Cook Books

Contra Costa Times recommends the following cookbooks for the new year.

1) Power Foods
2) The Men's Health Big Book of Food and Nutrition
3) Everyday Vegan

Here's the link.

Which cookbooks to do you go to when you're looking for a healthy recipe?

Dieter's Report: Pat

Pat, from our office, is now starting her second round of hCG. She did her loading days, and now she in her first week of hCG supplements and the 500 calorie diet days. This time around, she is making sure to eat cottage cheese and eggs which are allowed to once weekly. This adds some variety rather than eating meat at every meal. Pat has lost two pounds so far. She made sure this time to do an intense fat load. After 7 days, Pat says that she no longer feels hungry. She has lost a total of 14 pounds, including during her first round of hCG a few months ago.

Quinoa Burgers

I tried this recipe at home. The patties were great. :) I didn't make the tahini (sesame seed paste) sauce, the the patties were flavorful without it.

Quinoa-Turkey Patties in Pita with Tahini

Serves 6

This is also delicious served with tzatziki, or mint chutney and Greek yogurt.

Tahini sauce:

1 garlic clove

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup water

Patties:

2 cups water, or more

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

12 ounces ground turkey

¼ teaspoon plus 1 pinch ground allspice

½ teaspoon plus 1 pinch ground cumin

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

2 scallions, finely chopped

Coarse salt

2 teaspoons canola or safflower oil, or more

6 lettuce leaves

1 English cucumber

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

6 pita breads

1. In a food processor, process tahini sauce ingredients until smooth. Chill.

2. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add quinoa. Stir once, cover and reduce heat. Simmer until tender, but still chewy, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork; let cool.

3. In a clean food processor, pulse turkey, spices, mint, scallions and ¾ teaspoon salt to a smooth paste. Add quinoa; process until mixture comes together around the blade. Roll into 24 balls; flatten slightly to form patties.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet. Working in batches, fry patties until cooked through.

5. Divide lettuce, cucumber and onion evenly among pita breads. Top each with 4 quinoa patties, drizzle with about 1 tablespoon tahini dressing. Fold pitas over filling and serve.

-- "Power Foods" by the editors of Whole Living Magazine (Clarkson Potter, 384 pp., $24.99)

Per serving: 434 calories, 9 g fat (2.1 g saturated), 32.5 mg cholesterol, 60 g carbohydrates, 23 g protein, 380 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.

Quinoa Snack

Quinoa, Apricot and Nut Clusters

Makes 20

1½ cups water

¾ cup white quinoa, rinsed and drained

1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

½ cup raw shelled sunflower seeds

½ cup raw shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

1 cup unsulfured, dried apricots, thinly sliced

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons canola or safflower oil

1½ teaspoons vanilla

2 large eggs, plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Vegetable oil cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa; return to a boil. Stir once; cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until quinoa is slightly underdone and has absorbed most of the liquid, 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer quinoa to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, fluffing with a fork occasionally, until pale golden, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; let cool.

2. Spread oats evenly on a baking sheet; bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 15 minutes. Add oats to quinoa. Spread seeds on baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, 7 minutes. Add to quinoa; let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

3. Toss nuts, apricots, sugar and salt with quinoa mixture. Mix honey, oil and vanilla into eggs; stir into quinoa mixture.

4.

Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper; lightly coat with cooking spray. For each cluster, place ¼ cup mixture onto sheet, spacing 3 inches apart. Flatten to ¼-inch thick. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until crisp, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store loosely covered with aluminum foil up to 2 days.

-- "Power Foods" by the editors of Whole Living Magazine (Clarkson Potter, 384 pp., $24.99)

Per 2-cluster serving: 329 calories, 10.6 g fat (3.4 g saturated), 42 mg cholesterol, 49 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, 5 g fiber, 139 mg sodium.

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad with Red Bell Pepper and Cilantro

Serves 4

To make this dish spicier, add the chile seeds.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and dried on a towel

1½ cups water

Salt and pepper

½ red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine

½ jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons minced red onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1. Toast quinoa in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until lightly toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Stir in water and ¼ teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until quinoa has absorbed most of the water and is nearly tender, 12 minutes. (Any remaining water will evaporate as the quinoa cools.) Spread quinoa in a rimmed baking sheet and set aside until tender and cool, 20 minutes.

2. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl. Stir in the bell pepper, jalapeño, onion and cilantro.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the lime juice, oil, mustard, garlic and cumin. Pour over quinoa and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days; season with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste before serving.

Quinoa: New Superfood

If you're in the maintenance part of the hCG diet, you're probably looking for new healthy foods and recipes. If it's been more than two weeks since you've stopped your pill, you can eat carbs again, in moderation.

A great grain to try is Quinoa. It's popular right now, AND it has all the essential amino acids that are found in meat so it's a complete protein. To boot, it's gluten free.

The Contra Costa times ran four recipes that use Quinoa on January 12th. I'll reproduce them here one recipe at a time.

Quinoa Pilaf with Lemon and Thyme

Serves 6

1 onion, minced

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1½ cups quinoa, rinsed and dried on a towel

1¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, basil, cilantro or scallions

1. Combine the onion, oil and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the quinoa, increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until the quinoa is lightly toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, lemon zest and thyme and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is transparent and tender, 16-18 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat, lay a clean folded kitchen towel across the top of the pot and replace the lid. Let sit for 10 minutes, then fluff the quinoa with a fork. Stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley or herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

-- "America's Test Kitchen's Healthy Family" (America's Test Kitchen, 528 pp., $34.95)

Per ¾"'cup serving: 170 calories, 3.5 g fat (0 saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 30 g carbohydrates,

Weight loss in 2011

In our most recent office newsletter we posted an article on the hCG diet with stats on our 2010 results. Below is a re-print of the article. If you're not signed up for our newsletter, look for the link on the right hand side of your screen to sign up.

We would love to be a part of your new year's resolutions. If you want to lose weight and begin a new healthy lifestyle, we're here to help. Dr. Crockett has had success with patient diet plans including hCG and appetite suppressants. Dr. Crockett and staff will be happy to put you on a diet plan, including weekly check-ins, phone calls, and emails to help you with your health goals.

We have some amazing statistics to share on our patients who have tried the hCG diet.

12% of patients lost 20-25 pounds

6% of patients lost 16-20 pounds

36% of patients lost 11-15 pounds

21% of patients lost 6-10 pounds

Congratulations! Some of our patients loved the diet so much they are ready for round 2 in 2011. They have found that they feel fuller after completing the course and they have kept the weight off!

To enhance your weight loss, we also carry cellulite reducing cream by Prescribed Solutions. Sonia also offers cellulite treatments with our state of the art cellulite laser.

Vegetarian Options

Vegetarians must change the traditional hCG diet to eliminate animal protein and add other proteins.

Instead of each portion on protein, you may eat:
-1 cup nonfat milk
-1 serving nonfat cottage cheese (100 grams)
-1 egg plus 2 egg whites

Allowed fruits, veggies, and starches remain the same as the traditional diet. Remember to count calories and do not go over 500!

For non-vegetarians, the above substitutions are not recommended because of the sugar in milk products.

My favorite drink

Tea :) Calorie free and yummy. I promise.

1 bag Bigelow Pomegranate Pizazz
1 bag Bigelow Orange and Spice
Hot water
1 packet Splenda (if desired)

The two flavors together have rich, wintery taste.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2011. We know it's going to be a great year! Thanks for reading our blog; we hope it's helping you stay on track with your hCG diet and maintenence.

January is the traditional time to set new goals. Weight loss and lifestyle are always popular and important new year's resolutions.

Get motivated for the new year! hCG is a great supplement to your current weight loss plan. If you've already done one course of hCG, we'd be happy to take you through the process again to help you lose even more weight. We are continuing to check in on patients who have been on hCG and most of you have been able to keep your weight off during the Holidays. That's great news!

We look forward to seeing you in the office and reading your blog comments in 2011.