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Welcome to the
February 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!
February is
the month to dream.
When we think
of February, Valentines Day (with its theme of love) and
chocolate
typically comes to mind...and what better time
to add dreaming to our month of February.
What would your
life look like, if you lived the life of your dreams?
Perhaps, I will
first ask:
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Do you have a
dream?
-
Is it a dream
you have had since childhood?
-
Or one that was
imagined on a summers evening…
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Do you own your
dream or have you shared it with others?
Last month, we
talked about a theme for the year; and mine was
“excellence.” As we broke down our themes’, to areas and
goals, I shared that one of my goals is to complete a
triathlon. (See the
January, 2005 Newsletter will open in a new window.)
Completing a
Triathlon is not only one of my goals for “excellence”
in health and physical fitness, but more importantly, it
is one of my DREAMS.
Marcia Weider,
Americas Dream Coach (as proclaimed by Oprah) is an
amazing author, speaker and visionary. In her book,
“Making Your Dreams Come True,” she offers a formula:
1. Get clear
about what your dream is;
2. Remove the obstacles, especially the limiting
beliefs; and 3. Design the simple steps to make your
dream happen.
I highly
recommend this book to you, and also, visit her website
www.dreamcoach.com for more information and
inspiration.
Now, what is
YOUR dream? Write to me at
janet@nourishyourlife.com. I would LOVE to hear
about it.
My challenge
for you this month is to dream amazing dreams. Remember
the song “Happy Talk”? Somewhere in that song is a line:
“You’ve got to have a dream, if you are going to make
your dream come true.”
Quote for
the month:
“Go confidently
in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have
imagined.” (Henry David Thoreau)
Healthy eating in February is chocolate!
Yes, I said
“chocolate.” Eating a small amount of chocolate each
day-about one ounce-is actually a health benefit for
most people. Dark chocolate is the healthiest, and
chocolate made with cocoapro, even healthier. Quite
often the problem is stopping at a small amount.
Just something to consider…
One of the
major ingredients found in cocoa is theobromine.
Theobromine is a gentle stimulant that is a chemical
similar to the structure of caffeine. Theobromine
triggers the release of endorphins in your brain.
(Endorphins are a chemical that makes you “feel good.”)
Anandamide,
another ingredient found in cocoa, stimulates the
receptors found in the brain, the same as addictive
substances, such as marijuana. And…phenylethlamine,
another chemical in cocoa, triggers feelings similar to
those of falling in love…(Yale-New Haven and Good Foods
Glossary).
Health benefits
Yes, chocolate,
is high in fat. But, one third of the saturated fat is
stearic acid, which does not raise cholesterol; and
another third of the fat is the unsaturated fat which is
called oleic acid and is actually beneficial to your
health. Chocolate is a good source of magnesium and
iron; contains some protein and B vitamins, and is rich
in flavonoids –which benefit heart health.
My challenge
for you this month is to enjoy a small amount of
chocolate, a few times a week, guilt-free!
A recipe for
chocolate and quinoa? But of course!
After searching
and testing many ideas for recipes, my favorite is the
simplest.
Chocolate-Quinoa Parfait
Makes 4
servings
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups chocolate pudding
Your chocolate pudding can be store-bought, canned,
packaged or home-made.
1 cup whipped topping of your choice
4 Maraschino cherries
Directions
Rinse quinoa
before cooking to remove the coating of a bitter
substance called saponins.
Bring water to
a boil.
Stir in quinoa,
cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or
until all of the water is absorbed.
Allow to cool.
Layer, pudding,
quinoa, pudding and whipped topping.
Garnish with
maraschino cheery
Enjoy!
Nutrition
facts: Because of the differences in puddings and
whipped toppings, the nutrition facts can not be
accurately calculated.
Do you know of someone who would benefit from this
information?
We welcome you to pass it on.
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