Meatless Monday: What is a Flexitarian Diet?

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

Sample a Semi-Vegetarian Lifestyle with a Flexitarian Diet

Q. What does it mean to be a flexitarian, and is it a good thing?

A. Today’s buzzword is flexibility, which also applies to eating styles. A flexitarian is someone who is a flexible vegetarian or a semi-vegetarian, one who limits animal protein intake without giving it up completely. This lifestyle is becoming more popular as people become more health-conscious, as well as eco-conscious, considering that livestock production is responsible for an estimated 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

The best of both worlds. The debate about whether the vegetarian way is the healthiest way to live rages on. In a study published in the April 2006 issue of Nutrition Reviews, vegetarians were found to have a lower body weight, and also reduced risk of hypertension, cancer and diabetes. In contrast, some evidence suggests that vegetarianism may be linked with increased risk of osteoporosis. Vegetarians, especially vegans, were found to have lower bone mineral density than non-vegetarians, according to a study in the October 2009 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It can be challenging for vegetarians and vegans to get important nutrients such as protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. The flexitarian diet is one way to marry the benefits of eating less meat and more plant-based foods.

Sampling flexitarianism. If you’d like to give this lifestyle a try, take the advice of Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., L.D.N., dietitian and author of The Flexitarian Diet (McGraw-Hill, 2008.) Start by going for your own flexible eating level. If you’re a beginner, you might want to go meatless only two days per week; more advanced flexitarians might enjoy up to four meatless days per week. The key to flexitarian success is to consider meat as a condiment in your dishes, not as the main event. And it’s not just about what you don’t eat, it’s about what you do eat—a variety of healthy plant foods such as whole grains, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Blatner’s book also includes delicious vegetarian recipes to put flavor and appeal into meatless meals. Remember, whatever diet you decide to follow—whether it’s vegetarian, flexitarian or omnivorous—make sure that it’s well-balanced and provides good sources from all of the major food groups: protein (meat, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy foods), dairy (or high-calcium foods), whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Delicious Black Bean Burritos

(Courtesy of Jessie )

Ingredients:

• 4 (10 inch) flour tortilla
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 2 small onions chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (15 ounce ) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno peppers
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.
2. Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapenos in skillet, cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour beans into skillet, cook 3 minutes stirring.
3. Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro into mixture.
4. Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortilla and roll tortillas up. Serve immediately.
5. Serve with your favorite tossed green salad.
   
   
   
   
   

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Resolve Emotional Issues

Many if not all of us have unresolved emotional issues from sometime in our lives. Working through these issues can help reduce the impact they will have on your physical health. Seeing a therapist or counselor is one way to bring emotional issues to resolution. Some other ways include breath work (such as yoga breathing), meditation, prayer, journaling and visualization.

To help prevent unresolved emotional issues from having an impact on your physical health, take the time to address them. Making your emotional health as much a priority as your physical health will serve you well in the long run. Your relationships will benefit and you’ll be healthier and happier.

Remember Green Goes With Everything

Clean Conscience

Are you poisoning your home?

Fact:of all injuries to young children caused by cleaning products, exposure to chlorine bleach is the most common.

Fact:The most common types of injury from bleach and other cleaning products are poisoning ( 68.4% ), chemical burn (15 % ), and skin/eye irritation ( 10.4% ).

Fact: According to the American Association of Poison Control centers, bleach is responsible for more than 38,000 reported poisonings per year.

Fact: As many people die from chlorine bleach poisoning as from rattlesnake and spider bites combined.

For a safe alternative for you and your family click here.

Have a great week and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!

Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

Interested in Optimal Wellness? Take a look at products available here!

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness

Like me on Facebook

Follow me on Pinterest

“Wisdom is nothing more than healed pain.”

~ Robert Gary Lee ~

Meatless Monday: Eat An Apple A Day

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

The folklore. Many believe the Romans are to thank for cultivating the first wild apple—small, sour, and riddled with seeds—into the crisp, sweet, tart and juicy goodness we love today. Historians may not agree whether it originated in Southwestern Asia in 6500 BC or in the Neolithic period in England, but there’s no disputing the apple’s culinary—cider, pie, fritters—or cultural—Garden of Eden, Johnny Appleseed, Sleeping Beauty’s poison apple—influences. The time tested adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” is a nod to its nutritious attributes.

The facts. Apples (Malus domestica), part of the rose (Rosaceae) family, are among the most widely cultivated fruit trees. Along with pears, quince and loquats, apples are classified as pomes, fruits with many tiny seeds within a central core. There are more than 7,500 varieties of this white-fleshed favorite with skins of red, yellow and green. Flavor varies significantly by variety. Red and Golden Delicious are subtly sweet and often eaten whole and raw, as are the slightly tart Braeburn and Fuji; but Pippin and Granny Smith offer a very tart bite, with a taste and texture preferred in cooking. No matter the variety, apples have earned their healthy reputation. One medium apple is only 95 calories, but packs a plump dose of health-protecting plant chemicals known as polyphenols, a filling 17 percent DV (Daily Value, based on 2,000 calories per day) of dietary fiber, and a healthy 14 percent DV of the powerful antioxidant, vitamin C.

The findings. Composed of more than 4,000 flavonoids, a category of polyphenols, apple consumption has long been studied for its role in disease prevention, including several cancers—breast, larynx and ovarian. Eating just one apple a day was shown to reduce risk of colorectal cancer by more than one-third, according to a study in a 2010 issue of the European Journal of Cancer Prevention. Several studies show that consuming apples and apple juice may protect against symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and oxidative brain damage that can lead to memory loss. In addition, drinking apple juice was shown to improve dementia-associated behavior and mood in Alzheimer’s patients, according to a study published in the 2010 American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias.

The finer points. Try several apple varieties and enjoy those that suit your palate and culinary purposes. Apples are best in season, from the end of summer until early winter, though some varieties may be found year round. Choose firm apples with deep coloring and store in the refrigerator crisper. Avoid pesticide residue and other contaminants by seeking out organic apples when possible. Eating whole, unpeeled raw apples is most nutritious, but who can resist them sliced and paired with cheese and nuts, starring in a Waldorf salad or crisp slaw, or baked into a warm and comforting muffin or quick cobbler.

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Light Curry Egg Salad with Greek Yogurt

(adapted from Cookin' Canuck)

When Meatless Monday comes right after a holiday where many people have an abundance of hard-boiled eggs, doesn't it make sense to feature some kind of Meatless recipe idea using hard-boiled eggs? I thought so, and when I spotted this Light Curry Egg Salad with Greek Yogurt on Cookin' Canuck, it sounded perfect for the day after Easter. You can lighten up the egg salad with Greek yogurt instead of mayo, spice it up with curry powder and serve it on whole-grain crackers for a healthy meatless lunch or light dinner idea.

Ingredients:

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1 stalk celery, diced

1 green onion (green section only), thinly sliced

¼ cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

½ tsp curry powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Instructions:

• Place the chopped hard-boiled eggs in a medium-sized bowl.
• Add the celery, green onion, Greek yogurt, curry powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
• Serve on bread, crackers, cucumber slices, celery stalks or on  top of salad greens.
  
  
  
  
  

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Be a Better Listener

To become a better listener practice “active listening” which means hearing not only the words that are being said but also trying to understand the total meaning of the message being sent. Here are some guidelines:

Begin by indicating that you are listening with both verbal and nonverbal cues like a simple head nod or “um-hmm.”

Stay actively involved in the conversation by maintaining eye contact with the speaker.

Listen not only to the words being said but also to the way the message is being delivered including the speaker’s body language and tone of voice.

Try to set aside your own feelings and opinions, and remain objective and open minded. This will allow you to hear what is being said, not what you want to hear or your interpretation of what you hear.

Provide feedback to the speaker by asking clarifying questions and reflect what you are hearing to ensure your understanding.

Pay attention. Avoid distractions both around you and in your own head. We often think faster than the speaker talks, which gives our minds time to wander.

Remember Green Goes With Everything

Earth Day 2014

Through Shaklee, we are all making a difference! Shaklee was at the beginning of “green”! In 1960, Shaklee introduced the first, no-toxic, organic, biodegradable cleaners. Basic-H. Since then this remarkable product…

·Has been used by the Wild Dolphin project on their vessel Stenella.

·Has gone to the moon on NASA shuttle missions.

·Has been used by the Cousteau Society on the Calypso and Alcyone.

·Was chosen as one of the first Earth Day products.

·And much, much more!

The “green” in … going green! How are you coping with our shaky economy? Are you finding ways to cut your budget and save your hard earned dollars? Here’s one way to slash your spending while saving our planet. It’s called… Get Clean!
People are noticing that some of the so called “green” products out there are not actually non-toxic, chemical-free or biodegradable. Not only that, you pay a pretty penny for a lot of these products, and… many of them do not even work!
Get Clean household products are completely safe for your family, pets and the environment. They do not contain toxic chemicals. Their cleaning power is unparalleled, and… they save you lots and lots of money! In fact, the Get Clean Starter Kit will actually replace an astounding $3,400 in conventional cleaners you would have to buy anyway.
And here’s a thought… by telling others how to save $3,400, you could enjoy the other “green” in Get Clean… an extra income stream!
Shaklee’s philosophy on cleaning is:

·Clean Homes

·Clean Streams

·Clean Air

·Clean Conscience

Shaklee’s innovative cleaning products use natural, biodegradable ingredients that clean even more effectively without damaging the environment. Our environment… it’s where we live. How many people will it take to save the Earth? One by one, we can do it. Together, we can make all the difference in the world.
Happy Earth Day and as always remember to share with all who care to make a difference in our world. Contact LQ Wellness with any questions you may have.
Have a wonderful day and together one step at a time… we can make a difference!
A better tomorrow begins with what we do today!

Have a great week and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!

Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

Interested in Optimal Wellness? Take a look at products available here!

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness

Like me on Facebook

Follow me on Pinterest

“A good listener is a silent flatterer.”

~ Proverb ~

Meatless Monday: Eat More Red Vegetables

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

Eat Your Reds (Veggies, That Is!)

Eating greens used to be synonymous with eating more vegetables. Today, eating a rainbow of vegetables is the mantra for healthy eating. Research continues to reveal the unique nutrients found in every color spectrum—green, red, yellow, orange, purple, white—but red vegetables received a nod from the USDA with the addition of the red-orange vegetable subgroup to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. It looks like it’s time to paint your plate red with veggies!

Vibrant red vegetables, including tomatoes, rhubarb, beets, radishes and red peppers, onions, and cabbage, make a meal pop with colorful and nutritious appeal. Much more than pretty packages, these gems pack powerful antioxidants, including lycopene and anthocyanins, which are responsible for the rosy hue, and a host of health benefits.

Red shades of lycopene. The antioxidant lycopene is credited for the deep red pigment of certain vegetables—notably, tomatoes—and is known for its role in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, infertility, osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, and skin damage. Tomatoes are the highest source of lycopene, so consumption has been associated with prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. A study in a 2013 Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology reviewed data from 17 studies that showed a lower incidence of prostate cancer in consumers with higher intake of tomato products.

Anthocyanins paint vegetables red—and healthy. Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid that occurs naturally in plants, lending hues of red, blue, purple, and black to fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, eggplants, and radishes. (See Eat Anthocyanin-rich Plants, from Blueberries to Black Beans on page 3.) Their antioxidant properties help protect the body’s cells from damaging free radicals. According to a 2010 study in the journal Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, anthocyanins are linked to the prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity control.

Bright, beautiful, and robust with nutrients, the benefits of bringing red vegetables to the plate are as pleasing to the palate as they are essential to good health. 


Red Vegetable Table:

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Mascarpone Spinach Pasta

(adapted from Macheesmo )

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces spaghetti pasta
• 2/3 cups mascarpone cheese
• 2/3 cups mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• 1 big bunch spinach, washed well
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted
• Pasta water, for cooking

Helpful Equipment: Salad Spinner

Directions:

• Toast hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Cook pasta in salted water until done (about 1 tablespoon kosher salt per gallon).
• Meanwhile wash spinach well.
• Stir together mascarpone, lemon juice, salt, and nutmeg.
• When pasta is done, reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water.
• Drain pasta and then add pasta back to pan. Pour over mascarpone sauce as well as about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Stir pasta over low heat.
• Stir in spinach and continue stirring until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Sauce should thicken as it cooks, if it is too thick than add more pasta water by the tablespoon.
• Serve pasta immediately garnished with toasted nuts.
  
  
  Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Relationships and Your Heart

If you dig deep into the research of the medical and mental health fields, you will find links between physical and emotional well-being. Since most of us have experienced some level of unwanted stress due to a relationship or the pursuit of that elusive love, it shouldn’t be difficult to see the connection: our relationships impact our levels of stress which in turn affect our cardiovascular health.

Remember Green Goes With Everything

Let's All Try to be Fresh, Clean and Green

Earth Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 22,2014.What will you be doing to help your environment?Let's get every nook and cranny spick—and -span. And let's make sure we do it right...with products that are safe, especially around your little ones; powerful against even the most stubborn dirt; green for the planet; and smart on your wallet. In other words, let's Get Clean with Shaklee.Your home should be the safest place on earth. Is yours? Clean it up with the safe,powerful, natural, green, smart clean that is Shaklee.One Get Clean Starter Kit keeps our planet greener by keeping 108 pounds of packaging waste out of landfills.

Have a great week and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!

Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

Interested in Optimal Wellness? Take a look at products available here!

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness

Like me on Facebook

Follow me on Pinterest

“A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.”

~ Thomas Carlyle ~