Posted March 2nd, 2012 @ 12:03am
What Is Quinoa and How Do You Cook With It?
HEMERA/THINKSTOCKQuinoa can be served as a side dish, but topped with fruit makes for a healthy breakfast, too.
Quin-what? Pronounced "keen-wah," this protein-packed grain is experiencing a moment in the spotlight and showing up on more restaurant menus and recipe sites than ever before. So just whatis quinoa and how do you make it? Learn more below.
1. What is quinoa?
Quinoa is actually a seed, rather than a grain, that can be traced back to ancient Peru. Packed with protein, quinoa contains every amino acid, and is particularly rich in lysine, which promotes healthy tissue growth throughout the body. Quinoa is also a good source of iron, magnesium, vitamin E, potassium, and fiber.
2. How does it taste?
Quinoa looks a bit like couscous and is as versatile as rice, but it has a richer, nuttier flavor than either of them. The seeds have a naturally bitter coating to deter birds that must be soaked off before preparing. Packaged quinoa has likely been pre-soaked, but be sure to read the fine print before cooking.
3. How do you cook quinoa?
1. Soak 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water for 5-10 minutes (to dissolve any remaining bitter coating)
2. Drain and rinse.
3. Pour into a pot and add 1.5 cups of water and a half teaspoon of salt.
4. Boil, then cover with a tight-fitting lid.
5. Simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, covered.
7. Fluff with a fork and serve.
4. What are the best ways to serve it?
Quinoa can be served on its own as a side dish, with a bit of butter or oil, salt and pepper, or other seasonings. It also makes a great breakfast dish mixed with dried fruit, cinnamon, milk, and maple syrup or honey. Paired with chili, stir-fries, beans or curries, quinoa is a healthy substitute for rice (it also makes a tasty pilaf). As a main course, use it to make meat-free burgers, mix it into stews or toss it into salads. Quinoa works as a baking grain as well, and makes for delicious and nutritious breads and muffins.
Sources:The New York Times,Savvy Vegetarian
2012 The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
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Posted December 7th, 2011 @ 05:12pm
Today I found a great article about breakfast cereal choices. I hope to give you some different breakfast ideas, so NOT to raise your blood sugar levels first thing in the morning.
After we sleep for the 7-9 hours a night, we need to break - fast, (breakfast) from our slumber. So if we put in high carbohydrates we will cause a sugar rush in the morning by eating cereals, bagels, orange juice, muffins. When we wake we want to eat within an hour of waking and give our body protein and healthy fats and complex carbs. This will slow the glucose load on our system and balance out blood sugar levels and allow us to have better energy throughout the day, thus better moods, balance.
Don't get trapped into the common simple carbs, that cause a blood sugar rise. Choose balance foods, such as organic eggs, coconut oil or organic butter, sauteed veggies with your eggs and unsweetened almond milk. Or organic greek yogurt with blueberries and a slice of whole sprouted grain Ezekiel bread. Gluten free pancake mix, with four eggs instead of 1, and add blueberries, cinnamon, nutmet, vanilla and greek yogurt to the batter and now you have a protein pancake that is balanced. Another idea is an egg omelet with lots of your favorite veggies with a side of sweet potatoes in coconut oil with cinnamon on top. My favorite.
Try some new breakfast ideas and have better energy throughout the day. Enjoy the article.
New Report Slams Kids' Cereals.
BySarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blogger
Is your kid eating dessert for breakfast? According to a
new report on sugar in children'scerealspublished by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), more than half of the 84 brands tested contained at least 12 grams of sugar, or the equivalent of three teaspoons, per serving. That's more sugar than three Chips Ahoy! cookies. Moreover, only one out of four cereals tested met thefederal government's
proposed guidelines for food nutritious enough to be marketed to children. These guidelines were established to combat the
childhood obesity epidemic.
Related link:The White House and the Winter Garden: Eating Local All Year Long
Cereals containing the most sugar The three worst cereals -Kellogg's Honey Smacks, Post Golden Crisp, and General Mills Wheaties Fuel - all contain about 20 grams or sugar, or five teaspoons, per serving which is more than a Hostess Twinkie. TheAmerican Heart Association recommends that children consume less than three teaspoons of sugarper day.
10 worst children's cereals (based on sugar by weight)
1. Kellogg's Honey Smacks (55.6% sugar)
2. Post Golden Crisps (51.9% sugar)
3. Kellogg's Froot Loops Marshmallow (48.3% sugar)
4. Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch's OOPS! All Berries (46.9% sugar)
5. Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch Original (44.4% sugar)
6. Quaker Oats Oh!s (44.4% sugar)
7. Kellogg's Smorz (43.3% sugar)
8. Kellogg's Apple Jacks (42.9% sugar)
9.Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch Berries (42.3% sugar)
10 Kellogg's Froot Loops Original (41.4% sugar)
The EWG report points out that despite all the unhealthy choices marketed to kids,cerealcan be part of a nutritious children's breakfast. Although most of the EWG's recommended brands are organic and non-GMO, options that can be harder to find and more expensive, the organization does suggest a number of common brands that meet the federal government's nutrition guidelines.
Cereals that meet the government's nutrition guidelines
1. Kellogg's Mini-Wheats Unfrosted Bite-Size cereal
2. Kellogg's Mini-Wheats Frosted Big Big cereal
3. Kellogg's Mini-Wheats Frosted Bite-Size cereal
4. Kellogg's Mini-Wheats Frosted Little Bite cereal
5. General Mills Cheerios Original
6. General Mills Kix Original
7. Post Shredded Wheat
8. Post Grape-Nuts Flakes
9. Quaker Oats Oatmeal Squares Cinnamo
10. Post Honey Bunches of Oats with Vanilla Bunches
According to the EWG report, children who eat high sugar breakfasts are more frustrated at school, have a harder time working independently, and are hungrier and less attentive by the time lunch rolls around. Studies by theAmerican Heart Association and the journalDiabetes Care warn too much sugar may lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and tooth decay.
Shopping for healthy kids' cereals isn't as straightforward as you might think. The common brand names such as Cheerios or Chex market cereals with a wide range ofsugar content. For instance, Cheerios Original contains only 3.6% sugar while Apple Cinnamon Cheerios packs in 33% sugar. Rice Chex is 7% percent sugar and Honey Nut Chex is 28% sugar. Sugared cereals are placed low on supermarket shelves - right at kid's eye level.
Choose cereals with a short ingredients list (added vitamins and minerals are okay).
Front label information can be misleading. TheHarvard School of Public Health explains that front of box claims such as "smart choice" or "heart healthy" don't actually guarantee you will be purchasing a nourishing product. Nutrition expertMarion Nestle offers some tips for choosing the healthiest brands by doing some detective work using the nutritional information on the back of the box:
Choose cereals that are high in fiber (at least 5 grams per serving).
Choose cereals with no or few added sugars.
Nestle says that cereals meeting this criteria are usually placed high on shelves where they are harder to find and to reach. But, not only are they healthier, she points out they are usually cheaper.
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Posted November 19th, 2011 @ 11:11pm
It's terribly shocking to read this article and learn the facts about how many people will be affected by Diabetes. My grandmother was blind from Diabetes and I saw first hand how that diagnosis changed her life forever. Many of my clients are Diabetic and we see such great results in A1C numbers and blood sugar reading just by changing the diet, adding some supplements and a little exercise. I love being able to help people lower these numbers. Enjoy the read.
- Beth Schupanitz Certified Holistic Health Coach & Registered Nutrition Consultant
The rising rate of diabetes is a far cry from new news. As the Western diet of fast food spreads worldwide at a rapid pace, increased diabetes and obesity rates have been quick to follow.
However, a recent report from theInternational Diabetes Federation has shed new light on the increasing urgency of the issue:
"The number of people living with the disease is expected to soar to 552 million by 2030 -- equating to three new cases every 10 seconds -- up from 366 million in 2011, unless urgent action is taken." the International Diabetes Federation toldReuters.
That's 1 in every 10 adults worldwide that will be living with diabetes.
In light of this announcement, which coincides with National Diabetes Day, the need for better health and wellness education is evident - especially because the majority of diabetics have type 2, a preventable illness that is directly linked to poor diet and lack of exercise. If gone untreated, this disease could lead to a vast number of related illnesses including heart disease and stroke.
In addition to the crippling health effects of diabetes, people pay thousands of dollars every year for prescription drugs to help them live with the illness. Global sales of diabetes prescription medication reached $35 billion dollars in 2010 and are expected to rise to nearly $45 billion by 1215.
The role of health coaches and healthy living organization is now more important than ever. First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign "Lets Move!" and the introduction ofMy Plate, the FDA's new diagram of the recommended American diet, are playing an important role in encouraging people to eat healthily and stay active.
Health Coaches can also help by teaching people to prevent and manage diabetes through their food choices. It's possible to control the effects of type 2 diabetes simply by replacing highly processed, sugary meals, and drinks with whole and natural foods.
It is also important to educate parents and children about the benefits of healthy eating. Teaching parents to shop for and cook healthy meals can hopefully reduce the appeal of fast food restaurants and encourage them to feed their family whole foods. As children carry these healthy habits into adulthood, this could help to reverse the expected increase of diabetes rates.
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