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Tag: healthy fats

Quick and Delicious, Shrimp, Rice and Vegetables

May 20, 2021
| 1 Comment
| Nutrition

Here is a delicious recipe I threw together the other night. It was super easy to prepare and tasted AMAZING! Surely a meal the whole family will love. 

Just a heads up. I am not a trained chef. I am just a guy, father, husband, foodie who loves to cook. especially healthy meals that taste great. 

Shrimp Scampi With Mixed Vegetables Over Basmati Rice

Prep Time: About 20 Minutes

Cook Time: About 20 Minutes.

Ingredients:

Two Pounds of Shrimp. (I use 2 bags of the Trader Joes Wild Caught Argentinian Shrimp. They are peeled and cleaned so it is fast and easy.)

1-2 Cups of Basmati Rice

1 Small white or Spanish onion

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Green Bell Pepper

2-3 small yellow squash (or whatever kind you like) 

1 head of chopped fresh garlic

Salt and Pepper

Garlic and Onion Powder

Olive Oil

1-3 tablespoons of Unsalted Kerry Gold Butter.

1/4 cup white wine

Directions:

Begin by Cooking the Basmati Rice.

1-Cup for 1-3 people. 2-Cups for 4 or more people. 

Rice to water ratio is 1 cup of rice to 1 1/2 cups of  water.

  • If using boxed store bought rice there is no need to rinse it.

  • If you bought rice at markets from a sack, rinse for hygiene purposes and also can be excessively starchy. Reduce water by 2 tablespoons, otherwise it will be gummy;

. Let’s go!

  1. Place rice and water in a medium size saucepan over medium heat with no lid. 
  2. Bring to a simmer-the edges should be bubbling and the middle should be rippling, the surface will be foaming. 
  3. Place a tight fitting lid on, then turn heat down to medium low.
  4. Cook for 12 minutes. As much as you are tempted DO NOT lift lid. 
  5. Tilt saucepan and take a super quick peek to ensure that all water is absorbed then clam the lid back down. 
  6. Remove from heat and leave for 5-10 minutes then fluff with a WOOD SPOON.
  7. NOTE: 2 cups will take 13 minutes.

(The above recipe for cooking basmati rice is taken from Recipe Tin Eats)

Once the rice is cooking:

  1. Rinse the shrimp, drain and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper, a teaspoon of garlic and onion powder. Set aside. 
  2. Cut up the zucchinis into small 1/4 inch size square pieces. Coat with a small amount of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder 
  3. Dice the red and green bell pepper.
  4. Dice the onion. 
  5. Smash and dice up a head of garlic.

Cooking The Veggies. 

  1. Heat a 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat In a large skillet. 
  2. Once the oil is glistening nicely add the zucchini and cook stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes or until about half tender. 
  3. Add the peppers and onion and cook mixing as needed until tender. Then set aside.

Cooking the Shrimp

  1. In a separate saucepan heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Until glistening nicely.
  2. Add the shrimp and spread evenly to start cooking one side for about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Just before flipping the shrimp add the garlic and 1-2 tablespoons of unsalted Kerry gold butter.  
  4. Turn the shrimp.
  5. Once the shrimp are turned and butter is almost melted add a splash of white wine.
  6. Using an oven mitt grab the handle and swirl the oil, wine butter and garlic around the shrimp. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until shrimp is done. (They cook fast so keep an eye out. DO NOT overcook the shrimp.)

Once the shrimp are done immediately remove from heat. 

Plating

  1. On a plate spread the desired amount of rice.
  2. Spoon the desired amount of veggies over the rice.
  3. Add the shrimp and using a small ladle poor some of the garlic sauce over the entire dish.
  4. Poor a glass of white wine and enjoy!

Quick Tip: I like to cut the veggies a day or so ahead of time and keep them in the fridge in airtight containers to speed up prep time. 

This dish is healthy, quick to make and is full of flavor and deliciousness. 

If you try this recipe please let me know what you think in the comments section.

If you like this recipe and are looking for a delicious, healthy breakfast alternative please checkout my healthy breakfast alternative post here.

Yours in health,

Kevin

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Does Eating Fat Make You Fat?

May 10, 2021
| No Comments
| Health and Wellness

Does Eating Fat Make You… Fat?

The simple answer to this question is: you will not gain weight if you do not consume large quantities of excess calories on a regular basis.

Following this line of reasoning, we may conclude that it makes no difference which macronutrient causes the surplus: if you eat too much protein, carbs, or fat, you will gain weight.

Remember the energy balance rule: you can gain weight if you eat more calories than your body needs to maintain its weight.

Conversely, if you eat fewer calories than it needs, you will lose weight.

Although there are other reasons for gaining weight, in particular fat weight, this is the underlying foundation for all weight loss and weight gain protocols. 

The 4 Types of Fat

Now, not all fats were made the same, meaning that consuming certain types of fat can be very harmful for the body.

When it comes to fats from food, there are a couple of types consider.

Those are: Trans fats, saturated fats, monounsaturated fats & polyunsaturated fats.

Let’s go over each one separately!

Trans fats

Fats are inherently unstable compounds, and when exposed to a variety of environmental factors (light, moisture, heat), they spoil and lose their properties quickly.

Of course, industries that use a lot of fat during production have devised a method to address this issue.

That method for refining fats is known as “hydrogenation.”

Hydrogen atoms are applied to the molecular structure of liquid fats using this method until they enter a solid or semi-solid state.

Foods made with hydrogenated fats have a longer shelf life as a result of this process. This means big money for the big food companies and big problems for your health. 

Trans fats are fatty acids with a chemically modified structure found in hydrogenated fats. This fats are 100%artificially made and do not exist naturally in nature.

When it comes to food, trans fats are one of the most harmful substances you can eat.

Trans fat consumption raises the risk of heart disease, miscarriage, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain cancers significantly.

Trans fats are, without a doubt, one of the worst nutrients we have in modern-day food products.

However, given the abundance of such foods nowadays, it really is hard to get trans-fat consumption down to 0.

Nevertheless, all you have to do is avoid these foods:

  • Baked goods, such as cakes, cookies and pies
  • Shortening
  • Microwave popcorn
  • Frozen pizza
  • Refrigerated dough, such as biscuits and rolls
  • Fried foods, including french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken
  • Nondairy coffee creamer
  • Stick margarine.

If you see any of these, or it is a processed food then you may be certain that the product contains trans fats.

The simple solution, avoid these fats like the plague to dramatically improve your overall health. 

Saturated fats

At room temperature, saturated fats are typically solid or semi-solid.

Long, medium and short-chained triglycerides are the three forms of saturated fats that can be distinguished.

Animal products, such as dairy products and beef, pork, and veal meat, include the first type (long-chained triglycerides).

Saturated fats are contained in smaller amounts in other foods, such as chicken and turkey.

Palm, cocoa, and coconut oil all contain medium-chained triglycerides.

Now, for the longest time, saturated fats have been thought to be bad because they are thought to raise cholesterol levels. However, a major study involving nearly half a million people was published in 2010 in the American Journal of clinical nutrition.

According to the findings, there is insufficient evidence to support the argument that saturated fats are the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and strokes.

And though that is true, your best bet is to not go overboard with any type of fat, including this one.

It is recommend that you consume no more than 10% of your daily calories from saturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats

Avocados, nuts, and certain plant oils, such as olive oil, are rich in monounsaturated fats.

Since this form of fat is one of the cleanest and least processed, it is a good idea to put it at the core of your fat intake.

Some studies suggest that monounsaturated fats can be useful for the cardiovascular system, improving its function and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.

“Monounsaturated fat is a type of dietary fat. It is one of the healthy fats, along with polyunsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, but start to harden when chilled. Medlineplus.gov

  • Polyunsaturated fats

Last but not least, we have polyunsaturated fats, that are just as essential as monounsaturated fats.

In reality, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are the only ESSENTIAL types of fats.

Essential means that the body cannot produce them on its own and that we must obtain them by diet or supplementation.

This is not true of the other three categories of fats, including monounsaturated fats.

Now, though omega-6 fatty acids are essential, they are found in abundance in our modern-day nutrition.

Plant oils, such as sunflower oil, corn oil, soy, and hemp oil, vegetable oil as well as nuts and seeds, contain a significant amount of short-chained omega-6 fatty acids. 

Oppositely, we have arachidonic acid (AA), which is a long-chained form of omega-6 fatty acids.

This is involved in the structure of cell membranes and is used by the body to fight infection and regulate inflammation.

AA can be found in livers, eggs, yolks and seafood products.

Now, unlike omega-6 fatty acids, omega-3 cannot be found  much in our modern-day nutrition and is actually deficit for most people.

The bad thing about this deficiency is that omega-3 fatty acids are actually a preventative nutrient.

We can call them that because these fatty acids regulate inflammation and immune processes, along with many other processes in the body.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in some animal products, such as fatty fish and crustaceans, but also in linseed oil, chia and hemp seeds and nuts.

Another great source of Omega-3s is supplementing your diet with a high quality fish oil supplement to assure that you are consuming enough of this very important nutrient. 

Final Thoughts

Dietary fat is one of the most essential nutrients for the body next to protein and as such, it needs to be carefully selected.

The selection of fat-containing products is important, mainly because many foods contain highly-processed fats, which are terrible for the body.

For this reason, the first step is to learn how to differentiate between the 4 different types of fat.

In my upcoming post , I am going to give you more insight on the functions of dietary fat, as well as the best sources for you to derive these fats from!

See you next time.

Yours in health,

Kevin

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