Hunger or craving: You decide

I've been thinking a lot about hunger recently. When I start thinking about food, the first thing I do now is to drink a large glass of water. If I am still hungry after drinking the water, then I know it's time to eat.

But I found this information on the South Beach Diet web sit -- a definition of hunger vs. craving -- and I think it's too good not to pass on. It actually made real sense to me, especially the part about snacks. A few months back. I decided to take snacks out of my diet, and although I had success for a few weeks, I soon found myself thinking about food -- a lot. It began to overtake other thoughts, and that's when I knew I had to put snacks back into my eating plan -- but only if I was hungry. Most days I am.

Optimum time between meals is four hours. So if I eat breakfast at 6, that means by 10 a.m., 11 a.m. at the latest, I should be eating lunch. Dinner would be at 2 or 3. Of course that's impossible. But at 10 a.m., if I snack on food, I can easily make it until 1 p.m. to eat lunch. A snack about 4, and dinner at 7 completes my eating for the day. It also regulates my blood sugar, which means my cravings are gone. But on the days that I don't follow this schedule, I think about these definitions. They put things into perspective.

When It’s Hunger
Hunger is the feeling you get when you experience a normal and gradual drop in blood sugar about four or five hours after a meal. It's your body's way of telling you that eating is overdue. Hunger signals can come from your stomach (growls, pangs or a hollow feeling), or your brain (which may include feeling headachy or fatigued).

Adequately satisfy your hunger with the right foods, such as lean protein and plenty of vegetables at every meal. Another way to ward off hunger is to enjoy a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. Studies show that it takes relatively few calories to prevent cravings but many more to satisfy them once they occur. "The quality of calories in your satisfying meals and snacks, along with a dessert that contains protein, should help keep your hunger at bay," says Dr. Arthur Agatston, creator of the South Beach Diet. "We encourage you to eat until you’re full and snack before you get hungry." South Beach recommends turkey roll-ups, reduced-fat cheese, celery sticks with hummus or fresh fruit. I love Laughing Cow cheese wedges (35 calorie each) spread on celery ribs. Really yummy and filling.

When It’s a Craving
Cravings happen within a couple of hours of your last meal. "Cravings can be caused by exaggerated spikes and dips in blood sugar that occur after you eat highly processed carbohydrates -- white bread, cake or other highly refined baked goods, white rice or white pasta. These foods are digested so quickly that they cause an almost immediate rise in blood sugar followed by a rapid dip soon after," says Dr. Agatston. It's this drop in blood-sugar levels that causes a craving.

In addition, the sight and smell of food can produce cravings. When this happens, the South Beach Diet says to employ the "Three-Bite Rule." Simply take three bites of something you’re craving that you normally wouldn’t allow yourself to indulge in, such as a decadent dessert, and then put it aside for a few minutes. South Beach says that most likely you won’t come back to it, that just a few bites is enough to satisfy.

My problem: If I am really craving something, three bites will never happen. More power to you if you can make limit yourself to three bites.

Recipe time

We eat a lot of chicken and fish, and since I am not content to cook the same thing over and over again, I am always looking for interesting ways to cook both. Here are two suggestions, both guaranteed to take make meals a tad more interesting. Both recipes are from Weight Watchers.

GRILLED MOROCCAN CHICKEN KABOBS
1 1/4 LBS. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tblsp. orange juice
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
2 sprays cooking spray
1 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick half-moons
2 small red onions, quartered through the root

Mix the chicken, orange juice, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours.

Off heat, coat grill with cooking spray. Prepare gas grill for direct, high-heat grilling or build a high-heat charcoal bed in the center of the coal grate on a charcoal grill.

Divide the chicken, zucchini and onion among four large skewers, threading the meat and vegetables over the pointy ends and down the skewers.

Set the skewers directly over the heat and grill for 16 minutes, turning about every 4 minutes onto each of the other three sides, so that all four sides are well browned. When turning the skewers, use tongs to gently grasp some of the meat at the center. Do not turn the skewers by their ends — or put your hands down near the heat source. Makes 1 skewer per serving; 4 POINTS each.


CUBAN-STYLE BRAISED FISH
1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onions, chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), chopped
14 1/2 oz. can tomatoes with green chilies, peeled and diced
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth
10 green olives with pimientos, thinly sliced crosswise
1 1/2 lbs. halibut fillets, or sea bass or scrod
1 Tblsp. slivered almonds, toasted
3 cups broccoli florets, steamed

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Stir tomatoes, broth and olives into onion mixture and heat to simmer. Cut fish into 4 portions and arrange in skillet. Cover and cook until fish flakes with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes.

To serve, remove fish to 4 plates. Spoon tomato and olive mixture over fish and top each serving with a sprinkle of almonds. Serve with broccoli. Makes 4 servings; 5 POINTS each.

Pick of the Week: A new book!

When I was writing Pick of the Week for The Advocate and Greenwich Time newspapers, I would often mix things up by mentioning a new product or a new cookbook. Today, it's a cookbook, "125 Gluten-Free Bread Machine Recipes" by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt (Robert Rose, $24.95; $16.47 on Amazon).

Fifteen years ago, I got the horrid news that I had a bad wheat allergy. I eliminated wheat from my diet, and within a month, my weekly allergy shots and my asthma were gone. My allergy is not to gluten, but it might as well be.

The news hit me hard when I really analyzed my then diet, heavy on pasta and bread, two things I really have almost completely eliminated. Every now and then I'll have some commercial wheat bread -- but if I eat too much, my eyes start watering and my breathing gets labored. It's just not worth it.

Washburn and Butt are Canadians, and for years have been writing gluten-free cookbooks and giving lectures on the subject. There really is no better pair to turn to if you ever get this diagnosis, because their recipes are terrific -- and they work. They spend each day in their test kitchen perfecting the recipes that will eventually make it into their newest tome, so you know that if you follow them to the letter, you will not be disappointed. They are perfectionists and it shows in their writing.

Of course, if you do get this diagnosis, never before heard ingredients such as amaranth, bean and sorghum flours will soon become your best friend. And don't despair because this diagnosis is getting so prevalent, most markets now have a designated section for gluten-free or wheat-free products.

Washburn and Butt are incredible teachers, explaining these unusual ingredients, which are much better for you to eat than the over-processed ones we are too used to in America. Their cookbooks are filled with recipes AND important information that can spill out into all your cooking.

For example, I loved the section on instant-read thermometers, how to buy one, and the easy test we should all be doing to make sure our thermometer is registering the correct temperature. If it's not, they explain how to adjust. Just one little pearl of wisdom. There are many.

This book is perfect for new machines, especially those with a gluten-free cycle. You know gluten-free is the new it allergy when the small appliance manufacturers jump on the gluten-free bandwagon. It made me yearn for a new model. So now I have two goals:

1. Soon, I will buy a new bread machine
2. I will start at the first recipe in the book and keep on going, filling my house wit wonderful scents and our bodies with nutritious breads/

I am including a recipe for Square Pizza Crust, a thin pizza crust that is big on texture and flavor, followed by directions for a Sausage and Leek Pie.

SQUARE PIZZA CRUST

2/3 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup quinoa flour

1/3 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1 tsp. granulated sugar

2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 Tblsp. bread machine or instant yeast

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups water

1 Tblsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. cider vinegar

• In a large bowl or plastic bag, combine sorghum flour, quinoa flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, sugar, xanthan gum, yeast and salt; mix well and set aside.
• Pour water, oil, and vinegar into the bread machine baking pan.
• Select the Dough Cycle. Gradually add the dry ingredients as the bread machine is mixing. Scrape a rubber spatula while adding the dry ingredients. Try to incorporate all the dry ingredients within 1 to 2 minutes. Stop bread machine as soon as the kneading portion of the cycle is complete. Do not let bread machine finish the cycle.
• Gently transfer dough to a 15-by-10-inch lightly greased jelly roll pan and, using a moistened rubber spatula, spread evenly to the edges. Do not smooth top.
• Bake in 400-degree preheated oven for 12 minutes or until bottom is golden and crust is partially baked. Use right away or wrap airtight and freeze up to 4 weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using to make pizza. Makes 10 pieces. Per serving: 100 calories; 2g fat; no cholesterol; 178mg sodium; 19g carbohydrates; 2g fiber; 2g protein; 8mg calcium; 1mg iron.

SAUSAGE AND LEEK PIZZA

1 lb. gluten-free sausage, casings removed and meat crumbled

3 carrots, finely chopped

3 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 Tblsp. crumbled dried rosemary

2 Tblsp. dry white wine

1 partially baked Square Pizza Crust

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown sausage meat until no pink remains. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a plate and set aside. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet.
• In the fat remaining in the skillet, over medium heat, cook carrots, leeks, mushrooms and rosemary, stirring for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Drain off fat. Return browned sausage to skillet with wine; mix gently and set aside to cool slightly.
• Spread filling over crust to within 1/4 inch of the edges. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
• Bake in 400-degree preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and top is golden. Transfer to a cutting board, let coo slightly, then cut into 10 pieces. Per slice: 332 calories; 17g fat; 37mg cholesterol; 509mg sodium; 32g carbohydrates; 7g fiber; 11g protein; 250mg calcium; 5 mg iron.