Blueberry Coffee Cake

Serves 12
154 calories per serving.

Ingredients

• 2 cup spelt flour 
• 1 tsp. baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar 
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 
• 1/3 cup unpacked brown sugar 
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil 
• 2 Tbsp. applesauce 
• 1 large egg, and two egg whites 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt 
• 1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen and thawed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. 
3. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon and nuts. 
4. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, applesauce and oil until combined. If necessary, use back of spoon to press out any lumps in the brown sugar. 
5. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until fully combined. 
6. Beat in the vanilla and yogurt.
7. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, stirring until just combined.
8. Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. 
9. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter and top with the blueberries, gently pressing them into the batter. 
10. Spoon the rest of the better into the pan, smoothing the top. 
11. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture over the cake, pressing gently. 
12. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. 
13. Let cool slightly and then un- mold and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. 
14. Cut the cake into 2-inch squares.

Is Night Time Eating Making You Gain Weight?

The answer is YES!

But what do I know?  Let's check on some studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  
In a study published in 2008, 94 individuals were kept in an inpatient program and closely monitored by staff and technology.  Why is this important?  Well, in the words of the ever so eloquent Dr. Gregory House, "Everyone lies".  Previous to this study being published the results were inconclusive to say the least and based on "self-reported" nighttime eating.  The study was conducted by feeding participants a standardized diet and then monitoring their caloric intake via a computerized vending machine. 

The Result:

Nighttime eating was common, and it predicted weight gain. 
Why? Because when fuel (calories) are abundant and activity is low, the result is stored fuel (fat).  Couple that with a decreased core temperature and out of control leptin levels as well as other hormones being present to induce rest and it's a recipe for weight gain.  All we must do is to take yet another look at our roots.  We evolved from hunters and gatherers which ate and slept with the sun.  No refrigerators or modern conveniences to facilitate eating past sunset.  Should that hungry feeling come find you late in the day, make sure to satisfy it with a protein source instead of a carbohydrate to keep blood sugars (the most readily available energy option) under control.

Adam Funke
Real Life Fitness and Health
Program Director

Banana Bread

Makes 2 loaves
Serving size is 81 grams
182 Calories per serving

Ingredients

6 very ripe bananas
1 Cup brown or maple sugar
1 1/2 buckwheat or spelt flour
2 T. butter softened
4 T. unsweetened applesauce
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
2 eggs
1 T. nutmeg and cinnamon

Directions

• Mash banana's in a bowl, add eggs, butter and vanilla. Blend well. Mix together dry ingredients and blend well.
• Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until blended. Do not overmix or bread will be tough. Lumps of flour are o.k
• Put into pre-greased pans (use canola spray)
• Bake at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes clean- time may vary depending on your oven.
  

Excuses

My intent with this blog entry was to focus on excuses and how they do nothing but get in the way of what we really want in life. I had a very long and well thought our entry ready to submit and remembered a couple of clips I had seen on the subject. After finding what I was looking for on youtube I immediately deleted my entry and will let these couple of clips do the talking. I have to say thanks to Tami for the Nike clip. I don't know how you knew what I was up to but your message was on time and on target. :)






Adam Funke
Program Director
Real Life Fitness and Health

Below The Surface

How often do we step on the scale and turn that thin piece of equipment under our feet into a remote control for how we feel about ourselves for the day or even the week? While it's true that when losing weight the scale is the greatest indicator of success, we must not forget about other very important "side effects" that come along with eating healthy and exercising. At Real Life Fitness and Health we have began tracking lipid profiles upon clients entry and exit from the program. It has been great to show our clients who have worked so hard week after week the progress that they have made. Today, Jen went home and we went over her progress with her and the results were no less than amazing.

1. Triglycerides went from 156 to 72. Yes, that's cut in half.
2. Total Cholesterol dropped from 152 to 132
3. HDL (that's the good cholesterol) raised from 27 to 33
4. LDL (that's the bad cholesterol) cut from 93 to 84
5. VLDL (another bad one) dropped from 31 to 14
6. The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL dropped from 5.6 to 4.0

These are factors that no only affect how we feel and our overall health, but can also add years to our lives due to lowering our risk for diseases associated with them. So, next time you step on the scale and either jump for joy or droop in disappointment, remember that there is more often than not, much more going on under the surface then we can see. Just like a single blood test or blood pressure reading is never used to diagnose a condition, one weeks weigh-in should not lead to discouragement. It is impossible to follow all the rules of eating correctly and exercise and not have your body change. Hang in there, stay consistent and results are guaranteed to come.

Adam Funke
Program Director
Real Life Fitness and Health

False Marketing Fuels Weight Gain and Frustration

The other morning while flipping on the television so my little girls could watch their early morning cartoons, an infomercial for the latest "Ab blasting sauna belt" was being aired. Anyone that knows me for more than 10 minutes knows my opinion on infomercials and especially ones promising a six pack with little to no change in your daily routine. In my humble (yet correct) opinion, infomercials play a key roll in keeping America in a downward spiral of both being out of shape and unhealthy. A recent study published by the CDC stated that by the year 2050 1 in 3 Americans will be diabetic. With 95% of diabetics being Type 2 and the leading cause of Type 2 diabetes being over weight and obese, this number is in no way a sentence but a forecast. The first step in making this study become yet another waste of taxpayers money is properly educating ourselves on the correct way of becoming health and fit.

• Spot Reduction is a myth. There is no way to shrink one part of your body any faster than another. If you want to lose weigh in your arms, be prepared to lose it in your face, stomach, butt, feet and hands too.
  
• Most people head to the gym and hire a trainer to help them lose weight. Problem is that most trainers ignore one of the most important tools in the gym. The treadmill coupled with proper nutrition is your most powerful tool for fighting fat. Keep your heart rate up and your nutrition in check and the results can be amazing
• Your genetics are not to blame for the size of your body. Truth be told, if we were still living in the era of hunting and gathering we would all be lean and healthy. The convenience of living in today's world and the abundance of food we enjoy lead to expanding waist sizes. Genetics may load the gun but environment pulls the trigger.
• Carbohydrates are not the villain they have been portrayed to be. Thanks to Dr. Atkins, one of the most popular diets right now has people running in terror from carbohydrates. While carbohydrates are completely essential to live a healthy and happy life, they should be monitored and consumed more carefully than they typically are. Carbohydrates are the bodies preferred energy source. Converting directly into glucose and ready to be used by our muscles they are also essential for proper brain function and healthy organs. The problem with carbohydrates are that if the body is flooded with blood sugar or excess energy, it will be stored as excess energy. Most people call stored energy fat. With carbs just remember to eat for your energy requirements. As you approach the end of your day make sure your carb intake tapers off.
  
• There are no super foods that will make you lose weight. Remember that fat is a collections of excess calories and calorie is a unit of energy. Energy cannot just disappear. Let me take you back to high school science class. Energy can be changed but never destroyed. Changes in energy happen in only 3 ways. Heat, Light and sound. Until the weight loss supplement industry figures out a way to make us glow in the dark the only one we are stuck with is heat. The higher our heart rate and activity level, the higher our core temperature will climb. This is what causes us to sweat. All of the successful weight loss drugs (all of which are illegal now) caused rapid heart rate and elevated core temperature to achieve their result. The next time you pick up a bottle of Acai Berry please ask yourself, "where is the weight going?"

For most people these are things that you already know. Don't be distracted by the flashy ads that throw out unrealistic numbers to drain your wallet of your hard earned cash. It's consistency and endurance that will ultimately deliver the result you are looking for. Whole foods and intense workouts are the answer.

Adam Funke
Program Director
Real Life Fitness and Health

We Couldn't Have Said It Better Ourselves...

Occasionally our clients will post to our wall, and occasionally they will literally write on our wall. Naomi Haskell is leaving for home tomorrow, but before leaving she took the time to share a few words of encoragement and motivation.

"A plaque on the wall in the 'Women's House' says, "You never really leave a place you love - part of it you take with you, leaving a part of you behind."

I'm leaving Real Life Fitness and Health with a renewed love for taking care of my body, mind and soul. I've gained life-long friendships. I'm taking away priceless knowledge about nutrition, exercise and myself. I'm leaving behind blood, sweat, tears, and quite a few pounds and inches.

For those of you who follow in my footsteps, know this: every staff member here, both at Real Life and Treehouse, has something to offer you, make sure to take advantage of EVERYTHING they have to teach. You too will have lessons to learn and your own gifts to take...and leave.

Best wishes, hand tough and roll with the punches!"
- Naomi Haskell 3/10 and 9/10

Thanks Naomi, you're a motivation to us all.