Here’s why. A Panera bread chicken salad sandwich on whole grain bread is  660 calories with  30 grams of fat. Their tuna  salad on whole grain is 420 calories and  22 grams of fat. If you are considering a Caesar,  it’s 400 calories and 27 grams of fat.  I am not picking on Panera because you will find the same at most any restaurant. If you order any creamy dressing at a restaurant, you might as well order chocolate cake and really enjoy the fat you are getting. The only way to eat a healthy salad at a restaurant is to order a vinaigrette dressing on the side. If you put one tablespoon on, you will probably get by with about 100 calories, of healthy olive oil.

 People who make vegetable juice part of their daily diet are more likely to get recommended daily servings, according to a new research study. Researchers in a study by the University of California-Davis found that making vegetable juice a part of your daily diet could be a big step in meeting daily vegetable recommendations. US Dietary Guidelines advise individuals to consume three to five servings of vegetables daily.  Seven out of ten adults fall short of the daily recommended vegetable intake. The volunteers in the study who drank vegetable juice were more likely to achieve the recommended daily servings of vegetables, likely due to the convenience factor as well as the fact that volunteers found vegetable juice to be a tasty alternative to raw or cooked vegetables. Considering thatV8 vegetable jucie contains only 50 calories and an 8 ounce glass counts as two servings of vegetables, it seems an easy way to get a big portion of your daily veggie quota. Check out the juice section at your grocery store and you are likely to find a wide range of choices.

A new web site designed by Carnegie Mellon University will give the odds on you dying next year, or for whatever period you select, if you answer a few questions. It also will give you an idea as to the cause. DeathRiskRankings.com, analyzes publicly available data from the United States and Europe, and compares mortality risks by gender, age, cause of death and geographic region. Just input your data and it will give you the probable causes of your demise and an approximate time frame.

For guys, it’s bad news. Men have a much higher annual death risk than women at every age. For 20-year-olds, the risk is 2.5 to three times greater for men. Men are much more prone to accidents, homicides and suicides, and the risk of dying from heart disease is always higher for men than women.

The USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (www.hnrc.tufts.edu) at Tufts University in Boston has found that blueberries rank #1 in antioxidant activity when compared to 40 common fresh fruits and vegetables. Concord grape juice is next on the list with about two thirds of the antioxidant activity of blueberries followed by strawberries. So pass the blueberries, please!

Perennial Pro-Bowler and future Hall of Famer,  NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez is one of the strongest, fastest and most agile tight ends in NFL history. But the average NFL athlete attains muscle mass through a diet high in protein and animal fat, and many of them pay the price of cardiovascular disease upon retirement.  Concerned about his long term  health outlook, Tony decided to embark on an unheard of plan in the world of the NFL.  He decided to go Vegan. However, he found that a truly vegan diet could not sustain the weight and muscle mass required to perform in the  NFL.  He has now modified his vegan diet  with the help of nutritionist Mitzi Dulan, to add healthy animal proteins along with plant proteins in sufficient amounts to sustain the huge muscle power required in his profession, and still maintain a low level of fat in his diet. His new book, The All-Pro Diet,Gonzalez explains the program that can give you the body of a Mr. Universe with the cholesteral level of a vegetarian monk. His secrets are things we have heard before:  limit animal and trans fats, processed food, and simple carbohydrates. Make sure you are eating complex carbs, healthy fats, and healthy proteins.  And of course an NFL workout to build those muscles. It is definitely a great diet for someone who wants both a sculpted body and good health. Sort of like having your cake and eating it too………..as long as the cake is high protein, multi-grain, and sugar free.

I love this Smart Ones microwaveable breakfast offering. The sauce is not very spicy but if you add a tablespoon of medium to spicy salsa, you have a really great eye opening breakfast. The quesadilla filling consists of scrambled egg whites, turkey bacon, vegetables and a blend of reduced fat cheddar, mozzarella and jack cheese. Nutrition is on a level to keep your hunger satiated until lunch: 220 calories, 6 grams of fat (3 saturated), 6 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein.

The jalapeño peppers in these singles add a hint of heat to burgers, sandwiches, paninis, and more. The Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Pepper Jack Singles are an excellent source of calcium and offer 1 gram of fiber in every slice. At only 45 calories, 2.5 grams of fat (1.5 saturated) and 4 grams of protein per slice, you can have that cheeseburger or dress up your sandwich in a healthy and tasty way.

I eat popcorn at least 5 days a week. My recipe calls for making it on the stove top with canola oil, although if I am feeling decadent I will use a 50-50 mixture of canola and butter.  In fact, I eat so much popcorn that I buy it in 50 pound bags from Sam’s Club which saves me over 90% off the price of those tiny bags you buy at the grocery store. Now finally, the health benefits of my popcorn fanaticism have been proven. We always knew that popcorn is a good source of fiber, but according to a study performed by the American Chemical Society and excerpted in Medical News Today, popcorn “contains surpisingly large amounts of healthful antioxidant substances called polyphenols,  which have become renowned for their potential role in reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.” So, pop the fifth season of Rescue Me into the DVD player (it comes out on on September 1), pop up a big batch of popcorn, and extend your healthy life while watching Denis Leary ruin his.

The high-protein, low-carb diet plan may help keep you from losing muscle along with fat, and actually accelerate weight loss, according to a study by Donald K. Layman, PhD in Nutrition, of the University of Illinois.  The amino acid leucine—found in beef, dairy, poultry, fish, and eggs—may help preserve muscle tissue, and a diet that is high in foods containing this amino acid is preferable in diets designed for weight loss.

Layman states that, “traditionally, people have built a diet around low-fat foods, instead of high quality protein foods. Study participants following the moderately high protein plan, which I call the ‘Sensible Solution,’ were twice as effective in maintaining lean muscle mass,” he said. “Muscle helps burn calories, but is often compromised during weight loss.”

Many nutrition experts are skeptical of high protein diets because of concerns related to the consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol. Layman concludes that these concerns are not valid. “The group following my diet lost fat, maintained muscle and had an improvement in total blood cholesterol level. Subjects found the eating plan easy to follow, allowing them to enjoy foods from all food groups.”

Drugstore.com is having a huge sale through August 28, 50%-70% off plus free shipping on selected items.

Please take a break from texting, cell phone using, and nail painting this weekend and give your motorcycle riding friends and neighbors a break.  Motorcycles are everywhere this time of year.

From Chicagotribune.com:

Charges weighed in rider’s death

Case of driver painting nails prompts debate on citation

Tribune reporters Dan P. Blake, Andrew L. Wang, and Megan Twohey contributed.

Tribune reporters
May 5, 2009

Applying makeup while driving ranks up there in the danger zone with reading a book or dialing a cell phone, according to a federal report that takes aim at behavior officials allege may have played a role in a fatal collision in Lake Zurich IL.

Prosecutors are measuring the yawning gap between a traffic citation and felony reckless homicide as they decide whether criminal charges should be filed against a driver allegedly painting her nails when her car struck and killed a motorcyclist last weekend.

The wreck Saturday raises questions that have been fiercely debated in Illinois about whether a momentary distraction amounts to criminal behavior, comparable to drunken driving. In the crash that killed motorcyclist Anita Zaffke, 56, of Lake Zurich, Lora L. Hunt, 48, of Morris was ticketed by the Lake County sheriff’s police with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Prosecutors say it may be a month before they decide whether to bring additional charges.

With all the national debate over health care reform, I have a plan that will guarantee that all members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, will unify to adopt a heatlh care reform plan that will appeal to all Americans.  Right now, members of Congress have very little personal incentive to reform health care, since they enjoy the benefits of one of the most liberal, comprehensive and inexpensive (to them) health care plans in the country. The solution for this is simple: Congress should have the same stake in the system as the average American. If every person in this country were to demand of their Congressional representatives and Senators, that they be declared ineligble for the Federal employee plan, then they would have to buy their healthcare in the “free market” like all self employed and unemployed Americans.  If the health care for Congress was removed, we would see Congress frantically working for a bipartisan solution.  All we have to do to make this happen is have every American write and call President Obama and their Congressional reps every single week until it is done. After all, we potentially have as much influence as the lobbyists for insurance and pharmaceutical companies.

Many doctors believe that blood sugar fluctuations are a contributing factor in migraine headaches based on studies that show a correlation between blood sugar levels and migraines. Like diabetics, blood sugar can be managed with careful diet planning and avoiding eating certain foods. Below is a list of tips to help control blood sugar levels.

* Avoid all refined sugars including syrup, honey, high fructose corn syrup, and white and brown sugar
* Avoid dried or cooked fruit. Eat only fresh fruits
* Avoid alcohol which behaves like sugar in the body
* Eat 6 small meals a day or have a mid-morning and mid-afternoon healthy snack
* Eat some protein with every complex carbohydrate meal (natural unprocessed starches)
* Avoid simple carbs and starches  (which are converted to sugar in the body) such as white flour, white sugar, white rice, corn, white potatoes

Did you ever notice that yogurt commercials on tv are directed only at women? In fact, it would take a man completely secure in his sexuality even to consider eating yogurt after watching those commercials. I have concluded that there is a conspiracy to keep yogurt out of the hands of men. I think it’s because yogurt is such a super food that if men find out about it then they will dominate the world even more that they already do. And maybe yogurt is the real reason that women live longer than we do. Yogurt is a great source of protein, calcium, B-complex vitamins and riboflavin. Recent research about probiotics (cultures like lactobacillus acidophilus, present in many yogurts)  indicates yogurt may boost the immune system and improve digestion.

All yogurt is not the same. You want yogurt with active cultures. WebMD has a great article with everything you need to know about buying and eating yogurt.

Come on guys, let’s get our fair share of the health benefits of yogurt.

AVON is the number one national cosmetics company for women. But they have added a complete men’s line that contains skin care and grooming products as well as fragrance. Right now you can get free shipping and 33%-55% off selected men’s products. Just click on “Shop Now’ at this site and then click on “Men’ at the next menu.

I love crockpot meals. You can set it and forget it and come home to a meal without the hassle of cooking. With a little creativity, you can even wake up to  the sweet smell of a warm breakfast.

Crockpot Oatmeal

2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. butter, melted
1/4 t. salt
½ t. cinnamon and 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 cup oats
1 cup coarsely chopped apple
½ cup chopped walnuts or almonds

Spray crockpot with PAM.  Mix ingredients in bowl and transfer to crockpot.  Cook covered on low overnight (8 hours). Stir before serving. Makes 4 cups.

As most men now know, an elevated PSA blood test is an indicator of possible prostate cancer.  But only 25-35% of men with elevated PSA levels actually have prostate cancer which can only be confirmed with a biopsy. Due to the inaccuracy of current PSA tests as predictors of prostate cancer, thousands of expensive, painful, and needless biopsies are performed on men each year. A new six-gene whole blood RNA transcript-based diagnostic test developed by Source MDx in Boulder, Colo., was shown in a study of 174 men to be an accurate predictor of prostate cancer in 90% of the cases when used with the PSA test. A larger clinical study is being planned to confirm these results. If the clinical study confirms the initial results, it will be a huge advancement in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, which is nearly as common in men as breast cancer in women.

Ok, you could do better, too, but if you have a hankering for something sweet, this offering from Fiber One should do the trick. One of their “toaster pastries” (I call them “pop tarts” ) contains 190 calories, 4 grams of fat (1 saturated), 5 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. They come in blueberry, strawberry, brown sugar cinnamon and chocolate fudge flavors. But remember, this nutritional info is for ONE pastry, and they come 2 to a package, so if you don’t watch yourself you could be seduced by the second pastry laying there looking all sexy and lonely.

A  new study has concluded that exercise is not of much value when trying to lose weight, because most people compensate for the calorie burning activities  by eating more. PLoS ONE, the nonprofit Public Library of Science, published a Study that was run by Dr. Timothy Church, Professor of Health at LSU.  This study followed 464 overweight women who were trying to lose weight, some were involved in an exercise program, while others were not.  The study concluded that the women who worked out did not lose significantly more weight than the ones that did not,  and Dr. Church concluded that the reason for this was that the exercising women consumed more calories than the ones that did not. However, the headlines that this study has made on the internet kind of miss two really important points. The real point of exercise is fitness and health, weight loss may or may not be a side effect. What you eat and how much of it determines how much weight you lose. So while diet and exercise are important to your health, weight is only one component of this puzzle. The other important point is that exercise may allow you to consume those guilty pleasures that your enjoy so much WITHOUT gaining weight, and in that way add a dimension to the quality of your life. Kind of like having your cake and eating it too!

A Panera Bread Plain Bagel comes in at 290 calories, 1 gram of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 12 grams of protein, not bad at all until you add the cream cheese. As an alternative, try Thomas Light Multi-Grain English Muffins, which come in at 100 calories, 1.5 grams of unsaturated fat, 8 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. Top it with light cream cheese if you like (100 calories), but I like a tablespoon of Smuckers Simply Fruit (40 calories).

Biking is a great alternative to running, especially if you have knee or joint issues. It’s not too late to start your biking hobby this season. Bikes.com has a great selection of road and mountain bikes at 40% to 50% off with free shipping.

My summer beverage of choice is iced tea.  And I am really enjoying  LIPTON Diet Green Tea with citrus. It is a  smooth, delicious, green tea blend with the tang of citrus to give you a great tasting green tea that’s free of calories. Plus, LIPTON Iced Tea provides a healthy dose of protective flavonoid antioxidants. It gets its sweetness and calorie reduction through aspartame so be aware. You can create an Asian version of Long Island Iced Tea with this, I call it Singapore Iced Tea. Just add a shot of your favorite alcohol and you have a low cal, refreshing, and healthy cocktail. Also try the peach papaya and mixed berry flavors.

About 750,000 Americans each year suffer painful compression fractures in the bones of the spine, the most common cause of which is osteoporosis. The weakened bone cracks or fractures , often causing debilitating pain and limited mobility . One of the most common treatements for this to inject hot bone cement into the spine which was thought to stabilize the affected area. A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that this procedure works no better than fake surgery. In the study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, a control group who were tricked into thinking surgery was performed on them was compared with a group that had the actual surgery.  Both groups improved by essentially the same amount. So give me the fake surgery, and with the difference in price I can take a beach vacation, which is guaranteed to make me feel better by an even larger amount.

We are trying to give you a healthy choice breakfast alternative at all of the major fast food chains. It was somewhat difficult to find anything remotely resembling a heatlhy choice at Burger King. But you can almost get there if you order the Ham Omelet Sandwich without the cheese.  Then it comes in at 260 calories, 10 grams of fat (2.5 saturated), 1 gram of fiber and 11 grams of protein. Just watch your fat intake the rest of the day, or pass up BK and move on to one of the other healthier fast food breakfast items that we have covered at McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, or Starbucks.

As part of our “in-home workout” series we are showing you how to stay fit when you don’t have access to a gym or gym equipment. We have already shown you the pushup,  crunches, and Dr. Oz’s yoga based workout. Here is a video from Kyle Brayer at Expert Village showing you how to do a dip at home using just one or two chairs. These are all great workouts you can do at home while you are watching tv with no special equipment.

That’s right. I said it. I uttered the B word, which in most health circles is the worst thing you can say. I will say it again, BACON FOR BREAKFAST. Yes, I know it contains harmful chemicals and saturated fat, but for me, life without bacon is a life not worth living. The question is, can I have bacon for breakfast and still be healthy. I am here to tell you, yes you can. Two slices of cooked bacon contain about 90 calories and 7.2 grams of fat (2.4 saturated). This is well within tolerable fat limits for a meal. Just pair your bacon with egg whites or egg beaters and you can have your breakfast of bacon and eggs. Just don’t do it every day!

When I was a kid, I really loved fried spam sandwiches. As a nutritionally challenged parent I tried to introduce it to my kids, but fortunately they had better sense and found it pretty disgusting. But anyone can cook healthy with healthy ingredients. It takes a real genius to build a healthy recipe around perhaps the most unhealthy substance invented by man. Now I won’t call this recipe healthy, but it won’t kill you either and I find it pretty tasty.

This Spam Stuffed Peppers recipe from bigoven.com is really tasty but it contains about 15 grams of fat if you use 2 ounces of spam in each pepper. Substitute Spam Light (yes there is such a thing) and cut the fat to 8 grams per pepper .

Buy one, get one free at Jamba Juice. Good until Sunday August 9, 2009. Find your nearest  Jamba location.

If you think cholesterol levels are only related to heart attack risk, a study by Kaiser Permanente gives another important reason to keep your cholesterol level in check: dementia. Nearly 10,000 individuals participated in a 40  year study found that cholesterol levels of over 240 increased risk of dementia by 66%.  Check out the details at esciencenews.com  Even scarier, levels from 200-239 increased risk by over 50%. It is very easy and cheap to have your cholesterol checked and there are many new drugs that will lower your cholesterol with few side effects if diet, exercise and lifestyle changes don’t do the trick. If you only have 100 years to live, don’t live the last 30 in a fog. Take care of your cholesterol.

Many people do the leftover pizza thing for breakfast. But this recipe for english muffin pizza turns the leftover pizza concept on its head and creates a healthy breakfast pizza from a whole wheat english muffin.

Ingredients:

1 Thomas Light Multi-Grain English Muffin
1/2 cup Ragu Pizza Sauce
1 ounce low fat shredded mozzarella
Your favorite chopped veggies

Preparation:

Toast english muffin in toaster oven
Remove from toaster oven, spread each piece with pizza sauce, sprinkle with cheese and top with veggies
Return to toaster oven until cheese is hot and melted

Nutritonal info: 220 calories,7.5 grams fat (2 saturated), 9 grams fiber, 13 grams protein

Thatsfit.com had a story last week  stating that Rush has lost 80 pounds since March, but he says the diet is just too complicated to explain on the air. I have a different theory. He has been so depressed by the Obama election that he has found himself unable to eat.

I often like a muffin and a cup of coffee for breakfast, but most muffin recipes are too low in protein and fiber. These muffins taste great and are high in protein, fiber and low in fat. The calories shown are if you add blueberries. Adjust if you substitute other flavors.

3/4 c. white flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. Metamucil clear and natural
2 scoops whey protein powder (natural)
3/4 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

1 c. 2% milk
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. egg beaters

1/2 t. vanilla extract

Add in Options
1 c. blueberries, chocolate chips, raisins, craisins, or your favorite fruit

In large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Mix liquid ingredients in a separate bowl. Gently fold dry and liquid ingredients together until loosley mixed. Then fold in blueberries. Spoon into 12 standard muffin cups or 6 jumbo muffin cups. Bake at 400 for 20 mins (standard size) or 30 mins (jumbo size) or until done.

Nutritional info:

Cal: 280
Fat: 1 gram
Fiber: 7 grams
Protein: 14 grams

I love brunch. Most people do it on Sunday, but there is no reason that it can’t be a 7 day a week affair if you have both the motive and opportunity to do the crime. Here are my top ten reasons for loving brunch:

1) Getting Up Late. Sleeping late on a weekend and then going to brunch at a restaurant (or even making it at home) always makes me feel like I am on vacation.

2) Eating Guilt Free. I justify my overindulgence at brunch by saying that I am really eating two meals and that therefore I can double my calorie quota. I have been known to make brunch the only meal of they day and actually triple my calorie quota.

3) Bloody Marys, Mimosas, Screwdrivers. You can drink before noon and no one gives you a second glance.

4) Omelet Bars. I feel good about myself when I pick out the healthy veggies and see them folded into my omelet.

5) Unlimited Bacon. This was actually my son’s favorite reason for brunch and I actually have to agree with him on this. Thanks, Michael.

6) Value.  In most towns outside of the major cities,  you can get a gourmet meal with champagne, seafood, a carving station, fancy desserts, and more for under $20.

7) Conversation. Some times its difficult to get your family and favorite friends together in one place for an extended conversation. If you feed them they will come.

Eggs Five Ways. I love eggs. I have actually had an omelet, scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, egg salad, and egg foo young at the same brunch.

9) Carving Station. Who doesn’t love a white suited man piling big hunks of hot roast beef, turkey, and ham on your plate?

10) Dessert Table. Need I say more?

I am going to shower now and wake up the family and see if anyone wants to go with me.

This is somewhat off topic, but I just purchased a Compaq Laptop at Wal-Mart, for $298! That’s cheaper than any fully equipped netbook. This is a perfect basic computer for browsing, email and light word processing. Here are the essential specs:

Compaq cq60-419wm with 15.6 inch screen with Windows Vista Home Basic

3 MB memory, 160 gig hard drive

DVDR/RW Drive

Wal-Mart also will extend the manufacturer’s 1 year warranty for an additional 2 years (so you get a total 3 year warrranty) for $60.

It’s ok to have a veggie burger once in a while, but if I am going to grill out on a weekend there is nothing like a grilled hunk of beef on the barbie. But I really don’t want all the fat you get from a nice, juicy piece of ground beef. We all know that most of the flavor comes from the fat. Can you get all of the flavor and juiciness without the fat? I believe that you can. Follow this recipe and you are going to get one great, flavorful, juicy burger without the fat!

First, the meat. If you are going to eliminate the fat, you need to get 96% lean, ground sirloin. This is a really lean cut with only 13o calories and 4.5 grams of fat in a 4 oz. serving. But we are going for a really juicy burger, so let’s do a 6 ounce burger, with 195 calories and 6.75 grams of fat. The challenge with this healthy cut of beef is to add flavor. So we will need to do that with seasonings. Mix the ground sirloin with salt, pepper,  and 2 tbsp of  steak sauce. I prefer A-1 steak sauce (30 calories, no fat). Grill this to medium, any more done and its going to be too dry and you will lose the juiciness. Just before you take it off, drop on a slice of Kraft Fat Free Single cheese, adding only another 30 calories. Follow these instructions and you wil have a juicy, flavorful, 6 ounce lean burger. Continue reading »

A survey conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Health concludes that Americans spend about $34 billion per year on alternative therapies that are not covered by insurance, things such as homeopathic medications and nutritional supplements (more details can be found at their website). This is approximately 11% of the total spent for ALL out of pocket health care in this country.  Unlike medications that are prescribed by physicans, this market is highly unregulated and most of these remedies have not undergone rigorous testing for efficacy or safety. Basically, our government is saying BUYER BEWARE for a huge percetage of our national health care costs. I don’t believe I have heard this mentioned at all in the debate over the President’s health care intiative.

Starbucks has some great “fairly healthy” breakfast choices. Keep in mind that the selection can vary from store to store, but at least some of these should be available at your local Starbucks.  In addition, many Starbucks now serve Oatmeal to go with your favorite coffee. If you select something that is NOT on the list below, be sure to check the nutritional info because Starbucks does carry many high calorie and high fat items.

• Low Fat Bran Muffins: 360 calories, 4.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 40 g cholesterol, 290 mg sodium, 7 g fiber
• Reduced Fat Cranberry Apple Muffin: 310 calories, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 460 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
• Low-Fat Oat Fruit Scone: 310 calories, 2.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 9 g protein, 30 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
• Spinach, Roasted Tomato, Feta & Egg Wrap: 240 calories, 10g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 730 mg sodium, 7 g fiber
• Reduced-Fat Blueberry Coffee Cake: 320 calories, 6 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 4 g protein, 10 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
• Reduced-Fat Cherry Lemon Coffee Cake with Oatmeal-Pecan Streusel: 370 calories, 9 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 7 g protein, 50 mg cholesterol, 540 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
• Reduced-Fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake: 290 calories, 4 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 4 g protein, <5 mg cholesterol, 330 mg sodium, <1 g fiber

You can buy one of those contraptions that will help you get washboard abs, but good luck trying to fit it in your suitcase if you are traveling. Instead, just lay on the floor, turn on “Dancing with the Stars”, and get that six pack while you are enjoying D list celebrities make fools of themselves. Thanks to www.fitness.scoobysworkshop.com for the cool video.

I am not the biggest oatmeal fan but I love this baked oatmeal recipe; it’s hearty, sweet and healthy. Add some fresh fruit for a great breakfast: 1 cup serving, 220 calories, 3 grams of fat (1 saturated), 2 grams fiber, 8 grams of protein.

 Ingredients

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 8-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, combine oats and granulated sugar. In medium bowl, combine milk, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to oat mixture; mix well. Pour into baking dish.
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top of oatmeal, return to oven; bake until sugar melts. Then broil until sugar bubbles and browns slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon into bowls.

I LOVE this recipe for egg- veggie- cheese cupcakes for breakfast. Thanks to mygourmetonline.com for sharing this great recipe with us.