By Elizabeth Brown Kichen Vixen Guilty pleasures
IT HAPPENS EVERY MARCH WITHOUT fail. It has nothing to do with age, experience or will-power. You order them out of habit and there they are — Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs and Do-Si-Dos. You empty box after box and consume, thousands upon thousands of calories.
March is known in this country as Girl Scout Cookie month. It is also National Nutrition Month. Coincidence? I think not. In 1933, the Girl Scouts held their first “home-made” cookie sale and 40 years later the dietitians created National Nutrition Month. As a dietitian, it is my duty to educate. OK, here goes, “Those cookies are not very healthy, please limit your intake.”
Still got a craving for a cookie or two? Well that’s simple to satisfy by making your own from the same ingredients. Simply start with sugar, add enriched flour (a.k.a. processed flour without any naturally occurring nutrients), some more sugar disguised as corn syrup, followed by “vegetable shortening” which could be any combination of tropical fats, plus some sweetened condensed milk (milk and more sugar) intertwined with high fructose corn syrup (sugar) and then cocoa, but it is processed with alkali, a.k.a. “dutched” cocoa which negates the health benefits. To top it all off, a list of not one, not two, but four artificial colors, dyes. WOW! With all that sugar and artificial stuff, I need to recover just from writing about them.
You might think I should just offer up a more calorie friendly cookie recipe, but frankly, when it comes to cookies, portion control is the underlying issue. Portion control is usually the issue for most foods and for people with weight problems. Research has shown that it is shear volume (big portions) that we seek when we eat. The best way to meet your flavor needs and be truly satisfied is to fill up on fluid filled foods, such as fruits, vegetables, soups, salads and shakes where the “bulk” macro-nutrient is water. And water will never add “bulk” to your bod. Maybe that is why cookies and milk are so much more satisfying than just the cookies alone.
The most popular Girl Scout cookie in terms of sales is the Thin Mint, followed by Samoas and Tagalongs. Here is my Chocolate “Make You Thin” Mint Recovery Shake for recovering from cookie overdose, and suggestions for adapting it to a Tagalong, which in the shake form is called a “Fat-Be-Gone.” Both shakes are chock full of fluids, for filling and hydrating, plus protein for post workout muscle recovery, good carbs for repletion of glycogen stores, and a host of vitamins, minerals and antioxidant nutrients to facilitate energy pathways and protect precious cells.
Alkaline-free cocoa is rich in catechins, a class of antioxidants like those found in tea, red wine and pomegranates. Catechins may help protect against certain cancers and aid in the prevention of heart disease. Mint leaves are rich in a natural anti-inflammatory agent known as rosmarinic acid. Mint leaves and most leafy greens are also rich in carotenoids, typically thought of as the yellow-orange pigment in particular fruits and vegetables. The 450 known carotenoids offer a plethora of protection such as the prevention of heart disease, cancer and macular degeneration; the leading cause of blindness. Mint leaves are also a good source of vitamin C.
Cinnamon offers some more disease fighting protection in the form of an antioxidant known as cinnamaldehyde which helps to reduce blood clotting thereby reducing the risk for heart attacks and strokes. Cinnamon has also been shown to reduce the rate at which the stomach empties after a meal and can in-effect aid blood sugar control. Plus, cinnamon enhances sweetness, especially in chocolate (cocoa) and fruits.
Simply follow the recipe, blend and enjoy. Guilt free, energy enhancing and disease preventing, as eating and drinking should be.
Elizabeth Brown is a registered dietitian, certified holistic chef and weight management specialist in Santa Monica. She
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 5, 2008. Read the original PDF.