Wednesday

What is everyone reading lately? I've read and read and reread and reread and re-reread my Precision Nutrition binder eighteen hundred times, I thumbed through the latest issue of Parents magazine a few days ago, and Ethan and I read Brown Bear, Brown Bear and The Very Hungry Caterpillar religiously, but otherwise I haven't read a suck-me-in-and-spit-me-out good book in a very, very, very long time. I need suggestions! What are you currently reading? (Mom and Megan, my two favorite librarians in the whole wide world, can you give me some suggested reading?)

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I've been eating these delicious blueberry bran muffins post-workout. Even Ethan likes 'em! The recipe is from John Berardi's website, but I'll post it here for your convenience, because I like you very much:

Blueberry Bran Muffins

These little treats are made from low-GI carbs, so you don’t have to worry about eating one or two after a P+C meal. They also have a bit of flax meal to add moisture, and just a couple of polyunsats. I’ve been eating these for a while and loving them, so recently I gave them the final test by taking a batch to a dinner party, complete with professors and their wives. Success! They were reduced to crumbs, followed with compliments about their taste, rather than their ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 cup oat bran
½ cup flax meal
4 scoops protein powder, flavor of your choice (I like chocolate with this recipe).
2/3 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup granulated Splenda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 jumbo egg whites
1 teaspoon maple extract
2/3 cup water

Instructions:

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the egg whites, extract, and water. Stir until mixed well. Scoop into a muffin pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350-degrees for 25 minutes.

Makes 6 large muffins.

Macronutrient Profile (each muffin):
K/cal: 176
Fat: 4 g (1s, 1m, 2p)
Carbs: 20g (4 fiber)
Protein: 21 g

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I'm in the market for a new workout dvd, but I can't decide which one to get: Push/Pull + Supersets, Slow & Heavy, or Upper/Lower body Pyramid. I'm leaning more towards purchasing the Pyramid dvd, simply because it's unlike anything I already own and would add some welcome variety to my current 4-week weight training rotation. I'm also considering adding a BCAA/Glutamine recovery drink during and after weight training, but I'm torn. Has anyone tried Xtreme Formulations ICE? Gosh, I sure am needy today. Sorry about that.

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JB pushes fish and flax oil like it's some sort of magic, anti-aging serum, but I'm starting to see where he's coming from. I've been taking Omega 3-6-9 fish, flax and borage oil a few times a day for almost 4 weeks now, and I can't believe how great I feel. My skin is glowing, nary a blemish in site. (I'm sure I'll wake up with one hell of a crater tomorrow for saying that.) My nails are stronger and less brittle. My hair is shiny. Probably best of all is that my usual premenstrual cravings are half as severe as they were before. I really do notice a difference! I'm still a total bitch come that time of the month, don't get me wrong. Poor D could breathe the wrong way and I'd file for divorce. (Is "Consumes too much oxygen and leaves muddy shoes on living room rug" a listed reason on the forms?) But I no longer feel the need to eat an entire gallon of double chocolate ice cream, a canister of cream cheese frosting and a whole box of whatever cereal is housed atop the fridge. Last month I didn't even realize it was PMS week until after it had passed. That's one Snickers bar short of a miracle, I tell you.

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Whenever Ethan sees me naked he loudly exclaims "NAKED MUNNY!". If he sees D naked he'll scream "NAKED DADDY!". He calls me mommy or mama, so I'm not exactly sure why I'm naked MUNNY. It's cute though. Perhaps he senses that I was a stripper in a past life and associates my nakedness with money. Now that I think about it, that's quite a compliment! See, Precision Nutrition WORKS!