Week 1 Results

Good job everybody! Keep up the Good work.

The Downside of Diet Soda

I know...we live off of soda these days. It practically gets us through the day. What is the real story behind diet soda? Is it as bad or as good for us as we think? You decide:

Three Reasons to Rethink that Diet Coke You're About to Drink

The Downside of Diet Sodas

The Disadvantages of Diet Sodas

Drink More Soda, Gain More Weight?

Websites To Help You Manage Your Goals

Motivation gets us started, but it's dedication that pushes us through. Check out some of these fitness / nutrition-friendly sites to help you set and achieve your goals:

Plus Three Network:
A new spin on working out and giving back. Sign up for free at Pluss Three where you can select a sponsor and charity. Your sponsor will donate to the charity of your choice based on the amount of exercise you log into the site.

ExRx.net:
ExRx.net provides fitness assessments, a fitness libary, and acts as a general resource for your fitness needs.

FitDay.com:
Helps you with one of life's biggest hurdles--tracking your food and calorie intake.

SparkPeople.com:
This site helps you with everything from tracking your food intake to providing healthy recipes. Members can sign up for email alerts that will send you daily recipes, motivational posts, etc. One of their best features is the website's chef who transforms popular, non-heart healthy dishes into healthy (and tasty) foods.

Interval Training...A Quick Way to Burn Calories

Physical fitness doesn't necessarily mean spending hours in the gym. Check out some ways by Shape Magazine you can get your cardio / strength training in without giving up all of your free time.


Interval Training: Short Workouts That Really Pay Off

Blueberry Muffins That Won't Give You A Muffin Top

Have blueberry muffins ballooned recently? These are sneaky little treats that pack on the calories (500 calories on average) but make you think you chose a healthy option. Here's a guilt-free option that will let you satisfy your sweet tooth.

For the Muffins

1 1 /2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tsp sugar, divided

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (not instant)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp low-fat buttermilk

1 large egg

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, washed and dried

For the Topping

1/4 cup blueberry jam

24 fresh blueberries, washed and dried

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
2. Combine flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, oil, and vanilla.
4. Toss blueberries with flour mixture.
5. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir gently so as not to break blueberries.
6. Divide batter evenly among a 12-count muffin pan; sprinkle with remaining sugar.
7. Bake 12 - 15 minutes or until tops are just set. Remove pan from oven; top each muffin with 1 tsp blueberry jam and 2 blueberries.
8. Bake 3 - 5 minutes more or until golden.
9. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and serve.

For a zangy twist, substitute blueberry jam for lemon curd. A much more popular option!




173 calories per muffin