What is Quinoa??

Quinoa “keen-wah” is actually a seed not a grain and it is gaining in popularity.

Quinoa plants have been cultivated at altitudes of well over 10,000 feet and have been considered a superfood for at least a few millennia — in fact, the Incas cherished it as a superfood of their own.

Eat one cup of quinoa (a single serving size), and you’ll consume:

• 220 calories

• 40 grams of carbohydrates

• 8 grams of protein

• 3.5 grams of fat (no saturated fat)

• A glycemic load (blood sugar spike) of only 18 out of 250

• 5 grams of fiber

• Quinoa is stocked with all eight essential amino acids.

Vegetarians would do well to incorporate quinoa into their diet often. It’s difficult for vegetarians to get all eight essential amino acids and an adequate source of protein from one food source. Usually, vegetarians and vegans need to combine foods like beans and rice to acquire all the essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

Those with gluten sensitivities or wheat allergies can rejoice in eating quinoa as it contains no gluten or wheat.

Quinoa cooks very easily: 2/3 cup quinoa to 1 1/3 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Leave covered another 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork.

Quinoa by itself tastes rather bland. Add some coconut or olive oil to add flavor and consistency. Add any spices or herbs you like and perhaps some crushed almonds or walnuts. In the last two minutes before it’s ready to serve, toss a handful of spinach and stir until the spinach withers a little bit but not too much.

Here's another wonderful idea you can use quinoa for: Chocolate Quinoa Vi Cake!

Just Love Mexican Food?

One of last season’s “Biggest Loser’ episodes showed the calorie content of the contestants’ favorite meal. I’m not a big fan of counting calories, but that episode totally got my attention,

The top calorie meal was cheese enchiladas, with refried beans, spanish rice, chips and salsa. . . . that meal came in well over 4,000 calories! One meal!

Do you love cheesy, gooey, Mexican food? Clearly, Mexican food can overwhlem our bodies with carbs and the wrong kind of fats. How can we possibly switch that and still enjoy the great flavors?

Recently I was thinking of Mexican food – - specifically tostadas – - -but didn’t want the yucky feeling I usually get when I eat them. So, I put my brain to work and came up with a great alternative! It is easy, tasty and basically all protein.

Vi Tostadas!

3 eggs

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup quick oats

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 ½ scoops VI Shake, dry

3/4 tsp taco seasoning.

• Blend in blender.
• Crisp the tortilla in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes (I sprinkle some coarse ground cornmeal on my pizza paddle for easy sliding).

TOPPINGS:

• After the ‘tortilla’ is crisped, spread on heated refried beans (vegetarian) and grated Monterey jack cheese and return to oven to melt.
• Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole and enjoy!!
• This makes 3 tortillas.

How Much Sugar is in Your Life?

Is it possible that a seemingly simple little ingredient called ‘sugar’ could be less than sweet in its effect on our bodies? The debate over the innocence vs. toxicity of sugar has gone on for years.

Let’s first of all define ‘sugar’ as both sucrose (beet and cane sugar, white or brown) and high-fructose corn syrup. In the 1980s sugar was becoming known as toxic and high fructose corn syrup was filling up our sodas and processed foods. Now the trend is reversing back to sugar and companies are marketing ‘no high fructose corn syrup’.

Marketing aside, the two sweeteners are effectively identical in their biological effects and damage to the bodies. Neither sweetener comes with any protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants or fiber, so they either displace nutritious elements in our diet or they are eaten over and above nutrition – - – key reason for weight gain!

The average adult consumes nearly a half cup of sugar each day (22 teaspoons)! The average teen consumes over ¾ cup of sugar each day (34 teaspoons)! That is a lot of sugar!

Some research is showing that as little as one tablespoon of sugar can lower immune function. Clearly ½ – ¾ cup of sugar each day is not leading us to health or fitness. As the holidays bring even more sugar into our diet, is it any wonder that many people are sick in January?

What are your options? I’m finding I can make many of my favorite ‘treats’ without sugar. I’m using our Vi Shake mix to make muffins, cupcakes, “Reece’s peanut butter balls”, apple pie and more. These treats are sugar-free, high fiber, high protein and just taste delicious.

For other recipes, go to www.lifestyleforhealth.com/virecipes and scroll down to check out our favorite Vi recipes!

Here is a simple Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin — – try it and see how tasty it is. Then, let your imagination run wild and make a new flavor each day. Two muffins equal one shake and one meal. Easy nutrition during busy days!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

2 c. Vi Shake, dry mix

1 c. milk (almond or skim)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 TBL melted coconut oil or olive oil

1-2 tsp lemon flavoring

1 TBL poppy seeds

Mix well. Pour into lined cupcake pan. (makes 10-12). Bake at 350 Degrees for 15 – 20 minutes or until done. Delicious!!!

Happy Holidays!

For the average person, the holidays will add 8-10 pounds of extra weight to their body! Since I don’t plan to gain any weight, someone will be gaining 16-20 pounds – - is that you?

Why the weight gain? Well that seems pretty obvious when you think of the food, stress and skipped meals. Yet, how can we enjoy the holidays if we don’t indulge at each party and activity?

A friend gave interesting perspective the other day. She said, “the holiday foods will be always be here, I can choose to create a different pattern so that the foods aren’t with me come January.” Coming from a former ‘sugar-holic’ that is profound!

What are some options to prevent that excess baggage on your belly, hips or thighs?

1. Eat breakfast!

Nothing impacts blood sugar imbalances more than skipped breakfast or eating a meal of carbs and sugar (i.e., cold cereal, bagel or pastry). Eating breakfast is the first step and then make sure that the breakfast has protein. My favorite is a delicious protein shake (hot or cold) and my favorite is the Body by Vi shake (check it out at www.lifestyleforhealth.com/challenge).

2. Eat Snacks

Eating every 3 hours will help stabilize blood sugar. Don’t skip meals and snacks to ‘save up’ for that big meal at night. That is putting blood sugar imbalances on steroids and will guarantee over-eating and weight gain.

Plan and have snacks with you for mid-morning and mid-afternoon. My favorites include protein (i.e., muffins from the Vi Shake, cottage cheese, 6-10 pecans/ almonds, hard cooked eggs, guacamole and veggies, etc.). Making sure I have plenty of muffins made ahead helps a lot as that is high protein and fiber and fills me up but not out. My favorite is of course chocolate! (www.lifestyleforhealth.com/recipes)

3. Avoid Insulin Impacting Foods

During the holidays, or any time you want stable blood sugar, avoid the ‘whites.’ White flour, white sugar, white rice and any food with those as the base can add to belly fat. Vote for clean protein sources, lots of veggies, a small amount of fruit and some grains such as quinoa and wild rice.

I’ve put extra recipes on our website to give you ideas and encouragement, that this holiday season you can lose weight, enjoy the holidays and save some money! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!

Image: www.cedarviewgifts.com

Remedies Straight from Your Kitchen

I love finding effective strategies from common items in my home. So many of us have forgotten or never knew remedies our grandmothers used, but they did use them for a reason – - they worked. Here are some of my favorite remedies – - Enjoy!

Use those Eggs!
Take a small amount of egg white (raw), lightly stir it to break up the viscosity. Brush it on a clean face (all make-up removed). Leave on for 45 minutes or even overnight (you can’t see it!). Wash off. The egg white tightens the skin and leaves it firm, radiant and smooth for just pennies!

Sugar can be Useful!
Sugar scrubs are found in high-end spas and most health food stores. They are so simple to make for you or give as gifts. Use 1 ½ cups sugar to 1 ¼ cups oil (almond oil or coconut oil is nice). You can also add your favorite essential oil (i.e., lavender or mint) to add a nice fragrance. Use in the shower or a nice hot bath. It exfoliates and smoothes the skin!

Baking Soda for those Meatballs
For people who are avoiding grains and still want to make meatloaf or meatballs, this tip works well. Use about 1 ½ tsp baking soda for one pound of meat. You can also rub some baking soda into meat before doing a stir-fry. It will help to tenderize the meat so you can use a less-expensive cut of meat.

Baby Food Doubles in Shakes and Muffins
I love variety in my protein shakes (Vi Shake in our 90 Day Challenge), yet hate to open full can of pumpkin when I only need a tablespoon. When making a shake or muffins, use baby food. It is the right size and you don’t have waste. Read the label to ensure you are getting as little sugar as possible.

Our favorite, easy muffin is:

2 cups Vi Shake Protein powder (dry mix)

1 cups milk (or unsweetened almond milk)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 12 muffins (gluten-free, high protein). Great snacks!

You can use pumpkin baby food or other flavors and add appropriate spice (i.e., pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice). Great food, no waste!

Car Sickness
Often ginger can help with any form of motion sickness. Try some candied ginger, ginger tea or even ginger capsules.

Contact us at www.lifestylforheatlh.com for more lifestyle support!

There are Good Fats and Oils

The media has done an excellent job of educating the public on the pitfalls of too much fat. Yet, good fats (including Omega 3s) are actually necessary for good health. Let’s tour the ‘fat’ world and identify what to avoid and what to include in your daily routine.

AVOID List
Hydrogenated fats are just not good for you. These fats include margarine, shortening, and any food using them (shown on labels).

Low fat and high sugar. When reducing fat, companies often increase sugar to improve ‘taste.’ Read labels! In fact, a lack of the good fats often increases sugar cravings and weight gain.

INCREASE List
Expeller pressed oils
Most vegetable oils are made with solvents. The light color of vegetable oils usually indicates they have been highly processed instead of ‘pressed.’ The ‘default’ is solvent – check the label. If it is expeller pressed, it will say so on the label.

Omega 3s
These essential fatty acids primarily come from flaxseed and fish. These oils are essential for the hormone system, brain function and reduction of inflammation. If you take capsules, it takes 10-15 capsules to equal 1 TBL of liquid and 1-2 TBL/day is needed for the average person. I recommend Barlean’s Swirl flax and fish oil products (found in any health food store or at Lifestyle for Health) as it is very easily assimilated, is liquid and tastes amazingly good!

Coconut oil
The often-maligned coconut is actually a great source of good fats. Coconut oil is great topically for skin and hair as well as for baking and cooking. Coconut oil supports your immune system and cardiovascular health as well as your metabolism. And it imparts a great flavor in your favorite recipe. Again, Barleans is my brand of choice – just visit www.lifestyleforhealth.com/coconutoil or call 719-488-5688.

Cold-water Fish
Increase your consumption of wild (not farm-raised) cold-water fish such as salmon, halibut and cod. If possible, consume fish 2-4 times/week.

Avocados
This wonderful food is not only a great source of good fats, it is also a great source of fiber. Guacamole is easy to make – — enjoy it with your favorite veggies. Jicama is a crunchy vegetable that goes really well with guacamole. You can find jicama in any grocery store – - pick one with smooth skin (which will be removed) over wrinkled skin.

Are You Gluten Intolerant?

Wheat-free and gluten-free are commonly used words today, but many people have no idea of what it means or how it might relate to them. Your doctor can do a blood test or a stool test to determine if you are gluten intolerant, but the diagnosis should be done before going on a gluten-free diet.

What are the Symptoms?

The most common symptoms indicating gluten intolerance include:

- frequent indigestion, heartburn and gas

- bloating and abdominal distension (belly is often hard)

- chronic diarrhea or constipation

- irritability, moodiness and/or depression

- chronic fatigue and muscle weakness

- joint pain

- skin rashes or dermatitis

- balance issues or uncoordinated walking

- weight changes (sudden gain or loss of weight)

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein contained in the grains wheat, barley, rye and oats. Over the years, gluten-containing grains we eat today have been domesticated (genetically altered) and are no longer in their original state. Research varies as to whether 12% up to 35% of the American public is gluten intolerant.

If you are diagnosed with gluten intolerance and/or choose to eliminate gluten from your diet, there are many options available to help you. In our Lifestyle for Health clinic I often had people eliminate wheat along with sugar. Many people had great results with those dietary changes.

What can You do?

Online recipes of the Paleo Diet give great alternatives to grains being used in normal recipes. Pamela’s Baking products (found in grocery stores and health food stores) are a great resource as they taste great and are easy to use.

One of my favorite treats is a Protein Brownie (gluten-free). Make a double recipe, freeze and enjoy whenever you want a healthy, delicious treat!

Protein Brownies (Gluten-Free)

4 TBL. Butter

¼ cup applesauce

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 c. Xylitol or sweetener of choice

1 tsp baking powder (gluten-free)

1/2 c. cocoa* (I like Penzey’s baking cocoa)

1/2 c. Vi-Shake protein powder (best tasting and gluten-free)

Chopped pecans, optional

Coconut, optional

1. Mix butter, applesauce eggs and vanilla

2. Mix in dry ingredients

3. 350 degrees for 20 min. in oiled 9” pan

I tend to make sure the outside edge just pulls away from the pan – DO NOT OVERCOOK!
When doubling, use a 9” x 13” pan.

For more delicious, healthy recipes, visit us at www.lifestylforhealth.com.

Get Rid of the Dirty 10 Foods!

Most of us know that chemicals are not good for our bodies. Yet, 100% organic produce might not fit your budget. If you are wondering where to prioritize cleaning up your food sources, take a look at the ‘dirty 10!’

These 10 fruits and vegetables contain the highest pesticide loads. The more you get organic here, the less toxic load you are putting into your body and your family! It is possible to build health without breaking the bank – your bank!

#1 Apples

Costco usually carries organic apples. As fall approaches, consider getting fresh apples from the western slopes. Check out dried apples when you can’t find fresh organic sources.

#2 Bell Peppers

You can often find jars of organic roasted red peppers on sale. Buy in quantity and have them on hand when you need them. You can purchase organic peppers in the summer/fall, chop and freeze in half cup quantities for future use.

#3 Celery

Organic celery is more abundant in late summer or fall. Purchase in quantity, chop it up and freeze – it freezes beautifully!

#4 Cherries

Cherries are abundant in late summer. Look for organic or consider purchasing frozen organic or dried cherries to cut the chemicals if a recipe uses a lot of cherries.

#5 Grapes

Without a doubt, regular grapes have a lot of chemicals. Once you cut out produce with chemicals you can taste the chemicals on regular grapes. Late summer and fall is a great time to purchase organic grapes to freeze! These make instant icy sweet treats!

#6 Nectarines and #7 Peaches

Both of these are available late summer and early fall and both freeze well. Keep a jar of organic peach preserves on hand or any frozen fruit for a punch of flavor to any recipe.

#8 Pears

Again, check out Costco in the late summer and fall. When you can’t find organic, use dried, canned or frozen.

#9 Potatoes

Costco, Vitamin Cottage and farmer’s markets can be your friend. When you can get them, purchase, parboil (partially cook) and freeze. “Instant” potatoes as a side dish for any meal !

#10 Raspberries

The same is true for strawberries – when you can find them in late spring and early summer, buy and freeze. They are so simple to freeze.

The cleaner your food sources (fresh, organic and unprocessed), the more nutrition and health you are creating. Enjoy your food and let your body benefit from your clean sources!

Cravings Can Disappear!

as seen in Snippetz magazine

Did you know your body can talk to you?  Every time you have a ‘craving’ it is your body trying to get your attention and let you know something is needed.  If you listen to your body and give it what it needs, those cravings will simply  . . .disappear!

Chocolate Cravings

Women often crave chocolate, which immediately tells us it is usually rooted in hormone imbalances.  Usually the body needs more minerals to address this craving.  However, dark chocolate actually has fiber and nutrients that are useful and will not add to this craving.  It is the milk chocolate and sugar that feed the negative craving cycle.

Crunch and Salty Cravings

Nothing says crunch and salt like chips!  When the body is craving crunchy, salty foods it is the adrenals (the glands that respond to stress) crying out for help. I have found that a good protein shake with minerals and enzymes will support the adrenals and even help with weight loss.  Be sure to read labels and not get a source that is high in sugar. 

Ice Cream Cravings

Another common craving is for ice cream and typically at night!  This craving usually relates to a need for the good fats – Omega 3s.  This can be found in a good flax or fish oil. Increasing your consumption of good fats through avocadoes, coconut oil, olive oil, seeds and nuts will also help the body overcome this craving.

Sweet Cravings

This is probably the most common craving.  Often it reflects a person with blood sugar imbalances and/or a lack of the good fats.  Learning to eat every 3 hours, increasing Omega 3s and a good protein shake will often help this craving.

Protein Shake to Shake the Cravings

            8 oz of unsweetened almond milk or low fat milk

            2 scoops of a protein powder (I prefer the taste of the ViSalus shake for protein and minerals)

            6 ice cubes

            1 TBL cocoa (I prefer Penzey’s baking cocoa)

            1 TBL flax oil (I prefer Barlean’s Strawberry Banana Swirl)

            3-4 frozen strawberries, optional

            Blend an enjoy (also great frozen!)

 

Check out www.lifestyleforhealth.com for more shake recipes.

Are You STUCK together or HELD together?

As I was doing research today for a colleague, I was reminded of how much the American diet is based on ‘paste!’  Some of you are too young to remember making paste with flour and water, but it can be done!  Much of the American diet (i.e., pasta, bread, bagels, desserts) is also ‘flour and water’ and really does ‘paste’ or stick our insides together.  Not a pretty picture

The alternative is FIBER!  We should have 35 grams of fiber in our diet, yet most Americans only get 10 grams or less.  What happens when we get too little fiber?  We get

• A higher risk of cancer
• A higher risk of heart disease
•  Varicose veins (another not too pretty picture)
• OBESE!

Yes, a lack of fiber contributes to a lot of diseases and weight gain.  You might be surprised what could add fiber to your diet:

• avocados have about 11 gams of fiber
• dark chocolate (not milk) can have 4-6 grams (now you do have to eat something other than chocolate)
• Vi Shake has 5 grams of fiber/ shake
• Veggies have fiber

 Now about a rich chocolate shake for lunch and guacamole with veggies for a snack?  You just increased your fiber and started shrinking your waist!  Now that is a pretty picture!

www.lifestyleforhealth.com/challenge