Did You Know…
That quinoa (pronounced keen' wah), commonly considered a grain, is actually a seed and a relative of spinach and Swiss chard? It is one of the few plant based foods that is a "complete" protein (it supplies all 9 essential amino acids the body is unable to make) so it's especially good for vegetarians and vegans concerned about their protein intake. It has a slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked and can be prepared in many different ways. See the recipe below for a wonderful hot cereal alternative to oatmeal.
February is American Heart Month. So it seems like a good time to talk about what you can do to prevent heart disease. And guess what...heart disease isn't just a man's disease. Many women believe that cancer is more of a threat, but they're wrong. Nearly twice as many women in the United States die of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases as from all forms of cancer, including breast cancer.
The American Heart Association just released their 2011 Guidelines for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women. In this report they published specific dietary intake recommendations which are summarized in the chart below. Of course the concepts in this chart are good ideas for everyone in the entire family (men can have 2 alcoholic drinks/day). Although it isn't specifically stated in these recommendations I want to add it's important to substitute heart healthy fats (like olive oil, expeller pressed canola oil, peanut oil, nuts oils, avocado oil) for saturated fats.
If you'd like to arrange a dietary consult to help you reduce your risk of heart disease, please click here to contact me.
Fruits and vegetables |
≥4.5 cups/day |
1 cup raw leafy vegetable, 1/2 cup cooked vegetable, 1/2 cup vegetable juice; 1 medium fruit, 1/4 cup dried fruit, 1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit, 1/2 cup fruit juice |
Fish |
2 servings/week |
3.5 oz, cooked (preferably oily types of fish like salmon, herring, and sardines) |
Fiber |
~ 30 grams/day |
From whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, etc |
Whole grains |
3 servings/day |
1 slice bread,1 oz dry cereal, 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal (all whole grain products) |
Nuts, legumes, seeds |
4 or more servings/week |
1/3 cup or 1 1/2 oz nuts (avoid macadamia nuts and salted nuts), 2 Tbsp peanut butter, 2 Tbsp or 1/2 oz seeds, 1/2 cup cooked legumes (dry beans and peas) |
Alcohol |
Limit to one drink/day |
4 oz wine, 12 oz beer,1.5 oz 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz 100-proof spirits |
Refined sugar |
Minimize intake, keep calories from sugar sweetened beverages to less than 450 calories/week |
Found in processed foods, desserts, soda and other sugar sweetened beverages |
Saturated fats |
Minimize intake |
Found in fried foods, fat on meat or chicken skin, packaged desserts, butter, cheese, sour cream, etc |
Trans fat |
No amount is considered safe |
Found in many processed and commercially baked foods, avoid foods with partially hydrogenated oils on the label |
Sodium |
Less than 1500 mg/day |
Found in most processed, convenience, and restaurant foods |
Hot Fruited Quinoa
1 cup organic 1% milk OR soymilk OR rice milk OR almond milk
1 cup water
1 cup organic quinoa (NOTE: rinse quinoa well in a fine strainer or it will taste soapy)
2 cups fresh organic blackberries, raspberries or a mix
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted at 350 degrees for ~ 6-8 minutes
4 tsp honey, optional
Combine milk, water and rinsed quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in berries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with nuts. Drizzle 1 teaspoon honey over each serving. Serve with additional milk as desired.
Another option: I sometimes cook the quinoa with vanilla soymilk and some dried cranberries and golden raisins instead of using fresh berries...this makes it sweet enough that honey is not necessary.
Serves 4.
Please forward this email to anyone who know who may be interested in living a longer healthier life! Thank you!
Copyright 2012 Sharon Lehrman, All Rights Reserved.
If you suspect that you have a health problem, we urge you to contact your physician or local hospital for care.