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October 4, 2011
October is the month to be curious.
Thank you for asking for reprints of some newsletters from “years gone by.” I am pleased to post one for you on the first of each month
Welcome to the October issue of “Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice.” Here you will find information you can use on a timely topic, healthy eating, recipes and more! I welcome your feedback and questions. Please send them to
Thank you
October is the month to be curious.
As I drove into the entrance of our subdivision, I read a curious quote on the sign board. I t said, “Every Autumn is a second Spring and every leaf a flower.” Hmmm…To me, Spring signals the beginning of “new life.” Trees bud, flowers blossom, the gentle rains wash away the last trace of Winter snow, and the brilliance of green grass returns. The birds have freshness to their sweet chirping, and the little creatures scurry around as if to say, “we made it through Winter-let’s celebrate!” Autumn, on the other hand, displays the beautiful colors of a dying season. Frost covers the plants, leaves fall from the trees; many birds take their song and head South to the warmer climates. The grass turns brown and the little creatures now scurry around hunting for food to “get” them through the cold winter that autumn is signaling to us. “Every Autumn is a second Spring and every leaf a flower.” Curious thought… Autumn certainly does have its beauty in the crisp air, yummy apple cider and jumping in piles of just raked, beautifully colored leaves. But a second Spring?… I am still thinking about that one…
Just the other day my friend and buddy-coach remarked to me, “In my morning pages this a.m. I was thinking about nuts and little animals that gather them this time of year and then how people of old – hunters and gatherers – used to have to face this time of year with concern for starving —– We of the 21st century have to start thinking about how not to gain too much weight over the hard cold winter to come and yet still enjoy the bounty…..just a thought.” And a curious thought it is! Thanks Jo!
What curious thoughts do YOU have this time of year? Write to us at janet@nourishyourlife.com. We would love to hear about them!
My challenge for you this month is to explore at least one curious thought that you have or have had in the past. Write to us at janet@nourishyourlife.com. We would be honored to hear about them!
Quote for the month: “The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” Albert Einstein
Healthy eating in October: Speaking of nuts, let’s proclaim the pecan as our healthy food choice this month.
Did you know that there are over 300 varieties of pecans? I didn’t…They are mainly grown in the South;Louisiana,MississippiandGeorgia. Their flavor reaches its peak about three weeks after being harvested, but then goes rancid quickly (because of the high oil content.)
Pecans are excellent sources of protein and carbohydrates. The fat found in pecans is mostly polyunsaturated and contains no cholesterol. Pecans add fiber to your diet and contain iron, calcium, vitamins A, B, and C, potassium and phosphorous.
www.RoyalPecans.com reports, “Adding pecans to a low-fat diet can significantly improve the cholesterol-lowering properties of a heart-healthy diet. According to two new studies (Loma Linda University and Texas A&M University), a heart-healthy diet, such as American Heart Association’s Step 1 Diet, is more effective in lowering cholesterol when pecans are added – even though the pecans added more total fat to the diet. And study participants did not gain weight on the pecan diet. This confirms that it is the type of fat in the diet (i.e. the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat in pecans) that is more important to heart health than total fat intake. These studies showed that the addition of pecans to a heart healthy diet decreased the levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, more than the Step I diet, and helped maintain desirable levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.
A pecan-rich diet also increased levels of dietary fiber, and essential nutrients such as thiamin, magnesium, copper and manganese (Texas A&M study).
New Mexico State University researchers have also found that simply adding pecans to an average self-selected diet lowered “bad” LDL cholesterol levels by six percent in study subjects.
The April 2001 issue of Metabolism reports that a diet rich in nuts, vegetables and fruits may reduce cholesterol levels as much as medication.
Plant sterols are found naturally in pecans in concentrated amounts. 90% of the sterols in pecans is in the form of beta-sitosterol (Univ.ofGeorgiastudy), a food component that completes with the absorption of cholesterol in the body and thus has the ability to lower blood cholesterol.
The Vitamin E in pecans (gamma tocopherol) may improve intestinal, prostate health. Gamma tocopherol is an important antioxidant which has been shown to provide benefits for inte4stinal health and a protective effect for prostate cancer.
UniversityofNorth Carolinaresearchers have shown that Vitamin E in the diet may also guard against heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and cataracts.”
My challenge for you this month is to eat a handful of pecans a few days a week, or add them to your favorite recipe. Need a new recipe for pecans? Try this one:
Quick and Easy Pecan and Maple Quinoa Cereal
Adapted from Delicious Living
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
3 cup water
Pinch of kosher or sea salt (optional)
1 cup quinoa flakes
3 tablespoon pure maple syrup, divided
6 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. In small saucepan, bring water to boil. Add salt, if using, and quinoa flakes. Stir and cook for about 1-1/2 minutes or until cereal starts to thicken.
2. Mix in 1/2 tablespoon syrup, most of the pecans, and vanilla extract. Transfer to a small serving bowl.
3. Top with remaining 1/2 tablespoon syrup and remaining pecans.
4. Serve immediately.
5. Enjoy!
Variations: Try adding a handful of dried fruit or a combination of fruits and nuts
Nutrition facts: 3 servings: 288 calories; 42 carbs; 5gm pro; 12 gm fat
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