Pumpkin Bread

Submitted by Jill Horn

3¹/₃ c flour

3 c brown sugar

¾ t salt

1 t cinnamon

1 t nutmeg

½ c chopped nuts

½ c oil

2     eggs

2/3 c water

2 c pumpkin

2 t soda

Preheat oven to 350°.  Sift together dry ingredients.  Make a well and add all remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.  Pour into 3 greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean.  Cool slightly in pans before removing.

Yield:  3 loaves                          Prep time:  30 minutes

Pumpkin Flaxseed Muffins

Submitted by Jill Horn

¼ c flaxseed ground

1 egg

1 ½ c whole grain white flour

1 ½ c pumpkin

½ c sugar

1 t cinnamon

½ c milk

2 t baking powder

3 T oil

½ t baking soda

½ c nuts

½ t salt

1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 400°.  Blend dry ingredients together in bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine egg, oil and milk.  Add to dry ingredients and stir until blended.  Stir in nuts and pumpkin.  Fill well-greased muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake for 18 – 20 minutes.

Yield: 24 muffins                      Prep time: 30 minutes + baking time

Peach and Mango Cinch Indulgence

Submitted by Jill Horn

2 scoops of Strawberry Cinch shake mix

1 c frozen peaches

1 c frozen mangos

1 c water

Combine in blender until smooth.  Calories: 357, protein: 18g

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

Submitted by Jill Horn

2 scoops of Chocolate Cinch shake mix

1 c nonfat milk

1 T cream peanut butter

4-6 ice cubes 

Combine in blender until smooth.  Calories: 380, protein: 28g

Review of Health Quest Article volume 28 No 1.

Submitted by Jill Horn

Keep your Family Healthy All Winter by Dr. Bruce Miller

The average child contracts three to six colds per year and the average adult contracts two to three colds per year.  Having a strong immune system is important to prevent colds and flu.  Considerable research suggests the following items inhibit or weaken the immune system:

·         Sugar and alcohol use

·         Poor diet

·         Exposure to environmental toxins

·         Insufficient rest

·         Stress, either emotional or physical

The Sugar Disaster

According to the Dept. of Agriculture, Americans consume 142 pounds of sugar per year and another 61 pounds of high fructose corn syrup per year that adds up to 203 pounds of sugar per person per year.  While the average person ate 120 pounds of fruits and vegetable per year plus 91 pounds of French fries.  About half of our diet is coming from non-nutritious sugars hidden in our food and drinks.  Try to find a label on a can or bottle that doesn’t say “sugar” or “high fructose corn syrup” on it.  It’s very difficult.

Besides depressing immune function, sugar also depletes important nutrients like all eight B vitamins.  This is significant because low levels of B vitamins are associated with metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease and disrupted blood sugar management in general. 

This doesn’t mean we should never have sugar.  We need to have sugar in our blood at all times to fuel our muscles and brain. But it should come from foods that have a low glycemic index (below 50). French fries have a GI of 75.  Low GI foods are ideal since they release small amounts of sugar over a prolonged period of time.  High GI foods flood your system with fast sugar and dramatically elevate your insulin levels setting you up for diabetes.  Fruits, vegetables and grains including soy protein usually have low glycemic indices.

Acidity vs. Alkalinity

Our blood must be maintained in a very narrow range of acid/base range (pH of 7.35 – 7.45). If our diet is predominantly acidic foods (meats, diary, grains), it forces the body to pull basic minerals from our bones to bring the blood back into balance. 

So watching your diet during the cold and flu season is a healthy way to stay healthy during those months.

Guacamole Dip

Submitted by Jeanette Pinion

2 ripe avocados
juice of 1/2 of a lime
1 TBS. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic minced or mashed (I use a garlic press)
sea salt to taste

Mash all the ingredients together with a fork and eat with tortilla
chips or put it on a burger or in a taco, add it to a salad. It's very
healthy, and the good oils in avocado and olive oil help your body
absorb your nutrients. Good fats are very important to our diets. I
don't buy fat-free anything because it usually means more sugar and no
good fats that you need.  This is easy to whip up as long as your
avocados are ripe.

Summary of an article by Les Wong Sports Nutriton Before, During and After a Workout.

Submitted By Jill Horn

Drinking plenty of fluids starting at least an hour before a competition or workout is very important to help maintain a healthy body temperature during a workout. 

Carbohydrates are important during a workout because they are most readily available fuel for the muscles during a workout.

Protein is essential after a workout for increasing muscle mass and strength and also for recovery from prolonged exercise.

Vitamins and minerals don't provide energy, but they're essential for converting the food you eat into energy your muscles can use. Timing the consumption of food and drink throughout your exercise session can significantly improve hydration, energy, recovery, and the quality of individual workouts.

BEFORE: Two to four hours before exercise, be sure to hydrate early and often, and eat healthful and nutritious carbohydrate-rich foods, including light sandwiches, pasta, salads, fruits, and nutritional bars. Consider more rapidly absorbed nutritional shakes as little as one hour before an event, depending on your individual level of digestive comfort. Continue hydrating right up to the start of an event and consider a natural caffeine boost 30 minutes prior to exercise.

DURING: Continue hydrating with small amounts of cool fluids, including water and sports drinks, every 15 to 30 minutes. For events lasting longer than an hour, consider rapidly digested carbohydrate-rich foods such as bagels, gels, bananas, apples, oranges, and nutritional bars.

AFTER: Try to consume a balanced intake of fluids, carbohydrate, and protein immediately after exercise to maximize hydration, muscle-energy refueling, muscle repair, and muscle rebuilding. The right balance of carbohydrate and protein can trigger and enhance the anabolic recovery process when consumed immediately after exercise and again an hour or two later—especially for those who have multiple daily workout sessions.

Pina Colada

Submitted by Jill Horn

2 scoops of Vanilla Cinch shake mix

½  c nonfat milk

4 oz fresh chopped pineapple

¼ t coconut extract

4-6 ice cubes

Pom-Berry Morning Smoothie

Submitted by Jill Horn

2 scoops of Vanilla Cinch shake mix

1 c nonfat milk

½ c fresh strawberries

1 stick Cinch Energy Tea Mix – Pomegranate flavor

4-6 ice cubes 

Combine in blender until smooth.  Calories: 309, protein: 24g

Summary of Study Conducted at South Shore YMCA in Boston. By Jill Horn

Submitted by Jill Horn 

The premise is that adults over the age of 35 start to lose muscle mass and metabolism slows making it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight once someone reaches that age.   This study differs from previous studies in that is was conducted over a 6 – month period instead of only 12 weeks. 

The subjects in the study were divided into 2 groups.  The control group did a strength training workout and then consumed no protein shake after the workout.  The experimental group did the same strength training workout as the control group but did drink a protein shake within one hour of completing the workout.  Both groups lost fat and gained muscle. Subjects who consumed the post-exercise protein drink gained about 25 percent more lean weight and lost 50 percent more body fat. This observation reconfirms the finding that supplying the body with extra protein and carbohydrate following a combined strength/endurance exercise session promotes the addition of lean tissue and the loss of body fat. At present, it is thought that provision of protein after exercise increases the rate muscle proteins are made, which increases the amount of muscle over time.

The protein shakes consumed in this study are given as recipes so you can try them for yourself.  They are very tasty too.

Black Bean, Corn, and Couscous Salad

Submitted by Chris Shelley

1 (10 oz) box dry plain couscous

1 (16 oz) bag frozen white or yellow corn, thawed and drained

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 medium green onions, sliced (white and green parts)

1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

juice of 2 lemons (1/4 cup)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 t salt

black pepper

Prepare couscous according to package directions. Cool.

Combine cooled couscous, corn, beans, green onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a bowl; mix gently.

Add lemon juice and olive oil; toss well. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 12.

190 calories, 6g fat, 6g protein, 30g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 320mg sodium.

Review of study reported in Cell Metabolism

Submitted by Jill Horn

Review of study reported in Cell Metabolism, Nov. 2011

A study was conducted by Dutch researchers regarding the health-enhancing benefits of resveratrol. If you haven’t heard of resveratrol before, one place it’s found is in the skins of grapes.

The researchers found that taking a resveratrol supplement for 30 days significantly reduced many of the markers associated with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and many other chronic diseases. One of the markers found to be significantly reduced was inflammation. Since inflammation is at the root of literally hundreds of diseases, this is certainly a significant finding. We also know that chronic inflammation not only leads to age-related diseases but also accelerated aging.

Diabetes has increased 35% in the past 10 years. Until now, the only nonpharmacological way to increase insulin receptivity and reduce the risk of developing diabetes was to reduce calories and exercise. While those may still be important, adding a high potency resveratrol supplement may help improve insulin receptivity and lower blood sugar levels.

Is anyone too tired to exercise or just tired period? This study showed there is hope for more energy as well by using resveratrol. The participants in this study showed significant increases in markers of mitochondrial function. Mitochondria are your body’s energy producers that tend to decrease in number and output as we age. The increases in this study were comparable with those seen in endurance training.

On a personal note, I take a resveratrol supplement that is high potency and tested for puracy and safety. It’s the only one I know of that undergoes such scrutiny. It’s called Vivix.

Article Summary - Usage Patterns, Health and Nutrition Status of Long-Term Multiple Dietary Supplement Users

Submitted by Jill Horn

Summary of article in Nutrition Journal, 2007; (6) 30: 1-11

Usage Patterns, Health and Nutrition Status of Long-Term Multiple Dietary Supplement Users

http://www.nutritionj.com/content/6/1/30

There is much talk about whether dietary supplementation actually benefits the user or not.  This study conducted in 2007 at the University of California, Berkley, School of Public Health, explored this topic.  There were three groups in this study including a control group who took no nutritional supplements, a second group who used a single supplement daily (a one a day type vitamin) and multi-supplement users.

Then the groups where all compared to each other regarding certain health markers: C-reactive protein, Homocysteine levels, total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. In all cases, there was lower incidence of disease in the Multi-supplement group.  And in all cases, the Multi-supplement users also scored better on all the above mentioned biomarkers of health. When researchers controlled for differences such as age, sex, and education to name a few, they found the risk of diabetes was 73% lower for the Multi-supplement users. Also the risk of elevated blood pressure was 39% lower in this group than in Single-supplement users. The Multi-supplement user group also four times more likely to describe themselves in “Very Good” or “Excellent” health. 

You can see that there is certainly evidence to support taking a quality dietary supplement that is tested for puracy and efficacy.

Peanut Butter Bars

Submitted by Jill Horn

1 c peanut butter

3/4 c honey

1 c quick oats

1 c energizing soy protein

3/4 c raisins

3/4 c nuts

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Bring honey to a boil and then remove from heat.  Add peanut butter.  Add peanut butter mixture to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Put in air tight container and put in refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.  When they cool slice them into 1-in squares.