Food Day 17

Quinoa

Originally grown in the Andes, Quinoa has become one of the most popular foods to be consumed in the developed world. It is known for its high carbohydrate and fiber content as well as it’s high protein, vitamin, and mineral levels.

How

1. Buy white quinoa if you have never had quinoa before. Black and red quinoa have their own distinct earthier flavors that may take time to get used to.
2. Make it as a side dish for any meal, or include it in breakfast porridges or salad. For extra flavor, add a bayleaf to your quinoa mixture while cooking it in a pot or a rice cooker.
3. Consume 2-3 servings (48 g) of whole grain foods such as quinoa per day.
4. Soak the quinoa before using it to decrease the phytic acid content which can decrease nutrient absorption.

Cooking Instructions (1 cup of quinoa, yields about 3 cups of cooked quinoa)

1. .Rinse quinoa before cooking, this removes the bitter outer coating of quinoa
2. Put 2 cups of water in a pot, turn up the heat.
3. Add 1 cup of raw quinoa, with a dash of salt.
4. Boil for 15-20 minutes.
5. Let the cooked quinoa stand for 5 minutes.
6. Fluff with a fork and eat.
7. If done right, the quinoa should have a mild nuttier flavor with a satisfying crunch.
8. You can also use a rice cooker to cook the quinoa using a 2:1 liquid-to-quinoa ratio.

Health benefits & facts

• Possibly reduces the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, colon cancer,  and cardiovascular disease.
• Gluten free. This is good news for those who have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant. Quinoa provides a gluten free source of carbs and fiber along with more nutrients and proteins than other grains.
• Healthy colon. Quinoa is high in fiber which is required to clean the digestive tract as well as to keep stool moist.
• Strong bones and muscles. Quinoa is much higher in protein than other grains to help your body become strong.

Reminder

Don’t forget about orange juice and herring. Orange juice is best known for its high vitamin C content and herring is best known to be high in vitamins, minerals, and proteins.

Orange Juice

Methods

1. We recommend one small glass of fresh squeezed orange juice as morning beverage. Avoid frozen orange juice, canned orange juice, or concentrate.
2. You can even make your own orange juice for maximum freshness and purity.
3. Orange juice, like other citrus fruits, is quite acidic and this can upset your stomach. Don’t drink too much of it.
4. Space out your drinking of orange juice. Drinking a lot at once can cause large changes in blood sugar levels and energy levels throughout the day. This can lead to complications with people who have trouble regulating their blood sugar levels i.e. diabetics or prediabetics.
5. Eating oranges as well as drinking orange juice. Oranges have much more fiber than orange juice.

Benefits

• Quick source of energy. Fruits juices are a quick and natural source of fructose which gives your body a quick burst of energy shortly after consumption.
• Immune system boost. Orange juice is high in vitamin C which is essential for the immune system. A single serving of orange juice has more than 200% of the daily requirement vitamin C.
• Helps prevents cancer. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant which means that it neutralizes oxidants that cause cancer.
• Eye health. One serving of orange juice contains about 50% of the recommended daily requirement of vitamin A which is essential for the maintenance of eyes.

Herring

Herring is the most widely consumed fish in the world. It is a good source of protein as well as a source of essential fatty acids to help with inflammation.

Methods

1. For the freshest herring, buy your fish directly from a traditional fish monger. If this is not available, you can also buy it from your local grocery store.
2. Make sure the fish is fresh without any rancid odours or mold
3. Herring can be cooked by boiling or grilling. It is best served over a bed of lemon slices
4. The best way to preserve the herring is by pickling the fish with rhubarb. You can then leave this in the fridge as long as it doesn’t spoil.
5. Herring can be stored in the freezer for a maximum of 3 months.

Benefits

• Helps with the maintenance of strong bones. Vitamin D is naturally found in herrings and assists in the reabsorption of calcium by the bones.
• Reduces inflammation while also keeping the heart and brain healthy by the action of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
• Low in mercury. Herring along with salmon and other fish are low in mercury which disrupts normal body functions.
• High in protein. Protein is needed in the production of muscles and tissues for a healthy body
• Source of vitamin B-12, and iron. These nutrients are essential in the maintenance of proper oxygen transport through the circulatory system.
• For other essential minerals, fibre and vitamins remember to drink cranberry juice and eat carrots.

Bonus Tips

Myth Busting

Read more

Congratulations! You’re well on your way into completing the 30-day diet. Over the past weeks, you’ve probably done plenty of thinking about food and health. If you’re like us, you’ve been introduced to plenty of ideas about healthy eating – ideas that don’t always make sense in the real world. But, because health is so mysterious and hard to obtain for many people, it’s hard to shake some of these notions off. Today, we’ll talk about a popular myth: calories eaten at night are more fattening than calories eaten during the day.” No one is quite sure where this belief started, but it is definitely not true. Here’s why.

• Calories are Calories

That’s what Dr. John Foreyt, director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor, says. And there’s good reason to believe him. From what we know about weight gain (and weight loss), it’s become clear that your body’s operating levels are based simply on the difference between caloric intake and caloric use. Thus, it doesn’t matter if you eat dinner at 5 PM or 10 PM, so long as you have a consistent dietary schedule: calories are calories.

• What Does Eating Late Do?

Eating late might not have an impact on weight gain, but that doesn’t mean it has no effect at all. Many studies have shown that people who eat large amounts of food shortly before they go to bed can have trouble sleeping. Most sleep experts recommend eating at least an hour before bedtime. While consuming warm milk can help you sleep, BBQ will not.

• Be Mindful of Late-Night Snacking

While calories eaten late at night aren’t inherently more fattening than others, there is certainly something to be said for the power of habit. If you’re used to snacking through the night, be sure to watch what you eat, as many easy-to-prepare foods that catch the eye at the end of a long day aren’t exactly healthy.

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