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Welcome
to the latest issue of “Making the Healthy Choice
the Easy Choice.”
Each
month you will find information you can use on a monthly
topic, healthy eating, recipes and more! I welcome your
feed back and questions. Please send them to janet@nourishyourlife.com.
Thank
you!
“Making the
Healthy Choice the Easy Choice”
May, 2004
Welcome to the May 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
May is the
month to connect with nature.
Every year, on
May 1st, I would venture out into the far corner our
backyard to pick a bouquet of lilacs for my mom. I
remember connecting with our lilac bush as I searched
for the best blossoms with the sweetest fragrance. After
picking the “best bunch”, I would run as fast as I
could, back into the house, to present Mom with my
bouquet. She was always delighted by this gift. Together
we would find a vase, fill it with water from the
kitchen faucet, and place it in the middle of the
kitchen table. The fragrance filled our little kitchen
and our connection with this fragrance lasted for many
days.
Along with
lilacs in May, grows the amazing mushroom! Seems like
they just appear overnight! Have you ever gone mushroom
picking? Morels are the most popular of mushrooms to
discover. (Please be careful, though,-many mushrooms are
actually poisonous to eat!)
My challenge for you this month is to go on an adventure
in nature. I just completed a series of teleclasses with
Deb Martin, PCC, PMC, focusing on developing our own
adventure in nature. Wow! She is incredible! For more
information about Deb, just go to
www.portagecoach.com. If you are an Adventurer, you
will certainly want to hook up with her.
Where will my
adventure lead me? Maybe venturing out to find our old
lilac bush; maybe a search for mushrooms; maybe I will
take a pilgrimage to find the camp that I attended as a
child; hmmm…or, maybe all three…
Where will YOUR
adventure take YOU to? Write to me at
janet@nourishyourlife.com I would LOVE to hear from
you.
Quote for
the month:
“When nature
has work to be done, she creates a genius to do it.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Healthy eating in May
Have you
noticed the variety of mushrooms now available?
Everything from the most-familiar button mushroom to the
exotic lobster mushroom. Portobello’s are great for
stuffing-especially (of course) with quinoa! (See
recipe) Mushrooms are low calorie, fat-free, and an
excellent source of phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and
selenium. Remember: they must be cooked to release the
vitamins and minerals.
Health
benefits
“Scientists
have only recently confirmed what ancient cultures have
known for centuries: mushrooms have within them some of
the most potent medicines found in nature.” (Mycomedicinals
by Paul Stamets) A fascinating book that reports
various forms of mushrooms and targeted therapeutic
effects such as: anti-bacterial, anti-candida,
anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-viral,
lower blood pressure, blood sugar moderator,
cardiovascular, cholesterol reducer, immune enhancer,
kidney tonic, liver tonic, lungs/respiratory, nerve
tonic, sexual potentiator, and stress reducer. WOW!
For more info,
read his book, or email me at
janet@nourishyourlife.com
My challenge for you this month is to try three
different kinds of mushrooms. Choose ones that you have
never tried before. Which ones will they be?
Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Quinoa
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 large
Portobello mushrooms, cleaned
½ cup quinoa
1 cup water, vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 TBL olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup carrot, finely chopped or shredded
½ cup onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to
350 degrees
Rinse quinoa before cooking to remove the coating of a
bitter substance called saponins.
Bring water or broth to a boil
Stir in quinoa, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10
minutes or until wall water is absorbed.
While quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet; on
medium-low heat, sauté garlic, onions and carrots until
onions are soft. (If heat is too high, the garlic will
become bitter.)
Add to cooked quinoa, stirring in gently.
Salt and pepper to taste
Fill Portobello mushrooms with mixture. Pat down gently.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until
mushrooms are throughly cooked. Or: try grilling them!
Enjoy!
Variations: Add
left over meat, poultry, or fish for a main dish. Add
any other vegetables that you enjoy. Top with a small
amount of cheese.
Nutrition
facts: (based on using water for quinoa)
140 calories; 20 grams carbohydrates; 4.5 grams protein;
4 grams (healthy) fat;
4.5 grams fiber
Have you seen
our new Community Boards?
Click here to ask a
question or provide your input!
A special welcome to Two Dogs Running Athletes. Have a
great run!!!!
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