High-Protein Apple Oatmeal Bake (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

I’m currently going through a wintertime crisis. It happens every year. It has nothing to do with the cold temperatures or the darker days.
The issue is with my breakfast. When summer is over, my morning smoothies all of a sudden become much less appealing.
It’s freezing outside, and my body needs something warm in the morning. A cold ice smoothie just won’t make it.
I do like a bowl of oatmeal with apples and cinnamon. I get lazy though, and never feel like peeling and cutting apples. On top of that, I don’t like instant oatmeal, it tastes gross.
It seems like I’ve reached an impasse.
There’s an easy way out though. It’s called baked oatmeal.
You make a good amount of it one night, and it lasts for a whole week.
Winter breakfast issue solved!

Protein Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Do you have a favorite mug? I do. It’s the one from Law School. I have 20 mugs or so in my cupboard, but I always use the same one. Green tea just tastes better in that one.
It’s not that I have an emotional attachment to it. My years at Columbia Law were ok, for the most part, even if they involved countless hours in class, studying in the library, drafting outlines, and way too many dreadful finals (bleah!).
Law School or not, green tea just tastes better if served in my CLS mug. My attachment to it got to the point where no one, and I mean no one, can use it besides me. My roomies know this, and respect it (although few “altercations” were necessary to get that message properly across).
I wonder what a shrink would say about this. Probably it’s wise not to ask, and just enjoy the green tea. Better if paired with a good treat, such as these protein cheesecake swirl brownies.

The 8% Weight Rule (Not Only For Endurance Athletes!)

Every endurance athlete has an optimal race weight. It’s the weight you’re at when you’re in peak race form.
However, almost no athlete carries that weight year round; there’s really no need to, and it’s also non-practical.
In fact, it’s natural, perfectly healthy - and well established within the “endurance athletes” community - that it’s acceptable to gain a little weight during the so-called off-season.
How much is ok? Of course, you don’t want to go too far, or it might be very hard to get back on track.
Matt Fitzgerald, renowned sports journalists, top athlete, and awesome writer, prescribes what he calls the “8% rule”
The 8% rule states that in no time, during the year, you should weight more than 8% then your racing weight. For instance, if your racing weight is 160 pounds, you wanna make sure that you don’t go beyond the 172 pounds threshold.
What’s cool about the 8% rule, is that it gives athletes some license to slack off when it’s possible to do it; while at the same time setting a simple limit that avoids things to get out of hand.*

Whole Wheat Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato and Fresh Herb Sauce

I was craving gnocchi earlier today for lunch. Unfortunately, I neither had potatoes nor pumpkin at home to make them.
Just when I was about to give up that idea, I remembered that my grandma had a recipe for gnocchi with ricotta cheese (I had a good amount of that in the fridge). A quick phone call to my mum to get the recipe (she still has my grandma’s cookbook), and I was ready to fix myself some gnocchi for lunch (YAY!)
The cool thing about making gnocchi with ricotta is that you don’t have to wait for the potatoes or the pumpkin to cook. You make them in a snap.
The down side is that the gnocchi are no longer made with veggies.
However, ricotta is a cheese made from whey, which means that it’s very high in protein and low in fat. We love that, don’t we?

When You Eat Is As Important As What You Eat!

If you’re one of those people always keeping an eye on what you’re eating, you might want to consider also when you’re eating.
In a study published this week in Nature Medicine, two researchers at the University of Pennsylvania by investigating fat cells in mice, were able to identify the existing link between daily rhythm and metabolism.
In particular, their findings showed that when a species' typical daily rhythm is thrown off, changes in metabolism also happen. These results shed light on the complex causes of obesity in humans.

High Protein Pumpkin Bread

Have you ever been to France? If so, did you try the Pan d’épices (aka, spice bread)? It’s a French classic, sold in loaves, but sometimes sold in squares, cut from giant slabs. It’s something between a cake and a bread, but neither one nor the other. It’s delicious. Made with a lot of spices, honey, and some other rad stuff. 
This high protein pumpkin bread reminds me a lot of Pan d’épices.
To be honest, I didn’t actually notice the resemblance at first. It was my Parisian friend Charles who after tasting it said (in his very thick French accent): “Is this some kind of Pan d’épices?”
His comment was right on point. This pumpkin bread is quite similar to that French goodness, although the recipe is completely different.

Aspartame: Good Or Bad?

Aspartame is used in tons of products you can find at the grocery store: diet sodas, fruit juices, cordials, yogurts, chewing gums, cooking sauces, chips, drink powders, and of course, sugar substitutes.
It has been reported that aspartame is used in around 6,000 consumer foods and beverages sold worldwide.
With such a widespread use, chances are that you’re consuming aspartame on a daily basis, without even knowing it.
That alone is a good enough reason to learn something more about this sugar substitute.

Suggested Reading: The Omnivore's Dilemma, A Natural History of Four Meals

The Omnivore’s dilemma is not some sort of boring food manifesto written by some left-wing intellectual in which the author rambles about the “evil” food industry which poisons all our meals, and makes us sick.
It’s something more, much more.
In a way, it is a kind of food manifesto, and Michael Pollan is indeed an intellectual (he’s a professor at UC Berkeley), and most probably he’s also left-wing, but the book doesn’t feel any of these things while you flip through the pages.
Instead, it’s a tantalizing journey up and down the food chain, that will probably change forever the way you’ll decide which foods to put in your mouth. Eggs, meat, dairy, even organic produce will never look the same to your eyes.
You’ll learn a great deal on food, and that’s precisely why you should read this book.

The Fountain Of Youth Is Filled With Your Sweat!

For millennia mankind has been obsessed with what can be considered the greatest of all myths: the fountain of youth. A magic water with the power of stopping the passage of time, and grant immortality to its drinker.
Legends about it have been recounted across the world for centuries, and can be found in writings by Herodotus and Alexander the Great.
Many explorers spent their lives tormentedly looking for the spring from which poured the mystical water. Practitioners of alchemy brewed all sorts of herbs, spices, condiments, powdery and minerals, as the hope of achieving immortality was too hard to resist.
Of course, fiction has thrived on this tale. Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray or Peter Pan, are just two of the numerous characters brought to life by novelist struggling with an ageless existence.
What about the present times? After searching the four corners of the Earth we have finally settled that the elixir source of eternal youth might be indeed just a legend. More significantly, science has ruled out the existence of a magical potion that could grant immortality.

Swiss Chard And Spinach Quiche

Have you had your greens today? If not, you might want to revert this asap, as we all know too well how greens are crucial for better health.Let’s face it, it’s not always easy to get your daily green fix. Sometime it’s difficult to know what to do with them besides juicing, have them raw in a salad or just lightly steamed.
In order to give you one more option, today I’m gonna share what I believe to be one of the “greenest” quiche you can ever imagine. Made with lots of spinach and swiss chard. So much of it, that one slice will provides a full two servings of greens. What about that?

Maca: The Ultimate Superfood! (Or So They Say...)

I’m sure you’ve heard about Maca already, it’s the latest superfood everyone talks about.
It always the same old story: a “never heard before” superfood appears on the market.
Everybody jumps on the bandwagon praising it to be the next miracle food; only to find out after a while that, as with any other superfood, it might have some health benefits but, alone, it’s never enough.
It happened to spirulina first (remember when, few years back, it was called the miracle algae?), chia seeds, hemp seeds, psyllium fiber, just to name a few.
Now it’s maca’s turn: celebs, wannabes, athletes, in-the-know health fanatics, superfood enthusiasts, hipsters, hippies, yuppies (are there any yuppies left? I wonder...), I mean everybody wants a piece of this wonder root.
According to Details Magazine, some of the celebs hooked on maca include: Jude Law, Marc Jacobs, Miranda Kerr, Erin Wasson, David Wolfe, Woody Harrelson, and Mike D of The Bestie Boys.
With such an amazing line-up, don’t you already wanna know more about it?

Some Reasons Why You Should Use More Saffron In Your Diet

Saffron is one the least known spice in the world. Few people know where it comes from, how it’s harvested, and what to do with it.
I find this to be a real pity, as saffron it’s only delicious, but also full of health benefits, and quite versatile in the kitchen.
It’s true that saffron is very expensive (that’s why it’s also referred to as the yellow gold), but the high price is balanced out, as you just need to use very small pinches in your dishes.
Let’s discover a little bit more about this amazing spice...

Protein Chocolate Chunk Cookies

The story of these cookies begins with a challenge thrown at me by a friend who follows a strict gluten-free diet.
He asked if I could bake him a batch of gluten-free, high-protein cookies. No wheat flour allowed - of course - but also no flour subs allowed (such as rice flour, quinoa flour, or similar). As he didn’t care for them either (I know, picky friend...)
“Just don’t use flour, or any flour sub please. Try to be innovative!” he told me. However, I could use oats, he said that oats are gluten-free.
“Really? I didn’t knew oats were gluten-free. Interesting. Are you sure?”
I was not 100% sold on this, and some research was definitely necessary.
I then discovered that what he said was not entirely correct. According to the scientific literature available, most of the people suffering from celiac disease can tolerate small amounts of pure oats, provided that they have not been contaminated with other cereals.
The official guidelines for celiacs, however, discourage the consumption of oats, because the contamination risk is almost always present (just really small amounts are permitted).
Notwithstanding that, I decided to use oats anyway in these cookies (he’s not celiac, so there’s no risk). Still I didn’t want to label them as “gluten-free”. When I’m not sure about something, I prefer not to make a statement. I believe that this is more cautious way to proceed.
Enough digressing on oats; let’s start baking...

New Study Reveals That Every Single Junk Food Meal Damages Your Arteries

If you believe that hitting a fast-food from time to time, binging with a junk food meal is an ok to do, you might want to think again. A newly published study suggests that even one single junk food meal is detrimental to the health of your arteries.

Lemony Curried Chickpeas

If you live in LA (or have been in LA) chances are you've already eaten at Joan's on Third. A great store/restaurant located between the Beverly Center and the Grove, with a refreshing yet comfortable atmosphere and a great menu selection.
They have amazing food there; the lobster rolls, the chinese chicken salad and the carrot cake are among my fave dishes. But my #1 choice is the curried chickpeas, a simple salad full of flavor and depth.
I'm so obsessed with that salad that every time I go there (not often enough as I live on the other side of the country, sigh!) I order it as part of the salad trio (a selection of three salads from their daily specials on the menu). Except that I don't pick any other salad, just three portions of the curried chickpeas. Because they're all I ever want to eat when I go there.
The mixture of spices is superb. The touch of lemon sublime. The combination of flavors unique...OK, I might be exaggerating a tad, but it's really yummy.
So when I found the recipe on the LATimes, I couldn't believe my eyes. I could finally make the curried chickpeas at home: SCORE!

This Is Not Just Another Post On The Health Benefits Of Kale...

I love kale. I munch it, juice it, bake it, shred it, etc. It’s one of the staple foods of my diet. Yet, I haven’t wrote a single post about it.
I really don’t know why. Probably because there is already so much literature on kale (and its health benefits) that I reckoned another post would just be redundant.
Just take a look around on the web: there are entire websites and blogs completely dedicated to kale. Chefs have created entire meals with kale: from the appetizer to the dessert.
Women around the web that have sworn love to kale forever, promising that they will never ever leave it.
With all this fuzz around, what could I possibly bring more to the kale’s table?
Probably nothing, but I’m still going to write a post about kale.
The Romans said back in the days: “Repetita iuvant” (i.e., repeating does good), and I’m gonna honor that saying today by talking about kale. Hearing about the amazing properties of this veggie one more time can do only good.

Exercise Is Smart For Your Heart, and Makes You Smarter

A study conducted at the Montreal Heart Institute, and presented yesterday at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2012, shows that high-intensity training can make you fitter than ever: Mentally fit!

Omega-3 Intake Improves Memory

It’s well known that Omega-3 are necessary for proper body function, but their effects on the working memory was not completely known, until recently.
A team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have determined that healthy young adults can greatly improve their working memory by increasing substantially their Omega-3 fatty acid intake.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Gnocchi

Is there a point when you had too much pumpkin? Probably yes, but as far as I’m concerned I have’t hit it yet. It’s very unlikely that this will happen, I just love it too much.
Lately, I found myself buying one whole pumpkin a day. If for some unfortunate reasons I can’t cook for a couple of days, the apartment slowly starts to resemble more to a pumpkin storage unit than a place where a person lives.
Yesterday, for instance, I found one “sitting” on my triathlon bike (the most sacred place in the world). In that precise moment I knew that I needed to take action. I’m no good at carving pumpkin, but I know pretty well how to cook them, and to turn them into tasty meals.
That’s why I found myself making whole wheat pumpkin gnocchi. An amazing dish, if you want my humble opinion.

The Holiday Feast Survival Guide

Holiday dinners are filled with comforting, and delicious foods. Most of the times these meals leave us feeling stuffed and with some remorse to have consumed much more calories that we should have.
What we can do about it? Two registered dietitians have drawn up a survival guide that we can implement this coming holidays.
Patricia Nicholas, a registered dietitian at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, suggests to add "new favorites" to the traditional dishes. "Healthy meals can be festive as well and hopefully, you have been making healthy changes to your diet all year."
Michelle Morgan, a registered dietitian at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, further adds "Stay in tune with your hunger during holiday meals. If you feel satiated and comfortable – stop eating!"