Stop Blaming Fat

Day 60, Fast Day #29

My mother used to tell me, with the best intentions, that "only fat makes you fat."

Keep in mind that my mother has a legitimate Ivy League degree in medicine and a Master's degree in food science. As a result, I did not have much reason to question her views on health and nutrition when I was growing up or to think that things other than fat made you gain weight. However, a lot of research has been done in nutrition since my mom was last in school and I have learned to critically question everything I hear and read (especially when it comes from my mother).

When my mom went to medical school, fat was the enemy in the war against America's rising weight and weight-related health problems. Since the 1970s, the US government has been campaigning against high-fat foods (foods over 30% fat) in an effort to improve the health of Americans. Because fat has been villainized, the food industry aggressively markets "low-fat" and "fat-free" foods as healthier food choices. It is estimated that low-fat food labels may be a factor in the overeating of junk food by 65% of people who are overweight. "Low-fat" and "fat-free" does not translate into healthier, nutritious, or low-calorie. A lot of foods marketed as lower fat, reduced fat, or fat-free contain added flavoring agents like extra sugar and salt and only a slight-reduction in calories. Check the nutrition label carefully before going with a low-fat version of a food.

Scientists have figured out that fat is not the only thing that makes you fat. We now know that insulin decreases the breakdown of fat (lipolysis) and triggers the storage of fat. When we eat foods that have a high glycemic response (they trigger a rapid increase in blood sugar in the body), the human body produces insulin to remove excess glucose (sugar) from blood. Your body removes excess glucose with insulin because excess glucose is toxic. So, those sugary low-fat and fat-free options at the grocery stores can still make you gain weight by slowing down your body's ability to break down fat. Not only that, but the extra sugar overtime can lead to insulin-resistance, which can cause diabetes. Some commons foods that rate high on the glycemic index are low-fat, including: white bread, bagels, white rice, Russet potatoes, popcorn, pretzels, and a variety of cereals.

Given what we now know about insulin's role in fat storage, it is no longer fair to crusade against fat as public enemy #1, especially since America has gotten increasingly overweight over the years despite the propaganda against high-fat foods. I am not advocating eating a ton of high fat junk food by any means. I am simply advocating for an updated science-based approach to improving public health and curbing obesity. Plus, avocados are about 80-90% fat. Anyone that hates on avocados is clearly out of their mind because avocados have an array of health benefits and taste incredible.

Haters gon' hate. Fatty and healthy avocados.

Fast(ing) Food - Quick Rainbow Couscous

Day 59, Feast Day #31

There are some days when you just don't figure out what you are making or eating for dinner until you open the pantry and fridge (there are periods in life where this happens everyday). This was one of those days. I found a leftover bag of couscous, part of a bag of frozen corn, a can of beans, some veggies and fruit from Zach and my weekend trip to Seattle's famous Pike Place Market, and cilantro from the planter outside our apartment. This is what I made:

I ate my own bowl with avocado on it before remembering to take a picture, whoops!

Quick Rainbow Couscous (Yields 4 servings) ~355 kcal/serving w/avocado, ~275 kcal w/o
Takes 10-15 minutes

I am calling this "rainbow couscous" because of the different colors of veggies and fruit in this dish. No unicorns, leprechauns, or Lisa Frank creations were harmed while making my dinner. Eating a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables is a good strategy for both children and adults to eat a variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

• 3/4 dry instant couscous (the smaller sized kind) ~488 kcal
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth ~13 kcal
• 1 medium tomato, diced ~35 kcal
• 1/2 a bell pepper, diced (I used an orange one) ~25 kcal
• 1/4 of a onion, diced (I used a yellow one) ~15 kcal
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped ~2 kcal
• 1/2 cup of sweet corn (I used frozen) ~50 kcal
• 1 can of beans, drained and rinsed (I used red kidney, black would have made sense if I had some on hand) ~385 kcal

• 2 tsp of olive oil ~80 kcal
• 1 lime's juice ~5 kcal
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Adobo seasoning
• black pepper to taste
• your favorite hot sauce, to taste (I use Secret Aardvark Trading Co.'s Habanero Hot Sauce, because it is amazing)

• 1 large avocado, sliced ~322 kcal - optional

Put the broth in a medium to large pot. Throw in onions into pot. 

Bring broth and onions to a boil. Once at a boil, cover the pot and remove from heat. Let sit  covered for 5 minutes. Don't peek or your couscous won't cook right.

Heat your corn according to the package directions if using frozen like I did. Drain.

Mix olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, cumin, Adobo seasoning, pepper, and hot sauce together. Pour this sauce onto the couscous after the 5 minutes is over. Fluff the mixture.

Dump in the bell pepper, corn, tomato, cilantro. Mix together. 

Serve with sliced avocado on top. If there is any lime juice left, drizzle it on your avocado. Enjoy!

Week 8 Summary

Day 56, Fast Day #27

I got back on the scale today and turns out that I lost another pound, for a total of 18 lbs lost during the last couple of months. Alternate day fasting seems to be working well for me, as I am losing an average of 2.25 lbs per week at this point and not regaining the weight back. I am still making progress, which makes it easier to stay in this revolving door of calorie restriction. Below is a graph showing my progress:

Remember, I did not have a scale when starting this experiment and my initial weight is from March 30th, when I had last hopped on the scale at my future in-laws house. I started ADF on April 6th and bought a scale on April 14th, so the initial 9 lbs of weight loss was very likely more gradual than it appears. After that initial measurement, the weight loss has been a spurt, an 18-day plateau where I snuck in extra feast days for birthdays and social events, and now weight loss again. It will be interesting to see when and if I plateau again.

Calories
Week 1: 1,437 kcal or 76% of baseline calories
Week 2: 1,938 kcal or 102% of baseline calories
Week 3: 1,680 kcal or 89% of baseline calories
Week 4: 2,196 kcal or 116% of baseline calories
Week 5: 1,829 kcal or 96% of baseline calories
Week 6: 1,531 kcal or 81% of baseline calories
Week 7: 1,954 kcal or 103% of baseline calories
Week 8: 1,196 kcal or 63% of baseline calories

While ADFing: 1,720 kcal or 91% of baseline calories
Baseline Days: 1,896 kcal

All Feast Days: 2,881 kcal or 152% of baseline calories
All Fast Days*: 473 kcal or 25% of baseline calories

For reference
Week 1: 4 fast days, 3 feast days
Week 2: 3 fast days, 4 feast days
Week 3: 3 fast days*, 4 feast days
Week 4: 3 fast days, 4 feast days
Week 5: 3 fast days, 4 feast days
Week 6: 4 fast days, 3 feast days
Week 7: 3 fast days, 4 feast days
Week 8: 4 fast days, 3 feast days
*Includes faux-fast day that was my mama's birthday dinner.

With my average caloric intake being just shy of 1,200 kcal/day, it is no wonder that I dropped a total of 4 lbs this week. My average calories/day each week seesaws as the number of fast vs. feast days rotates. This week was an all-time low because I practiced much better self-control regards to food and drink. My up days averaged 2,142 kcal this week, which is 113% of my baseline eating (close to what Krista Varady, who researches ADF and diet interventions at the University of Illinois, found in her research) and is 39% less than my overall average feast day caloric intake. I am proud of myself for not letting myself overindulge this week, despite pausing slightly every time I walk by the giant 40 oz. open bag of pretzel M&Ms at my workplace.

Bags of pretzel M&Ms might as well be classified as biological weapons at the 40 oz. mark. Delicious, salty, sweet, and crunchy weapons of body mass destruction.

Fast(ing) Food - Almost Eggplant Parmesan

Day 53, Feast Day #28,

I was going to finish up a post about something else, but I ended up making a yummy dinner and realized it ended up being low-calorie too. That means I get leftovers for tomorrow's fast day, yay! There is no actual Parmesan cheese in this recipe, so it is almost eggplant parmesan  Goat cheese is 80 calories per ounce versus 122 per ounce of actual Parmesan cheese, plus I just like the taste and texture better.

Almost Eggplant Parmesan (Yields 5-6 servings of two slices) ~261 kcal/serving
Takes 45-55 minutes

• 1 tbsp of olive oil ~120 kcal
• 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch slices with the peel on ~110 kcal
• kosher salt
• 1 cup pasta/tomato sauce ~140 kcal
• 4 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled ~320 kcal
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or mix of marjoram, thyme, oregano, and basil)
• 2 large eggs, beaten ~140 kcal
• 1/2 of a lemon's juice - optional ~6 kcal
• 95g buttery crackers (about 32 crackers), crushed into crumbs ~455 kcal
• 1 tsp garlic powder ~9 kcal
• 1/2 tsp onion powder ~4 kcal
• 1/4 tsp black pepper ~1 kcal

Set the oven to bake at 375 degrees.

The next thing I do is prep the eggplant, because it is best to get some of the water out of them to avoid sogginess later. I laid out a baking sheet and put down a layer of paper towels. I then lightly salt both sides of the eggplant slices with the kosher salt and lay them on the paper towels. I put another layer of paper towels on top and them put some heavy plates on them to squeeze out some of the water.

Meanwhile, prep everything else. Crush and mix the cracker crumbs in a large bowl (which you can substitute with any other breading agent like breadcrumbs or almond meal) with the garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.

Beat the eggs with the lemon juice in a shallow bowl (so you can easily dip the eggplant slices into it).

Pat dry the eggplant slices and set aside. Then lightly coat the baking sheet with the olive oil.

Dip a eggplant slice into the egg mixture so it is coated. Then put the egg-covered slice into the crumb mixture and coat evenly. Place the slice on the baking sheet. Repeat with all the slices.

Bake the slices for 15 minutes. Then remove the baking sheet and flip them over.

Top the slices with the pasta sauce and goat cheese. Put the eggplant back into the oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Eat!

I ate mine with some sauteed rainbow Swiss chard, onion, and garlic with a little soy sauce, pepper, salt, and maple syrup (~104 kcal/servings).