Go Ahead, Eat this Burger

By Julie O’Hara

Clean Eating Magazine, January/February 2010 Issue

Years ago, I found the burger of my dreams.  The thick, juicy patty was completely covered with cheese and piled with slick sautéed vegetables, all on an oversized white bun.  It was perfect, except for one thing:  By the time I finished licking the sloppy remains off my fingers, remorse set in.  As my body spent the next several hours dealing with artery-clogging fat, energy-sapping refined carbs and untold numbers of calories, I wondered if my indulgence had been worth the damage.  And the guilt!

That was back in college, and while I still love a rare cheeseburger, I’d rather not splurge on gut-expanding restaurant fare.  Fortunately, I’ve discovered I don’t have to give up my favourites to eat healthy, feel great and look good.  So, I’ve come up with a few tricks for recreating that cheese-oozing veggie-smothered burger – clean eating style.

Clean up your protein

The ground beef at your favourite burger joint may be 70 percent fat.  Choosing beef that is 96 percent lean will save you 240 calories and 27 grams of total fat per serving!  To keep it moist and flavourful, mix in fresh parsley and finely chopped onions.  Blending gently with your hands and lightly packing the meat into patties, rather than over working it, will also contribute to a tender finished product.  When broiling or grilling, resist the urge to press the patties with your spatula, as this will force out moisture.

Pick carbs that count

There’s no need to forego the bun as long as you seek out one made with fiber-rich whole grains.  Due to processing, white flour ultimately provides hardly any nutrients (more are lost than added), it barely offers adequate and appropriate fuil for the body, and it may even promote the rention of fat, since digestion is slowed compared to whole-grain-based flours.  To avoid these problems, use standard-size buns that list “whole wheat flour” as the first ingredient on the label.  And, because some supermarket brands contain additives such as high fructose corn syrup, look for all-natural bun varieties.

Slim down the toppers

Instead of mild American cheese, I used reduced-fat Swiss for a big flavor impact without the fat.  But don’t forget to compare brands.  Thinly sliced Jarlsberg Light deli Swiss cheese contains a mere 2.5 grams of total fat and 50 calories per 0.75-ounce slice, while other brands can pack up to 6 grams of fat and 80 calories per slice.  And though I’d like to think that the ample veggies redeemed my college cheeseburger the truth is less rosy.  They were most likely sautéed in a generous amount of oil and butter, effectively canceling out any health benefits.  You can solve that problem by using a small amount of heart-healthy olive oil in place of any hydrogenated or saturated fats.

Homemade Cheeseburger

1lb extra lean ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken)

2 tbsp white onion, finely minced

1 cup white onion thinly sliced

3 tsp Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp chile powder

½ tsp sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 tsp olive oil, divided

1 cup pre-sliced button mushrooms

1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips (about 1 cup)

4 thin slices deli reduced-fat Swiss cheese

4 standard-size whole-wheat hamburger buns

4 romaine lettuce leaves, thick stems removed

4 tomato slices (1/4 in thick)

Instructions:

·         Add beef, minced onion parsley, chile powder, salt and black pepper to a large bowl.  Mix with your hands until just combined.  Gently form beef mixture into 4 equal patties, about ½ - ¾ inch thick.  Transfer to a broiler pan or rimmed baking sheet.  Cover and refrigerate.

·         Add 1 tsp oil to a medium nonstick skillet and set over medium heat.  When oil is hot, add mushrooms and cook until golden brown and soft, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.  Transfer toa small bowl.  Add remaining oil to skillet and return to med. Heat.  Add red pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add sliced onion and continue cooking for 6 more minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.  Add to bowl with mushrooms.  Season veggies with Salt and pepper and stir to combine.

·         When you’re ready to eat, preheat broiler to high or a grill to medium high.

·         Place patties under broiler, about 10 inches from heat source, or on a grill.  Cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, until meat is no longer pink in center or the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

·         Immediately place 1 slice cheese on each hot burger.  Layer each bun with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 slice tomato, 1 burger patty and 1/3 cup veggie mixture.

There are all sorts of ways to fight the onset of breast cancer, such as not smoking, healthy eating, and staying fit.  Despite frequent warnings, 18% of women still smoke (Health Canada Records) and over 50% of adults are overweight (Obesity Canada).  We can do better! While smoking cessation and diets are not my main focus as a physiotherapist, I have a passion for the benefits of exercise and how it can change lives for the better

Numerous studies have shown that exercise can decrease the probability of breast cancer by moderating estrogen levels which, when high, are associated with increased risk of developing the disease (1).  Just as important, exercise is also essential for recovery of lost muscle mass after radiation and chemotherapy (4) and return to previous function and activity (2,5).  Unfortunately, exercise has become a terrifying word to some people. Hearing “how much” and “how to” from every angle can overwhelm us with fitness facts and leave us wondering where to start. If we are determined to start getting physically active, the frequency and time challenges often leave us frustrated and tired. 

There are many ways to become more fit, but the most complete, time-efficient, and results-producing way is resistance training.  Resistance training, done intensely 1-2 times a week, has been shown to be more effective at getting people healthy and in shape than hours of aerobic training (3).  

Becoming physically fit doesn’t have to take up hours of your time and does not require complicated moves or lots of equipment. Challenging the muscles to create positive changes in the whole body can help prevent cancer or help you beat it. You are worth the effort!

 References:

1.      Bernstein L. Exercise and breast cancer prevention.  Curr Oncol Rep 2009 Nov;11(6): 490-6

2.      De Backer IC, Van Breda E, Vreugdenhil A, Nijziel MR, Kester AD, Schedp G. High-Intensity strength training improves quality of life in cancer survivors.  Acta Onco 2007;46(8):1143-51.

3.      Gibala MJ, Little JP, van Essen M, Wilkin GP, Burgomaster KA, Safdar A, Raha S, Tarnopolsky MA. Short-term sprint interval versus traditional endurance training: similar initial adaptations in human skeletal muscle and exercise performance. Journ of Physiology 2006;901-911.

4.      Kadar L, Albertson M, Arebert J, Landbert T, Mattsson S.  The prognostic value of body protein in patients with lung cancer.  Ann N Y Acad Sci 2000; 904:584-91.

5.      Mourtzakis M., Bedbrook M. Muscle atrophy in cancer; a role for nutrition and exercise. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 2009;34:950-956.

“Proper exercise” is brief, intense, infrequent, and safe.

I think he hit the nail right on the head. I love this simplistic definition and I think it holds a lot of meaning. I’m sure that better definitions will emerge and more will come. I find this definition clear and the easiest to get across to people about what I do and think exercise is. This is especially useful for the new trainee or someone just seeking advice for the gym. Let’s go over it.

(1)    Brief: Stress physiology & exercise physiology have been saying this for years. Examples: “When strength training 1 set of 8-12reps is just as effective as 3 sets of 8-12reps.” Or “A short intense bout of sprint training is just as beneficial or better for producing physiological responses as compared to steady state prolonged aerobics.” So the message here is to pick a handful of movements, perform them back to back, and train anywhere between 5 – 30mins.

(2)    Intense: A certain level of stimulus or signal is needed to trigger a positive adaptive response in the body. In other words, bodies need the “right amount of damage.” That’s right, damage is a good thing; however, too much and too often is bad. The right dosage is important (as Doug McGuff would say: http://www.ultimate-exercise.com/dose-response.html). I recommend choosing a weight that is heavy enough that you can no longer lift or pull the weight in a controlled manner after 8 to 12 reps.

(3)    Infrequent: When it comes to how often someone should train, research suggests that most can tolerate 2-3 x a week and see positive change. As workouts become intense, more time is needed to allow for full recovery of a muscle. Not only is recovery needed for return to baseline, but compensation must occur which also takes time. This recommendation is based on the “wound healing modeling of muscle”, which states that full recovery can take anywhere from 7 to 14 days or even longer (http://www.mikementzer.com/). There are always tradeoffs with frequency. For instance, 2-3 times a week may allow for improved tolerance of exercise-induced byproducts, but 1-2 times a week may allow for greater muscle growth.

(4)    Safe: With modern technique, logic, and rational thinking we can make solid recommendations. First, with exercises or movements, perform these movements in a non-destructive way. This means controlled movement, avoiding ballistic or explosive motions, limiting acceleration, and changing directions in a smooth fashion. A repetition cadence of 3-10 sec is what I recommend depending on the experience of trainee and the exercise or body part(s) involved. This can be performed with good machines, body weight, or free weights for resistance. 

If you look at fitness trends, most of the popular programs out there agree with the first 3 principles of the proper exercise; for example, the cross fitters and the P90-Xers. I feel that most programs however, violate the fourth principle safety.  You have to first understand that the pursuit of fitness is a lifelong commitment and we can age gracefully with the use of proper exercise. You then have to ask yourself: Is the program that I choose to maintain my lifelong fitness something that will allow me, now and in the future, to be injury-free?

Other definitions I appreciate:

McGuff & Little’s Definition of Exercise: “A specific activity that stimulates a positive physiological adaptation that serves to enhance fitness and health and does not undermine the latter in the process of enhancing the former.”

Ken Hutchins’s Definition of Exercise: “Exercise is a process whereby the body performs work of a demanding nature, in accordance with muscle and joint function, in a clinically-controlled environment, within the constraints of safety, meaningfully loading the muscular structures to inroad their strength levels to stimulate a growth mechanism within minimum time.”