Sweet Tooth Sweet Life

A Love of Food, Fitness, & Fashion

Mixed Berry French Toast Oatmeal

By 59 Comments

Good morning and happy Friday! I have a couple really good things to share this morning, and I also have something that’s sort of freaking me out, so I’m really looking for any insights you may have. But first…the good stuff…starting with last night’s dinner.

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Oh.my.god. These stuffed peppers were a total hit!! I used Corey’s recipe as my inspirations, but I actually made quite a few adaptations of my own and really need to share this recipe with you guys soon.

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The filling ends up cooking up almost like a meatloaf texture, which was totally fine by Jay and I.

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These babies were deeeeelicious…especially when drizzled with a little ketchup. Just sayin’. Winking smile

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*****

Moving on with the good stuff…

This morning I had a short shift at work, and as soon as I came home I got right to work on breakfast. I was sort of up in the air with things today; I wanted oatmeal, I wanted eggs, I wanted berries. So what did I do? I combined them all together.

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Up until today, I’d only tried adding egg whites into my oats once, and I was NOT a fan. But, I figured it was worth another shot, and thank goodness it was, because these oats ended up so much better than I would have expected. Seriously? They reminded me a LOT of French toast, so that’s what I’m going to call it.

Mixed Berry French Toast Oatmeal

  • 1/4 Coach’s Oats (any oats will do)
  • 1/4 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 tsp chia seeds
  • 2 tsp flaxseeds
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
  • ~1 cup strawberries & blueberries

I cooked everything except the berries on the stovetop until it was nice and creamy, and then stirred the berries in right at the end, saving a few for topping. I also added in a sprinkle of Love Grown Foods granola because, well, it’s awesome.

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I only used 1/4 cup of everything because I ended up snacking on some of a protein shake while I was at work; otherwise, I’d probably increase to 1/3 cup of everything for next time.

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I also made a little pit stop on my way home…it is Coffee Friday, ya know. Winking smile

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Okay…now on to my minor freak out. You guys remember when I did that crazy awesome workout on Monday?

Well, I was pretty sore overall the following day or two, but then most of the muscle soreness went away…except for my biceps. It’s actually been slightly painful to try straightening out my elbows, but I’ve just been trying really hard to keep stretching them and working them out.

I did yesterday’s arm workout, and while there wasn’t really any noticeable pain that was telling me I should stop, something just felt weird. So last night, as I was getting ready to go to bed, I happened to look down at them and realized that they are SUPER swollen.

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Obviously, I don’t usually snap beauty shots of my elbows, so I don’t have pictures of what they looked like beforehand, but that bump on my forearm is definitely not usually there. My left arm appears to be more swollen than my right arm, especially right in and around the elbow area.

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But the usual contours of my arms are just looking incredibly weird, swollen, and not normal.

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So this is me…freaking out…wondering what the heck is up with my biceps. And of course, I decided to play Dr. Google last night, which only made me even more paranoid. I talked to one of the trainers at work this morning, and he said it’s just because my biceps weren’t used to that type of work but still…should they really be looking like this? What the heck is going on?!?!

*****

Okay, so there’s my good and my bad. At least my good things are both pretty darn good, right? Smile

Comments

  1. Hmm that is so weird? I have never heard of something quite like that before. Maybe it is just your body reacting to overuse, or maybe it really is just sore. I am no doctor, but i would say maybe rest your arms this weekend and see how they feel Monday, maybe a break would help! The good news does look awesome though! French Toast Oatmeal? Count me in!
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  2. That is really strange! I have heard of the "pump effect" post workout when oxygen rushes to your muscles and your muscles appear swelled up but that normally wears off a few hours later..hmm keep us posted! So glad you enjoyed the egg whites this time in your oatmeal...I can only eat my oatmeal with egg whites now!
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  3. I will definitely not play doctor on this one - the swelling is definitely noticeable. Can you ask someone at your gym? Do they have any sort of medical staff? Or, perhaps call your doctor's office? They could probably give you some sort of advice of the phone - I would think.
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  4. A similar thing happened to my dad not long ago. We were at dinner and all of the sudden we glanced at his elbow, which had swollen so much it looked like he had a broken bone! We went to the ER, and it was just fluid that had built up--he had done some yard work earlier that day. They did have to drain it, but they said it would have gone away on its own. Anyway, I'm not saying don't have it checked out, but I am saying not to worry too much :)
    Reply

  6. That happened to me once, too! The ONE time I did an arms workout with my boyfriend, haha. About a day or so afterward, my biceps were so swollen, all the way down to my elbows. It went away in about a day, though. I heard it's just part of muscle recovery.
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  7. That is so weird. Maybe you just overdid it and your muscles weren't used to that type of workout. I have no idea, just throwing it out there! I'd probably just ice them, rest, and see what happens. If it still doesn't go away withing a reasonable amount of time then I'd go see a doctor!
    Reply

  8. Something similar happened to me just late last week but with my calves, about a day after I did a killer leg workout. The pain was fairly high up my both of my calves but low enough that it was not behind the knee pain. The day after was just the normal after a good workout pain but for about three or so days it was bad - to the extent walking up and down steps was extremely painful. I didn't have any visible swelling but it was sore to the touch and certainly swollen. I stayed away from for a few more days and now it's completely fine. If your arms are still swollen by Sunday or Monday, definitely see a doctor though.
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  10. I'm not a doc either but I have had my forearm muscles swell the next day like that. It seems to me that you over worked those muscles so they are inflamed. If you can take an over the counter anti-inflammatory try something like ibuprofen, it may take time to kick in and reduce the swelling. Some times you need to take a few doses (whatever it says on the bottle) before it starts to work. If it doesn't improve or gets worse I would see your doc.
    Reply

  11. Wow!! I have never had stuffed peppers, but I see them in my very near future!! Also, thanks for the oatmeal recipe. I have been putting egg whites in my oatmeal too and its just sorta been blah.... but I haven't tried using vanilla. I will have to give it another shot. Hope your arm gets better! That does seem very strange..... I would be a little worried too.
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  13. very bizarre! i hope everything turns out okay. :/ on an unrrelated note, we are officially blog twins again b/c i added egg whites to MY oatmeal this morning! it was breakfast round 2 - aka snacktime at 10:30 - and i was quite a fan as well!!
    Reply

  19. the same thing happened last week to a lady i work with..and her personal trainer said it was from over training her arms and so they were retaining fluid to compensate for the extra lactic acid build up . she was completely back to normal in a few days..hope you are too! ps...i really enjoy your blog and will be making me some stuffed peppers ASAP!
    Reply

  21. I remember an arm workout I did around Christmas that left my inner elbows and forearms painfully sore for a week. Seriously I wanted to cry going from bent to straight arms. It slowly wore off, and my hubby massaged them for me and worked to bend and straighten them with me (because I was a big 'ole wimp). However...mine didn't get swollen like that. I hope they will get better soon!!
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  22. Well, I have absolutely zero authority, but I'd say you just overdid it. Rest and ice and maybe some ibuprofen. With your allergy history, do you think there's any chance you might be having some kind of reaction? I hope it feels better soon! And your peppers and oats look amazing! I didn't like eggs in my oats when I tried it, either, but maybe I'll have to give it another go!
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  23. This used to happen to my forearms during the first few weeks of tennis season. It was so localized and so noticeable I thought I had a tumor! my doc told me it was just fluid build up around over-worked muscles, and suggested anti-inflammatories. In a few days it went away, but it is scary the first few times it happens!
    Reply

  24. A few years ago I woke up and my feet and hands were completely swollen. They looked just like your arms but obviously in a different spot. I went to the doctor and of course I can't remember at all what he told me, but I do know that I got medication for it, and that it went away within 2 days. The same thing happened to me just a few months ago but on my wrists and forearms, and went away that same day. Weird, and I have no real answers but I would suggest waiting another day or 2 and then heading to the doc if it doesn't subside! Good luck!
    Reply

  26. that is so strange!! The only body part of mine that always gets really swollen randomly are my hands..I use to think it was after a night of drinking alcohol..but I've also heard it can happen from working out...so maybe there is some kind of connection with working out and swelling? I'm not sure..I hope the swelling goes down!
    Reply

  27. Hi Courtney! Sorry to hear about your arm - that looks painful. I'm in PT school now and we learned recently about biceps tears that cause the muscle to retract up the arm a bit and can cause abnormal shapes. However, it probably would have hurt much more when it actually happened, so it's most likely just a strain or some irregular inflammation due to your hard workout. and probably best to wait a few days and ice/ibuprofen it to get the swelling down. Obvi, I'm not an expert, just my opinion :) Hope it feels better soon!
    Reply

  28. Those stuffed peppers look AMAZING! My hubs will love them...can't wait to try. As far as your arms, I don't think that swelling is normal. I'd say lay low a few days and if it doesn't go away, go see the Doc. Better safe than sorry! I'm sure it's nothing SERIOUS but might be a strained muscle or something.
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  29. Court, I'm worried for you... I don't have time to read what others have said, but I say take some ibuprofen for the swelling and if it doesn't go down, at least CALL the doctor and see what they think! Take care, woman!
    Reply

  33. I'm going to hop on the "you're probably fine and should maybe get it checked out if it doesn't go away" bandwagon. I'd say it was just a kickass workout! And those peppers look yummmmmmy! Can't wait to see the recipe!
    Reply

  34. those stuffed peppers look incredible - definitely can't wait for a recipe soon! ;) i LOVE whipping an egg into my oatmeal... except i use a whole egg. it makes my oats so creamy and custardy, as well as keeps me satisfied for longer. yum! i think the key to putting eggs (or egg whites) in oats is to constantly be stirring it quickly so that the egg doesn't scramble. as for your arm, i'm so sorry! :/ that really is strange... i'd say you probably just overdid it a bit. i would recommend icing, resting, and taking some ibuprofen. if it's not better in a day or two, i'd call a doc.
    Reply

  36. Hi, So most likely what has happened is you overloaded your biceps/brachioradialis which caused more tearing than normal. when we work our muscles (and please forgive me as I'm sure you already know this but its easier just to explain as a whole) especially a new exercise or much harder than normal, we create teeny-tiny tears in our muscles. This is totally normal and how we essentially "build" muscles. It is also what causes DOMS that sore stiff feeling you get 24-48 hrs after the specific workout. Those tears are why we need to have days off from lifting specific muscles - to allow them to repair. When you overload the muscle, and cause more tears within the muscle fibers it will cause swelling and much more acute stiffness and discomfort. Muscles like the Biceps and Brachioradialis (which I think is what you are showing the swelling over) are smaller muscles and very vascular - and more prone to swelling. In exercise physiology we learned that that is actually how they test different anti-inflamatories- overload the biceps so they swell measurably and test whatever method they are using (my professor actually did this specific study using tart cherry juice after a workout). So if you are able to do a bicep curl, lift groceries with not to much pain, etc it is not likely that it is a more acute strain - although if it lasts longer than a week it might be worth checking out- obviously impossible to assess over the internet. I would however avoid excessive stretching (gentle is fine, just not forceful that can actually inhibit the tears from healing), use ibuprofen, ice, and absolutely avoid any isolating curl type movement or eccentric motions with weight w/ the bicep and forearm. Thats the other thing - I didn't catch the workout but did it have a lot of eccentric bicep work? Eccentric motions cause a lot more tearing than concentric, especially if you do not normally work your arms in that way. Hopefully that helps, I wouldn't worry about it unless you rest it and ice it etc and it still does not resolve.
    Reply

  37. oh - and is there a specific spot you can pinpoint that is especially painful or just overall stiffness? A specific spot would be more indicative of an acute strain whereas overall stiffness and decreased range of motion could just be due to the swelling caused by the overall tearing.
    Reply

  39. That would weird me out too! I think I am a classic worry-wart though. I agree with the advil for swelling and even seeing a doctor if the swelling doesn't go down. And REST! I hate seeing people "working through the pain." You're body obviously is sending you a signal of some sort. Get better! :-) And your food looks amazing. Eggs in oatmeal? Who knew!
    Reply

  40. I had the same thing happen to me a few months ago, but it was only my right arm. I was a little freaked out, so I texted my trainer who said I probably hyper-extended it. He told me to just take it easy, ice it, and take an OTC painkiller. It worked! My arm was back to normal in a couple of days. If the swelling doesn't go down in a few days, I'd definitely see a doctor though! Hope you're feeling better soon :)
    Reply

  42. I had swollen elbows last year attending my 2nd week at CrossFit. I blogged abut it here: http://www.spiffykerms.com/2011/03/my-crossfit-journal-week-2/, I think it was swollen because I over exerted myself on the supines. It lasted a few days or more, mine were disgustingly swollen! :(
    Reply

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