The Rogue Cookie

Foods to Avoid that Causes Acid Reflux

LinearChaos — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:21:47 +0000

Problems in the digestive system should not be neglected. There are different digestive system disorders or diseases that are most often neglected by many people. The most common digestive problem is the acid reflux or gastro-esophageal reflux disease, mostly known as heartburn. Acid reflux affects different ages from infants to young children and adults as well and I had it pretty bad prior to a low-carb diet free of sugar and starch. This disorder should be given special attention because it can lead to a more serious problem that could affect the respiratory system, not to mention it’s extremely uncomfortable. I had acid reflux so bad that I would often wake up choking as the acid flooded my esophagus while sleeping leaving me with a sore throat for a day or so afterwards. Not fun, as you can imagine.

Acid reflux is determined through the symptoms associated with it. Symptoms such as a burning sensation in the chest or throat, wheezing, hoarseness or other symptoms associated to it should never be neglected because these symptoms of acid reflux also are similar to heart attack. I’ve known people who have ended up in the emergency room panicked that they are indeed having a heart attack, when in fact it was just really bad acid reflux.

Of course, if you experience these symptoms you should immediately consult a doctor to determine if you have acid reflux disease or symptoms of a heart attack. Once you’ve been diagnosed with acid reflux, prescription medications usually follow to aid in this condition to prevent further problems.

Fortunately, advancements in medical treatment have been introduced lately, making it possible for individuals with acid reflux to undergo medical surgery, as such, providing a permanent remedy for acid reflux in a fast surgical procedure. On the other hand, acid reflux surgery can be quite expensive and who really wants to go under the knife if there are natural remedies to rid of the problem?

As most people know, acid reflux or heartburn can occur at anytime but are likely to occur after having a heavy meal with high acidic foods. The usual recommendation is to avoid highly acidic foods including fried, fatty foods, and chocolate. It’s also recommended that you should exclude foods with tomatoes and citrus fruits because tomatoes and citrus fruits are very acidic as well. Also, food with spices such as garlic, onions, red or black pepper and chili powder can cause the condition to flare. These sorts of foods can lead to more severe symptoms that could affect the respiratory system. Fatty foods like hamburgers and hotdogs is one of the risks in triggering this painful condition. Certain vegetables like cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli cause acid reflux also. Most of all, it is highly recommended to avoid caffeine found in teas, coffee and sodas. Caffeine causes acid gastric secretion that can lead to the problem.

I disagree, the food that should be avoided are sugary and starchy foods. The carbs are definitely the culprit. Since going low-carb my acid reflux has completely cleared up and the relief was just about immediate. Within weeks of kicking the carbs I was cured!

Did you suffer from acid reflux before you kicked the carbs?

Spaghetti Squash With Tuna And Tomato Sauce

LinearChaos — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:00:29 +0000

I’m a huge fan of Giada De Laurentiis, she’s gorgeous and makes fantastic recipes that I can easily convert to fit my dietary needs. I have every cookbook she’s ever published and am mesmerized every time she shows up on the Food Network.

A while back I found her Tuna and Tomato Sauce recipe and even though I was skeptical I tried it. Wow, it’s amazing and I’ve been making it ever since. Way back I used regular pasta, then I switched to Dream Fields, and now that I’ve been diagnosed with a gluten allergy I put it over spaghetti squash. You can use whatever pasta substitute you like, but here’s how I make it…

Spaghetti Squash Directions

Pre-heat the oven at 375*. Cut one spaghetti squash in half from stem to bottom (length-wise). Scrape out the seeds and pulp. Season however you like, I drizzle mine with olive oil and sprinkle garlic salt on it. Place each half of the squash face down (skin side up) and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool a bit. Use a fork to pull the strands out of the squash onto a plate.

Tuna And Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 jar marinara sauce (we like Ragu)
2 cans tuna (we use chunk light) packed in oil, drained
2 teaspoons drained capers
grated lemon peal of one lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (we use dried)

Directions

While the squash is baking, combine the tomato sauce, tuna, capers, and lemon peel in a heavy large skillet. Using a fork, break the tuna into chunks. Simmer to blend the flavors, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the parsley and serve over your squash.

Top with cheese if you allow dairy and enjoy, let me know what you think.

What’s your favorite pasta substitute?

Four Ways to Use Chicken Leftovers

LinearChaos — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:00:15 +0000

Once you start buying chicken in bulk and doing bulk cooking, you’ll eventually wind up with some leftovers. In an ideal world, you’ll even plan to! Leftovers are your friends: they save you time and effort, and they help keep the grocery bill down. Here’s how to get creative with your new “friends,” so that you can get the most out of your time with them.

1. Make them into something else.

We all have different “food variety thresholds.” Some of us can eat the same meal every night for a couple of weeks at a time, and some of us need to change things up more often. Fortunately, chicken lends itself to “changing things up.”

The easiest thing to do is to cook a whole chicken with some unobtrusive seasonings, as in this chicken soup or this slow cooker roast chicken. Use the soup for lunches or serve the roast for dinner. Then take the leftover meat from either recipe and do other things with it. Try any of the following:

Casseroles: Some chicken casseroles, like this Enchilada Bake or this Baked Italian Chicken, already call for cooked chicken. Others can usually be adapted by reducing the baking time.
Soups or chilis: If you didn’t start with soup, be sure you make some at some point. The soup recipe linked above can easily be adapted to pre-cooked meat. And most no-bean chili recipes can be adapted to use chicken, or you can find specific chicken chili recipes online.
Chicken salad: Great for spring and summer! Use for lunches, or serve on a bed of fresh greens for a light supper. Just make sure you’re using sugar-free mayonnaise, then mix it up and enjoy!
Barbecue: Of course we would all rather have barbecue fresh from the grill. But if the chicken has already been cooked, go ahead and soak it in some sauce anyway. If you have whole chicken parts, put the sauce on them and then bake. For pulled chicken you can bake it or heat it in a skillet or pan.
Dips: This Buffalo Chicken Dip could easily be made with pulled leftover chicken. A Google search will turn up dozens more recipes.

2. Freeze the leftovers for later.

If you’re bulk cooking, you’re probably already doing this. The rest of us might need to get into the habit. Don’t just freeze plain leftover chicken to use in other dishes. Freeze those casseroles, that fried chicken–anything that you’ve eaten enough of for now. Cooked chicken will store in the freezer for four to six months; you’ll probably be ready for those flavors again long before the time runs out. (The one exception here is chicken salad; mayonnaise just doesn’t freeze well!)

3. Save them for broth or stock.

You don’t have to start with an uncooked chicken to make broth or stock. Place bones and meat from plain or lightly seasoned chicken in the freezer until you have enough to roughly equal all the bones from a chicken carcass and about one quarter of the meat. Then grab a stock pot or slow cooker, look up a good stock recipe, and simmer for about half the time required for uncooked chicken. (Or simmer for the full time for a richer stock.) Freeze the resulting stock, throw away the bones, and save any leftover meat.

4. Use leftovers on sandwiches or salads.

You’re probably already doing this with plain chicken. But what about with your leftover casseroles or other dishes? Make a wrap using romaine lettuce, or make a sandwich on some homemade flax bread. And there’s nothing wrong with throwing some barbecue chicken or other leftovers over some greens for a quick and different salad. (Use the right leftovers, and you might not need any dressing.)

Your turn!

Chicken is one of the most inexpensive and versatile meats available to us on a low carb diet. Planning and using leftovers can help us get the most out of this healthy food, and it doesn’t have to leave us bored.

This list of ideas only scratches the surface: what do you do with your leftover chicken?

Guest Post

Frugal Jen is a low carber and penny-pincher who can often be found sneaking leftovers for breakfast. Jen blogs about living low carb on a budget at The Frugal LowCarber (http://www.flowcarber.com).

Vegetable Gardening Tips

LinearChaos — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:00:17 +0000

With the costs of living rising all the time, it may be possible to save money and increase your family’s health at the same time by growing vegetables in your backyard.

It’s a good idea to choose your favourite vegetables to grow and plan beds for early, middle of the season and late varieties.

Most vegetables require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, some need 8. Some quick growers like lettuce and radish can be grown between the rows of plants that take longer to mature, like beet or artichoke, thus making full use of the area available.

Throughout dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more of water each week, especially when they are fruiting.

During the growing season watch for insect pests. If you discover a bug problem early it will be much easier, but be careful to not use pesticides once the vegetable are close to being picked unless it becomes an absolute necessity. Organic gardening is one healthy and environment-friendly option. Once you have reaped your crop, put the vegetable waste into your compost pile so that it can be recycled for next spring.

It is important to protect your vegetable garden from wild animals looking for a tasty treat. Make sure your garden is surrounded by a fence that will keep out dogs, rabbits, and other animals. The harm done by wandering animals during one season can equal the cost of a fence. A fence also can serve as a frame for peas, beans, tomatoes, and other crops that need support.

Protection is needed in order for your vegetable garden to yield a bountiful harvest. Hard work will pay dividends if necessary precautions have been made.

Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Chicken Soup

LinearChaos — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 02:27:29 +0000

Lunches are a struggle at our house. We never seem to have enough options for something quick during the work-day lunch hour. So, to solve this issue we make a meal ahead of time and munch on easy re-heatable leftovers for the week.

I will often make something in the crock-pot like chili, stew, or soup or make a casserole or two. This is the best solution I’ve come up with to ensure we don’t get stuck without healthy options and have to resort to less healthy, more convenient options like…dare I say it…the drive-thru. Thank goodness for places like Jimmy Johns, Inn-N-Out, and Chipotle for those times!

Here’s a good chicken soup recipe sans noodles, but for you gluten-free folks who allow items like gluten free pasta. You could easily add the noodles back in.

Ingredients:

8 cups water or 8 cups canned chicken broth
1 cup carrot, cut into slices
1 cup celery, cut into slices
1 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme
4 teaspoons salt (to taste)
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper , to taste
1 roasting chicken

Directions:

Combine water, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper in crock-pot.

Place whole chicken on top of vegetables.

Cover with lid and cook on low setting 8 to 10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

Transfer chicken to cutting board. Discard bay leaves. Remove and discard skin, fat and bones from chicken; shred meat.

Return chicken to soup and serve.

The Rogue Cookie

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