Spicy Chicken and Wild Rice

Get your hands up for crockpot meals!

The crockpot is a serious part of my kitchen repertoire year round. I love it's simple "chop and dump" method of cooking. Chop ingredients, then dump them into the crockpot. No cooking experience required (woo!).

DYK?? Preparing meat in a crockpot is safer than grilling or frying because it minimizes the production of Advanced Glycation End Products (aka, "AGEs" or "glycotoxins").

and you're thinking "Mmkay....but what are those?"

AGEs are harmful compounds that are naturally created from a combination of protein or fat with sugar in our blood stream. Our levels of AGEs accrue over time, and we accumulate more through foods we eat. This is important to know because high levels of AGEs have been shown to cause oxidative stress and inflammation. They're also linked to diseases like diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, and Alzheimer's.

Animal products are a common source of AGEs in our diet, because they contains high levels of both saturated fat and protein. When meat is cooked with dry heat at high temperatures (think grilling, frying, baking, etc), Advanced Glycation End Products are created. Cooking with moist heat at lower temperatures can reduce the production of AGEs, as can cooking on a ceramic surface (this is where the crock pot comes into play).

Don't panic! Our bodies are constantly and naturally eliminating AGEs by way of antioxidant and enzymatic activity, BUT consuming too many can result in more than your body can handle.

The good news is, we can prevent the build up of AGEs! Here’s how:

Alternate methods of cooking (i.e., don’t batch grill your proteins for the week). Rotate in some crockpot meals or other forms of low heat cooking, including poaching, steaming, stewing, or boiling.
Marinate meat in an acidic solution such as vinegar, tomato juice, or lemon juice to reduce AGE production by up to 50%.
Eat more antioxidant rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains to increase the removal of AGEs from your system.
Decrease your intake of meat to prevent the build up of AGEs. Could you include 1 vegan meal per day? Or, cut the meat portion on your plate in half with beans?
Limit fried food, highly processed foods, and, full fat dairy. These are all concentrated sources of AGEs.
Get regular exercise! Aerobic activity has been shown to decrease AGE levels.