cholesterol lowering tips and my workouts

September kicks off National Cholesterol Education Month, so these cholesterol lowering recipes and tips from MerckDiabetes might be helpful to you and your family. You have probably seen products in the grocery store that claim to "lower cholesterol" and that might be true but foods like nuts, soy, plant oils (found in foods like margarine), barley and oats have been found to reduce cholesterol levels.
Here is more information on the new JAMA study: http://pubs.ama-assn.org/media/2011j/0823.dtl#1

Cholesterol, a fat-like substance that’s made by your body or comes from your diet, can significantly contribute to heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
· Low-density lipoprotein participles, or LDL, carry most of the cholesterol in the blood. Over time, unhealthy levels of LDL can cause cholesterol build up in the arties forming plaque, which can reduce blood flow. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Here are a few recipes that you might want to try. Both would be a great treat for your family and they wouldn't even have to know they were packed with cholesterol lowering ingredients! I'm SO sneaky...ha!

Maple Pecan Scones (from MerckDiabetes.com)
Serves: 24

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cups pecans, chopped
1 1/4 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 cups trans fat-free margarine
1/2 cups maple syrup
1/3 cups skim milk

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine flour, nuts, baking powder and margarine in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix by hand until margarine is in pea-sized pieces, then add maple syrup and milk. Mix well.

Turn scone dough onto floured board. Roll to one-inch thickness and cut in small rectangular pieces, making 2 dozen scones.

Place scones spread apart on a non-stick tray. Bake until firm in center and golden on edges and bottom, about 20 minutes. Cool and serve warm.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving

Calories 160
Calories from Fat 80
Total Fat 9g
Saturated Fat 1.5g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 110mg
Total Carbohydrate 17g
Dietary Fiber less than 1g
Sugars 4g
Protein 2g


Flax Chocolate Chip Cookies (from MerckDiabetes.com)
· Serves: 18

Ingredients

· 1 stick trans-free margarine
· 1/3 cups brown sugar
· 1/3 cups granulated sugar
· 1 egg white
· 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
· 1 cups all-purpose flour
· 1/2 cups rolled oats
· 1/2 cups ground flaxseeds
· 1 teaspoons apple pie spice
· 1 cups miniature chocolate chips

Preparation
Cream margarine and sugars together in a large mixing bowl with hand beaters. Add egg white; mix smooth.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Scrape the bowl and mix until the cookie dough forms a ball.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop cookies using small scoop or tablespoon onto nonstick cookie tray.

Bake in the oven until done, around 10 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool at room temperature. Store in bags or sealed container.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving

Calories 200
Calories from Fat 90
Total Fat 10g
Saturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 65mg
Total Carbohydrate 25g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 8g
Protein 3g

Today's Workout: Yesterday I tried the new CoreConcepts Coredio and Core-Tempo and WOW...all I can say is wow! My ONLY complaint is that there were no words to the really great music playing throughout the workouts(I love to sing along with I'm working out, but that might just be ME??!) Today I will try the TransCOREmation 360 series DVD if my abs will allow it!
I haven't run in over a week...I think I've taken a hiatus for another week until my 6am runs can involve a LITTLE less heat! I know I should probably push through, but for now I will try out all of these new DVD's I have received and get my thoughts and experiences about each, straight to you! That's a pretty good idea, right? I just hope I am ready for the half marathon, JANUARY 15, 2012!!! Yikes, writing it out...it's freaking me out a bit!!! Ha!