Tag: The Case Against Sugar

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Bread Pudding for Two

Posted on by Econogal

Recipe: Bread Pudding for Two

I developed the following recipe of Bread Pudding for Two in an effort to keep the calorie intake down and the waistlines from too much expansion during these pandemic times. Also, I am placing the recipe ingredients at the top in response to a comment disliking the need to scroll down past the dialogue. Be assured plenty of pictures and instructions can be found after the ingredients and recipe.

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup of Raisins
2 TBS of Bourbon
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
4 Slices of Bread
2 TBS Butter-melted
2 Eggs- beaten
1 Cup Low fat Milk
1/3 Cup of Brown Sugar

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Soak raisins in the bourbon and sprinkle the cinnamon on top. Slice the bread into cubes. Place in 8 x 4 baking pan. Evenly pour butter over the bread cubes. Beat eggs, mix in milk and brown sugar. Carefully pour over bread. Make sure all cubes are soaked. Pour raisin mixture on top and press gently. Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes.

Some Tips and Tricks: Bread Pudding for Two

This recipe is fairly easy to prep. About fifteen minutes tops, unless you have interruptions. However, this is plenty of time to allow the bourbon and cinnamon to soak into the raisins. I used Woodford Reserve which we have on hand. I have toured their distillery and love their bourbon balls. But of course your favorite bourbon will work just as well.

If you do not have any bourbon on hand, a substitution of vanilla will work. But I would cut the amount in half. Additionally, whole milk or 2% milk can be substituted for the low fat milk. In this case the amount used would remain the same.

I cube the bread instead of tearing it. This is a personal preference. Using a bread slicing knife makes quick work of this step. Drizzling the hot butter over the bread eliminates the possibility of cooking the egg mixture prematurely.

Egg Mixture

The egg mixture is the glue that holds everything together. So, make sure the egg is well beaten before adding the milk and brown sugar. Since we are advocates of the Case Against Sugar, this is not a sweet bread pudding. If you want it sweet you will have to increase the amount to your liking.

For those worried about serving a dish with alcohol, the time in the oven is sufficient for the alcohol to burn off. Yet, the bourbon flavor is very evident in this recipe. Again, you may want to adjust to your liking.

I hope the following pictures help!

Step One: Soaking the Raisins

Step Two: Cubing the Bread

Third Step: Egg Mixture

Step Four: Ready for the Oven

Step Five: Finished Bread Pudding for Two

Fat Tuesday

Posted on by Econogal

Mardi Gras Beads hanging from tree and fence
Beads adorning a house and tree in New Orleans, Louisiana

As an individual raised in a family that attended church on a regular basis, I celebrate religious holidays. So Lent, Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday are no exceptions. However, as a child I celebrated Lent differently than I do now.

Lent is the 40 days before Easter. Of course, there are more than 40 days between Ash Wednesday-the start of Lent and Easter Sunday. But apparently SOME days don’t count. The purpose of Lent is fasting. A religious fasting, not a diet fasting. (Fasting as a diet is a trend.)

Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is also Fat Tuesday. But I confuse Mardi Gras with the entire Carnival season. I think I am too old to enjoy the debauchery of a New Orleans Mardi Gras. But, the city definitely knows how to usher in Lent! Mardi Gras Day parades in the New Orleans area started this morning at 8:00 a.m. If you happen to be in New Orleans visit my NOLA blog post for some good restaurant recommendations.

Fat Tuesday-Deadline for Resolution

I began sacrificing during Lent in college. Before that, Lent was a countdown to Easter, but the churches we attended did not emphasize the fasting. Then, I attended a Catholic college and thus adopted the tradition of giving up something for Lent. Upon moving to the town where I now live, we chose to raise our family in a Protestant church that also observes sacrificing during Lent.

Most of the time I have no trouble deciding what to give up during Lent. Many years it has been some form of sugar. Last year, in no small part due to reading The Case Against Sugar, I gave up all sugars. The year before, I gave up stress. Tough for someone with a Type A personality. Both years were eye-opening.

However, this year I am procrastinating. So much so that I re-read my post on procrastination. It reminded me that I can reduce stress by making a decision. Additionally, I asked for input on one of my social networking accounts. The two replies suggested adding something or reducing time spent on social media. Well, it was my first post in 2019 so I don’t think I am spending too much time there. Maybe not enough, since I missed the birth of a child to someone I hold dear.

Time is running out. Since I consider Lent as a time of improvement as well as sacrifice, I plan to add something to each day. Missing the news of a little ones arrival hits home at just how reclusive I have become. So during each day of Lent I plan to reach out and touch base with someone I care about. Especially if I have not communicated with that person in a while.

I will even jump the gun and start on Fat Tuesday. This commitment has lots of flexibility. I can pick up the phone, drop a note via snail mail or direct message someone. But it will be a different someone for 40 days. Who knows? Maybe I will invite one of you over to dinner. I am now looking forward to the challenge of Lent.

Econogal’s Top Ten Favorite Books of 2018

Posted on by Econogal

I have been contemplating a blog post on the top ten book reviews of the past year. However, there are several problems with this idea. Among them is the criteria used, the plethora of top ten book lists and perhaps the greatest challenge of all; limiting myself to just ten!

Criteria

I have often wondered how the top ten lists are compiled. Many times I have disagreed with the choices. For example, the Wall Street Journal recently released The 10 Most Intriguing Travel Destinations for 2019. Locations across the globe were on the list. Including Missouri.

Now I happen to love Missouri. I lived there long enough to graduate from one of the best public high schools in the country. I drive through there on occasion. Usually on the way to a vacation destination. Although I have attended weddings, conferences and a reunion, I never took my family there just for vacation. How did it make the list? Missouri must have met some criteria.

So what criteria should I include? Maybe I should count most likes. Or I could rank by most visits to the individual reviews. Or even the books I cite the most. What about the ones I like the most? Or books I found indispensable in real life? Finally, do I mix non-fiction and fiction together?

The Lists

A quick Internet search not only results in numerous lists, but indicates I am not alone in my concern to choose just ten. In fact, lists of both fifty and one hundred top books of 2018 appear in the search listing. Some lists are just fiction, others non-fiction and others a combination. I like the idea of a combination.

Some lists give a short review of each book. Since I have already reviewed each of my choices I will merely link to them. Just click on the title and the review will appear on a new page. Not all of my choices were released this year. So that may throw some readers into a state of confusion. These are my favorite reads of the year. The fiction side is a bit top-heavy with stories of twentieth century war. This I believe is a reflection of what is being released. Also, there are multiple debuts.

Fiction

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

The Clarity by Keith Thomas

The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Non-Fiction

Raised Row Gardening by Jim and Mary Competti

Educated by Tara Westover

The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes

Zero Waste by Shia Su

New Sampler Quilt by Diana Leone

As always feel free to comment. I would love to hear your favorite book of the year.

Personal Challenges

Posted on by Econogal

Aspen trees leaning
Falling Aspen Trees

Most often personal challenges are discussed at the beginning of the year. Many articles and blogs write about New Year’s resolutions. Sometimes, people discuss challenges during the summer. These tests usually involve athletic feats such as triathlons or Xtreme Hikes.

I heard recently from some of the readers taking the no alcohol challenge. For those who may have missed the original post click here. One of the readers even cited a statistic from the recent WHO report as written about in The Guardian. Deaths linked to alcohol top 5% with the percentage among the younger population numbering in the double digits.

If you are one of the readers still participating in the no alcohol until Halloween pact please let us know how things are going in the comment section below. How are you feeling? Are your activity levels higher? Any unexpected side-effects?

On a personal note, I find it hard to cut out sugar. Chocolate and ice cream are my downfall cravings. I try to limit chocolate to no more than one ounce a day, preferring dark chocolate. However, after participating in the Vail Xtreme Hike, I could not consume enough chocolate for about 30 hours afterwards. I even had two small-sized packages of peanut butter chocolate M&M’s during the hike. I am happy to say the chocolate craving is rapidly diminishing.

Vail Xtreme Hike

The Vail Xtreme Hike was personally fulfilling. My Gear S2 indicated 22.4 miles were covered. That would include the walk to and from the starting line. But what I gained the most from participating was social. Individual hikers and volunteers all had different stories and motivations. Many, but not all, knew individuals directly affected by Cystic Fibrosis. The fundraising effort is an important part of the event. Even more important is the reason for the funds. I am glad I hiked up, around and down Vail Mountain.

Most would see covering the twenty miles at altitude difficult. The altitude at the bottom was roughly 8500 feet above sea level. Climbers making it to the highest elevation at Buffalo Creek reached an elevation of 11,500 feet.

View of Mountain
Climbing Vail Mountain

However, discussing personal experiences face-to-face was the toughest part for me. I am by nature an introvert. I love participating in online groups and thrived in online classes. But sharing one-on-one is tough. In person, you share not only your words but your body language as well. Unless you are a heavy user of emoticons, the written word can help you hide emotions.

Even though it is only late September, I am giving some thought to next year’s resolutions. So far, I am meeting the ones set for this year. The social aspect has been tough at times but is where I have had the most growth. I still need to pick up two new skills. But, I have a quarter of the year left.

Personal challenges can be physical or mental. Both allow for growth. Feel free to share some of your challenges and accomplishments in the comment section below.

The Case Against Sugar Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Gary Taubes presents a case for sugar as the cause of many of the Western World’s chronic diseases including diabetes, obesity, cancer and even dementia. He examines the intake of sugar by looking at the history of this much-loved sweetener. His examination includes a look at the views of medical and nutritional sciences. The two branches of science have not always been on the same page. Thus The Case Against Sugar may have readers siding with one view or another.Book surrounded by sources of sugar.

I began reading The Case Against Sugar as a request. The individual who recommended the book found the information in the book compelling enough to stop eating sugar. Unfortunately, the work by Taubes had the opposite effect on me. I craved sugar.

Taubes begins by defining the different types of sugar. Glucose is sometimes described as the blood sugar of the human body and occurs naturally. Sucrose which is refined white sucrose and one of the culprits in The Case Against Sugar. Fructose which is naturally found in fruits and honey. Then there are combinations of fructose and other sugars resulting in High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) which many see as the fall guy. Indeed, many of the soft drink companies are introducing products made with cane sugar as opposed to the HFCS. This is in part to counter the backlash against HFCS.

History

Roughly the first half of The Case Against Sugar is a very interesting history of sugar. This includes sources of sugar, trade and production (mention of the slave trade), legislation and research. Taubes obviously spent time exploring existing work in developing his thesis.

Since my knowledge of sugar was limited and in some cases erroneous, such as the origins, I found the historical sections interesting. For example, I did not know sugar was added to tobacco in the making of cigarettes. Furthermore, I had not contemplated sugar addiction as a side-effect of Prohibition.

Quite a bit of time is spent on contrasting the nutritional and medical fields’ approaches to sugar as a cause of many of the chronic diseases of the Western World. Furthermore, within each respective field, scientists and researchers differed on viewpoints. Some believed the onslaught of modern health problems come from multiple sources. Taubes however posits that sugar is the root of the decline in health which is becoming prevalent whenever an area adopts the dietary habits of the West.

Insulin Resistance

Taubes transitions from past to present as he begins presenting his case against sugar. Insulin resistance is discussed at length. A quick search of my own on insulin resistance led me to this website placed by the U.S. government. Thus, a confirmation of the author that mainstream belief centers on obesity and physical inactivity as the culprits of insulin resistance.

However, The Case Against Sugar does much to outline an opposing view. Taubes presents anecdotal evidence that increased sugar consumption is really the cause of insulin resistance. He cites multiple cases of indigenous populations developing insulin resistance. In each case, sugar instead of physical activity or intake of fats seems to be the one input that does not vary. Then Taubes connects insulin resistance to the many diseases of modern westernization. These include obesity, diabetes, cancer and dementia.

Diabetes and Cancer

The theory also suggests that insulin resistance can start in the womb as sugar crosses the placenta. Since I am familiar with gestational diabetes, I could agree with Taubes’ arguments. A generational change in insulin resistance stemming from prenatal diet seems plausible. Thus the younger generation is predisposed to greater rates of obesity, if strict diets are not followed in pregnancy. Since obesity and Type II diabetes have such a direct correlation, I could accept the direct sugar link.

But, not all of the author’s arguments made sense to me. In fairness, I may not understand all the science. The tie to cancer was hard for me to accept. I still believe cancer is genetic as much as environmental. However, I will concede the possibility of sugar triggering environmental caused cancers.

Link to Dementia

One of the last diseases Taube discusses in respect to a sugar causation is dementia. I have done quite a bit of personal research on this topic. I can see how sugar can indirectly affect some individuals in a way that predisposes them to dementia. For example, large waist lines have a correlation to dementia and I believe sugar contributes to obesity.

However, I believe a great amount of the increase in dementia can be attributed to other causes. First of all we now enjoy a longer lifespan. Most often, dementia does not become apparent until a person reaches their seventies. While women reached an average lifespan of 70 back in 1948, men did not achieve that pinnacle until 1979. Those of you interested in the numbers can click on this link.

Secondly, I believe genetics is a major contributor to this disease. Taubes does discuss genetic dispositions, but he stuck by his theory of sugar causation. He believes the state of dementia will be attained sooner by those with a vascular impairment. He suggests sugar accelerates vascular deterioration.

Final Conclusions

Taubes ends The Case Against Sugar with the question of how much sugar is allowable. Reading between the lines, I believe his answer would be none. He directly parallels sugar to tobacco. Moderation is not a component.

Many of the ideas posited in this book I fully embrace. I long ago cut colas out of my diet. I quit cold turkey much the way Taubes suggests is needed for all sugar. However, I must side with the opposition. I truly believe in moderation. I think reducing sugar is a better answer. Additionally, I believe other factors are also contributors to the dietary problems of the Western World.

I would love to believe sugar was the single culprit. I know I could cut all sugar out of my diet. Not only have I permanently given up colas, I have gone without all added sugars during Lent. My weakness is dairy. If Taubes is correct, I no longer need to limit my cheese intake and I can revert to whole milk from skim. Unfortunately, I do not believe this is the case.

The Case Against Sugar is worth reading. I learned quite a bit about the history of sugar. The theory of removing all sugar from our diets is interesting. Let me know in the comment section what you think.