No-bake Nut Butter Energy Bars

So this was my first attempt at homemade granola bars and I wasn’t even really sure what I was going for.? I guess now I know a little bit more clearly what I want and what I don’t want.? These are good.? I mean really, really good but I would almost hesitate to even call them granola bars.? Maybe I would call them peanut butter and oatmeal bars? I think next time I would toast the oatmeal with the nuts in the oven for a bit.? Maybe use some crisped rice and less sugar?? Hard to really tell which way I am going to go but I bet the kiddos will love this first try anyway! No-bake Nut Butter Energy Bars (adapted from Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Cookbook) Ingredients: 1/2 cup orange blossom honey (or agave nectar) 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp butter 1-1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter) 3 cups oatmeal 2 scoops chocolate protein powder 1/2 dried cherries (briefly rehydrated in hot water), chopped (can use any dried fruit you like) 1/3 cup slivered almonds 1/2 unsalted sunflower seeds Directions: Warm the honey, butter, olive oil, and peanut butter in a saucepan until ingredients are soft enough to combine easily when mixed.? remove from heat. Add oatmeal and protein powder and mix well? Then, add dried fruits, almonds and seeds.? Mix well. Press into 9-inch square pan.? Let cool in fridge and cut into squares. ***These are good.? Really, really good but not very diet friendly!? Based on cutting the 9-inch pan into little squares and ending up with about 29 of them it is still 4 WW points.? I think you can eliminate the olive oil and butter and that would help but still didn’t decrease the overall points.? The peanut butter just is too much.? Maybe use less peanut butter and add some whole wheat flour?? Need to play around with this a bit…

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No-bake Nut Butter Energy Bars

Caffeine Myth #6 – Caffeine causes bone loss – True or False?

Myth #6: Caffeine causes bone loss. True: ? Caffeine causes a slight, negligible increase in calcium excretion, according to a study by the Creighton University Osteoporosis Research Center in Omaha, Neb. And you’d have to down three cups of coffee for this to occur. Any calcium loss could be offset by consuming more calcium – a few tablespoons of milk, for example. Even youngsters who drink one or two caffeinated beverages a day aren’t harming their bones, Sheres says, unless they consume them in place of milk.

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Caffeine Myth #6 – Caffeine causes bone loss – True or False?

Caffeine Myth #5 – Caffeine causes hyperactivity in Children – True or False?

Myth #5: Caffeine causes hyperactivity in children. False: ? A kid on a Coke rush will practically bounce off walls. But studies show that a moderate amount of caffeine (40 mg to 200 mg) doesn’t make them hyperactive. (For reference, that 12-ounce can of Coke has 35 mg.) Like adults, kids will get an energy boost from caffeine. But whether it’s soda, green tea or coffee, “on average, one serving a day wouldn’t be considered harmful overall for children,” says Suzanne Sheres, a pediatric clinical dietitian at Nemours Children’s Clinic in Orlando. A bigger concern is the empty calories in soda and

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Caffeine Myth #5 – Caffeine causes hyperactivity in Children – True or False?

Caffine Myths #4 – Caffeine heightens hypertension risk True or False?

Myth #4: Caffeine heightens hypertension risk. True and false: ? Caffeine does cause a small, short-term boost in blood pressure, but it’s nothing serious, Messerli says, and has no lingering health effect. In fact, a Harvard University Medical School study of 155,000 female nurses found no link between a decade of coffee drinking – with or without caffeine – and an increased risk of hypertension. Caffeinated colas did increase the risk, but that could be due to the sugar and other ingredients in sodas, not the caffeine. Tea drinking received mixed results. As for men, a 33-year-long Johns?Hopkins University study of more than 1,000 participants revealed that coffee played almost no role in hypertension risk.

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Caffine Myths #4 – Caffeine heightens hypertension risk True or False?

Caffeine Myths #3 – Caffeine can make heart disease worse – True or False?

Myth #3: Caffeine can make heart disease worse. False: ? ? Doctors often tell cardiac patients, especially those with high blood pressure, to avoid caffeine. But there’s little proof that it raises the risk of heart attack , sudden death or abnormal heart rhythms. In fact, coffee drinking may reduce risk of heart disease ! A study by Autonomous?University of Madrid of more than 126,000 people found that women who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day had a 25% lower risk of heart disease . Men didn’t show any higher or lower risk. Drinking tea – black and green – may also have heart-healthy benefits. “Tea in general seems to have cardiovascular benefits,” says Messerli, also a cardiologist and director of hypertension at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in Manhattan. The “benefits of tea are probably due to its antioxidant properties,” he says. But not all teas are created equal. Herbal ones such as chamomile, rosebud and elderberry don’t have the same antioxidants. Plus, “when you add cream or milk, you may abolish the benefits,” Messerli says, “because it seems that the milk or the cream prevents the antioxidant substance from acting.”

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Caffeine Myths #3 – Caffeine can make heart disease worse – True or False?

Caffeine Myths #1 of 9: Caffeine is addictive True or False?

More computer finds that I wanted to share.? Some of these I’ve heard all my life so now I know if they are True or False. Myth #1: Caffeine is addictive. False: Although caffeine is considered a mild stimulant, it’s not addictive, according to the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse . Unlike classic stimulants – think cocaine and amphetamines – there’s rarely a strong compulsion to use caffeine. But caffeine can be habit-forming. That’s why you may feel mild withdrawal symptoms if you skip your morning cup of joe or afternoon pick-me-up. Typical symptoms include headache, restlessness and irritability. Should you decide to give up caffeine, don’t go cold turkey; instead, slowly decrease your consumption over a week. Really though, why bother? Studies show moderate caffeine?intake actually enhances your mood and improves alertness. For adults, the American?Dietetic Association suggests no more than 200 mg to 300 mg a day, which equals two to three cups of coffee.

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Caffeine Myths #1 of 9: Caffeine is addictive True or False?

Caffeine Myths #1 of 9: Caffeine is addictive True or False?

More computer finds that I wanted to share.? Some of these I’ve heard all my life so now I know if they are True or False. Myth #1: Caffeine is addictive. False: Although caffeine is considered a mild stimulant, it’s not addictive, according to the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse . Unlike classic stimulants – think cocaine and amphetamines – there’s rarely a strong compulsion to use caffeine. But caffeine can be habit-forming. That’s why you may feel mild withdrawal symptoms if you skip your morning cup of joe or afternoon pick-me-up. Typical symptoms include headache, restlessness and irritability. Should you decide to give up caffeine, don’t go cold turkey; instead, slowly decrease your consumption over a week. Really though, why bother? Studies show moderate caffeine?intake actually enhances your mood and improves alertness. For adults, the American?Dietetic Association suggests no more than 200 mg to 300 mg a day, which equals two to three cups of coffee.

Here is the original post:
Caffeine Myths #1 of 9: Caffeine is addictive True or False?

Caffeine Myths #1 of 9: Caffeine is addictive True or False?

More computer finds that I wanted to share.? Some of these I’ve heard all my life so now I know if they are True or False. Myth #1: Caffeine is addictive. False: Although caffeine is considered a mild stimulant, it’s not addictive, according to the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse . Unlike classic stimulants – think cocaine and amphetamines – there’s rarely a strong compulsion to use caffeine. But caffeine can be habit-forming. That’s why you may feel mild withdrawal symptoms if you skip your morning cup of joe or afternoon pick-me-up. Typical symptoms include headache, restlessness and irritability. Should you decide to give up caffeine, don’t go cold turkey; instead, slowly decrease your consumption over a week. Really though, why bother? Studies show moderate caffeine?intake actually enhances your mood and improves alertness. For adults, the American?Dietetic Association suggests no more than 200 mg to 300 mg a day, which equals two to three cups of coffee.

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Caffeine Myths #1 of 9: Caffeine is addictive True or False?

Caffeine Myths #1 of 9: Caffeine is addictive True or False?

More computer finds that I wanted to share.? Some of these I’ve heard all my life so now I know if they are True or False. Myth #1: Caffeine is addictive. False: Although caffeine is considered a mild stimulant, it’s not addictive, according to the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse . Unlike classic stimulants – think cocaine

Original post:
Caffeine Myths #1 of 9: Caffeine is addictive True or False?

Caffeine Myths #1 of 9: Caffeine is addictive True or False?

More computer finds that I wanted to share.? Some of these I’ve heard all my life so now I know if they are True or False. Myth #1: Caffeine is addictive. False: Although caffeine is considered a mild stimulant, it’s not addictive, according to the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse . Unlike classic stimulants – think cocaine and amphetamines – there’s rarely a strong compulsion to use caffeine. But caffeine can be habit-forming. That’s why you may feel mild withdrawal symptoms if you skip your morning cup of joe or afternoon pick-me-up. Typical symptoms include headache, restlessness and irritability. Should you decide to give up caffeine, don’t go cold turkey; instead, slowly decrease your consumption over a week. Really though, why bother? Studies show moderate caffeine?intake actually enhances your mood and improves alertness. For adults, the American?Dietetic Association suggests no more than 200 mg to 300 mg a day, which equals two to three cups of coffee.

See the original post:
Caffeine Myths #1 of 9: Caffeine is addictive True or False?

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