Sugar: Cocaine for the Masses

No one ever tells you as a kid that if you eat enough sugar you will have a dependence on it for the rest of your life. Usually, it is just tied to losing weight, but no one ever tells you about the consequences of the actual sugar. If you haven’t figured it out by now, sugar is just as addictive as cocaine, if not more than.

The truth is, sugar has the same reaction in the brain when ingested as cocaine. According to many different studies, it floods the reward center of our brain with dopamine. Being that dopamine is the hormone that dictates pleasure levels, messing with it could be a problem. The fact that sugar is in almost everything we eat and drink (sometimes even water) is disheartening.

Steering away from sugar could also be a problem, too. From personal experience, it is easy to say that completely dropping sugar from your diet is almost nearly impossible, cold turkey. That is one of the many parallels to drug addiction, you will withdrawal off of sugar. It is a thing. Despite still working on it, I have found a few tips on how to get by day to day with a sugar addiction.

The thing that best works for me is weaning off of sugar slowly. If that is too difficult and the craving is too strong, allow yourself one miniature candy or hard candy. This technique tends to curb the intensity of the craving making it easier to forget. Other than that, patience in key.

Sugar is something we all should be aware of, so just remember that moderation is your friend. For more information on sugar and its effects visit this website. Authority Nutrition

I have always been a froyo type of girl. When I graduated from high school five years ago I made the decision to stay away from ice cream and alternate to the healthier option of frozen yogurt. It wasn’t until two years ago when I moved to Tampa when my mindset shifted back to its old ways and fell into the temptation of ice cream again.

Twistee Treat is located right off of W Fletcher Ave. There is also another location in New Tampa. I have never been to an ice cream shop as authentic as theirs. Their building is just as authentic as their ice cream, with it literally being shaped of an ice cream cone.

Even though I feel like I should feel guilty from the sudden switch from my long run with frozen yogurt, their ice cream is 100 % gluten free and homemade with fresh ingredients. They have many smooth and rich flavors to choose from and combinations for the perfect treat on a hot sunny Florida day. Twistee Treat also offers shakes, malts, sundaes and slushes.

So next time you’re willing to treat yourself, make your way towards the twinkly lit cone located right off Fletcher and Dale Mabry. You won’t regret it.

For more information on Twistee Treats visit their Facebook page.

We hope to catered to your interests, whether it’s looking for a healthy midnight snack or discovering the best cheesecake recipe of your life. Leave us a comment and let us know what you think. Thank you all for your comments for these post, we enjoyed your time here on Mass Munchies!

California Tacos To Go

If you’re an avid Food Network viewer, you’re familiar with Guy Fieri’s show “Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives”, in which Fieri travels to eat at restaurants that are making that city’s best food. What many University of South Florida students don’t know is that California Tacos To Go, which is about 10 minutes north of campus, was featured on Fieri’s show. This local taco stop serves up fresh tacos and generous portions at college student budget friendly prices.

California Tacos To Go offers an extensive menu to cater to anyone’s taste, with options like substituting fries for the rice and beans on a burrito (just ask for California style) and vegetarian choices for those who don’t include meat in their diet. Two of their more popular tacos are the grouper tacos and the shrimp and chorizo tacos, both of which come in huge portions to satisfy any college student’s appetite. And if you’ve got a sweet tooth, they sell churros and incredible house-made horchata which is the perfect way to cool off on a hot day.

It’s no secret that one of the perks of being a USF student is the Florida weather. The outdoor seating makes this stop great for students who need a little study break and fresh air while eating fresh and delicious food. And while it’s also no secret that college students don’t have huge budgets, California Tacos To Go has that area covered too. They offer student discounts and multiple specials like $6.99 taco Tuesday and the $9.93 “Guy Fiery” special which is perfect for students who like some spice.

Located on Skipper Road, California Tacos To Go truly is the ideal spot for students; fresh food that tastes great without breaking the bank and outdoor seating to enjoy the sun that Florida is infamous for.

Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread

(photo: justataste.com)

Are you tired of the traditional pizza? Ordering it, having to wait over an hour and then having to pay a good amount of money for it?

Don’t get me wrong, pizza will always have a place in the hearts of the people including mine. But I wouldn’t test my love for pizza by eating it everyday.One may have eaten pizza yesterday and craving something cheesy with pepperoni today.

Let me introduce to you the pepperoni pizza pull-apart bread. It is not your traditional bread nor is it your traditional pizza.

This dish consist of pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce. All placed on your choice of dough and baked to perfection. The cook time for this dish is only thirty minutes.

Justataste.com shares the ingredients and a step by step process on how to achieve this dish. To get you started in the right direction, here are the ingredients you will need:

For the dough:

• all-purpose flour, divided
• sugar
• salt
• instant yeast (1 envelope)
• whole milk
•  unsalted butter
• water
• eggs, at room temperature

For the toppings:

• pizza or marinara sauce
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• sliced pepperoni
• unsalted butter, melted
• cloves garlic, minced

These ingredients are easy to find and affordable. The pepperoni pizza pull-apart bread may be a mouth full to say, but will be hard to resist once you’ve tried it.

So next time instead of picking up the phone and calling Papa John’s or Pizza Hut, pick up these ingredients and head over to justataste.com for directions on how to make this dish. It’s time to step out of your traditional pizza box and try something new.

 

Snacking with Mickey Mouse

Most Floridians have spent at least one weekend of their life exploring Walt Disney World. After dishing out over a hundred dollars to enter the parks, most are searching for a way to salvage their pocket book without giving up the magical Disney experience. The answer, I’ve found, is being smart with meals.

Plan in Advance

Disney is one of the few companies that allow guests to bring their own food into the parks. Unfortunately, this has led to many an amateur lugging around heavy coolers in 90-degree weather in an attempt to save some cash. Bring a small, soft-sided cooler or even a small bag to carry your snacks in.

The Smaller the Better

The key to managing Disney is snacks. By having a variety of small goodies to munch on all day you can easily avoid paying $20 for a burger and fries. Granola bars, cheese sticks, apples with peanut butter and a bag of Cheez-Its are great for easy snacking. By snacking in line you’ll find that hours pass before you start to crave some sugary sweets.

Avoid Paying for Water

After hours in the Florida sun you’ll definitely be in need of some refreshing water. However, purchasing a bottle of water in the parks will run you almost $3. The key is to bring a refillable water bottle and use one of the many fountains across the parks. Or ask for a cup of water at any food vender, which they gladly will give you for no charge.

Splurge

By bringing your own food you’ve freed up your wallet to splurge on some essential — and cheap—Disney goodies. Dole Whip floats, Mickey bars and waffle with Nutella sandwiches can all be purchased for under $10 and help add some extra magic to your trip.

Foods that increase intelligence

(photo: openclipart)

Final exams are just around the corner and students want to know how to retain more information. Tips such as taking ginkgo biloba and getting enough sleep are good starting points, but what you’re eating can also have an impact on your mental capabilities. Here is a quick list of perishables that help you get smarter.t

Eat your greens

According to Psychology Today and Business Insider, leaf products such as lettuce, spinach, and broccoli lower your intake of homocysteines, which cause dementia. Business Insider also states that eating green food helps transport oxygen throughout the body, including your brain.

Learn to fish

Psychology Today reports that fish such as salmon contain a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 lowers your chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease and improves your ability to intake new information.

Move to the Beet

Beets pack a fistful of Vitamin B, which causes your brain to comprehend and recall information faster, according to Rodale’s Organic Life. Mercola.com states that adding beets to your diet gives you a stamina boost, helping you get through those boring classes.

Chocolate?

Well… dark chocolate, to be more precise. Eating dark chocolate (in moderation) allows more blood flow to the brain and makes you feel more energized, says  Rodale’s Organic Life. It might be a good idea to bring your peers some dark chocolate for Easter.

(By Daniel Varela)

Everything is Better with Bacon (Grease)

(photo: flickr)

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but if you’re like me, then you may have trouble finding a variety of breakfast foods to make. Eating the same thing each morning can make your food seem more bland. Thankfully, there is an easy way to add more flavor to your breakfast, no matter what you make.

All you need to do is cook bacon in a pan before cooking, or while you cook the rest of your meal. Most times when we cook bacon, we clean the pan before using it again in order to not get the grease on other foods. By doing this, we are getting rid of the most flavorful part of breakfast.

While bacon grease may not be healthy, eating it every once in a while won’t hurt you. Also, you will no longer need to use butter or oil to grease the pan, and the food you cook on the pan will soak up the grease, which makes the clean up a lot easier.

Pro Tips for Cooking with Bacon Grease:

1. Instead of toasting your bread in a toaster, put a slice or two of bread on the pan, pressing each side to the pan so it soaks up bacon grease.
2. Cook your eggs while you cook your bacon–the bacon grease will make them cook faster.
3. Cook hash browns in bacon grease in order to add more flavor.

Additionally, if you do not eat breakfast, or do not like breakfast foods, there are plenty of other ways to use bacon grease for cooking lunch and dinner.

The next time you get bored of eating the same food over and over again, see if you can add bacon grease to make it tastier!

Fish are Food, Not Friends: Benefits of Eating Fresh Seafood

I have always enjoyed seafood. Whether it’s lobster from Maine or bass from the fresh water lakes, I will eat any type of fish. Recently, I’ve learned the amazing health benefits from seafood.

Seafood is great for your heart. It’s high in omega 3 and low in saturated fats. This protects against heart disease and lowers the cholesterol level in the blood. Fish also contains high levels of Vitamin D, which helps slow down cardiac rhythm and blood pressure. Studies show that if one increases their fish conception every week, then their chance of heart disease can decrease by half.

Seafood also can help joint pains. Studies have shown that eating fish on a regular basis can decrease pain from arthritis. There is also a link between Omega-3 and osteoarthritis, showing that seafood could help prevent this disease.

Fish also helps improve eyesight. Studies show that Omega-3 can help protect people’s eyes with AMD. This disease caused retina deterioration which can negatively effect eyesight. It also contains Vitamin A, which helps improve night vision.

Lastly, seafood is great for your skin. Omega-3 helps protect the skin from UV damage from the sun. It also contains proteins that make the skin stay firm.

So what are you waiting for? Go put down the computer and go eat some seafood.

Check out this site for twelve easy fish taco recipes. Tacos are an easy and delicious way to get the healthy benefits out of seafood!

Asian Fusion Noodle Bowl

Over the weekend I shopped at Sanwa Farmers Market. Using the produce I purchased there, today I made a vegetable noodle stir-fry for dinner. This dish is simple, quick and can be made with whatever produce you have on hand. Let’s begin!

Grab your ingredients.

*Note: All measurements are approximate.

Sauce:

2T Sriracha

2T honey

½ cup soy sauce

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

3T oyster sauce

Main dish:

2T oil

1 package pasta (I used spaghetti)

4 carrots, peeled and cut (to preference)

1 broccoli crown, cut

1 can of baby corn, drained

½ large onion, diced

2 cups snow peas

3 heads of baby bok choy

In a medium pot, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

While waiting for the water to boil, prep the vegetables. The carrots take the longest to cook, so steam them first. This can be done on stovetop or in the microwave. I didn’t feel like waiting for the stove to heat so I used the microwave method. Place the cut carrots in a shallow bowl with a little water and set microwave for 1-2 minutes. Make sure they still have some crunch left.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. I used a wok.

Once the oil is heated add the carrots, onions and baby corn. Cook for about 5 minutes.

 

Add the broccoli and cook until it starts to turn a bright green.

Now add the rest of the vegetables. *Add leafy greens last because they cook the fastest.

 

 

 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Once the vegetables are finished cooking, set the temperature to low. Add the noodles to the pan. Mixing together. Add the sauce and stir well.

Serve the stir-fry in a bowl (or plate) with chopsticks (or fork).

Enjoy!

Funfetti Cookies

Do you ever offer to bring a dessert to an event or someone’s house then realize you do not have the time or supplies to buy or make anything? Or maybe you are just in the mood for a simple but delicious snack.

 Funfetti cookies are easy to make and only use six basic kitchen ingredients. Cookie prep is about seven minutes and bake time is ten minutes.

Ingredients:

1 stick of salted butter

1 package of cream cheese

1 egg

1 box of Funfetti cake mix

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 cup of powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap your cookie sheet with aluminum foil (so you do not have to fully clean the pan).

Soften butter for 15 second in the microwave. Place all ingredients except for the powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, blend the supplies until smooth.

Roll dough into one inch balls and cover them in powdered sugar. Place them an inch apart from each other on the pan. Sprinkle powdered sugar on the top of the dough.

Once your oven is preheated to 350 then bake cookies for ten minutes. When you take the cookies out of the oven sprinkle a light layer of powdered sugar.

These delicious cookies are a perfect snack to munch on or use as a party favor. It is a cheap and easy recipe. For other Funfetti snacks check out babble!