myamericanfitness

Why some moms have banned artificial food dyes from their kids’ diets

myamericanfitness — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:48:35 +0000

By Kavita Varma-White

When the Food and Drug Administration meets this week to hear experts testify on whether artificial food dyes play a role in making kids hyperactive, there’s a community of parents who will be all ears.

The Food and Drug Administration will reconsider whether there might be a link between the artificial dyes found in many foods and ADHD in kids. NBC’s Tom Costello reports.

And if the FDA eventually decides to require a warning on products containing dyes or to ban dyes altogether, it will be a fantastic outcome, albeit somewhat anti-climactic, for these passionate moms and dads. That’s because they’ve already stripped those suspect dyes ── Red #40, Red 3, Blue #2, and so on ── from their kids’ diets.

Vote: Are you worried about artificial dyes?

The use of artificial dyes by foodmakers has increased by half since 1990, reported the Washington Post, and it’s not limited to candy. Foods made pretty by chemicals now include everything from bagels and pickles to Pop-Tarts.

Organizations like the Grocery Manufacturers Association contend there’s no issue: ”All of the major safety bodies globally have reviewed the available science and have determined that there is no demonstrable link between artificial food colors and hyperactivity among children,” the group says in a statement.

But the anti-dye mom brigade vehemently disagrees. They don’t like the effects they claim the dyes have on their kids, and they voice their frustrations in places like the Facebook page, “I keep my kid away from Red Dye #40!! Do you??”

“My son was given pink Nerds candy at school yesterday afternoon and ever since he has been bouncing off the walls. I can’t calm or reason with him. Doors are slamming, things are being thrown. I HATE RED #40,” writes one mom.

There’s also the Red Dye Free! blog started two years ago by Cayla Maraist, a Florida mom and former elementary school teacher who blames red dye #40 for her son’s turbulent behavior. Once she dropped the dye from his diet, she says she witnessed a complete turnaround and started the blog to share what she learned.

“Why should children or anyone else needlessly suffer because of consuming these harmful dyes?” says Maraist, who posts testimonials of moms who say they have seen changes in their kids after they cut out dyes. She also has a link to The Red Dye Free Store, where you can buy products without artificial colors.

For moms like Jackie Jackson Vann of Washington, D.C., removing dyes from her family’s diet several years ago was life-changing.

When Vann’s oldest son, Rileigh, was in second and third grade, he was having issues in school. “He’d fall out of his chair or just fall down while walking. We thought he was being the class clown,” says Vann. Rileigh was also having trouble focusing and struggled with homework. Teachers suggested that Rileigh be tested for ADHD, but his parents felt his symptoms weren’t severe enough to merit medication.

Research led Vann to discover the Feingold program, a diet created in the 1970s by Dr. Ben Feingold, who believed food dyes were linked to hyperactive behavior.

On the Feingold diet, you eliminate everything with artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners and artificial flavors, plus three major preservatives: BHT, TBHA and BHA.

Vann gave the diet a trial run with Rileigh. And after two weeks, she says the change in her son was obvious. Homework that used to take hours to do would take the 30 minutes it should have required. He was more focused and happy. “The challenges were removed for him,” says Vann.

After that, the Vanns decided the whole family should make it a way of life, so they cleaned out their kitchen. “I read every single label. About 80 percent of the stuff had to be thrown out.”

Vann admits that in the beginning, food shopping was a pain that involved going to multiple stores to find products. She now even uses iPhone apps such as “Don’t Eat That” to help decipher labels.

For busy, time-starved parents, the idea of spending so much energy on grocery shopping may seem daunting. And what about all those treats you’ve got to pass up?

Vann says her kids aren’t deprived of anything. They eat ice cream (Ben & Jerrys and Breyers all natural), and chocolate-covered raisins, and love Neuman-Os, the organic, natural replacement of Oreos. When they eat potato chips, Jackie looks for those with simple ingredients. “They should be potatoes and oil and salt. That’s all,” she says.

Do you limit the artificial food dyes your children consume? If so, have you seen any changes in behavior?

Article from http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/

Pics from www.health.com , www.sociablesusan.blogspot.com and http://blog.centralrestaurant.com .

Can You Fight the Flu with Food?

myamericanfitness — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:21:04 +0000

by Mehmet C. Oz, MD and Michael F. Roizen, MD

If your drugstore has been picked clean of hand sanitizer, decongestant, and tissues, then it must be flu season.

Starting in the fall and ending in the spring, some 5% to 20% of us — maybe even 25% this year, since there are two types of flu going around — will be sidelined by the flu’s famous fever, sore throat, cough, headache, runny nose, and aching muscles.

Even if you got your flu shots (and we’re hoping you got both), you can still be a statistic. So it makes sense to do everything possible to prevent the flu from hitting you. That means keeping your paws clean, exercising daily, getting enough ZZZs, controlling stress by meditating or calling friends, and eating right.

Although there’s no single superfood that can protect you from this malevolent malady — not even chicken soup (sorry, Mom; although the soup can shorten the flu’s duration) — focusing on the dietary big picture can help. Filling your plate with a horde of healthy foods can deliver the many nutrients you need in order to fortify your immune system against attacks of many types. These guidelines make it easy:

Give me an A

Vitamin A keeps the lining of your nasal and respiratory passages in tip-top shape so they can defend against invaders. It’s so important for fighting infection that even a small deficiency boosts your risk of respiratory ills. That said, too much vitamin A in supplement form can cause birth defects and raise the odds of osteoporosis in older folks.

That’s why we recommend a food-first strategy. Conveniently, this is the time of year when loads of A-rich foods are in season. Get yours from bright orange and dark green veggies like sweet potatoes, winter squash, carrots, spinach, kale, and collard greens.

Power up with protein

Protein doesn’t just help build strong muscles; it also provides the raw materials your body needs to manufacture disease-busting antibodies. And more antibodies means less infection. Luckily, getting enough protein is pretty easy because you only need about a quarter of a gram for every pound you weigh.

But getting the right type is another story. Many protein-heavy foods come with a side of inflammation-encouraging saturated fat. So steer clear of steak, dark-meat poultry, and full-fat cheese, and instead stick with low-fat dairy, skinless white-meat chicken, ground turkey breast, tofu, fish, nuts, and beans.

C the light

You’ve heard vitamin C can help you get over a cold. Well, it may also protect your lungs from flu damage. How? By helping your body crank out protective immune cells known as chemokines and cytokines. These supreme defenders send out smoke signals throughout your body, telling it that it’s infection-fighting time.

So go ahead and drink your OJ, but don’t stop there. For a healthy dose of C, plus a heap of other immunity-enhancing flavonoids, dig into produce superstars, including strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, and kiwifruits.

Defend with D

Vitamin D3 strengthens your immune system’s capabilities, but 80% to 90% of us who live outside the Sunbelt come up short on this vitamin in winter. So select D3 off the shelf, and get 1,000 international units (IU) a day. Take it with a little fat so it will be absorbed.

Choose friendly fats. What do walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, olive oil, and avocados have in common? They’re all healthy fats. And they help you absorb vitamins A and D. Plus, they decrease inflammation, meaning you’ll suffer less with the flu if you’ve stoked your system with them.

Mange your waist

Eating more than you need doesn’t just give you a muffin top; it can also weaken your resistance. The skinny from University of North Carolina researchers is that too much body blubber suppresses your personal army of inflammation fighters — compounds with names like tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. When the Carolina scientists looked at the flu’s effects on mice that were lean compared with mice that were pudgy, they saw that the fatter ones were less likely to survive the flu and more likely to suffer complications.

Article from www.weather.com

Picture from www.coloneltiki.com

Study: Green Tea Drinkers Show Less Disability with Age

myamericanfitness — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:24:05 +0000

Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people.

Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals that may help ward off the cell damage that can lead to disease. Researchers have been studying green tea’s effect on everything from cholesterol to the risk of certain cancers, with mixed results so far.

For the new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers decided to examine the question of whether green tea drinkers have a lower risk of frailty and disability as they grow older.

Yasutake Tomata of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and his colleagues followed nearly 14,000 adults aged 65 or older for three years.

They found those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop “functional disability,” or problems with daily activities or basic needs, such as dressing or bathing.

Specifically, almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of green tea per day became functionally disabled, compared with just over 7 percent of people who drank at least five cups a day.

“Green tea consumption is significantly associated with a lower risk of incident functional disability, even after adjustment for possible confounding factors,” Tomata and his colleagues wrote.

The study did not prove that green tea alone kept people spry as they grew older.

Green-tea lovers generally had healthier diets, including more fish, vegetables and fruit, as well as more education, lower smoking rates, fewer heart attacks and strokes, and greater mental sharpness.

They also tended to be more socially active and have more friends and family to rely on.

But even with those factors accounted for, green tea itself was tied to a lower disability risk, the researchers said.

People who drank at least five cups a day were one-third less likely to develop disabilities than those who had less than a cup per day. Those people who averaged three or four cups a day had a 25 percent lower risk.

Although it’s not clear how green tea might offer a buffer against disability, Tomata’s team did note that one recent study found green tea extracts seem to boost leg muscle strength in older women.

While green tea and its extracts are considered safe in small amounts, they do contain caffeine and small amounts of vitamin K, which means it could interfere with drugs that prevent blood clotting.

Is Sugar Toxic? Should it’s sale be restricted?

myamericanfitness — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:47:58 +0000

There are a lot of vices in this world and I believe sugar is definitely one of them. I don’t necessarily believe in this much government involvement, but I do think something needs to be done. With the obesity pandemic and the list of diseases that can be caused by the over consumption of sugar, fat, salt and everything else out there, awareness needs to be spread. Practically every food we consume is filled with more than the recommended daily value of these additives and people need to be aware of what they are eating. At least this will get the coversation started.

From www.cba.ca

Tax ‘toxic’ sugar, doctors urge

Age restriction for sugary drinks proposed

Sugar is so toxic that it should be taxed and slapped with regulations like alcohol, some U.S. researchers argue.

In a commentary published in Wednesday’s issue of the journal Nature, doctors from the University of California, San Francisco, say that rising global rates of major killers such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes aren’t caused by obesity as commonly thought.

Instead, obesity is a marker for those health problems, and sugar is the true culprit, Dr. Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis said.

“We recognize that societal intervention to reduce the supply and demand for sugar faces an uphill political battle against a powerful sugar lobby,” they wrote.

Measures such as smoking bans in public places, the use of designated drivers and the addition of condom dispensers in public washrooms were also battlegrounds that are now taken for granted for public health, the authors said in calling for sugar regulations.

They suggested:

Taxing “added sugar” — any sweetener containing fructose that is added to food in processing, including sugar-sweetened beverages and sugared cereal.
Controlling the location and density of fast-food outlets and convenience stores around schools and offering incentives to open grocery stores and farmers’ markets.
Limiting sales during the school day or designating an age limit to buy drinks with added sugar.

The researchers said sugar meets four criteria for regulation that are largely accepted by public health experts and that were first applied to alcohol. Those criteria are pervasiveness in society, toxicity, potential for abuse and negative impact on society.

It has been suggested that sales of sugary foods and drinks be limited during the school day. (iStock)

The American Beverage Association responded to the article by saying there’s a drink and portion size for every occasion and lifestyle.

“We believe providing more options — not taking them away — is a better solution to help parents and individuals choose beverages that are right for them and their families,” the beverage group said on its website.

Dietitians generally encourage people to eat a healthy diet without focusing on a single nutrient.

There are several toxic substances, such as salt and trans fat, that affect health if you eat too much of them, said Dr. Arya Sharma, scientific director of the Canadian Obesity Network.

“I don’t think we can bring the whole question about obesity down to a simple substance like people eating too much sugar,” Sharma said in an interview from Lethbridge, Alta.

The discussion is valuable, but no one knows what the unintended consequences of regulating sugar might be, Sharma said.

“Changing lifestyle is more about changing your life than your style,” Sharma said. “We have to ask ourselves, are we prepared to change our lives? Which means spend less time on the road, perhaps less hours working, perhaps start cooking again, perhaps bring home economics back into school.”

Exercise may boost mood for some chronically ill

myamericanfitness — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:03:54 +0000

Working out regularly may brighten the mood of people with chronic health problems like cancer, heart disease and back pain, according to the first sweeping look at previous research.

But it’s no miracle cure: On average, six people would need to hit the gym or go for a jog for one person to see a mood improvement.

“It’s a nice piece of evidence and I’m pleased because I like the concept,” said Dr. Alan J. Gelenberg, who chairs the department of psychiatry at Penn State University in Hershey.

Gelenberg, who wasn’t involved in the new work, said the findings jibe with guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association, which recommends regular exercise against the blues.

“There is some evidence for its use to prevent depression, and there actually is evidence for exercise as a treatment in itself,” he told Reuters Health.

With the new study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers wanted to weigh the evidence that training can also help chronically ill people who don’t have a diagnosis of depression, but nonetheless may feel down.

That’s important because depressive symptoms could make people less likely to take their meds, could increase their use of health services and decrease their quality of life, said Matthew Herring of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

He and his colleagues combed through 90 previous studies including more than 10,000 people with health problems like cancer, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), fibromyalgia, chronic pain or obesity.

In each study, people had been randomly chosen to do exercises — on average, three times a week over 17 weeks — or not.

According to Herring, people’s depressive symptoms, as rated on a variety of psychological scales, dropped about 22 percent with exercise overall. That’s similar to the effects on fatigue, anxiety, pain and other mental health outcomes.

“The magnitude of the effect of exercise training on depressive symptoms among patients found in our review is small but significant,” he told Reuters Health by email.

Herring added that moderate — at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week — and vigorous — at least 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise per week — seemed to help the most.

How long will benefits last?

Still, the report comes with several caveats. For instance, it’s not clear how many people with chronic illnesses are able to work out at sufficient intensity, and many participants did in fact drop out of the studies.

Also, it’s not clear how long the effects last, how much to exercise and what kind of exercise works better — aerobic training like running or walking or strength training like weightlifting.

“What we don’t know is much more than we do know,” said Gelenberg.

Still, he added, “exercise has a lot of benefits… if someone doesn’t exercise in a stupid way, like a 65-year-old man trying to bench press 200 pounds.”

Gelenberg said people with chronic disease who feel depressed should exercise within a physician’s guidelines and eat a healthy diet.

“I would suggest they indulge themselves in healthy pleasures: people, books, walks, sitting in a pretty place. If they still feel ‘down,’ I’d suggest professional attention to consider psychotherapy or an antidepressant medicine,” he said.

(Corrects duration of exercise interventions in paragraph 9 of story posted on Jan 25, 2012)

From www.foxnews.com

1 in 3 adults, 1 in 6 children Obese

myamericanfitness — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:47:24 +0000

It’s sad to know that things are not getting better. One in three adults and one in six children are considered obese in America. In fact, it appears as though things are getting worse. The number of obese men has climbed. This does not include the number of people who are overweight, but not yet obese. 68.8% of all people in this country are considered overweight! 17% of children are overweight! This is an epidemic and it has to be stopped. 7 out of the top 10 causes of death in North America are hypokinetic diseases (or diseases caused by lack of movement)! Come on people! Let’s get moving and get educated about the food we’re eating. Our children are the first generation who are not expected to outlive us. We need to make a big change to save ourselves.

Pic from blogs.babble.com

Here is an article I found on foxnews.com regarding the latest figures from the CDC:

One in every three adults and one in every six children in the United States is obese, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These statistics, based on data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination, show little change compared to 12 years ago, although there have been increases in certain demographics, researchers said.

“There was an increase in males overall, especially adult males,” Dr. Cynthia Ogden, an epidemiologist and branch chief at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, told FoxNews.com. Ogden led the study along with Dr. Katherine Flegal, senior research scientist, and other colleagues at the CDC in Hyattsville, Md.

“It’s important to track obesity, because we know that it’s related to certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” Ogden said. “It really is linked to many chronic health conditions in adults.”

Monitoring children is also important because “obese children often track to be obese adults,” she added.

According to the survey, the average body mass index (BMI) for men and women in the U.S. is 28.7. A BMI of 25 or greater is considered overweight, while a BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese.

The prevalence of people classified as overweight or obese is 68.8 percent of the population overall – 73.9 percent of men are overweight or obese, while 63.7 percent of women are. The prevalence of obesity in children is approximately 17 percent.

“The good news is the prevalence hasn’t gone up – but it also hasn’t gone down,” Ogden said. “And the prevalence of obesity in men has caught up to women. Obesity used to be more prevalent among women [12 years ago].”

The study will be published in the Journal of American Medical Association. It was released online in advance due to its “public health importance,” the researchers said.

Tough Mudder Norcal 2012

myamericanfitness — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:17:16 +0000

Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. As the leading company in the booming obstacle course industry, Tough Mudder has already challenged half a million inspiring participants worldwide and raised more than $2 million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project. But Tough Mudder is more than an event, it’s a way of thinking. By running a Tough Mudder challenge, you’ll unlock a true sense of accomplishment, have a great time, and discover a camaraderie with your fellow participants that’s experienced all too rarely these days.

FACT #1 – Marathon running is boring.

And the only thing more boring than doing a marathon is watching a marathon. Road-running may give you a healthy set of lungs, but will leave you with as much upper body strength as Keira Knightley. At Tough Mudder, we want to test your all-around mettle, not just your ability to run in a straight line, on your own, for hours on end, getting bored out of your mind. Our obstacle courses are designed by British Special Forces to test you in every way and are meant only for truly exceptional all-around people, not for people who have enough time and money to train their knees to run 26 miles.

FACT #2 – Mudders do not take themselves too seriously.

Triathlons, marathons, and other lame-ass mud runs are more stressful than fun. Not Tough Mudder. As hardcore as our courses are, we meet you at the finish line with a beer, a laugh, and a rockin’ live band. It’s pretty hard to take yourself seriously when you’re covered in mud and have just finished an obstacle called ‘Just The Tip’, so please don’t show up at a Tough Mudder without a sense of humor. Just check out the ridiculous team costumes in our event photos to get a feel for the spirit of Tough Mudder.

FACT #3 – You cannot complete a Tough Mudder course alone.

To get through mud, fire, ice-water, and 10,000 volts of electricity you’ll need teammates to pick you up when your spirits dip. To get over 12 foot walls and through underground mud tunnels, you’ll need teammates to give you a boost and a push. Tough Mudders are team players who make sure no one gets left behind. To that end, all Mudders are expected to uphold our ideals and exhibit teamwork and camaraderie both on the course and off it. All participants are asked to join us in reciting the Tough Mudder pledge before starting each event. (download pledge poster)

Make a team, sign up, support the Wounded Warrior Project!!! And then train your butt off!!!!

http://toughmudder.com/events/norcal-2012/

Periodized Training and Why It Is Important

myamericanfitness — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 23:28:46 +0000

You have the best intentions regarding your workout, but find that your motivation has been sapped.

Lately, no matter how hard or how often you work out, you just can’t seem to progress any further. You’re stuck on a plateau.

It turns out that the exercise you’ve been doing has worked so well that your body has adapted to it. You need to “shock” or “surprise” your body a bit. You need to give it a new challenge periodically if you’re going to continue to make gains.

That goes for both strength and cardiovascular training. “Periodizing” your training is the key. Instead of doing the same routine month after month, you change your training program at regular intervals or “periods” to keep your body working harder, while still giving it adequate rest.

For example, you can alter your strength-training program by adjusting the following variables:

The number of repetitions per set, or the number of sets of each exercise
The amount of resistance used
The rest period between sets, exercises or training sessions
The order of the exercises, or the types of exercises
The speed at which you complete each exercise
There are many different types of periodized strength-training programs, and many are geared to the strength, power and demands of specific sports. The most commonly used program is one that will move you from low resistance and a high number of repetitions to high resistance and a lower number of repetitions.
Such a program will allow your muscles to strengthen gradually and is appropriate for anyone interested in general fitness.

Research Shows Better Results

A frequently cited study conducted at the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University has shown that a periodized strength-training program can produce better results than a non-periodized program. The purpose of the study, which was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in 2001, was to determine the long-term training adaptations associated with low-volume, circuit-type training vs. periodized, high-volume resistance training in women (volume = total amount of weight lifted during each session).

The 34 women in the study were divided into those two groups, along with a non-exercising control group. Group 1 performed one set of eight to 12 repetitions to muscle failure three days per week for 12 weeks. Group 2 performed two to four sets of three to 15 repetitions, with periodized volume and intensity, four days per week during the 12- week period.

As the chart shows, the periodized group showed more substantial gains in lean muscle, greater reductions in body fat and more substantial strength gains than the non-periodized group after 12 weeks.

Periodizing Your Cardiovascular Workout

You should also periodize your cardiovascular training for the same reasons—to further challenge your body while still allowing for adequate recovery time.

If, for example, you’re a recreational runner, running for fitness, fun and the occasional short race, you’ll want to allow for flat, easy runs, as well as some that incorporate hills and others that focus on speed and strength.

What you don’t want to do is complete the same run every time. If you run too easily, and don’t push yourself, you won’t progress. And chances are you’ll get bored. Conversely, too much speed or high-intensity training will lead to injury or burnout, and most likely, disappointing race results.

If you are serious about improving your time in a 10K or completing a half marathon or even a full marathon, you’ll need a periodized program geared to each type of race. Many such programs are available from local running clubs, in running books and magazines, from some health clubs, as well as on running websites.

Specially designed periodized training programs are also available for cycling and many other sports.

Periodized training will ensure that you continue to make measurable progress, which will keep you energized and interested in reaching your goals.

Additional Resources

Marx, J.O et al. (2001). Low-volume circuit versus high-volume periodized resistance training in women. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33, 635–643.
American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand—Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults: www.acsm-msse.org/pt/pt-core/template-journal/msse/media/0202.pdf
American College of Sports Medicine—The Team Physician and Conditioning of Athletes for Sports: A Consensus Statement: http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search§ion=Team_Physician_Consensus_Statements&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentFileID=353

From http://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitfacts_display.aspx?itemid=2624

Pic from www.weightlifting4u.com

Apple cinnamon coffee cake

myamericanfitness — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:47:47 +0000

Ingredients
***CAKE***
1 ½ cups ground gluten-free oats
¾ cup turbinado
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
6T egg whites (about 3 egg whites)
3/4 cup fat free plain greek yogurt
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 medium apple, any variety, diced or grated
1/8 cup dried cranberries
Olive oil spray
***TOPPING***
¼ cup whole rolled oats
1/8 cup turbinado
1/8 cup chopped, toasted pecans (unsalted)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon

Directons
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine ground oats, turbinado, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until frothy, then add yogurt, applesauce, vanilla and apple. Whisk until a little frothy. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture and combine thoroughly. Lightly oil an 8×8 metal pan with olive oil spray. Pour batter into pan. Let sit for about 5 minutes while making the topping. In a small bowl, combine whole rolled oats, turbinado, pecans, olive oil and pumpkin pie spice well. Sprinkle cranberries over top of batter and push down a bit so each one is covered by batter. Evenly sprinkle topping mixture over batter and lightly pat down with the palm of your hand. Bake for 27-32 minutes, until fork comes out clean.

Nutritional Info: These numbers are approximate and per slice (1/9 of the cake)
Calories: 190 Fat: 5g Carbs: 34 Protein: 4g

Roasted Butternut Squash & Brussel Sprout Leaf Sauté

myamericanfitness — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:16:15 +0000

Ingredients
1 medium sized butternut squash
1 ½ lbs brussel sprouts
1/8 cup yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2T + 2T olive oil
3T dried cranberries (or dried and fresh cranberries mixed)
3T slivered, toasted almonds
Salt & Pepper to taste

Get yourself a nice, heavy butternut squash and preheat the oven to 350F.

Cut the bulbous side off and use a sharp knife to cut the tough skin off all around. I used side without the seeds, but you can use the whole thing if you’re making a bigger batch.

Slice into thick rounds.

Cut into bite-sized pieces, toss with 2T olive oil, salt & pepper.
Roast in oven for 15-20 min, toss and turn, roast for another 15 minutes and remove from oven. Side aside

Use a paring knife to cut around each brussel sprout, removing the outer, dark leaves.

Heat 2T olive oil on a big pan and sauté onions and garlic until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add brussel sprout leaves and sauté until slightly tender and bright green, about 2-3 minutes.

Add butternut squash, cranberries and almonds. Turn gently to mix. Try not to smash the squash too much. Heat through. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast or lean pork loin that has been seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and poultry seasoning.