Archive for the 'Nutrition News and Views' Category
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
Do you know of someone who would benefit from this information?
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What will Autumn look like?
Summer is past and here we are in Autumn.
In my last post, we pondered the idea of how to spend the weeks between the end of summer as we begin the school year and the end of summer in the calendar year.
We voted on the three WONDERFUL suggestions that you sent me:
1.Three of you sent the same idea of doing fall cleaning;
2.One suggested using up all of the summer food in the frig, freezer, and pantry.
3.Just one other that I received simply stated “let’s play harder, love more and rejoice in the coming of turning leaves and raking them up off the lawn.”
#3 was favored by just one vote!
Thank you to everyone who contributed in any way! YOU and all of you who read this blog, are the ones who make it flow. All I do is put words on the page.
So, where do we go from here? We know that next year between summers end (school beginning) and summers end (the calendar one) we are going to “play harder, love more and rejoice in the coming of turning leaves and raking them up off the lawn.”
But, what about now? What will Autumn look like for us? How will it moves us to “Higher Ground?”
I need to go back to my original “Higher Ground” to discover where I am now at, and where I want to go from there.
How about YOU?
Pondering Summers End Con’t
Thank you, thank you for your suggestions of how to celebrate the time between ”school is back in session” Summers End to the “calendar” Summers End!
Three of you sent the same idea of doing fall cleaning; one suggested using up all of the summer food in the frig, freezer, and pantry. Just one other that I received simply stated “let’s play harder, love more and rejoice in the coming of turning leaves and raking them up off the lawn.” That one is almost poetic!
Which one do you like best??? Do you have another to suggest? I am going to leave this topic open until the first day of Autumn, which is September 23 this year!
Whatever we decide, together, is the one we will celebrate, together, next year!
I love it! Do you?
Pondering Summers End
It has been a wonderful summer with kids and grandkids and running and jumping and swimming and biking and playing! And…summer is not quite over with, according to the calendar seasons 
Summer “feels” like it is over, when everyone goes back to school~including me. There seems to be those two endings of summer; the vacation one and the calendar one (which I know has a fancy name, but it escapes me at the moment…)
My question to myself (and to you) is how to celebrate the few weeks between the two “endings.” Seems like it is it should have a special place. I am pondering this as I write it, and would LOVE to hear what YOU think! We have ten days left to ponder together…
As I continue my Journey to Higher Ground~Help me!
Thanks!
September is the month to slow down
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
“Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice”
Welcome to the September 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
September is the month to slow down.
Summer vacations are over, kids are back in school, work has returned to its normal pace. Slow down? How and why??? Seems like September is the month to be busier than ever!! Perhaps it is…but let’s take a new approach to September; at least a new approach to our family and the family dinner table.
Have you heard of the Slow Food Movement? The Slow Food Movement was founded in 1986. It is an international organization whose goal is “to protect the pleasures of the table from the homogenization of modern fast food and life. Through a variety of initiatives, it promotes gastronomical culture, taste education, conserves agricultural biodiversity, and protects traditional foods at the risk of extinction.” (www.slowfood.com) Sound interesting? Check out their website!
Now let’s think about the family dinner table. How does it differ from when you were growing up? Did you all come to the table together, sit down to a home cooked meal and chat about your day? That is how it was when we were growing up…Then we became parents and life changed! Football, dance class, after school activities…we were lucky to even see our children at dinner time-much less sitting at the dinner table! Now they are parents; and the family dinner table is even less likely as our grandchildren grow older. So often I hear from many parents, “the family dinner table is in the back seat of the car, with fast food wrappers rustling and voices saying “hurry up, I have to be at …(you fill in the blank…) Sound familiar?
Now that it is September, and our schedules and habits are changing, let’s try to slow down and start bringing back the family dinner table!
My challenge for you this month is to bring the whole family to the table, with a home cooked meal, at least once a week in September. How to you venture into this?
Write to us at janet@nourishyourlife.com and tell us about your experience. We would be honored to hear about it.
Healthy eating in September: Let’s consider a less familiar vegetable-Swiss Chard! Swiss chard is “similar to spinach and beets with a flavor that is bitter, pungent and slightly salty, Swiss chard is truly the vegetable valedictorian with its exceptionally impressive list of health promoting nutrients. Although Swiss chard is available throughout the year, their season runs from June through August (and often September) when it is at its best and in the greatest abundance at your local supermarket.
Swiss chard, along with kale, mustard greens and collard greens, is one of several leafy green vegetables often referred to as “greens”. It is a tall leafy green vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk that comes in white, red or yellow with wide fan-like green leaves. Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile: it has the bitterness of beet greens and the slightly salty flavor of spinach leaves. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible and have been the subject of fascinating health studies. The combination of traditional nutrients, phytonutrients – particularly anthocyans, plus fiber in this food seems particularly effective in preventing digestive tract cancers. Several research studies on chard focus specifically on colon cancer, where the incidence of precancerous lesions in animals has been found to be significantly reduced following dietary intake of Swiss chard extracts or fibers. Preliminary animal research also suggests that Swiss chard may confer a protective effect on the kidneys of those with diabetes through reducing serum urea and creatinine levels.
If vegetables got grades for traditional nutrients alone, Swiss chard would be the vegetable valedictorian. The vitamin and mineral profile of this leafy green vegetable contains enough “excellents” to ensure Swiss chard’s place at the head of any vegetable Dean’s List. Our rating system awards Swiss chard with excellent marks for its concentrations of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. Swiss chard also emerges as a very good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorous, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid.” (www.WHFoods.org)
P.S. I do not typically quote in total from a website, but could not improve on the info provided. Check out all of their information at www.WHFoods.org
My challenge for you this month is to try Swiss chard at the family dinner table. Ideas for a recipe? Try this one (adapted from) from www.epicurious.com:
Sweet potato, Swiss chard and Quinoa gratin
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 cups sweet potatoes (about 3 sweet potatoes)
1 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs (about 4 slices)
6 cups Swiss chard, washed well and stems trimmed, removed, and reserved
1-3 tablespoons minced garlic
Preheat oven to 450°F. and butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
Directions
1. Prick each potato with a fork 3 times and bake on a sheet in middle of oven about 1 hour, or until very tender.
2. While potatoes are baking, in a bowl wash quinoa in at least 5 changes cold water, rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off most of water, until water runs clear and drain in a fine sieve.
3. In a saucepan combine quinoa with 2 cups salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer quinoa, covered, until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes, and remove lid.
4. In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat and cook bread crumbs until golden brown. Season crumbs with salt and pepper.
5. While quinoa is cooking, finely chop reserved Swiss chard stems and coarsely chop leaves, keeping both separate. In a deep heavy 12-inch kettle heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat and cook stems until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in leaves, a handful at a time, and stir in garlic, tossing. Cook leaves until just wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove kettle from heat and stir in quinoa until combined well. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
6. Reduce temperature to 350°.F.
7. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and mash with a fork. Season potatoes with salt and pepper.
8. With a large spoon drop mounds of potatoes and Swiss chard mixture in baking dish, alternating them decoratively to cover bottom, and smooth top. Top gratin with bread crumbs.
9. Bake gratin in middle of oven about 30 minutes, or until hot. Cool gratin 5 minutes before serving.
Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.
Nutrition facts: 6 servings: 364 calories; 68 carbs; 8 gm pro; 7 gm fat,
Do you know of someone who would benefit from this information?
We welcome you to pass it on.
August is the month to eat locally
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
“Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice”
Welcome to the August 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
August is the month to eat locally. I am reading a fascinating book named PLENTY: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally.” It is the American version of a Canadian book named “The 100 Mile Diet.” Alisa Smith and J.B Mackinnon, the authors of this book, decided to commit one year to eating only foods that were grown within 100 miles of their home in Vancouver, British Columbia. This experiment was motivated by the statistic that “food on our plates typically travel more than 1,500 miles to get to us!” PLENTY is a diary, ecological manifesto and cook book all in one. “They blend history, ecology, and personal memoir into a provocative challenge for the rest of us.” The authors found that by eating locally, not only did they reduce the fossil-fuel usage from shipping, but found themselves eating more nutritiously as the fresh foods simply tasted better! They found that it also promoted local economies, builds community and “preserves species and ways of life.” I haven’t finished the book yet, so stay tuned…
Another book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, Camille Kingsolver, and Steven L. Hopp has a similar message with this family choosing to spend a year eating only food that was grown or produced on their own land or land nearby. I have not read this book yet, but it is next on my list!
These books, plus a number of articles that have bounced off the concepts of the books, encouraged me to look in my own pantry, refrigerator and freezer. Oh my…other than the eggplant, peppers and cucumbers that we picked from our own little backyard garden, I really have no idea where most of our food came from…!!! Where shall I begin to embrace the challenge of eating locally??? Summer is certainly the perfect time to begin; with the bounty of our garden veggies and all of the Farmer’s Markets nearby, I know we will flourish with fruits and vegetables. Shall I freeze some of them for our pleasure long after the season has ended? Yes, I think I will-whoops! I KNOW I WILL! Meanwhile I will commit to making a conscious effort to purchase products that are at least from the United States…that is a beginning. Where will YOU begin?
My challenge for you this month is to eat foods grown or produced locally at least once a week for the whole month of August. Sounds easy enough; I wonder if it will be? What challenges did you encounter; what joys popped into your heart?
Write to us at janet@nourishyourlife.com and tell us about your experience. We would be honored to hear about it.
Quote for the month: The greatest delight the fields and woods minister is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable. I am not alone and unacknowledged. They nod to me and I to them. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Healthy eating in August: Fresh herbs! In the April 2007 issue of Readers Digest, is an article by Dr. Dean Ornish, “The Flavor of Good Health.” Dr. Ornish states, “Variety is the spice of life, and enjoying a variety of herbs and spices may help you live a healthier life as well. Seasonings have been used since biblical times to perk up the flavor of food; what’s new is research showing that some of them can enhance your health!”
Dr. Ornish provides amazing information on just a few of the herbs that are available to us; especially fresh this time of year. These are: turmeric, ginger, rosemary, and coriander.
Turmeric: “This herb of the ginger family provides the yellow color in curries. It’s a powerful antioxidant and has been used in Indian and Chinese medicine for centuries. Preliminary studies suggest it may help prevent or even treat Alzheimer’s disease. In some Indian villages where turmeric is popular, there are unusually low rates of Alzheimer’s. Turmeric also enhances the immune system and may reduce your risk of heart attack. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, scientists are studying curcumin, on of the most active substances in turmeric, as a possible treatment for cystic fibrosis.”
Ginger: Studies have demonstrated that ginger is effective in preventing the symptoms of motion sickness, especially seasickness…Ginger also contains an inflammation-fighting substance called gingerol, which may help reduce pain and improve function in people who have arthritis.”
Rosemary: (One of my favorites) “Rosemary contains substances that have an anti-inflammatory effect, which may improve and circulation, and reduce the severity of asthma attacks. Used as aromatherapy, it may enhance memory and cognition.” (No wonder rosemary is one of my favorites…!!!)
Coriander: “Also called cilantro, and often used in Mexican cuisine, coriander is rich in protective phytochemicals and is a good source of iron, magnesium and manganese.”
My challenge for you this month is to try a different herb once a week in this basic quinoa recipe. See how each different herb “kicks it up a notch.”
Quinoa with Fresh Herbs
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
Fresh herb of your choice (about 1-2 tablespoons; tastes may differ)
Directions
- Rinse quinoa before cooking to remove the coating of a bitter substance called saponins.
- Bring water to a boil.
- Stir in quinoa, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
- Allow quinoa to partially cool
- Chop or finely slice herb; if using rosemary, first remove leaves from its sprigs.
- Stir into partially cooled quinoa.
- Serve warm or chilled.
- ENJOY!
Nutrition facts: 107 calories; 19 gm carbs; 4 gm pro; 2 gm fat,
Do you know of someone who would benefit from this information?
We welcome you to pass it on.
July is the month to unwind
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 July 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
July is the month to unwind… How do you unwind? Or perhaps the question should be: do you unwind??? Some of us are so busy that we don’t have time, make time or even realize that it is time to unwind. “Unwinding is not frivolous, and not self-indulgent, it is essential to wellness and, believe it or not, PRODUCTIVITY.” (Body and Soul). Unwinding can be so unfamiliar to some people, that it is almost an uncomfortable feeling! Body and Soul asked five experts their advice for unwinding.
This is a summary of what these experts had to say:
Take mini-breaks, advises Dr. Kenneth Pelletier, “When the mind and body are in a state of relaxation, inflammation in arteries, joints, and nerves decreases, pain in the muscles subsides, the heart rate decreases while blood pressure drops, and the gastrointestinal system functions better as well. In addition, electrical activity slows down between the two hemispheres of the brain so they become more synchronous, more in harmony, and you have more access to both sides of the brain.”
Listen to your inner rhythms. “The fastest way to still the mind is to move slowly and deeply,” says Gabrielle Roth. “The harder you dance, the deeper you breathe, the deeper you breathe, the longer you live. Breathe, body, beat, bliss-they go together.”
Try the slow lane, says Carl Honore’. “When you stop hurrying, you feel better all over, and then you begin to notice individual pleasures.” Honore’ is also an advocate for The Slow Movement, a group that is bringing back an emphasis on family meals, savoring our food and “connection to people, to food, to place, to life.” (see www.slowmovement.com)
Absorb yourself. “When you are totally absorbed in an activity, says John David Loori, the mind can take a break from that incessant internal dialogue that scatters our energy. Creative activities that wholeheartedly engage our bodies and minds at once are especially conducive to this kind of absorption so bring paints, pencils and paper on vacation…or if drawing is not your thing…be creative with cooking, solving problems, sewing or knitting.”
Remember to remember. Belleruth Naparstek reminds us that “relaxation can look like anything-reading a book in a hammock in the yard; meditating on the beach; learning to sail a schooner or mastering the art of rock climbing.” Remembering to remember is to take these experiences with us so that we may call upon the feeling, images, sensory, and fresh perspectives of the experience as we continue our everyday lives.
My challenge for you this month is to try different ways to unwind. What works best for you? Is it a mini-break? Remembering to remember? Maybe one of the five at different times…
Write to us at janet@nourishyourlife.com and tell us about your experience. We would be honored to hear about it.
Quote for the month: “The Spirit unwinding is the Soul’s awakening” (I made this one up myself! What do you think?)
Healthy eating in July: Bananas! We have all heard about their potassium and health benefits to athletes. But, here is an article that has opened up a whole new way to look at bananas.
BANANAS
Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose – combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.
A banana can help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must for our daily diet.
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.
Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
A banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.
Soooooo………. ”A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”
My challenge for you this month is to eat a banana a day, or even every other day. Try them plain, cut up on cereal, smoothies, shakes, or…how about a banana quinoa cake!
This recipe comes from the Northern Quinoa Corporation. For more great recipes, check out their website at www.quinoa.com
Banana Cake Quinoa
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups NorQuin Quinoa, cooked
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup sour milk/buttermilk
¾ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
~~~
4 cups oatmeal
4 bananas, mashed
~~~
3 cups white flour
1 Tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
~~~
Topping
½ cup nuts, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup sugar
Directions:
- Beat together the sugar, milk, oil and eggs
- Add the quinoa
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Add to the quinoa mix
- Pour into a 9×13” cake pan or 24 muffin cups
- Sprinkle with mixed topping ingredients.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 min (cake) 20 min (cupcakes)
- ENJOY!
Nutrition facts: 1 cupcake or 1/24 of cake:
244 cal; 38 gm carb; 5 gm pro; 8 gm fat
Do you know of someone who would benefit from this information?
We welcome you to pass it on.
I am stuck!
I am STUCK! I have been “away” for awhile, because I have not been able to think of anything to say…
Have you ever been “STUCK” before? Whether it be in Spirituality, relationships, career, interests, education, or “whatever,” being STUCK is not fun…
So, my question to myself is~”How did I get STUCK, and (more importantly,) how do I get UNSTUCK!”
It took two family crisis’ and a less serious personal kinda-sorta crisis to get me STUCK. I shall not talk about the family crisis’, but my less serious kinda-sorts personal crisis was “simply” to have trained passionately for a half-marathon run and was training SO passionately that I ended up with a stress-fracture and was grounded from running for 6 weeks! If you are a runner, you understand. If you are not, let me just briefly mention (confess) that I was so connected with being a runner and being who I am, that I have struggled with part of my identity.
As I read what I just wrote, please be assured that my TRUE identity is being “a child of God.” I just got “off track” with the “rest of me..”
Now, the question is “What am I going to do about it?”
Jo Christie, my buddy-coach and I email each other every evening with a “celebrate.”
It is usually just a sentence or two with a small meaningful happening that day that makes us smile.
Being “stuck,” I have re-thought my “celebrate” to something that has inspired me that day. By focusing on inspiration I am hoping to re-discover my passions and quickly get “unstuck.”
Have you been “STUCK” before? What did YOU do to get “UNSTUCK!” We would love to hear from you.
June is the month for Endless Energy
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 June 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 Janet@nourishyourlife.com Thank you!
June is the month for endless energy!
The days are long, nights are short and we have endless energy to play all day. Or do we? Do you ever watch the energy of a two year old and wish it could be bottled? (I do-every Monday when we have the pleasure of grand parenting our two, two year olds…) What does it take to have endless energy? As I read through several articles addressing this very dilemma, the same topics repeated themselves. Seemingly so simple: Eat healthy foods, exercise daily, relax and get a good nights sleep. “Simple!” you say…”I don’t have time…I don’t know how…I don’t know where to start…” The September/October 2005 issue of Today’s Health and Wellness gives some excellent tips. If you can get a copy of the whole article, I know you would find it helpful. Let me summarize some of the key points for you:
1. Make time for breakfast; it IS the most important meal of the day! Eat at least one fourth of your calories at breakfast. Calories are energy.
2. Stop late night snacking; late night snacking may be the reason that you are not hungry for breakfast. The piece of leftover pizza or bowl of ice cream is just sitting there in your stomach without much opportunity to digest. Ugh!
3. When you go grocery shopping, choose foods that are high energy, natural and high nutrition. Choose NEW foods every week; ones that you have never tried before. Eat 90% healthy and then treat yourself with the remaining 10% ( maybe for your favorite dessert.)
4. Be “present”. “There is energy in the present”, says Gordon. “If you are in the future or past, your energy is diffused.”
5. Take a walk in the fresh air, stop and smell the flowers. Or stop and smell peppermint and lemon. They seem to be the most energizing scents.
6. Drink more water! People who are low on energy are usually low on water. Don’t wait until you are thirsty; then you are already dehydrated.
7. Stand up straight. Poor posture can reduce the amount of oxygen you take in by about 30%! Do a posture check every 30 minutes.
8. Give to yourself by forgiving others. Holding on to resentment is a huge energy drain. Take steps today to forgive one person.
9. Vanquish vampires. Energy vampires are people who suck the life out of you. You know who they are…
10. Be creative. “Creativity is the mother of all energies, nurturer of your most alive self. It charges up every part of you,” writes Judith Orloff, M.D. Orloff says that “creativity frees energy by connecting you with joy, getting stagnant life forces moving, providing a break from problems and improving health and mood.” (Check out her book: Positive Energy)
My challenge for you this month is to choose your favorite or most needed suggestions for boosting your energy. Try 5 this month and 5 more next month. Write to us at janet@nourishyourlife.com and tell us about your experience. We would be honored to hear about it.
Quote for the month:
“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”
Eleanor Roosevelt.
Healthy eating in June: try a handful of almonds.
Almonds are the best nut source of vitamin E and one of the highest plant sources of protein. They also contain riboflavin, iron, potassium, magnesium, and biotin (essential to the metabolism of sugar and fat.) Almonds are also a good source of fiber and calcium. Almonds are high in mono-unsaturated fat which helps to lower cholesterol, especially the bad cholesterol (LDL). Almonds contain a high degree of oleic acid, which is believed to be the ingredient in olive oil that protects against heart disease.
My challenge for you this month is to eat a handful (about one ounce) of almonds a day. Or try this recipe for quinoa with almonds (adapted from a recipe in Body and Soul magazine)
Quinoa salad with Toasted Almonds
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
½ cup almonds
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, thinly slice
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup sliced thinly zucchini
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1.Rinse quinoa before cooking to remove the coating of a bitter substance called saponins.
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Stir in quinoa, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
4. While quinoa is cooking, toast almonds in the oven until lightly browned and crisp. This will take 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. Heat olive oil in a skillet, sauté carrots, zucchini and garlic (do not overcook garlic-it will become bitter) until slightly tender.
6. Stir together all ingredients (except parsley) and cool in the refrigerator.
7. After cooled, stir in parsley and…
8. ENJOY!!!
Nutrition facts: 363calories: 38 g carbs, 12g protein, 19g (healthy) fat,
Tell mom “I love you.”
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 May 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 Janet@nourishyourlife.com Thank you!
May is the month to tell your mom “I love you.”
May is, of course, the month of Mother’s Day! The one day of the year when we honor our Moms! What do you remember most about your mom? Did she teach you how to bake cookies? To always tell the truth? Did she enroll you in “the clean plate club?”
I think what I remember most about my mom is that she was always home when my brother and I got home from school, and there was always a homemade snack waiting for us. Sometimes it was cookies (usually chocolate chip) or a slice of homemade bread with homemade butter. Sometimes it was popcorn or potato chips. I remember that she even made homemade potato chips. Even more than that, I remember the secure feeling of knowing that she would be there, in her apron, when we walked in the front door. (As I write this, I wish to fully acknowledge that many moms are not able to be at home when their kids come home; and fully embrace that security comes from a mom’s love that is shown day by day.) My mom now lives in our Heavenly Father’s home. I wish I had told her this before she left our earthly home. But, Mom, I know that you know…and I thank you and love you even more…
What do YOU most remember about YOUR mom? We would LOVE to hear about it!
Write to us at janet@nourishyourlife.com.
My challenge for you this month is to share with your mom your best memories of the two of you. It can be in a letter, a prayer, having a cup of tea, or sitting around the dinner table with your family…and don’t forget to say, “I love you” not just on Mother’s Day, but every day…
Quote for the month:
Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.~George Cooper
Healthy eating in May: Artichokes!
Artichokes are an amazing vegetable and available in many forms. We have seen the whole artichoke in the produce section of the grocery store; they are GREAT steamed and stuffed!!! They are also popular as marinated artichoke hearts (found in glass jars or cans in the vegetable section) and used in salads. My favorite is the frozen artichoke quarters. They are so easy to just thaw and steam, boil, broil or even grill! I love them plain, on pizza in casseroles, and salads. Their history and nutrition is equally interesting.
Oceanmist.com tells us:
The ancients considered artichokes to have many benefits. Artichokes, including leaves, were thought to be an aphrodisiac, a diuretic, a breath freshener and even a deodorant. Decoctions of artichoke leaves have been used as blood cleansers, cholerics, to improve bile production and secretion and to detox the liver and the skin.
The new, to this era, information about phytochemicals contained in vegetables and fruits is confirming some of these ancient claims. Research is now underway to determine the phytochemicals in artichokes, and work continues to define the role these phytochemicals play in maintaining good health and preventing disease.
Current research is showing benefits to the liver from cynarin, a compound found in the artichoke’s leaves. Silymarin is another compound found in artichokes that has powerful anitoxidant properties and may help the liver regenerate healthy tissue.Artichokes are nutrient dense, so, for the 25 calories in a medium artichoke, you’re getting 16 essential nutrients!
Artichokes provide the important minerals magnesium, chromium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, iron and calcium. For example, that 25 calorie artichoke provides 6% of the Recommended Daily Value of phosphorus, 10% of magnesium, 8% of manganese, 10% of chromium, 5% of potassium, 4% of iron and 2% of calcium and iron.In addition to all these important minerals, artichokes are a good source of fiber (12% of the RDV), vitamin C (10% of the RDV), and folate (10% of the RDV).
Artichokes are low in calories and sodium, have no fat and no cholesterol.
All this means that artichokes, as a part of a low-fat, high-fiber diet, can help reduce the risk of certain types of heart disease, cancers and birth defects.
My challenge for you this month is to try different forms of the artichoke at least twice this month. Ideas for a recipe? Try this one:
Quinoa with artichoke
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or vegetable broth
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and slightly chopped
8 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) chopped
1 green onion, thinly slice
Directions
1. Rinse quinoa before cooking to remove the coating of a bitter substance called saponins.
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Stir in quinoa, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet, sauté carrots, artichoke hearts and garlic (do not overcook garlic-it will become bitter)
5. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat through.
6. ENJOY!!!
Nutrition facts: 4, 6 servings: 206, 137calories: 40, 26g carbs, 7.5, 5g protein, 5, 3.5g fat,
