Debra Wein Pic
Friday, October 19, 2012
This Week's Topics
Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes
Worthwhile Links
Happiness is a Carrot Away
Cholesterol Boost
Measure YOUR Metabolism!

Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes

 

Makes 12 cupcakes

 

Cupcakes

1 � cups all-purpose flour

� cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

� tsp. baking soda

� tsp. salt

1 avocado, pitted and peeled

1 cup pure maple syrup

� cup plain soymilk

⅓ cup canola oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Glaze

� block soft silken tofu (from 14-oz. container), drained and patted dry

3 Tbs. pure maple syrup

� tsp. vanilla extract

⅛ tsp. salt

4 oz. semisweet vegan chocolate, melted

 

To make cupcakes: 

1. Preheat oven to 350�F. Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl. Pur�e avocado in food processor until smooth. Add maple syrup, soymilk, oil, and vanilla and blend until creamy. Whisk avocado mixture into flour mixture.

2. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake cups. Bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached. Cool.

3. To make glaze: blend tofu, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in food processor until smooth. Add chocolate to tofu mixture and blend until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Dip tops of cupcakes into glaze, pulling straight up from glaze to form peaks.

 

Nutritional information

Calories: 287, Protein: 4 g, Total Fat: 12.5 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Carbohydrates: 44 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 304 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 24 g

 

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Greetings! DW

 

As you know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The objective is to make more women (and men!) aware of symptoms and to provide greater access to services. 

 

As with all cancers, early detection is critical. Click here to learn more about early detection. Knowledge is health. 

 

Have a healthy week!

-Debra

Happiness Is a Carrot Away

We all know that eating a plentiful and varied diet 

carrots
including five or more servings of fruits and vegetables is good for our health. Eating enough produce can help us manage our weight, prevent many different cancers and is good for heart health. Now there is research to show that eating enough produce actually affects how happy we are! 

 

Researchers from the University of Warwick and Dartmouth College collected data about the fruit and vegetable consumption of about 80,000 people living in the U.K. The data, which was compiled from several randomized, cross-sectional surveys, also included how individuals felt emotionally e.g., life satisfaction, mental well-being, self-reported happiness and nervousness. 

 

When all of the data was tabulated, the researchers found that "happiness and mental health rise in an approximately dose-response way with the number of daily portions of fruit and vegetables." This means that those who ate fruits and vegetables were actually happier; and the more they ate, the happier they were!   

 

Bottom Line: As we approach the "winter blues" season, what better way to take care of our mental and physical health than to eat plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables? Don't let the portions scare you. One cup of strawberries already gets you to two servings for the day, so dig in.

 

 

Cholesterol Boost 

When you go to the doctor to have your cholesterol "checked", you will often receive a series of numbers because there are several indicators that tell you about your heart health. Most often, you will receive your levels of HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Most people want their cholesterol to be as low as possible because it reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. However, the exception to this "lower is better" rule is with HDL cholesterol--the higher the HDL level the better because it clears out the harmful cholesterol that may otherwise block our arteries.

 

Those at risk of having poor cholesterol profiles are usually people who are overweight and sedentary. New research shows that when this population starts to live a more healthful lifestyle, they may be able to "train" their fat cells to produce a hormone believed to spur HDL cholesterol production.

 

While the exact mechanism between this hormone, called adiponectin, and an increase in HDL levels is still unknown, researchers at the Methodist Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention examined patient data from Look AHEAD, a project intended to clarify the relationship between obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In this study, blood was drawn from 1,397 men and women upon a series of time points, testing for different markers including HDL cholesterol and the fat hormone adiponectin. Study participants were also weighed and given a fitness (exercise stress) test.

 

Over the course of one year, study participants followed a moderate exercise program and lower-calorie diet. After one year, Look AHEAD participants had less body fat, were fitter and had better blood glucose levels. On the cholesterol front, interestingly, the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol did not change. However, both the fat hormone adiponectin and HDL increased, decreasing cardiovascular disease risk.

 

Bottom Line: We often look to the scale when it comes to our health, however there are many healthful things happening on the inside of our bodies when we exercise regularly and eat well.  

 

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About Sensible Nutrition 

How is YOUR metabolism? 

Ever wonder if your metabolism is keeping you from reaching your weight goals? Let a Sensible Nutrition RD measure YOUR metabolism and tell you the truth! Call 781-741-5483 or send an email to [email protected] to schedule your appointment.  

 

About Sensible Nutrition

Sensible Nutrition is a consulting firm established in 1994 that provides nutrition and fitness services to individuals, universities, corporate wellness programs and nonprofit groups. SN's client list includes the United States Coast Guard, Blue Cross Blue Shield, EMC, Putnam Investments, Corcoran Jennison, Harvard Business School, the Boston Ballet and Children's Hospital. For more information about our corporate wellness services, please check us out at www.wellnessworkdays.com.

 

SN services: One-to-one counseling, fitness counseling and training, group lectures, metabolism measures and more! Let the Sensible Nutrition staff develop a nutrition program to help you finally reach your health and weight goals! Gift certificates are available!

 

Debra Wein, MS, RD, LDN,  President and Co-Founder writes a regular nutrition column for the National Strength and Conditioning Association's  Performance Training Journal, has been quoted in Family Circle, Muscle & Fitness, Shape, Self, Men's Health, Allure and Prevention and has appeared on Fox 25, Channel 56, Channel 5, New England Cable News and several radio stations.

 

Contact us at www.sensiblenutrition.com or 781-741-5483.

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