Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup whey protein (chocolate is preferred)

½ cup oat flour (or spelt flour, millet flour)

2 cups rolled oats

½ cup oat bran

½ cup coarsely chopped flaxseed

½ cup wheat germ

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ cup organic honey

1 cup dark chocolate (finely chopped)

1 ½ to 2 cups yogurt cheese (instructions below)

¼ canola oil, almond oil or olive oil

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp vanilla

Cooking Spray

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine protein, flour, oats, oat bran, flaxseed, wheat germ, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate.

3. In another bowl mix the yogurt cheese, oils, vanilla, and honey. Mix well.

4. Add bowls together and mix well.

5. Place mixture in prepared pan. Press it down and even it out.

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool.

7. Cut into little bars and place separate bars on to a cookie sheet over wax paper

8. Bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool

9. Store in air tight container in fridge.

YOGURT CHEESE:

1. Buy a container of plain, fat free yogurt

2. Pour it into a small holed strainer lined with a paper towel and place a bowl underneath and put in fridge overnight or longer than 4-5 hours

3. The liquid that drips out is whey- throw that out (about 2 cups worth)

4. The stuff that you are draining is now the consistency of cream cheese and tastes AMAZING! It can replace mayo, sour cream, cream cheese and makes great dips for veggies.

Recipe is from Tosca Reid’s book- Eat Clean.

Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts
2- 4 oz Goat Cheese
Bunch of Spinach
½ Red Pepper
1 cup of Mushrooms
½ cup of Pecan bits

Instructions:
1. Heat Oven to 400 degrees
2. Beat Chicken down to 3/8 inch (put chicken in wax paper first)
3. In a food processor, chop up the spinach, red pepper, mushrooms and pecan bits
4. Spread ½ to 1oz of goat cheese onto the flattened chicken (a little goat cheese goes a long way!)
5. Spread the mixture of spinach, red pepper, mushrooms and pecans over the goat cheese
6. Roll the chicken up and hold together with toothpicks
7. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink

Oatmeal
Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties — the coarse and steel-cut contain more fiber — and top your bowl off with a banana for another four grams of fiber.

Salmon
Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week, which may reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third.

“Salmon contains the carotenoid astaxanthin, which is a very powerful antioxidant,” says cardiologist Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, the author of “Lower Your Blood Pressure In Eight Weeks.” But be sure to choose wild salmon over farm-raised fish, which can be packed with insecticides, pesticides, and heavy metals.

Not a fan of salmon? Other oily fish like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines will give your heart the same boost.

Avocado
Add a bit of avocado to a sandwich or spinach salad to increase the amount of heart-healthy fats in your diet. Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body. Health.com: What puts you at risk for high cholesterol?

“Avocados are awesome,” says Dr. Sinatra. “They allow for the absorption of other carotenoids — especially beta-carotene and lycopene — which are essential for heart health.”

Olive oil
Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.

Results from the Seven Countries Study, which looked at cardiovascular disease incidences across the globe, showed that while men in Crete had a predisposition for high cholesterol levels, relatively few died of heart disease because their diet focused on heart-healthy fats found in olive oil. Look for extra-virgin or virgin varieties — they’re the least processed — and use them instead of butter when cooking. Health.com: Good fats vs. bad fats — what to eat

Nuts
Almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are all full of omega-3 fatty acids and mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

Almonds are rich in omega-3s, plus nuts increase fiber in the diet, says Dr. Sinatra. “And like olive oil, they are a great source of healthy fat.”

Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries — whatever berry you like best — are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

“Blackberries and blueberries are especially great,” says Sinatra. “But all berries are great for your vascular health.” Health.com: How I survived a heart attack at 43

Legumes
Fill up on fiber with lentils, chickpeas, and black and kidney beans. They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and soluble fiber.

Spinach
Spinach can help keep your ticker in top shape thanks to its stores of lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber.

But upping your servings of any veggies is sure to give your heart a boost. The Physicians’ Health Study examined more than 15,000 men without heart disease for a period of 12 years. Those who ate at least 2½ servings of vegetables each day cut their risk of heart disease by about 25 percent, compared with those who didn’t eat the veggies. Each additional serving reduced risk by another 17 percent.

Flaxseed
Full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for your heart. Top a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal with a smidgen of ground flaxseed for the ultimate heart-healthy breakfast.

Soy
Soy may lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it’s still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet.

Look for natural sources of soy, like edamame, tempeh, or organic silken tofu. And soy milk is a great addition to a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal. But watch the amount of salt in your soy: Some processed varieties like soy dogs can contain added sodium, which boosts blood pressure.

Copyright Health Magazine