Welcome to the April 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!
April is the
month to renew your Spirit!
Have you taken
a fresh look at your Spiritual life lately? What do you
feel? Sense? Envision?, as you ponder your relationship
with your higher power, whom I call God. Is it the God
of your childhood? Of rote memory? What do you long for
it to be? April is the perfect month for Christians to
examine their relationship with God, as we celebrate
Easter. I know that other religions have holidays also
this month, and I apologize that I am not educated on
them. But, for those of us who are religious or not, we
all live with a Soul deep inside.
Cheryl
Richardson writes about a “Soul Makeover.” She asks:
“Does your spiritual life feel stale?” (If so) “It is
time to redefine the connection you have with the
Divine. I offer her ACTION PLAN FOR SPIRITUAL RENEWAL.
Take what is meaningful to you and set aside the rest.
1. Revisit your
roots. Identify the practices and insights from your
past spiritual experiences that you still value. Take
the gifts from your past and incorporate them into your
new spiritual vision.
2. Fire your
old God. (This one I am personally not-so-sure-of…)If
your relationship with a higher power no longer feels
authentic, create a new one. Consider giving some of
those notions you learned in childhood an overhaul as
you chart a new spiritual course.
3. Check in
daily. Keep a collection of your favorite spiritual
books close at hand for easy access-your glove
compartment, bedside table, handbag, office file drawer.
Read a paragraph or two everyday to ensure you always
stay connected to your spirit.
4. Seek out a
community. While some people are more comfortable
keeping their spiritual practices private, others find
support in the company of like-minded souls.
5. Bring spirit
to work. Set an intention that reflects how your work
serves the world, and begin each day with that thought.
Establish simple daily practices, too, such as keeping a
lit candle on your desk or playing soulful music in your
office. You might even start a weekly meditation group
during lunch.
What do you
think of Cheryl’s suggestions?
What is YOUR
plan for spiritual renewal????
We would LOVE
to hear about it! Write to us at
janet@nourishyourlife.com.
My challenge
for you this month is to revisit your spiritual
practices. Which ones still have meaning? Have any
become a “habit” and need to be renewed? Is a new
practice calling to your heart and soul? Write to me at
janet@nourishyourlife.com. We would be honored to
hear about it.
Quote for the month:
“We are not
human beings on a Spiritual journey; we are Spiritual
beings on a human journey.” Stephen Covey
Healthy
eating in April
Fresh green
peas! They are just showing up in our grocery stores; I
love the Spring-green color and fresh aroma…Don’t you?
Peas are actually a legume. They grow in a pod, which,
unless picked VERY young, is inedible. WHfoods, one of
my favorite websites tells us:
Green peas provide nutrients that are important for
maintaining bone health. They are a very good source of
vitamin K1, which activates osteocalcin, the major
non-collagen protein in bone. Osteocalcin anchors
calcium molecules inside of the bone. Therefore, without
enough vitamin K1, osteocalcin levels are inadequate and
bone mineralization is impaired.
Green peas also
serve as a very good source of folic acid and a good
source of vitamin B6. These two nutrients help to reduce
the buildup of a metabolic byproduct called homocysteine,
a dangerous molecule can obstruct collagen
cross-linking, resulting in poor bone matrix and
osteoporosis. One study showed that postmenopausal women
who were not considered deficient in folic acid lowered
their homocysteine levels simply by supplementing with
folic acid by itself.
Help Your
Heart by Passing the Peas, Please
In addition to
affecting bone health, homocysteine contributes to
atherosclerosis through its ability to damage the blood
vessels, keeping them in a constant state of injury.
Therefore the folic acid and vitamin B6 in green peas
are supportive of cardiovascular health as well. In
fact, folic acid is so important for cardiovascular
function that a major 1995 study concluded that 400
micrograms per day of folic acid could prevent 28,000
cardiovascular deaths per year in the United States.
The
contributions of green peas to heart health do not stop
there. The vitamin K featured in green peas is
instrumental to the body's healthy blood clotting
ability.
Contributions to Energy and Overall Wellness
Green peas are
one of the important foods to include in your diet if
you oftentimes feel fatigued and sluggish. That is
because they provide nutrients that help support the
energy-producing cells and systems of the body.
Green peas a
very good source of thiamin-vitamin B1 and a good source
of vitamin B6, riboflavin-vitamin B2 and niacin-vitamin
B3, all of which are nutrients that are necessary for
carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism. Green peas
are also a good source of iron, a mineral necessary for
normal blood cell formation and function, whose
deficiency results in anemia, fatigue, decreased immune
function, and learning problems. In addition, green peas
are a very good source of vitamin C, which protects many
energy-producing cells and systems in the body from free
radical damage. Body tissues with particularly high
vitamin C requirements include the adrenal glands,
ocular lens, liver, immune system, connective tissues,
and fats circulating in the blood.
Peas Promote
Optimal Health
Green peas provide nutrients, including vitamin C, which
are instrumental in helping to prevent the development
of cancer. A high intake of vitamin C has been shown to
reduce the risks for virtually all forms of cancer,
including leukemia, lymphoma, and lung, colorectal, and
pancreatic cancers as well as sex hormone-related
cancers like breast, prostate, cervix, and ovarian
cancers. Vitamin C is your body's first and most
effective line of antioxidant protection. Vitamin C
protects cell structures like DNA from damage; it helps
the body deal with environmental pollution and toxic
chemicals; it enhances immune function, and it inhibits
the formation of cancer-causing compounds in the body
(such as the nitrosamines, chemicals produced when the
body digests processed meats containing nitrates).
My challenge
for you this month is to find some peas, still in their
pods, (a Farmers Market will typically have them), and
spend family time shelling the peas and sharing
memories-(or creating new ones), on the newness of
Spring and the newness of peas still in their pods.
Need a recipe for peas? How about this one!
Toasted
Quinoa salad with Peas
Serves 4
Salad
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or vegetable broth
1 cup *fresh or frozen
1 red pepper, diced
Directions
1. Rinse quinoa
before cooking to remove the coating of a bitter
substance called saponins.
2. Dry toast in a skillet until grains begin to pop.
3. Bring water or broth to a boil.
4. Stir in quinoa, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes.
5. Add peas and red pepper
6. Continue to simmer (about 3 minutes) until peas and
red pepper are heated through and all of the liquid is
absorbed.
7. ENJOY!
*If you use
fresh peas, they need to be parboiled for about 15
minutes.
Nutrition facts: 4 servings: 215 calories: 38g carbs, 9
g protein, 3g fat,
