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10 Sleep Promoting Foods To Encourage Sweet Dreams

2013-05-21T14:40:01Z

For those living in modern industrialized countries, the lack of physical activity, among other things, has contributed to an insomnia epidemic. The over-the-counter sleep aid market now accounts for over $600 million in annual sales.

In addition to increasing physical exercise, eating sleep promoting foods a few hours before bedtime may help you fall asleep faster, and even improve the quality of your sleep.

Here are ten foods that will help put you to sleep at night, courtesy of these fine sources:

1) Bananas

Bananas are high in potassium and magnesium, nutrients that double as natural muscle relaxants. Plus, they contain the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan, which ultimately turns into serotonin and melatonin in the brain.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation; melatonin is a chemical that promotes sleepiness. It takes about an hour for tryptophan to reach the brain, so plan your snack accordingly.

2) Milk

Milk is full of tryptophan and has a sedative effect. Plus, it’s a good source of calcium, which helps regulate the production of melatonin. In fact, yogurt, milk and cheese all contain tryptophan. And calcium is effective in stress reduction and stabilization of nerve fibers.

3) Cherries

Cherries are one of the only natural sources of melatonin, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Botany in 2011. If fresh ones aren’t in season, try cherry juice. According to a team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Rochester, cherries, particularly tart cherries, naturally boost the body’s supply of melatonin, which helped people with insomnia.

4) Oatmeal

Just one bowl provides plenty of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, and potassium—all sleep-promoting nutrients. Stephan Dorlandt, a clinical nutritionist based in Southern California, says oatmeal is warm, soft, soothing, easy to prepare, inexpensive and nourishing. It’s rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon and potassium—the who’s who of nutrients known to support sleep.

5) Almonds

Almonds are full of protein. And they also provide a solid dose of magnesium, promoting sleep and muscle relaxation. Try a handful before bed, or spread some almond butter on toast. “Almonds are a winner,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers.

“They contain magnesium, which promotes both sleep and muscle relaxation. And they have the added benefit of supplying proteins that can help maintain a stable blood sugar level while sleeping, and help promote sleep by switching you from your alert adrenaline cycle to your rest-and-digest cycle.”

6) Tea

“Chamomile tea is a very helpful and safe sleep aid,” says Dr. Teitelbaum, adding that green tea is another good choice. “Green tea contains theanine, which helps promote sleep. Just be sure you get a decaf green tea if drinking it at bedtime.” Experts recommend trying a 1-cup serving.

7) Miso Soup

A few 8-ounce packs of instant miso soup may help when you’re having trouble falling asleep, says Stella Metsovas, CN, a nutritionist in Laguna Beach, California.

Here’s why: Miso contains amino acids that may boost the production of melatonin, a natural hormone that can help induce the yawns. Bonus: Research shows that warm liquids like soup and tea may also relieve cold symptoms, helping you sleep better when you’re feeling under the weather.

8) Hard Boiled Egg

If you have trouble staying asleep at night, it may be because you didn’t eat a pre-bedtime snack high in protein, or perhaps your snack was too high in simple, high-sugar carbohydrates, like cake and candy.

“The problem with simple carbs is that they can put you on a ‘sugar roller coaster’ and drop your blood sugar while you’re sleeping, causing you to wake at 2 or 3 in the morning,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. A better bet? “Eat an egg, cheese, nuts or other protein-rich snack instead,” he says, “so you can not only fall asleep, but stay asleep.”

9) Edamame

According to Dr. Dalton-Smith, if you’re dealing with menopause-related symptoms, the natural estrogen-like compounds found in soy-based products can be very beneficial in controlling those nighttime hot flashes that can disturb your sleep.

If it’s crackers and dip you’re craving, try making this easy edamame recipe: In a food processor, blend together 2 cups of shelled, cooked edamame with 1 tsp salt, a drizzle of olive oil and 1 clove garlic (optional) until smooth.

10) Cereal

Not only is whole-grain cereal a healthy snack, but it may also help you sleep. “Complex carbohydrate–rich foods increase the availability of tryptophan in the bloodstream, increasing the sleep-inducing effects,” says Dr. Dalton-Smith. Top your bowl with a sprinkling of dried cherries.

Quarter Pounder Recipe

2013-05-21T09:37:39Z

You would think making a burger would be simple, yet it is not. Food and flavor scientists like Howard Moskowitz are tasked with perfecting flavor combinations to make them, well, simply irresistible. This leaves us mere humans battling to replicate the perfect (yet undoubtedly unhealthy/inhumane) flavor of McDonald’s delicious Quarter Pounder. No need to fret fellow humans, the recipe below is as close as you’re gonna get.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb frozen beef patty
1 sesame seed bun
1 tablespoon fresh onion, diced
mustard, ketchup
2 HEINZ hamburger pickle slices
2 slices “real American” cheese (optional)
4 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons MSG
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Electric Grill

Beef Patty Mix:

One pound ground chuck, divided into 4 equal pieces. Form the patties to 5″ diameter and 1/4″ thick. Place on wax paper, and freeze until needed.

Quarter Pounder Preparation:

Mix the salt, accent, black pepper & onion powder. .
Pre-heat your electric grill to 400 degrees.
Lay the beef frozen patty on the grill, and after about 20 seconds, apply heavy pressure for 6-8 seconds.
Sprinkle liberally with your Accent blend.
About 3 minutes later, flip.
Repeat on the other side.
Add another dash of the Accent mix.
Lay the bun face down on an unused spot on the grill.
After about 30 seconds, remove.
Put five dots of mustard around the toasted bun 1/2 inch from the edge.
Same process with ketchup.
Add 1 tbsp of the chopped onion.
Add 2 pickle slices.
Lay a slice of the cheese on top of the condiments.
Grab your meat & squish with a spatula.
Add on to your bun.
Wrap the Quarter Pounder in a sheet of waxed paper (12″x12″)
Put in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Cali Swizzle

2013-05-20T18:20:16Z

Memorial Day weekend is sort of the unofficial start of summer. Summer means cocktails, delicious ones. I think this one fits the bill. The Cali Swizzle was developed by Rum Caliche. This drink is all about the tropics. I say start the Summer early & give this cocktail a try.

Cali Swizzle

1 1/2 oz Caliche Rum

1 1/2 oz Pineapple juice

1 oz Orange juice

1/2 oz Lime juice

1/2 oz Velvet Falernum

Lime Wedge

In a cocktail shaker combine all ingredients, fill with ice and shake. Strain over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a fresh lime wedge

Toxic Sweetener Aspartame Changes Name to AminoSweet

2013-05-20T16:24:10Z

Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. According to Dr. Mercola, an osteopathic physician and leading health advocate, Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA.

Health Freedom Alliance reports the company that makes Aspartame has changed the name to AminoSweet.

“Aspartame is a dangerous toxin, and continues to gain approval for use in new types of food despite evidence showing that it causes neurological brain damage, cancerous tumors, and endocrine disruption, among other things.”

One common complaint of persons suffering from the effect of aspartame is memory loss, and ironically, in 1987, G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of aspartame, undertook a search for a drug to combat memory loss caused by excitatory amino acid damage.

Aspartame Is a Drug

Aspartame was originally invented as a drug, but in 1965, James Schlatter, a chemist who was in the process of creating an anti-ulcer pharmaceutical drug for G.D. Searle & Company, found that after mixing aspartic acid and phenylalanine, two naturally-occurring amino acids, the new compound had a sweet taste.

So the company subsequently changed its FDA approval application for aspartame from a drug to a food.

Health Freedom Alliance notes G.D. Searle & Company presented its first petition to the FDA in 1973 and fought for years to gain FDA approval, submitting its own inadequate and deceptive safety studies.

“Despite numerous objections, including one from its own scientists, the company was able to convince the FDA to approve aspartame for commercial use in a few products in 1974, igniting a blaze of controversy.”

In 1976, the FDA Commissioner at the time wrote a letter to Senator Ted Kennedy expressing concern over the “questionable integrity of the basic safety data submitted for aspartame safety.”

The FDA approved aspartame as a food additive because of intense lobbying by a powerful corporation. As Health Freedom Alliance points out, practically all drugs and food additives are approved by the FDA, not because science shows they are safe, but because companies lobby the FDA with monetary payoffs.

Chemical Poison

Dr. Mercola points out that Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. The book “Prescription for Nutritional Healing,” by James and Phyllis Balch, lists aspartame under the category of “chemical poison” and Dr. Mercola insists that is exactly what aspartame is.

According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame:

Brain tumors
Multiple sclerosis
Epilepsy
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Parkinson’s disease
Alzheimer’s
Mental retardation
Lymphoma
Brth defects
Fibromyalgia
Diabetes

Aspartame can be found in thousands of products such as:

Instant breakfasts
breath mints
cereals
sugar-free chewing gum
cocoa mixes
coffee beverages
frozen desserts
gelatin desserts
juice beverages
laxatives
multivitamins
milk drinks
pharmaceuticals and supplements
shake mixes
soft drinks
tabletop sweeteners
tea beverages
instant teas and coffees
topping mixes
wine coolers
yogurt

The Sad and Untimely Death of New York City Food Trucks

2013-05-17T23:11:28Z

Through the years, the popularity of food trucks exploded from coast to coast, with many trucks serving high-end fast food to taste savvy consumers.

Customers are able to access Twitter and Facebook to track their favorite catering trucks’ daily location as well as specials. Catering companies like Kogi BBQ combined the use of Twitter as a real time marketing and promotional tool and Internet based bulletin to “Tweet” customers with the latest menu items and truck locations.

But Adam Davidson with the New York Times claims the street-vendor market in the city of New York is a failing business model.

Davidson blames the demise of food trucks on New York’s numerous and conflicting regulations mandated by the departments of Health, Sanitation, Transportation and Consumer Affairs.

According to City Councilman Dan Garodnick, it’s nearly impossible (even if you fill out the right paperwork) to operate a truck without breaking some law. Trucks can’t sell food if they’re parked in a metered space, or if they’re within 200 feet of a school, or within 500 feet of a public market.

And Davidson points out enforcement is highly erratic. Trucks in Chelsea are rarely bothered, but in Midtown South, where there’s a need for more lunch options, the N.Y.P.D. has a dedicated team of vendor-busting cops.

“One month, we get no tickets,” said Thomas DeGeest, the founder of Wafels & Dinges, a popular mobile-food businesses that sells waffles and things. “The next month, we get tickets every day.”

Davidson claims DeGeest had two trucks and five carts when he decided he couldn’t keep investing in a business that was so vulnerable to overzealous cops or city bureaucracy. “Instead, DeGeest reluctantly decided to open a regular old stationary restaurant.”

Davidson concludes that the food-truck business in New York is a classic case of bureaucratic inertia, and says many of the rules governing location were written decades ago. In the ’80s, the city capped the number of carts and trucks at 3,000 (plus 1,000 more from April to October).

A permit for a food cart or truck is not transferable, but Andrew Rigie, executive director of the N.Y.C. Hospitality Alliance, said that vendors regularly pay permit holders something like $15,000 to $20,000 to lease their certificates for two years. “Legally, the permit holder becomes a junior partner in the new business.”

Davidson explains that the biggest winner in NYC’s current system is an obscure type of business known as an authorized commissary. By city law, every food cart and truck must visit a licensed commissary each day, where a set of mandated cleaning services can be performed.

These commissaries also sell and rent carts and sell vendors food, soda, ice cream and propane. Many commissary owners make extra money by acting as brokers, facilitating the trade of permits, which is a $15 million-a-year business. These commissaries have essentially formed an oligopoly.

As a result, Davidson notes they have little incentive to compete aggressively by offering different kinds of food. “No wonder we have an oversupply of hot dogs and knishes and nowhere near enough waffles and falafels.”

Davidson comments that a small group of New Yorkers — owners of commissaries and physical restaurants — are highly motivated to lobby politicians not to change things.

Davidson mentions that in Portland, Oregon, the city has made the procedure for starting a business remarkably easy. He found this Web site listing the carts and trucks operating there.

Six Miracle Foods AWOL From Most Healthy Diets

2013-05-16T15:14:52Z

Most families in the industrialized world subsist on a quick, cheap, and convenient diet of processed foods. But people who regularly consume processed foods run a higher risk of depression, obesity, fatigue, diabetes, and cancer.

Here are six amazingly healthy foods high in vitamins and minerals that will help to strengthen your immune system, courtesy of Natural News.

1) Guava

Guava is one of the healthiest fruits today that can be found in most stores. This particular fruit has a high concentration of vitamins and minerals that help boost the immune system against common types of colds. Not only that, the guava actually contains more potassium than the banana, specifically 63 percent more.

It also contains the antioxidant lycopene which helps flush out toxins from the body. When eaten on a routine basis, guava is believed to help in preventing prostate cancer.

2) Frozen blueberries

It’s true that fresh blueberries provide the best vitamins and minerals, but getting them is really impractical. Instead, you can simply purchase frozen blueberries that are luckily available for the whole year. They can be served as a shake or yogurt, providing you with a healthy dose of antioxidants, and they are very high in dietary fiber too, which may prevent weight gain by providing calories that are not absorbed and displacing high-calorie refined foods.

3) Cabbage

Lots of people seem to forget cabbage in favor of other green and leafy vegetables such as lettuce. What most people don’t realize is that this vegetable is jam packed with nutrients that can fight cancer.

4) Beets

Another cancer-fighting vegetable is beets which look unappealing at first. This not so desirable food is laced with folic acid which provides excellent help to pregnant women. The color of the beets which most people do not like is actually the main attraction of the vegetable as the pigments are believed to help prevent the onset of cancer.

5) Sardines

Although they may seem like processed food, sardines actually come with various minerals that make them ideal for a weekly diet. Sardines are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids known for their positive effects with cholesterol levels and weight loss. There’s also a bunch of potassium, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins that can help boost a person’s immune system.

6) Canned pumpkin

Another product that most people steer clear of is pumpkin. Probably the only time it becomes popular is during the Halloween but after that, individuals rarely devise recipes with pumpkin in the ingredient. What is important to know is that pumpkin actually contains lots of fiber for digestion.

It also has very few calories, ideal for weight watchers. Although fresh pumpkin is usually the best source, the canned ones are every bit as good and shouldn’t discourage anyone.

Free SmashBurger May 28 If…

2013-05-16T09:36:49Z

Random & strange promotion (and useless to me since my name is NOT burger)…but yeah, SmashBurger is giving away free burgers if your name includes the word. Something tells me those of German descent will be quite happy this day. (Make sure to bring your ID with you if you happen to be one of the lucky few)

Galeries Lafayette Paris

2013-05-15T14:02:45Z

There is nothing better than traversing markets in other countries. While I tend to stick to the more down to Earth galerias and les halles; once in a while, I crave a little luxury. When I was in Italy, this craving was sated by the many Eatalies throughout the country. In Paris, this was taken care of by Galeries Lafayette Gourmet.

Galeries Lafayette are (I say are because there are various buildings that make up the compound) on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. You can get pretty much anything you desire there. There are also various eating establishments…should you get hungry while you’re shopping. Here are some examples of the things you can find at Galeries Lafayette Gourmet:

It would not be a Parisian food store without escargot.

And lots of homemade pastas.

Duck Confit Anyone?

In France, it’s Joel Robuchon for your microwave.

Whole peeled chestnuts.

Truffled quail eggs.

Mustard…

And more mustard (there was more mustard than I ever knew existed).

Balsamic vinegar pearls.

Porcini Terrine.

Salumeria Rossi Parmacotto had an area here. Awesome lasagna & great wine.

A dim sum shop (the stuff here was awesome & a great way to save money on dinner).

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Menu Psychology: Does The Mind Know What the Tongue Wants?

2013-05-15T14:01:23Z

“When it comes to choosing food and drink, as an influential psychophysicist Howard Moskowitz once said: ‘The mind knows not what the tongue wants.’”

In a recent article, the Guardian’s Amy Fleming discusses restaurant menu “over-choice” as one method restaurateurs use to persuade diners into ordering high-profit meals.

Fleming suggests the recent trend for tapas-style sharing plates may actually be a reaction to escape the decision-making pressure, and cites new research from Bournemouth University that indicates most menus crowd in far more dishes than people want to choose from.

Bournemouth University’s new study explores issues surrounding menu choices. “We were trying to establish the ideal number of starters, mains and puddings on a menu,” says Professor John Edwards.

Fleming claims the study’s findings show restaurant customers, across all ages and genders, do have an optimum number of menu items — below, which they feel there’s too little choice, and above which it all becomes disconcerting.

“In fast-food joints, people wanted six items per category, while in fine dining establishments, they preferred seven starters and desserts, and 10 main courses.”

Professor Brian Wansink, author of “Slim by Design, Mindless Eating Solutions to Every Day Life,” has researched what he calls menu engineering. “What ends up initially catching the eye,” he says, “has an unfair advantage over anything a person sees later on.”

Wansink points out that we scan the menu in a z-shaped fashion (like we do a web page) starting at the top-left hand corner. But we’re easily interrupted by items in boxes, pictures, icons, and bolded text or different colors.

Fleming also mentions research that finds classical music increases sales of expensive wines and overall spending in posh eateries, while French and German music increases sales of French and German wines.

“Slow music, and the scent of lavender, makes people spend longer in restaurants and pop music at 70-90dB will up the consumption of soft drinks. And diners ate more at a breakfast buffet if the room smelled of grilled bacon.”

The author William Poundstone commented on the menu from Balthazar in New York, exposing the marketing techniques used to persuade customers into parting with the maximum amount of cash.

“By putting high-profit items next to the extremely expensive anchor, they seem cheap by comparison. So, what the restaurant wants you to buy is the £43 Le Grand plate to the left of it. It’s a similar story with wine. We’ll invariably go for the second cheapest. Set menus, or bundles, meanwhile, seem like good value and therefore give us an excuse to eat and spend more.”

A few years back, Poundstone examined this menu (pdf) for New York restaurant Balthazar, to reveal some classic tricks of menu psychology.

The following was extracted from “Priceless: the Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It” by William Poundstone.

1 The upper right-hand corner

The typical diner will look here first, and Balthazar isn’t taking any chances, with a picture drawing the eye to the most expensive dishes. Photographs are among the most powerful motivators but, extensively used in low-end chain restaurants, they are considered death to any place with foodie pretensions. Balthazar’s tasteful drawing is about as far as a restaurant of this calibre can go.

2 The price anchor

Menu consultants use this prime space for high-profit items, and price “anchors”, in this case the Le Balthazar seafood plate, for $115 (£70). By putting high-profit items next to the extremely expensive anchor, they seem cheap by comparison. So, the triple-figure price here is probably to induce customers to go for the $70 (£43) Le Grand plate to the left of it, or the more modest seafood orders below it.

3 Bonus boxes

A box around a menu item draws the diner’s attention. Is $16 (£10)such an indulgence for a shrimp cocktail, they might think? Not next to a $115 extravaganza! A really fancy box is better yet. The cheeses at the bottom are probably high-profit “puzzles”.

4 Columns are a no-no

The most common menu mistake is listing prices in a column, as here, because it encourages diners to choose from the cheapest items, instead of choosing what they want and then deciding if it’s worth it. But at least the Balthazar menu doesn’t use leader dots, which draw the diners’ gaze away from the dishes to the prices.

5 Menu Siberia

Unprofitable items, such as the easy-to-miss burgers, can be “minimised” by exiling them to inconspicuous positions – menu Siberia.

6 Bracketing

This is a common trick whereby items are offered in two sizes. The customer isn’t told how much smaller the small portion is, but no matter. They assume the smaller size is attractively priced because, um, it costs less. In reality, this is the size that the restaurant wanted to sell all along, and the “lower price” is what they intended to charge for it.

Monday Night at Andanada

2013-05-15T13:56:51Z

Last Monday night I decided to dine at Andanada which recently took over Gastroartes’ home. Decor stayed intact, which is quite nice. The cuisine is also Spanish and there’s a big focus on tapas. The restaurant was quiet, which was exactly the vibe I was looking for. At the bar there was a lovely young lady from Barcelona taking care of us. You could automatically tell she knew her stuff. I had a feeling it was going to be a good experience.

The wine list pleasantly Spanish and relatively affordable for NYC. I ordered an Albariño only because the Cava glasses were just too thick (At that moment I came to the realization that I am, in fact, a wine snob). The wine is tasty and I am pleased with my choice.

The first appetizer to arrive was croquet as de lomo confit ado : slow cooked pork croquettes. They arrive with a cheese sauce. They are nice, but I’ve gotten used to them being runnier. These are more solid than I am used to. Still, I can’t refuse a good cheese sauce.

Next came the the albondigas en mojo de cilantro. Lovely. They were delicate and elegant and quite nice when dipped in the cilantro sauce.

Finally, patatas Andanada. They were special in being mundane. Perfectly cooked potatoes in a bed of chopped olives.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience. The crowd was a little more grown up. Nice latin music (sounded like my Calle 13/Shakira/Ibrahim Ferrer Mix). The restaurant is lovely, bright and serves up good food & service. The bill was a little higher than I expected for 3 tapas and 4 glasses of wine, but it didn’t hurt as much as other places.

So yeah, go before people figure out what a great place this is.

Andanada is located at 141 West 69th Street, NY 10023

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