K.V. Fischer - Page 20 of 21 - adding spice to your life

The Ultimate 5 Week Bran Muffins

5 Week Bran Muffin, Fresh Fruit — The Ultimate 5 Week Bran Muffins

The Ultimate 5 Week Bran Muffins are not only delicious, but they are healthy as well. Food does not have to be high in fat, salt, and sugar to be scrumptious. With the summer months upon us and the farmer’s markets at their best, we can take advantage of the succulent fruit rich in vitamins and minerals that are available to us. Most will do for this easy, flavorful, healthy muffin that can be eaten for breakfast or dessert as a healthy alternative. The particular muffins shown in these photos have Georgia peaches, blueberries, bananas, apples and walnuts. You can use whatever fresh fruit you enjoy and is available (or a combination).

Ingredients:

5 Week Bran Muffins, bananas, blueberries, walnuts, peaches, apples — 5 Week Bran Muffins — Perfect for Breakfast or Dessert.Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) box Raisin Bran
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 cup granulated Splenda (if you do not wish to use Splenda, increase the sugar for a total of 2 1/2 cups)
2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups whole wheat graham flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, apple pie spice, or pumpkin pie spice
4 beaten eggs
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 quart buttermilk

Directions

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add beaten eggs, oil, and buttermilk to the well mixed dry ingredients.
Refrigerate until ready to use.

Tip: I generally use a 3 cup cereal bowl to make a batch at a time.

Fruit

To this batter, you may add approximately 1/2 cup of your favorite diced fruit — fresh (or frozen) like peaches, apples, mashed ripe bananas, and blueberries. Walnuts make a delicious and healthy addition.

Baking

Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 of the way or bake in muffin baking paper cups.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes. If they get too brown bake at 375 for 25 minutes.
Healthy & Delicious 5 Week Bran Muffins — Perfect as a Dessert, Breakfast, and Party Snack

You may use the entire batter to make the muffins all at once and freeze some for later (they freeze beautifully), or make what you want to eat that day and refrigerate the batter for the next time you want a warm muffin fresh out of the oven. The batter should last up to approximately 5 weeks in the refrigerator.

The Ultimate 5 Week Bran Muffins have been a favorite of ours. It packs a healthy, tasty punch few could deny.

Farmer’s Market Fresh — Salsa Recipe

There is nothing better than the fresh produce available from your local farmer’s market. Typically it’s picked fresh that day and is rich in vitamins, minerals, and flavor. It also gives us the opportunity to support our local businesses. Check out my prior post — Vitamins – Storage In the Body and Out.

Recipe - Farmer's Market Fresh Salsa This salsa recipe is an easy and great way to enjoy fresh produce. Feel free to double it or triple it based on the number of people you plan to serve.

Ingredients for Farmer’s Market Fresh Salsa

Garlic & Tomatoes Farmer's Market Fresh — Garlic and Tomatoes

1 cup of diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup of fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup of diced onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt to taste — Americans tend to consume far more salt than is necessary or healthy. When I make the salsa, do not use salt, however, I do realize that most people prefer it.

Directions — Putting it all together

Combine all the ingredients. Serve with your choice of fresh vegetables, tacos, corn chips, nano chips, pita chips, baked or toasted french bread, or anything else that your heart desires.

Tip:

I love sweet corn and have tried cooking it every way imaginable to ensure the sweetest, most delicious taste. Boiling corn probably does it the most injustice, although it may be the easiest. I grilled it shucked and wrapped in foil, not shucked and wrapped in foil, and right on the grill, without shucking it. Then, a farmer told us we were “wrecking” our corn and shared the secret…. You soak the corn in water with the husk on for 30-45 minutes then wrap each ear in foil and grill each side for about 7 minutes. You will have the most succulent, sweetest corn you have ever tasted. As an added plus, it freezes beautifully (I take it off the cob) and enjoy that summer sweetness throughout the winter.

What is your favorite summertime recipe?

Minerals — The Bottom Line

Can you live without minerals? Like vitamins, minerals are required to sustain life. They are needed for the body’s basic life functions at every level starting at the cellular and continuing through to the tissues, organs, and the whole body. The roles each mineral plays and the amounts required to effectively perform their function varies.

For example, some minerals like selenium and copper work as cofactors. In their function as a cofactor, minerals permit enzymes and other proteins to function. Additionally, minerals are key contributors to a variety of body compounds. Examples of such body compounds are red blood cells, of which iron is an important component. Other functions in which minerals such as phosphorus and calcium play a critical role is the development and growth of the body. Water balance also requires minerals. Without calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium, there is no water balance causing a life-threatening state. How are minerals categorized, and how readily available are they?

Fishing with Popsy - Enjoying the Water — Salt Water Fishing

The amount of minerals required per day is the method used to categorize minerals. Minerals that require more than 100 milligrams per day, or 1/50th of a teaspoon is categorized as a major mineral. Examples of major minerals include calcium and phosphorus. Those that require less, like zinc and iron are classified as a trace element. But just because a food is rich in a much needed mineral, doesn’t make it useful. Our bodies may not be able to absorb and use them. And, just because a certain mineral content is listed for a particular food on a table, does not mean it is a good source for that mineral. It actually is only a starting point. For example, there is a high concentration of calcium found in spinach. Unfortunately, spinach also contains a high concentration of the calcium-binder, oxalic acid, resulting in the absorption of only about five percent of the calcium consumed.

Jerusalem Shuk - Breads — Jerusalem Shuk – Breads

Generally speaking, as the refinement of a plant food increases, the mineral content decreases, an example of which is refined flour. When a grain product is refined, the only mineral added during the enrichment process is iron. Other minerals, such as copper, selenium, and zinc are lost and not replaced. To answer the question we started with, “Can you live without minerals?”

The answer is clearly NO.

What is your favorite whole grain recipe?

Vitamins – Storage In the Body and Out

Was it the naturalists or those who believe in laboratory created supplements who won the debate? You be the judge. Historically humans were meant to consume vitamins the natural way. Prior to the industrial age, fruits, vegetables, legumes and other foods were consumed immediately. They went from the farm to the table. But with the advent of refrigerators, freezers, canning, and other methods of preserving food, we now have a choice. Those choices affect the nutritional quality of the food we eat and therefore the amount of

vitamins we actually consume the natural way. First, we’ll take a look at how vitamins are stored in the body, or not. Then we will explore the best methods to preserve the integrity of the fruits and vegetables we consume.

How Your Body Stores Vitamins – or Not

Fat-soluble vitamins, with the exception of vitamin K, are not excreted readily from the human body. They are stored. The opposite is true of the water-soluble vitamins. Generally, excess amounts of these vitamins are quickly lost from the body resulting in expensive urine. The exception is the water-soluble vitamins B-6 and B-12 which are stored more readily

Farmer's Market - Fruit — Farmer’s Market – Fruit

than vitamin C and the other B vitamins.

Due to the body’s limited ability to store a good deal of these vitamins, they need to be consumed on a daily basis. However, you should not be harmed by a periodic lapse in your daily intake, even if the lapse includes water-soluble vitamins. Vitamin deficiency becomes evident when it is not consumed and the person’s body stores are depleted. As an example, it will take an average individual 20-40 days without consuming vitamin C before the first symptoms of deficiency becomes evident.

Preservation

Significant amounts of vitamins can be lost between the time a vegetable

or fruit is picked and it is eaten. This is especially the case with the water-soluble vitamins (in particular folate, thiamin, and vitamin C) which can be destroyed with excessive cooking and incorrect storage. There are a number of factors that can destroy vitamins, including light, heat, alkalinity, cooking in water, and exposure to air. To minimize the risk of nutrient loss, it is best to eat a food soon after its harvest.

Generally, freezing the food is the best method of preservation to retain nutrients if the food is not eaten within a few days. Because frozen vegetables and fruits are usually frozen immediately after harvesting, they are as rich in nutrients as the freshly harvested ones. Additionally, vegetables are immersed quickly in boiling water (blanched) as part of the freezing process destroying those enzymes that would effectively break down the vitamins.

With summer upon us don’t forget to visit your local farmer’s market! Not only will you support local businesses, but you can enjoy vitamin rich foods. Just remember, eat or freeze within a few days — the longer they sit, the lower the vitamin content. What’s your favorite summer fresh veggie recipe?

Supplements – The Great Debate

Whether or not to take a vitamin supplement has been a source of debate for decades. Between the health food stores, pharmacies, grocery stores, gyms, infomercials, and network marketing companies, the public is bombarded with ads on what and how much they need. Sifting through all the literature is a bit overwhelming, and determining what and who you can trust just muddies the waters. But, what exactly are these vital dietary elements?

Vitamins — What are they?

Picking Rasberries — Vitamins the Natural Way

They are essential organic (meaning carbon-containing) substances the body needs in the diet in small quantities for the normal growth, maintenance, and function of the body. Although vitamins do not produce energy for the body, often they are key components in reactions that are energy yielding. Some are fat soluble (vitamins A,D,E, and K) and others are water soluble (the B vitamins and vitamin C).

Vitamins — Why are they essential?

Generally, vitamins are essential in the human diet because the body can

The Sun & Vitamin D — The Sun — A Source of Vitamin D

not synthesize them or because environmental factors can decrease their synthesis. Of course there are exceptions, such as:

vitamin D which can be synthesized through the skin with adequate exposure to the sun,
vitamin A which can be synthesized through certain plant pigments, and others.

In order for a compound to be classified as a vitamin, certain criteria need to be met.

The body cannot synthesize enough of a particular compound to sustain health.
Deficiency symptoms arise if the compound is absent from the diet for a specific amount of time and these symptoms are cured upon its administration.

Vitamins — Where did they get their names?

In the Lab -- Supplements — Vitamins — Discovered

Just because the body can’t make it does not mean it is a vitamin. Interestingly enough, the vitamins primarily received their name alphabetically in the order they were discovered. At this point, most scientists believe that all vitamins have been discovered, although some optimistic researchers persist.

How about that vitamin supplement?

But the question remains, should you take a vitamin supplement? Because most people do not eat a proper diet on a regular basis, for the most part, vitamin supplements are recommended by the health care profession. It is important to recognize however, that although scientists have identified the majority, if not all compounds that can be classified as vitamins, certain unidentified trace elements beneficial to the human body for optimal health may still exist. Additionally, in nature, vitamins and minerals are usually paired with other compounds that maximize their absorption and therefore utilization by the body. Therefore, ideally each person should focus on those foods rich in these important nutrients. Some fruits and vegetables are classified as “superfoods” — they contain high doses of critical vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds, such as phytochemicals. More on that next week.

What is your opinion on taking supplements?

Motivated? Tips for Calorie Control!

When the desire to get that extra weight off means more than the desire to eat an extra bite or two, than you’re not only ready to lose weight, but you’re ready to keep it off — you are motivated! Congratulations! Since calorie control is a critical factor in successful weigh loss, modifying problem behaviors is essential.

The following principles of Behavior Modification will start you on your way to success:

Plan:

Do not skip meals — eat snacks & meals at scheduled times.
Limit food intake as needed.
Make a substitution — physical activity for snacking.

Activities:

Use smaller utensils & dishes.
Discourage impulsive eating by storing food out of sight (a freezer is best).
All food should be eaten in an area designated as “dining.”
Serving dishes should be kept off the table — especially gravies & sauces.

Eating Behavior:

Leave food on the plate.
Dining

In the middle of a meal, pause.
Before you take the next bite — chew thoroughly.
Put your fork down before you take the next mouthful.
While you are eating, don’t do anything else (reading, working on your computer, watching t.v.).

Parties & Holidays:

Before parties, plan your eating behavior.
Drink less alcoholic beverages.
Before you attend a party, eat a low calorie snack.
Practice ways to decline food.
If you have an occasional setback, don’t get discouraged.

Your Reward:

As the basis for rewards, use self-monitoring records.
Reward Time!
Make a “Behavioral Contract” — Plan specific rewards for specific behaviors.
Ask for help from your family and friends. Make suggestions as to how they can help you.
Encourage them to give this help in the form of material rewards and praise.

Monitor Yourself:

Document the place and time you eat.
Write down the type and the amount of food you eat.
List who is present and what you ate.
Use your journal to document your problem areas.

Shopping:

Do your shopping after you eat — focus on nutritious foods.
Make a list before you shop — this helps you to limit what you buy that may be “problem” foods. What may help first is shopping for fresh foods first from around the perimeter of the store.
Ready-to-eat foods should be avoided.
Don’t shop for food until you need to.

Goal-setting, portion control, and energy balance are easier to achieve with these simple adjustments. Lifelong changes to lifestyle will go a long way toward reaching and maintaining your weight loss goals. What changes have you seen work?

Exercise Is Key: A Tribute to Our Military!

The health benefits of exercise is a well known fact including its importance in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. It is also critical for our military who is tasked with maintaining the safety of our country as well as others. This article is a tribute to our military — THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

With the time constraints we are all faced with in our busy lives, more than one looming question remains: 1) What type of exercise do I need to do to make a difference? and 2) How much time do I need to spend exercising?

In the United States, the average adult takes 5,117 steps per day. While that may sound significant, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, that number must be doubled to be considered physically active.

Walking has been found to decrease your risk of heart disease, raise the “good” HDL cholesterol levels, balance stress hormones, and help improve both blood sugar and blood pressure. Moreover, research in the journal of Neurology (Oct. 19, 2010 issue) found that walking can improve brain function and decrease a person’s risk in developing memory problems. According to the study’s lead author, Kirk I. Ericsson, Ph.D., “It appears there are some fairly rapid cognitive benefits, so starting to exercise in late age isn’t futile.”

Try to add 20 to 25 minutes of walking to your daily routine for an initial goal. Even if you are already active, that’s a good plan. You’ll add approximately 2000 steps per day which is about a mile, and burn typically 100 calories. This is enough exercise to prevent the average yearly weight gain of 1 to 2 pounds. If this seems too taxing, start with just 10 minutes of daily walking and build from there. Even that amount can be a life-saver. According to David R. Bassett, Jr., Ph.D., a director of the Obesity Research Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, research has found that women who walk just an hour a week are more likely to live longer when they are compared with their less-active peers.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that the injury rates for overweight and obese people in walking programs were comparable to the rates for overweight and obese people who were sedentary. Just make sure that you see your doctor before you increase your activity. Also, invest in a good pair of walking shoes.

I watched a neighbor take control of her life, and her weight. She walked. She started her day walking her dogs, took her break walking, and ended her day walking. Less than one year later, she walked off 100 pounds. That is dedication. That is the power of walking.

How about you? What has walking done for you? Do you know someone in the military that you would like to pay tribute to?

TIP: Use an app. Research has shown they make a difference.

Low Calorie Alternatives Count

We’ve learned the importance of lean bellies, and one of the keys to successful weight loss – portion control. But there is something else we can do to expedite the weight loss process. Replacing high calorie foods with low calorie alternatives will reduce the time it takes to reach our weight loss goals. This article will provide some of those alternatives and the calories you save. Pike Place Market (6)

REPLACE: 1/2 cup green bean-mushroom casserole WITH: 1/2 cup cooked green beans CALORIES SAVED: 50.
REPLACE: 1/2 cup home-fried potatoes WITH: 1 medium baked potato CALORIES SAVED:65.
REPLACE: 1/2 cup potato salad WITH: 1/2 cup raw vegetable salad CALORIES SAVED: 140.

REPLACE: 1/2 batter-fried chicken breast WITH: 1/2 broiled chicken breast (with lemon) CALORIES SAVED: 175.
REPLACE: 3 oz prime rib (well-marbled) WITH: 3 oz lean meat (eye of round) CALORIES SAVED: 140.
REPLACE: 1/2 cup beef stroganoff WITH: 3 oz lean roast beef (or try a reduced fat recipe) CALORIES SAVED: 210.
REPLACE: 2 tbsp French dressing (bottled) WITH: 2 tbsp low-calorie French dressing CALORIES SAVED: 150.
REPLACE: 1-oz bag potato chips WITH: 1 cup plain popcorn CALORIES SAVED: 120.

REPLACE: 1 cup whole milk 1 cup WITH: 1% low-fat milk CALORIES SAVED: 45.
REPLACE: 1 cup sugar-coated corn flakes WITH: 1 cup plain corn flakes CALORIES SAVED: 60.
REPLACE: 1/8 9-inch apple pie WITH: 1 baked apple, unsweetened CALORIES SAVED: 308.

REPLACE: 1/12 8-inch while layer cake with chocolate icing WITH: 1/12 angel food cake, 10-inch tube CALORIES SAVED: 185.
REPLACE: 3 oatmeal-raisin cookies WITH: 1 oatmeal-raisin cookie CALORIES SAVED: 125.
REPLACE: 1/2 cup ice cream WITH: 1/2 cup ice milk CALORIES SAVED: 45.
REPLACE: 1 danish pastry WITH: 1/2 English muffin CALORIES SAVED: 150.
REPLACE: 12 fluid ounce cola WITH: 12 fluid ounce diet cola CALORIES SAVED: 150.

The choices we make in the foods we buy, how they are prepared, and what we consume can make a big difference to our bottom line — not only reaching our weight loss goals, but developing a healthier lifestyle. What alternative low calorie choices do you recommend?

TIP #9: THINK SMALLER. Use smaller utensils and dishes to help with portion control. Putting your serving size on a smaller plate makes it look like you are eating more food than you actually are.

TIP #10: AFTER EXERCISING EAT PROTEIN. In the last blog, Lean Bellies and Body Type, we learned that your body uses more energy in the digestion of protein. Studies show that consuming protein after exercise increases your bodies metabolism. Make sure the protein you choose is lean. I exercise every morning and eat 2 egg whites after to increase my metabolism. Egg whites have only 20 calories per egg. What would you choose as a high protein food after exercise?

Lean Bellies and Body Type

There are 2 main body types: the apple shaped or pear. Which are you? Research shows that the apple is the more dangerous of the two because the fat is centered on your middle, where your heart, lungs, and various other organs are situated. Now we can’t control our body type — we’re born with it, but we can control how lean our bellies are.
There are a myriad of studies (check out the CDC) which show the dangers of excess fat around our middle. Here is the bottom line:

Women with lean bellies are:

57% less likely to die of heart disease
69% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
40% less likely to develop arthritis of the hips or knees
12% less likely to have a stroke
40% less likely to die of cancer
21% less likely to experience arousal dysfunction

Men with lean bellies are:

32% less likely to die of heart disease
83% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
63% less likely to develop arthritis
32% less likely to develop sleep apnea
45% less likely to develop cancer
61% less likely to have erectile dysfunction

Measure your waistline. A woman’s waist circumference should be no greater than 35 inches (88 centimeters). Men should have a waist circumference no more than 40 inches (102 centimeters). In the United States, approximately $90 billion dollars annually is attributable to weight-related disease. Tax payers pay half of this cost through Medicaid and Medicare. Don’t be one of the statistics!

(Check out the previous tips: Tip #1 & Tip #2 in week one, Tip #3 & Tip #4 in week 2, and Tip #5 & Tip #6 in week 3).

TIP #7: CHEW. Take smaller bites and chew your food longer. According to a study published in the scientific journal Physiology and Behavior, it may help you eat less at meals. If you slow down and enjoy your food, your brain has more time to register the eating process. In short: Don’t take the term “slider” literally.TIP #8: EAT PROTEIN. This nutrient has the ability to raise the level of peptides in your stomach. These little peptides relay messages telling your brain that your stomach is full. Your body also expends more energy trying to digest it.

Do you have a tip to share?

Italian Orzo Soup

Italian Orzo Soup is one of my favorite low-calorie meals. It is very healthy with a taste that cannot be denied — simply delicious. Even my nieces love it (and they don’t like soup)! An added bonus is the prep time involved – truly minimal.

Ingredients

Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
Lean ground chicken or turkey (at least 93% lean) – 12 ounces
Chopped oregano (1 tablespoon fresh chopped or 1/2 tablespoon dried)
Mushrooms (cremini or what is available) – 4 ounces
Garlic – 5 cloves, chopped
Garlic & Tomatoes
Unsalted chicken broth – 3 cups
Water – 2 cups
Petite diced tomatoes – 1 (15 ounce) can
Whole wheat orzo pasta – 3/4 cup uncooked
Spinach – 3 cups fresh
Lemon rind – 1/2 teaspoon grated
Lemons
Red pepper (if you like it spicy) – 1/2 teaspoon

Directions

Heat a large Dutch oven if you have it (or a pot if you don’t) over a medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat. When the oil gets hot, add the lean ground chicken or turkey and then cook until browned. Make sure you stir to make sure the meat is crumbled. Add the sliced mushrooms, oregano and chopped garlic; sauté for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock, water, red pepper (if you like it spicy), and diced tomatoes. Keep scraping the pan to loosen the browned bits and the bring the mixture to a boil. Add the orzo pasta and cook for about 7 minutes. Stir in the ground lemon rind and fresh spinach and then cook for another 5 minutes.

This recipe serves 4 (I usually double it) and each serving size (2 cups) is approximately 322 calories. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Directions

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Ingredients for Farmer’s Market Fresh Salsa

Directions — Putting it all together

Tip:

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How Your Body Stores Vitamins – or Not

Preservation

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Vitamins — What are they?

Vitamins — Why are they essential?

Vitamins — Where did they get their names?

How about that vitamin supplement?

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Plan:

Activities:

Eating Behavior:

Parties & Holidays:

Your Reward:

Monitor Yourself:

Shopping:

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Women with lean bellies are:

Men with lean bellies are:

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Ingredients

Directions

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