Cake fit for human consumption

[mccoy]

This is a cake which I deem fit for human consumption, whereas most commercial cakes and pastries I do not regard as a food.

My wife makes it at least once a month. Whole grain, stone ground wheat flour, dark muscovado sugar, 4 eggs, non-processed cacao powder, cinnamon, ground skin of 2 lemons. To call it delicious is a huge understatement. And delicious+nourishing is a nice combo.

[Ron Put]

Yum 🙂

I wonder what would happen if you add some coarsely ground walnuts?

[mccoy]

20 hours ago, Ron Put said:

Yum 🙂

I wonder what would happen if you add some coarsely ground walnuts?

Dangerous suggestion, I would devour the cake in a single meal!

[Ron Put]

Haha, I am the same 🙂

But it will keep the elasticity of your arteries  🙂

https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/home/news/walnuts-help-keep-arteries-elastic/

[Sibiriak]

Sounds great,  with or without walnuts.   With coffee!   I haven't eaten any kind of cakes though,  for a while.  I've gone pretty strict after completing a 14 day fast.

On 7/6/2020 at 6:21 PM, mccoy said:

ground skin of 2 lemons

That sounds nutritious.  I'm curious,  do you use organic lemons?   I can't get much organic stuff where I am and I'd like to eat some fruit skins, but hesitate... 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2020 by Sibiriak

[Sibiriak]

15 hours ago, Ron Put said:

https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/home/news/walnuts-help-keep-arteries-elastic/

 

Eating Walnuts With High-fat Meals Helps To Protect Arteries Against Short-term Damage (2006)

Quote

"Each time we eat a high-fat meal, the fat molecules trigger an inflammatory reaction that, among other ill effects, reduces the elasticity of the arteries," Dr. Ros [director of the Lipid Clinic at Hospital Clínico in Barcelona, Spain ] said. "Over time, this repeated damage is thought to contribute to hardening of the arteries and, in turn, to heart disease. Our latest research shows that eating walnuts helps to maintain the elasticity of the arteries."

[...]The meals were identical, consisting of a salami-and-cheese sandwich on white bread and a small serving of full-fat yogurt. For one meal, the researchers added about 5 teaspoons (25 ml) of olive oil. For the other, they added 40 grams of walnuts, or about eight shelled nuts. [ Both test meals contained 80 g fat and 35% saturated fatty acids.] [That's 720 calories from fat alone! --Sib]

This raises the question, how relevant is this study (and similar ones) to someone  who generally avoids such inflammatory high fat meals? (Another question would be about the evidence for long term effects from this kind of acute effect,  taking into consideration overall diet/health context.)

Quote

According to their findings, both the olive oil and the walnuts helped to decrease the sudden onset of inflammation and oxidation in the arteries.  [...]But unlike olive oil, adding walnuts also helped to preserve the elasticity and flexibility of the arteries, regardless of people's cholesterol levels. This elasticity allows the arteries to expand when needed to increase blood flow to the body.

"The inner lining of the arteries produces a substance called nitric oxide that is needed to keep the arteries flexible," Dr. Ros said. "When we eat high-fat meals, the fat molecules temporarily disrupt the production of nitric oxide, preventing the arteries from increasing blood flow in response to physical activity."

One of the nutrients found in walnuts, he said, is arginine, an amino acid used by the body to produce nitric oxide.

Once again,  a study that uses dubious generic "olive oil",  not verified high quality  EVOO.    Studies have shown that polyphenol-rich EVOO  increases the production of nitric oxide ),one of several mechanisms by which it improves endothelial function and cardiovascular health.

So why design a study based on a comparison of walnuts and generic "olive oil" of  dubious phytochemical content? 

Quote

This study was supported with grants [and provision of walnuts] from the California Walnut Commission, the Spanish Ministry of Health and Fundación Carolina.

Dr. Ros serves on the scientific advisory board of the California Walnut Commission.

 

Edited July 10, 2020 by Sibiriak

[mccoy]

16 hours ago, Sibiriak said:

That sounds nutritious.  I'm curious,  do you use organic lemons?   I can't get much organic stuff where I am and I'd like to eat some fruit skins, but hesitate... 

Sibiriak, in Italy you can find so-called 'untreated' lemons, which have not been treated in surface with a wax and fungicides mix, compounds which are used to preserve the skin for much longer than the untreated fruit. They may not be organic, in this case they have been treated with chemicals in surface but are sold on the shelves after a legally determined time of decay.

It's the same with oranges, although it's not easy to find the unwaxed ones.

[CJay]

On 7/6/2020 at 4:21 AM, mccoy said:

This is a cake which I deem fit for human consumption, whereas most commercial cakes and pastries I do not regard as a food.

My wife makes it at least once a month. Whole grain, stone ground wheat flour, dark muscovado sugar, 4 eggs, non-processed cacao powder, cinnamon, ground skin of 2 lemons. To call it delicious is a huge understatement. And delicious+nourishing is a nice combo.

the swirl is beautiful! That takes skill I do not have 🙂

[Sibiriak]

6 hours ago, mccoy said:

in Italy you can find so-called 'untreated' lemons, which have not been treated in surface with a wax and fungicides mix,

Thanks for the info.  I need to explore my options.  

[mccoy]

On 7/10/2020 at 4:43 AM, Sibiriak said:

I've gone pretty strict after completing a 14 day fast.

Congrats, 14 days is not a cinch, what kind of fast was it?

[mccoy]

8 hours ago, CJay said:

the swirl is beautiful! That takes skill I do not have 🙂

AS far as I understand, the swirl just self creates when the denser mass with cacao sinks slowly down into the less dense mass without it. But I must ask

[Sibiriak]

I went 7 days at about 700 calories,  which I didn't count,  then 7 days about 200 calories, then final 7 days close to zero calories.    The Covid-19 quasi-lockdown provided a good opportunity to do it. I saw that my weight was creeping up, and I wanted to get back to my "setpoint".  Of course,  I was also interested in the other putative benefits of fasting,  autophagy etc. The  hardest thing was just starting.  I didn't plan to go that long,  I just followed my intuition.   It was easier than expected, while weight loss was slower than expected.  My energy was pretty good throughout,  though I did experiences a couple of instances of orthostatic hypotension.

After a brief transition period back,  I adopted a strict 2 meals/2 fasts a day pattern,  with approx. 8 hours between the start of the first meal and the second. I'm not absolutely strict on the times,  but strict about zero snacking  in between.   

After the fast, I felt like I could  reset to whatever pattern I chose without the inertia of previous habits which had been dissolved.   I rejected one meal a day because, apart from theoretical considerations,  a) I don't like spending a lot of time  planning a meal, preparing it and eating it 2) I don't like feeling stuffed after eating,  3) I don't like certain combinations foods in the same meal  4) I find it harder to make sure I get all my nutrients  in one meal.

While practical considerations were most important in my case,  theoretically,  it's not clear what the best eating pattern is,  even for a given individual.  

Here's a mouse study which includes some  interesting general theoretical discussion of (isocaloric)  2 meals/2 fasts a day eating:

System-wide benefits of intermeal fasting by autophagy (2017)

Quote

Summary

Autophagy failure associates with metabolic insufficiency. Although caloric restriction (CR) extends healthspan, its adherence in humans is poor. We established an isocaloric twice-a-day (ITAD) feeding model wherein ITAD-fed mice consume the same food amount as Ad libitum controls but at two short windows early and late in the diurnal cycle. We hypothesized that ITAD feeding will provide two intervals of intermeal fasting per circadian period and induce autophagy. We show that ITAD feeding modifies circadian autophagy and glucose/lipid metabolism that correlate with feeding-driven changes in circulating insulin. ITAD feeding decreases adiposity, and unlike CR, enhances muscle mass. ITAD feeding drives energy expenditure, lowers lipid levels, suppresses gluconeogenesis, and prevents age/obesity-associated metabolic defects. Using liver-, adipose-, myogenic-, and proopiomelanocortin neuron-specific autophagy-null mice, we mapped the contribution of tissue-specific autophagy to system-wide benefits of ITAD feeding. Our studies suggest that consuming two meals a day without CR could prevent the metabolic syndrome.

 

In addition effects on autophagy, WAT browning, hepatic gluconeogenesis etc.,   some interesting results were noted concerning muscle mass (requiring all the mouse-study related caveats, of course) :

Quote

To determine whether ITAD feeding increased muscle mass, we subjected mice to X-ray computed tomography (CT). CT reconstructions confirmed that ITAD feeding on RD for 12mo reduced total fat mass, and decreased subcutaneous WAT (sWAT) mass in abdominal (Abd) and scapular (Sca) planes (Fig. 1I). Further, CT revealed a trend of reduced eWAT mass in Abd plane (Fig. 1I). CT also showed a significant increase in lean mass in Sca plane and a trend for the same in Abd plane of ITAD-fed mice when compared to Con (Fig. 1J). Consistent with increased lean mass, gastrocnemius/soleus (GA-sol) muscles from 12mo ITAD mice weighed modestly more than those in Con (Fig. 1K). Reduction of fat mass in ITAD mice associated with increased oxygen consumption (VO₂), carbon dioxide production (VCO₂), and energy expenditure (EE) (Fig. 1L, 1M and S1G, S1H) that did not result from increased locomotion (Fig. S1I, S1J). Thus, ITAD feeding normalizes age and diet-associated energy imbalance.

 

 

Quote

ITAD feeding increases type IIB fibers in skeletal muscle

To understand how ITAD feeding increases muscle mass (Fig. 1K, S3D), we examined the effect of ITAD feeding on myocyte proliferation and fiber-type changes. H/E-stained GA from ITAD-fed mice for 10mo revealed myocytes that were ~25% smaller in size than Con mice (Fig. 3K, S3E). In fact, we noted an abundance of myocytes with cross-sectional area 5,000–15,000 pixel² on a scale from 0–40,000 pixel² (Fig. 3L). ITAD feeding also increased the number of cells with centralized nuclei (Fig. 3K, 3M). Small myocytes with centralized nuclei reflect proliferating and regenerating muscle (Charge and Rudnicki, 2004). Accordingly, we noted ~30–40% increase in expression of myogenic factors Myf5, Myf6, and Myog without changes in Myod1 and Ckm expression (Fig. 3N), and ~1.6-fold increase in expression of proliferation marker Cyclin D1 (Fig. 3O) indicating active myogenesis in ITAD-fed mice.

Since aging associates with preferential loss of type IIB glycolytic fibers (Marzetti et al., 2009), we investigated the effect of ITAD feeding on type IIB fiber content. Staining for myosin heavy chain (MyHC) glycolytic type IIB and oxidative type I fibers in GA from 10mo ITAD-fed mice (analyzed at 14mo age) revealed a remarkable increase in type IIB fibers without changes in type I fiber content indicating glycolytic fiber expansion (Fig. 3P, 3Q).

Since increased glycolytic fiber number associates with reduced endurance, we tested the effect of ITAD feeding on exercise capacity. During 3 days of acclimatization on a treadmill-based exercise regime (Fig. S3F, S3G) (He et al., 2012), we failed to observe significant differences in exercise capacities by both groups.

During the test (Fig. 3SH), when treadmill speed was increased by 1 meter/min every min, consistent with increased type IIB fiber content, ITAD-fed mice fatigued earlier at 28 meters/min speed indicated by increased shocks required to stay on the treadmill.

Nevertheless, ITAD feeding leads to retention of key attributes of skeletal muscle that are typically lost with age – mass and type IIB fiber content.

 

 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Sibiriak

[mccoy]

14 minutes ago, Sibiriak said:

It was easier than expected, while weight loss was slower than expected. 

That's what I notice myself with Longo's FMD, at the end of it I feel I might go on for longer... But I do loose weight, so I stop. Your first 7 days sound like an extended FMD.

[CJay]

11 hours ago, mccoy said:

AS far as I understand, the swirl just self creates when the denser mass with cacao sinks slowly down into the less dense mass without it. But I must ask

Well if your wife would share the amounts of ingredients I will certainly try then.  Beautiful either way

[mccoy]

This is the recipe:

-400 grams whole wheat flour

-170 grams dark muscovado sugar

-4 eggs

-3 tablespoons EVOO

-1/2 tbs cinnamon

-grated rinds of 2 medium, untreated lemons.

-Soymilk or oatmilk to reach optimal density (about one cup)

-2 or 3 tablespoons of cacao powder to add to about one third of the mass separately and to put on top.

-Consistency and other details are judged on the spot.

This is a traditional Italian cake which is usually done with white flour and defined sugar. There are recipes out there but they are in Italian.

https://ricetta.it/torta-bicolore

 

 

 

 

Edited July 12, 2020 by mccoy

[CJay]

On 7/12/2020 at 5:14 AM, mccoy said:

This is the recipe:

-400 grams whole wheat flour

-170 grams dark muscovado sugar

-4 eggs

-3 tablespoons EVOO

-1/2 tbs cinnamon

-grated rinds of 2 medium, untreated lemons.

-Soymilk or oatmilk to reach optimal density (about one cup)

-2 or 3 tablespoons of cacao powder to add to about one third of the mass separately and to put on top.

-Consistency and other details are judged on the spot.

This is a traditional Italian cake which is usually done with white flour and defined sugar. There are recipes out there but they are in Italian.

https://ricetta.it/torta-bicolore

Amazing! Thank you :)

 

 

 

 

[mccoy]

Another cake that is nutritious and just naturally sweet. Microwave apple pie, recent creation of my wife.

This time the result was  beyond expectations. Whole grain organic flour: 200 grams, dark muscovado sugar: 60 grams; organic eggs: 2 medium; 'Renette' apples, sourish and rich in vitamin C : 500 grams; soy milk , EVOO 2 tbsps. Plus ground pistachio and cacao powder on top; plus lots of lemon and orange rind, cinnamom.

The taste is rich, only moderately sweet, with a sour tang from this variety of apples. 

 

[mccoy]

This is the 'reinette' variety of apple, originary of France I believe. I don't know how it's called in the USA.

 

[BrianA]

There are some interesting dessert (and other) recipes at this site. The focus is on vegan, gluten-free, processed sugar-free (sweetness typically added via dates), processed oil-free (fats typically added via cashews or other nuts) food:

 

https://plantbasedcookingshow.com/

 

We've made some of the desserts, muffins, and breads and they generally turn out very tasty. There is an apple pie recipe, haven't tried that one yet:

 

https://plantbasedcookingshow.com/2020/10/03/vegan-apple-pie/

[Saul]

I avoid grains.

  --  Saul

[mccoy]

On 12/12/2020 at 9:24 PM, Saul said:

I avoid grains.

I respect the choice and I myself don't eat many, but cereals remain objectively an inexpensive food, rich in carbs, protein, fiber and some micronutrients (in their unrefined form).

[Capitao Nascimento]

This is my first birthday without cake due to CRON, before I used to drink alcohol only in the new year now I drink 1 150 ml glass every day from today on a 10% colonial wine as soon as I finish my college I will buy a wine expensive with 6 mg of resveratriol, i really wanted to get into a severe CR like the two 19 year old users that i suspect are the same or equal Michael Rae and Khurram Hashimi. In the opinion of some, a fit cake would remove it from the CRON and leave it in a strict CR but without the same CRON as the 19 year old user. 

I think that if these two users are not the same the new one will live longer.

Edited December 18, 2020 by Capitao Nascimento

[Barth deRosa]

Excellent! looking so really tasty. l will definitely try this