The Plan Z Diet Talks about the Toxicity of Sugar

The Plan Z Diet Talks about the Toxicity of Sugar

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

If there’s one thing that “60 Minutes” has it is street cred.

I watched my first edition of “60 Minutes” at 11 years old in 1968. Before “60 Minutes” came on the air our family always gathered in front of the TV on Sunday evening to watch “College Bowl”. Anyone remember that one? “College Bowl” was hosted by Allen Ludden. Each week, two colleges would put teams of brainiacs together and they’d compete for who could correctly answer the most questions. A team member would buzz in if they thought they knew the answer. They had just a few seconds to confer with each other and then the team captain would shout out their answer. Our family loved it. At 8, 9 or 10 years old, if I knew an answer to even one of the questions, it definitely made my day. I got great inspiration for studying in school and trying to do my best from that show. I could see myself up there some day.

When “60 Minutes” moved over to Sunday nights, “60 Minutes” became our new go-to show. The whole family would gather in front of the TV and watch. Sometimes we’d be eating dinner but we were still allowed to watch “60 Minutes” while we ate. We learned a lot from that show too.

Alas “College Bowl” was eventually cancelled from the airwaves, but “60 Minutes” has continued, uninterrupted, on TV for 44 years. “60 Minutes” is credited with uncovering some of the biggest scandals. “60 Minutes” is credited with breaking some of the biggest stories. “60 Minutes” has captured bad guys on camera and held on like a pit bull until they screamed for mercy. If “60 Minutes” comes knocking at your door, unannounced, it’s probably not good news for you, but in the case I am going to reference today, having “60 Minutes” air a particular segment is like music to my ears. And if you haven’t seen it yet, I’m going to give you a link to what I feel is a subject that should be seen by every human aged 6 or higher. It’s a segment about the toxicity of sugar.

If you haven’t heard of Dr. Robert Lustig before today you will get to know him now. We reference him on the Plan Z Diet a lot! I have been a huge fan of Dr. Lustig for over two years now and his lecture Sugar: The Bitter Truth is a must view as part of the education offered through my diet, Plan Z Diet by Zola. Dr. Lustig has been labeled an overly-energetic zealot by many. On the contrary, I don’t think his message can be screamed loudly enough. I am so happy to see that he has not given up his quest to get the warning out about sugar (in ALL forms), and it’s reassuring that with all the credibility that “60 Minutes” carries, that they now are listening and featured this segment involving Dr. Robert Lustig.

This “60 Minutes” segment touched just the tip of iceberg as it relates to sugar. Everyone will say they know the dangers of sugar. “Sugar will make you fat,” is all most folks will say they need to know. True enough, but in addition, the science is there now that clearly shows it is sugar that will cause heart disease. It’s sugar that will raise your bad cholesterol and it’s sugar that feeds cancer cells so they can grow and multiply and kill you.

This segment only tackles sugar in the most sugary forms. They left off the whole issue of carbohydrates as sugar, which I hope they address in an upcoming segment. But until then, there’s a lot to be learned from this segment. Please watch it in an effort to achieve good health.

Cheers,


To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Apple Chips

Plan Z Diet Apple Chips

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet





Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReduction recipe from the creative mind of Jen. When we were at lunch the other day, Jen mentioned how dieters miss their crunch. She wondered if we could come up with a recipe for apple chips. I will tell you they worked. They are crunchy if you eat them quickly. If you let them sit overnight they become chewy. Still good but not crunchy. With this recipe be careful with your portions. Be sure not to eat too many.

I like the ones cut with the apple placed on its side. I feel those look the most like potato chips. The rings are fun, too. Use any kind of apple. I used Granny Smith for the chip style and Golden Delicious for the rings.

Servings: Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 apples. Don’t bother to peel them.
• 2 tsp of ground cinnamon mixed with
• 2 tsp of Truvia

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

You’ll want to slice your apples very thin or they won’t get crunchy. To do this I used my mandolin slices and set it on level 1 which is the thinnest setting. Without a mandolin slicer this will be tricky but you can get them fairly thin by hand, too.

Take out a 2 cookie sheets. Cover each of them with a piece of parchment paper. Without the parchment paper the apples will stick terribly.

Place your apple slices on the paper. Try not to have them touch each other unless you don’t mind them sticking together. In the pictures you’ll see they stuck some but they are easy to pull apart. Each cookie sheet contains one apple portion.

Sprinkle the top side with the flavor mixture. I put mine in a leftover shaker jar so it sprinkled on very evenly. Don’t worry if it’s a bit messy. They will still taste great.

Put the cookie sheets in the oven and bake for 2 hours. Watch them a last few minutes to make sure they don’t burn.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve hot or cold. I can see all kinds of flavors. You can use nutmeg for another sweet flavor. You can use cumin for an East-Indian version, use cayenne for a spicy version. You can even use the barbecue rub and make barbecue flavored apple chips. Use your creativity to find flavors you love.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Apple Chips Recipe Copyright 2015 Plan Z Diet by Zola

The Plan Z Diet Crunch!

The Plan Z Diet Crunch

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet





While developing the Plan Z Diet, I never really thought much about what I now call the Crunch Factor. I was never the kid in our family that face-planted in the bag of potato chips. I left that to my brothers. I went for the donuts.

I never wanted to eat the hard candy. I’d rather have a brownie or ice cream for my treat.

After designing the Plan Z Diet, doing it several times, and taking in all the data from dieters, my mind has totally changed. My taste has changed, too.

Watch the video above on why crunchy foods taste so great and why you come back for more.

I get it now. As I developed the Plan Z Diet I was worried about people getting a little bit of carbohydrate from a bread source into their meals, but my only source without going over my designed allotment was to find breadsticks and crackers that could fill the bill. The softer choices like bread and rolls contained too many carbohydrates. It wasn’t til later that I heard from so many dieters that said the only thing they craved was something crunchy and that the breadsticks and crackers were helping fulfill that craving. Having a Crunch Factor has been vital.

Then it happened to me, too. I started craving crunchy and it carries over beyond when I am doing a Plan Z Diet ZReduction to lose weight. I am now part of the population that craves crunch.

Maybe that comes from eating more salads. I find myself loving the crunch that romaine lettuce provides and am not so attracted to plain leaves of greens.

I now crave my husband’s bacon. Not because it’s bacon, but because he’s an expert cook in the bacon category. His bacon comes out crunchy but not crumbly. It’s perfect. I don’t crave just any old bacon. I want HIS bacon fresh from the pan, left on the paper towels for a few minutes to drain and crunch up. And then dive in.

I also crave fried chicken. Fried chicken is a huge offering in Chicago right now. I don’t eat it often. I usually eat breast meat and I factor in the carbs from the breading into the food allotments for the day. So I’m not likely to eat two things that involve breading in one day or in even 3 or 4 days. But the crispier the chicken the better. That never used to hit my radar. I also think with so much chicken competition in Chicago that the chefs are really stepping up their game and cooking chicken in delightful ways.

And then there’s the delightful sound of a fresh stick of celery…or the crunch of a pickle.

What are your favorite crunchy foods? Let us know. And if they fit the Plan Z Diet ZReduction, (fresh and flavorful) you get bonus points! Just like the video, you can submit your recipe offerings, too. Just enter those in the comments section below the article. If you give us permission to repost them on our site, we will give you full credit.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Fluffy, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

Plan Z Diet Fluffy, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet



Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReboot recipe. I came up with this recipe as a tribute to Plan Z Dieter Ron and his wife Jean. This darling couple drove from Wisconsin to Chicago just to meet me and my team. They wanted to thank us for developing and supporting Plan Z. Ron lost 69 pounds, feels great and looks fantastic. Thanks Ron!

Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of cream cheese (1 lb)
• 2 lemons, juiced (about ¼ cup)
• 3 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/8-1/4 cup of Truvia
• 1 – 2 tsp of lemon zest (plus more for garnish)
• Berries for garnish

Instructions:

Let your cream cheese come to room temperature or zap it (opened) in your microwave for 15 seconds on high to bring it to temp.

Put the cream cheese in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, Truvia, vanilla and the zest. In order to zest a lemon you use a tool called a microplane or rasp. Gently glide it over the lemon peel so you get shavings of the yellow part and not the bitter pith underneath. Tap the microplane on the counter to release the shavings. You can buy a fine microplane at any housewares store.

With an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese mixture until light and fluffy. This will take 1 – 2 minutes to get it nice and fluffy. Make sure the sides are scraped down so it all gets mixed.

Divide mixture among serving dishes. Then garnish.

Serving Suggestions:

If you are going to serve it right away, great. If you want, you can cover it and keep it in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Be sure to take it out of the refrigerator about 15 – 30 minutes before you want to eat it or it will taste refrigerator-cold.

Leftovers store well in the refrigerator, covered in plastic. Just like any other cheesecake they will become a bit more stiff over time. You can remedy this by stirring it up.

Blueberries, traditionally, go great with lemon. If you want more blueberries you can stud your cheese cake by stirring some extras in before you put it in your serving dish.

I also garnish with a bit more zest for more yellow color.

The amount of Truvia and zest you put in are up to your taste buds. I’d start with the smaller amount, mix, taste and then judge.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Fluffy, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe Copyright 2015 Plan Z Diet by Zola

Plan Z Diet Cheesy Scallop Bake

Plan Z Diet Cheesy Scallop Bake

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet





Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReboot 3.5 recipe. This dish is similar to the fancy French dish called Coquilles St. Jacques but it’s much easier to make. Simple ingredients, a little sautéing and then pop it under the broiler. With a salad and side veggie this is fancy enough to serve to company.

Servings: Serves 3 – 4 (depending on serving size). Can be doubled and served from a 9″ X 13″ casserole dish.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of Panko breadcrumbs. Panko crumbs will give you a crunchier topping than regular bread crumbs.
• 5 Tbl of melted butter
• 1 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
• 4 ounces of softened cream cheese
• ¼ cup of dry, white wine
• ¼ tsp of garlic powder
• 3 Tbl of minced, fresh Italian parsley
• 1 pound of bay scallops
• ½ pound of sliced mushrooms (you can use fancy or plain)
• ½ cup of minced shallots or sweet onion

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with 1 Tbl of the melted butter. Set aside.

In another small bowl combine the cheese, mayo, cream cheese, white wine and garlic powder. Just mush it around until it’s mixed up. Set aside.

In a large saute pan, saute the scallops in 2 Tbl of the melted butter just until they are cooked. This will only take a few minutes on medium high. Scallops are done when they are no longer opaque. You can decide how well done you like your scallops. My husband likes his cooked a bit more but you don’t want little rubber blobs, either. The scallops are going to give off a lot of liquid. When they are done tilt the pan over your sink and t

ry to get a bit of the liquid to drain out. Then set the scallops on a platter covered with paper towels. The paper towel will absorb the rest of the liquid.

Using the same saute pan put in two more Tbl of melted butter and saute your mushrooms and shallots. You just want to get them cooked but you don’t need to go so far as to brown them. This will also take just about 3 minutes on medium high. Preheat your broiler.

Now you’re going to assemble. The saute pan already has the mushrooms and shallots in it. Add the cheese mixture and the scallops. Heat on medium until the mixture is hot and gooey. Transfer it to an 8” X 11” (or 9 X 9”) oven-proof dish. Gently spread on the bread crumb mixture. Place on the oven shelf about 6” below the broiling element and broil until the coating begins to brown. Keep an eye on it. This won’t take long.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Cheesy Scallop Bake Recipe Copyright 2015 The Plan Z Diet by Zola

C or O?

C or O?

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

I was listening to a radio talk show yesterday while I drove back from a company retreat. The experts they had on were seafood people. The chef works at a restaurant called Catch 35. His general manager was on the show too.

I learned a couple of things I thought I’d share with the Plan Z Diet.

The first thing was about cooking shrimp. Shrimp are so easy to cook but many people screw them up. They don’t have any real measure for how long to cook them.

The chef said it very well. He said when the shrimp are in the shape of a C they are done. If they are in the shape of an O you went too far and they are now overdone.

Easy. Just cook them to the C shape.

I often put the shrimp in at the last minute because I don’t want them to become over-cooked. I get the whole sauce prepared and just cook the shrimp by warming them in the sauce. That often works.

He talks about why you don’t want to buy cooked shrimp. They are just so easy to prepare and will taste better freshly cooked so why not use fresh? I’ll admit I buy cooked shrimp sometimes. If I am really strapped for time I don’t want to take time to rinse and thaw and then take off the shells and de-vein them. I can just drop cooked shrimp into a meal very easily and all I have to do is heat them up if it’s a warm dish. He makes the case for doing the extra work.

The General Manager was asked about buying the fishes that are now coming in from Asia. I have seen some new ones at my fish monger that are from Vietnam. Lots of fish now come from China too and Malaysia. He said to buy all North American fish if you can. Wild caught is always best. The reason is it can be caught and shipped into the store in less than 48 hours. If it’s coming from Asia it has to go through Customs and of all the hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish that come into the airports each day less than 2% of it is inspected. Those countries don’t have the same quality control laws that the US and Canada do so you are taking a higher risk buying their fish. That and it came a long way.

The distance theory also applies to lobster. There’s cold water lobster and warm water lobster. He says cold water lobster is sweeter. Better, firmer flesh too. And lobster from Maine is his preference over lobster from Australia and New Zealand. It takes a long time to fly a lobster from New Zealand. Even if it’s immediately frozen his opinion is that it begins to deteriorate early on.

So there you have your seafood lesson of the day.

Now that you’re hungry for seafood, let me offer up my recipe for my Plan Z Diet Cheesy Scallop Bake. I love this stuff!

Plan Z Diet Cheesy Scallop Bake

You can easily make it with shrimp too.

Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Shrimp in a Creamy Mustard Sauce

Plan Z Diet Shrimp in a Creamy Mustard Sauce

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet




The Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReduction recipe. This dish comes together in what feels like an instant. The sauce is quick and easy and because you are using cooked shrimp, it doesn’t take long to cook, maybe 15 minutes total. This tastes very gourmet without the fuss of slaving over a hot stove all day. And it’s nice enough to make for company.

Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of cooked shrimp (approximately 8 per serving of medium-large shrimp), thawed. Tails on or off – your choice. I leave the tails on for looks but I don’t eat them.
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 1 cup of organic chicken broth
• ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup of heavy cream
• 3 Tbl of Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbl of minced, fresh tarragon
• 1 Tbl of minced, fresh chives
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Season shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside.

Lightly spritz one or two large sauté pans with olive oil. In the pan(s) add the shallots. Sauté them lightly just to loosen up the shallots. Add the tarragon. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar. Then add the broth and the shrimp. Heat until the shrimp are hot. Then add the cream and mustard. Simmer on medium just until the sauce begins to thicken a bit. There isn’t that much cream in this dish so it won’t thicken like a regular sauce but you should be able to get it to thicken a bit.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve the shrimp on plates with a scattering of the fresh chives. YUM!

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/