Thursday, June 30, 2011

Recipe Review: Banana Oat Cookies

A while back I was really craving some banana bread! I rarely make banana bread for myself, because it has such a high pointsplus+ value. Too me spending that many pointsplus+ on banana bread is not worth it. However, I still had some very ripe bananas that I needed to use before they went bad.

I set out on a mission to find a great recipe that used ripe bananas. It did not take long before I found this recipe for Banana Oat Cookies at Simply Daily Recipes. I knew I just had to try making these cookies.

I got to work right away making them. After they were finished I tried one. Let me just say that these cookies are incredible! They were so good that it was hard for me to keep my hands off of them!

If you are looking for a snack that tastes like banana bread, but does not kill you on pointsplus+ values then this is the cookie for you!

Here are the ingredients

First mix together the margarine and sugar.

Then, mix add the egg and bananas.

In a separate bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. I added the oats first.

Then the flour.

Next, the salt,

baking soda,

cinnamon,

raisins, and coconut.

Stir all of the dry ingredients together.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Stir until you have cookie dough!

I use a scoop to help me with my portions. This makes all of the cookies the same size!

Place dough on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

When the cookies have finished baking, remove the from the oven.

Place the hot cookies on a rack to cool.

I managed to avoid eating any dough while I baked the cookies!

As a reward, I ate one cookie to see how they turned out. Let me know tell you that the one I tried was great!

Enjoy!!

. . . . . . . . . .
Banana Oat Cookies
Source: Simply Daily Recipes

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Instructions
Get the oven hot to 350ºF. Spray oil on cookie sheet.

Beat sugar and butter until fluffy in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in egg and bananas.

In a separate bowl, add all the remaining ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in thirds, run mixer on low speed. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (use a 1 inch scooper) about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden brown and almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from sheet to wire rack. Cool completely before storing.

These cookies are very good the next day. They become moist after being stored in an airtight container, so it's important to cool them completely before storing.

This recipe idea came from my secret cookie book. I added the raisins and coconuts, and skipped the suggested vanilla frosting. There are ways I could have made this recipe healthier; next time I'll use them.

I'll definitely make these again the next time I'm craving banana bread but don't have enough ripe bananas on hand.

Serves: 36; PointsPlus: 3
Serves: 48; PointsPlus: 2

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: My Daily Breakfast

1 cup oatmeal - 4 PointsPlus
Splenda - 0 PointsPlus
16 oz water - 0 PointsPlus

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Hunger Scale

source

Here is the meeting summary from 06.21.2011.

Are you neglecting your tummy? Does your stomach tell you when it is hungry and when it is satisfied?

In short…yes it does, the bigger question is do we listen?

Majority of the time when we eat, it is not because we are physically hungry. We tend to eat due to emotional hunger. We are bored, lonely, tired, happy, sad, depressed, stressed…..are you starting to get the picture?

So what would it take to really start to understand and respond to our hunger levels? Below you will find a hunger scale to kind of help you rate and determine at which level you are before eating.

The Hunger Level Scale
Level 1 — Famished; your stomach is completely empty; you’re weak and light-headed.
Level 2 — Starving; you’re uncomfortable and irritable and unable to concentrate.
Level 3 — Uncomfortably hungry; stomach is rumbling.
Level 4 — You’re slightly uncomfortable and just beginning to feel the signs of hunger and can’t wait to eat.
Level 5 — Neutral and comfortable. You’re more or less satisfied.
Level 6 — Completely satisfied.
Level 7 — Satisfied and feeling full.
Level 8 — Uncomfortably full. You feel bloated and are starting to feel uneasy.
Level 9 — Very uncomfortable and full. Feel like loosening your clothes.
Level 10 — Completely stuffed and miserable. Feel nauseous and need to take some kind of stomach relief; can’t function and you want to lie down.

Keeping this scale in mind before and during eating will help you to control your food intake and ultimately, result in weight loss. Our body is designed to help us know when and when not to eat, however on a regular basis we override the system. To be successful in your weight loss journey, becoming in tune with your body and knowing your hunger levels is extremely beneficial. This next week really try to listen to what your stomach is telling you.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Core Strength for Summer

source

Here is the latest Get Fit email from Dr. Jacobs.

The Facts about Core Strength
By: Cooper Fitness Center

Now that summer is here, it’s time to get that midsection in shape. But how do you know you are practicing the right exercises and targeting the correct muscles? Learn more from a Cooper Fitness Center expert about the anatomy and exercises for your core.

Just about every health professional has fielded this question at some point, “What can I do to get rid of the fat around my stomach?” Cooper Fitness Center Senior Professional Fitness Trainer April Swales, says the answer is as frustrating to give as it is to receive.

There is no way to strategically “spot reduce.” But you can greatly improve your chances of overall inch loss by implementing a few simple changes in your exercise programs. Most people are familiar with the term “core muscles” and we know they’re important. Do you know why they’re important, and do you know how to train them? To understand how to effectively work the core, you must first know how it’s built and what it does. April gives us the run-down of our “core” needs.

First, it’s important to realize that “core” and “abs” are not one in the same. The abdominal wall—and its many parts—is only one piece of the core puzzle. Simply put, the core is made up of what we call the inner unit—our deep skeletal muscles that generally work involuntarily in a stabilizing role (for example, internal obliques, transversus abdominus and quadratus lumborum)—and the external spinal flexors (that is rectus abdominus, also known as the “six-pack” muscles and external obliques). Each muscle has a specific job, but they all perform synergistically to achieve the same goal: efficient stabilization of the spine as we move without pain.

All movement originates from the center and radiates out to our extremities. Since we live in a three-dimensional world, our bodies find ways to compensate for our lack of core strength usually by overusing other parts of our bodies such as the shoulders, low back and knees. This hasn’t gotten us very far. In fact, most of us are closer to injury and farther away from our health and fitness goals.

Often we make the mistake of not building the proper foundation. We place aesthetics over function when considering our goals. Having a chiseled stomach where tone is visible is more about having low body fat than it is about being strong. While there is certainly no shame in working towards reducing lower body fat, we need to remember that our system is only as strong as its weakest link. We need to stop thinking of the body as separate parts and begin working it as a whole. Before performing an exercise, imagine how it relates to how you move in real life. If the exercise doesn’t integrate the core with the movement of your limbs, it can’t be considered functional.

Fortunately, it’s very easy to incorporate core work into your existing exercise program. It requires no special skills and no special equipment. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your core workout.

1. Stand up. You want to make sure you are doing the majority, if not all, of your exercises standing up. The less you have to help you stabilize, the harder your abs and back have to work by themselves.

2. Stand tall. Always think about staying long in the spine and maintaining your natural “S” curve.

3. Try a balance challenge. If you choose to sit for a particular movement, try using a stability ball versus a chair or bench. You’ll reinforce the natural opposite shoulder/opposite hip relationship that keeps us balanced as well as force the weaker side to do its job.

4. Work it into your routine. Brace the lower abdomen while sitting in traffic or stand on one leg while washing dishes (be sure and do it on both sides!).

5. Close your eyes. Even closing your eyes when performing a movement makes it more challenging. The idea is to create instability in a controlled manner in order to force your trunk to be more reactive and aware. This leads to better balance, better posture and better strength.

References:
1. Pattern Overload Part 1 & Part 2 by Paul Chek. Personal Training on the Net. Online. September 2000.
2. Training the Abdominals by Lou Barrie. Personal Training on the Net. Online. March 2001.
3. The Inner Unit by Paul Chek. Personal Training on the Net. Online. March 2006.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Things I Like Right Now

{Bananas}
source

Ever since Weight Watchers launch their new pointsplus program I have been so excited about bananas! On the old plan it was hard to convince myself that it was worth it to have a banana, so I chose fruits that had a lower points value. However, now on the new plan, bananas are zero pointsplus! It does not cost me any of my daily pointsplus to eat a banana. What could be better than that?

{Blogging}

I enjoy blogging so much! I never expected that I would be a blogger, but I really enjoy sharing my heart and what is going on in my life with others!

{Weight Watchers Food Scale}
source

I finally brokedown and bought myself a Weight Watchers electronic food scale. I had bought a food scale at Target a while back, thinking I was making a good choice. I was so WRONG. I get really frustrated with that scale, because it doesn’t always turn on. How can I use it if it doesn’t turn on? The Weight Watchers scale is very user friendly and it can calculate the pointsplus values of food for you! I should have bought this back in November…why did I wait so long?

{Skype}

I really like having Skype. It’s not just about getting to talk with people, but seeing them and feeling like I am in the same room as them. Most of Jon’s family does not live in the United States of America and it is so nice to have a way to interact with them. I was able to meet my nephews for the first time on Skype. I could even talk with my dearest friend Michelle who lives in Japan!

{Weekends}
source

Who doesn’t like weekends? Honestly!? I also look forward to weekends, because we do not have to be anywhere. It’s nice to be able to get things on my To-Do List accomplished and enjoy time with my hubby too! I hope you have a great weekend too!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Because I am Loved

source

This morning my heart is tired and weary. I am not going to get into all the whys at the moment, because I am still trying to process them. However, I will ask that you would pray for me. I feel like I am in the fight of my life and Satan is relentless. He is attacking my heart, my mind, my marriage, my self-esteem, and more.

But God is so good! Even in the midst of being overwhelmed emotionally, God still comes to me to offer some encouragement and remind me to cast all of my fears and worries on to Him. When I get to the point where I want to give up, God reminds me why I should keep fighting

There is so much in this Proverbs 31 devotional that speaks to my heart. It convicts me, because I crave love and approval from others, I mean who doesn’t? But instead of turning to God, I try to be loved. I feel like I am always trying and never getting anywhere.

God has gently spoken to me this morning as He reminds me to humble myself so that He may lift me up at the proper time.

I am not good at this, but I hope and pray that God will work in my heart to continue to humble me and make me more like Jesus.

"The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” - Zephaniah 3:17

. . . . . . . . . .
Because I am Loved
June 23, 2011
Lysa TerKeurst

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5: 6-7 (NIV)

My friend, Kathrine Lee, once challenged me with this question: Are you doing this because you are loved or so that you’ll be loved?

Her question is a great one.

Doing something “so that we’ll be loved” is a trap many of us can get caught in. When I do something because I’m trying to get someone else to notice me, appreciate me, say something to build me up, or respect me more, my motives get skewed.

I become very “me” focused. I put unrealistic expectations on myself and the other person. And I can get stinkin’ angry when I don’t feel more noticed, appreciated, or respected.

I can get all twisted up and take my frustration out on myself and that person in an unfair way. I typically sabotage my own efforts and bend to discouragement and defeat.
But, doing something because I am loved is incredibly freeing.

I don’t view the relationship from the vantage point of what I stand to gain. Instead, I look at what I have the opportunity to give. I am “God focused” and love directed. I keep my expectations in check. And I am able to lavish the grace I know I so desperately need. I live free from regret with clarity of heart, mind, and soul.

So, how do I know if I’m doing things because I’m loved or so that I will be loved? See how easy or hard it is to apply this Scripture:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5: 6-10 NIV)

Because I am loved, I can humble myself.
When I’m trying to be loved, I must build myself up to look better.

Because I am loved, I can cast all my anxiety on Him.
When I’m trying to be loved, I cast all my anxiety on my performance.

Because I am loved, I can resist Satan and stand firm in my faith.
When I’m trying to be loved, I listen to Satan and stand uncertain trying to rely on my feelings.

Because I am loved, I know God will use this to make me stronger – and I want that.
When I’m trying to be loved, I don’t want to be made stronger – I want life to be easier.

Indeed, I want to pursue life, relationships, and the goals I set from a healthy and free vantage point — because I am loved.

Dear Lord, I don’t want my motives to get skewed today. Help me to not be so ‘me’ focused. I want to live each day knowing that I am loved. Living because I am loved is freeing. I long to stop trying so hard. I know You love me, Lord and that You are making me stronger. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

De-stress Your Life

source

Here is the latest Get Fit email from Dr. Jacobs.

10 simple steps to help de-stress
There is no shortage of angst-inducing news these days: natural disasters, economic woes, political unrest. Add to this backdrop stresses in our personal lives, layoffs, illness, money woes, temper tantrums, and traffic jams, and it is clear that stressful situations are constant and inevitable.

Just as serious as the stressors themselves are the adverse effects stress can have on your emotional and physical health. Many well-respected studies link stress to heart disease and stroke — the No. 1 and No. 3 causes of death, respectively, in the United States. Stress is also implicated in a host of other ailments such as depression and anxiety, chronic lower respiratory diseases, asthma flare-ups, rheumatoid arthritis, and gastrointestinal problems.

Stress is not all bad. Your perception of a real or imagined threat can spark the stress response, which prepares the body to fight or flee. That swift reflex was encoded in you for survival. Thanks to the stress response, you might suddenly jump out of the path of a speeding car or flee from a burning house. But when your stress response is evoked repeatedly, your body experiences unnecessary wear and tear — such as high blood pressure — that can lead to poor health.

Even if you only have a few minutes to spare, the stress-busting suggestions described below can make your days calmer, if not easier.

Take the sting out of 10 common stressors

Sometimes just thinking about embarking on a program of stress control can be stressful. Rather than freeze in your tracks, start small and bask in the glow of your successes. Give yourself a week to focus on practical solutions that could help you cope with just one stumbling block or source of stress in your life. Pick a problem, and see if these suggestions work for you.

1. Frequently late? Apply time management principles. Consider your priorities (be sure to include time for yourself) and delegate or discard unnecessary tasks. Map out your day, segment by segment, setting aside time for different tasks, such as writing or phone calls. If you are overly optimistic about travel time, consistently give yourself an extra 15 minutes or more to get to your destinations. If lateness stems from dragging your heels, consider the underlying issue. Are you anxious about what will happen after you get to work or to a social event, for example? Or maybe you’re trying to jam too many tasks into too little time.

2. Often angry or irritated? Consider the weight of cognitive distortions. Are you magnifying a problem, leaping to conclusions, or applying emotional reasoning? Take the time to stop, breathe, reflect, and choose.

3. Unsure of your ability to do something? Don’t try to go it alone. If the problem is work, talk to a co-worker or supportive boss. Ask a knowledgeable friend or call the local library or an organization that can supply the information you need. Write down other ways that you might get the answers or skills you need. Turn to CDs, books, or classes, for example, if you need a little tutoring. This works equally well when you’re learning relaxation response techniques, too.

4. Overextended? Clear the deck of at least one time-consuming household task by hiring help. If you can, hire a housecleaning service, shop for groceries through the Internet, convene a family meeting to consider who can take on certain jobs, or barter with or pay teens for work around the house and yard. Consider what is truly essential and important to you and what might take a backseat right now.

5. Not enough time for stress relief? Try mini-relaxations. Or make a commitment to yourself to pare down your schedule for just one week so you can practice evoking the relaxation response every day. Slowing down to pay attention to just one task or pleasure at hand is an excellent method of stress relief.

6. Feeling unbearably tense? Try massage, a hot bath, mini-relaxations, a body scan, or a mindful walk. Practically any exercise — a brisk walk, a quick run, a sprint up and down the stairs — will help, too. Done regularly, exercise wards off tension, as do relaxation response techniques.

7. Frequently feel pessimistic? Remind yourself of the value of learned optimism: a more joyful life and, quite possibly, better health. Practice deflating cognitive distortions. Rent funny movies and read amusing books. Create a mental list of reasons you have to feel grateful. If the list seems too short, consider beefing up your social network and adding creative, productive, and leisure pursuits to your life.

8. Upset by conflicts with others? State your needs or distress directly, avoiding “you always” or “you never” zingers. Say, “I feel _____ when you _____.” “I would really appreciate it if you could _____.” “I need some help setting priorities. What needs to be done first and what should I tackle later?” If conflicts are a significant source of distress for you, consider taking a class on assertiveness training.

9. Worn out or burned out? Focus on self-nurturing. Carve out time to practice relaxation response techniques or at least indulge in mini-relaxations. Care for your body by eating good, healthy food and for your heart by seeking out others. Give thought to creative, productive, and leisure activities. Consider your priorities in life: is it worth feeling this way, or is another path open to you? If you want help, consider what kind would be best. Do you want a particular task at work to be taken off your hands? Do you want to do it at a later date? Do you need someone with particular expertise to assist you?

10. Feeling lonely? Connect with others. Even little connections — a brief conversation in line at the grocery store, an exchange about local goings-on with a neighbor, a question for a colleague — can help melt the ice within you. It may embolden you, too, to seek more opportunities to connect. Be a volunteer. Attend religious or community functions. Suggest coffee with an acquaintance. Call a friend or relative you miss. Take an interesting class. If a social phobia, low self-esteem, or depression is dampening your desire to reach out, seek help. The world is a kinder, more wondrous place when you share its pleasures and burdens.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Learning Portion Sizes at Home

source

Here is the meeting summary for 06.14.2011.

The best place to learn correct portion sizes is at home. And the more familiar you are with adequate portion sizes there, the easier it is to estimate portion sizes when you're eating out.

Here's how to set up your home environment:

Keep measuring tools handy. Set up your cooking/eating area so that measuring tools are easily available and in plain sight. Place measuring cups in the silverware drawer as a reminder to check portions now and then!

Measure liquid and solids differently. There are different measuring systems for liquids and solids (i.e. for solids, 16 ounces equals one pound, and with liquids eight fluid ounces equals one fluid cup). The best tool for solid measure is a food scale or baking/dry measuring cups. For liquid measure, a clear glass or plastic measuring cup with cup- and fluid ounce-markings on the side gives additional room at the top so liquids won't spill over.

Measure accurately. Whether you're using a tablespoon or cup, it should be leveled off. (ha and that doesn’t mean with your teeth)And the best measuring spoons and cups are ones that can be squared off for easy leveling.

Note the actual size of your dinnerware and cups. Figure out what correct servings (for example, a three-ounce piece of chicken next to a one-cup serving of spinach) look like on your plates. Tip: If you have a smaller plate such as a salad or dessert plate, using it instead of a larger dinner plate might make you feel as if you're having more food.

Store foods in individual serving sizes. After you buy bulk-size packages of food, portion out correct serving sizes. For example, if you purchase an extra large bag of pretzels, use plastic baggies to portion it into single servings. The same goes for large packages of poultry and meat – divide it into single servings right away for easy cooking or freezing.

Check the actual serving size. When eating packaged foods or drinks, be aware that a package or bottle probably contains more than one serving, perhaps more than two. When cooking from recipes, be mindful of serving sizes and how many servings a recipe actually makes.

The more we measure portion sizes at home the easier it will be for us to identify what a proper portion size looks like when we dine out. Remember all of the resources that you have as well to help you better estimate points plus values vs. guesstimating. Do you know the difference? Guesstimating is suggesting a value out of nowhere with no knowledge, and an estimate uses some sort of prior information to help you make the decision. For example, if you know that a enchilada from on the border is 7 pp, then a good estimate for the pp value of an enchilada at say papacitas would be around 7 pp.

To help you better estimate points plus values, it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with your program materials. Read through your pocket guide and become familiar with the points plus values for your basic staple foods. That way when you are at a restaurant, if you know a plain baked potato is usually 4 pp then you know that a fully loaded baked potato would not also be 4 pp right? Are you following me?

Some great resources can be:
*Pocket guide
*Dining out companion
*Complete Food Companion
*Etools
*internet
*Getting Started Book

Remember the more time we put into learning more about the new PointsPlus system and PointsPlus values the more successful at weight loss we will be!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Leading my First Weight Watchers Meeting

As you might have read last week, I had my final leader training session with Weight Watchers on Thursday evening. I did a great job and passed! I am now a Weight Watchers leader! To read more, click here.

This past Saturday I lead my first Weight Watchers meeting. I was not nearly as nervous as I was on Thursday. I had a great time mingling with the members and trying to get to know them better.

I also was able to talk with new people that came to sign up with Weight Watchers. I went through the entire meeting communication the topic and trying to ask a lot of questions to get the conversation going. The meeting went really well and I think that all of my preparation really paid off!!

All week I had been working on my flip charts and going over my meeting topic so that I would be prepared for Thursday. However, I was trying to plan well, because I knew I would be leading this meeting twice this week!

I got out all the materials I needed in order to prepare for my meeting.

I read my Leader Connection and this week's Weekly from cover to cover!

This is my first flip chart.

This chart had a lot of information on it and I redid it about three times, before I got it right!

This was my final flip chart, much easier than flip chart #2.

This is me the morning of my Thursday meeting.

I am leading another meeting this coming Saturday and I cannot wait! It is such an honor to be a Weight Watchers leader. I am truly blessed.

I will post the meeting summary for this last week's meeting tomorrow. Be sure to check back for some awesome information!

Friday, June 17, 2011

I did it!!

Last night, I passed my final Weight Watchers leader training session. I lead the entire meeting as if I was the real leader. I talked with members, answered questions, lead the meeting, gave the Getting Started Session, and helped pack everything up. When it was all said and done I was told that I passed!!

Now that I have gone to Basic Leader School and completed my four required training sessions, I am officially a Weight Watchers leader!!

Did you hear me? I am a Weight Watchers leader? WOW!

I have to sit back and process this for a moment, because I am more overwhelmed then I thought I would be. I am not overwhelmed emotionally, by the significance of this accomplishment.

Please don't get me wrong...I have been excited about the idea behind becoming a Weight Watchers leader, because I get to walk with other people as they are on their own weight loss journeys. I am excited for God to use me in ways to continue to glorify Him through my weight loss. However, what I did not anticipate is the fact that this would be such a huge milestone for me.

I have come so far and sometimes I forget that.

I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that someday I would be a Weight Watchers leader. I can still remember the feels I had as I attended my first meeting back in October 2008. I was nervous and unsure if I even wanted to be apart of this program.

But God...

God changed everything for me. He used Weight Watchers to help me lose over 90 pounds. He also used my weight loss as a way to change me to be more like His son, Jesus. I never thought God cared, but look at the beautiful transformation that can take place when we let go and let God be Himself.

Thank you Lord for NEVER giving up on me.

"to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes" - Isaiah 61:3

Thursday, June 16, 2011

My Final Leader Training

This is me ready for my meeting. Do you like my flip chart?

I just wanted to ask that you all would be praying for me! Tonight is my final Weight Watchers leader training session. I am responsible perform all of the duties as if I were the real leader. The meeting I am leading begins at 5:45pm (central). So if I come to mind, just shoot up a quick prayer for me. I really desire to honor the Lord in everything that I do, therefore pray that all the glory will go to Him!

Thank you!!

Recipe Review: Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

Life has been very busy in our home the last few weeks. I have had this recipe on my menu for almost a month, but have just now gotten around to making it!

I am excited to share this recipe with you. I found it on the Weight Watchers message boards. I knew that my husband would enjoy it, because it has a wing sauce in it. This really is a great recipe if you are tired of classic meatloaf and want to spicy things up, literally.

Just a note, that I this did not turn out as spicy as I thought it would. I am a baby when it comes to spicy things, but this was a nice temperature for me and the flavors were great!

The ingredients. I did not used the blue cheese, because Jon does not like it. However, I think it would have given it an even better flavor!

Mix  together the oats and milk and let them sit for three minutes.

Next, add Frank's wing sauce and stir it all together.

Next, add your ground turkey. Please note that we used lean ground beef, because that's all I had!

Then add your carrots, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and egg whites. Again, I am running out of a lot of stuff in my kitchen, so I used Egg Beaters instead of egg whites.

Then, mix it all together.

The recipe said to put it in a meatloaf pan, but I like putting meatloaf in muffin times. This helps me to control my portion sizes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

I ate my meatloaf with a Green Giant Just for One Broccoli & Cheese. They were so good!!

. . . . . . . . . .
Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf
Source: PMMOAK

Ingredients
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup Frank's wing sauce
1 lb. ground chicken breast or ground turkey
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup chopped sweet onion
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Instructions
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x5x3 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2.Combine the oats and milk in a mixing bowl and let stand 3 minutes, or until the oats begin to soften. Stir in the wing sauce. Add the ground chicken, celery, carrot, onion, egg whites and salt to taste.

3.Using a large spoon or with your hands, gently combine the mixture. Add the blue cheese and gently combine.

4.Transfer mixture to loaf pan, smooth the top flat, and spread the remaining wing sauce on top. Sprinkle the reserved onion slices over the sauce.

5.Bake 35-45 minutes, or until the center of the meatloaf is no longer pink. Serve immediately.

Serves 12; PointsPlus+ 2

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Are You Nuts?

source

Here is the latest Get Fit email from Dr. Jacobs.

Nuts — A healthy treat

Could nuts be one of the secret ingredients to weight loss? A couple of studies have found a correlation between relatively high nut consumption (two or more servings a week) and avoidance of weight gain and obesity. Researchers at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reported results in 2010 from a small (20 volunteers) study that showed walnuts at breakfast gave people a pre-lunch feeling of fullness that might make it easier to eat less. Ultimately, weight loss is about reining in calorie consumption (and increasing physical activity). But if nuts make people feel full, perhaps they can help lower calorie counts over all, even as they add to those totals.

Nuts are dense little packages of fat and protein, with most of the fat being the healthful, unsaturated kind. They don’t contribute much in the way of vitamins but make up for it by supplying respectable amounts of potassium, magnesium, and several other required minerals.

Dieters have tended to stay away from nuts because the fat content makes them a high-calorie food. It doesn’t help that we tend to shovel them in as snacks, not as part of meals. But nuts contain very little carbohydrate, so they’re showing up in low-carb diets these days, particularly the ones that emphasize plant-based foods.

Nutrients in nuts per 1.5 ounces (43 grams)
Calories/Fat (grams)/Protein (grams)
Almonds 254/22.5/9.4
Brazil nuts 279/28.2/6.1
Cashews 244/19.7/6.5
Hazelnuts 275/26.5/6.4
Macadamias 305/32.4/3.3
Peanuts 249/21.1/10.1
Pecans 302/31.6/ 4.0
Pistachios 243/19.6/ 9.1
Walnuts 278/27.7/6.5
Source: Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2010.

Nuts and your heart
Apart from weight issues, nuts seem to have some protective effects against heart disease. Numerous studies have shown that if you put people on nut-filled diets, favorable effects on cholesterol levels, blood pressure readings, and inflammatory factors follow. And in large epidemiologic studies, high nut consumption has been associated with lower rates of heart disease. An analysis of data from the Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study showed that having one serving of nuts a day is associated with a 30% lower risk of heart disease compared with having one serving of red meat a day.

A plate full of walnuts for dinner tonight?

Nuts as a meal may not sound very appealing. But cookbooks are full of recipes that incorporate nuts into pasta dishes and the like. And it would be easy for most of us to add almonds or walnuts to a bowl of cereal or low-fat yogurt at breakfast and occasionally eat a meatless lunch or dinner.

Nuts may help with diabetes, too. The lack of carbohydrate content means nuts don’t add appreciably to the surges in blood sugar we experience after many meals. In fact, they can blunt the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Those “postprandial” spikes in blood sugar contribute to the development of diabetes in people vulnerable to getting the disease and must be controlled in those who have already have it. Yet the evidence for nut consumption reducing the risk for developing diabetes is mixed, as are results of studies of the effect it has on blood sugar levels.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...