Ozarks Local, page 4:
Section: Your Kitchen
Make your recipes famous!
By S.G. Rainbolt
Ozarks Local is calling all local bread makers, potato salad swappers, and everything that's good to the nose and tummy!
Send in your recipes to be published on this page. Any dish spicy or sweet! Make your casserole the talk for the town! Be herald as the best chef in the kitchen, or anyone's kitchen for that matter!
Include the ingredients, directions for preparation, and any helpful hints to give the dish the ol' salute. Don't forget to name your recipe before you send it to us so you will be given credit for you tutelage.
Deadline for all articles is the 15th of each month. You can send your articles or ideas a few ways:
1)Email, file must be saved as a text document (.txt), ozarksfamilynews@hotmail.com or
2)Mail, GPD Publishing, ATTN: Writing Dept, PMB 220 320 Ichord Ave. Ste. H, Waynesville, MO 65583.
Combat cravings in 9 ways
By Dr. Nancy Tice, eDiets Physician and Psychiatrist
Most people find themselves reaching for food at times when they clearly aren’t hungry. Oftentimes we are not even aware of our emotions or stressors, or that we are eating in response to moods and emotions until we get in tune with our feelings.
Stress, blues, fears and guilt are a normal part of life. Chances are we can't fully rid ourselves of these unpleasant feelings, but we can learn to deal with them more effectively. Our objective reasoning can tell us that eating unhealthy foods isn't solving our stress or emotional problems. But, that line of thinking doesn't come in very handy when our brain is screaming, “Eat! Eat! I want to be calm!”
The study of food, appetite and neurotransmitters is still in its infancy as far as research goes. But many strong connections between what we eat and the effects of different foods on our mood have emerged. Serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine are three neurotransmitters in the brain that have a strong connection to the foods you eat, your cravings and your mood.
It's probably no coincidence that when you're stressed or sad you might turn to sweets, baked goods, desserts, and other sugary carbohydrates to help you out. Carbohydrate-rich foods increase brain concentrations of an amino acid called tryptophan, which is the building block for serotonin. In other words, eating carbohydrates can often lead to feelings of calmness, peace and satisfaction by enhancing the production of serotonin in the brain. Instant stress relief!
But, eating sugary carbohydrates, instead of complex carbohydrates, can actually have a rebound effect. You might feel good immediately after eating them because they lead to an instant high and an energy boost. But, shortly after that your insulin levels and energy levels drop, which can actually cause a rebound depression (a "sugar low"). This can, in turn, stimulate more sugary carbohydrate cravings to get back to the initial sugar high.
It is a vicious cycle. And of course, eating does not really combat stress in a long-term or effective way. Chances are, if you overeat, you often feel more guilty than relaxed after the fact!
Things occur every day that can cause significant changes and shifts in the brain chemicals previously mentioned. Many of these moods, emotions and biological occurrences affect our cravings for foods. Remember, the brain seeks balance. It does not want to feel stressed, blue or guilty. It immediately looks for pleasure and balance from the things that you have trained it to seek when negative emotions and stressors surface.
Often times we are not even aware of our what our emotions or stressors are telling us until we make a concentrated effort to listen to our feelings instead of stuffing them.
Just as you trained your brain that eating certain foods can lead to greater feelings of calm and relaxation (albeit temporarily), you can train it to seek other sources of pleasure that also increase these mood-enhancing neurotransmitters. Unlike overeating, these alternative sources of pleasure will lead to a healthier lifestyle as well.
Generally speaking, anything that brings you personal pleasure, inspiration, or a sense of well-being without harming your health is the thing you should act on when food cravings and the drive to overeat set in. Examples of such activities include:
1. Exercise. Yet another reason to do a workout: activity increases endorphin levels and relieves stress.
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(Read other stories from this page: "New Orleans Bread Pudding" or "Curried chicken thighs" and other recipes)
**These stories were brought to you by: Ozarks Local's L.A.B. (Local Area Business section on page 6: ads only $11.95) Waynesville 573-774-2504**
