This Is Why You' re Fat - Ten Tips

Bravo's drama queen celebrity trainer, Jackie Warner, has a new book out. Amazon was kind enough to share...


Jackie Warner's Ten Tips for Getting in Shape, from Her Book This Is Why You're Fat

1. It’s not how long, it’s how strong. Incorporate 20 minutes of high intensity cardio each day. Walk fast on a treadmill for 2 minutes at a 15 incline then sprint for 2 minutes on flat ramp. Cool down for 1 minute and repeat this cycle 3 more times until you reach your 20 minute goal.

2. Women, make sure to include weight training at least 3-4 days a week. If you add 3-5 pounds of muscle to your body, you will burn 250-500 extra calories per day which equals 3-5 pounds of fat loss per week

3. Visualize the muscles you are working on–this is called the mind muscle connection and it will actually increase tone.

4. Your body hits a plateau with cardio and resistance training in one month so change your weight, reps and exercises accordingly

5. The fastest way to get the body you want is through my power circuit training. Combine 3 upper body exercises and 3 lower body exercises together to make one big set. Do not rest in between and alternate quickly from upper to lower for maximum fat burn.

6. The only muscle groups that really burn fat are the primary muscles like the chest, back, quads, glute and hamstrings. Focus hard on those!

7. You have to eat within an hour of working out to make sure you’re not eating into the muscle for energy. Make sure that you combine proteins and carbs like a blended protein shake with fruit and peanut butter or a piece of fruit with a low-fat string cheese.

8. Don’t just set a weight goal, set a physical goal too like running a 3k or training for a charity marathon. Human beings are competitive and you will spark that inner competition by trying to reach a difficult physical goal.

9. A little thing like changing your music playlist every week can go a long way. The more your mind is stimulated during your workouts, the better your results will be.

10. Instead of focusing on being fat, you’ve got to focus on being fit. If you think healthy, it eventually becomes reality to you. I always push my clients to focus on how strong they’re getting, how well they’re sleeping, and how happy they’re feeling by exercising.

Hoover Dam and Boulder City

This Saturday we woke to a bright sunny day and determined that, with only 4 months to go in Vegas, we ought to head out to the Hoover Dam. A little touring in our hometown.

Nevada side (and likely AZ side as well), traffic backs up due to a Homeland Security check point so travelers get delayed a bit. A new bypass is scheduled to be completed by next year.

Without the dam (and others like it), the agriculture and population explosion in the Southwest would not have been possible. The dam provides the water and electricity that sustains cities including Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Pheonix as well as the farm and ranch land of the entire Southwest.


The dam was a depression era public-private works that helped put men back to work and created enormous prosperity in the region that continues today. A public project built by private industry, it was completed 2 years ahead of schedule, under budget and employing a total of 16,000. This 30's era, pre technology feat is all the more impressive when compared to the modern day fiasco that is known as the World Trade Center, still incomplete, or the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, that has turned out to be not "shovel ready" at all. Union gripes about wages, working and safety conditions (today) seem ridiculous when you read the exhibit records that clearly show the workforce was well paid in a time of mass national unemployment and industrial fatalities were under 100 for the entire project.


The architecture of the dam is as interesting as the power plant itself. I really enjoyed seeing the touches of Art Deco through out the dam. Elements include the dam's turrets, brass fixtures, type used in the plaques, art and exhibits and the jade milk glass lined walls of the bathrooms.

Boulder City is 20 minutes outside Las Vegas within close proximity to the Hoover Dam. Boulder City was built to house the workforce of the dam, which was originally named the Boulder Dam. It has a quaint main street and an abundance of quirky shops and diners that cater to the throngs visiting the dam. It is worth a stop...Money magazine named it the 6th best place to retire in 2009.

The most famous diner in Boulder City is the Coffee Cup. It is famous and no doubt doing a brisk business due to being featured by the Food Network's Guy Fieri on his Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show. Other choices include the Southwest Diner and Mel's Diner, neither of which have websites but reviews on Trip Advisor, Yelp and Chowhound speak to their popularity.

We selected Mel's because reviewers remarked about the impeccable service, good food and colorful owner. The staff are very friendly and efficient, the hamburgers are grilled and pressed and we found Mel holding court at a table next to ours. We learned Mel is a veteran, former high school teacher and sees politics as we do.

With its bigger than life portions and all you can eat buffets, Vegas suffers from the kind of atmosphere Mel and his cohorts create in the diners of Boulder City. We are already planning our return.


This is Vegas so our stay at home day vacay continued into the night. After a little time by the pool and a nap, we headed down to Mandalay Bay, where Foreigner was playing with Kansas and Styx. These bands made in part the soundtrack of my teenage years. Doug was amused I knew all the songs...all I can say is "feels like the very first time"!

Oatmeal

If you are looking for a healthy, economical breakfast food, to improve your stats in relation to diabetes, heart disease and obesity or if you are training with resistance and weights, oatmeal becomes a staple.

Nutritious And Beneficial

Oatmeal is attributed to lowering cholesterol, reducing blood pressure, controlling blood glucose, weight management and warding off cancers of the stomach, colon and prostate. Oat grains are a high in protein, low in fat (healthy oils) and qualify as a complex carbohydrate. They are packed with vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.










One Oat Is Not Like The Other

Oat groats are the most nutritious and are very chewy since only the outer hull is removed. Steel cut oats are groats cut into smaller pieces and make great oatmeal. Oat groats and steel cut oats are minimally processed and no heat is used, which is the case for most industrial foods. Rolled or old fashioned oats are steamed, rolled and flaked for easier cooking. Some of the nutrition is lost in the processing. Quick oats are precooked and instant oats are cooked and dehydrated, making them high glycemic and the least nutritious so they are not options for a real, whole food diet. To make steel cut oats quick cooking, soak them overnight.










I use steel cut oats for breakfast. I cook enough for several days and then reheat portions with a little almond milk. I have mine with flaxseed (Omegas, fiber) and hemp seed (protein, Omegas) and a little agave nectar or raw honey. I use gluten free rolled oats as a flour replacement, most recently in salmon cakes and pancakes. Oats beg to be made into granolas or sweet treats.


Recipes

I came across this cookie recipe while surfing for oatmeal recipes. I had to make them immediately because the only sugar comes from the natural sweetness of the bananas and the chocolate, which can be omitted or substituted with cocoa powder unsweetened. These are not low calorie cookies but they do contain real food ingredients, all minimally processed. Applesauce can easily be substituted for the bananas.

Nikki's Healthy Cookie Recipe
Source: 101 Cookbooks.com

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil) 2 cups rolled oats 2/3 cup almond meal 1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. I baked these as long as possible without burning the bottoms and they were perfect - just shy of 15 minutes seems to be about right in my oven.

I used a Starbucks coffee scoop, which made 2 dozen cookies. The cookies have a slight crunch texture outside with a moist center. The banana - chocolate combo reminds me of Entenmann's Banana loaf cakes. Let's face it...these are not Toll House chocolate chip cookies. But you are replacing animal fat, white flour, white sugar and cheap processed chocolate with for a cookie that's a whole lot better for you.

Cranberry Nut Granola

While the oven was hot, I also threw together a granola for the weekend.

















2-3 cups rolled oats (I use gluten free)
8 oz 365 Cranberry & Nut trail mix
2 oz Pumpkin seeds
1 cup coconut flakes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 lb butter
1 cup date sugar

Melt butter and date sugar together over medium low heat. D. sugar will not dissolve completely. Combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter sugar mixture and stir evenly dispersed. Bake at 350, toasting granola for about 20 min, being careful not to burn the date sugar.

Date sugar is made from ground dates so the body treats it as such. The nutrients, minerals and fiber you would find in dates are all there in the date sugar. You can omit it or substitute with 1/2 cup of agave nectar or honey.

Double or triple the batch and freeze. Granola goes from freezer to oven in a breeze.

"I mean, at the end of the day, if you can't have a Girl Scout cookie and a piece of cheese, what is life all about?" - Amanda Seyfried

Waist Not Want Not

I know several people that are inspiring me lately with a focus on their midsection. I have a niece who is doing an insane amount of sit ups, along with walking and Pilates. A friend has targeted her belly as her first line of attack in her weight loss program. Doug aims to diminish the last remainder of a pudge with a new studio Bosu ball.


Having spent the last few weeks traveling with friends and family, its easy to see how hard maintaining one's waistline can be. Everyone seems to be aware of or fighting off a bulging belly. Since some of us are not spring chickens, expanding waistlines are early chapters in the book of deadly lifestyle diseases. My niece, friend and husband seem to have gotten the message: a fat belly will kill you.


Fat in the lower body and that lies under the skin (subcutaneous), while unappealing, is not very harmful. The fat in the belly is alive metabolically, producing hormones and behaving more like an endocrine gland. Abdominal fat, also known as visceral fat, wreaks havoc in the liver and other systems, decreasing insulin sensitivity and raising triglycerides, blood pressure and inflammation.




The health risks associated with excess abdominal fat include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. It is simple to assess your risk factor - measure your waist. A measurement of 31 1/2 in for women and 37 in for men indicates visceral fat . Women with 35 in and men with 40 in waistlines are edging into the dangers of metabolic syndrome.



Here is what I've learned about fat bellies...

Stress - Sleeplessness - High Fat/High Sugar - Cortisol = FAT

In the Schwarzbein Principle and Adrenal Fatigue, I learned how damaging the hormone cortisol can be when out of balance in the endocrine system. Cortisol is excreted by the adrenals as a stress response. There is a daily cycle of cortisol levels dropping at night and rising in morning. When we are stressed, not sleeping and consuming low energy dense foods, cortisol levels remain high. Along with suppressing our immunity, the cortisol can trigger fat production and storage in the belly region.

While raised cortisol levels create a desire for fatty and sugary foods, eating them merely further enables the process of deadly fat. A lack of sleep causes weight gain with cortisol being the culprit and sleeplessness increases the appetite. The worst offender may be waiting long periods between meals or skipping meals entirely. Without breakfast, cortisol levels cannot lower, your immunity levels cannot rise and you cause a cascade of effects in the body which only further the fatigue, stress, illness and desire for the least nutritious of foods.

The best defense is to establish or maintain stress management practices, get plenty of sleep and eat nutritious foods on a regular schedule.




The Belly Cannot Be Spot Reduced

As you maybe able to see from the diagram above, muscles have nothing to do with the surrounding fat. To rid yourself of fat, you have to eat properly and be active. You have to deplete the body's raw materials for making fat by not eating them. You have to encourage the body to burn the fat as fuel with aerobic exercise or interval training. You have to ensure the body continues to burn fat at rest with resistance and weight training.

Losing body fat is somewhat based on genetics, sex and body type. A pear shape finds it easier to lose belly fat than lower body fat. Males lose it faster than females. Focusing on muscle groups such as my niece did with sit ups, will shape and strengthen the underlying muscle, but she will have to "reveal" those muscle with movements and diet that rid the fat that overlays her ab muscles. My friend will find she is able to get rid of her belly more efficiently as she builds muscle, since muscles help to build a negative energy balance which results in overall fat and weight loss. Recent test results shows Doug is in a healthy waistline range and his diet and exercise program are effectively reducing his body fat.


About That Fat

1 pound of fat or adipose tissue equals 3500 calories. So to lose that 1 lb of fat, you have to burn up 3500 calories. To get the body to use those fat stores, you have to get physical and that means utilizing oxygen to burn fat as well as carbohydrates.

Yoga burns about 200 calories, pilates about 300, it's about 100 calories per mile jogged or on cardio machine. If my yoga and pilates doesn't keep my heart rate up, labor my breath and make me sweat, I haven't begun to make a dent in that lb of fat. I'll burn carbs but not fat.

I read recently that we overestimate how much we exercise (and the calories we expend) and underestimate how many calories we eat. When I look at the numbers above, I don't want to believe that I can undo a Pilates session with a half cup of ice cream. It gets a whole lot worse than that. Let me give you an example.

A few of us went to Cheesecake Factory after seeing Iron Man 2. That meal ends up being a great lesson - about never eating out again. I couldn't find the ribeye with spinach numbers, the dish Doug and I shared, but a Hibachi Steak is 1533 calories. The Louisiana Chicken Pasta is 1192 calories and the Orange Chicken is 1791 calories. The Lemon Raspberry cheesecake comes in at 734 and glasses of wine were about 100. Everybody split their portions and we shared dessert but per person, our calorie intake still averaged somewhere in the neighborhood of 1039 calories. Over 50% of our daily calorie allotment. That's THREE to FOUR exercise sessions for ONE meal. Or ONE THIRD pound of fat courtesy of CF.

Yikes! I am grateful that I did my interval training before the movie and dinner but dismayed that I didn't catch up until Monday. Which brings me to...

"90% is diet, 10 % is exercise" - Tosca Reno

When you first read this declaration, you have to wonder if it's really true. It sounds like a great principle for slacking off exercise wise. But after adding up the calories in our Cheesecake Factory outing, it doesn't seem so implausible. What is hard to get my head around is how quickly you can undo a week or a month of physical discipline by what you consume. Slacking off isn't exactly what comes to mind after discovering I ate a 1039 calorie meal.

If you have read previous posts, you already know of my commitment to clean and whole eating. This post is about reducing belly fat so the very least I can suggest is to get your calories aligned with your energy expenditures. I'm not even talking yet about a calorie deficit and weight loss. Just eating what we need of clean, whole foods to serve our activity needs.

We already know the processed and packaged candy, chips, cola, cookies and cakes are making us fat. Foods such as these are cheap to buy but expensive when deducted in the health account. That piece of cheesecake wasn't that damn good. Certainly not good enough to negate an interval session and improve my risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The second thing I want to suggest is applying interval training models to your current exercise program. No matter what type of exercise you are doing, you can establish periods of maximum effort with recovery phases. I use a variety of timing situations that depend on the type of exercise I'm doing. Typically, I do 30 seconds of effort to 10-15 seconds active rest, which gets repeated until the exercise session is complete. The benefits include a boosted metabolism, shorter workouts and tangible results in fat loss. Research interval training and follow up with your doctor and fitness professionals to develop a workable program for you.


My niece, friend and husband are all at different stages in their quest to be in the best shape they can be. My niece helps me remember balance. My friend keeps fresh for me how difficult it can be to initiate then follow through on a healthy lifestyle change. My husband gives me friendly competition as we grow ageless together.

Body fat, particularly visceral fat, is something we should not get complacent with. It is a "flag up the pole", a precursor of the illness and disease to come. Praise to those that can inspire us to eat intelligently and use our bodies.

"Your body fat is like one organ, located throughout your body." - English Sabla

Zuzana's 7 Steps To Get In Shape For Summer

Doug and I spent a nice weekend in Palm Desert with an early celebration of his sister's 60th. Inevitably, conversations turned to health. My brother in law is now dealing with abdominal epilepsy and my sister in law aspires to longevity. One of Mark's strategies seems to be less food consumption and more fruits and vegetables. Kathy is sprouting and incorporating raw foods into her diet. They are both practicing yoga.

We had a good giggle about what I describe as my fitness porn, BodyRock.tv. I have been doing the workouts posted there now for 6 mos. I have seen results in my fitness, stamina and body composition during that time, in part due to Zuzana's workouts. Zuzana recently posted her get-bikini-ready tips on her site...


I follow these and similar guidelines. Except, it seems, when traveling. This weekend, there was wine, chocolate (cheap), cheesecake (it was a birthday,) and a burger eaten in a restaurant where literally every patron was fat (Barstow, CA).

I did get in my workouts; Saturday midday and Sunday after our 5 hr trip back to Vegas. I was able to supplement our breakfast gatherings with protein, flax and grains to meet my training nutritional needs. As I teach in fitness nutrition, something taught to me: eat the best from what's available and bless the rest.

There are two important things about weekends such as these: don't be so uptight about the food you don't enjoy the celebration and don't let getting derailed a couple of days be your excuse for a downward spiral.

It's a new day and a start. I will not miss a beat and will get right back to adhering to Zuzana's 7 steps.

Obama National Security Policy

"It took Faisal Shahzad trying to set off a car bomb in Times Square to get President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to finally use the word "terrorism." (And not to refer to Tea Party activists!)."


"Obama declared that -- contrary to the terrorists' wishes -- Americans "will not be terrorized, we will not cower in fear, we will not be intimidated...It would be a little easier for the rest of us not to live in fear if the president's entire national security strategy didn't depend on average citizens happening to notice a smoldering SUV in Times Square or smoke coming from a fellow airline passenger's crotch."

"In the case of the Times Square car bomber, the Department of Homeland Security failed, the Immigration and Naturalization Service failed, the CIA failed and the TSA failed. (However, the Department of Alert T-Shirt Vendors came through with flying colors, as it always does.)"

"Even after the NYPD de-wired the smoking car bomb, produced enough information to identify the bomb-maker, and handed it all to federal law enforcement authorities tied up in a bow, the federal government's crack "no-fly" list failed to stop Shahzad from boarding a plane to Dubai."


"Meanwhile, on that same Monday at JFK airport, approximately 100,000 passengers took off their shoes, coats, belts and sunglasses for airport security.

But the "highly trained federal force" ... failed to stop the only guy they needed to stop at JFK last Monday -- the one who planted a bomb in the middle of Times Square days earlier."

"Couldn't we tighten up our admission policies toward people from countries still performing stonings and clitorectomies?

The NYPD can't be everyplace."

- Ann Coulter

Brazil Butt Lift

I have a new friend in Vegas that is a Team Beachbody coach. We met when I was pursuing my certification as a PiYo instructor. She is a great group fitness instructor with the energy of two women, teaching 2-6 classes a day. So when she updated her status saying the Brazil Butt Lift made her butt sore, I had to look into it.

I bought mine off Craig's List for $25. It's about $60-75 retail for dvds, accompanying diet guidelines, workbook for customizing a workout based on your butt shape and resistance band. I imagine the value of buying from someone like Linda is they help you with motivation, keeping you on track with your diet and workout goals/outcomes. If you think you would like to own BBL, contact Linda through the BB link above.

Brazil Butt Lift is a 3 dvd series that focuses on the hips, thighs and abs. There are multiple workouts ranging 10 min-50 min. There are dance like workouts as well as functional exercise and mat work.

Bum Bum is a high energy standing workout that runs 35 min. The cardio pace had me having to catch my breath a few times and I worked up a good sweat. Next workout, I plan to combine Bum Bum Rapido with the Tummy Tuck.

I am not following the prescribed workout plans. Currently, I am mixing and matching workouts: Pilates, trainer, Physique 57, P90X, BodyRock.tv and now BBL.

Owning three Beach Body products, I find the production quality good and like the workouts. Brazil Butt Lift is a good one to compliment any fitness program since most of us aren't as strong in the hips and legs as we should be.

Before you begin, it is recommended to do the Butt Pencil Test to establish a baseline. As excerpted from Beach Body...

"Simply take a pencil and place it in the crease where your butt meets the top of the back of your thigh. If the pencil stays put or actually disappears, your butt lacks the lift that reduces that crease.

The goal is to lose fat and firm your butt so it's lifted—and the pencil falls on the floor. "

Panama

Maintain US residency or move abroad? This is just one of the questions Doug and I are asking ourselves these days. One place of interest for lives as expats is Panama. It has a booming economy, affordable living and promising future as a dominate nation in Central America. So we booked attendance at International Living's Panama conference and spent a few extra days exploring on our own.

One of the best parts of the trip was meeting the Kerns and the Van Wormers. We escaped the conference/resort on night for a meal in the Calle Uruguay area at The Market.

We stayed at the Playa Bonita on Kobbe Beach. We moved to the Hotel De Ville in Panama City for a different perspective of Panama. It was a lovely historic property. Unfortunately, it is across the street from the Red Devil bus stop so we can't recommend it - noisy beyond belief.

We spent a day touring real estate in Panama City with Panama Sol Realty. Most options for rentals and sales are in high rise condos. The properties emulate those such as in Florida. The build outs are inferior and found the prices expensive for the quality and location. Panama has had a condo explosion and it isn't uncommon for a new building to be built next to a slum.

Panama is an up and coming Latin American nation. We met with several thirty-somethings that exhibit an entrepenurial spirit that rivals those of Americans in yesteryears. Many are holding down full time corporate jobs and running side businesses. One of this hard working individuals was Analida, a banker who owns The Pilates Studio and Ernesto, an attorney who owns Burgues Burger Bar, both in Panama City.



The Panamanians have a right to be proud of the Panama Canal. Since taking over the canal, Panama has managed this source of prosperity very successfully. They are currently building an additional lock system that will enable the biggest tankers and cruise ships to pass through the canal.


Panama Pacifico is a redevelopment project of the former Howard Base. It will become its own city with residence, commercial, retail, government and industrial building. It is strategic for air and sea ports. Abundant opportunities.


We discovered two promising investment ventures. United Nature teak farms and Santo Spirits Ambhar tequila. Reforestation is a long range, commodity with a decent return. Ambhar looks to have the best return but I have a hard time betting against Patron with JP De Joria at the helm. The teak farms afford investors residency and visa benefits in addition to ROI.

The picking is ripe for business in parking garages, storage, shipping, import/export, construction and American style services. The drawbacks are Panamanian employment laws that tilt against employers, Latin American corruption and crime.

Panama has a lot to offer. One of the best lattes I have ever had. American style grocery stores with items 1/3 -1/2 off our prices. State of the art gyms. Doctors educated in America's best schools. Affordable housing, reasonable taxes, continental cuisine and cultural and environmental diversity all help to make Panama an attractive option.


Panama City also gives one pause. Stores and parking lots are guarded by those with automatic weapons. Traffic that would give a NYC cab driver a heart attack. Unmotivated impoverished population. Criminal activity that Americans are just beginning to have to contend with (home invasions, kidnappings, ineffective police and judicial system, worthless government employees and politicians, etc) that are par for the course. It is Central America, after all.


We conclude that Panama is a place to invest in and bank with. We still want to explore Panama a bit more, particularly the Chiriqui region, to determine if we could make it our home. And there is still Italy, Spain (both on the brink of economic disaster), Australia (tightening immigration) and Singapore to consider.

Yogurt-Flaxseed Muffins

Our first weekend home in a couple of weeks warranted something a little more special than a bowl of oatmeal. I updated a go-to muffin recipe to meet current goals for clean eating. Doug and I agreed that these are better than the original!

I served mine with eggs baked with pureed grape tomatoes, basil and parm-reg cheese.

Yogurt-Flaxseed Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened or 1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut or light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup greek style yogurt
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup dried fruit
1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free baking mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal

1/2 cup nuts (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter or oil and the coconut sugar until mixed, beat in the egg, the yogurt, and the agave nectar, and stir in dried fruit. In a bowl whisk together the flour/baking mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon - nuts(optional) and the flaxseed. Combine dry mixture to the wet mixture, and stir the batter until it is just combined. Spoon the batter into muffin tin sprayed with oil, filling 3/4 and bake the muffins in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and springy to the touch. Turn the muffins out onto a rack and let them cool.

These muffins barely rise and are a bit humble looking. However, they are quite moist and filling. A tasty way to ingest your healthy omegas and fiber.

Updated recipe from Gourmet's Sour Cream Bran Muffin.