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 tell your mom “I love you.”
May is, of
course, the month of Mother’s Day! The one day of the
year when we honor our Moms! What do you remember most
about your mom? Did she teach you how to bake cookies?
To always tell the truth? Did she enroll you in “the
clean plate club?”
I think
what I remember most about my mom is that she was
always home when my brother and I got home from
school, and there was always a homemade snack waiting
for us. Sometimes it was cookies (usually chocolate
chip) or a slice of homemade bread with homemade
butter. Sometimes it was popcorn or potato chips. I
remember that she even made homemade potato chips.
Even more than that, I remember the secure feeling of
knowing that she would be there, in her apron, when we
walked in the front door. (As I write this, I wish to
fully acknowledge that many moms are not able to be at
home when their kids come home; and fully embrace that
security comes from a mom’s love that is shown day by
day.) My mom now lives in our Heavenly Father’s home.
I wish I had told her this before she left our earthly
home. But, Mom, I know that you know…and I thank you
and love you even more…
What do
YOU most remember about YOUR mom? We would LOVE to
hear about it!
Write to
us at
janet@nourishyourlife.com.
My challenge for you this month is to share with your
mom your best memories of the two of you. It can be in
a letter, a prayer, having a cup of tea, or sitting
around the dinner table with your family…and don’t
forget to say, “I love you” not just on Mother’s Day,
but every day…
Quote for
the month:
Hundreds
of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George
Cooper
Healthy
eating in May: Artichokes!
Artichokes
are an amazing vegetable and available in many forms.
We have seen the whole artichoke in the produce
section of the grocery store; they are GREAT steamed
and stuffed!!! They are also popular as marinated
artichoke hearts (found in glass jars or cans in the
vegetable section) and used in salads. My favorite is
the frozen artichoke quarters. They are so easy to
just thaw and steam, boil, broil or even grill! I love
them plain, on pizza in casseroles, and salads. Their
history and nutrition is equally interesting.
Oceanmist.com tells us:
The ancients considered artichokes to have many
benefits. Artichokes, including leaves, were thought
to be an aphrodisiac, a diuretic, a breath freshener
and even a deodorant. Decoctions of artichoke leaves
have been used as blood cleansers, cholerics, to
improve bile production and secretion and to detox the
liver and the skin.
The new,
to this era, information about phytochemicals
contained in vegetables and fruits is confirming some
of these ancient claims. Research is now underway to
determine the phytochemicals in artichokes, and work
continues to define the role these phytochemicals play
in maintaining good health and preventing disease.
Current research is showing benefits to the liver from
cynarin, a compound found in the artichoke's leaves.
Silymarin is another compound found in artichokes that
has powerful anitoxidant properties and may help the
liver regenerate healthy tissue.
Artichokes
are nutrient dense, so, for the 25 calories in a
medium artichoke, you're getting 16 essential
nutrients!
Artichokes provide the important minerals magnesium,
chromium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, iron and
calcium. For example, that 25 calorie artichoke
provides 6% of the Recommended Daily Value of
phosphorus, 10% of magnesium, 8% of manganese, 10% of
chromium, 5% of potassium, 4% of iron and 2% of
calcium and iron.
In
addition to all these important minerals, artichokes
are a good source of fiber (12% of the RDV), vitamin C
(10% of the RDV), and folate (10% of the RDV).
Artichokes
are low in calories and sodium, have no fat and no
cholesterol.
All this
means that artichokes, as a part of a low-fat,
high-fiber diet, can help reduce the risk of certain
types of heart disease, cancers and birth defects.
My
challenge for you this month is to try different
forms of the artichoke at least twice this month. Ideas
for a recipe? Try this one:
Quinoa
with artichoke
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 cup
quinoa
2 cups water or vegetable broth
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and slightly
chopped
8 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) chopped
1 green onion, thinly slice
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. Heat olive oil in a skillet, sauté carrots,
artichoke hearts and garlic (do not overcook garlic-it
will become bitter)
5. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat through.
6. ENJOY!!!
Nutrition
facts: 4, 6 servings: 206, 137calories: 40, 26g carbs,
7.5, 5g protein, 5, 3.5g fat,
