Five Ways to Feel More Energized Food & Nutrition Magazine – Stone Soup

If you’re feeling tired, try these five simple strategies to help you feel more energized and refreshed!
— Read on foodandnutrition.org/blogs/stone-soup/five-ways-to-feel-more-energized/

Positive Food Resolutions for a Happier, Healthier New Year – Food & Nutrition Magazine

Positive Food Resolutions for a Happier, Healthier New Year – Food & Nutrition Magazine
— Read on foodandnutrition.org/blogs/stone-soup/positive-food-resolutions-happier-healthier-new-year/

Stir Fry Quinoa

Happy New Year to all who follow this blog. With the New Year come all our New Year resolutions and mine is going to be moderation and balance in my life.

Moderation basically means enjoy all foods but in limited amounts and be mindful of what you are eating, so that you are aware of why and when you indulge. Same with exercise, do something you enjoy and what you can sustain long term in moderation.

Balance is understanding that if you did indulge at breakfast, balance it out by eating something healthy at lunch or if you did not go for your regular work out at the gym, then do a 10-15 min workout at home, or increase your daily steps.

So now that the holidays are over and I ate out nearly every single day, I need to balance it by cooking at home for the next few days. I wanted to concentrate on plant proteins, so I decided to make a quinoa stir fry as quinoa is a great source of protein. I added some eggs to bump up the protein since I was not adding meat.

1 cup of quinoa has approximately 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it has 2.76 mg of iron and 118mg of magnesium. Total calories if cooked in water is approximately 200. Quinoa may help regulate blood glucose and total blood cholesterol levels.

I added corn, peas, carrots, onions and celery. You can add any vegetables you want for color, fiber and lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Stir Fry Quinoa

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups vegetable stock or water
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion, carrots and celery
  • 1/2 cup thawed peas
  • 1/2 cup thawed corn
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1 chopped green chillie
  • salt, pepper, lemon juice and chillie flakes to your preference

Method

To make life easier, I bought the onions, carrots and celery pre chopped from Trader Joe’s, its called, Trader Joe’s Mirepoix. Total time saver!!!

Rinse the quinoa in cold water and make according to directions. I used vegetable stock to make mine instead of water. Once the quinoa is cooked, empty into a long dish and put it to cool in the fridge.

In a large wok, add 2-3 tablespoon olive oil, once heated add the chopped onions, carrots and celery, sauté for 2 minutes then add the garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes till the onions and carrots are soft but not mush. Add the cooled quinoa, peas and corn to the pan.

  • Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli flakes and add to the pan.Mix everything well, but be careful of the quinoa sticking to the pan. Once everything is mixed, make a well in the center of the quinoa and pour the beaten eggs and scramble them with the wooden spoon. Toss everything together and add cilantro and green chillies and lemon juice for a kick.

I served the stir fry with a spinach salad and my whole family enjoyed the healthy dinner. I hope you enjoy it too.

I ate the leftovers for lunch today! My pics are not the best, maybe something I can start working on!!!!

stir fry quinoa

Healthy Fat Smoothie

Here is the recipe for my Healthy Smoothie, which has the healthy fats like avocadoes and flax seeds to help with my LDL. It has blueberries which have fiber and antioxidants that can help with diseases like Alzheimer and for a dose of protein and calcium, I added fat free Greek yogurt. The honey adds some sweetness or you can use a flavored yogurt, but watch the sugar intake.

Healthy fat smoothie

1/2 Avocado
1/2 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
1/2 tsp flax seeds
1/2 tsp chia seeds
1/2 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt
1 tsp maple syrup or honey
1/4 cup of liquid which can be milk, juice or water

Blend all the above together adding the liquid to get the right consistency.
The avocado adds a creaminess to the smoothie without the banana, the blueberries add the slight sweet, tangy flavor and the yogurt add the thickness and makes the smoothie very filling. The flax seeds and chia add fiber and healthy omega 3 fats.

Blood cholesterol

A few months ago, at my annual physical, I was told by my physician that I had low Vitamin D and a high cholesterol value, I was quite freaked out as all I could think about was my increased risk of Heart Disease. My father has high cholesterol, so I knew that genetics did play a role but I felt it was my diet.

I love dairy, especially cheese and since my vacation in Portugal my cheese and butter intake went up considerably. My desserts also went up. On top of all that, I hit menopause. So several factors could have played a role.

When we hear the word Cholesterol, most people think of heart disease, but it is important to understand the different types of cholesterol. Cholesterol is found in foods like shrimp and eggs, but that cholesterol, which is  dietary cholesterol is different from the cholesterol found in our blood. Dietary cholesterol is  not as harmful for heart disease as intake of saturated fats.

When we get our blood Lipid profile, the values include, Total Cholesterol, Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), High Density Lipoproteins(HDL) and Triglycerides. The LDL is the harmful cholesterol and needs to be decreased as it play a role in the accumulation of plaque in our arteries. HDL is the beneficial cholesterol, which may be protective against heart disease.
To increase HDL, it is important to exercise and limit the saturated fats in our diet and avoid the Trans Fats. Saturated fats are found in red meat, full fat dairy, butter and cream. Trans fats are found in a lot of processed and deep fried foods.
To lower the LDL, we need to do the above and try to follow the Mediterranean Diet, which includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish and olive oil. Try to substitute the saturated fats with the healthy fats which can be found in avocadoes, nuts, flax seeds and fatty fish like salmon.
I have started watching my saturated fat, I try to eat cheese only on the weekends and switched from butter to an olive oil spread. I carry nuts and seeds in my bag to snack on. The hardest change is reducing my desserts and adding more fresh fruit. I will check my lipid profile in a few months and keep you posted.

My mantra currently is moderation not deprivation.

 

Health & Wellbeing

I cannot believe it has been over a year, since I actually blogged on this site. It has always been on my mind, but unfortunately just motivating myself to actually think and sit down to  write, gets shoved to the bottom of my long to do list. I have made many recipes and taken pictures but ALAS!!!

While I was doing yoga today, I made the intention and here I am sitting and writing.

Today my blog is about doing things we love and making them a priority over all the thousands of things we do out of habit.

Last October 2018 I started my job as a Health and Wellbeing Coordinator at New York Presbyterian and I loved it. I was learning so many new things and being challenged, the social aspect of working in a team added to my great experience. Then in October 2019 a position for a Health and Wellbeing Coach opened up and after a lot of soul searching, I applied and luckily got the position.

My reasons for this change, is what I want to blog about today.

Having a purpose in life is key for our overall wellbeing and that means asking yourself the question “Why am I doing this and what do I want in life?” I realized I wanted to help clients reach their optimal Health and Wellbeing, which in turn brings me happiness. Your purpose does not have to relate to a job but any aspect of your  life.

Having a purpose helps with our emotional health.  In fact once we address our emotional and mental wellbeing we can be more successful in working on our physical health.

Stress plays a huge role in our emotional health, some good and some bad but how we react to the stress is what determines our long term health and happiness. When stress becomes chronic it leads to diseases such as anxiety, depression and all the others we know about. The World Health Organization has classified Stress as an epidemic of the 21st century.

We need to first make self-Care a priority, it should not be a luxury in life but a necessity, I love Arianna Huffington’s quote “In order to Survive you need to Thrive.” 

Self Care includes prioritizing what bring joy to our life and taking out the time to do those things even if it means some thing else will not be done. Examples include, reading, pursuing a hobby you have put off, even socializing with like minded friends.   Taking a walk in nature and just being present and mindful without constantly worrying about the future can help ease stress.

“Worrying about tomorrow does not take away tomorrows troubles but takes away todays peace”

Having a positive outlook and always making a note of the simple things we are grateful for has shown in studies to bring happiness and increase resilience. Making good quality sleep a priority would also be self care.

I hope  to share some of the articles and research, that I have learnt on my blog.

Food, wellness and modified recipes will still be on here as that is what I love and how this blog started but I want this blog to be more holistic and that means everything that affects our wellbeing.

I hope the blog will still be interesting and informative and I hope you all reach your optimal Health and Wellbeing.

Start small by writing one goal today!

Feedback is appreciated if you have any.

 

 

 

Phytonutrients: Paint your plate with the colors of the rainbow – Harvard Health Blog – Harvard Health Publishing

Phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables can protect us from chronic diseases if we eat enough of them. Because different produce contains different phytonutrients, consuming as much of a variety as possible is the best way to benefit from this protection.
— Read on www.health.harvard.edu/blog/phytonutrients-paint-your-plate-with-the-colors-of-the-rainbow-2019042516501

Foods linked to better brainpower – Harvard Health

Just as there is no magic pill to prevent cognitive decline, no single almighty brain food can ensure a sharp brain as you age. Nutritionists emphasize that…
— Read on www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower

The combo of Mediterranean diet and statins can protect against a fatal second heart attack – Harvard Health

The combination of statin therapy and a Mediterranean-style diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods can help people avoid second heart attacks and stroke and…
— Read on www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-combo-of-mediterranean-diet-and-statins-can-protect-against-a-fatal-second-heart-attack

Juicing is Not the Right Way to Get More Fruits and Vegetables into Your Diet | Fooducate

Juicing is Not the Right Way to Get More Fruits and Vegetables into Your Diet | Fooducate
— Read on www.fooducate.com/community/post/Juicing is Not the Right Way to Get More Fruits and Vegetables into Your Diet/5A489C86-AEDA-5AC7-4F13-AD3C908DBA52

What does a healthy meal look like these days? – The Boston Globe

Here’s what experts say we should be eating: lots of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, lean poultry, and a moderate amount of healthy fats.
— Read on www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2019/02/11/what-does-healthy-meal-look-like-these-days/4uAZgt16XJVQhhFVPnbOwN/story.html

Ask A Nutritionist: Using Sugar Substitutes | NewYork-Presbyterian

NewYork-Presbyterian nutritionist Georgia Giannopoulos weighs in on artificial sweeteners and how to manage your overall sugar intake.
— Read on healthmatters.nyp.org/sugar-substitutes/

11 foods that lower cholesterol – Harvard Health

Certain foods, such as beans, oats and whole grains, fatty fish, and fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.…
— Read on www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol