Welcome to the January issue
of “Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice.” Here you
will find information you can use on a timely topic,
healthy eating, recipes and more! I welcome your
feedback and questions. Please send them to
Janet@nourishyourlife.com Thank you!
January is the month to
set an intention.
Got your New Years
Resolutions set? Nope? Me either…
Statistics show that 50%
of Resolutions are broken within one week, 75% within
two weeks, and 90% within one month.
I would much rather set an
intention each day…one that will lift up my day to a
higher level; rather than weigh it down with “I have
to, I should of or why didn’t I…”
So, beginning January 1st,
each morning when I awake, I shall set an intention
for that day. It may be to smile at a stranger, or
perhaps run three miles. How about an intention to eat
9 fruits and vegetables or clean out the top drawer of
my desk.
I found a wonderful Quote
for the month that has inspired me (and I hope you) to
set an intention that will lift my day to an even
higher level:
“Live with intention;
walk to the edge, listen hard, practice wellness,
play with abandon, laugh, choose with no regret,
appreciate your friends, continue to learn, do what
you love, live as if this is all there is.”
Mary Anne
Radmacher
What intention will you
choose for January 1st?
Write to us at
janet@nourishyourlife.com. We would LOVE to hear
your intention!
My challenge for you this
month is to set one intention each morning in January.
Perhaps it will be small,
such as “say good morning to the first three people I
see when I walk into the office” or a biggie such as
“throw away all junk food from my frig, freezer and
pantry.”
What did you discover
about setting an intention? Write to us at
janet@nourishyourlife.com.. We welcome (and
appreciate) your comments!
Healthy eating in
January: Cumin
Cumin is a spice, and
“although the small cumin seed looks rather
unassuming, its nutty peppery flavor packs a punch
when it comes to adding a nutty and peppery flavor to
chili and other Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes as well
playing an important role in Indian and Middle Eastern
cuisine where it is a key component of curry powder.
Both whole and ground cumin are available year-round.
Cumin seeds resemble
caraway seeds, being oblong in shape, longitudinally
ridged, and yellow-brown in color. This is not
surprising as both cumin and caraway, as well as
parsley and dill, belong to the same plant family (Umbelliferae).”
www.WHfoods.com
This article goes on to say:
Health Benefits of
Cumin
It is probably not just
for taste alone that cumin has made it into the
stellar ranks of Indian, Middle Eastern and Mexican
cooking. This ordinary looking seed is anything but
ordinary when it comes to health benefits.
Iron for Energy and
Immune Function
Cumin seeds, whose scientific name is Cuminum cyminum,
are a very good source of iron, a mineral that plays
many vital roles in the body. Iron is an integral
component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from
the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key
enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism.
Additionally, iron is instrumental in keeping your
immune system healthy. Iron is particularly important
for menstruating women, who lose iron each month
during menses. Additionally, growing children and
adolescents have increased needs for iron, as do women
who are pregnant or lactating.
Seeds of Good
Digestion
Cumin seeds have traditionally been noted to be of
benefit to the digestive system, and scientific
research is beginning to bear out cumin's age-old
reputation. Research has shown that cumin may
stimulate the secretion of pancreatic enzymes,
compounds necessary for proper digestion and nutrient
assimilation.
Cancer Prevention
Cumin seeds may also have anti-carcinogenic
properties. In one study, cumin was shown to protect
laboratory animals from developing stomach or liver
tumors. This cancer-protective effect may be due to
cumin's potent free radical scavenging abilities as
well as the ability it has shown to enhance the
liver's detoxification enzymes. Yet, since free
radical scavenging and detoxification are important
considerations for the general maintenance of
wellness, cumin's contribution to wellness may be even
more farther reaching.
Check out the website
www.WHfoods.com it has great info on many foods
and food topics!
My challenge for you this
month is to set an intention to try at least one
recipe using cumin. Need an idea? Of course! Try Quinoa
Corn Salad with Cumin.
Quinoa Corn Salad with
Cumin
Ingredients for salad:
¼ cup Quinoa
½ cup vegetable broth (either homemade or
pre-prepared)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn
Ingredients for dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon or
lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil ( I prefer extra virgin olive
oil)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
2 green onions, sliced (use the whole green onion)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions:
1. Rinse quinoa before
cooking to remove the coating of a bitter substance
called saponins.
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Stir in quinoa, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
4. While quinoa cooks, mix dressing ingredients
5. Add drained black beans, tomato and corn to cooked
quinoa
6. Cool and refrigerate.
7. When chilled, add dressing and serve
Nutrition facts: 4 servings:
309 calories; 44 carbs; 12 gm pro; 11 gm fat AND a
whopping 14 grams of fiber!
This recipe was adapted from
www.usaswimming.org. Check out this website for
great info re swimming!
