Topic: The five things.

[Yixin (pronounced ee-shin)]

Here's a simple exercise to help you with shopping, and to get you acquainted with ingredients you may not have heard of before.

1.) List five ingredients you always have on hand.
2.) List five ingredients you sometimes have on hand.
3.) List five ingredients you never have on hand, but want to for some reason or another
4.) List five ingredients you will never and shall never have on hand.


Five things I always have on hand:

1.) The Chinese Trinity: Green onions, garlic and ginger (yes, I know those are three things). They add tons of flavor and nutrients to pretty much anything you cook, without adding too many calories.
2.) Eggs: Good source of protein, and easy for a college student to just make in the morning after pulling an all-nighter.
3.) Rest of the chicken: Chicken is relatively cheap for meat, which helps if you're broke. It's also easy to cook.
4.) Rice vinegar (dark): This adds flavor very effectively as well.
5.) Yogurt: Great pick-me-up as a snack.


Five Things I Sometimes Have:

1.) Olive Oil: It's good for you, but I don't shop at western supermarkets that often. I usually use canola oil.
2.) Soy Sauce: Tastes great, not good for you.
3.) Nori: It's good stuff, but I can't find a role for it at times.
4.) Shrimp: Fish is better for you, but fish costs more money and frequently isn't as flavorful as shrimp.
5.) Ground Beef: It's more expensive than chicken, but it's also pretty useful.


Five Things I Want To Have More Of.

1.) Oily Fish: If I wasn't broke, I'd buy more of this stuff. And I can't stand the taste of canned tuna, so I'm not eating it.
2.) Steak: Sadly, a lack of a grill in my apartment building makes this impossible.
3.) Curry spices: I can never seem to remember this for some reason or another.
4.) Lamb: Lamb is good, but it's difficult to find and costs $$$ that I don't have.
5.) Bacon: If only it wasn't awful for you, I'd have it 10 times a day. But it's awful for you.

Five Things I Will Never Have

1.) Potato Chips: I don't see the point.
2.) Iced Tea/Sweet Tea: Although any southerner will rip my head off for saying this, sweet tea sucks. There, I said it. *dodges bullets*
3.) Protein Powder: Blech. Tastes nasty. I don't care if I'll never bulk up, I can't do protein powder.
4.) Packaged Cheese: Those yellow slices must be what they eat in hell.
5.) White Bread: Flavorless and filled with sugar. No thanks.

[TraceuseDS]

What a fun idea! OK, here goes.

Five things I always have:
1) Milk: Gotta have it. Nice way to add a few extra calories to a meal.
2) Eggs: Easy to keep, easy to fix. I usually have some boiled eggs sitting in the fridge so I can grab them and go whenever I'm running late or need a quick protein boost.
3) Produce (especially tomatoes and onions): Yeah, it's more than one thing, but the same thing always happens - I buy more than I really need, and end up adding them to all my meats and veggies in order to add flavor (and use them up before they go bad).
4) Oatmeal: It's a breakfast staple. I make a whole pot on Sunday night, add fruit, yogurt, and nuts, and pack it up in Tupperware in the fridge for the rest of the week. Because I KNOW I won't have time to do it in the morning.
5) Spices: The ones I use the most are turmeric, cumin, coriander, and chilli, but cinnamon actually tastes strangely good in a lot of things you wouldn't expect. Add these to EVERYTHING.


Five things I sometimes have:
1) Ground beef: Basic. Good for mixing with other things or making into hamburgers...
2) Chicken (not frozen...): I buy this in bulk, then separate it into little ziploc baggies and put the extra in the freezer. Somehow, it never makes it into the fridge in time to defrost for supper, though.
3) Fish: It's good for you. And tastes good if you season it properly. I get it when the price is right...
4) Tofu: Just sometimes. I like it.
5) Plain whole-milk yogurt: I'm picky, though. It has to be the right kind, and only one store in the area (not my normal grocery store) sells it.


Five things I want to have more of:
1) Hot peppers: Serrano, Jalapeno, fingerhots, whatever...I always run out!!
2) Raspberries: I love these! Unfortunately, they rarely seem to be as cheap as strawberries, or even blackberries, and whey they are, the quality is often lacking. When I can get them, they're amazing by themselves or with yogurt. Lots of nice antioxidants, as if you needed another reason to eat them.
3) Good, homemade granola: Tastes great with plain yogurt, and maybe some fruit. I rarely take the time to make it, though, and it's probably overly carby even if I did.
4) Tea: Tastes good, and is good for you. I go in cycles with this. There's nearly always some in the house, so sometimes I drink tons, and other times I won't have any for a week.
5) Avocados: They taste good, and have nutrients and good fats in them. The problem is that I can rarely figure out what to do with them before they go bad.


Five things I'll never have:
1) Potato chips: Greasy and nasty!
2) Cilantro: For some reason, the taste of this herb really bothers me...
3) Store-bought cookies: If I'm going to eat something this bad for me, I'd rather make them myself. They taste better that way!
4) Twinkies: Gross. I'll leave them for the little bug guy in Wall-e.
5) Hot dogs: Why do people eat those??

[Sat Santokh]

3.) Protein Powder: Blech. Tastes nasty. I don't care if I'll never bulk up, I can't do protein powder.

You seem to lack basic knowledge about your body, you should consider reading up on that.

[tombb]

3.) Protein Powder: Blech. Tastes nasty. I don't care if I'll never bulk up, I can't do protein powder.

You seem to lack basic knowledge about your body, you should consider reading up on that.

his knowledge seems fine to me, and you definitely can't infer any lack of it from the statement you quoted.

He is making a statement about personal taste preference, which is just up to each person. Personally I found many great-tasting protein powders, especially when used as ingredients in other things, but again that's just up to individual taste (assuming he didn't just try once and in the worst possible protein powders in the worst possible condition, like mixed with water instead of say in a shake with milk and fruits).
People have different tastes, for example I think skim milk tastes great and whole milk doesn't, but there are people out there that don't like milk or like whole milk better, go figure, and I even know one person who claims they don't like chocolate, although that still seems impossible to me...

And he just followed it by a hypothetical, he is not saying you -can't- bulk-up without protein powders, he is saying he personally dislikes the taste so much that IF hypothetically his bulking up depended on that food source alone, he would still chose not to have it and choose that alternative over it. 

And while that hypothetical scenario obviously doesn't normally apply, there are even situations where it might be closer to reality because of practical consideration, for example if you lack time and money to prepare food with good protein content and maybe even have food restrictions (due to allergies, geography, choice, culture, taste, etc) and having the option of using the cheaper and more practical protein supplements might really help you tip your protein intake to better levels in that case.


Anyways I thought his initial suggestion in this post seems like a nice extra way to organize when thinking about what you like, don't like and what ingredients you want to buy based on many extra factors (he mentioned personal taste, cost, health, flexibility as cooking ingredient, etc), and I think this type of thread should be encouraged more than the usual "I don't like veggies and spelling" thread because there are already too many of those around.

[TraceuseDS]

Anyways I thought his initial suggestion in this post seems like a nice extra way to organize when thinking about what you like, don't like and what ingredients you want to buy based on many extra factors (he mentioned personal taste, cost, health, flexibility as cooking ingredient, etc), and I think this type of thread should be encouraged more than the usual "I don't like veggies and spelling" thread because there are already too many of those around.

I agree. Well said.

[Sat Santokh]

What I got from his statement was that protein powder is only used for bulking up.  It also seems like you are agreeing with me tombb when you talked about the practicality of using protein supplements

[Chris Salvato]

What I got from his statement was that protein powder is only used for bulking up.  It also seems like you are agreeing with me tombb when you talked about the practicality of using protein supplements

I interpreted both yours and the OPs statements as you did, Sat.  <shrug>

I like this thread idea, though

Five things I always have on hand:

1.  Olive Oil
2.  Beef - 93/7 Ground Beef (or leaner); London Broil; Any sort of lean steak
3.  Chicken - Breasts with and without ribs; Whole roasting chickens
4.  Protein Powders -- Usually 2 types, fast (whey) and casein (slow)
5.  Whole Milk

Five Things I Sometimes Have:

1.  Vegetables (Peppers, Onions, Greens, etc)
2.  Organic Corn Chips
3.  Honey
4.  Turkey Bacon
5.  Peanut Butter

Five Things I Want To Have More Of.

1.  Fish - particularly Oily fish...
2.  Flank Steak
3.  Pork Tenderloin
4.  Avocados
5.  Watermelon

Five Things I Will Never Have

1.  Refined Canola Oil
2.  Potato Chips/Pretzels
3.  Cake
4.  Bread
5.  Margarine

[Spencer B]

5.  Watermelon

lol, is that an M2 reference?

[Yixin (pronounced ee-shin)]

What I got from his statement was that protein powder is only used for bulking up.  It also seems like you are agreeing with me tombb when you talked about the practicality of using protein supplements

No, of course not. I just feel that I can get all the protein I require from my diet, without having to shotgun whey powder.

[Bowdz]

Five things I always have on hand:

1. Olive Oil
2. Apples
3. Eggs
4. Veggies
5. Almonds

Five things I sometimes have:

1. Fish (Mostly salmon, but sometimes tuna)
2. Chicken
3. Cabbage
4. Fruit
5. Herbs

Five things I want to have more of:

1. Avocado
2. Pesto
3. Beef (Flank steak)
4. Beets

Five things I will never have:

1. Soda
2. Chips
3. Hot Dogs
4. Candy
5. Energy Drinks (these are as good as poison in my book)

[tombb]

What I got from his statement was that protein powder is only used for bulking up.  It also seems like you are agreeing with me tombb when you talked about the practicality of using protein supplements

Yes I would agree with that, that protein powder is great especially for its convenience factor, as I am sure the OP would agree as well. I was just pointing out he didn't imply anything other than taste preference. And I agree with him that taste is very important, if someone told me that eating  cilantro  could add a few years to my lifespan (just as a random example), I would still never touch it, because its taste is just so revolting to me..  When I first tasted it accidentally a year ago I was shocked at how bad it tasted to me, I actually think there might be a genetic difference between people who can stand its taste and people who can't (a bit like there are colorblind people), because it's just such a drastic difference, but I digress..

Anyways, misunderstandings aside, it seems like we are all in agreement after all, and nice/interesting lists.

[Sat Santokh]

What I got from his statement was that protein powder is only used for bulking up.  It also seems like you are agreeing with me tombb when you talked about the practicality of using protein supplements

No, of course not. I just feel that I can get all the protein I require from my diet, without having to shotgun whey powder.

I'm jealous of you, its really hard to get like 160 grams of protein (low end of what I should be getting) without using supp's.

[tombb]

What I got from his statement was that protein powder is only used for bulking up.  It also seems like you are agreeing with me tombb when you talked about the practicality of using protein supplements

No, of course not. I just feel that I can get all the protein I require from my diet, without having to shotgun whey powder.

I'm jealous of you, its really hard to get like 160 grams of protein (low end of what I should be getting) without using supp's.

Well I had a discussion on this with Chris before, since he apparently eats a ton of meat towards more or less that goal, not that he's against protein powders but I think at the time he thought they were much more expensive while I was debating they are actually less expensive on top of the convenience factor (plus for me the added bonus that there's no hurting animals or people involved).

I don't remember exactly all the details of our discussion, but I think his final approach, which might be what Yixin is using was something like this:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=24998&rendertype=figure&id=F2

start with a genetically engineered source of meat that has double the amount of meat and then go through a few of them a day, with the added exercise of wrestling each one to capture it and prepare it... (just kidding)

But seriously speaking, it's theoretically possible using very protein-dense foods and perhaps taking a slower bulk-up rate (160~200g is more like the limit at which adding more protein stops having additional advantages, but even half of that is enough to still support some growth), but in practice nobody really does that because it's just too much of a pain (too much food, too few options, etc), just like for vitamins and minerals it can actually be hard to get 100% of your minimum recommended dose or more of everything so it's just easier and more practical to also just pay a couple of cents and take a multivitamin-multimineral pill too to cover your bases and get the most benefits.

[Chris Salvato]

start with a genetically engineered source of meat that has double the amount of meat and then go through a few of them a day, with the added exercise of wrestling each one to capture it and prepare it... (just kidding)

You make jokes...but if i could, i would

[Sat Santokh]

That cow is making me consider starting to take BGH...

[tombb]

That cow is making me consider starting to take BGH...

well, keep in mind, that picture has nothing to do with growth hormone or any hormones.

It's just one of the many examples of animals with a double mutation (both copies of the gene), once you have it in your genome, all offspring will naturally get that amount of double muscles and genetically/naturally low bodyfat.

It's one of those genetic abnormalities without any known drawback that we all wish we had and unfortunately is very rare in humans also because in times of famine putting on fat easily has always been more valuable for survival than putting on muscle easily.
To quote wiki on this for example:

"Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy (or myotonic hypertrophy) is a rare genetic condition characterized by reduced body fat and increased skeletal muscle size. Affected individuals have up to twice the usual amount of muscle mass in their bodies. They also tend to have increased muscle strength. Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy is not known to cause any medical problems, and affected individuals are intellectually normal. The prevalence of this condition is unknown."

[Sat Santokh]

oh gotcha yeah i've heard of that disease before like the little kid that could do an iron cross at 5 months or whatever

[Muse_of_Fire]

I like this idea a lot, Yixin. Thanks for posting it!

Five things I always have on hand:

1. Fresh vegetables of all kinds: for salads and for steaming (this will be even better this summer when we have our garden! We just got our garden plot assignment today from our condo association... I can't wait!!!!)
2. Eggs
3. Meat (all kinds: beef, chicken, pork; all whole cuts like roasts or steaks, or ground; ideally organic/free range when I can afford it, never processed); I'm including beef and chicken stocks here--I have these handy ALL the time to flavor recipes, steam veggies, etc.
4. Milk (organic, free range, 2%, locally farmed) and Cheese (again, all varieties; usually high quality organic/local or French cheeses--raw, soft, semi-soft, hard, with rind, washed, blue, etc... this is where I spend a lot of $$)
5. Various vinegars and imported Dijon mustard for flavoring sauces and making homemade French vinaigrette for salads
6. Coffee*
7. Wine*

*Okay I know that's 7 things but my universe would literally unravel if I had to go a morning without coffee or more than a few dinners without wine. Those are the two "naughties" I allow myself and I make no justification for them other than that I like them, dammit. I take full responsibility for the toll they are taking on my health. Everything else is pretty good for me, health-wise; and I consume these daily, but in moderation (one cup of coffee per day and no more than two glasses of wine with dinner a few nights per week).

Five things I sometimes have:

1. Lunchmeat/tuna packets
2. Yogurt (plain, organic, whole-milk)
3. Whole-grain crackers
4. Fruit
5. Whey protein powder

Five things I want to have more of:

1. Fish
2. Water (technically it's always "on hand," but I should be drinking more of it every day)
3. Fruit
4. Greater variety of vegetables... we have such a short growing season here, winter gets pretty bland with "Broccoli, or green beans?" all the time. I can't wait for summer!
5. Tea. I drink it semi-regularly but it's mostly inconsistent. I need to be drinking herbal and green teas more regularly.

Five things I will never have:

1. White bread (except for French baguette)
2. Candy (except for high-quality chocolate)
3. Energy Drinks
4. Non-diet soda
5. Processed cheese, or processed "boxed" foods of any kind.

I will admit occasionally I will have some candy or cupcakes or something... it seems directly tied in to my general stress level. I eat like crap during the darkest part of the winter into the spring, and then in late spring/summer, going into fall my diet is pretty stellar.

I so can't wait until we get started on our garden! I am going to go crazy with all these home-grown veggies!

[Patrick Yang]

This sounds like fun.

Five things I always have on hand:

1. Eggs — cheap source of protein
2. Steel cut oats — breakfast staple
3. Fresh fruits and veggies — I have the stuff I usually use, but I try to make myself try a new kind of fruit or vegetable every time I go to the store
4. Whole lactose-free milk — I grew up drinking skim and by the gods whole is delicious
5. Frozen fish — tilapia, orange roughy, whiting, anything cheap and quick, much like your mother

Five things I sometimes have:

1. Green tea — really, I have this on hand all the time from the motherland (China), but I go through phases of drinking it and ignoring it
2. Chicken
3. Ground meats — usually turkey or lean beef, though sometimes pork makes it in there
4. Honey — my usual sweetener, but I don't sweeten things often anymore
5. Bananas — At the store: "I'm out of bananas.  I should get some more."  At home: "Why did I buy so many bananas?  I should eat them before they go bad."

Five things I want to have more of:

1. Spices — I want to learn to cook with spices, but this necessitates me having money to invest in it
2. Lamb — delicious, but I have a phobia of working with raw meats, and it's expensive and hard to find
3. Fresh herbs — Need a garden, but there's nowhere to plant it except my meager patio
4. Shrimp — I could live on this stuff, but I'd probably go broke and die of hypercholesterolemia
5. Tofu — I'm still trying to master how the cooks of my heritage use this


Five things I will never have:

1. White bread
2. Candy
3. Coke — yes, this refers to all sodas here in the south
4. Energy drinks
5. Chips

[Spencer B]

That cow is making me consider starting to take BGH...

well, keep in mind, that picture has nothing to do with growth hormone or any hormones.

It's just one of the many examples of animals with a double mutation (both copies of the gene), once you have it in your genome, all offspring will naturally get that amount of double muscles and genetically/naturally low bodyfat.

It's one of those genetic abnormalities without any known drawback that we all wish we had and unfortunately is very rare in humans also because in times of famine putting on fat easily has always been more valuable for survival than putting on muscle easily.
To quote wiki on this for example:

"Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy (or myotonic hypertrophy) is a rare genetic condition characterized by reduced body fat and increased skeletal muscle size. Affected individuals have up to twice the usual amount of muscle mass in their bodies. They also tend to have increased muscle strength. Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy is not known to cause any medical problems, and affected individuals are intellectually normal. The prevalence of this condition is unknown."

Isn't it cause by the gene that produces myostratin gene being 'switched off'? If so then it could mean that gene therapy could produce the same effects.