Banana Bundt Bread

• 2 cups whole wheat white flour (240g)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 overripe large bananas
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tbsp honey (42g)
• 1 tbsp molasses (20g)
• 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt (227g)
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (60g) chocolate chips - preferably mini they spread better
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a bundt pan (I used one like this)  with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Mix the flour, baking soda and salt together. Sift and set aside. Read more

The good and the bad at Dunkin’ Donuts

Flatbreads-  The egg white sandwich is your best choice in the store.  At 290 calories, only 4g of saturated fat, and 15g of protein, it is a great start for the day.  Get it with turkey sausage and it adds 5g of protein without adding any calories to your meal.  The SW Chicken is only 310 calories and 4g of saturated fat, but the protein is much lower.
Other sandwiches-  Not good for you, overall.  The sausage supreme is almost 800 calories and 31g of fat!  Anything on an English muffin will be at least lower in calories, but also not as filling.  The fat content from the ham, bacon or sausage is the killer in most of the other options.  Ham, egg, and cheese on a muffin is 390 calories, 18g of fat (8g saturated) and 20g of protein.  Not bad, but the flatbreads are more heart healthy. Read more

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• Tip of the Month

  June 2010

  Abdominal Workouts: Frequency, Intensity, and Duration

  Over the past 15 years, there has been countless advice on how to “properly” train your abdominals, or core.  There isn’t a fitness magazine out there that doesn’t publish a different abdominal workout each and every issue.  Opinions and research may change over time, but there are a few things you should look at before you alter your workout with each Fitness Magazine you read!
  First of all, it is important to know what your overall fitness and health goal is before designing a strength program for any body part, especially the mid-section.  For overall fitness, it is smartest to treat your abdominal muscles as you would any other muscle group.  The tried and true guidelines for most exercise programs is to work specific muscles to fatigue within a 30-60 second set time limit (intensity and duration,) while giving the worked muscle group at least 24-48 hours of rest (frequency) before working it again.  The amount of sets you do in a given workout (frequency again) can vary from as little as 4 sets to up to 12 for the average workout.  The science behind these theories is sound.  While exercising, pushing your body significantly past the 60 second mark without fatigue generally incorporates aerobic energy, thereby not stressing the muscles most efficiently.  And rest is necessary so that your body can properly rebuild the muscle fibers that you have broken down.  Additionally, you want to be at 100% energy levels for your next workout!

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• Recipe of the Month

  June 2010

  Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

  This healthy update of a traditionally rich ham-and-cheese breakfast strata is made lighter primarily by losing a few egg yolks and using nonfat milk. Gruyère cheese has a delicious, nutty aroma and flavor, which means that with the relatively small amount in this recipe you still get a big impact. To finish the makeover use nutritious, fiber-rich, whole-grain bread instead of white. The results: plenty of flavor, half the calories and one-third the fat of the original.

  4 large eggs
  4 large egg whites
  1 cup nonfat milk
  2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  5 cups chopped spinach, wilted (see Tip)
  4 cups whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 pound, 4-6 slices)
  1 cup diced ham steak, (5 ounces)
  1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
  3/4 cup shredded Gruyère, or Swiss cheese
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