Align’s E-Newsletter ~ October 2006 Issue
Well, it’s that time of year again. The leaves are falling, the frost is settling, and the autumn vegetables are ready to become soup. Fall is an excellent time for a cleanse – whether it be of your diet, your bowels, or your mind. A detox or cleanse can be something as little as taking refined white flours out of your diet or fluoride out of your toothpaste – whatever you are comfortable with. Baby steps are the way to climb a mountain without breaking a sweat. Little changes over time become habits, and one day you’ll look back and see how far up that mountain you have come, without much sacrifice at all!
In today’s newsletter we’ll be discussing
o Boosting your Day with Breakfast – just how important is the first meal of the day for energy, productivity, and happiness?
o Nutrition for Students – get some good nutritional tidbits for your student and yourself in this article written for the University of Waterloo
o Nutritional Cooking Parties – make your next get-together an opportunity for bonding over healthy yet tasty food!
o Upcoming Events – health fairs, cooking classes, detox classes, and nutrition 101
o Recipe of the Month – hopefully not too late for your Thanksgiving dinner, this Wild and Brown Rice Stuffing will become a staple for every festive meal
Oh, and on a personal note, I got married this summer! So if you noticed the name change, no, I didn’t acquire a business partner, but a life one! After a perfect celebration and an even better honeymoon, I’m back to more pressing matters – our health. And for those of you in the Owen Sound area, I will be moving into town next month, so will be able to serve you more efficiently!
Enjoy the reading and the Canadian fall weather!
Ange
Boosting your Day with Breakfast
It’s that time of year again – back to school, back to routine. This fall, make sure your daily routines are supportive of health and well-being. Breakfast is the perfect opportunity to give you the energy needed to have a happy, productive day.
When you go to sleep, your body uses what you have given it throughout the day to rebuild and replace cells and tissues. When you wake up and eat breakfast, you are literally breaking-the-fast, and you need to give your body its fuel for the day. Each meal, especially breakfast, should contain complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and good fats. These nutrients become energy for your body at different rates – first carbs, then proteins, and then fats – giving you sustained energy from meal to meal. If you have sugar cereal (or a coffee and a bagel) in the morning, all that energy will quickly enter your bloodstream, but be followed by a big crash and fatigue. This makes productivity at school or work nearly impossible, not to mention the stress it puts on our pancreas. (A stressed pancreas over time can lead to hypoglycemia and diabetes!)
Start each day with a balanced breakfast. If you like to have cereal, pick a whole grain variety low in sugar, additives, and preservatives. Add a handful of almonds or walnuts for fat and protein, berries for phytonutrients, a teaspoon of flaxseed oil for omega-3 fats, and cover with rice or almond milk. If you prefer toast – top whole grain bread with almond or 100%-peanut butter, unpasteurized honey, and sliced banana. Eggs are great any time – serve them with salsa and toast with butter and you’ll be well satisfied.
Are you saying to yourself, “I don’t have time for breakfast” or “my kids won’t take the time to eat”? This is where the breakfast smoothie can be a life-saver. It’s a quick, portable, concentrated source of many nutritious foods. Put a cup of 100% juice or water in a blender. Add your favourite fruit (berries, mangos, and peaches work great) and blend well. You can also add rice milk or frozen banana to make it creamy. Then add a scoop of “greens” powder (made of dehydrated fruits, vegetables, algae, and other superfoods). Boost with flaxseed oil, whey protein powder, or acidophilus. Drinking a smoothie in the morning will give your body what it needs to give you a great start to the day – and reduce cravings for coffee and donuts.
Eating well leads to being well. Note your energy levels after your start eating breakfast consistently – you’ll have more sustainable energy for the long haul!
Nutrition for Students -
I was asked to be the University of Waterloo’s Student Life 101 E-Zine “Ask an Alumnus” for the month of October. They had all types of questions about how they could eat and live somewhat healthy and still enjoy university life. Check out the full article. And the info there is not just for students – learn about how much coffee is too much, what’s the healthiest pizza option, and good foods to grab on the go.
For your next social gathering -
Looking for something to make yours the party of the year?
Want to add a little spice to your fiesta?
Why not host your own Nutritional Cooking Party!
Invite me to your next gala event and I’ll help you
o pick a theme or flavour for the meal or party
o work with you to design the event’s menu and grocery list
o teach your guests how to cook the healthy choices menu
o give tips on healthy eating, living, and being
o leave you with a completely finished meal for you to enjoy
Keep me in mind for your next dinner party, family barbeque, baby shower, wedding shower, stagette, birthday, housewarming, anniversary, or holiday.
Email me at info@alignnutrition.com or call (519) 270-2794 to chat about your next event.
Upcoming events you don’t want to miss!
Holistic Health Fair
If you are in the Owen Sound area on October 28th, drop by the St George’s Church on the corner of 10th St and 3rd Ave E. Local holistic practitioners, including myself, will be there to chat about their services and how you can have a hand in deciding your health fate. Massage therapists, chiropractors, biofeedback therapists, reiki masters, and nutritionists will be among the booths for you to visit – for free!
o Saturday October 28th 11am – 4pm
o St George’s Church hall, Owens Sound – free!
o For more information, or if you would like to participate in the fair, please call Jodi Kabone at 519-371-7151
Cancer Prevention through Nutrition
Learn how you can protect yourself from cancer or rebuild yourself after treatment through food and proper nutrition. Includes hands-on cooking class and recipes with anti-cancer nutrients.
o Wednesday October 18 10am – 1pm
o $40 + gst ~ includes lunch and recipes
o At Kinexions Holistic Health Studio –970 3rd Ave W Owen Sound
o Sign up at www.alignnutrition.com, email info@alignnutrition.com, or call (519) 270-2794 to reserve your place.
Nutrition 101 – Back to Basics
Go back to class and learn the basics of nutrition and healthy eating. Learn about whole foods, label reading, not-so-super foods, and wise lifestyle choices for you and your family.
o 6 weeks – Tuesday October 24 – November 28 7:30 – 9:30 pm
o $125 + gst ~ includes resource binder
o At Kinexions Holistic Health Studio –970 3rd Ave W Owen Sound
o Sign up at www.alignnutrition.com, email info@alignnutrition.com, or call (519) 270-2794 to reserve your place.
Detox for Beginners
You hear how important it is to detox – to get rid of all the chemicals, metals, and other toxins that build up in our bodies over time. But do you really know how? This 3 week course for detox beginners will go over the whys and hows through diet and supplementation. You’ll also learn how to reduce toxin exposure in your daily life.
o 3 weeks – Monday November 6, 13, & 20 5:30 – 7 pm
o $65 + gst ~ includes resource binder
o At Kinexions Holistic Health Studio –970 3rd Ave W Owen Sound
o Sign up at www.alignnutrition.com, email info@alignnutrition.com, or call (519) 270-2794 to reserve your place.
How to Host a Healthy Christmas
In this hands-on cooking seminar you’ll learn how to take all your Christmas favourites and make healthy substitutions to make your family dinner guilt-free.
o Saturday November 25 10 am – 1 pm
o $40 + gst ~ includes lunch and recipes
o At Kinexions Holistic Health Studio –970 3rd Ave W Owen Sound
o Sign up at www.alignnutrition.com, email info@alignnutrition.com, or call (519) 270-2794 to reserve your place.
Please remember – if you are really interested in a particular session but these dates or times don’t work for you, let me know! When there is enough interest I am happy to offer alternate times. Or collect a group of friends together and I can come to you and present in the comfort of your own home or workplace!
Align Recipe of the Month
Wild and Brown Rice Stuffing
Just in time for Thanksgiving, this healthy stuffing alternate is filled with all sorts of goodies that are great for your good health. Instead of wheat or other bread, rice is a whole grain without any milling or processing, where many vitamins and minerals are usually lost. This has a great autumn feel with all its seasonal vegetables; don’t be afraid to use it as a side dish at all your family dinners!
Ingredients
1 cup wild rice
1 cup brown rice
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock (low sodium)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 cups onion, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 cups portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 cup cranberries, dried
2 tbsp fresh marjoram, chopped
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Place wild rice, brown rice, and stock in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is cooked. Drain off any remaining stock. Set aside to cool.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots and sauté for 10 minutes or until very soft. Add mushrooms, cranberries, marjoram, and tarragon and sauté for 3 minutes of until mushrooms are juicy. Add garlic; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine sautéed vegetables with cooked rice. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Preheat oven to 400oC. Stuff into bird cavity or cook on its own in a buttered baking dish. Cook until bird is done, or 45 minutes in baking dish.
Adapted from ‘Food & Drink’ Magazine, Autumn 2006.
Nutritional Value of Select Ingredients
Brown Rice – This grain is rich in complex carbohydrates, good quality proteins, and yet low in fat and calories. Brown rice can help to regulate bowel function, glucose metabolism, prevent bowel cancer, and lower cholesterol.
Carrots – One of the best sources of beta carotene, carrots can help balance the immune system and reduce the risk of many cancers. They also guard against cardiovascular disease, reduce inflammation, slow the aging process, and are great for digestion disorders. Contain fibre, calcium, iron, and many other vitamins and minerals.
Celery – Eating 2 to 4 stalks of celery a day can lower blood pressure, especially if due to stress. It helps protect against cancer, is a mild diuretic, aids in weight loss and digestion, is a detoxifier, and can stimulate sex drive. High in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
Cranberries – Great for the kidneys, bladder, and skin, these tart berries are full of vitamin C, fibre, calcium, iron, and other minerals; and phytonutrients like beta-carotene and quercetin. They are useful in the treatment of asthma, cystitis, kidney stones, and bladder stones.
Garlic – Garlic is touted as a “cure-all” due to its many uses in medicine. It has a beneficial effect on heart disease, cancer, and infectious diseases. It decreases cholesterol levels, detoxifies the body, stimulates the immune system, and the list goes on and on. Eat garlic raw and regularly for maximum benefits.
Mushrooms – Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years for their medicinal properties. They help stimulate the immune system and protect against cardiovascular disease, free radicals, mutagens, and toxins. Maikake, reishi, and shiitake are the most studied for their medicinal properties, but all mushrooms have benefits. Highly nutritious, they contain protein, B vitamins, copper, magnesium, vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, folate, selenium, and iron.
Olive Oil – Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil is a great monounsaturated fatty acid, especially for cooking. It has a good variety of vitamins and minerals, and can help lower LDL cholesterol, control blood pressure, and aid in diabetes.
Onions – Because they are high in sulfur, onions help lower cholesterol, inhibit cancerous tumor growth, help manage diabetes, and are an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal food that are also a blood tonic. Really you can’t go wrong! Eat them daily – raw or cooked.
Look for more recipes at www.alignnutrition.com/recipes.php. If you’re entertaining this holiday season, try the Layered Avocado and Hummus Dip to keep the troops occupied until dinner is served.
Enjoy your day and your life!
Take a moment to enjoy the sunshine and fall leaves and the beauty that is nature. This weekend, get out and explore a new trail, activity, or café. Spend some ‘you’ time.
Please pass this information on to others. Education is something we all have to give. Don’t forget to check out the new additions to the website and if you try one of the recipes, please let me know how it went!
Be thankful this Thanksgiving weekend.
Yours in health and wellness,
Ange
