Meatless Monday: Reasons for Going Meatless One Day A Week

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

The growing campaign for Meatless Monday encourages people to increase their intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Healthy related individuals are embracing it as a tool to promote healthful eating patterns.

What do Oprah Winfrey, Michael Pollan, and Mario Batali have in common? They’ve all jumped on the Meatless Monday bandwagon. Hospitals, colleges, restaurants, magazines, foodservice companies, workplaces, and entire communities are pledging their support for the program, too.

What’s Meatless Monday all about for those of you who are new to this principle. It’s a nonprofit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, which is developed in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a simple message: By cutting out meat once per week, you can improve your health and reduce your carbon footprint. The initiative provides information and recipes to help people start each week with healthful, eco-friendly, meat-free alternatives.

Allison Righter, MSPH, RD, who coordinates the Meatless Monday science advisory at the Center for a Livable Future (CLF), reports that Meatless Monday began in 2003 in response to the release of the Healthy People 2010 report, which included goals to reduce dietary saturated fat by 15%. “Since saturated fat primarily comes from meat and animal products and since one day a week is just under 15% of the week, Meatless Monday was a practical method for helping people to meet those goals. Reducing meat consumption also has many other benefits, such as lowering the environmental burden of industrial food animal production, which is a major focus of CLF’s research,” Righter says.

Benefits Of Eating Meatless One Day Each Week

There is growing support for adopting a more plant-based diet, even in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which offer the general recommendation to eat a plant-based diet that focuses on consuming vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds with moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy.

A paper published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics concluded that a plant-based, vegetarian dietary pattern is completely healthful and nutritionally adequate for people throughout all stages of life and that it has several health advantages, including lower blood cholesterol and pressure levels and lower risk of heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes.

Semivegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, and vegan women have a lower risk of overweight and obesity than do omnivorous women, according to data from 55,459 healthy women participating in the Swedish Mammography Cohort, suggesting that advice to consume more plant foods and less animal products may help individuals control their weight.

In a recent study, Harvard researchers linked high processed-meat intake to a 42% higher risk of coronary heart disease. Data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which included more than 440,000 participants, revealed that eating a daily 100-g serving of red meat was linked with a 19% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and eating a daily 50-g serving of processed meat was associated with a 51% greater risk.

The NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, which included more than 500,000 men and women, found a significantly higher risk of cancers of the colorectum, esophagus, lung, and liver associated with red meat intake; an increased risk of colorectal and lung cancer was associated with higher intake of processed meat; and red and processed meat intake was associated with cancer mortality.

The Meatless Monday message helps people ease into the concept of decreasing animal intake by selecting just one day per week to go meatless. The Meatless Movement is not asking people to cut out meat from the diet totally. It is all about moderation; it’s one simple tool to help people incorporate healthier—and also more environmentally sustainable—alternatives to meat into their diets just one day each week. It’s a platform to introduce new and often overlooked foods, and ideally this will trickle over into other days of the week and ultimately translate into healthier eating habits and dietary patterns over time.

The health benefits associated with vegetarianism go beyond simply having better eating habits. People who have been following a traditional vegetarian diet for many years may be healthier because they also tend to avoid or use less alcohol, caffeine and refined foods. They also tend to have other positive lifestyle habits including being more physically active, having less stressful lifestyles and being non-smokers.
The Meatless Monday movement has grown dramatically in the past two years.Meatless Monday also is growing with schools, colleges, food distributors, worksite wellness programs, and insurance companies. Meatless Mondays are being seen in communities, such as in Raleigh-Durham [North Carolina] and Aspen, Colorado, where community organizers go around and get schools, media, and events to support a community-wide endeavor. Meatless Monday can provide an opportunity for people to try new healthy recipes and new foods.
Start 2015 off by encouraging your family, friends and coworkers to jump on the Meatless Monday bandwagon and encourage all to take the ride for better health.

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

KALE, RED PEPPER AND GOAT CHEESE FRITTATA

(Adapted from Aggie's Kitchen)

This recipe is great when you are in a hurry and forgot to plan dinner. Hopefully, we will all try to eat a little healthier this new year.This frittata is like having breakfast for dinner.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 milk
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large handful bagged chopped kale, chopped a bit more finely
• 2 ounces goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon of oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your broiler (use low if you have the option).
2. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to oven-proof 10 1/2 inch nonstick skillet, over medium heat. Add chopped red pepper and kale and saute for 5 minutes until vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add egg and milk mixture to skillet. Let set for a minute. Using a spatula carefully begin to separate egg mixture from side of the pan, tilting pan while doing this so that egg mixture fills the space. Do this all around pan so that frittata cooks up evenly. Continue to do this until most of egg mixture is spread and only a small layer is left on top.
4. Spread crumbled goat cheese evenly to top of frittata. Place in oven under broiler and let cook for about 3-4 minutes, watching carefully. Let top of frittata cook completely and brown slightly.
5. Carefully (using a mitt!) take skillet out from oven. Let cool down for a couple of minutes. Slide frittata out onto a plate or cutting board and slice into quarters. Serve warm.
6. Serves 2, prep time 15 minutes

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Remember Green Goes with Everything
A Healthier Environment, A Healthier You

We have all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” But the same can be said of what you drink, what you breathe, and anything else you are exposed to. How healthy your environment is has a direct impact on your physical health, and nowhere is this more apparent than in your own home. One thing in your house that can affect your health is the air quality. On the back labels of many cleaners you will find safety warnings indicating that inhaling fumes from simple use of the product may be hazardous to your lungs. Some of these products include chemicals such as ammonia or chlorine bleach, which have been proven to cause shortness of breath and wheezing. The good news is that keeping your home clean without harming your family or the environment is easier than you might think. Making simple choices like switching products you use daily is just one way that you can create a healthy environment for your family to live in.

Contact LQ Wellness to see how you can create a healthier environment and a healthier you!

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

“If we are creating ourselves all the time, then it is never too late to begin creating the bodies we want instead of the ones we mistakenly assume we are stuck with.”

~Deepak Chopra~

Meatless Monday: Making Your Diet More Nutrient Dense

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

Healthy eating is all about how many nutrients you can pack into your diet.

When you turn over a packaged product in the grocery store to read the nutritional breakdown, it’s tempting to look at the calories first;we’ve been bombarded for years with messages that calories count most when it comes to the battle of the bulge. Yet, nutrition experts are increasingly using the terms “nutrient density” and “nutrient-rich” to describe the foods—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins—we should be eating more of, with less focus on their calories.

What does nutrient-rich mean? Nutrient-density equals nutrients per calorie, says Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT, author of The Vegiterranean Diet. “Thus, the more nutrients packed into a food calorie, the more beneficial it is towards making every calorie count most efficiently.” In addition, nutrient-dense foods are items that have not been diluted by the addition of calories from added solid fats or added sugars, according to The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Nutrient-rich shopping. Hever says foods from nature, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole-grains, nuts and seeds are often the most nutrient-dense edibles in the grocery store. In particular, she extols brightly colored vegetables like red bell peppers and dark, leafy greens for giving you a significant nutrient and antioxidant windfall for little caloric cost. A University of Washington study found that among whole vegetables it was potatoes (both sweet and white), carrots and broccoli that deliver the most nutrients for the least cost. In addition, items like lower-fat dairy, eggs, and seafood are also often rich in nutrients without an appreciable caloric cost.

The nutrient-rich bonus. A nutrient-rich eating style gives you a concentrated amount of the valuable vitamins, minerals, fiber, essential fatty acids and antioxidants needed for healthy aging. A University of Florida study discovered that people who consumed more plant-based foods and, in turn, higher amounts of nutrients, such as phytochemicals and minerals, maintained healthier body weights and experienced less internal inflammation linked to chronic diseases than people with lower intakes of nutrient-dense foods, even though both groups took in about the same number of daily calories.

Consider, too, that people who spend a greater amount of time on home food preparation consume a diet consisting of higher quality calories, reports a 2014 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Nutrient-poor. “These would be foods that are high in calories, but low in nutrients, such as processed foods, oils, refined grains, and sugars,” says Hever. Many highly processed, packaged foods marketed as “low-calorie” or “low-fat,” such as baked potato chips or white bread, provide little in the way of vital nutrients in their calorie load. For example, refined white rice contains fewer calories cup for cup than brown rice (205 versus 216, respectively), but you would have to consume about four times as much white rice just to get the same amount of magnesium found in the brown rice, a mineral linked to lower heart disease risk. Diets too heavy in foods that provide mainly empty calories, such as soda and pastries, are the reason people can be overweight yet still nutrient-malnourished.

All calories are not equal. Increasingly, science shows that a calorie from a nutrient-loaded avocado is not the same as a calorie from a nutrient-poor, sugary muffin. Indeed, nutrient-rich items can be both very low and, surprisingly, higher in calories. Almonds, for example; while a mere ounce of the nuts delivers about 164 calories, it possesses a range of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats that make them a nutrient-rich food, despite the calories they contain.

Think Beyond Calories! (Adapted from Matthew Kadey)

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Tofu Omelette

(Adapted from Plant Based on a Budget)

"Omelette?!" you say? Yes! Yes, we do! Thanks to the fine folks over at Plant Based on a Budget, I discovered this fantastic tofu omelette recipe created by Stephanie Lundstrom. 

Plus, you can fill these up with ALL of your favorites!

Ingredients:

• 1 package extra firm tofu
• 
3 Tbs. coconut milk
• 
3 Tbs. nutritional yeast
• 
3 Tbs. Cornstarch
• 
1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. Turmeric

• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 
1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 
1/8 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)
• 
1/4 cup vegetable broth for thinning
Omelette fillings of your choice (such as spinach, mushrooms, and bell peppers)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients (except the fillings) to a food processor or blender, and blend until it becomes a batter consistency.
2. Add some of the broth, if needed for thinning. Spread a ladle-full, or so, of batter evenly over a HOT non-stick pan.
3. As it dries out it should begin to turn to a dark yellow color.
4. Use a spatula to run underneath and then flip it.
5. Once both sides are dry, plate and fill with your favorites.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Remember Green Goes with Everything

Clean Air

We tend to think the big, bad world is where the unhealthy air is. But for the main source of air pollution in your life you need to look closer to home. In fact, it is your home.

You can reduce your home's air pollution in two ways:

1. Choosing products (from cleaners to bedding to carpets) that don't add chemicals to the air in your home.
2. Filtering the air in your home to get rid of some of the pollutants and making it safer.

Begin with changing your cleaning products to those that are safe for you,your family and the environment. Your home should be the safest place on earth. Clean it up with the safe, powerful, green, smart clean that is Shaklee. And surround yourself with health.

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

“Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret.”

~ Robert E. Lee ~

Meatless Monday:Pair Beans and Grains for Good Health

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

Meet the dynamic food duo of beans and whole grains— and let it star on your dinner plate several times each week.

Beans and grains have sustained cultures around the world for centuries. The pairing of the two began out of necessity, due to shortages of animal protein and abundant plant foods during the earliest days of agriculture, but has long since become a sustained marriage that has shaped culinary tradition, from Indian dal with rice to Middle Eastern hummus with pita, and Mexican black beans with corn tortillas. It’s no coincidence that bean-grain pairings are also an economical protein source, serving up nutrition and health benefits as well as global culinary adventure.

Beans + grains = good nutrition. On their own, beans and grains, while protein-rich, may be a bit low in one or more of the nine essential amino acids that make up a complete protein. But when consumed together in a healthy diet pattern, the amino acids are pooled to meet the body’s protein needs, which explains the prevalence of these pairings in so many cultures.

Both beans and grains are good sources of dietary fiber, which most people don’t get enough of, according to Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, author of Nutrition CHAMPS: The Veggie Queen’s Guide to Eating and Cooking for Optimum Health, Happiness, Energy and Vitality. Dietary fiber promotes digestive health, controls blood sugar and provides a feeling of fullness. Studies have shown that foods containing dietary fiber, like beans and whole grains, may lower the risk of colorectal, pancreatic and colon cancer, lower cholesterol levels, and improve heart health.

Beans and whole grains are also rich in beneficial plant compounds, such as lignans, which have been shown to lower cholesterol levels and reduce risk of cardiovascular disease; and phytic acid, which has been shown in some studies to stop abnormal cell growth and shrink tumor size. This combo also delivers a generous dose of B vitamins, including heart-healthy folate and thiamin, which strengthen the immune system. A one-cup serving of cooked black beans with brown rice provides more than 9 grams (over 30% Daily Value) of dietary fiber and 10 grams (over 15% DV) of protein, as well as over 30% DV of folate and 20% DV of thiamin.

Pair beans and grains in your kitchen. The many colors, shapes, textures and flavors of beans, including soybeans, peas and lentils, and whole grains, like quinoa, wheat berries and farro, are a great way to boost your culinary cache. Add them to favorite recipes for a fresh twist—whole-wheat pasta salad with red beans, navy bean soup with bulgur, or black bean tacos with fresh corn salsa for Meatless Monday. This age-old coupling is also a gateway to exploring the diverse cuisines of the world. Tabbouleh with kidney beans is rich in Middle Eastern flavor, an edamame and vegetable stir-fry with rice has Asian flair, and Hoppin’ John, the classic black eyed pea and rice dish, is Southern comfort at its best.

“A veggie burger is one of the best ways to eat beans and grains together,” Nussinow says. She cooks brown rice with lentils—or any combination of whole grain and bean—and makes a veggie burger by adding mushrooms, onion, sun-dried tomato and a seasoning of choice—Italian, Thai curry, Middle Eastern spices or Mexican spices. Try different bean-grain combinations to optimize enjoyment and nutrition. Nussinow says, “The more variety people get, the better. That way, you know you’re getting a variety of nutrients.” —Lori Zanteson

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Kale Salad With Crispy Eggplant

(Adapted from Maria of Bean a Foodie)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch dinosaur kale(Tuscan or Lucinato), washed, cleaned and chopped
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese shavings
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 medium to large eggplant, sliced in to 1/2″ rounds
• 1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup za’tar spice
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 egg, scrambled with 2 tbsp water
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• non-stick cooking spray
• 2 tbsp – 1/4 cup lemon vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Set out 3 separate flat bottom bowls or baking dishes. Add the flour to one dish. Add eggs and water to another dish, scramble to combine. In the third dish add in both bread crumbs, za’tar spice and ground pepper.
3. Prepare a large sheet pan or baking pan with parchment, cooking spray or a silpat. Working in small batches first coat eggplant rounds in the flour. Then move to egg and thoroughly coat. Finally transfer eggplant into the breadcrumb mixture. Press down lightly to ensure a thick coating of breadcrumbs.
4. Place on sheet pan . Lightly spray the tops of the eggplant with non stick cooking spray.
5. Bake at 425 for about 20-25 minutes. As many oven temperatures differ, monitor eggplant to make sure it does not burn. The eggplant rounds should turn golden brown and the breadcrumbs toasted and crunchy when finished.
6. While the eggplant bakes, toss the chopped kale with the lemon vinaigrette – add more or less dressing based on your taste. Plate salad and sprinkle on the pine nuts and parmesan shavings.
7. When the eggplant is finished baking, top each salad with 2-3 crispy rounds.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator

Start the Week with Exercise

Monday is the perfect opportunity to start fresh. Hit the reset button and kick off the week with exercise.Move It Monday supplies you with great resources to get active. Check out the equipment-free workout routines, motivational quotes or exercise tips.

Remember Green Goes with Everything

A Healthier Environment, A Healthier You

We've all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” But the same can be said of what you drink, what you breathe, and anything else you are exposed to. How healthy your environment is has a direct impact on your physical health, and nowhere is this more apparent than in your own home. Making simple choices like switching the products

you use daily is just one way that you can create a healthy atmosphere for your family to live in.It gives you peace of mind to know that the ingredients in these cleaning solutions won't harm your loved ones but still remove the germs and bacteria that could. At the same time, you can feel a sense of accomplishment that you are contributing to a cleaner ecosystem by using products that are easy on the environment and take up less space in 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

“Use wisely your power of choice.”

~ OG Mandino ~

Meatless Monday: Start the Week with More Veggies

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

For All Three Meals

Eat your vegetables especially on Mondays for a great start to the week. Smooth black eggplants, juicy red tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and mixed greens of myriad varieties and flavors: getting your daily minimum veggie requirements is easy when they’re fresh and bursting with flavor!

And more is better when it comes to vegetables. They’re low in calories and high in nutrients, which makes them great for diets and overall health. In fact, one comprehensive study at Harvard found that the higher your average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower your chance of developing cardiovascular disease. So buy enough for your main dish, side dishes, soups, salads, and snacks (like raw veggies with bean dip or yogurt), too!

As a group, veggies are full of vitamins A, C, B, and folate. And they’re high in minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. They’re also a great source of fiber and are high in antioxidants and phytochemicals, valuable plant nutrients. A healthy diet that’s rich in vegetables (and fruit) may be helpful in preventing certain cancers, heart disease, kidney stones, bone loss, and type 2 diabetes. It can also help improve gastrointestinal and eye health. In other words, eat your veggies, and you win all the way around.

To get the most out of your selection, experts recommend choosing a variety of colors. It’s also a good idea to select from these vegetable subgroups each time you’re in the produce aisle:

1. Dark green vegetables are high in vitamins A and C and contain a carotenoid that aids vision health. These include bok choy, broccoli, collard greens, dark spinach, kale, and other, similar leafy greens. Generally, the darker the color and the wrinklier the leaves, the higher the nutrient content, so look beyond that iceberg lettuce.

2. Orange vegetables are high in vitamin A. Good sources include squash (acorn, butternut, and Hubbard), pumpkin, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

3. Starchy vegetables bring vitamin B6 and copper to the table. Some examples are corn, green peas, lima beans, and potatoes.

4. Other vegetables (artichokes, asparagus, beets, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, green beans, mushrooms–you name it!) pack a solid vitamin C punch across the board. Again, think variety!

5. Legumes (peas and beans) are also considered a vegetable subgroup. Here’s where you can add folate, copper, and fiber to your diet.

Keep in mind that while fresh is generally considered best, quality frozen and canned veggies are typically processed shortly after harvesting to lock in nutrients and flavor, so they count, too. For even more variety, dried veggies and 100% vegetable juice can add some spice to your nutritional bottom line.

Be brave in the produce aisle. Go ahead and pick up your old standbys, but try something new, too; those heirloom tomatoes or warty squashes just might end up being new favorites. Your co-op is a great source for local, organic, in-season vegetables—and great ideas on how to cook, serve, and enjoy them.

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Squash, Chickpea and Red Lentil Stew

(Adapted from Eating Well)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dried chickpeas
• 2 1/2 pounds kabocha squash, or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion
• 1 cup red lentils
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon saffron
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ½ cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
• ¼ cup packed chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Soak chickpeas in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches for 6 hours or overnight. (Alternatively, use the quick-soak method: Place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.) Drain when ready to use.

2. Combine the soaked chickpeas, squash, carrots, onion, lentils, broth, tomato paste, ginger, cumin, salt, saffron and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker.

3. Put on the lid and cook on low until the chickpeas are tender and the lentils have begun to break down, 5 to 6 1/2 hours.

4. Stir in lime juice. Serve sprinkled with peanuts and cilantro.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Stress Less This Week

Long-term stress can trigger existing health problems and create new ones.

Talking to a doctor, about the symptoms you’re experiencing, can help determine if they’re due to stress or the result of another health problem.

If the diagnosis is stress, reduce it with these methods:

· Take five; find a place to sit down comfortably, and breathe in deeply.

· Reach out; a great support system can go a long way. Talk to a loved one.

· Walk it off; even 10 minutes of exercise can help relieve stress.

Remember Green Goes With Everything

Living safe, clean, and green means cutting back wherever you can on your energy use.

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

“Things change for the better when we take responsibility for our own thoughts, decisions and actions.”

~ Author Unknown ~