Clean Eating Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes with a Chocolate Whipped Topping

These cupcakes are always a hit! Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened extra dark cocoa powder
1 ¼ cup Sucanat
¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 cup low fat sour cream (try substituting with fat free greek yogurt)
1/3 cup plus 2 tsp. skim milk
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites

Topping:
2 squares of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups of fat free cool whip

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
In a large bowl combine cocoa powder, 1 cup Sucanat, flour, salt, and baking soda.
In a medium bowl whisk together sour cream, 1/3 cup milk, oil, vanilla, and whole egg.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Add egg whites to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Whip egg whites until foamy. Gradually add remaining ¼ cup Sucanat to whites. Continue whipping until medium stiff peaks form. Fold whites in thirds into cake batter with a rubber spatula.
Fill each of the 12 cupcake liners ¾ full with batter. Tap pan on countertop and put into oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool completely.

When cupcakes have completely cooled, combine chocolate and remaining 2 tsp. milk in a bowl and microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir until melted chocolate is completely smooth. Fold the chocolate into the fat free cool whip. Then with a tablespoon, spoon out a spoonful and spread on top of the cupcake. I tend to have half of the topping leftover.

Slimming Valentine's Day Desserts

Valentine's Day is this Sunday and you should treat your sweet with sweets or your fabulous self! I have three great dessert recipes for Valentine's Day. One is my all time favorite dessert tiramisu and the other two are chocolate recipes because you can never go wrong with chocolate.

Baby Tiramisu (from eatingwell.com)

Ingredients
1/2 cup nonfat ricotta cheese, (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 ladyfingers, (about 1 3/4 ounces)
4 tablespoons brewed espresso, or strong coffee, divided
2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips, melted

Directions
1. Combine ricotta, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
2. Place 6 ladyfingers in a 9-by-5-inch (or similar size) loaf pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons espresso (or coffee). Spread the ricotta mixture over the ladyfingers. Place another layer of ladyfingers over the ricotta and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons espresso (or coffee).
3. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Calories: 107 Fat: 2g Carbs: 18g Protein: 3g



Thick & Rich Hot Cocoa (from eatingwell.com)

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups nonfat milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions
1. Combine milk, cocoa, sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until steaming. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until it comes to a boil, then remove from the heat.

Nutrition Facts
Calories: 98 Fat: 2g Carbs: 19g Protein: 5g



Chocolate Covered Strawberries - super simple

Ingredients
2 pints of strawberries
1 container of chocolate Dolci Frutta (better than any recipe I have tried)

Directions
1. Wash strawberries and lay them out to dry. Also, manually dry them with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.
2. After the strawberries are dry follow the instructions on the Dolci Frutta container.
3. ENJOY!!!!

Have a great Valentine's Day!!!

- Alexandra Jasinowski

Fast Food - Can it be for the healthy?

Stuart and I and other health advocates can preach all day long about how much better it is for you to cook your own meals and stay away from fast food restaurants, but realistically, who has the time to cook every meal. I know I don’t and sometimes I only have less than 30min to eat, so I feel like my only options are fast food restaurants. When I used to go grab fast food, I would feel a little guilty because I was unsure of the calories in each meal and what was actually in it. I have a short analysis of fast food restaurants, so you know what the healthiest thing is to order.

Restaurant Analysis
I have compared and contrasted McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and few others to figure out where the best and worst place is to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Breakfast – McDonald’s has the best selection. They have the Egg McMuffin (300 calories and 12g of fat), Sausage Burrito (300 calories and 16g of fat), and the Fruit’n Yogurt parfait (with granola 150 calories and without 130 calories and both only have 2g of fat). In comparison, Brueggar’s whole wheat bagel with light cream cheese is 490 calories and 12g fat. The fat grams are high on the McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches, but they are pretty lower in calories. Another great place to get breakfast is Dunkin Donuts. Their Egg White Flatbread sandwiches are all under 300 calories and less than 9g of fat. The Turkey Spinach is only 280 calories and 6g of fat.
Coffee drinks – McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks had similar nutritional facts for their coffee drinks, but Dunkin Donut’ mocha with skim had the least amount of calories and fat grams.

Lunch and Dinner –

A Grilled chicken sandwich sounds healthy, but is it really? Depends on where you go to get it and what you have on it. Wendy’s had the best grilled chicken sandwich with 350 calories and 7g of fat, Burger King was in second with 380 calories and 9g of fat (no mayo), and McDonalds was in last with 420 calories and 10g fat. Make sure the sandwich does not have cheese or mayo on it because that will add about 100 or more calories to the sandwich (scary…huh?).
Salads are assumed to be the healthy alternative, but that is not always the case, especially when going out to fast food restaurants. Be careful of what they top their salads with and make sure you always get grilled chicken and not fried. Wendy’s had the best salads, but with out all the crunchy stuff on top (i.e. croutons, almonds, crunchy noodles, etc.). Their two best salads were the Mandarin Chicken and Chicken Caesar and they contained 180 calories and the Mandarin only had 2g of fat and the Caesar only 4g of fat. If you wanted to add more crunch and flavor for the Mandarin add half of the pack of almonds for 70 calories and 5.5g of fat and use the fat free French dressing, which is only 70 calories. That would be a total meal of 320 calories and 7.5g of fat… not bad at all! For the Caesar, I’ve used the fat free French dressing before instead of Caesar dressing and it tasted great. Beware of Wendy’s BLT grilled chicken salad because it has 470 calories and 27g of fat without any extra toppings or dressing. Burger King and McDonalds both have their salad pre-packaged with cheese or the toppings, so if you don’t use dressing their salads are pretty healthy. McDonald’s highest calorie salad is the Southwest grilled chicken salad, which has 320 and 9g of fat without dressing. Because it has corn and black bean salsa on it, I think it taste great without dressing. Burger King just has a basic grilled chicken salad with lots of veggies and cheese that is 270 calories and 9g of fat without dressing.

Other – chili, wraps, and desserts.
A lot of the fast foods have developed these inexpensive grilled chicken snack wraps, which come off as being healthy. They aren’t that big and they are made with grilled chicken, but they are not that innocent. They have around 270 calories and 10g of fat and they are small! I know I was expecting around 150 calories and 6g of fat in one snack wrap, so I shocked to find out this information.
For dessert, the best place to get ice cream is McDonalds! Their ice cream cone has only 150 cal and 3.5g fat and their strawberry sundae has 280 calories and only 6g of fat! I know where I will be getting ice cream this summer. Be weary of the soft serve ice cream treats with mix-ins like McFlurries and Frostys. They all have over 480 calories!!!
I do want to mention Wendy’s chili because it has a lot of protein and fiber and the large is only 280 calories. It is probably one of the best things you can get for dinner at a fast food restaurant.

I hope this makes eating out at fast food restaurants less stressful and a lot healthier!

- Alexandra Jasinowski

Pasta Night!!!!

Turkey Sausage and Arugula Pasta from Eatingwell.com

Ingredients:
- 12 oz whole wheat short pasta (shells or twists)
- 8 oz hot Italian turkey or chicken sausage links, remove from casings
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 8 cups arugula or spinach
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan cheese, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes, or according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, arugula (or spinach) and tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, until the greens wilt and the tomatoes begin to break down, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.
3. Combine ½ cup cheese, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Measure out ½ cup of cook liquid from the pasta and then drain. Whisk the cooking liquid and oil into the cheese mixture; add the pasta and toss to combine. Serve the pasta topped with the sausage mixture and an extra sprinkle of cheese, if desired.

Nutrition Facts (6 – 1.5 cup servings):
Calories: 352
Fat: 9g
Carbohydrate: 18g
Protein: 6g

Winter exercise, it’s not just for Polar Bears anymore

Here we are in the thick of winter where the weather can truly challenge your motivation to exercise. If you are like most, your instinct is to get a stack of books and curl up beside the wood stove. Now, don’t think for a minute that just because the temperatures outside is dipping to levels that would make a penguin smile you no longer need to get your body moving. Need some motivation to get outside and get active? How about losing those extra 5 to 10 pounds you packed on over the holidays? Getting started now will help you prevent the need to scramble to get in shape for swimsuit season. In addition, outdoor exercise is a sure cure for cabin fever and the winter blues. Besides the usual warm weather activities, winter weather provides a multitude of opportunities for you to participate in; unique outdoor experiences that are a heck of a lot of fun.

At this point you may be wondering, is it safe to exercise in the severe cold? Well, the good news, or the bad news, is you can exercise safely for hours in severe cold as long as you follow a few rules. Dr. Castellani, a lead author of a 2006 position paper from the American College of Sports Medicine on exercising in the cold, came to the conclusion “it is never too cold to exercise.” Let’s face it, people go to the North and South Poles and do incredible things where temperatures can reach minus 50 degrees below zero.

Here is what you need to know in order to keep you safe and having fun:

• The two most dangerous conditions that can result from cold weather exposure are frostbite and hypothermia, both easily avoided. Frostbite is most common on your face, ears, fingers and toes. Early warning signs include paleness, numbness and loss of feeling or a stinging sensation. If you suspect frostbite, get out of the cold immediately and slowly warm the affected area without rubbing. If numbness continues, seek emergency care. Hypothermia is characterized by intense shivering, slurred speech, loss of coordination and fatigue — get emergency help right away. To help prevent problems know when to head for home.
• While staying warm is important, it is just as important to stay dry. Try not to overdress, which may cause you to overheat. One mistake winter exercisers do is wearing too much clothing. A good rule of thumb: If you are already feeling warm when you first step out to exercise, it is likely you are overdressed.
• Dress in layers that you can remove as soon as you start to heat up and sweat and then put back on as needed. Start with a thin layer of synthetic material such as polypropylene or polyester which draws sweat away from your body. Avoid cotton, which stays wet next to your skin. Second layer, try fleece for insulation. Top this with a waterproof, breathable outer layer.
• Cover your head and extremities. The most vulnerable areas for frost bite are your hands, feet, ears and cheeks. Keep these covered with a synthetic layer close to your skin. Wear a hat! 30 to 40% of body heat is lost through your head.
  Head into the wind. You'll be less likely to get chilled on the way back if you end your workout — when you may be sweaty — with the wind at your back.
• Stay hydrated, dehydration affects your body’s ability to regulate body heat and increase the risk of frostbite.
• Breathe warm air. If it's very cold (about 0 F or -17.8 C) or you have asthma, wear a face mask or a scarf over your mouth in order to warm the air.
• Avoid alcohol. Alcohol dilates blood vessels and increases heat loss so the odds of experiencing a hypothermic event increase. Alcohol can also impair judgment to the extent that you may not make the best or brightest decisions in a cold weather emergency.
  Stationary or stop and go activities can pose a significant risk of cold related injury, so try to keep moving.
• Chemical heat packets can be stuffed wherever necessary to provide immediate auxiliary heat
• As with all outdoor exercise, if the lighting is dark or dim wear reflective garments and carry identification.

Now get outside and have some fun!

The Dirty Dozen

I love running into people I know in the grocery store. I am often asked “should I buy organic fruits and vegetables, is it worth the money”? Well, the answer to that question is yes and no. There are some products that buying organic and spending a little extra money is well worth the effort. However, there are some products that buying organic may not be the best money spent.

First let me tell what organic means for both plant and animal products:
-Animals have not been treated with: antibiotics, growth hormones, or feed made from animal byproducts.
-Animals must have been fed organic feed for at least a year.
-Animals must have access to the outdoors.
-Food hasn't been genetically modified or irradiated.
-Fertilizer does not contain sewage sludge or synthetic ingredients.
-Produce hasn't been contaminated with synthetic chemicals used as pesticides.

A few years ago the non-profit organization Environmental Working Group ranked 47 fruits and vegetables in order of the best and worst in regards to benefiting from buying organic. The 12 worst polluted fruits and vegetables they called “The Dirty Dozen”. Very clever name, I loved that movie of the same name. You can view the entire list at this link on the web: http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php. Go take a look at the list. Most experts would consider anything in the top half of the list “buy organic”, anything in the bottom half you are good to buy the standard variety.

So here are the Dirty Dozen that are considered by many to be the “Must Buy” items:
(One is the most contaminated)
1. peach
2. apple
3. bell pepper
4. celery
5. nectarine
6. strawberries
7. cherries
8. kale
9. lettuce
10. grapes (imported)
11. carrot
12. pear

Here are the 12 Foods lowest in pesticide residues (#1 being the least contaminated):
1. onion
2. avocado
3. sweet corn
4. pineapple
5. mango
6. asparagus
7. sweet peas
8. kiwi
9. cabbage
10. eggplant
11. papaya
12. watermelon

Considering organic foods are usually more expensive, there are strategies to buy organic and spend less. Here are some ideas:

-Buy locally and comparison shop in local grocery stores.
-Take advantage of local farmers' markets: Many farmers do not charge a premium.
-Buy seasonally
-Buy in bulk
-Take advantage of coupons and sales
-Order by mail: Products such as organic beef can be shipped nationally.

If you are going to buy “non-organic” produce there are a few things that you can do to lesson the negative impact.

Here they are:
-Buy fresh vegetables and fruits in season. When long storage and long-distance shipping are not required, fewer pesticides are used.
-Trim tops and the very outer portions of celery, lettuce, cabbages, and other leafy vegetables that may contain the bulk of pesticide residues.
-Peel and cook when appropriate, even though some nutrients and fiber are lost in the process.
-Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This would limit exposure to any one type of pesticide residue.
-Purchase only fruits and vegetables that are subject to USDA regulations. Produce imported from other countries is not grown under the same regulations and enforced by the USDA. Examples are strawberries and cantaloupes from Mexico.
-Wait until just before preparation to wash or immerse your produce in clean water. When appropriate, scrub with a brush. Experts report that this removes nearly all insects and dirt, as well as bacteria and some pesticide residues.

Now, remember what your mother always told you; “eat your veggies”.

Stuart

How to Keep the Winter Blues Away

After we have pushed our clocks back, the days become shorter and colder. The shorter days give us less contact time with the sunlight. Also, the sun is not out as often as it was in the other times of the year. All this lack of sunlight leads to feeling tired, depressed, irritable, and lack of motivation. To combat the mood and energy changes I have made a list of ways that can help improve your mood and prevent you from feeling the effects of the lack of sunlight. This is all a natural occurrence that some people feel more severely than others. Our bodies have evolved to slow down when food and resources start to become scarce. Think of bears hibernating.

1. Make sure you keep up your physical activity. You should be maintaining your exercise routine and taking advantage of the winter weather. Even though it is cold outside there are multiple ways to enjoy the outdoors. You can go snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding. In a study that Dr. Sibold conducted at the University of Vermont’s Rehabilitation and Movement Science department he found that exercise boosts mood up to 12 hours after only a 20 minute moderate intensity (~60% of max heart rate) cycling session.

2. Staying away from simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates such as refined sugars (candy, soda, hot chocolate, etc) and white flour (cake, brownies, white bread, etc) are quickly digested by your body and cause your blood sugar levels to quickly spike up. When your blood sugar levels spike up, your body responds by releasing insulin. Because your blood sugar levels spike up so much quicker and higher when consuming simple carbohydrates your body releases a lot of insulin, which causes your blood sugar level to drop very quickly. This quick drop in blood sugar levels causes you to feel tired, irritable, and hungry, which is not how you want to feel when you are already tired and irritable due to the lack of sunlight. What happens is your body goes into the stress response called “flight or fight” mode. To prevent this up and down of blood sugar levels try to stick to complex carbohydrates by switching out white flour products for whole grain (including whole wheat products), such as using brown rice instead of white rice, whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta, and whole wheat bread instead of white bread. Also, try to switch out sugar with honey, agave nectar, or sucanat to prevent that up and down affect. I want you to realize that these are not calorie free sweeteners, they just do not metabolism the same way sugar does. You can use calorie free sweeteners (such as splenda) as substitutes, but not all of them are good for baking. If you are baking during this holiday season try to switch out the sugar and flour with its healthier version.

3. Make sure you get enough sleep. With all of the parties and family gatherings to prepare for during the next couple of months you are running around, staying up late, over booking your schedule, etc. Therefore, you need make sure you are getting enough rest, so you don’t run yourself down. Sleep allows your body to repair itself from the day and recharge. If you want to keep your energy up through out the months, you need that sleep. If you are finding you are not able to get enough sleep at night try taking a power nap (20 minutes or less) during the day.

4. Don’t skip meals! I realize you are busy and there is so little time and so much to do, but you NEED to eat! This goes back to the blood sugar roller coaster. When you skip meals you allow your blood sugar levels to get low. By making sure you are eating meals or small meals through out the day you allow your blood sugar levels to stay stable, so your energy levels and moods aren’t all over the place. Another problem with skipping meals is that your metabolism slows down. With all calorie dense foods around you during these months, that is the last thing you want.

Even though it is cold and dark outside make sure you are getting out and doing things. The last thing you want to happen during the fall/winter months is to stay cooped up inside. Go enjoy the festivities of what the holidays have to bring!

-Alexandra Jasinowski