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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!
October
is the month of change
What
do you think of when your calendar says October? The
leaves changing color? Your wardrobe changing to warmer
clothes? For those of you in a temperate climate, what
does October mean to you?
October
is the first full month of autumn. Living in Michigan, I
think of the beauty of the leaves changing to shades of
red and gold; apple cider and homemade chili. What do
you think of? Do you welcome change? Or do you resist
it?
My
challenge for you this month is to observe all the
changes that you see in the month of October, and take
note if you welcome the changes or resist them. How does
this apply to other areas of your life when change
occurs? Journal about your discoveries. Write me about
your experience at janet@nourishyourlife.com.
Quote
for the month:
You
must be the change you wish to see in the world.
(Mahatma Ghandi)
Healthy
eating in October
There
is something about October and Chili that just seems to
“go together.” Perhaps it is my memories of
Halloween and my mom always serving us chili before we
went out in the cold to “keep our bones warm.” Do
you make chili? There are as many recipes for chili as
there are kitchens…and with tomatoes being the main
ingredient, many health benefits in addition to its
ability to “warm our bones.”
Health
benefits
The
tomato, thought of as a vegetable, but botanically a
fruit, has been a hot topic in the news lately. The
reason? A phytochemical called lycopene. “Studies have
shown lycopene to be a more potent disease-fighting
anti-oxidant than beta-carotene…alpha-carotene, and
vitamin E-all anti-oxidant superstars.” (The health
benefits of tomatoes, runsandiego)
Virginia
Tech reports: “A growing body of research shows that
lycopene, one of the major carotenoids in the American
and European diets, provides a variety of important
health benefits. Lycopene consumption has been shown to
reduce the risk of:
- digestive
tract cancers (including esophageal and
colon),
- prostate
cancer in men
- breast
cancer in women.
Evidence
is building to suggest that lycopene consumption may
also reduce the risks of: cervical cancer, heart
disease, infertility, and osteoporosis.”
The
best way to eat tomatoes, to receive these benefits, is
in cooked tomato products. When tomatoes are cooked, the
lycopene-containing cells burst open, and the
phytochemical is then more absorbable by the body. Hmmm….sounds
like chili to me! How about you?
My
challenge for you this month is to discover how many
ways you can include cooked tomatoes into your meals.
Even ketchup counts! Have a great recipe? Send it to me
at janet@nourishyourlife.com
and I
will share it with our readers.
While
you are discovering new ways to eat tomatoes, try this
recipe for Chili with Quinoa.
Chili
with Quinoa
Serves 6
Ingredients
1
Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1-2 cloves finely mince garlic
2 Tablespoons chili powder (or to taste)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 15-16 oz can tomato sauce
1 15-16 oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can black beans
1 cup cooked quinoa
(Click here for basic
how to cook quinoa recipe)
Directions
1.
Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan and sauté onions
until softened.
2. Add garlic and cook gently on low heat. (High heat
will cause garlic to overcook and become bitter.)
3. Stir in chili powder, corn, tomato sauce and diced
tomatoes. Fill one tomato can with water (about 2
cups) and stir in.
4. Cook, covered, over low heat for about 30 minutes.
5. Add more water, depending on the thickness you
prefer.
6. Add black beans and heat through.
7. Ladle into bowls and top with scoop of quinoa.
Tip:
Or try your own favorite chili recipe with a scoop of
quinoa on top.
Nutrition
facts:
Serving
size: 1 cup= 145 calories, 20 grams carbohydrates, 7
grams protein, 3.5 grams fat
For
more Quinoa recipes, please go to
recipes.
I
welcome your comments and questions about this recipe.
Please send them to janet@nourishyourlife.com
Thank
you
Janet
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