MEATLESS MONDAYS

                     Eat Better Breakfasts
Study after study proves that a morning meal is a body and brain booster. Today, I will offer you three options:

• Good:  Simply eating something every morning is important. Skipping breakfasts is linked to weight gain because long stretches without food slow metabolism and trigger late night overeating. Also, it is a missed opportunity to deliver key nutrients.
• Better:  lean protein like yogurt, milk, cheese, soy milk, eggs, or beans help you feel alert, and satiated, so it's the best way to feel on top of your game. Avoid sugary breakfasts, which offer a quick rush followed by an energy crash.
• Best: Aim for a balanced combo of fruit, whole grain, lean protein and plant- based fat loaded, with a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Good example: a bowl of berries, toasted oats, nonfat yogurt and sliced almonds.

Meatless Monday Recipe: ( adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi )

Pasta and Fried Zucchini Salad 

Time: 45 minutes

Salt and black pepper

2/3 cup sunflower oil

3 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3/4 cup frozen edamame

2 cups basil leaves, shredded coarsely

1/4 cup parsley leaves

1/3 cup olive oil

9 ounces whole wheat strozzapreti or whole wheat penne pasta

Zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 tablespoons capers

7 ounces buffalo mozzarella, torn into chunks.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a medium saucepan, heat sunflower oil over medium-high heat. Fry zucchini slices in batches (do not crowd them) for 3 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a colander to drain. Tip zucchini slices into a bowl, pour vinegar on top and stir, then set aside.

2. In the hot water, blanch edamame for 3 minutes; drain, refresh under running cold water and set aside to dry. Keep boiling water in pot.

3. In a food processor, combine half the basil, all of the parsley and the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and process until smooth.

4. In boiling water, cook pasta until al dente; drain and rinse under cold water. Return pasta to pot. Pour zucchini slices and their juices over pasta. Add edamame, basil sauce, lemon zest, capers and mozzarella. Stir together gently, then taste and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Before serving, stir in remaining basil.

Yield: 4 servings.  Enjoy!

Monday Motivator : Waiting for Someday

All the joy, passion, and contentment you can envision can be yours right now, rather than in some far-flung point in time. You need only remind yourself that there is nothing standing between you and fulfillment. If you decide that today is the day you will take your destiny into your hands, you will soon discover that you hold the keys of fate. 

Have a wonderful week and I hope you had a lovely weekend! What goals will you aim for this week?

Remember to send me your favorite "meatless' recipes. Eat Well, Eat Healthy and always enjoy life!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

Professional Wellness Coach

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

973-383-0955

“How we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used.”  ~ Wendell Berry ~

 
  

Wellness Thoughts ~ Vita-D3 ~

In Post-Menopausal Women, 'the Sunshine Vitamin' is One to Watch

Vitamin D is a hot topic in nutrition, and one that's become a focus in menopausal bone health.  There are two forms of the vitamin, D2 and D3 (cholecalciferol), with D3 the form best metabolized by the body. Vitamin D is found in foods such as fish, eggs, fortified milk and the old remedy, cod liver oil. 

Although this nutrient is found in foods, the greatest source for obtaining vitamin D is through the skin.  When bare skin is exposed to ultraviolet light, it synthesizes vitamin D3 that is then stored in the liver.  You only need 10-15 minutes of sun exposure during peak sun hours (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in most locations) during the summer months to produce up to 10,000 IUs of the nutrient.  After that short exposure you can continue with safe sun habits and slather on a broad-spectrum sunscreen. 

How much vitamin D do you need?  In the last few years, many experts and health organizations urged the Institute of Medicine to revisit the DRI set for vitamin D and re-evaluate the latest research. After a thorough review, the recommendations for vitamin D did go up by two or threefold in some age groups. The current Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin D (as of November 2010) is:

• Ages 1-70: 600 IU (International Units) daily
• Ages 71 and older: 800 IU daily
• Tolerable Upper Intake Level: ages 9 and up: 4000 IU daily

 Current research on vitamin D and its role in health suggests that there may be a correlation between low blood levels of this nutrient and the development of diseases such as osteoporosis, some cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease,hypertension, and even obesity and depression.  There are estimates that up to one half of all Americans are deficient in this vitamin, with an increased risk of deficiency in people who have one or more of these risk factors:

•  Dark skinned
•  Live in northern latitudes
•  Over the age of 50
•  Post-menopausal
•  A diet low in foods containing vitamin D
•  Fat malabsorption syndromes
•  Obesity
•  Inflammatory bowel disease

This fat-soluble vitamin plays an essential role in the regulation of calcium and phosphorus metabolism and a deficiency can affect bone strength and remodeling.  When calcium levels in the body are deficient, the body draws from bone stores, resulting in an increased risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis in adults.  In children, a deficiency of vitamin D can result in rickets, a disease that affects the growth of bones.

Postmenopausal women should determine their vitamin D blood level by having their healthcare provider order the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test.  If your test level is under 32 mg per milliliter (some healthcare providers consider numbers higher that this to be in the low/deficient range), you are considered deficient and supplementation of the vitamin and follow up testing is needed.

There's conflicting medical discussion regarding what constitutes a deficient, low or normal level of vitamin D, as well as what is a safe and effective supplement dose.  Many healthcare providers feel that the current guidelines for what constitutes normal 25-hydroxy vitamin D level and recommended daily intake are outdated and need revision. 

A prospective study of 72,000 post-menopausal women in the U.S. reported that the women who took in at least 600 IU/day of vitamin D3 (via diet and supplement) had a 37% decreased risk of osteoporotic hip fracture than the women who consumed less than 140 IU/day. 

The data increasingly suggests that the threshold level of vitamin D3 daily intake needs to be at least 700-800 IUs, with several studies finding similar threshold levels needed for bone protection.  Of interest, when vitamin D3 supplements were discontinued in study participants, bone density gains were lost within two years.
The steps to determining your optimal daily vitamin D requirement are:

• Have your 25-hydroxy vitamin D tested.
   
• Discuss your results and treatment options with your healthcare provider.
   
• Follow up with additional testing if you tested low and modify your vitamin D intake if your test level hasn't increased to recommended levels.

Currently it's recommended that postmenopausal women get at least 800 IUs of vitamin D each day, along with adequate calcium intake (both are needed for bone health). There are many supplements that provide both nutrients in liquid or pill form. My favorite brand is Shaklee Vita-D3 which provides 1,000 IUs of D3, the most potent form of vitamin D. 


This essential nutrient has been shown in recent studies to:

• Help support healthy heart function
• Help promote immune health
• Facilitate healthy cell development
• Aid in calcium absorption for maintaining strong bones and teeth.

For more information on Shaklee's Vita D3 call or email me or go to my product website at www.healthnetwk.myshaklee.com.

Choosing wellness... Easy To Do... Easy Not To Do.

Yours in health always,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

973-383-0955

"To insure good health: Eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life."

                                          ~ William Londen ~

MEATLESS MONDAYS

Portion Size Matters; Can Starting Young Cure Obesity?

The statistics are jaw dropping. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.
• The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.
• In 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.

Perhaps we can all agree that something or things needs to shift. Why is this happening? Have you eaten out or watched a food commercial recently? Our obsession with fast foods, packaged foods and outright non-foods has taken its toll on our health as individuals and as a society.

Going through a drive through and tossing a kids meal into the back seat while on the way to various appointment has become an all to common occurrence in the U.S.  What are we teaching our children?

The CDC states…

  Most U.S. youth

• Do not meet the recommendations for eating 2½ cups to 6½ cups of fruits and vegetables each day
• Do not eat the minimum recommended amounts of whole grains (2–3 ounces each day)
• Eat more than the recommended maximum daily intake of sodium (1,500–2,300 mg each day) .

Empty calories from added sugars and solid fats (found most often in processed foods) contribute to 40% of daily calories for children and adolescents aged 2–18 years, affecting the overall quality of their diets. Approximately half of these empty calories come from six sources: soda, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, grain desserts, pizza, and whole milk.

So what do we do about it? How do we reinforce positive eating patterns that last a lifetime? The consequences if we do not are nothing short of devastating.

Long-term health effects:

• Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults^11-14 and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.⁶ One study showed that children who became obese as early as age 2 were more likely to be obese as adults.
• Being overweight or obese is associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
• 1 Can of soda/fizzy pop needs 32 glasses (same size volume as the can) of water to neutralize the acid content.
  If you do not remove the acidity in ones body the weight will not go anywhere. 
  If people just change a few simple habits, the benefits are amazing! We
  actually designed to live to 120 years young!

Always remember, meals don’t need to be elaborate to be nutritious. If you have only a few minutes to prepare a meal, try a turkey sandwich, a serving of green beans, an apple, and a glass of 1% or nonfat milk. A simple lunch or dinner like this takes less time to prepare than driving through a fast-food restaurant, and it is much healthier.

Portion Size Matters (http://portionsizematters.com/index.shtml) was started by Mrs. Deane Peck (MS,RD,LDN). Deane has worked in children’s obesity clinics, held positions on the Healthy Tomorrows grant that supported outreach obesity clinics specifically for children, earned her ADA (American Dietetic Association) certifications for Child and Adolescent Weight Management and Adult Weight Management training. Deane also owns and operates her own business, Weight2Go. 

If we can instill a visual in the minds of our children that fruits and lots of multi-colored vegetables are the main attraction of their meals followed by some dairy, meat or beans and grains, then just a small amount of sweets or condiments; they can have a better understanding of what constitutes a healthy meal. Then perhaps when presented with a burger and fries in the future, they will recognize that it in no way represents what they are used to eating and perhaps make a better choice.

Meatless Monday Recipe: ( excerpted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi )

A most delicious main course for any occasion, formal or casual.  Eggplants under the broiler can explode with a thunderous boom, the flesh spouting everywhere, rather than deflate gradually as the skin burns and breaks. So please make sure to pierce the eggplants!

Lentils with Broiled Eggplant

Serves 4

2 medium eggplants
2 tbsp top-quality red wine vinegar
salt and black pepper
1 cup small dark lentils (such as Puy or Castelluccio), rinsed
3 small carrots, peeled
2 celery stalks
1 bay leaf
3 thyme sprigs
1/2 white onion
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp each roughly chopped parsley, cilantro and dill
2 tbsp crème fraîche (or natural yogurt, if you prefer)

To cook the eggplants on a gas stovetop, which is the most effective way, start by lining the area around the burners with foil to protect them. Put the eggplants directly on two moderate flames and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, turning frequently with metal tongs, until the flesh is soft and smoky and the skin is burnt all over. Keep an eye on them the whole time so they don’t catch fire. For an electric stove, pierce the eggplants with a sharp knife in a few places. Put them on a foil-lined tray and place directly under a hot broiler for 1 hour, turning them a few times. The eggplants need to deflate completely and their skin should burn and break.

Remove the eggplants from the heat. If you used an oven broiler, change the oven to its normal setting. Heat the oven to 275°F. Cut a slit down the center of the eggplants and scoop out the flesh into a colander, avoiding the black skin. Leave to drain for at least 15 minutes and only then season with plenty of salt and pepper and 1/2 tablespoon of the vinegar.

While the eggplants are broiling, place the lentils in a medium saucepan. Cut one carrot and half a celery stalk into large chunks and throw them in. Add the bay leaf, thyme and onion, cover with plenty of water and bring to the boil. Simmer on a low heat for up to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender, skimming away the froth from the surface from time to time. Drain in a sieve. Remove and discard the carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme and onion and transfer the lentils to a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper; stir and set aside somewhere warm.

Cut the remaining carrot and celery into 3/8-inch dice and mix with the tomatoes, the remaining oil, the sugar and some salt. Spread in an ovenproof dish and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the carrot is tender but still firm.

Add the cooked vegetables to the warm lentils, followed by the chopped herbs and stir gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the lentils onto serving plates. Pile some eggplant in the center of each portion and top it with a dollop of crème fraîche or yogurt. Finish with a trickle of oil.

Enjoy!

Healthy Weekly Motivator: Vary Your Vitamins

It can be tempting to focus on just one variable when deciding if a food is healthy, but even calories don't tell all. It’s important to also choose nutrient-dense foods: a high fiber, vitamin rich meal will keep you fuller, longer and help you eat less overall. Nutrition labels list how much of each nutrient is in a serving.
Use nutritional labels this week and see if you're getting the most bang for your bite! Try replacing some of your empty calories with nutrient-dense foods.

Have a wonderful, healthy week. Remember to email me with your favorite "meatless" recipes.

If you need a "Transfer Bridge" to move from Dis-Ease to Ultimate Wellness call or email me.

Eat Well, Eat Healthy, Enjoy Life,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

973-383-0955

"When you discover it's your choice and your attitude, things start to happen!  ~ Author Unknown ~

MEATLESS ANY DAY

                 Real Food For Thought
Based on a hot-off-the-press report in the Journal of Neurology,we would all be wise to regularly consume foods high in omega 3 fats and vitamins C, D, E, and B. For the study, researchers measured the blood levels of 30 different nutrients in a group of 104 healthy, elderly subjects and correlated them to various tests of intellectual function. Study subjects with higher blood levels of omega 3 fats and vitamins B, C, D, and E had superior intellectual function and bigger, healthier brains. In contrast, blood levels of trans fats were associated with poorer cognitive function and smaller brains (1). Be smart - restrict trans fats and be sure to include whole grains oily fish, fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts in your diet regularly. These are the foods that provide plentiful amounts of these brain-loving nutrients.


Superstar Food of the Month: Sesame Seeds
Like their nut cousins, sesame seeds are concentrated nuggets of nutritional excellence. They are exceptionally rich in a host of key minerals, and provide two very special and unique phytochemicals, sesamin and sesamolin. Both are super-potent antioxidants from the lignan family that have been shown to lower cholesterol, prevent high blood pressure, and boost the activity of vitamin E. Throw toasted or raw sesame seeds into your salads or veggies. Enjoy hummus regularly. Keep tahini (pure, ground sesame seeds) as a staple in your fridge and use it as a "healthy oil" base for salad dressings and sauces.


Meatless Recipe: Detox Soup ( courtesy of Vegan Family website )

Start off 2012 right with a warm, satisfying bowl of soup. This naturally flavorful soup is chock-full of nutritious vegetables to energize and reinvigorate your body. The more spinach and kale you add, the better your cleansing results will be. What a great way to kick off your happy, healthy new year! Ingredients: 1 large onion, chopped small 1 clove garlic, minced 2 turnips or 1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped small 4 cups vegetable stock (from 1 vegetable stock cube) 1" piece of ginger, minced 2 large zucchinis, chopped small 2 cups minced curly kale large handful of spinach, coarsely chopped juice of 1 lemon fresh chopped parsley, flax oil & black pepper (garnish)

Directions: Saute onion and garlic in sauce pan with a little water for a few minutes. Add turnip or sweet potato and saute until they just begin to soften. Stir in stock and ginger and simmer for 10 minutes. Add zucchini and kale and cook over medium-low heat for half an hour, covered. At the end, stir in spinach and lemon juice, letting spinach wilt. Puree half the soup in a blender or using hand blender and serve with drizzle of flax oil and generous scatter of parsley and fresh pepper. Weekly Health Tip: A Bite In The Right Direction Incorporating new habits into your daily life takes work, so aim for progress, not perfection! Start with small changes that you can easily fit into your daily routine and go a little further each week. Swapping a breakfast Danish for whole grain cereal, having water instead of soft drinks with meals, picking veggies as a side dish or trying fruit for dessert are all doable actions that will lead to long term results. Look at your usual eating habits and commit to one “swap out” this week. Make sure your new habit is something that you can integrate seamlessly into your routine. Use your New Year’s momentum to consider other situations where you could easily make a change. Keep moving with small steps and you will make progress! Wishing you wellness from the inside out, Lisa LQ WELLNESS lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com 973-383-0955 "The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years." ~ Dr.Deepak Chopra