*Desk Goodies*

Do you ever feel rushed before a meeting, but you know you are absolutely going to pass out if you do not get a bite to eat??? I do!!! I keep a fork, oats, and peanut butter on hand at all times. Sometimes, I make it more complicated and heat it all up with protein powder, but most of the time it is simple.

Fork into PB.... Scoop into oats.... Instant energy =)

Just thought I would drop in =)

Pumpkin Protein Bread

I have recently discovered oat flour. If you are unfamiliar with the difference between complex and refined carbohydrates, I will briefly explain. Complex carbohydrates take longer for your body to digest. They do not cause your blood sugar to spike as quickly as refined. That is the difference between wheat bread and white; sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. Oat flour has the same consistency of flour, but it is ground oats. Oats are complex and have soluble fiber; there are studies that show this magic grain helps decrease cholesterol. I LOVE OATS. Ok, I digress....

I made pumpkin protein bread today with oat flour. I modified Jamie Eason's recipe, and used pumpkin... honestly, this was because I forgot apple

sauce, but nonetheless, I LOVE PUMPKIN and have some left over from Thanksgiving. The calories in mine might be a little different than hers because of the pumpkin and walnuts, but not by much. This is still a very clean breakfast option. I feel like I am cheating, but I am not. After all, muffins are just an excuse to have cake for breakfast.....

Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pan with non-stick spray.

In small bowl combine: (set aside)

1/3 cup Ideal (Truvia) or Splenda

2 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl combine: (whisk together)

1 1/2 cups oat flour + 2 scoops vanilla whey protein

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup Ideal (Truvia) or Splenda

In a medium bowl combine: (whisk together & add to large bowl)

2 egg whites or 1 whole egg

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (Almond Breeze)

1/3 cup of canned pumpkin

1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Picture

Hello Readers. I have had a whirlwind of change the past few weeks and have missed blogging. However, I have been keeping notes and doing research on "blog worthy" topics so BRACE YOURSELVES. Today, I want to address High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Recently, I saw a very disturbing commercial. A woman was pouring "fruit punch" for kids at a party. One mom stated, "Oh, I guess you do not care what you feed the kids...you are feeding them High Fructose Corn Syrup... you know what they say..." Mom #2 replies, "No, what do they say?" Dumbfounded, and unable to answer, the "fruit punch" mom won the argument. Well, I do not want any of us to be left speechless like this good intentioned mom.

According to a study by Princeton University, HFCS leads to more weight gain than normal table sugar when ingested on a regular basis (THINK SODAS!). Rats were fed rat chow infused with sugar, and a second group was fed chow infused with HFCS. The HFCS group gained more weight. In a similar study, not only did the HFCS rat group gain more weight, but the rats' triglyceride levels were increased as well. Proportionately, some rats gained the equivalent of a man gaining 96 pounds during the study!!! Continual fructose intake, just like continual alcohol intake, will eventually lead to fatty liver syndrome and cirrhosis.... just like an alcoholic.

So my question is this: Why are commercials being made that say HFCS is ok? The food industry must be getting nervous as our population is getting more educated on clean eating. I think we should have the freedom to buy and eat whatever we want; however, we should be informed consumers and eat these poisons in moderation..... well, when I say it like that, I think I would rather stay away from it completely.

*B*

Change

There has been a lot of change in my life lately. I have missed numerous workouts, healthy meals, family events, and opportunities to post blogs (I know... priorities). Howerver, I have accumulated outstanding amounts of usefull facts and tips that will change your lives; not really, but hopefully they will help you develop a healthy lifestyle and aid in your ability to make good choices.

My first wors of advice would be to not decide/commit to do P90X before you change jobs (my husband and myself), move living quarters, and renovate the new living quarters.

Second, gray, tight pants look awful on anyone. Please do not wear them to work with a tight shirt... I almost posted a picture of this lady at the gas station; however, maybe she just moved and all of her clothes are still packed like me. I should not judge.

Third, insulin resistance (this develops when you continually ingest too much sugar) increases your risk for heart disease as much as smoking does. Choose your foods wisely.

Fourth, give your loved ones the benefit of the doubt and try to not be easily offended. Stress and unnecessary anxiety actually increases the release of cortisol in your body. Drink water, laugh, and love.

Fifth. Do not judge me for any type-oes or misspellings. I most definitely typed this on my phone. I have no internet in my new place. I will get back on soon. Eat clean and make time to exercise with a loved one this week. My motto is that life is too short to work out alone... not really, but it helps multi tasking relationships and fitness :)

*B*

Nutrition is Key

Friendly's, a diner-like restaurant that I used to go to as a child, has created this new "meal." Here are the nutrition facts: 1500 Calories, 870 Fat Calories, 79g Total Fat, 38g Saturated Fat, 180g Cholesterol, 2090mg Sodium, 101g Carbs (www.consumerist.com). Frankly, I do not believe this should be legal. This goes beyond the popular argument that "healthy food is more expensive." Even though I disagree, I understand that people who do not know how to shop for healthy things may think it is more expensive. However, this is gluttony at its PRIME! No one needs this many calories at one meal. No ones NEEDS this much cheese or sodium in one day. When the human body has too much sodium (you only need 1500 mg per day), the body holds onto water. When the body retains too much water, hypervolemia, the heart has to work harder to pump the extra volume. HELLO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. Unfortunately, we get so "salt shaker happy" and bring this "silent killer" onto ourselves. You see, there are no signs of high blood pressure (unless you spike quickly); it is a gradual process that injures your kidneys and weakens your heart while you shove burgers in your face. Drink fluids, eat fruits and vegetables, do not eat packaged/frozen dinners, and do not add salt to anything you eat. Focus on getting the most nutrients per bite; food is fuel, not comfort/friends/love/deserved..... it is just food.

Today I did not do P90x. I am moving and must spend my evening packing; however, tomorrow I will get back on track. Have a good evening....

*B*

Week 2

This morning, yes I woke up early and began my week with P90X. I did the chest & back video and then finished with the "Ab Ripper X" video. I still do not have a pull up bar, but I like my resistance bands. They are gracefully draped over my coat closet as one enters the house; very welcoming. My wrists did not hurt today like they did last week. The video consisted of quite a few varieties of pushups. I focused on form not quantity; meaning, the harder style push ups, like military and diamond, were too difficult for me to do today. I stayed on my knees, completed the workout with the group, and felt the burn... No wrist pain though! Tomorrow morning is the dreaded plyometric workout. At least that one is not on a Monday =)

Healthy thought for today: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer today. Did you know that it does not develop from CONTINUED exposure to the sun like squamous cell? Basically, those family vacations I took as a child, and weeks of summer camp, in which I did not wear sunscreen, may actually be the cause of basal cell carcinoma later in life for me. Most doctors recommend SPF 15 daily and SPF 30 if you are going to be in sun for longer than 20 minutes. Did you know that a T-shirt only offers SPF 7??? Also, there is a thought that kids are OVERPROTECTED now and have vitamin D defficiencies because they rarely drink whole milk and they wear too much sunscreen. HELLO people, this is because they never run around and play outside and you let them play videos all day long while eating oatmeal cream pies.... no citation of that though; that was me. Have a good evening.

Healthfully yours,

*B*

*Picture from Savanna, GA.

Indeed I Did

Ok, so I came home from painting my new house and ended up doing KENPO X. This was kickboxing, but not like the Billy Blanks Tae Bo videos I used to do. My heart rate was up and my legs were shaking at certain points. Very impressive. I finished the entire week this week. WEEK ONE COMPLETE. Since I blogged longer this morning, I am going to call it a week. See you Monday! Maybe pictures this week??