Meatless Monday: Lighten Up This Mardi Gras

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless

One Day For All Three Meals

For centuries, Mardi Gras – otherwise known as Fat Tuesday, or Carnival has celebrated the last day of indulgence before the start of the Lenten season. The word Carnival itself stems from the Latin carne vale, or “farewell to flesh.” Millions of households participate each year, cutting back on meat and other rich foods during this period of purification.

Today, there are more reasons than ever to take the occasional break from meat. Cutting back not only reduces our risk for disease and helps the environment; it can also be a fun way to try new foods and flavors. Meatless Monday expert, columnist and cookbook author Kim O’Donnel recommends taking advantage of ingredients that have umami to enjoy a healthy, satisfying meal with no meat required:

“Roughly translated from Japanese as ‘savoriness,’ umami refers to the lingering finish and coating of the mouth that makes us want to smack our lips and say ‘that’s delicious.’ What I discovered is that there are lots of ingredients from the plant world that have major umami potential – mushrooms, soy sauce, smoked paprika, roasted vegetables, tahini, to name just a few. Developing recipes that are umami dense is one of my ways of showing the meat-eating majority that vegetarian isn’t rabbit food.”

On Mondays, most Americans move from weekend freedom to work or school structure. Eating meatless may reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It helps to reduce our carbon footprint and save resources like fresh water and fossil fuels. People who eat less meat also tend to have a lower body weight.

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Black Bean Quinoa Veggie Burgers

(Adapted from Fit Foodie Finds)

Ingredients

1 can black bean, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar

1 large egg

1/4 - 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour (or any kind of flour)

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

1 zucchini, finely chopped

1 bell pepper, finely chopped

2t cumin

1/2t chili powder

1/4t salt

1/4 t pepper

Directions

1. Begin by pureeing black beans and balsamic vinegar in a small food processor, set aside.

2. Next, finely chop your vegetables and mix together in a large bowl. Add in cooked quinoa, pureed black beans, and spices.

3. Then, depending on how soft your batter is, gradually add in garbanzo bean flour. I started with 1/4 cup and then added more because it was still too soft.

4. Next, refrigerate mixture for ~30 minutes or over night, to harden it up a little bit.

5. At this point you should be able to form them into patties. Mine were around 1 inch thick. I individually wrapped my in plastic wrap so I could make them throughout the week, so this step is optional.

6. To cook your patty, coat a medium-sized pan with EVOO and heat on LOW/MEDIUM heat and cover. You'll want to let each side cook for about 3-4 minutes. Be careful when you flip, they are fragile little things!

7. Serve over a bed of spinach or mixed greens or, if you like, on a whole-wheat hamburger bun. Add your favorite toppings such as avocado, salsa, tomato slices, and feta cheese.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator:

Stress Less For A Healthy Heart

When your body is stressed, it releases the hormone adrenaline, which increases your heart, breathing, and blood pressure rates. A faster heart rate and higher blood pressure make your heart work harder and can weaken artery walls if these symptoms persist over time. In this way, chronic stress may increase your risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in America.

This week, investigate your stress levels and heart disease risk factors. If you often exhibit Type A behaviors (feeling rushed, impatient, irritated, angry or hostile), focus on reducing the frequency of these behaviors to stay heart healthy!

Have a great week everyone 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

“Time And health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.”

~Denis Waitley~

Meatless Monday: 9 Nutrients That Boost Immunity

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless 

One Day For All Three Meals

 

   

Adequately feeding your immune system boosts its fighting power. Immune boosters work in many ways. They increase the number of white cells in the immune system army, train them to fight better, and help them form an overall better battle plan. Boosters also help to eliminate the deadwood in the army, substances that drag the body down. Here are the top nine nutrients to add to your family's diet to cut down on days missed from work and school because of illness.

1.Vitamin C. Vitamin C tops the list of immune boosters for many reasons. There has been more research about the immune-boosting effects of Vitamin C than perhaps any other nutrient. Vitamin C supplements are inexpensive to produce, and it's available naturally in many fruits and vegetables. Also, you can buy a vitamin-C-fortified version of just about anything. Here's what the research shows about how this mighty vitamin protects your body:

Vitamin C increases the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies and increases levels of interferon, the antibody that coats cell surfaces, preventing the entry of viruses. Vitamin C reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by raising levels of HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering blood pressure and interfering with the process by which fat is converted to plaque in the arteries. As an added perk, persons whose diets are higher in vitamin C have lower rates of colon, prostate, and breast cancer.

2.Vitamin E. This important antioxidant and immune booster doesn't get as much press as vitamin C, yet it's important to a healthy immune system.

Vitamin E stimulates the production of natural killer cells, those that seek out and destroy germs and cancer cells. Vitamin E enhances the production of B-cells, the immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria. Vitamin E supplementation may also reverse some of the decline in immune response commonly seen in aging.

It's not difficult to get 30 to 60 milligrams every day of Vitamin E from a diet rich in seeds, vegetable oils, and grains, but it's difficult for most people to consume more than 60 milligrams a day consistently through diet alone. Supplements may be necessary to get enough vitamin E to boost your immune system.

 3. Carotenoids. Beta carotene increases the number of infection-fighting cells, natural killer cells, and helper T-cells, as well as being a powerful antioxidant that mops up excess free radicals that accelerate aging. Like the other "big three" antioxidants, vitamins C and E, it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by interfering with how the fats and cholesterol in the bloodstream oxidize to form arterial plaques. Studies have shown that beta carotene can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially strokes and heart attacks, giving scientific credence to the belief that a carrot a day can keep the heart surgeon away. Beta carotene also protects against cancer by stimulating the immune cells called macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factor, which kills cancer cells. It has also been shown that beta carotene supplements can increase the production of T-cell lymphocytes and natural killer cells and can enhance the ability of the natural killer cells to attack cancer cells.

•  A. Beta carotene is the most familiar carotenoid, but it is only one member of a large family. Researchers believe that it is not just beta carotene that produces all these good effects, but all the carotenoids working together.
•  B. Bioflavenoids. A group of phytonutrients called bioflavenoids aids the immune system by protecting the cells of the body against environmental pollutants. Bioflavenoids protect the cell membranes against the pollutants trying to attach to them. Along the membrane of each cell there are microscopic parking spaces, called receptor sites. Pollutants, toxins, or germs can park here and gradually eat their way into the membrane of the cell, but when bioflavenoids fill up these parking spots there is no room for toxins to park. A diet that contains a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, at least six servings per day, will help you get the bioflavenoids needed to help your immune system work in top form.

 4. Zinc. This valuable mineral increases the production of white blood cells that fight infection and helps them fight more aggressively. It also increases killer cells that fight against cancer and helps white cells release more antibodies. Zinc supplements have been shown to slow the growth of cancer.

      

 5. Garlic. This flavorful member of the onion family is a powerful immune booster that stimulates the multiplication of infection-fighting white cells, boosts natural killer cell activity, and increases the efficiency of antibody production. The immune-boosting properties of garlic seem to be due to its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin and sulfides.

6. Selenium. This mineral increases natural killer cells and mobilizes cancer-fighting cells. Best food sources of selenium are tuna, red snapper, lobster, shrimp, whole grains, vegetables (depending on the selenium content of the soil they're grown in), brown rice, egg yolks, cottage cheese, chicken (white meat), sunflower seeds, garlic, Brazil nuts, and lamb chops.

 7. Omega-3 fatty Acids. A study found that children taking a half teaspoon of flax oil a day experienced fewer and less severe respiratory infections and fewer days of being absent from school. The omega 3 fatty acids in flax oil and fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) act as immune boosters by increasing the activity of phagocytes, the white blood cells that eat up bacteria. (Perhaps this is why grandmothers used to insist on a daily dose of unpalatable cod liver oil.) Essential fatty acids also protect the body against damage from over-reactions to infection. When taking essential fatty acid supplements, such as flax or fish oils, take additional vitamin E, which acts together with essential fatty acids to boost the immune system.

8. Vitamin D is another nutrient to amp up on. Being deficient may leave us vulnerable to colds and flu and it is tough to get enough from sunlight (which triggers the body to create it) or food.

9. Probiotics. Probiotics, or the "live active cultures" found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs. Although they're available in supplement form, a study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that a daily 7-ounce dose of yogurt was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills. Probiotics support immune, digestive and overall health.

Most important, eat a well-balanced diet that’s not lacking in any nutrient, including calories. Flu season is no time to go o a crash diet. Severely limiting calories can decrease your body’s defenses.

Looking for a good nutrient/supplementation program for your family?  Contact me and I can be your Transfer Bridge from Dis-Ease and Stuckness to Ultimate Wellness.

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Chickpea and Spinach Burgers

(Adapted Naturally Ella)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chickpeas (drained, if using canned)

1/4  cup onion, diced

1 cup spinach, packed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

1 egg

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Pinch salt

Instructions:

1.    Combine chickpeas and onion in a food processor, pulse a few times to break up the chickpeas. Add in spinach, oil, soy sauce, oregano, paprika, and sunflower seeds, pulse a few more times.

2.    Add in egg, salt, flour, and breadcrumbs, pulsing until mixture comes together and is well blended. Remove from food processor, run your hands under water, and shape patties. If grilling out, bake in an oven for 10 minutes in order to get a start on the burger. If pan frying, you can use right away.

3.    If pan frying, cook over medium-low heat for roughly 6-8 minutes on each side. The outside should be browned and crispy.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Have a great week everyone 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

“ Today’s progress is determined by yesterday’s choices.”

~Author Unknown~

Meatless Monday: Your Best Choices

One Step At a Time...

You Can Go Meatless 

One Day For All Three Meals

The Best of Meatless “Meats”

Faux meats, meat alternatives, and meat replacers—there are lots of names, but they all mean the same thing: plant-based alternatives to meats. While meat alternatives were once restricted to select specialty shops, today grocery stores carry an increasing variety, often based on tofu, soy and other plant proteins, that offer great solutions for vegetarians, vegans or people simply interested in eating more meatless meals. Shelves are full of veggie dogs, veggie burgers, chicken-less wings, deli “meats,” “bacon” and even roasts.  

You might assume that just because meat alternatives are plant-based they are automatically healthy, but that’s not always the case. Some are highly processed and may contain a fair amount of sodium. In addition, some products contain cheese and other ingredients that could drive up the saturated fat count. But have no fear; there are plenty of healthy meat alternatives available, and we’ve done all the legwork to help separate the über-healthy from the less healthy products.

Helpful hints. If you’re looking for a meat-like entrée for your plant-based meal, check out these tips to make the best choice.

Check the Salt. While many are fairly low in sodium compared to most processed foods, there are a handful of meat alternatives that have almost one-third of a day’s worth of sodium, according to the Dietary Guidelines daily limit of 2,300 milligrams.

Get Protein. Because these products are used in place of meat, make sure you obtain adequate protein. The protein content of faux meats varies greatly, depending on the main ingredients, which can include grains, vegetables, beans, tofu and soy. While most animal products contain about seven grams of protein per ounce, a guideline for meat alternatives is to look for at least 13 grams per serving—the amount found in almost two ounces of meat.

Not All Servings Are the Same Size. Don’t be fooled by super-low calorie options. A typical serving of meat is three ounces, but the serving size for these faux meats ranges from less than two ounces to more than five. Those smaller portions may not provide a big nutrition boost, leaving you feeling hungry soon after eating. Balance out the rest of your meal to provide enough calories and nutrients to satisfy you. 

Healthy Meatless Recipe:

Baked Eggplant with Savory Cheese Stuffing

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

Eggplant makes a satisfying vegetarian dinner when stuffed with tomato and peppers and served with rice. Feta cheese adds tang and body to the stuffing.

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, each cut in half lengthwise (about 2 pounds) Cooking spray1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

1 1/4 cups finely chopped red bell pepper

1 cup finely chopped seeded plum tomato

1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

·      Preheat oven to 400°.

·      Score cut side of each eggplant half by making 4 crosswise cuts. Place the eggplant halves, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; cool on pan 10 minutes. Carefully remove pulp, leaving a 1/3-inch-thick shell; reserve eggplant shells. Chop pulp.

·      Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

·      Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Drizzle the breadcrumbs with olive oil, and pulse to combine.

·      Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped eggplant, bell pepper, tomato, oregano, and garlic; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Stuff each eggplant shell with about 1/2 cup onion mixture; sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated and lightly browned.

·      Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed eggplant half)

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Healthy Weekly Motivator:

Learn From the Past

If you’ve struggled to keep your New Year’s resolutions in the past or you’ve already given up on the ones you made this year, you may need more than willpower to reach your goals. Sometimes, before you can move forward, you need a better understanding of how you got where you are and a wellness coach can help.

“It’s very important to know why you want that change and what it’s going to do for you but also to look at what has been holding you back,” said Jill Eilenberger, a licensed psychotherapist. This is especially important if you need to lose a significant amount of weight or to quit smoking or drinking. A Wellness Coach can help you to come to grips with your feelings so you can gain some insights into how your problem developed and why you may be resistant to change.

Once you have a better understanding of your feelings, your coach can help you to prepare for making the change. This involves evaluating your priorities and becoming aware of any conflicts or obstacles. It also involves getting very clear about the reason you want to change. As your Wellness Coach, I can help you work to build your confidence as well as to develop new skills for dealing with problems as they arise.

Have a great week everyone 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

“Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.”

~ Denis Waitley ~

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