Welcome to the
October issue of “Making the Healthy Choice the Easy
Choice.”
I welcome your
feedback and questions. Please send them to
Janet@nourishyourlife.com Thank you!
October is the month for
reading.
As we journey
from September to October; from warmth to coolness (at
least in Michigan) and long days to long nights; we
yearn for the comforts of a good book. To me, reading is
the perfect pastime when we can no longer “go out and
play.” There is just “something” about curling up with a
good book while listening to the autumn winds and
watching the colors change on our oak trees… Oprah has a
book club and each month or so she posts her favorite
book. Are you a member of a book club?
What do you
most enjoy about reading?
- The
storyline?
- The
plot?
-
Information shared?
-
Opinions announced?
- How
about the friendly feel of a book?
- All of
those?
- Any
others?
Write to us at
janet@nourishyourlife.com We would LOVE to hear your
comments!
My challenge
for you this month is to pick up that book you have been
“meaning to read.” Or, go to the library and find a
brand new one. Have a bookstore nearby? Spend an
afternoon just browsing all of the different books and
topics that there are!
Quote for
the month:
“When I only
begin to read, I forget I’m on this world. It lifts me
upon wings with high thoughts.” Anzia Yerierska.
Healthy
eating in October:
Figs! Most of
us think of figs as the leaf part worn by Adam and Eve
in the bible…But, figs are much, much more! Figs begin
to come in season about the middle of June and are at
their peak from September until the end of October.
There are many different varieties of figs; 720
varieties to be exact. The ones most common to us are
the purple–brown Mission fig, and the tan colored
calimyrna fig.
Choose figs
when they are plump and soft; they will yield to
pressure with the slightest touch. Figs only last about
a week in your refrigerator, and just a few days on your
counter top.
Health
benefits:
Figs are the
best source of calcium of all fruits and vegetables.
They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber which is
important for digestive and cardiovascular health. One
fig has more polyphenols (which help to fight
free-radicals in your body) than a cup of green tea.
They even contain Omega-3 fatty acids which are shown to
support heart and brain function. (source:Body&Soul;Fabulous
Figs by Kelly Walsh.)
On fresh fig
has 37 calories, 0.4gm protein, 9.6gm carbs and 0.1gm
fat.
My challenge
for you this month is to eat at least one (or two)
different kinds of figs.
Try them plain,
try them stuffed, try them dried, try them as many
different ways as you can think of. And...of course…try
them with quinoa!
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, reduce heat and simmer for
10-15 minutes or until wall water is absorbed.
4. While quinoa is cooking, cut figs in half lengthwise
5. With the back of a spoon, press an indentation into
each cut-side of the fig.
6. Fill each indentation with cream cheese (about 1
teaspoon in each)
7. Warm honey slowly over low heat; whisk in cinnamon
and nutmeg
8. Divide quinoa onto four dishes; arrange four
fig-halves on the quinoa
9. Drizzle with spiced honey and sprinkle with chopped
walnuts.
10. ENJOY!
