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 realize the power of one good habit!
I read the most
amazing book last week; it was written by Zonya Foco, RD
and a novelist, Stephen Moss. Zonya is a dear friend and
colleague of mine. But even if she wasn’t, I would have
LOVED the book just as much! Water with Lemon is a
health novel with nutrition, health and weight loss
information woven into the story. It is based on the
concept of the power of one good habit; and as one habit
is added to another, the transformation that occurs in
gaining health! Notice, please, that I said GAINING
HEALTH…This is NOT a diet book!!!! It is a gaining
health book…and if weight loss (or lower cholesterol,
blood sugar, blood pressure) is needed for you to gain
health, then this is what the power of one (actually
there are a total of eight)good habit will guide you in
accomplishing.
Truth be told:
I have read the book twice…both times I could not put it
down…the fictional part is totally engaging, and the
information is absolutely right on track!
Want to read
the book too? Just go to
www.zonya.com where the first two chapters are
posted for free, plus ordering information. And …while
you are at it-order one for everyone you know that could
use help with health issues. I think I will order ten
cases…
Quote for
the month:
"Sow a thought,
and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character,
and you reap a destiny."
Charles Reader
What will be
YOUR destiny, based on the power of one good habit!?
Write to us at
janet@nourishyourlife.com. We would LOVE to hear
from you!
My challenge
for you this month is to incorporate one new habit
into your life; a habit that will move you forward to
gaining health! Write to us at
janet@nourishyourlife.com.. We welcome (and
appreciate) your comments!
Healthy
eating in February: Lemons!
“Lemons,
scientifically known as Citrus limon, are more commonly
known as the fruit that evokes images of sunshine and
the sweet smiles of children standing roadside at their
homemade lemonade stands.” (WHfoods.com)
Health
Benefits
Lemons are an
excellent source of Vitamin C, one of the most important
antioxidants in nature.
It travels
through the body and neutralizes the free radicals that
it comes into contact with. “Free radicals can interact
with the healthy cells of the body, damaging them and
their membranes, and also cause a lot of inflammation,
or painful swelling, in the body. This is one of the
reasons that vitamin C has been shown to be helpful for
reducing some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis. Since free radicals can damage
blood vessels and can change cholesterol to make it more
likely to build up in artery walls, vitamin C can be
helpful for preventing the development and progression
of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease.” (WHfoods.com)
In addition to
being an excellent source of vitamin C, “Lemons contain
unique flavonoid compounds that have antioxidant and
anti-cancer properties. While these flavonoids have been
shown to stop cell division in many cancer cell lines,
they are perhaps most interesting for their antibiotic
effects. Several other fascinating research studies on
the healing properties of lemons have shown that cell
cycles-including the decision a cell makes about whether
to divide (called mitosis) or die (apoptosis-are altered
by lime juice, as are the activities of special immune
cells called monocytes.” (WHfoods.com)
“Vitamin C is
also vital to the function of a strong immune system.
The immune system's main goal is to protect you from
illness, so a little extra vitamin C may be useful in
conditions like colds, flu's, and recurrent ear
infections. Owing to the multitude of vitamin C's health
benefits, it is not surprising that research has shown
that consumption of vegetables and fruits high in this
nutrient is associated with a reduced risk of death from
all causes including heart disease, stroke and cancer.”
(WHfoods.com)
My challenge
for you this month is to drink water with lemon AND
try a new recipe that includes lemon! Need an idea? Try
this one! This is a recipe that I found in Cooking
Light. It is a little longer than our other recipes, but
well worth the time!
The original
recipe was for 10 servings. I cut the ingredients in
half.
Black
Bean-Quinoa Salad with Basil-Lemon Dressing
From
Cooking Light.com:
Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain.
Edamame makes a tasty substitute for lima beans in this
recipe. For an attractive presentation, serve the salad
on a bed of baby greens or spinach.
¾ cups uncooked
quinoa
1 ½ cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson
Certified Organic)
½ (14-ounce) package reduced-fat firm tofu, cut into
1/4-inch cubes
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoons salt, divided
½ cup chopped fresh basil
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoons grated lemon rind
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic cloves, minced
½ (10-ounce) package frozen baby lima beans
2 cups chopped tomato (about 2 medium)
¼ cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped carrot
½ (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (my
personal preference is Eden brand. Js)
Combine quinoa
and vegetable broth in a saucepan; bring to a boil over
medium-high heat.
Cover, reduce
heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until broth is absorbed
and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat.
Place tofu on
several layers of paper towels; cover with additional
paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes. Heat ½ tablespoon oil
in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add
tofu; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Sauté tofu 9
minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; cool
completely.
Combine
remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining ½ teaspoon salt,
basil, and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a
large bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Stir in
quinoa.
Cook lima beans
according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
Cool completely. Add the lima beans, tofu, chopped
tomato, green onions, chopped carrot, and black beans to
quinoa mixture; stir gently to combine. Store, covered,
in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 232(24% from fat); FAT 6.2g (sat 0.6g,mono
3.7g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 9.8g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg;
CALCIUM 68mg; SODIUM 722mg; FIBER 6.7g; IRON 3.8mg;
CARBOHYDRATE 35.1g
Maureen Callahan
Cooking Light, MARCH 2006
