Cranberry Walnut Quinoa Salad

Serves 6 as a starter or side dish or 4 as a main course

½ cup white quinoa

½ cup black quinoa (any type of quinoa works)

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

½ teaspoon salt or to taste

¾ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup minced Italian parsley

1 cup frozen Edamame

¼ cup chopped walnuts(toasted and crushed into pieces the size of cranberries)

¼ cup sliced green onion

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic (to taste) minced

Freshly ground pepper

1. Rinse the quinoa in several changes of water. Combine the 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and continue cooking until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, uncover, and allow cooling for 15 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, parsley, Edamame, walnuts, and green onions until well mixed.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic until well blended. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Toss until well blended.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before

serving.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 234, Fat: 8g, Saturated fat 1g, Carbohydrate 36g, Protein 5g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 3 g.

How to Eat Well and Feel Well for the Holidays -Tips from Dr. Mark Hyman

With all the parties and family gatherings, it's inevitable that temptations will arise this time of year. Your best bet to overcome them is to prepare yourself for these bumps in the road. Here are 10 tips to help you avoid the holiday pitfalls:

1. Begin your day as any other day on the plan; do not skip meals to save calories or carbohydrates.


2. Eat a protein-packed snack an hour before your holiday meal.


3. Don't think of the holidays as an excuse to gorge on unhealthy food. Plan in advance to make sure there are options available that you can enjoy.


4. Scan the spread before putting anything on your plate. Choose wisely!


5. Set an intention for how you would like to feel after the meal and hold yourself accountable by sharing with a close friend or family member. Or write it in your journal.
 

6. Start the meal with a soup, fresh vegetables, or a salad, and avoid any refined flour pastries or sweet appetizers to prevent the cycle of craving.
 

7. Drink two glasses of water with lemon before the meal.
 

8. Plan an activity to look forward to after the meal -- a group walk, visiting with other friends or family, a group game, or playing with younger family members. Or try offering to clean up and help your host!
 

9. Eat Mindfully:
   
   • Take five deep breaths before your meal.
   • Sit next to someone you genuinely find interesting and engage in pleasant conversation.
   • Appreciate the colors and smells of your food.• Chew thoroughly and slowly.
   • Put your fork down between bites.
   • Breathe in through your nose while you eat.
   • Express gratitude with others before the meal. Later that evening, write about your gratitude in your journal.
   • Halfway through the meal, put fork down and pause. Take three deep breaths and assess your hunger on a scale of 1-10. Ask yourself how much more you need to eat in order to walk away feeling energized and comfortable. Hint: Usually, this is around "6" or "7."
   • Close your meal by saying something out loud about how delicious it was and how satisfied you are. Hearing yourself say this can help signal to you and others that you are finished.
   • Have a trusted friend or family help hold you accountable to your goals.
   • Begin and end the day by spending some time alone with your thoughts. Journaling is a great activity to help ground your intentions for the day. Use your journal to set goals, express your thoughts and feelings about how the day went, and track what you ate, how much you exercised and how your body felt.


10. Most importantly, take time to enjoy healthy, wholesome meals with your friends and family and remember that you can heal your body and mind with each forkful of delicious food you enjoy.

 

 I came across this great article today in the Huffington Post.    It is so very true, as many of you know, that weight loss and healthy living starts to happen mostly in our thoughts and mind.  Have Fun!


You Won't Lose Any Weight Unless You Makeover Your Mind First

What the Heck Am I Supposed to Do With a Foam Roller

Myofascial Release with a foam roller is an amazing way to smooth and lengthen your muscles, and it breaks up adhesions and scar tissue. Another benefit is that it helps your muscles relax by activating the sensory receptors connecting your muscle fibers to your tendons. The net effect is better blood circulation, which in turn speeds workout recovery and boosts performance.Yes, foam rolling can be painful, but you need only 5 to 10 minutes to reap the benefit. Just as important as how you roll is when you roll: After a workout is best, followed by a static stretch of the muscle.. This helps your muscles return to the proper length and recover even faster because it can prevent the buildup of scar tissue.

Here is a foam rolling video to get you started.  Foam rollers can be purchased at Target, Universal Athletics and sometimes they can be found at TJ Maxx.  Have Fun!!

Slim Down by Slowing Your Eating Speed

By Madeline Vann, MPH

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Do the words “inhale,” “scarf,” and “wolf” describe the way you eat, even when you are making healthy changes? And are you wondering why you’re not losing weight? It might be because of how quickly you are eating. Dieters often ask whether their eating speed can affect their weight loss. The answer, says nutritionist Molly Gee, RD, MEd, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, is yes.
 
Your Eating Speed: Too Fast Means You Overeat
“Olympic speed eaters will usually eat until they feel full,” says Gee, who isn’t talking about culinary athletes, but rather, with humor, the average Joe and Jane who shovel in their food every night.
“It takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes for the signal of [fullness] to reach the brain,” explains Gee. “This is where portion control goes out the window.”
In other words, it takes some time for your stomach to talk to your brain, and speed eaters are taking in too much too fast before the message can be received. Eating more slowly could give that all-important message the time to register before you undermine your best calorie-counting intentions with an extra scoop of mac ’n’ cheese.
Your basic goal: “Try not to be the first person finished at the table,” advises Gee.
 
Your Eating Speed: Chew Slowly for Comfort and Control
Your eating habits and your digestion begin with good chewing habits. “Chewing your food is the first step in digestion, and skipping this step makes it harder for proper digestion,” says Gee.
Taking time to chew not only slows your eating speed, but can also help you feel better after a meal. “Many of my patients tell me how surprised they are that they have less heartburn as a result of chewing more and slowing down. They do not use antacids anymore.”
Also, chewing slowly allows you to better enjoy your food, a tasty benefit for people who are trying to appreciate the value of smaller portions.
Your Eating Speed: Fast, Slow, or Moderate?
Dinner isn’t a speed race, but you might wonder where your eating speed rates in comparison to friends and family. There are no standard measures of eating speed, and how fast or slow you eat depends a lot on what the food is, your utensils, and how much there is of it. But you know you are a slow eater if you are the last one still eating at the table. On the other hand, says Gee, “Fast eaters are the first ones finished, usually in five to six minutes.” You want to clock yourself somewhere in between, with the moderate eaters.
 
Your Eating Speed: Enjoying What You Eat
Another benefit to chewing slowly: Food tastes better.
"We see higher [taste] ratings at the slower rate," says dietitian Kathleen Melanson, RD, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition and food at the University of Rhode Island. Melanson and colleagues tested the relationship between the rate of eating and factors such as how many calories are consumed and participants’ reported levels of satisfaction. Volunteers ate certain types of meals, first slowly and then, later, fast. The study found that, calorie for calorie, you will experience greater palatability at the slower rate, explains Melanson.
She has also demonstrated that people who slowly eat low-calorie foods eat nearly half as many calories as those who quickly eat high-calorie foods. "Conventionally, slow eating has been presented as just taking more time to eat,” Melanson says, but her research shows that what really matters is how many calories you eat per minute.
 
Your Eating Speed: Tips for Slowing Down
Melanson's method combines slow eating with being aware of the taste of food and when you feel full. She recommends:

• Take small bites.
• Chew each bite 15 to 20 times.
• Savor the food as you chew.
• Swallow before taking the next bite.
• Pause between bites and take a sip of a no-calorie beverage, if you like.
• Between bites, be aware of how your hunger is being sated.

For people who have limited time to eat lunch at school or work, Melanson suggests you eat the main part of your meal slowly and keep additional food items, such as an apple, to be eaten later when you have time.
Gee recommends setting your fork or spoon down between bites. “I assign chopsticks to really difficult cases,” she adds.
By trying these methods, you may steal a little time from other activities, but you’ll also lose more weight — and that’s a good trade-off.

What the Heck are You Eating? Sugar Substitutes

Acorn squash with cranberry apple stuffing

The fall season is upon us and with the colder weather I bring out my arsenal of recipes for soups, crockpot meals and lots of squash.  Here is one of my favorites from Elanas' Pantry.  Pair this with a chicken breast and big green salad for a fulfilling dinner. 

1 acorn squash
boiling water
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped into ¼ inch pieces
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (use low or no sugar ones)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons oil of your choice

1. Cut squash in half and with a spoon, remove pulp and seeds
2. In a 9x13 baking dish place squash cut-side down
3. Pour ¼-inch boiling water into baking dish (or use ¼ inch room temperature apple juice for extra sweetness)
4. Place dish in oven and bake squash for 30 minutes at 350°
5. In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, cinnamon and oil to make stuffing
6. Remove squash from the oven after 30 minutes
7. Turn halves over and stuff center of each squash half with apple mixture
8. Return to oven and bake for 30-35 minutes (or longer) until squash and apples are tender

Serves 4

Calories Per Serving: 171

Protein Per Serving: 2g

Carbohydrates Per Serving: 34g

Fat Per Serving: 3g

Sugar Per Serving: 9g

Sodium Per Serving: 6mg

Fiber Per Serving: 7g

Shoppers with a list lose more weight.

A study recently published in Nutrition and Diabetes found people who prepare shopping lists before hitting the supermarket lost additional weight.   

The studies lead researcher, 

Dr. Nicole Au found that a predetermined grocery list committed shoppers to buy only the foods that were on that list thereby helping them avoid the temptations of unhealthy food purchases.  “We found because the planning of meals and writing of the shopping list could be carried out relatively cheaply, it was a cost-effective weightloss tool when compared to the alternative of doing nothing.  Shopping with a list means that you have engaged in some level of planning about your food choices for the time period before you next go grocery shopping – so that can be helpful in ensuring you will have available the foods that will enable you to prepare the meals you have planned, which are hopefully healthy choices.”

Todays Words of Wisdom....

Spicy Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or lightly grease a cookie sheet.
2.	Stir together olive oil, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Brush the sweet potato slices with the maple mixture and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
3.	Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, then turn the potato slices over, brush with any remaining maple mixture, and continue baking until tender in the middle, and crispy on the edges, about 7 minutes more.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2013 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 9/16/2013

How to Make Stress Your Friend - A TED Talk

Watch this intriguing video of Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist, discussing the latest research on our thought processes and stress. 

Stress may only be detrimental if you think it is.

 

 

 

 

Know Your Beef and Choose Wisely

This article, from Spark People, really spells out the different cuts of meat and helps you make informed decisions to support yourself in reaching your goals.  For those who eat it, meat provides protein and other nutrients, too, including iron, thiamine, and zinc. But many sources of meat can also be high in fat, especially saturated fat, which has been linked to high cholesterol and heart disease. And any food that is high in fat is also higher in calories, which can make it tough to reach your weight management goals. To assist consumers in meat selection, the government developed the following definitions, based on a cooked, 3-ounce portion of meat.

• Extra lean meat contains less than 5 grams of total fat and less than 2 grams of saturated fat.
• Lean meat contains less than 10 grams of total fat and less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat.

This guide will help you to navigate the meat department and make the best choices for health, calories, and flavor. <pagebreak>

Beef

Once considered a health no-no, red meat is making its way back to the plates of dieters and health-conscious eaters alike. But not every cut of red meat is a winner. Here are some considerations to make when selecting beef.

Grade: Grade refers to the amount of marbling, or fat, found in the cut of meat. It has nothing to do with the safety of the meat or how it was raised—it's all about the fat content. Meat that has a higher grade has more fat, and therefore greater tenderness. The three most common grades are:

1. Prime (the fattiest cut, most often found in restaurants)
2. Choice (moderate in fat)
3. Select (the leanest grade).

Cut: Cut refers to the part of the animal the meat has been taken from. Most of the leaner cuts come from the animal’s hip or hindquarter region. "Round" or "loin" are keywords to look for when you want the leanest cut of meat (think top round, sirloin, top loin, tenderloin, eye round, etc.). When selecting ground beef, look at the percentages: 80/20% lean means the meat is 80% lean and 20% fat. Look for ground beef labeled 90/10% (or leaner). To assist with the nutritional analysis of your ground beef selection, check out this calculator developed by the USDA. See the chart below for a nutritional comparison of various cuts of beef.

Color: Color is another way to tell how much fat red meat contains. Visible marbling (fat streaks) indicates higher fat meats; less marbling means it's lower in fat. For ground meat, the darker the meat, the lower its fat content and vice versa.

A Note on Grass-Fed Beef

Most cattle in the U.S. are fed a grain-based diet comprised of corn, soy and other byproducts despite the fact that cattle are natural grazers of grass and other greens. Some research indicates that grass-fed beef may be lower in overall fat and higher in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than its conventional counterparts. Grass-fed beef should be labeled as such, and if it doesn't have that label, you can assume it was grain-fed. Many traditional supermarkets now offer some grass-fed beef, but the best place to purchase is at your local farmers market or health food store. If your local grocer does not carry grass-fed beef, ask the butcher if they would be able to get it in for you. If they know there is a demand for a product, then they will try harder to supply the product to meet consumer demands.

See the chart below for a nutritional comparison of various types of beef. These values are for a single cooked, 3-ounce serving (85 grams) of meat with fat trimmed, unless otherwise specified.

Beef Cut	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Sat Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)
Eye round roast	138	3.5	1.2	63
Ground beef (95/5%)	145	5.6	2.5	65
Top sirloin steak	156	4.9	1.9	70
Bottom round roast	157	6.5	2.7	66
Flank steak	158	6.3	2.6	66
T-Bone steak	161	7.4	2.6	47
Tenderloin steak	164	6.7	2.5	69
Chuck shoulder pot roast	167	6.6	2.4	83
Round steak, top	169	4.3	1.5	76
Top round roast	169	4.3	1.4	76
Brisket flat half	174	5.9	2.3	85
Round steak, bottom	182	6.5	2.3	79
Porterhouse steak	184	9.5	3.3	53
Ground beef (90/10%)	184	10	3.9	72
Beef brisket	185	8.6	3.1	79
Beef ribs	202	11	4.5	69
Ground beef (80/20%)	230	15	5.7	77

Beef vs. Bison

Bison (or the American Buffalo) has a similar taste and texture as beef, but is leaner in fat and lower in calories. For example, a cooked serving of ground bison contains 152 calories, 7 grams of fat and 3 grams of saturated fat, compared to ground beef, which provides 210 calories, 13 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat on average. While there is a lot of variety in the diets of most American cattle, bison are generally grass-fed and are not given antibiotics or hormones. However, inspection is mandatory for beef, but not for bison. Bison is also not graded by the USDA, which is voluntary for beef.

More Motivation - Exercise lowers cancer risk

If all you had to do to lower your cancer risk was a brisk walk, would you take 30 minutes out of your day?

According to one cancer researcher, physical activity can curb your obesity risk, which in turn can reduce your odds of a life-threatening cancer.

About 35.7 percent of U.S. adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity has been linked to increased risk of chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.

In addition, the National Cancer Institute reports that obesity raises risk for cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, colon, breast (after menopause), endometrium (lining of the uterus), kidney, thyroid and gallbladder, with recent studies reporting increased rates of obesity-related cancers among Americans.

There are several reasons why obesity is such a major risk factor for cancer. Dr. Karen Basen-Engquist, director of MD Anderson's Center for Energy Balance in Cancer Prevention and Survivorship in Houston, Texas, told CBSNews.com that obesity can cause metabolic dysfunction, or disrupt how your body uses the energy from the foods that you eat. Obesity is also known to increase inflammation by interrupting the process of cytokines, which are small molecules that help cells send signals to each other.

In addition, obesity can affect sex hormones. In the case of estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, having more fat tissue may increase the amount of estrogen, which in turn can fuel the growth of these tumors, she added.

The CDC recommends that adults get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity workouts or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week, in addition to strength-training exercises. Basen-Engquist said studies show that a good benchmark to aim for is 30 to 60 minutes a day -- and all you might have to do is walk.

"When we're talking about moderate-intensity exercise, we're talking about doing exercise kind of at the level of a brisk walk," Basen-Engquist explained. "So, your heart rate goes up, you're breathing a little bit faster, but you're not doing an all-out run."

One simple way to tell if you're exercising hard enough is that you should be able to talk to the person next to you during moderate-intensity exercise, but you won't be able to sing, Basen-Engquist said. If you are exercising vigorously, you'll be able to chat, but it will probably be two or three words at a time.

Also, you don't have to work out all at once. Studies show breaking up your workouts into manageable time chunks still may provide health benefits.

"It's important to know even if you do (exercise) in 10 minute bouts throughout the day you can still benefit from that," she said.

Studies show that time may pay off: Women who worked out 10 hours or more a week reduced their breast cancer risk by 30 percent according to a 2012 study in Cancer.

What may be most important is you don't stay sedentary all day. A July 2012 study showed that sitting less than three hours a day may add up to two years to your life. Long periods of sitting has been tied to increased risk of weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and certain forms of cancer including colorectal, ovarian and endometrial, Basen-Engquist said.

"We've been finding out that independent of that time you spend exercising, there's also are negative effects of the time we spent sitting," she said.
© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Workout at Home

Exercise 1: Bodyweight Squat

Stand as tall as you can with your feet spread slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold your arms straight out in front of your body at shoulder level, so that your arms parallel to the floor [A]. Keep your torso as upright as you can for the entire movement, with your lower back slightly arched. Brace your abs, and lower your body as far as you can by pushing your hips back and bending your knees [B]. Pause, then push yourself back to the starting position. That's one repetition. Do 15 to 20 repetitions.

Exercise 2: Incline Push-up

Assume a push-up position, but place your hands placed on a raised surface—such as a box, bench, ottoman or one of the steps of your stairs—instead of the floor. Your body should form a straight line from your ankles to your head [A]. Keeping your body rigid, lower your body until your upper arms dip below your elbows. Pause, and then push yourself back to the starting position as quickly as possible [B]. (The higher the surface on which you place your hands, the easier the exercise becomes—you can even lean against a wall if you need to.) If the incline push-up is too easy, do it the old-fashioned way, with your hands on the floor. Do 12 to 15 repetitions.

Exercise 3: Hip Raise

 

Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your arms out to your sides at a 45-degree angle, your palms facing up. Now try to make your tummy as skinny as possible and hold it that way—this gives you a tight core—while breathing normally. That's the starting position [A]. Keeping your core tight, squeeze your glutes and raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Pause for five seconds—squeezing your glutes tightly the entire time—then lower body back to the starting position [B]. Do 10 repetitions.

Exercise 4: Side Plank 

Lie on your right side with your knees straight. Prop your upper body on your right elbow and forearm, which should be directly below your right shoulder. Place your left hand on your left hip. Try to make your tummy as skinny as possible and hold it that way—this gives you a tight core—while breathing normally. Then raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. With your core tight, hold this position for 30 seconds. Roll onto your other side and repeat.
If the side plank is too difficult, hold for five seconds, rest for five seconds, and repeat as many times as needed to total 30 seconds. Each time you perform the exercise, try to hold each repetition a little longer, so that you reach your 30-second goal with fewer repetitions.

If that's still too hard, bend your knees 90 degrees and allow your lower legs to rest on the floor as you do the exercise. (Your body will now form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.)

Last week in my Farm share from ten lakes farm in eureka I had zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes.  This was the perfect recipe to use them up in one dish and it was yummy.  Enjoy!!     Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons dried parsley 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional) 2 zucchini, sliced 1 large onion, sliced into rings 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 1 green bell pepper, sliced 2 large tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat bottom and sides of a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
2.	Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic until lightly browned. Mix in parsley and eggplant. Cook and stir until eggplant is soft, about 10 minutes.
3.	Spread eggplant mixture evenly across bottom of prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Spread zucchini in an even layer over top. Sprinkle with a little more cheese. Continue layering in this fashion, with onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and tomatoes, covering each layer with a sprinkling of cheese.
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Cabbage Fruit Salad

This is one of my favorite, light summer recipes.  Enjoy!!

2 each – Medium Apples 4 cup – Green and/or Red cabbage, raw 0.25 cup – Currants or raisins 1 cup – Red or Green Grapes 1 tbsp  - Honey 1 tbsp – Lemon Juice 2 each - Oranges 1/4 cup almond milk, or milk of your choice 1/2 cup – Grapeseed Veganaise, light mayo or plain yogurt 1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped

Chop oranges and apples. Cut grapes in half. In a large bowl, toss cabbage, oranges, apples, grapes and currants. Cover and refrigerate.  In a small bowl, combine the veganaise or yogurt, almond milk, lemon juice and honey; cover and refrigerate.  Just before serving, stir dressing and walnuts into salad.