ArcaMax

The Debate

I have started writing for a web publication called Healthy Trucker. Too many people involved in that industry have such a challenge with their weight. It’s gotten so serious that new rules are being enforced regarding their weight that can impact whether they can keep their license to drive. Their livelihood will depend on their getting thinner and staying that way.

I am not the only diet and exercise contributor. The challenge is we have very little in common.

I think the dietician and I will agree that a whole food diet protocol is best.

From that point forward, much of the makeup of that diet as well as our approach to healthy eating is likely to be diametrically opposed; with no resolution to the divergence coming anytime soon. We are playing on two different teams.

My experience has shown (and I’m not alone in my position) that what has become conventional dietary wisdom is seriously flawed. I can cite where the science got off track in the 1970’s and our health system has never turned back to acknowledge the errors made. In fact, many organizations have continued to compound and distribute the misinformation throughout the medical community, including the curriculum used to certify dieticians.

The dietician and I can quote our sources and distribute video clips all day long to support our polarized opinions. We are not likely to accept the position of the other, but if the dietician is interested in the newest science developments as they relate to what is wrong with the ‘old system’ then I suggest she consider beginning to follow some of the leading-edge experts. You might be interested in some of these too.

Gary Taubes is a good guy to start with. Gary wrote a book called, Good Calories Bad Calories. It’s about 800 pages long and clearly lays out how America got fat. It’s one of the best books on nutrition I’ve read. It’s targeted at doctors, including a detailed understanding of the science involved. A dietician will be fascinated at the remarkable conclusions drawn in this book. If the reader prefers the easier-to-digest version, Gary recently released his newer book, How We Get Fat. That one is written for the lay person, so s/he can get a clear understanding of the problem.

Dr. Robert Lustig is another interesting fellow who recently appeared on 60 Minutes. As a pediatric endocrinologist I would think he’d be in good standing with any dietician. Dr. Lustig’s mission to prevent obesity in children is a worthy cause. Watch his lecture called “Sugar. The Bitter Truth” on You Tube and get an earful. There is also a 7 part series on why we get fat that is highly informational. I recommend it to all of my clients. The controversial bits about how calories in/calories out has nothing to do with weight gain will be enlightening. Dr. Lustig will go into great detail about how a calorie is not a calorie as conventional doctrine espouses.

That’s just a start. But for a quick jumping-off point here’s a piece that came in my email just yesterday. Tom Naughton is talking about a new organization that approaches diet much the same way I do. Slim is Simple. They just got their funding for a series of videos presented in a community service format.

All of these experts will agree that carbohydrates are the real danger in our American diet. Fat doesn’t make you fat. And fat doesn’t clog your arteries. It’s the inflammation caused by carbohydrates that kills us. And carbohydrates are everywhere. The dietician and I would both agree that HFCS is evil, but my stance on limiting carbohydrates in the diet will be much stricter.

The debate will continue. I’m sure. I just hope my team wins out in the end (for the sake of our nation’s health) because obviously what we have followed for the last 40 years is not working for most people.

Manicotti Casserole

This time of year I make many casseroles. First reason is it makes for great cold weather comfort food. Second reason is so many people need a dish to take to a party or potluck. These fit the bill.

Manicotti is a dish full of carbs because the pasta consists of large manicotti tubes that you stuff with ricotta cheese and optional meat mixtures. For this dish I did away with the manicotti noodles altogether and just concentrated on the inside elements with just a bit of optional pasta up top.

1 cup of cooked noodles. (optional) You get to choose which kind. I’d recommend penne, rigatoni or even wide noodles like papardelle. I just cut the papardelle into chunks so they are not long. To cook the pasta just follow the directions on the box of noodles you choose.
2 Tbl of olive oil
1 lb of ground beef
1 pound of Italian sausage. If you cannot find loose sausage just cut the casings and remove the loose meat from inside the sausage.
1 cup of diced onion
8 oz of sliced mushrooms
1 24 oz jar of premade pasta sauce. Look for one with no sugar. You may do quite a bit of label reading before you find one but they DO exist. Even some big brands make options. You choose the flavor. I used vodka sauce but there are several options to choose from.
1 pound of shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

This dish is very easy to prepare. It’s more about assembly than anything.

In a pot add your water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. (The pasta is actually optional. This tastes great just served in a bowl like a thick stew. But if you are craving noodles you can use a few so you feel more Italian). You can begin the rest of the meal while the pasta cooks.

In a large sauté pan, add the olive oil and begin to heat it. Add the ground beef and the sausage. Continually break it up into small pieces while it cooks. When it’s half-way done, add the onion so that can partially cook too. When cooked through, pour the meat mixture into the bottom of the 9-by-13-inch pan. Don’t wash the saute pan. Add the mushrooms and cook those until the edges begin to brown. Pour those over the meat mixture and stir it up a bit.

Pour half of the pasta sauce over the meat mixture and stir.

Put the ricotta in a small bowl and add the Italian seasoning. Stir. Now take a spoon and take globs of the ricotta and distribute them across the meat mixture.

Sprinkle over half of the cheese. Then drain your pasta and spread the pasta over the meat and cheese mixtures. (If you are not using pasta, just skip this step).

Finally, spread the last of the cheese over the top. Try to make sure the pasta is all covered. Whatever sticks up with get crunchy but I like a few noodles with a crunchy edge so it’s up to you. Put the casserole in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top of the cheese begins to brown just a tad.

Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving. This is sort of a “spoon-it-out-of-the-casserole” dish rather than cut it. It’s not like lasagna with all the noodle layers. It will hold together pretty well though.

Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator. Once the casserole has cooled in the refrigerator it will hold together VERY well and can be cut into wedges for re-heating. This helps it travel well if you want to take portions to work or you want to freeze them for later retrieval.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola