Reunited at last

February 5, 2010

I have been reunited with my lost love, coffee. The game has ended and I can rejoice in the most delicious Le Gourmand French Roast that I have ever had. My roommate, who –as described in the F.L.A.B.B. entry – has been reunited with her long lost love of Pepsi, described her experience and enjoyment of her first drink. I mentioned that at least my favourite beverage has some health benefits – although all I couldn't come up with any off the top of my head. Today’s question is: what are the health benefits of coffee?



A: Many of coffee's health benefits come from it's antioxidants. Here are five health related facts about my fav hot beverage:

1) At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's.

2) Alcohol drinkers who also drink coffee regularly have a lower chance of developing cirrhosis of the liver.
3) A 12-year study on Japanese women found that drinking 3 or more cups of coffee per day may actually halve the risk of developing colon cancer.
4) After a hard workout, a cup or two of coffee has been shown to reduce muscle soreness in women, more effectively than naproxen, aspirin and ibuprofen.
5) Roasted coffee has some antibacterial properties, particularly against Streptococcus mutans, one of the major causes of cavities.



Sources:

http://www.positivelycoffee.org/topic_performance_statement.aspx
http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food
http://www.ecosalon.com/20-surprising-facts-about-coffee/Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20game
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Big little chili

January 31, 2010

This evening, another reprieve from The Game, I took my meal off to have Moroccan food with a friend of mine. The food was so enjoyable! I had an appetizer of ground beef mixed with nuts and sultanas and lots of spices. So delicious! During dinner, my friend told me that she heard that spicy –as in hot – food can boost your metabolism. Interesting. Today’s question is: can spicy food increase your metabolism?

A: Capsaicin is the source of heat in chilli peppers and once consumed, raises the body’s temperature. This heat generation, does in fact increase metabolic rate which burns extra calories after a meal. Studies have shown that eating a spicy dish in a meal can increase a person’s metabolic rate by 8%, which is not significant enough to promote weight loss.

Studies have also determined that spicy foods increase the feeling of satiety and that capsaicin may work as an appetite suppressant.

A research study focused on a group of adult men and found that those who were served hot sauce with appetizers before a meal went on to consume on average about 200 fewer calories at lunch and in later meals than their peers who did not have anything with capsaicin. (Taken directly from The New York Times article)

Sources:
Diagnoseme.com: Spicy Food
The New York Times. Fitness and Nutrition. "The Claim: Spicy Foods Increase Metabolism". Anahad O’Connor. November 28, 2006.Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20game
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F.L.A.B.B.

January 21, 2010

More reports from The Game – the above acronym stands for Fat-Loaded and Belly Bloaters. The list is quite long and contains all of the things that we know are bad for us; cakes, pastries, fried food and pop. On a participant’s day off, one is allowed to indulge in these F.L.A.B.B.-y treats, with the exception of pop.

My roommate likens her love for pop to my love for beer – I don’t need it, but I like it. However her love for Pepsi is far worse than my love for alcohol; she drinks more thank one can a day, where I as I have major regret if I drink every day – and it’s not because of the morning hangover, it’s because I know it’s not good for me.

I rarely drink pop. I don’t like the fizzing feeling in my mouth or the burning sensation at the back of my throat. I don’t like the effects it has on my teeth. And despite my love for muffins, I don’t like what it does to my waistline.

From participating in The Game, my roommate thinks that she’s lost 5 pounds because her pants are looser. I think her belly has shrunk because she isn’t consuming carbonated drinks anymore and that it has flattened her tum*.

Today’s question is: what effect does soda have on the body?

*My roommate never had a tum – she is, always has been, and always will be string thin.

A: Some of you may have received that e-mail with some scary facts about Coca-Cola. It has a list of things like: Coke can be used as a toilet bowl cleaner, that it will remove corrosion from a car battery or that a hazardous materials sign is required on trucks carrying Coke concentrate. According to http://www.howtocleananything.com most of the cleaning uses for Coke are true, and truckers have confirmed that they do have to put a hazardous materials badge on their trucks. Although in the wacky world of the Internet, there is also a rumour floating around that the U.S. highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident - which is just ridiculous.

In terms of health implications, let's start with the amount of sugar. A can of regular soda generally contains 40 grams of sugar - this is the equivalent of 10 teaspoons. Refined sugar contains no nutritional value and provides an increase in energy levels followed by a crash. Once the soda is consumed, the pancreas produce insulin to balance the amount sugar in the blood. An over production of insulin is linked to the depression of the immune system and may weaken the body's ability to fight disease. Not to mention sugar is a major contributor to weight gain and obesity,

Diet soda is no less detrimental to the body. Granted, it does not contain sugar, but instead is sweetened with artificial sweeteners. Many of these sweeteners have been found to be carcinogenic as well as increase the desire for sugar and junk food.

Soda also contains phosphorus, which is linked to a reduction of calcium and magnesium in the body. This become a worry for women who are vulnerable to low bone density and osteoporosis. Colas are the worst culprits because in addition to phosphorus, they contain caffeine which also depletes the body of calcium. Drinking 12 ounces of caffeine-containing soft drink causes the loss of about 20 mg of calcium, or 2 percent of the recommended consumption. Additionally, the combination of phosphorus and caffeine can contribute to stress, insomnia and severe anxiety in susceptible people.

Sources:
Helium Health and Fitness: The Effects of Soda on your Body
Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming Americans' Health
Truth or Fiction: Coke vs. Water
Yahoo Health: What Soft Drinks Are Doing to your Body Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20game
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Shedding a tear

January 15, 2010

Today was quite exciting. I was able to learn the basic techniques of pole dancing. It made me feel free and liberated - and was a spectacular workout. I thought about writing about the history of the pole or why women are likened to felines - as we were instructed to slink back to standing positions like a cat - but I can draw my own conclusions as to why felines and feminity go hand-in-hand. When I got in, I was required to eat (as per the rules of the game) so I began with the basics - olive oil and onions. As I peeled and chopped the onion I began to cry... and it wasn't from missing old life, which usually sparks a little bit of a cry fest... it was the onions. Today's question is: why do onions make you cry?

A: It is not the odor of an onion that makes you cry, it a gas that is released while cutting it. When slicing through an onion, the knife ruptures the cells causing an enzyme (allinase) to mix with the sulphur in the oinon. This produces sulfenic acid, which then gets converted by the LF-synthase enzyme into a gas called syn-propanethial-S-oxide, which is also known as the Lachrymatory Factor (‘crying factor'). Once this gas reaches our eyes, it causes an irritation which causes the body to produce tears to wash the irritant away.

Sources:
Food-Info.net: Why do onions make you cry?
Mental_floss Blog: Why do onions make you cry?Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20game
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Day Off

January 13, 2010



Today is my day off from The Game. The point is to relax from the strict eating schedule and rigid rules of The Game; the theory is that the day off prevents plateauing. So this morning, I fell back into my usual routine of rushing to get ready, putting on my make-up, running out the door, purchasing a bagel with cream cheese and a large coffee, and getting into work late. As I have described in a number of previous posts, coffee is something that I truly love, and having the freedom to drink it today caused a sense of euphoria. I'm high on caffeine, dizzy with the rich aroma and engulfed in the delicious bitterness of my first cup this week. Obviously, as this magical beverage is such a passion, I suppose you can guess that today's question will be related... Today's question is: which countries are the top 10 producers of coffee?



A: I thought that this would be an easy one; find the list, research the countries and voila! Little did I realize that each organization and website has different figures. I chose to base my research on the statistics provided by the International Coffee Organization's total production data.


I was also really surprised by the list of countries - I have drank Costa Rican, Kenyan and Jamaican varieties, but was shocked that they did not make the top 10 list. Although, I was quite proud that the Guatemalan's are there; perhaps I come from a long line of coffee farmers! Regardless, here is the list:

Statistics are based on 2008/2009 crop production.


Brazil (45 992 000 bags)

Brazil is the largest coffee producing country, supplying 1/3 of the world's coffee. Brazil produces both arabica and robusta beans, although notable varieties include Bahia and Bourbon Santos. Brazilian coffee is usually distinguished by a clear, sweet, mild to medium flavour.

Vietnam (16 000 000 bags)

Coffee production in Vietnam is considered to be the most rapid growing industry in the country. Vietnam specializes in robsuta production, but also grows arabica beans which were brought to the country by French missionaries in the 1860s. Vietnamese coffee is characterized by a light acidity and mild body, it is frequently used for blending.

Colombia (10 500 000 bags)

The best known coffee producer in the world, much of Colombia's economy relies on the production of coffee. Colombia’s coffee grows in the moist, temperate foothills of the Andes, which result in consistently good, mild coffees. The delicate, aromatic sweetness can be found in the notable Supremo.


Indonesia (8 638 000 bags)

Indonesia produces well known robusta beans from it's islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi. Indonesia's traditional process of warehousing the beans - aging them in it's warm, damp climate - produces a deep bodied flavour that cannot be matched by technology.

Ethiopia (6 133 000 bags)

Ethiopia is the origin of the arabica tree and is the top exporter of that variety of bean. One of the main growing areas is Kaffa, which is said to be where the name coffee derived. Ethiopian coffee tends to offer a bold, full flavoured, earthy cup.


Mexico (4 650 000 bags)

Although one of the top producers, Mexican coffee tends to be grown on small farms rather than large plantations. Mexico is the largest supplier of coffee to the United States. A cup of Mexican coffee can offer a wonderful aroma and a depth of flavor. It is a good bean for dark roasts and is sometimes used for blending.


India (4 372 000 bags)

Coffee production in India is strictly controlled by the Indian Coffee Board, which some claim reduces economic incentive and lowers quality. Indian coffee can be distinguished by complex aroma and sweet finish with undertones of fruit and earthiness.


Peru (3 868 000 bags)

Peruvian coffee is a sweet, fruity tasting coffee with a complex yet delicate aroma that is alive with floral scents and fruit notes. Many importers have focused on fair-trade beans from Peru as it operates many small farms.


Honduras (3 373 000 bags)
Honduras mainly grows arabica beans and retailers tend to use it as a blending coffee. Due to the rich soil, high altitude and temperate climate, Honduran coffee has a low acidity and a sweet flavour likened to that of caramel.

Guatemala (3 370 000 bags)

Guatemalan coffee has a very distinct flavour due to the volcanic soil and high altitude of the coffee plantations. Guatemalan coffee is medium to full bodied, with a spicy flavour and chocolaty undertones.

Sources:

National Coffee Association of U.S.A.
National Geographic: Coffee
Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20game
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Cake

January 10, 2010

Day three of The Game and I feel quite good. The lack of coffee is still on my mind, but I sufficiently caffeinated myself by having an afternoon cuppa tea and spent my "free calories" by putting a splash of milk in. As I sat to enjoy my tea, I picked up the President's Choice Insider Report magazine - essentially a flyer touting all of the new food products that President's Choice puts out. Turning the pages, my mouth began to water. I turned to the dessert page and my head nearly exploded with the gorgeous looking cakes, particularly the cream puffs (profiteroles). It's been ages since I've had a profiterole and I would have loved to have one with my tea - but why stop at one, I would have loved to have a whole pile of them! A whole pile of cream puffs, with spun sugar on them! A whole croquembouche for myself! But since I am committed to winning The Game, I decided that I would blog about a croquembouche instead of indulging in one. Today's question is: how does one make a croquembouche?


A: Croquembouche is from the French 'croque en bouche' meaning a crunch in the mouth. A croquembouche is a fancy, edible, structure made of choux pastry, filled with chantilly cream, held together by caramel and decorated with cheveux d'ange (spun sugar). The croquembouche was displayed on the medieval tables of French royalty and nobility, and is now a traditional cake for weddings, baptisms and communions.



As the answer to this question is in recipe form, it is difficult to research and summarize. So I have copied Laura Calder's recipe for croquembouche - Laura Calder hosts a cooking show called French Food at Home on the Food Network. I have never made one, so I cannot vouch for how good this recipe is. However, I have decided that as a celebration for completing The Game, I will make one for all of the participants and have them over for COFFEE and dessert!





Laura Calder's Croquembouche
Ingredients
Pastry
1 1/2 cups water
Pinch salt
3/4 cup butter
4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Milk for glaze



Pastry Cream
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped



Croquembouche
1 recipe pastry cream
1 recipe baked choux balls
3 cups sugar

Directions
Pastry
1.Heat the oven to 375 F/190 C.
2.Put the water, salt, butter, and sugar in a roomy saucepan, bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once, beating until it forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Return the pan to the heat for a minute or two and beat to dry it out a little. (Removing moisture will allow the paste to absorb more egg, which will ultimately make the puffs lighter.)
3.Remove the pan from the heat. Beat in the eggs, the equivalent of one at a time, until fully incorporated. (Do not try to add them at once because they can’t be incorporated quickly enough, it makes a total mess, and furthermore you may not need all of them.) After the third addition of egg, add only enough to make dough that will fall, glossy and heavy, from the spoon. Beat in the vanilla. Spoon the dough into a piping bag.
4.Mix a bit of milk into any remaining egg (if no egg left, use only milk). Have at the ready with a pastry brush for glazing. Pipe the dough into evenly-sized (about 1-inch/2.5 cm) balls on a non-stick baking sheet, leaving a good 2-inches/5 cm between them so they have room to expand. Brush the tops with the glaze and press the snouts down with a fingertip. Bake until puffed up, light, dry, and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, so they can breathe all around and will keep their shape and not go soggy.



Pastry Cream
1.Put the milk in a saucepan. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk and throw in the pod. Bring just to a boil, remove from the heat, cover, and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes.
2.Beat the yolks and sugar to pale thick ribbons. Gradually beat in the flour. Whisk the milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream. Add the flavouring and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Strain and set aside to cool with a buttered piece of waxed paper on top to prevent a skin from forming. When cool, fold in the whipped cream.



Croquembouche
1.Put the pastry cream in a piping bag with a sharp tip. Poke the tip into the choux balls and fill with pastry cream.
2.Put the sugar with 1/2 water in a saucepan, dissolve, and boil to caramel (340°F). Dip the choux balls into the caramel and arrange in a circle. Continue dipping and build the balls up like a stone wall, preferable around an oiled cone (or flowerpot) to make a big tree. Spin some of the extra caramel around the tree. Set aside until ready to serve.
Sources:
Croquembouche Patisserie - Toronto French Pastry
The Food Network: Laura Calder French Food at Home
Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20game
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Coffee please!

January 9, 2010

It is the second day of The Game and I have spent the whole day planning, preparing and eating my healthy meals. I have also not had coffee in two whole days! If you know me, I LOVE coffee. If I had children, I'd give up my first born for a gorgeous, steaming, flavourful cup of that beautiful brown elixir. There is something about the smell and taste of a freshly brewed cup of coffee that makes me so happy - and perky. I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms - headache, fatigue and irritability (or stroppines) - which have made me declare that this game sucks! Which in turn, makes me, my teammates, and my opponents suckers. As I sent an e-mail to one of the other participants this morning, I ended it with "Enjoy your water, Sucker!" (How is that for some friendly trash talk?!) This had me wondering where that word came from; could it actually be from what I thought? Today's question is: what is the origin of the word sucker?

A: The word sucker first shows up in the 14th century as the word souker, meaning a 'young mammal that has yet to be weaned'. It was not until the 1830's that the word developed the meaning of someone who is easily deceived.

The word presumably arose by likening a naive person to a newborn animal, which is weak and defenceless.

I suppose my mind was really in gutter... I thought it would have been derived from something more derogatory. Well, I'm happy to hear it wasn't!

Sources
Take Our Word For It: Issue 13
The Mavens' Word of the DaySource URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20game
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Muffins and Racks

January 8, 2010



I caved. I am now part of The Game - winning myself the gift of good health at the end of four weeks. To begin The Game, each participant had to commit to fitness or weight loss goals and positive lifestyle choices.


My fitness goals are:
• Complete 50 consecutive push ups - I can do 10, so increase each week by 10.
• Run on the treadmill for 25 minutes (speed at 4.5, with an incline of 3) - at the moment I struggle to do 15 minutes, so increase each week by 2.5 minutes.
My lifestyle choices are:
• To read for pleasure everyday - either on my commute or before bed.
• Stop drinking coffee in the morning.


I know that I am overweight and could do with losing a few pounds, but I chose to do a fitness goal instead of a weight loss goal - partially because I don't own a scale, but also I would never choose to sacrifice my great rack for my muffin top... Honestly, who doesn't love a muffin?! And more importantly, who doesn't love a great rack?!
With that in mind, I thought of how the view of the ideal female body has changed over the years. Today's question is: what is the history of female body image in the media?



A: Before media influence, body image was based the ability to reproduce - men would choose women with a healthy level of body fat, as it was a visual representation of good estrogen levels and the sustenance for child bearing.
Evidence of fuller-figures as the ideal is evidenced through paintings. In the early-Renaissance Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" expresses the beauty and sensuality of a voluptuous woman. This trend continued into late-Renaissance and Baroque periods, where women were celebrated for their curvy figures and childbearing hips.
In the 1800's, with an increase in printed advertising, being plump was a sign of affluence. When resources were scarce, a full-figure represented the means to eat well and suggested probable health. During the late 19th century Lillian Russell was the most celebrated stage actresses and singer of operettas in America. She was considered to be the the most beautiful woman of the time, as a matter of public opinion and in the news media. Lillian, displayed the traditional womanly figure, wearing corsets to narrow her waist and enhance the bust of her ample proportions.
In the 1920's, French fashion dictated the ideal body shape. Coco Chanel and other designers popularized the garçonne - boyish - look, which focused on flattened breasts and straight waists. This era spawned the first dieting craze of the twentieth century.


The fifties, repopularized curves and the hourglass shape. Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield were pictures of perfection, revered for their beauty and achieved sex symbol status because of their shapely bodies. This trend of the busty woman continued until 1967 and the introduction of Twiggy. Twiggy was known for her short blond bob, extravagant eye lashes and her super skinny figure - at 5'6" she only weighed 91 pounds. Throughout the seventies and eighties, the trend for slimness continued, as well as showcasing models that were 5'8" and above. The 1990's introduced the supermodel; women like Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, who were all curvy, tall and slender. However, the nineties also saw a shift from the buxom model to the waif, heroin chic look of Kate Moss.
Recently, there has been an outcry about the super skinny model. The media are more conscious of their impact on young people. In 2006, fashion show organizers in Madrid, Spain turned away models who were considered underweight by medical personnel. The standard set by the Association of Model Agents (AMA) is 34"-24"-34'.
Sources:
New York Times: Personal Health - Adding Some Heft to the Ideal Feminine Form, November 19, 2002
Peel Public Health: Body Image and the Media; What's the Connection?
Wikipedia: Flapper
Wikipedia: Model (person)
Wikipedia: Twiggy
Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20game
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The Game

January 5, 2010

Today I received an e-mail from a friend asking me to join The Game. The Game is a fitness and healthy lifestyle challenge that is played for four consecutive weeks. The goal is to gain points each week for completing certain healthy behaviours, such as eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising, et cetera. One can receive 10 points for drinking three litres of water per day. Three litres seems like a lot to me; I am a regular water drinker and sometimes have difficulty with two litres, which is the recommended 8 glasses of 250 millilitres per day. This led me to think of the Californian woman who died in 2007 from participating in a "Hold your wee for a Wii" radio contest. Today's question is: how much water will lead to water intoxication?


A: Water intoxication, or overhydration, is caused by ingesting large quantities of water over a short period of time. Too much water lowers the concentration of salt in the blood, water then seeps into surrounding cells to balance the electrolytes in the body, which causes the organs to swell. If the brain swells, this can cause fatal results - which is what happened to Jennifer Strange, the victim of "hold your wee for a Wii". When the brain swells, it puts pressure on the skull and can damage vital regions that regulate body functions such as breathing.

It is recommended to drink between two to three litres of water per day, as adults receive additional hydration through food consumption. However, a healthy adult kidney is able to process up to 15 litres of water a day if drank in small quantities over a period of time.

It seems that my question has no clear-cut answer. The amount of water necessary for each individual is based on diet, exercise and environment; and the body is equipped to process a large amount of water. Water intoxication is based on two factors - volume and time - one will only experience this condition if too much liquid is consumed in too little time.

Sources:
About.com Chemistry: Water Intoxication and Hyponatremia
Associated Content: Water Intoxication: How Much Water is Too Much?
BBC: Why is too much water dangerous. January 15, 2007Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20game
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