After a devastating rendevouz with his doctor, Eric Isaac decided to change his diet. Here is one of his new breakfast recipes. By Eric Isaac
Today I end my love affair with sugar.
Let me back up a bit. It actually ended about 2 months ago after a brief phone call with my doctor in which he told me, “You have the liver of an alcoholic”. You could say I was a bit devastated. I should have known that after a lifetime of poor diet choices that it would lead to something but I never thought it would be my liver. This is a potentially serious condition that, at this point, is completely reversible. The time to act is now.
A few months before, I had started readingThe 4-Hour Bodyby Timothy Ferriss. I had quickly lost interest before I even got to the diet part of the book, which was like chapter 3. (Yeah, I lose interest that quick—I blame the ADD.) After I got the news, I picked the book back up immediately and reread the entire diet section. I skipped the sex machine part of the book, for obvious reasons.
After reading that book, I jumped over to a recommendation from a 4HB friend calledWhy We Get Fat and What To Do About Itby Gary Taubes. This is the definitive book on why carbs, specifically simple carbs like sugar and starch are so bad for our bodies. But it’s even more specific on why fat and protein are NOT bad for you, even in large amounts. I say fat first, because realistically, when looking at the calorie to gram ratio, fat is more than twice as large.
I now follow the 4HB diet as a lifestyle change, not as a diet. I make a point to pack in protein and complex carbs from beans and lentils into every meal. But more importantly, my fat content, especially the fat content from animal fat, is even higher than it ever was. I don’t go out of my way to find animal fat, I’m just not as scared of it any more.
That said, my girlfriend is a vegetarian, which means no animal fat for her. The protein sources are limited when you factor out the occasional soy product, which really isn’t good for anyone, let alone women. I think coping with that, has made life a little more difficult for her. Even more difficult is packing in 30 grams of protein a day for breakfast. I doubt either of us came anywhere near that in the morning. For her busy full time schedule, it makes it even more challenging so I’ve developed a recipe to make it a little easier on her:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cupcake tray with nonstick spray or grease with oil.
Add eggs to a large bowl, mix with a whisk, then add spinach, lentils, and spices.
Using a half cup measure, pour mixture into cupcake tins. I like to additionally mix it around with the measuring cup before scooping and pouring as the lentils tend to sink to the bottom. It’s important to keep a good mix of egg and lentils.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until completely set in the center. Remove from oven, let cool. This is important for having a clean pan when you take them out of the tray. If you try to remove them still hot, they will crumble.
As the cool they shrink enough that they pop out with ease, leaving nothing behind, as long as you’ve coated the pan with enough oil.
I’ve also recently played around with different protein sources other than lentils. I did chickpeas and black beans recently and I found that I actually loved them more than the lentils. But the lentils are smaller and denser so you can pack in more protein per square inch. When you are eating these every day for breakfast, it’s best to mix it up every once in a while.
Eric Isaac
Eric Isaac is an American food and travel photographer based out of NYC. His blog, SnapFood, highlights food in and around new york as well as what he discovers in his travels throughout the world.
Most store-bought muffins are like glorified cupcakes—they're full of sugar and simple carbs. "They can be packed with added sugar and low in fiber, sending your blood sugar levels on a roller coaster before you even get to work," says Charlotte Martin, MS, RDN, CSOWM, CPT.
The ideal whole-egg to egg-white ratio for a batch of egg muffins is 6 whole eggs plus 4 egg whites. This makes them higher in protein, but keeps them from being spongy. Watch the Water Content. If your egg muffins are soggy, you likely used a lot of veggies with high water content.
A high-fiber, low-fat option with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and selenium, whole wheat English muffins make a great weight loss breakfast food. But be careful what you put on it. Adding tons of butter or jelly may also pack on unnecessary calories.
Both yogurt and buttermilk are good substitutes for eggs. It's best to use plain yogurt, as flavored and sweetened varieties may alter the flavor of your recipe. You can use 1/4 cup (60 g) of yogurt or buttermilk for each egg that needs to be replaced. This substitution works best for muffins, cakes, and cupcakes.
"The old standby Egg McMuffin is probably the most balanced choice of all. The biscuit sandwiches have nearly double the saturated fat and sodium," Harris-Pincus says. The Egg McMuffin with Canadian bacon and cheese will stoke you with 17 grams of protein per 310-calorie sandwich.
Alternatively, you can use paper or silicone muffin liners to prevent sticking. You'll also need a rimmed baking sheet that the muffin pan can sit on. Divide the diced bell pepper, green onion, spinach, and feta evenly among the 12 muffin cups.
If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the recipe.
Muffins have a bad reputation of being very high in calories, fat and sugar. It's true that many store-bought muffins carry a hefty amount of calories — typically around 400 or more each. But you can easily fit them into a healthy eating plan.
With the rise of the middle class in the 19th century, families could afford to hire cooks, If you have someone who you can command to wake up before you, you can have hot food for breakfast without any trouble to yourself, so gems and muffins became popular.” Elias continues to say these little “yeast-risen breadstuff ...
Is an English muffin better for you than bread? A. English muffins are slightly healthier than bread because they include fewer calories, carbohydrates, fats, and sugar than bread. However, both have a high carbohydrate content, which can offer energy throughout the day, and many nutrients.
*Bagels pack more carbs, and often more sugar (while not a huge deal, the calories and sugars stack up if you're trying to lose weight). *English muffins work better for healthy breakfast sandwiches--there's no hole in the middle--make an egg white + spinach b-fast sandwich (one of my faves).
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