee or sodas for at least two hours before bedtime might cause a dramatic change in restless leg syndrome.
Common causes include, but are not limited to sugar, caffeine, seizure medication, OTC drugs, recreational drugs, alcohol, vigorous exercise, magnesium, B-12 folate, calcium and fatty or greasy foods.
If the symptoms are dramatically disrupting your life, you should see a doctor about restless leg syndrome. Your physician may be able to help you identify the cause for your affliction and/or help to relieve it. Over the next three or four years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to review and approve several new medications that may or may not have a positive impact on relieving restless leg syndrome.
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