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I’m fairly convinced that hummus is some of the best stuff on earth. It might look beige and boring in the bowl, but this blend of soft chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic creates a dip that is so much more than the sum of its parts. Skip the store-bought stuff — making it yourself is so easy and will be far tastier than just about anything from the deli section.
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I am of the opinion (and perhaps you share this sentiment) that going out to eat on Valentine’s Day is just no good. Staying home is cheaper and quieter, and you can totally wear pajamas if you want!
Instead of stressing out over reservations, spend your time and energy on cooking (or ordering in) a meal. And while you’re at it, make something fun and festive for your table — if not for your Valentine, then for your Galentines.
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What if I told you the very best stovetop steak of your life can be enjoyed in as little as 45 minutes, with only four extra ingredients and 15 minutes of hands-on cooking? It’s true! Busting conventional steak-cooking wisdom makes for better steak.
When you really want a straight-forward, no-fuss steak with a crisp crust and juicy center, I can say without question that the most fail-proof way to cook it on the stovetop only requires three steps. Partnered with a few essential tips, this simple three-step method will give you a perfectly cooked stovetop steak with a tender buttery flavor, cooked just the way you like it, every time.
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We eat chocolate when we’re happy, we eat chocolate when we’re sad and stressed, and we eat chocolate because it’s there and it’s delicious. Chocolate, in short, is always there for us. A quick chocolate cake for a birthday elevates the day to something special, and chocolate cookies for a bake sale will always sell out. Chocolate will never get boring.
If you, like me, are always looking for the next chocolate recipe that will bring you to dessert heaven, then you’re in luck. I asked 10 awesome bloggers to share the most popular chocolate recipes on their sites. You need to put these cookies, cupcakes, tarts, and cakes on your “must make” list.
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I remember the day I opened my KitchenAid mixer: The box was the biggest thing under the Christmas tree that year, and (for once) I had no guesses as to what was inside.
You see, I had come to terms with the fact that I probably wouldn’t get the kitchen essential until I got married — to a person I didn’t even know existed yet. I figured by the time my wedding came around, some poor soul (probably an aunt on his side) would take pity on me, and somehow know that a stand mixer had been sitting on my heart’s registry for more than a decade.
It had always been too expensive and, frankly, too big for my New York City kitchen to handle. Until that Christmas.
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For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering four questions from readers. First, why might a pound of ground beef induce less satiation than a pound of steak? Second, can you take maca root and cacao powder during a fast without breaking it? Third, what’s my take on nut butters? Good kitchen allies or too much of a good thing—or both? And finally, I give a few tips for someone who wants to train more regularly but can’t find the energy required after work.
Let’s go:
Hi Mark,
Is there a reason for there to be different satiety from whole cuts of meat vs ground meat? I notice for me ground meat is a lot less satiating. I eat two meals a day. If breakfast is a pound of steak, I’m good until later in the afternoon. However if breakfast instead involves a pound of ground beef, I’m usually ravenous again just a few hours later.
Thanks,
-Andrew
I can think of three reasons. They are not mutually exclusive. All three could be, and likely are, correct.
Been playing a bit with intermittent fasting and drinking bulletproof coffee in the morning. If I add supplements such as maca or cacao powder does that counteract the effects of consuming only fat for breakfast and will it throw me out of ketosis?
Nope, shouldn’t be a problem. Both have negligible amounts of carbs, with the bulk of cacao’s coming as fiber.
The cacao especially will only enhance your fast by increasing AMPK and improving mitochondrial function. You’ll recall that one of the primary benefits of fasting—and the thing responsible for many of its benefits—is the induction of AMPK activation.
What’s your view on nut butters pertaining to attempting to “reboot” one’s view towards food?
They can be nutrient dense, full of healthy fat soluble nutrients, and filling. But they can also displace other meals. And can be addictive.
Grok certainly didn’t have access to a jar of almond butter…..
Psychologically, nut butters seem to invite cheat meals. And train your brain to expect a certain level of taste. By simple nature that they are easy to eat and can be combined with other foods (ie: fruits) in ways that really overstimulate the senses (are almost too delicious for their profile). Something that should be reserved for standard american diet desserts.
Thoughts?
I share your concerns. I’m not super enthusiastic about nut butters, especially if you already find them addicting. I’ve seen too many people derail their progress by repeatedly plunging a greasy spoon into a jar of concentrated nut slurry. It’s way too easy to add 600 or 700 calories in a day just from “random” spoonfuls.
That said, they are nutrient-dense, they do go great on sliced apples and bananas, you can incorporate them into your cooking, you can use them to make incredible dipping sauces. Sounds like you’re a big fan, which is why you might want to lay off them for awhile.
Hi Mark, how do you motivate yourself to get out and exercise after getting home from work exhausted and all you feel like doing is curling up and sleeping? I know 90% of the time I will feel better for moving but when exhaustion hits it is oh so hard to physically follow through on what my mind knows will benefit me. Thanks.
I don’t. I’m serious. I very rarely, if ever, try to motivate myself to train after a long day working. I use those times to rest, hang out with my family, make dinner, read, and generally keep things very mellow. That post-work workout is fool’s gold. It’s so tempting, so inviting, so within reach—yet most people fail at it.
You’re at your most vulnerable at the end of the day, far more likely to give into the junk food waiting just a pantry door away. Moreover, consistently telling yourself that “this’ll be the day” you start training after work and consistently failing to follow through will establish a terrible relationship between you and exercise. Don’t feel wedded to the idea of a post-work workout (if a nighttime workout happens, it happens) if you have better options. Instead:
Wake up 30 minutes earlier to train. If you try this, don’t accrue any sleep debt. Go to bed 30 minutes before you normally would.
Make your mornings more efficient so you have enough free time to add a workout. Instead of deciding what to wear in the morning, decide the night before and lay the clothing out. Instead of spending ten minutes conducting an internal debate about how you should cook your eggs, you can decide the night before—and maybe have them hardboiled and ready to go.
Train at lunch. I like a midday session. Strength is highest then, and after I get the workout in, I’m happy, I feel great, and my productivity skyrockets. The workout is “done” for the day! An afternoon training session leaves me feeling optimistic about the rest of the day.
Play. Exercise doesn’t have to be grueling work under the bar or on the spin bike. It can be fun. It can take the form of play—aimless movement without a goal in sight. You’re probably more willing to play after work than submit to a regimented bout in the gym.
Or some/all of the above. A few brief spells of activity might feel more doable than one continuous session. That works, too.
That’s it for today, folks. Thanks for reading, and take care!
Oh, and help out today’s round of questioners with your own answers down below!
The post Dear Mark: Steak Satiety vs Ground Beef Satiety; Maca and Cacao During Fasts; Nut Butters, and Post-work Workouts appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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This month we partnered with the Astrotwins to reveal the ways your zodiac sign informs your chocolate preferences. According to the Astrotwins, “Each zodiac sign has a distinct set of personality traits — and believe it or not, there’s a chocolate recipe out there to match every horoscope sign.”
Geminis don’t sit still. An easy-to-grab snack that gives you a boost of energy — like wholesome chocolate muffins — is always your best bet since you don’t have time to sit and linger over a treat. Instead, you’ll take it to go, thank you very much, so you can run off to the next thing, whatever that may be. Here are five chocolate treats that fit your on-the-go lifestyle.
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Snow days were the best days as a kid. There was nothing like getting up early, only to find out that school was delayed or canceled that day. The cartoons! The snowmen! The cocoa! As an adult, however, things are a little bit trickier. It’s hard to exactly predict or prepare for when a snow day will strike and you have to take off work.
What are you supposed to do? I have just the thing.
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There’s probably a fine line between what makes something a cupcake rather than a muffin. For me, a muffin has a nice domed top, doesn’t have frosting, and shouldn’t give me a sugar rush during breakfast. These rich chocolate muffins have a delicious double dose of chocolate, but they also contain a lot of ingredients I eat at breakfast anyway, like milk, yogurt, and eggs.
They fall decidedly in the okay-for-breakfast category!
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There are people who casually consume their daily horoscope and there are people who take astrology very seriously. For the people in the second camp, “What’s your sign?” isn’t an annoying first-date question — it’s a window into who a person really is. By hearing that someone is a Gemini or an Aquarius, the astrology buff immediately gets a sense of what that person is all about.
For you zodiac enthusiasts, we’ve rounded up 10 astrology-themed items that’ll help your kitchen shine.
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