Month: June 2014

by Ashlee Lamar
Drained by the summer heat? Experiencing a 3 o’clock slump? As tempting as it is to crack open an energy drink or to grab a sugary snack, these items provide a quick boost, also known as a “sugar high” and then quickly leave you feeling more sluggish than before.

What you put into your body affects the way you feel. Choosing the right foods will provide you with sustaining energy throughout the day. Here’s some tips to beat fatigue:

1. Avoid foods loaded with sugar or made with white flour
– Eating ‘simple carbohydrates’ causes your blood sugar levels to quickly spike, and then drop, leaving you tired and hungry. These foods include white pasta, white bread, packaged snacks and crackers, sugary sodas, energy drinks and desserts. Foods made with complex carbohydrates (such as whole grains, whole wheat bread, and steel cut oats) take longer for your body to break down and digest. This will leave you with increased energy and prevent blood sugar spikes.

2. Include protein at all meals
– Protein helps to prevent the rapid spikes of blood sugar and provides a satiety effect. Protein also helps to preserve lean muscle mass. Good sources of protein include baked or grilled chicken breast, turkey, egg whites, lean ground beef, fish, beans, almonds or walnuts.

3. Drink green tea instead of soda
– Green tea is a good source of caffeine, provides zero calories, and aides with hydration. Green tea is filled with powerful disease fighting antioxidants called catechins. Studies have found this can even aide in lowering LDL cholesterol. (Journal of American Dietetic Association, Nov 2011).

4. Eat 5-6 small meals a day
– Start with breakfast, the most important meal of the day. This jumpstarts your metabolism after a long night’s sleep. Eating a small meal or snack every 4-6 hours helps to keep blood sugar levels stable and prevents the draining effect of going without food for too long.

Ashlee Lamar is a registered dietitian at Providence Medical Center.

Whole Wheat Blueberry crumble bars

Ingredients
Crust
• 1 1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blueberry Filling
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions
Crust:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8×12 inch pan.
2. Whisk together 1 1/3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Beat together brown sugar, butter, oil, egg and vanilla in another large bowl with electric mixer until smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until blended.
5. Layer 2/3 of dough evenly into bottom of prepared baking dish.
6. Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.
Topping:
7. Gradually work remaining 3 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour into the remaining dough-mixture will be crumbly.
Filling:
8. Stir together sugar, orange juice all-purpose flour and lemon zest in a small bowl.
9. Combine blueberries and lemon juice in a medium saucepan; cook, stirring, over medium heat until the berries begin to exude juice. Add the sugar mixture and stir until the filling reaches a simmer and thickens.
10. Push down the higher outside edges of the baked crust with a wooden spoon; pour the hot filling over it and spread all the way to the sides of the dish. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the top. Bake until the topping is golden, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
11. Let cool.

Serves: 15
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com