Lunch Time!

Over the last 20 years, because of the way that I eat and especially in the last few months since I switched to all plant-based meal planning, I have been the target of two particular questions...  "what on earth do you eat?" and "where do you get your protein from?".  The first question has always kind of irritated me, because it usually accompanies a screwed up face and an incredulous kind of attitude that insinuates only someone who is completely off balance would not eat "like everybody else". However, now I use the questions as a spring board to perhaps educate the one who is asking.

So how about if I answer those two questions, by way of example, in sharing with you what I had for lunch today.

I began by mixing together in a large bowl, a few cubed potatoes and yam, sliced onions and finely chopped spinach.  A good drizzling of  olive oil and a quick toss to blend it all together then dumped out onto my stoneware sheet and sprinkled on top with sea salt and into the oven for 45 minutes.

 

While that was cooking I chopped up some kabocha squash and beets, tossed them into a casserole dish and put them in for baking as well. By the way, I always peel my squash with a potatoe peeler and then cube it because I like it to have the drier texture and I like it to remain sweet!  When it is cut in half and baked with the skin on, the moisture becomes trapped in the bowl of the shell and the squash becomes wet and has a bitter taste to it... plus, your arms get a really good work out when you peel a squash, it's not for sissies, and it's a whole lot cheaper than the gym!

I always make sure that I prepare my legumes and rice at the beginning of each week so that they are always at hand in the fridge for a quick grab.  Today I chose chick peas and lima beans.

I placed a handful of each on my plate, over a bed of fresh baby spinach, then added a sprinkling of black wild rice. I warmed all this up because I like my spinach wilted and then topped it all with the yummy, hot dishes straight from the oven.


By the way, Black Wild Rice stands out among other grains when it

comes to amounts of protein, minerals, B vitamins and folic acid.  The protein content of 1/2 cup of cooked wild rice measures 3.3 grams, that same quantity of long grain brown rice contains only 2 grams. The bonus is that wild rice has only 83 calories for 1/2 cup cooked!

Using that same 1/2 cup measurement, folic acid soars over brown rice with 21.3 mcg for wild rice and 3.9 mcg for brown rice. According to the University of California Berkeley Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition, 1/2 cup dry wild rice provides 95 mcg or 48% of the RDA (200 mcg) of folacin for men and 53% for women.

The niacin content of wild rice is also exceptional, l.06 mg for 1/2 cup cooked. Potassium 83 mg, and zinc, which is usually available in only trace amounts, comes in at 1.1 mg. and that same 1/2 cup cooked wild rice offers 1.5 grams of fiber, contains 26 mg of magnesium, a healthy balance of B vitamins along with some calcium and iron.

My beverage of choice, to go along with all this nutritional bounty, was a glass of cool, refreshing, spring water.

Yum!

And at the risk of sounding cheeky... what on earth did you eat for lunch?

Here's to your Health!

love,

Ch-ch-changes!

Well, I knew the change was coming... and the time has now arrived for me to make some physical health and fitness changes... and the first step was taken this morning... I've booked a session with a Personal Trainer who can assist me in putting together a safe and effective fitness schedule that I can begin implementing ASAP!  

We have all heard of the benefits of physical exercise improving our quality of life, adding strength to our muscles and bones, increasing stamina, and maintaining a healthy body weight; yet physical exercise also helps lower our risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes as well. 

And being aware that exercise is only one component of overall physical health, I'm also making some adjustments in my nutrition as well.  Although I eat extremely healthily and have not had any sugar, flour or packaged foods (except plain kettle chips with sea salt...yum-mm-m) in over twenty years, I'm now ready to take that extra step in heading towards an all plant based way of eating.  Because of the way that I currently eat, this new adjustment isn't a huge jump or change, but it is a change nonetheless, and so it is important that I keep before me the benefits of taking the required steps.  

I'm thinking that the Welcoming Room of Pure Grace is the perfect Room to be devoted to overall health... spiritual health, mental health, physical health... and I look forward to sharing more with you from each of these areas in the weeks to come.

So, here is something that you may not have known... milk and yogurt are actually bad for your bones!

When I first heard the research on this last year I was shocked.  Five years ago I was at a point where I had not consumed any dairy in 15 years and yet made the decision to add organic plain yogurt to my diet as a means of gaining calcium... but here is the thing... our bodies are alkaline, dairy products such as milk and yogurt are, like all animal protein, acidic.  When we consume these foods our bodies immediately begin to try and neutralize the acid and take whatever calcium our bodies have in store to do so.

Calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer, the problem is, our bodies leech calcium from our bones and once the acid is neutralized the calcium is then flushed out in our urine!  

We are depleting the very bones that need calcium to stay strong, by ingesting yogurt and milk... and the reason that we are taking these foods is because we have been told that they are high in calcium... around 300mg per cup... but this animal protein food is acidic and harmful to our bones!

But there is an answer!  Instead of getting our calcium from acidic animal protein, why not simply make the change and begin to introduce calcium through alkaline, plant based foods?  I've written about Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa) before, but this plant based food is loaded with not only iron, potassium, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and folate, but 1 cup of Quinoa has more calcium than 1 cup of milk!  It is also a more complete protein and it is gluten free!

We may not all be at the same place when it comes to making changes in our personal health care and fitness, but I encourage you to take a few moments and think about each aspect of your overall health and some of the improvements that you would like to see, then set small, attainable goals... drink more water today than you did yesterday, get in a 15 minute walk, grab an apple instead of a cookie, begin to value who you are and the physical body that God has entrusted to you... and remember, every step you take, no matter how small, will be a step in the right direction towards living a healthier lifestyle, to becoming a more robust, healthier, stronger and vital you!

I pray that in all respects 

you may prosper and be in good health... 

even as your soul prospers.

                                             2 John 1:1                                                       

Showers of Blessing!

Look at the lovely gifting of tulips, among other things, that my 'Home Girls' blessed me with today. I now have a new book to read, a bird house for my garden, seeds to plant, lovely notepaper and note cards, plenty of fruit to fill my kitchen table basket with and.... a large package of Quinoa! It looks like the Girls are convinced!

So,  as I promised, and as my way of saying Thank You for your showers of blessing upon me this morning, I offer you a variety of recipes for your newly found food... Quinoa! Just click on the collage of recipes below, or click here to go to one of my favourite recipe sites 'Epicurious'... and prepare to enjoy!

With love,

                        recipes and corresponding pictures from Martha Stewart.com

To Your Health...!

Ten years ago, while undergoing my regular yearly physical, my doctor casually mentioned something about the importance of women maintaining healthy Adrenals. News to me. I didn't even know I had an Adrenal, let alone where it might be located or that I was supposed to be keeping it healthy. Apparently, she detected my blatant ignorance because I left her office with a freshly photocopied page of Basic Adrenal Gland Information. As I made my way through the corridors to the elevator I was thinking of how little I knew of my own body.... amazing.

The basics are as follows... we all have two Adrenal Glands, each one about the size of a walnut and each one sitting atop each one of our kidneys. By the way, "ad" means "over" and "renal" means "kidneys" so... "over the kidneys", (found that one out on my own, but don't worry you won't be quizzed on this!). Apparently, the job of the Adrenals is to secrete steroid hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and of course adrenalin, which is also a hormone, all of them essential to our overall health and vitality. The hormones secreted by the Adrenals affects the function of every tissue and organ of our body... and that includes our brain!

The function of the Adrenals is to keep our bodies reacting in a healthy and productive way to the stresses in our lives. They help our internal and external bodies cope with stress whether it be emotional or physical (such as an injury), and call to attention every single cell in our body to respond accordingly. The problem is that when the stresses in our lives are prolonged, either through improper diet, too little sleep, over indulgence, family or financial stresses (you get the idea), the Adrenals become fatigued (or even burn out) which results in a lack of the production of hormones that we so vitally need; which means that our bodies cannot respond and adapt properly to the stresses in every day life which leads to physical and mental strain, which only adds... you got it... more stress!

So how do we keep our little Kidney Sitters healthy and happy is the question. Well, here are a few things that you can begin to do over the holiday season to add to the overall health of your Adrenals...

~ Control your blood sugar through balanced meals

of proteins, fats and carbs

~ Breathe in fresh oxygen daily for 30 minutes

(go for a walk)

~ Engage in some form of exercise that you enjoy

dancing

yoga

biking

~ Use a dry, body brush to stimulate your body skin each morning
(brush towards the heart)
~ Get at least nine hours of sleep per night

~ Stretch often
~ Find and take advantage of quiet moments throughout the day
to relax and unwind

~ Cultivate an attitude of gratitude in all things

~ Laugh daily

~ Cultivate good and healthy (in person) relationships

~ Drink water... often!

Of course, physical health is just one aspect.... spiritual health is another. Jesus said... "Everyone that drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the Water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the Water that I give him will become in him a well of Water springing up to Eternal Life... If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink..."

Yes, our bodies are wonderfully made by God... taking care of them in a healthy, balanced way, with an attitude of gratitude... honours Him; but the "coming to Him and drinking of the Living Water" gives place to Him in our lives and brings us spiritual Health and Well-being.

And so... Here's To Your Health!

May you have a blessed Christmas.

with love,

To Your Health... Quinoa!

As I began making another pot of Quinoa today (pronounced KEEN-WAH), I thought that perhaps sharing this food with you would be a great way to introduce the first of the Self Care postings, 'To Your Health... !'

I have been enjoying the taste and the benefits of this little seed for almost twenty years now, and although it is not a common item found in most kitchens today, perhaps it will find a home in yours, once you learn how wonderful it can be for your health!

When I first began eating Quinoa I thought that it must be a grain, but I was surprised to learn that it is actually a seed that is closely related to Beets, Spinach and Swiss Chard and that it was once considered the 'gold' of the Incas because it notably increased the stamina of their warriors!

Because I love history I was fascinated as to why I had to hear about this food from a nutritionist and not find it on the tables of families and friends, and it's because that although Quinoa has been grown in Peru and Chile and Bolivia for over 5,000 years, it was not until 1980, when two Americans discovered the concentration of nutrients in Quinoa, that they were given permission to bring it back to Colorado and to try and cultivate it there.

My Italian sister-in-law says that when cooked, Quinoa reminds her, in looks, of cous-cous, yet the taste of Quinoa is somewhat 'nutty' and it has a really nice fluffy texture. But here is the thing... Quinoa is packed with high PROTEIN, and not only that, but the protein found in Quinoa is a complete protein meaning that it includes all nine of the essential amino acids, particularly lysine which is essential for tissue growth and repair!

Quinoa is also known for other nutrients essential for good health like manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. I remember a nutritionist telling me that Quinoa was not only a good food choice for everyone, but particularly those suffering with migraine headaches, because of its high content of magnesium and riboflavin. It is also a good choice for promoting better cardiovascular health, particularly in menopausal women; and because of its content of copper and manganese, Quinoa is an excellent antioxidant... and it is a great source of insoluble fibre! And there was an article that came out of the New England Journal of Medicine a few years ago that stated that Quinoa has the ability to substantially lower the risk of Type 2 Diabetes due to its high concentration of lignans.

I think you get my drift... Quinoa is good for you!

My favorite way to have it is with my dinner meal, a great substitute for starchy white potatoes! Sometimes I'll just place a cup of cooked Quinoa in the middle of my plate and then place my favorite steamed vegetables over top. I love to serve it along side a serving of chicken wings and another favorite dish of mine, Beets and Kabachi Squash. I won't be offended if you do not say YUM! with me, but really, unless you've tried it, don't be too quick to knock it!

As far a getting your hands on some Quinoa, try your local health food store, and when you get it home I would suggest placing it in a plastic freezer bag and storing it in the freezer to prolong its freshness (8 to 9 months).

Making it is a snap, just rinse it under cold water in a sieve and then place in a pot with water, the ratio being 1 part Quinoa to 2 parts water, bring to boil, turn down to simmer, cover and remove from heat when soft and fluffy (approx. 15-20 minutes).

Then serve with a few chopped green onions and peas tossed through, or get creative and come up with your own way to implement it into your meals. Remember, it's 'To Your Health!'

P.S. This is just the coolest thing... my youngest son, knowing what my posting subject was today, said that he was watching a football game on TV a few days ago and the quarterback was talking about his healthy diet and credited his new found strength and stamina to.... QUINOA! (I'm just sayin'...)

Aging, Well!

This morning, in between figuring out what dinner would be for tonight and washing up the few extra dishes by hand that would not fit into the dishwasher, I was thinking about time. Well, actually I was thinking about age, but perhaps upon second glance they are not such distant cousins as we might first think.

My thinking really wasn't that deep, so you probably won't find anything profound here, but for some reason I remembered a long ago visit that my Uncle and I made to see a friend of his that lived way up in the heights of North Vancouver. My Uncle was a Scotsman and my recollection is that his friend was as well and that they had met through work quite soon after my Uncle had emigrated to Canada.

I had visited this home a few times for gatherings and I always remember the lovely library that they had. It was a richly furnished home and their enormous windows looked out over the Vancouver landscape. The library was beautifully furnished in warm but cheery colours and whenever I visited in the evenings, after dinner I would be allowed to sit by myself in this wonderful place, and while the lights of Vancouver twinkled below through the expansive window, I would settle myself into the wing backed chair and begin to read a book that I had been allowed to choose from a shelf. On one occasion I was given a hard bound copy of 'The Lady of the Light'; in retrospect I really think that it was chosen under the assumption that it was about Florence Nightingale (The Lady of the Lamp), but I have to say this one that I had been given was pretty racy for a 9 year old... I remember something about 'stolen kisses' in the evening under a large tree on the grounds of an estate where a dance was being held sometime in the 1800's.

But this particular visit was not going to find me in the library, because the whole purpose of the visit was to wish my Uncle's friend a happy birthday. While they enjoyed their conversation, I patiently waited for a bit of a pause between them, and when it came I was finally able to ask, "How old are you?". I was very quickly told by my Uncle that this is not a polite question and as they continued their time together I resigned myself to the fact that I was never going to know. (But I do remember thinking at the time that he must have been 'quite old'; in retrospect, he was probably just about five years older than I find my own sweet self today! Jeesh!)

Like most 9 years olds, I knew that having another birthday was a big deal, after all once 9 was gotten through it was into the double digits for me! Why this man could not proudly declare his age, and why it had all of a sudden become 'not polite' to ask was beyond me. Children are very careful to state their milestones according to their age... "I am nine"... I am nine and a half". Funny how I don't seem to have maintained this same enthusiasm throughout the years.

When you are nine years old you are counting UP and it is exciting to think what all lies ahead up there! Then there comes 'the age', distinctly different for each one of us (the wrong side of 40, 50, 60?), where all of a sudden, even though the numbers are continuing to go up... we begin to view it as counting DOWN! And to be perfectly honest, it just doesn't seem to be as exciting as we look at what all lies ahead down there!

Now, as a woman of faith I am counting UP, in the sense that I know where and with Whom my ultimate destiny of the ages lies. But when it comes to just plain earthly age... time does take it's toll!

And so here is what I am thinking.... instead of going through life with a number on our backs (and let's face it, you can be 30 and feel 70, you can be 70 and feel 30), how much better it would be if we were to embrace the changes we see in ourselves through each passing year, and be determined to take care of these glorious bodies that God has given to us through good nutrition, exercise, and a proper perspective on aging itself.

For the past twenty years I have been very aware of what 'good health' really is.... physically, mentally and spiritually, and I would like to share some of that here, at Pure Grace, from time to time to encourage you into better self care. Self care is not self indulgence, nor is it selfish... self care gives glory and honour to the One that created you and Who has purposes that He would see worked out in you. God's purposes in you are not cut off at age 65! Self care is about keeping our body, mind and spirit healthy so that we are available in ANY season of life. Self care is also not about lengthening our days, as our individual time clocks have been wound by God Himself and it is He that has determined the length of our days upon this earth. Self care is about the quality of life that we have at any given time.

I also know some pretty incredible women that totally get what true 'self care' is about and I would like to share their stories with you as well. I am also thinking of the younger women that I see coming behind me, that need to see 'older women' honouring God through balanced self care. And by the way, I am a big believer that to a 10 year old, a fifteen year old is an 'older women', so as we reach to those ahead of us, and reach to those behind us, we are building into women of ALL ages, a healthy view of age, beauty and the benefits of good nutrition, exercise and attention to their faith.

I look forward to sharing with you and I also look forward to you sharing back through the Comment section of the Pure Grace Room.

with love,