Quinoa Pilaf

Quinoa Pilaf
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 1/4 cups water or stock
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer until water runs clear (or buy pre-washed/no rinsing required)
2. Boil the water and add quinoa and salt, cover and reduce heat.
3. After 15 minutes add cranberries and walnuts to top; do not stir.
4. Cook 5 minutes more, until all the liquid is absorbed.
5. Remove from heat, add parsley and fluff with fork, cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes and serve.

Flourless Brownies

These brownies are delicious and no one will know they are made with black beans!

Flourless Brownies
from Whole Foods website
Makes 16

Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
1/3 cup melted butter, more for the baking dish
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cane sugar
1/2 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter an 8-inch baking pan. Place the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove the blade and gently stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until just set in the center. Cool before cutting into squares.

Nutrition
Per serving (1 brownie/about 2oz/60g-wt.): 160 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 50mg cholesterol, 35mg sodium, 17g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 12g sugar), 4g protein

Great Grains

Whole grains are an excellent source of nutrition, as they contain essential enzymes, iron, dietary fiber, vitamin E and B-complex vitamins. Because the body absorbs grain slowly, they provide sustained and high-quality energy.

Here are some examples of whole grains:
amaranth
barley (pearled or hulled-hulled is better for you but hard to find)
buckwheat or kasha
bulgur
brown rice
cornmeal
couscous
kamut
millet
oats/oatmeal
quinoa (high in protein!!)
rye berries
spelt
wheat berries
wild rice

My New Year's Goals

Whether you call them resolutions, goals, dreams, wishes etc everyone seems to have something they want to accomplish in 2010. For many people, losing weight and starting a workout program is the goal each and every year. You start the year excited and ready to go but in a few months your resolve fizzles and you find yourself eating an Entenmann's cake. So what can you do this year to make sure your goals become reality?

1. Stop making weight loss your goal. Stop eliminating carbs and fat. Stop the fad diets and ridiculous workout routines.
2. Make living a healthier life the goal. Living healthy does not mean depriving yourself or going to the gym several times a day working out until you drop. It's about eating real, whole foods that nourish you and make you feel happy and healthy and it's about incorporating a realistic amount of physical activity into your daily life.
3. Set realistic goals for yourself. Do not vow to workout every day. It's not going to happen so don't set yourself up to fail.
4. Think about how this goal will benefit you and create an action plan to accomplish this goal.

Here are some of my goals for 2010:

• I will do yoga at least once per week. Doing yoga will help me stay calm and grounded. To achieve this goal I have downloaded several (almost 100!!) video podcasts to i Tunes. I will no longer be able to use time or money as an excuse.
• I will do a 1/2 marathon in April. Running this marathon will not only help me get in shape, it will confirm, in my mind, that I am a runner. To achieve this I will run 2-3 times per week following a 1/2 marathon training schedule that I have downloaded.
• I will cook more nutritious meals for myself. Cooking will definitely save $ and help me to become healthier. I have already found a ton of new recipes from Vegetarian Times (I want to incorporate more veggies into my diet as well) and I have made a shopping list. 

What are some of your goals? What are the benefits you will gain from these goals and how will you make it happen? 

As a New Year's gift to you I am offering 50% off my 4-month program. Your 4 month program includes:

• Two, one-hour sessions per month
• Group seminars and classes
• Email support between sessions
• Handouts and other materials
• A monthly newsletter

Email me now for your free 45 minute consultation where we will discuss your unique situation in depth and determine how I can help you reach your personal goals.

Offer expires January 15, 2010

Happy New Year

As we end the year, many of us are eager to erase 2009 from our memories. We are focused on all of the things we failed to accomplish and all of the things we will accomplish next year. Instead of focusing on our failures let us focus on what we did do this year.

Here are some of my accomplishments from 2009:

• I started doing volunteer work with NY Cares.
• I graduated from IIN as a certified holistic health counselor.
• I ate kale, quinoa and bunch of other foods that I have never tried before.
• I am cooking more than I ever have.
• I eat less junk and processed foods.
• I eat more fruits, veggies and whole grains.
• I am able to identify my trigger foods.
• I know that working out is not an option for me. It not only helps me stay in shape but it calms me like nothing else does.
• I learned that I need sleep to not only function but to make better decisions about my health and well being.
• I learned to give up some of my obsession surrounding food and weight loss.

I would like to wish everyone a healthy and happy new year. Be Well!

GMST Challenge-Day 30

Here it is, Day 30 of my GMST Challenge. So, how did I do?

Sleep:
I need more sleep! I need to pick a time to turn everything off and get into bed; no exceptions. When I am well rested I have the energy to workout and take care of myself. I was not able to reduce the use of the snooze button. I will tackle this once my bedtime is set.
Food:
I have reduced the amount of fast food, junk food and eating out. I plan to try more recipes, cook more and reduce the organic frozen meals that I eat when I don't feel like cooking. I need to remind myself that cooking will nourish me more than a frozen meal will (even if it is organic).
Workout:
I worked out 18 out of 30 days. I would have liked to see more workout days however, 18 is not too bad. I will continue my workouts and will be adding a whole lot of running into my schedule. (I still plan to run the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in April). I started going to yoga on Sunday mornings.
Self Care:
I volunteer, I go to yoga, I workout, I am running again, I have reduced foods that do not nourish me, I go to acupuncture and I am working towards improving my sleep.

Overall, I feel good, more in control and more together. My skin is a little clearer and has a glow. My pants feel a little lighter and my head feels a lot clearer. I can see a little muscle tone coming back to my legs and abs. I learned that I need sleep in order to take care of myself. I feel like my shit is a little more together and that was my goal.

I'll be back in January with another challenge for myself as well as some New Year's Resolutions. Until then, Be Well!

GMST Challenge-Day 28-29

1 more day to Day 30! So here's what's going on with me:

Sleep:
Fantastic! I sleep at least 8 hours every night. Vacation is great :)
Food:
My eating habits are a little looser while on vacation but not bad by any means. I am trying to keep everything in balance.
Workout:
I am averaging every other day while on vacation.
Day 28: Squats w/kickback, plank, pushups and 30 min on the treadmill (incline workout).
Day 29: Rest
Self Care:
I am sleeping well, reading and spending time with the family. Everything is good!

Until tomorrow...Be Well!