Blueberry Power Muffins with Almond Streusel

Here is a great recipe for “power” muffins from Cooking Light magazine. The muffin are loaded with B vitamins from whole wheat flour, calcium from milk and yogurt, antioxidants from the blueberries, and heart-friendly monounsaturated fat from almonds and canola oil. You can freeze the muffins for up to a month, then thaw them at room temperature, or microwave each muffin at High 15 to 20 seconds. I tested the recipe using greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt and the muffins came out great, very tender and tasty. When I made the recipe it actually made almost 60 mini-muffins so I had to make additional streusel topping.

Muffins:

1 and ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups vanilla low-fat yogurt (I used Greek yogurt which is a bit thicker than regular yogurt)
½ cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 and ½ cup fresh blueberries (I used frozen and did not defrost them)
Cooking spray

Streusel:

¼ cup all purpose flour
¼ slivered almonds, chopped (I didn’t bother to chop them)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter melted

!. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. To prepare muffins, lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk (you can use fork). Make a well in center of mixture. Combine yogurt, milk, oil, vanilla, and egg, stirring with whisk. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture; stir until just moist. Fold in blueberries. Spoon 2 rounded tablespoons batter into each of 30 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

(I didn’t bother to coat them with cooking spray and they didn’t stick too badly to the paper when they cooled off. Also, I found the recipe made more like 60 mini-muffins so I froze about half of them)

3. To prepare streusel, combine ¼ cup all-purpose flour, almonds, brown sugar and butter. Sprinkle evenly over batter. (I found I had to double this part because there were so many more muffins) Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire rack; remove from pans. Serve at room temperature. Yield: 15 servings (serving size 2 muffins.

Calories 244 (23% from fat)
Fat 6.1g (sat 1.3g,mono 2.9g,poly 1.4g )
Protein: 6.1 g
Carbohydrate: 42.3g
Fiber: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 18mg
Iron: 1.5mg
Sodium: 260mg
Calcium: 136mg

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Eggs

The only person who used to talk about how great eggs were for weight loss was Dr. Atkins but now nutritionists have changed their tune. The American Dietetic Association says that healthy folks can have them every day without raising their cholesterol levels- and researchers in Canada believe that eating eggs might help reduce high blood pressure. Eggs have proteins called peptides which seem to work like blood-pressure drugs. Plus by eating eggs, you’ll boost your odds of losing weight. Eggs are have a lot of protein, which takes time to digest. Protein in the morning keeps your stomach full, so you eat less during the rest of the day.

Other so called “bad” foods that can help you lose weight are:

Steak

Again, Dr. Atkins used to be only one advocating eating red meat but now steak has been discovered to be good for weight loss. A lean cut of beef has barely more saturated fat than a similar size skinless chicken breast. Steak is high in protein and can keep you feeling full longer. To get plenty of protein with less fat, choose T-bone, sirloin tip, or other extra-lean cuts — and limit portions to the size of your fist.

Pork

Today’s cuts of pork tenderloin are 31% leaner than 20 years ago. That makes this white meat a lean source of protein with benefits similar to those of lean beef.

Pasta

Whole grain pasta can actually help you lose weight. Research suggests people who eat several servings of whole-grain foods per day are more likely to lose weight and maintain healthy weights. According to one study, eating whole grains rather than refined grains can also help burn belly fat. Taste is always the big issue with whole grain pasta – so try a couple of different brands and see which tastes best to you.

Nuts

Nuts may be high in fat, but it’s the kind of fat that is good for you. Nuts are also high in protein and fiber, which can help stabilize blood sugar. Studies show small amounts of peanut butter can control hunger without causing weight gain. I like peanut butter on celery.

Cheese

Cheese was always a food to be avoided by dieters but the theory is now that the body burns more fat when it gets enough calcium, so eating cheese, yogurt, and milk may actually help you lose weight. Yogurt also has those great probiotics which help your body fight bad bacteria. Calcium supplements don’t seem to have the same effect so don’t substitute them for dairy products.

Coffee

If you drink it black, you get a metabolism boost without added fat and calories. If black coffee is hard to tolerate you might try reducing the amount of cream and sugar you use gradually. Also I find adding cinnamon helps it taste better. One study indicates the caffeine in two cups of coffee may cause a 145-pound woman to burn 50 extra calories over four hours.

All food is good is small portions. Dietitians saysnot to deprive of foods you love but eat them in small portions. One piece of really good chocolate or an ounce of a full fat cheese is better than a pint of low-fat ice cream or several slices of low fat cheese. I can say from personal experience you will feel much more satisfied.

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Foods That Prevent Cancer

You can really boost the nutrition power of your salad by adding a few key ingredients. Dr. Oz gives us the reasons these ingredients are so helpful.

Watercress - Not only is this peppery green full or iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and lutein, but compounds in these greens – isothiocyanates – may thwart a potent carcinogen in tobacco.

Arugula – Women who eat the most from this food family score the same on brain tests as women who are two years younger. Plus, it has the power to turn on a cancer-fighting substance in your body that makes prostate-,breast, and colon cancer cells die.

Spinach - Its powerful ingredients include magnesium, a nutrient most of us don’t get enough of. People who eat three or more servings of spinach slow mental decline due to aging by as much as 40 percent. If you don’t like the taste use baby spinach the taste is less strong. Other leafy greens that are good are kale and collard greens.

I have found that mixing these greens with other kinds of lettuce gives you the best taste results. I still really like iceberg lettuce so I mix in the baby spinach or the watercress until I have about 50/50 mix.

If you don’t like mixing up your own salad, you can buy the prepackaged kind in the produce department of your grocery store.

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Dr Oz recently came out with a list of top ten ways to live healthier and one of the items on the list was five ingredients to avoid. Some of these you already may know but some may surprise you.

High fructose corn syrup was the first item on the list. When you start looking at ingredients in processed food you will be shocked at how many contain corn syrup. Corn syrup has been linked to a lot of health problems such as diabetes and ADD in children. So check your labels to make sure you are not getting too much. If it is the first ingredient listed reconsider the product.

Sugar – We all know to avoid this but sometimes we don’t realize how much sugar products that are marketed as healthy contain. For instance, I love yogurt and yogurt has acidopholus which is a probiotic which is really good for you but yogurt has too much sugar for me. After I eat it I am not satisfied and I get hungry a half hour later. Some cereals that are marketed as being good for you have a ton of sugar in them. So check labels, anything over 10 grams a serving is too much sugar.

“Enriched”
Also watch out for products made with “enriched” flour, like white bread. Dr. Oz says they have to put some nutrients back in because they have already taken them all out. Again, it really helps to look at labels.

Trans fats
All doctors agree trans fats are bad for you. Trans fat is added to food to extend shelf life but it is very bad for our bodies. Fortunately, many companies have gotten rid of them.

Saturated fats
These fats come from four-legged animals like pigs and cows. I don’t think Dr. Oz means to say we should never consume these but we should eat them in moderation. If you cut back gradually, you will find that can reduce your consumption without feeling that you are missing something.

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