Food Focus: Quinoa

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Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), is a nutritional powerhouse with ancient origins. It was originally cultivated by the Incas more than 5,000 years ago; they referred to it as the “mother of all grains.” It contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a great source of protein for vegetarians. Quinoa is also high in magnesium, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese, riboflavin and zinc.

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While quinoa is widely considered a grain, it’s actually the seed of a plant called Chenopodium or Goosefoot, related to chard and spinach. Quinoa is a gluten-free grain and has a similar effect as other whole grains in helping to stabilize blood sugar.

It has a waxy protective coating called saponin which can leave a bitter taste. For best results, rinse quinoa before you cook it or even soak it for a few hours or overnight. When cooked, it has a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture. Try it in soups, salads, as a breakfast porridge or as its own side dish.

For quinoa, and whole grains in general, the majority of digestion occurs in the mouth through chewing and exposure to saliva. For optimal nutrition and assimilation, it is vital to chew your grains well and with awareness. A great meditation is to find a calm place, without distractions, to sit down for your meal. Make it a habit to chew each bite 20 times or more. See how this simple practice can help your digestion and overall focus for the rest of your day.

 

Recipe of the Month: Quinoa Pilaf

  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 1/4 cups water or stock
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup walnut pieces
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer until water runs clear.
  2. Boil the water and add quinoa and salt, cover and reduce heat.
  3. After 15 minutes add cranberries and walnuts to top; do not stir.
  4. Cook 5 minutes more, until all the liquid is absorbed.
  5. Remove from heat, add parsley and fluff with fork, cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes and serve.
© 2010 Integrative Nutrition 5/10

Here are a few of my quinoa recipes for you to try as well:

Month in Review- 25 in 25 Follow Up

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On February 28, 2011 I posted a review of my 25 thins in my 25th year and a month has passed so lets see how I am progressing- only 5 more months until my birthday!

  1. Run a 5K
  2. Try Bikram Yoga
  3. Do an overnight hike on the Long Trail
  4. Visit Montreal (again)probably not going to happen so crossing this off This IS actually going to happen we are meeting up with friends at the end of April!
  5. Visit Ottawa (again; first time ever with Hubz)probably not going to happen so crossing this off
  6. Visit Toronto (again; missing my bff) probably not going to happen so crossing this off
  7. Visit Key West because the Hubz probably not going to happen so crossing this off
  8. Visit Chicago- a place the Hubz and I have both never been probably not going to happen so crossing this off
  9. Attend the Healthy Living Summit (ummmm no date set yet so not sure?)
  10. Start my Health Counseling Business This is right on track and going well! I have completed my program and I am certified! Check out my website!
  11. Create an e-book of my recipesI have created TWO e-books already this year!
  12. Laugh more. I have been doing a lot of this
  13. Do more yoga.I am slacking on this I have been doing a lot of yoga lately- at least one class per week and then at home practice as well!
  14. Work on my writing skills. I am working on this!
  15. Get all the stamps in my VT Brewers Passport Stamped
  16. Go to a driving range and hit some balls
  17. Read 10 new books. I have read 4 books and a bunch of new cookbooks
  18. Update my blog with a new fun look in the process of getting this done
  19. Eat more oatmeal. Done!
  20. Drink more green monsters
  21. Call my girlfriends more.
  22. Get a massage* DONE
  23. Get a pedicure
  24. Get a facial (see the trend- love the self care)
  25. Final outfit our house so that it is “grownup” and organized. almost done with this! Done!

So besides all of the excessive travel desires I am staying pretty much on track! So excited to see how much I can accomplish before August!

 

 

Do You Spend Enough Time Chewing?

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When it comes to increased health, it’s not just what we eat but how we eat. Digestion actually begins in the mouth, where contact with our teeth and digestive enzymes in our saliva break down food. But these days most of us rush through the whole eating experience, barely acknowledging what we’re putting in our mouths. We eat while distracted—working, reading, talking and watching television—and swallow our food practically whole. On average we chew each bite only eight times. It’s no wonder that many people have digestive problems.

There are many great reasons to slow down and chew your food. Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a sweet taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food becomes, so we don’t crave those after-meal sweets.

Chewing reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food.
More chewing produces more endorphins, the brain chemicals responsible for creating good feelings.

It’s also helpful for weight loss, because when we are chewing well, we are more apt to notice when we are full.
In fact, chewing can promote increased circulation, enhanced immunity, increased energy and endurance, as well as improve skin health and stabilize weight.
Taking time with a meal, beginning with chewing, allows for enjoyment of the whole experience of eating: the smells, flavors and textures. It helps us to give thanks, to show appreciation for the abundance in our lives and to develop patience and self-control.

The power of chewing is so great that there are stories of concentration camp survivors who, when others could not, made it through with very little food by chewing their meager rations up to 300 times per bite of food. For most of us 300 chews is a daunting and unrealistic goal. However, you can experience the benefits of chewing by increasing to 30 chews per bite. Try it and see how you feel.

Try eating without the TV, computer, Blackberry, newspaper or noisy company. Instead just pay attention to the food and to how you are breathing and chewing.

This kind of quiet can be disconcerting at first, since we are used to a steady stream of advertising, news, media, email and demands from others. But as you create a new habit, you will begin to appreciate eating without rushing. You have to eat every day—why not learn to savor and enjoy it?

Question: Do You Spend Enough Time Chewing?

 

© 2010 Integrative Nutrition 5/10

 

Food Focus: Sea Vegetables

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Food Focus: Sea Vegetables

In traditional Chinese healing, sea vegetables correspond to the winter season and to the kidneys, adrenal glands, bladder and reproductive organs. The strengthening, balancing and cleansing properties of sea vegetables are known to help these organs as well as the hair, skin and nails. Sea vegetables (or seaweeds) provide a variety of minerals and vitamins, including calcium, iron and iodine, and can help balance hormone and thyroid levels in the body. Eating too many processed foods or foods grown in mineral-depleted soil can result in a lack of minerals in the body, leading to cravings for salty or sugary foods. Adding sea vegetables to your diet can help balance your energy levels and alleviate cravings.

Recipe of the Month: Mighty Miso Soup

  • Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
  • Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 cups spring water
  • 1-2 inch strip of wakame, rinsed and soaked 5 minutes
  • in 1 cup of water until softened
  • 1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of your choice (see notes)
  • 2-3 teaspoons barley miso
  • 2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions:

  1. Chop soaked wakame.
  2. Discard soaking water or use on houseplants for a boost of minerals.
  3. Place water and wakame in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
  4. Add root vegetables first and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until tender.
  5. Add leafy vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Remove about 1/2 cup of liquid from pot and dissolve miso into it. Return it to the pot.
  7. Reduce heat to very low; do not boil or simmer miso broth.
  8. Allow soup to cook 2-3 minutes.
  9. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Note:

Any combination of vegetables can be used in miso soup. Here are some classic combinations:

  • onion-daikon: cleansing
  • onion-carrot-shiitake mushroom-kale: mildly sweet
  • onion-winter squash-cabbage: great in wintertime
  • leek-corn-broccoli: great in summertime

Variations:

  • Add cooked grains at the start of making the soup. They will become nice and soft.
  • Add a tablespoon of uncooked quinoa or millet at the beginning and let it cook with vegetables for 20 minutes.
  • Add cubed tofu toward the end.
  • Add bean sprouts toward the end.
  • Season with 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice for an interesting twist.
  • If using dry shiitake mushrooms, let them soak for 20 minutes, slice and add at the beginning.

© 2010 Integrative Nutrition 5/10

Appetite For Reduction Review

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Layout

  • Is the layout clear? I think that the layout is very clear and starts with information at the beginning and then goes on to a wonderful number of recipes.
  • Are you able to easily tell the ingredients apart for the instructions and the notes? Yes it is very easy.
  • Are the instructions easy to follow? Yes the directions are easy to follow.
  • Are the recipes numbered or is the section labeled? The recipes are both numbered in the table of contents and index and the sections are labeled.

Aesthetics

  • Does the cookbook feature photos? This cookbook does feature photos.
  • If yes, is there a photo for every recipe? The photos are not for every recipe, only a small selection.
  • Do the photos of the recipes look like the actual results? I would say that overall from the recipes that I have made and by the recipe photos are accurate to the photos.
  • What kind of paper is the book printed on? The book is printed on nice off white paper and is a heavy texture which is great for extending the life of the book.
  • How is the quality of the photos? The photos are alright- they look nice but aren’t overly professional.

Recipes

  • How many recipes are in the cookbook? There are 125 recipes.
  • What kinds of recipes will you find in this cookbook? This book includes a number of recipes for soup, salad, tempeh, tofu, beans, sides, pastas/grains.  The recipes take a twist on traditionally fatty recipes and makes them lower in fat/healthier versions.
  • Is there a theme to the recipes? I found that many of the recipes are a play on Isa’s recipes from her other books- versions that are healthier than her other recipes.
  • Are the recipes complex or simple? would they be good for seasoned cooks and/or beginners? I found that the recipes are simple and would be great for beginners and for seasoned cooks looking for healthier versions of their favorite foods/flavors.

Chickpea PIcatta

Ingredients and supplies

  • Are the recipe ingredients easy to find? Most of the ingredients are easy to find.  There are only a few ingredients that you may not be able to find in the international section of your grocery but there are not many recipes that include these ingredients.
  • Are there any items that stand out as being expensive or specialty? Nothing is expensive – specialty would be miso, coconut milk, tamarind.
  • Are there particular appliances that will be required such as blenders, juicers, dehydrators, ect? A blender or food processor is needed for a few recipes such as salad dressings.

Information

  • Does this cookbook provide additional useful information? This cookbook does have a section at the beginning discussing fat and other nutritional information that is helpful for vegans.

Other important Information

40 Clove Broccoli and OMG Onion Rings

The recipes I tried:

My favorite dishes were the onion rings and ye’abesha gomen.  I thought the flavors and concepts were really well done and I will be making them again.  The 40 Clove Chickpea and Broccoli was okay but I didn’t really understand why so much broth was used- it caused my broccoli to be mushy.  The chickpea piccata was not my favorite but it was good and I would like to try it again possibly tossed with spinach and pasta.  The Portobello Pepper Steak Stew is a great option to serve your omni friends.

We now move on to our third book Skinny Bitch Ultimate Cookbook– if you would like to participate there is still time just contact me.

 

It’s Official….

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I have finally completed my Holistic Health Counseling program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I aced my final test, completed all my requirements and am officially Lindsay Ingalls, HHC, AADP (Board certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners). The day has been spent celebrating with wonderful friends and I am ready for bed! Goodnight!

Check out my Health Counseling Website!