Food Stuff

The Official Wisconsin State Microbe

Lactococcus lactis

Had I not seen in and heard on the news I would never believed it!!!!  What's it got to do with food?  This incredible workhorse of a microbe ferments milk sugar (lactose) to lactic acid. And why is this so important that Wisconsin is the first state to declare a state microbe?  Well, Wisconsin is the cheese capital of the country.  So, what's next?  Will arginine become the Official Amino Acid of Virginia because that's one of the key amino acids in Virginia peanuts?  But I want you to remember that cheese is OK on the Jorge Cruise Belly Fat Cure, BUT oh keep in mind that you have to keep your sugar intake down to only 15 grams a day, so no no no milk!!!!

<---- The official Amino Acid of Virginia?




So, I happened to see this article and thought you might be interested!

Santa Goes On Atkins Diet

Cookies and milk out; eggs, beef, chicken, cheese in. North Pole Santa Claus announced today in his annual pre-holiday press conference that he has begun the popular Atkins diet, and is asking for help from families around the globe. Atkins dieters are allowed to consume large amounts of high-fat foods such as eggs, beef, and cheese. Carbohydrates, which are found in pasta, breads, and fruits, and sweets, are not allowed. Mr. Claus said that he decided to start the diet after he could not fit into the trousers he wore to deliver gifts last year. "I couldn't bring myself to buy new trousers, and I haven't had a good body image lately. I had to do something, and quick", said Claus. "Having a belly like a bowl full of jelly is one thing, but being a complete fat ass is another. I mean, even my jolly little toe has fat on it." According to inside sources, Mrs. Claus may have also played a part in his decision to lose weight. An elf, who wished to remain anonymous, said that Mrs. Claus "is getting more and more involved" with day-to-day operations, especially as Christmas nears. "She pretty much runs the toy factory, and she is making all the elves work a lot of overtime. Plus, she made us all sign waivers saying we wouldn't sue if we got injured on the job. Now, Santa suddenly goes on the Atkins diet? I guarantee that is her doing. She's a real pain in the ass. We've all started calling her 'Yoko'". Santa says that his goal is to lose twenty pounds before he delivers gifts on Christmas Eve, leaving him plump, but not grossly obese. And, says Claus, he needs everyone's help to stick to his diet.  "I am asking the families of the world to leave snacks for me that are low in carbohydrates. Unfortunately, this means that the traditional snack of cookies and milk is not acceptable. Good alternatives are scrambled eggs, cheese, beef, or chicken." Experts agree that a thinner Claus may be a healthier Claus, but think that the new snack requests may spoil some of the fun and tradition of Christmas. "I think it's great that Santa wants to lose a few pounds", says holiday expert Michelle Bosler. "But a great Christmas traditions is being altered. Leaving cookies and milk for Santa Claus dates back hundreds of years. I don't think families will enjoy scrambling eggs or broiling a T-bone for Santa quite as much. And these low carbohydrate snacks are much more expensive than a couple of store bought cookies." Despite the criticism, Claus vows to stick to his Atkins diet. "I'm going to do this. I've tried other diets, and I just can't stick to them. I mean, have you ever had a SlimFast shake? Tastes like liquefied wood." North Pole spokesperson Sandy Ashton said that if families are uncomfortable leaving eggs or meat as a snack, they could opt to leave no snack at all. "We'd rather Santa not have a snack than eat foods that are high in carbohydrates. For families who don't wish to leave a low-carb snack, we ask that they leave a note of encouragement for Santa, or some bourbon, which is a low-carbohydrate beverage. Dieting is difficult, and he needs support if he is going to succeed."

The New Atkins for a New You Diet

So, I get this WebMD newsletter about whether this "new" Atkins diet is any good.

Here's a brief summary of what they said.  Don't get excited....it hasn't changed much.  But it does allow you (sorry, kids) more vegetables and guess what????  You can now have more carbs!!!  Well, the "healthy" carbs are evidently only allowed during the final phase of the diet.  So, it's still high protein, low carb.  This MUST be good for you because they say over 50 studies have been done to show it.  Oh yeah....did I forget to mention that some of the studies were funded by Atkins organization?

The plan has four phases -- induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance, and lifetime maintenance.  I wonder if lifetime maintenance means buying all the Atkins foods?

The diet plan also says that people may experience tiredness, leg cramps, and weakness.  DUH!!!! Is there something wrong here?  "The new Atkins diet's warnings of dizziness, tiredness, leg cramps, and more should be a red flag, says American Dietetic Association spokesperson Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD.

Protein and high-fiber vegetables are important components of any healthy weight loss plan, she says, but eliminating healthy carbs goes against a wealth of scientific evidence. "

Jorge Cruise's Belly Fat Cure is not a low carb diet.  It's substituting bad carbs for good carbs! Though I have to agree somewhat with Wayne, my wise nephew.  He said that Cruise's BFC is sorta like South Beach Diet, packaged with a few differences.  I don't know and I don't care.  I've lost about 36 or 37 pounds and I'm pretty happy so far...and very little sacrificing...ok sacrificing, but NOT suffering!

  Food Funnies
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    Things Celebrities Order When Eating Out:

  9. Lady Gaga: Turkey with dressing. Salad with dressing. Just
    lots of dressing in general.

  8. Martha Stewart: Finger sandwiches that she makes the kitchen
    redo until they are all *precisely* the same size.

  7. Sarah Palin: Half-Baked Alaska.

  6. Andrew Zimmerman: Last week's special that spoiled three days ago.

  5. William Shatner: Ham. Uncured, old-fashioned ham.

  4. Arnold Schwarzenegger: California mussels surrounded by a
    bunch of nuts in a fiscal reduction.

  3. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford: An Argentinian tart.

  2. Donald Trump: Some kind of light-brown squirrel with ... no,
    wait, that's just something that fell on his plate.

    ... and the #1 Thing Celebrities Order When Eating Out ...

  1. Rush Limbaugh: Fried chicken wings, but right wings ONLY.