Two Healthy Chicken Sauces

Grilled, skinless chicken breast is a staple in my house.  I buy a package of chicken breasts, pound or cut them thin so they cook quickly and evenly (and aren't too big a portion size- about 6 oz is good for me), then keep them in the fridge for a few days to pull out and eat when I need to make a meal fast.  They reheat easily in the microwave, but sometimes I eat them cold on salads or sandwiches.

A 4-ounce portion of boneless, skinless breast meat has 120 calories, 1 fat gram and approximately 26 grams of protein (according to the Nutrition Info label on my package).  It's a great source of lean protein!

Adding a tasty, low fat, low calorie sauce to your chicken can help it not be so "boring." Here are two from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (Mushroom Marsala Sauce and Caramelized Onion and Mustard Sauce) that I like and are easy to make.

The Test Kitchen says the sauces can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day and the recipe makes 1 cup (4 quarter-cup servings), so you may want to double the recipe if you have more people to serve.

Mushroom Marsala Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons EVOO
• 8 oz. white mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced thin 
• salt and pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (I used 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

*If you want to be super-strict, I would omit the salt and butter.  

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt; cook until browned, about 15 minutes. (My mushrooms cooked more quickly)
3. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Whisk in the broth and Marsala and bring to a simmer.
5. Whisk the water and cornstarch together and then stir into the sauce.
6. Simmer until the sauce is thickened and measures 1 cup, about 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Nutrition:  1/4 cup serving = Calories 110; Fat 5g; Sat Fat 2.5g; Chol 10 mg; Carb 7g; Protein 1g; Fiber 0g, Sodium 190mg 

Caramelized Onion and Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 2 onions, halved and sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Add the onions and brown sugar and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions are dark golden and caramelized, 20-25 minutes. 
4. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Whisk in the broth and mustard, scraping up any browned bits.
6. Simmer until the sauce has thickened and measured 1 cup, 10-12 minutes.
7. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition:  1/4 cup serving = Calories 80; Fat 4g; Sat Fat 0; Chol 0 mg; Carb 9g; Protein 1g; Fiber 2g, Sodium 290mg 

* * * * * 

Healthy Snack (Greek Yogurt)

We are all looking for healthy snacks and this one can also be a meal for breakfast, especially if you add granola.  The protein in the Greek yogurt is what makes it extra beneficial. 

+

=

Y U M M Y !

FAGE 0% Greek Yogurt = 100 Calories, 0 Fat, 7g Carb, 65g Sodium, 18g Protein

When I'm on a kick, I eat one a day, sometimes adding blueberries and granola. 

James likes strawberries too.

* * * * * 

Asian Chicken Stir Fry

One of my favorite healthy dishes is Asian Chicken Stir Fry.  It combines tasty veggies with brown rice, skinless chicken breast, and Asian seasonings.  I love it because it's so easy to prepare, a definite plus for a busy family.  I often already have a batch of cooked chicken and rice in my fridge- so I only have to cook the veggies, and then it's a one-pot meal.  The whole dish is great to take to work the next day for leftovers.

Asian Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 cup brown rice 
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cup veggies (broccoli, carrots, snap peas, mushrooms, water chestnuts (you can get canned in the Asian aisle of your grocery store)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 onion diced or a few scallions (not pictured)
• EVOO
• Salt
• Low sodium soy sauce (to taste- me me a few "glugs")
• Ginger (to taste- for me a few slices)
• Asian chili sauce (to taste- for me 1 teaspoon)

Directions

1. Cook the brown rice in a saucepan
2. Brown the chicken in a skillet
3. In a separate skillet, add a couple tablespoons of EVOO and onion, cook until tender
4. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds
5. Add veggies and stir until cooked 
6. Add the seasonings to taste 
7. I like to scoop out my rice separately instead of combining it with the veggies so I can control how much rice I'm getting per serving better (about 3/4 cup).  Then add chicken breast. 

* * * * * 

Familial hypercholesteromia: Why rely on cholesterol levels when more direct measures are available?

There are two forms of familial hypercholesteromia (FH), namely heterozygous and homozygous FH. In heterozygous FH only one copy of the gene that causes it is present, inherited either from the father or the mother. In homozygous FH, which is the most lethal form, two copies of the gene are present. FH is associated with early-onset cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Homozygous FH may happen if both the father and mother have heterozygous or homozygous FH. If both the father and mother have heterozygous FH, the likelihood that at least one in four children will have homozygous FH will be high. If both parents have homozygous FH the likelihood that all children will have homozygous FH will be high.

In fact, in the latter case, homozygous FH in the children is almost certain. One case in which it won’t occur is if the combining FH gene from the father or mother mutates into a non-FH gene before it is used in the assembly of the genome of the child. A gene mutation in a specific locus, only for the father or mother, is an unlikely event, and would lead to heterozygous FH. Two gene mutations at once in the same locus, for the father and mother, is a very unlikely event.

By the way, despite what many are led to believe based on fictional characters in movies and series like the X-Men and Hulk, mutations in functional genes usually lead to harmful traits. In our evolutionary past, those traits would have been largely removed from the gene pool by selection, making them rare or nonexistent in modern humans. Today we have modern medicine; a double-edged sword.

Mutations leading to super-human traits are very, very unlikely. The myostatin gene, for example, suppresses muscle growth. And yet the mutations that lead to little or no secretion of the related myostatin protein are very uncommon. Obviously they have not been favored by selection, even though their holders are very muscular – e.g., Germany’s “Incredible Hulky” ().

Okay, back to FH. Xanthelasmas are relatively common among those who suffer from FH (see photo below, from Globalskinatlas.com). They are skin deposits of cholesterol, have a genetic basis, and are NOT always associated with FH. This is important – several people have xanthelasmas but not FH.

FH is a fairly rare disease, even in its heterozygous form, with an overall incidence of approximately 0.2 percent. That is, about 1 in 500 people in the general population will have it. Genetically related groups will see a much higher or lower rate of incidence, as the disease is strongly influenced by a genetic mutation. This genetic mutation is apparently in the LDL receptor gene, located on the short arm of chromosome 19.

The table below, from a study by Miltiadous and colleagues (), paints a broad picture of the differences one would typically see between heterozygous FH sufferers and non-FH controls.

The main difference is in total cholesterol and in the relatively large contribution of LDL to total cholesterol. A large difference is also seen in Apolipoprotein B (indicated as "Apo B"), which acts as a LDL transporter (not to be confused with a LDL receptor). The LDL cholesterol shown on the table is calculated through the Friedewald equation, which is notoriously imprecise at low triglyceride levels ().

Looking at the total cholesterol row on the table, and assuming that the numbers after the plus/minus signs are standard deviations, we can conclude that: (a) a little more than two-thirds of the heterozygous FH sufferers had total cholesterol levels falling in between 280 and 446; and (b) a little more than two-thirds of the non-FH controls had total cholesterol levels falling in between 135 and 225.

Keep in mind that about 13.5 percent {calculated as: (95-68)/2} of the non-FH controls had total cholesterol levels between 225 and 270. This is a nontrivial percentage; i.e., these may be a minority but are not rare individuals. Heterozygous FH sufferers are rare, at 0.2 percent of the general population. Moreover, about 2 percent of the non-FH controls had non-pathological total cholesterol levels between 270 and 315. That is not so rare either, amounting to an “incidence” 10 times higher than heterozygous FH.

What would happen if people with heterozygous FH were to replace refined carbohydrates and sugars with saturated fat and cholesterol in their diets? Very likely their already high total cholesterol would go up higher, in part because their HDL cholesterol would go up (). Still, how could they be sure that CVD progression would accelerate if they did that?

According to some studies, the higher HDL cholesterol would either be generally protective or associated with protective factors, even among those with FH (). One of those protective factors may be a more nutrient-dense diet, as many foods rich in cholesterol are very nutrient-dense – e.g., eggs, organ meats, and seafood.

This brings me to my main point in this post. It is mainstream practice to diagnose people with FH based on total and/or LDL cholesterol levels. But the main problem with FH is that it leads to early onset of CVD, which can be measured more directly through simple tests, such as intima-media thickness and related ultrasound plaque tests (). These are noninvasive tests, done in 5 minutes or so, and often covered by insurance.

Even if simple direct tests are not perfect, it seems utterly nonsensical to rely on cholesterol measures to diagnose and treat FH, given the possible overlap between pathological and non-pathological high total cholesterol levels.

My Top 3 "Eat Clean" Meals

My weight loss journey has hit many plateaus, but not surprisingly, I've always seen the biggest improvements when I've eaten a really "clean" diet.  For me, that means finding something high protein that I can eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for about 5 days straight, then switch to something else.  And when I'm eating really healthy, I'm also more likely to workout.  Conversely, if I'm in a "bad" eating rut, I'm not likely to be hitting the gym. 

I'm no dietician or nutritionist and only know what has worked for me.  

via

RECIPE:

• Extra lean ground turkey (1 package)
• Low sodium black beans (1 can)
• Brown rice (1 cup)
• Taco Bell low sodium seasoning

I make the rice in a saucepan while I brown the turkey meat.  Then I add the seasoning and black beans to the meat.  Combine the cooked rice into the meat and top with low fat sour cream, low fat cheese, salsa, and sometimes I crunch up a couple of tortilla chips on top.  (James actually loves this too).

via

RECIPE

• Chicken tenders (or chicken breast)
• Salad mix (I buy prewashed in a bag)
• Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce (found in the regular grocery store in the Asian aisle)
• Lime juice
• Sliced almonds

I cook a package of chicken tenders and portion them out for 2 tenders per salad.  I usually mix a tablespoon of the peanut sauce with a tiny bit of lowfat peanut butter because the sauce is kinda spicy and I want to mellow it out.  (FYI- The peanut sauce does have sugar and processed ingredients) I add a squeeze of lime and toss in the salad and chicken, topping with some sliced almonds for crunch.

via

RECIPE: 

Ingredients:
* 2 lbs ground turkey (or chicken)
* 3 egg whites
* 1 cup quick cooking oats
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 2 tsp dry yellow mustard
* 2 tsp black pepper
* 2 tsp chipotle pepper spice
* 1 tsp salt
* 2 tbsp garlic powder (2 cloves minced)
* 1 small onion (finely chopped)
* 2 celery stalks (finely chopped)

(I make several batches of the seasoning mix at once since I have all the ingredients out).  I also usually eat them with a side of frozen steamed veggies.  

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray muffin pan with canola or olive oil.
3. Mix all your ingredients together in one large bowl.
4. Roll the mixture into balls and place in muffin pan. Muffins should be about the size of a racquetball.
5. Bake for 40 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Here's a video showing Jamie Eason cooking these- she calls them turkey meatloaf muffins.

********

Boot Camp

A gorgeous blogging buddy from Houston invited me to participate in a boot camp, Houston Area Adventure Boot Camp, the longest-running boot camp in the Houston area.  Over the last seven years they have helped more then 5200 people achieve their fitness goals.  I immediately knew I wanted to bring my girlfriend (and workout partner since college) since she's always up for these types of adventures.

We showed up just before the class was about to start at 6:30 p.m. (although they offer morning classes too), with the Houston heat not letting up a bit.  Neither of us had done a boot camp before, so we didn't know what to expect.  Immediately, we met the awesome trainer, TJ, and two other women, who made us feel right at home.  Here we are with TJ:)

This class kicked our butt!  We did drills where we had to pick up a poker chip, run up a hill to find out what exercise corresponded to the chip, run back down the hill, ultimately doing 15-30 repetitions of 30 exercises.  OUCH!  We were sweating and panting and our heart rates were UP for the entire hour!  TJ was so encouraging and helpful and FUN!  They played hip hop music and the other people in the class were super sweet.  It's easy to make friends when you're all commiserating from running up that dang hill and doing your 50th pushup!

Just before class ended, my girlfriend became the photographer and shot some pics so I could show you.

Isn't it a pretty park where the class is held? So nice to get outside after a long day at the office.

And I LOVE that my single girl snapped a pic of the hot guy! I laughed so hard when I saw this pic on my camera! :)  Get fit and meet men- perfect for you single ladies!!

*******

If you're interested in attending a class, here's their contact info:

Spa Water

When I'm out and about, I always carry a water bottle to keep hydrated.  I live in the South and it's so hot and humid, I never want to be without water when I'm thirty.  Recently, at home, I made some "spa" water, aka, water with fruit cut up in it and served up in a fancy container:)  I found this glass jug at Target for $19.99.

I sliced up one orange and one lemon and added it to ice and water from the fridge.  

Are you a fan of flavored water?  I typically like it straight up- like my iced tea, but this was fun for a change.