Can working out too hard kill you?

I am in a state of bliss right now.  I actually have a group of friends, and we have been friends for years, who are starting to race.  They are getting intense with half marathons and triathlons and even zombie runs!  It's awesome to see friends embrace something you have loved for so many years.  I never thought I see the day. 

Last night, I saw my best girl friends in the world.  We are a group of ambitious women who can have fun and create shenanigans.  They teach me something something every day even though I don't get to see them more than twice a year.  One day, we will all be done with school and be working professions but one thing will stay the same...they were with me at one of my toughest time in my life in college.  They hold a great chunk of my heart and gosh darn it, they have the greatest hugs in the world! :)

Evelyn, Monica, Michelle, Me, Sylvia

So besides pouring my love for my girls, I learned one more thing from Sylvia.  She is the quirkest, smartest girl who will help me train my future puppy or kitten but she also introduced me to "rhabdomyolysis". 

Rhabdomyolysis medical condition that results from direct muscle injury or an altered metabolic relationship between energy production and energy consumption in muscle. Source

 I have been trying really hard to get back onto my training schedule and with weekly (almost daily) infomercials to Insanity, PX90 and other exercise "miracles", I have been thinking of doing something intense to kick start the regiments.  This is until Sylvia told me about rhabdomylosis.  When it is physical activity related, it is often caused by muscle trauma and physical exertion. 

While this is RARE, it has happened where muscle breaks down and the broken down products circulate the blood.  This can been seen in triathletes, marathon runners and individuals who take part in PX90 and Insanity.  There is often an increase of myoglobin in the blood but there not enough protein damage to have kidney problems or failure.  Myoglobin is a protein that binds oxygen in the muscle to help you get through your workouts.

There are four key features to note when you are experiencing rhabdomyolysis:

1. Muscle pain, stiffness, weakness and occasional cramps.  
2. Myoglobinuria (myoglobin in the urine) - Rhabdomyolysis often damage red muscle tissues where after it is damaged and it dies (necrosis), it will release myoglobin.  When it is released into the urine, it will produce a dark brown urine.  There can also be a low urine output.
3. Creatinine Kinase/Creatine Phosphokinase - This creatinine is the same creatinine the body builders tend to ingest in powder form or supplement form.  The Kinase/phosphokinase is an enzyme that breaks down the creatinine.  So when your muscles are damaged and broken down, there is increase in enzymes that breaks the muscle down.  Between 2-12 hours, your levels can rise to 20,000-30,000 Units/Liter (normally it is 2-200 units/liter).  
4. Malaise, tachycardia (slow heart rate), fever and nausea and vomiting.  It can also involve altered mental state such as confusion. 

There can be complications when there is continual damage and physical exertion where kidney damage and failure can occur.  In a year, it has been reported with 7-10 cases so while it is low, it can happen to any exercise enthusiast.   Physical activity is a great method of improving your overall lifestyle but stay safe and note your symptoms while eating well!  Don't forget to hydrate too!

Maybe Coffee Shops Should Turn ON the Lights!

I just had the most productive 5 straight hours of work done.  No Joke.  No Coffee needed either!  Magic!

So I have fallen in love with Literati Cafe this weekend with gross amount of work done especially with Winter Quarter finals around the corner.  Nothing more magical than falling into deep concentration mode even in the midst of rowdiness.  As I left at 8:30pm, I realized that not only was I not hungry, I was also not tired.  After reading about Circadian Rhythm on WebMD.com, I realized that I fell into the category of Non-24 Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder - Sleep a normal pattern but life a 25 hour day...I wish!  Simply said, I don't fall asleep or wake up the same time every day.  The life of a grad student.  The perks! ;)

As I strolled back to my car, I wondered...

Would I be hungrier or would I have been less focused if Literati actually turned on the lights where I sat?

During the time I was there, I worked through the transition from sun up to sun down. There is an adaptation that transferred from the light through the window to light from my screen and keyboard.  How was my circadian rhythm affected?  

Located in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN), it regulates our biological functions and activities on a 24-hour basis.  More importantly, it determines your sleeping patterns.  Those who have structured schedule, even if it's chaotic, can release hormones, change brain waves and regenerate cells on a more consistent basis.  In return, this consistency can  illicit hunger signals, sleepiness and tissue regeneration in a more predictive manner (internally).  A part of me believes that the human body is like a Type-A personality.  It loves structure, consistency and control.  Lack of it, sends it into a frenzy.  This is also why dietitians suggest proper sleeping patterns and consistent meal times for individuals trying to lose weight. 

Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12781167
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8220654
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/circadian-rhythm-disorders-cause

Studies have been done on individuals who are shift workers.  For these individuals, their "lunch breaks" may be at 4pm  and their "dinner breaks" at 9pm.  Their work schedule is rarely the same every day.  Just like a grad student.  Circadian rhythm  are certainly inconsistent.  These workers recorded meal patterns and records for analysis.  While the total calories consumed were relatively the same in these individuals working early shift, middle-of-the day shifts and late shifts, there was significant changes in nutrient intake and food selections (starches and sweets). In other studies, savory and sweet items were craved in different patterns throughout the day.  Circadian rhythm as related to the activities throughout the day affects our appetite. 

So...with that information at hand, I also have to take into account my confounders: I ran 8 miles that may have suppressed my appetite with no opportunity to eat until 3pm.  For the last 7 days, my schedule didn't allow me to consistently have breakfast, lunch and dinner in regular, intuitive meal times (ex: 7a, 12p, 6p).  So not only was my rhythm messed up, sitting at my lovely Literati further threw me into a loop.  Sitting in the dark, not knowing the time and having a late "lunch", I did not recognize when dinner time was and the darkness around me helped me focus only on my computer screen and nothing else.  Studies have also indicated to limit screen time before sleeping since light from screens (TV and computer) can affect your sleep patterns and your "awakeness".  What's worse, while I sat in a cafe, no one around me had dinner either.  Conversely, on Saturday, a hungry gentleman decided to cut into a steak underneath bright lights.  I was certainly craving dinner on Saturday.  The smell of the food and the consciousness of time signaled my system that it was time to eat...even though I didn't eat "lunch" until 5pm that day.

http://www.photobiology.info/Roberts-CR.html

So for Literati and other amazing coffee shops I have yet to discover in LA, would their food sales increase if they had clocks to indicate time of day and bright lights to indicate that we are still in "day" mode? Metabolism would also be stimulated through thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) which would rev up our digestion rate, hence increase hunger.  So may be the late night munchies after a long night of studying was not really because we worked harder but our metabolism continued to work at a high rate. Any thoughts?

PB Make-Over?

So I recently watched the Today Show and saw this video of 'great' tips to cut calories.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

PB2 struck me the most because I am a HUGE almond butter fanatic - the stir kind and none of that hydrogenated sheningans. But PB is making a good return. Yes, many kids are allergic to it and yes it is a source of Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) which can lead to inflammation with excess intake. But we do need it in a good ratio with Omega-3. But this is what the Peanut Institute had to say about peanut butter:

"Healthy Fats: Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fat
When you think of healthy fats, you can think of peanuts, peanut butter, and peanut oil. That is because at least half of the fat in peanuts is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, the kind found in olive oil and avocados. And over 30% is polyunsaturated fat; another good fat important in a healthy diet."

So the idea behind PB2 is the amount of fats taken out of this product. This is the comparison that the company makes:

Traditional	PB2
2 Tbsp – 190 calories	2 Tbsp – 45 calories
Calories from fat - 130	Calories from fat – 13
Saturated fat – 3 grams	Saturated fat – 0 grams

And this is the full profile:

PB2: Powdered Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Roasted peanuts, sugar and salt.

Serving size: 2 Tablespoons (12 grams)
Servings per container: 15
Amount per 2 Tablespoon serving (when mixed with water):  

Calories: 45
Calories from fat: 13

Value and (% Daily Value*)
Total fat 1.5 g (3%)
Saturated fat 0 g (0%)
Trans fat < 0.01 g
Cholesterol < 0.01 mg (0%)
Sodium 94 mg (4%)
Total carbohydrate 5 g (2%)
Dietary fiber 2 g (8%)
Sugars 1 g
Protein 5 g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.


So I did a little more comparison with another product on the shelf that has been around for decades. Laura Scudder's is a non-hydrogenated pb and this is their profile.



Ingredients:

ORGANIC ROASTED PEANUTS, CONTAINS 1% OR LESS OF SALT.

Disclosure Information:
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 2 Tbsp (32g)
Servings Per Container About 14

Amount per Serving
Calories 210 Calories from Fat 150


% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g (25%)
Saturated Fat 2.5g (12%)
Trans Fat 0g
 

Cholesterol 0mg (0%)
 

Sodium 45mg (2%)
Total Carbohydrate 6g (2%)

Dietary Fiber 2g (9%)
Sugars 1g
Protein 7g


According different institutions world wide there are different recommendations in the amount PUFA that we should have (omega-3 and omega-6). WHO recommends 5-8% of Omega-6 (and 1-2% of Omega-3) of your daily energy intake. In my calculation based on 2000kcal, that would translate to 25-40g of Omega-6 that is needed. So looking back, PB2 would only provide 1.5g per serving while Laura Scudder would provide 16g.


Yes, you can probably eat more PB2 to get the same amount of calorie and essential fat but with Laura Scudder, it's a traditional. I certainly don't suggest eating the whole jar of either product nor do I promote excessive eating but peanut butter is definitely brought to a different level minus a lot of fat. I love my fat, in moderation. I rather have less processed foods and how do you suppose they took PB2 fat out? Which one would you choose? Choice C: Skippy the non-stir PB?

Martha Stewart Got Nothing On Me...Except for Butter Cream.

I have always wanted to make a birthday cake.  A two-tiered birthday cake with frosting and filling....just like all the baking shows that I watch.  My Mom always got me a birthday cake.  I never really liked to eat them.  I just like the look of them.  I just needed someone to have birthday and some time to make the cake.  Besides, Martha Stewart has an awesome collection of cupcakes waiting to be transformed into a birthday cake.  I chose the Meyer Lemon Raspberry Cupake recipe.  Hers looked like his:

I refused to add the layer of sand sugar and the raspberry.  The raspberry wouldn't of held up to the condition I was going to make it go through.  Decorating the cake will be on my next mission.  This time...I just needed to learn how to make a two-tiered cake.  How was it?  I under estimated the surgical skills that comes with making a cake.  

Just a few fun facts before we start!

1.  Meyer lemon is not your typical lemon.  Meyer lemon is a cross between a regular lemon and an orange or mandarin.  They should be sweeter.  Did I use it?  No, I did not.  I break rules when I cook.  

2.  I made the cake and froze it on Sunday but really I needed it on Wednesday.  Have you had a child come to you and ask, I need 3 dozen cupcakes tomorrow morning?  I never did it, my Mother would just look at my funny and take me to the store.  But, if you make a cake, bake it, you may FREEZE it directly immediately.  What will happen is that the WATER content in the cake will freeze and lock in the moisture!  How fantastic!  You can prep AND you have a moist cake.  I'm down!  You do not have to defrost the cake before you ice it too.  In fact! If you ice without defrosting, the moisture of the cake will be locked in by the layer of butter cream frosting.  Food nerdiness at it's max!  

So what are some lessons I learned from this cake that really kicked my butt?  

Sugar & Egg Yolks.  The color is so magnificent.

1.  I tried to find lemon curd so I didn't have to make my own.  But making lemon curd is much easier and an interesting science project.   I LOVED that the stores didn't have lemon curd.  Now I can say I know how to make lemon curd.  It's an empowering task!

Stir till it thickens.

Finished Product!

Vanilla Bean Pod

2.  My new interest is to use new flavors such as spices and vanilla is a new one.  I have never used a vanilla bean pod but the black specks that is distributed throughout my batter makes it happy.  There is so much flavor and a sense of authenticity.  There was nothing special to the cake batter recipe.  I have never used sour cream in my cake batters before but  the purpose is to increase moisture and density.  It has since been included in pound cake as well. 

After mixing the batter, I divided the batter into two cake pans, glistened with butter.  I did not want a hot mess of cake since it needed to be frozen and frosted after being baked.  

3.  When it was ready to be frosted, I feared that the cake would be too difficult to carve into a flat surface so I defrosted the cake over night in the fridge.  I am curious if I can carve a cake  when it was frozen though.  I did not have a serrated knife but it something worth learning for next time when a birthday girl is not in need of a birthday cake. :)

I can certainly eat the cake as is.  Just imagine warm vanilla pound-like cake with tangy/sweet lemon custard.  mmmmm!

4.  My biggest battle of them all?  Frosting the cake.  It was not an easy feat.  I made a mistake of making this in advance as well.  Letting that warm up took wayyyyy too long.  I was desperate enough to nuke it in the microwave 20 second increments to ensure I did not have a fatty, melty mess on my hands.  It would have been much better if I just make the frosting the day of. 

Finished product.

It would have also been better if I have better surgical skills in carving the cake to smoother surfaces.  It took me equal amount of time to make the batter as it did to ice the cake.  I definitely need to invest in a cake pedestal if I choose to make more birthday cakes. 

End Result?  It thought the frosting was wayyyy too sweet for my taste buds.  It was too fatty for my liking as well.  Some cakes are just meant to be cupcakes.  After all, it is easier to frost a cupcake than a two tiered cake.  I would have a happy girl just eating the cake and using the custard in a jam-like manner.  But a birthday is not like a birthday unless you have candles and frosted cake.  

Happy Birthday Diamond!

Michael Buble's Singing Warms My Heart Like Mac N Cheese

I was in Chapel at Loma Linda one Wednesday morning and during one of the first worship songs, I looked around me to see how the experience of singing made some people feel.  There was a general sense of calmness and in a group of students who are mainly in the competitive health field, it was a great sight.  As I saw this happening, I remembered a song I listened to on the way to school that morning that my friend wrote.  Listening to his song gives me the same feeling each and every time.  Happy.  I can imagine the story line in my head while listening to it, the same story each and every time.  It's the same feeling that I get when I bake something, when I enjoy my meals, and when I share the meals.  My curiosity is...do music and comfort foods illicit the same brain stimulation?

 The key word here I COMFORT.  I can certain attest that bitter foods make children cringe, foods highly salted can be offensive and overly doused sugary foods can make you fear for a cavity.  As I digest my mac n' cheese, the ultimate American comfort food, I feel a sense of relaxation on a Saturday night.  Now, many of you can say, well, it is a Saturday and she might have had a great day.  I did.  But I also just fought thru 1.5 hours of Los Angeles traffic in the rain.  There is also a general sense of stress a doctoral student, however immune I may be.

Through general research, this is what food does to your brain....

1. Complex Carbohydrates (whole grain breads, brown rice, some fruits) can raise the level of serotonin in the brain and give a calm and relaxed feeling.  
2. Fats (avocado, almonds and nuts, salmon, lobster) increases endorphine levels.  This is what we refer to as "healthy" fats.  All fats are necessary but we are talking more of the fats that come naturally from foods rather than from your fried foods.  
3. Protein (meats, tofu, Greek yogurt, nuts) can stimulate the production of dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. 

Does this make sense?  From my Mac N Cheese, I had my carbs (noodles), my fats (milk) and my protein (cheese and milk) and I get a sense of relaxed and calming feeling.  But what do these hormones and neurotransmitters really do?  They are released with or without the help of foods so let's break them down:

1. Norepinephrine/Noradrenaline - It is released from the amygdala where attention and response are controlled.  It is also a stress hormone which illicit flight-or-fight response that increases oxygen to the brain, heart rate and releases glucose from the storage tanks.
2. Epinephrine/Adrenaline - It is also released from the amygdala where flight-or-fight response is also fired.  It increases heart rate and increases oxygen intake thru dilation of the airways.   
3. Serotonin - It is found in the gastrointestinal tract from esophagus to your colon as well as platelets and central nervous system.  It contributes to the overall sense of happiness and well-being.  Fun fact! Serotonin is needed for male mating behaviors where they may leave their food to find a mate.  
4. Dopamine - It covers a larger role in the brain but it plays a big role in reward-seeking individuals.  It has been proven those who are more extroverted have higher levels of dopamine.  It is also released when partaking in many highly addictive drugs such as meth and cocaine.  Can you think of any foods you are "addicted" too.  Any connections?

So we now know that food affects your mood and it's no surprise that the foods the people love are connected to a release of neurotransmitters and hormones which affect our mood.  It's also no surprise that a warm baked cookie makes us ooey-gooey on the inside as well.  But are the same neurotransmitter and hormones released when we listen to our favorite tunes?

Michael Buble

When listening to music, the amygdala is also stimulated to release adrenaline.  In fact, memories of the initiating experience are strengthened.  This explains the repeated story line while listening to a love song or my connections with Memoirs of a Geisha every time I hear Norah Jones.  The same neurotransmitter can also illicit a warm feeling when eating mac n cheese.  There is a signal from the body to the brain to instruct how much adrenaline is released into the brain which in turn changes our bodily functions such as increase oxygen to the brain, increase air flow to the body and increase heart rate.  So if you are a huge Michael Buble fan, maybe listening to his music will increase your heart rate.  Similarly when I listen to the song my friend wrote, I can run a little faster but I am also happier.  Double whamy!

This is definitely not a simple subject to blog about because the brain and the signals to and from are so complicated.  Simply said, music and food improves our mood.  Can either illicit the same feelings? Seems like it.  Can music replace food?  Probably not.  I would not suggest it either.  Food is too good to give up!  Moreover, there are individuals are immune to some of these feelings because their daily activities stimulate the release of the neurotransmitters such that they are immune and would need a higher dose to cause the same reaction as someone who many not be as stimulated.  Didn't I say this was complicated?  It is definitely worth looking into!

So as we progress through this Valentines weekend, think about the foods are consuming.  Think about the food feelings that people get when eating chocolate, warm souffle cakes and hearty pastas cooked to perfection.  What feelings are we embracing besides love? 

MY 3 Favorite Songs of the Moment.  Enjoy!  Tell me what you all think of #3. :)
1.  Just a Kiss
2. I Won't Give Up
3. At Last

Tag, You're It!

Have you ever wondered what those bread tags meant besides their "Sell-By" date or their "Eat-By" date?  I clearly didn't but my friend Brian asked me that on our most recent get-together and asked....

"What does the color of the tag mean on the bread bag?"

Most of us were baffled at the question since most of us didn't think it had a meaning.  But these colorful tags have more a significance than I thought. 

Most bakeries follow the concept of assigning each color to a day that the bread was baked.  So besides the "Best-By" date, the color of the tag indicates which day of the week the bread was delivered. 

Before you decied to follow the dotted lines and cut out this handy-dandy clip-art, just note that the colors are alphabetically ordered based on their color:

Monday = Blue

Tuesday = Green

Thursday = Red

Friday = White

Saturday = Yellow

So just remembering the color and where they fall in the alphabet, you can determined when your bread was baked and by what date you should finish your bread. Notice that bakeries do not bake on Wednesdays and Sundays? According to Snopes.com, these are two days that bakeries traditionally do not bake so the if you were to buy bread on Wednesday and Sunday, the freshest bread would have a Green and Yellow tag, respectively.  REMEMBER, while most bakeries follow this standard, not all bakeries do.

Here are 3 main rules to know if your bread is fresh:

1. Squeeze the bread and no, do not let your child do it for fun.  Soft bread means it's fresher than firmer breads.
2. Check the "sell-by" date on the tags/sticker.
3. Again, the color of the tag indicates the date the bread was DELIVERED.   

Cookie Challenge 2011...Continues

As promised, I have met the challenges of my baking extravaganza for Christmas 2011 and there was the good, the bad and...is that a even a cookie?!


In my Cookies Around the World post, I talked about the Nanaimo Bar.  A blast from the past, it was definitely easier to eat this cookie than to make this. It was not as challenging as the Christmas Candy-Stripe Cookie.  Before unveiling my lessons learned...let's enjoy the final product.

Final Product

 

But what were the challenges?  

1.  Do not forget the egg when melting the chocolate and the butter. Of course I did so what do you notice?  Your crumb cookie does not set and you get one crumbly HOT mess.  Solution?  If you do forget your egg, toss the crumb mix back into the double boiler and get-ready, set, and STIR your egg into crumb and make sure your egg doesn't cook and coagulate.  

2. The recipe asks only for one egg but I say, add accordingly.  If you don't see enough moisture in the crumb cookie, it will not set and it will make subsequent steps more difficult.  Start with one egg and have another egg ready on deck. 

Add more egg to crumb cookie

3. While the recipe asks for chocolate chips, it was definitely not in my kitchen as most chocolate chips are cultivated in unfair trade methods from my grocery store.  So instead, I used my sipping chocolate from Theo Chocolate.  Sipping chocolate was meant for hot chocolate but looking at the recipe, I was able to substitute it for the chocolate chips. 

 4.  The Peanut Butter section was the most difficult.  Even with room temperature PB, it was not as spreadable as I would love to create an even layer.  Solution?  Use the back of a spoon and start from one end of the pan with a hunk of PB and drag it slowly to the other end of the baking pan.  While it still picks up some of the cookie crumb and create a gaping hole missing cookie crumb, it is definitely easier than using a butter knife to spread it.  Another reason why I need to get a spatula. 

5.  After the frustrating PB layer, I definitely knew the chocolate layer would give me some troubles.  Even before trying to spread this luscious, Fair Trade Chocolate layer....I just pour it over the frozen PB and Cookie Crumb layer and  tilted the pan side to side until the whole baked good is covered.  This ensure an even layer even if everything underneath is not so even.

Chocolate layer.

Dissecting the product.

 The good, the bars are awesome and easy to cut after you freeze it.  The bad, I need to not forget the egg and make an awesome cookie layer so I can create an even PB layer.  Something to try for next time?  Use Almond Butter with slivered almonds (I substitute almonds for toasted walnuts). 

Happy Baking!