Quinoa salad with sweet-spicy dressing

This recipe for quinoa salad is a variation on a couscous salad I discovered this Thanksgiving at Madawaska Kanu Center. I haven’t tried the couscous version but I find the quinoa blends so well with the vegetables and dressing so I can’t imagine switching. Quinoa, fresh vegetables, and a sweet-spicy currant dressing give this salad a uniquely delicious flavour. Taste and the higher protein in the quinoa make this one of my favourite grain salads. Other than steaming the vegetables it is quite simple and easy to make. If you make this ahead of time, it makes a great salad to take with you to work or school for lunch.

Dressing

½ cup currants or raisins

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salad

1 ½ cups quinoa, red, white or both

1 carrot finely chopped

1 cup sliced green beans or yellow wax beans cut into ¼” pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

½ red onion, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint or parsley

½ cup chopped walnuts

Put the raisins, orange juice, lemon juice, oil, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper in a jar. Cover with the lid and shake until ingredients are well mixed.

In a medium saucepan, bring rinsed quinoa and water to a boil and cook according to package. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and let it cool completely.

Steam the carrot, green beans and bell pepper until they are a bright colour, about 3 minutes. Vegetables should still be crunchy. Rinse under cold water, drain, and cool completely.

Stir the steamed vegetables, onion, and mint into the quinoa. Shake the spicy dressing and pour over the salad. Stir until well coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Serve chilled.

Whey protein - pros and cons

Recently I was contacted by someone who is formulating their own protein powder food supplement to evaluate the ingredients he was planning to use in his powder and to advise him about the proportions of macronutrients. This request opened up a whole host of considerations about what to look for in a good quality protein supplement, many of which are mired in contention.

Whey protein is the most common source of protein for powder. It is available in concentrate, isolate and hydrolyzed forms. There is a ton of conflicting information on which type is best. Some say isolate is the way to go; some say only use concentrated forms. Neither is wrong. Both sides have a valid basis for their argument. It comes down to weighing the pros and cons.

Factors to consider when purchasing whey protein powder:

• Digestion rate – you want the amino acids to work quickly but there is the related question about how much is being absorbed
• Bioavailability – maximum biological value
• Source of the whey – does the whey come from grass-fed, pastured cows free of hormones and GMOs
• Amount of whey as a percentage – divide the grams of protein per serving by the serving size (80% or better is generally considered optimal)
• How much carbohydrate and fat? (most people want as much protein as possible but at what cost?)
• Type of processing – acid-free processing not ion-exchange processing

The argument for whey protein isolate and/or whey protein hydrolysate

Whey protein isolates are the purest form of protein available, with some being more than 90% protein. Hydrolyzed whey protein isolate means that the highest quality whey has been pre-digested into smaller protein fragments for faster digestion than regular whey isolate.

Whey protein isolates have less lactose (some are lactose free) than the concentrated form.

Whey protein isolate goes through more filtering, which means more of the natural carbohydrates found in milk are removed. This means the resulting whey product is higher in protein content. 

Whey protein concentrate

Sounds good for the isolates but here’s the rub. All isolates are exposed to acid processing. Moreover, according to Dr. Joseph Mercola, your body cannot assimilate proteins in isolated form! (I could not find scientific data to back up this claim.) Due to over-processing, isolates are deficient in key amino acids and nutritional cofactors. Most protein concentrates are between 70-80%.

Other factors to consider irrespective of the type of whey include:

• Presence of toxic heavy metals
• Cold or heat processed
• Low carb, naturally sweetened

So there you have it. Pick your protein. The chief advantage of hydrolyzed whey protein isolate seems to be its digestion rate. However, fast digestion doesn’t guarantee proper absorption! Nothing’s simple. The percentage of protein is higher as well but if much of it is being excreted, this fact becomes less important. The extra processing of isolate comes at the cost of destruction of health-promoting substances. 

My recommendation would be to choose a whey protein concentrate, unless you have milk allergies. Choose a brand with whey from pasture-fed non-GMO cows, no heavy metals, cold-processed with no added sugar or artificial flavours. Taking protein powder with proteolytic enzymes may help increase the absorption rate. And remember, as with most things nutritional, more is not always better. Taking in too much may mean you are flushing it and your hard-earned money down the toilet.

A peek into the world of fermentation

Cabbage with apples, oranges and cranberries still in the early stages of fermentation

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a day-long workshop on how to make your own fermented foods and drinks. It was given by a fellow holistic nutritionist who specializes in fermentation. Fermentation occurs when beneficial bacteria feed off food (starches) and break them down into acetic and lactic acids in an anaerobic environment. Probiotics are food and supplements containing beneficial bacterial cultures that help the body’s naturally occurring intestinal flora re-establish themselves. Probiotic bacteria must be consumed daily to be effective as they do not remain in the intestinal tract and leave the body quite readily.

During the workshop we made kombucha, water kefir, ginger bug, and sauerkraut with fruit.

The funny thing about fermentation is the language. Here are some examples:

Scoby – symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast
Brain – another word for scoby, based on the appearance of the culture
Mother – another word for scoby, so-called because it produces more of its kind (called children)
Ginger Bug – a natural lacto-fermented soda starter

If these words don't make your mouth water, have faith in the knowledge that fermentation is beneficial to our health and well-being. You will enjoy foods you already like - carrots, cauliflower, green beans - but in fermented form. Active bacterial cultures from fermented foods have a huge impact on health, foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, chutneys, kefir, yogurt and kombucha.

Kombucha is fairly simple to make. We mixed together hot water, sugar and black tea (or other tea but black is best). Once it is cooled, you add the scoby and let stand for 1-2 weeks. Once it has fermented, you can take liquid from it to drink, and top it up with more sugar and tea. It is only one tablespoon of sugar which is consumed by the bacterial culture so the longer it ferments, the less sweet it gets.  

Ginger bug is essentially a slurry of sugar, diced fresh ginger and water, which helps to promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and wild yeast.

Fermented foods are nothing new: traditionally almost every civilization regularly produced and consumed at least one cultured food. They are making a comeback now that scientific research has backed up claims that these foods are highly beneficial for our health.

Unfortunately pasteurization, the process that was invented to prevent spoilage, to prevent foods and beverages from turning sour, also kills the bacteria we need to make us healthy. Ironically, by consuming only pasteurized foods, we are compromising the health of our intestinal flora and in so doing make ourselves vulnerable to legions of pathogenic microorganisms.

How does fermentation benefit our health?

Fermentation

• nourishes your digestive system, helping to keep it in balance. A balanced digestive system means a strong immune system.
• neutralizes anti-nutrients like phytic acid, which binds to minerals in the gut and decreases their digestibility.
• provides digestive enzymes
• pre-digests foods for us, making the digestive process easier
• increases the vitamin content of foods significantly and aids in the absorption of nutrients as well

So whether you choose to learn to ferment your own foods, or buy them ready-made, fermented foods are an important part of a healthy diet. Making your own is easy and much less expensive than purchasing probiotic supplements. If you are like many people and suffer from some sort of digestive disorder, I encourage you to seek the advice of a certified nutritionist to help get your digestion back in balance. Your gut will thank you.

Thai Pumpkin Soup

When I was looking for a new pumpkin recipe, I was surprised to learn that pumpkin is common in Thai cooking. Thai food is delicious and I love pumpkin soup so when I found this recipe, I thought I should try it. It has a rich, exotic flavour that goes well with dark bread or crackers. If you like spice, add an extra hot pepper. For additional colour, sprinkle with sliced red hot pepper before serving.

This recipe is really easy to make, but it needs to simmer for several hours, so start it early in the day or the day before you want to eat it.

Ingredients

8 cups cubed peeled pie pumpkin (or one 796 ml can of pumpkin puree)

1 red onion

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp turmeric

1 small red hot pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tsp red curry paste

1-4oo mL can coconut milk

3 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp fish sauce (vegans may want to use tamari sauce instead)

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp packed brown sugar

In slow cooker, combine pumpkin, onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, curry and hot pepper. Pour in coconut milk, broth and fish sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 5 to 8 hours.

Using immersion blender or Vitamix, purée soup until smooth. Stir in cilantro, lime juice and brown sugar. (I didn't have cilantro, which I love, so I garnished with sprouts. It was pretty good but the cilantro would have been better.)

Note that pie pumpkins are smaller and sweeter and much less stringy than jack-o’-lantern pumpkins. You can only get these in season so if you want to make this recipe when the pie pumpkins are not available, try using butternut squash instead. Enjoy!

Nutrition (per serving)

3 grams protein

10 g fat

18 g carbohydrate

3 g fiber

644 mg sodium

560 mg potassium

% RDA:

4% calcium

19% iron

19% vitamin A

17% vitamin C

13% folate

Top twelve things to love about this Thanksgiving

Mother Nature has once again blessed us with impeccable weather this Thanksgiving weekend. I was lucky enough to spend three fun-filled days cycling in the Madawaska region. Based at Madawaska Kanu Center (MKC) about 16 kilometers from Barry’s Bay, we rode mountain bikes one day and road bikes the next two.

Although it was overcast on Friday, as dusk set in, the clouds moved out making way for clear skies which remained for most of the weekend.  

MKC is a pearl in the Madawaska wilderness. From May to September they offer canoe and kayak lessons as well as meals and lodgings for participants. They also host weddings, art shows and once a year cycling guests.

Here are my top 12 things to appreciate about this Thanksgiving weekend:

1. Sunshine and blue skies
2. Warm temperatures
3. Fresh air
4. Coloured leaves at their peak
5. Mountain biking in the Madawaska Highlands
6. Having lunch at Tom’s Lookout while taking in view of the colourful Madawaska Valley
7. Road biking on quiet roads to Elephant Lake
8. Riding by lakes made bluer by the contrasting colours of the leaves
9. Staying at Madawaska Kanu Centre
10. Someone else’s cooking
11. Fresh baked bread
12. Hanging out with good people

If you keep off the main highways, the road riding is amazing. There are no flat, straight roads. The terrain is challenging and always interesting: a balance of open fields and dense forests; The sunlight reflecting off the brightly coloured leaves; Numerous ponds and lakes.

The mountain bike trails are fun and fast with the occasional hard climb (read: steep!) or descent (also steep),  rocks and roots or sometimes grass and soft earth adding to the challenge. It's so peaceful in the woods. The only traffic we saw all day were two hikers and a dog and one noisy ATV.

Even the drive there and back was pleasant: Watching the terrain change from flat open fields to rolling hills to high peaks. The road winding and undulating; the scenery never gets boring. Old farms, unique houses, small towns, dot the landscape.

So much to be thankful for. And let’s not forget, good health and fitness to allow us to enjoy it all!

Sally’s top four nutritious foods for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can be a time to eat healthy. By limiting or eliminating the gravy and potatoes and buns and starting off with a pumpkin soup followed by a tasty roasted turkey with cranberry sauce and wilted spinach, cruciferous vegetables or baked squash you can have a delicious, hearty meal without guilt. Here are my top four foods for a healthy Thanksgiving feast.

1. Turkey!

Skinless turkey breast is one of the leanest forms of protein. Turkey also offers a rich array of nutrients, particularly niacin, selenium, vitamins B6 and B12, and zinc. These nutrients are heart-healthy and valuable in helping to lower the risk for cancer. Although white meat is lower in saturated fat and calories, dark meat has the edge in iron content.

2. Pumpkin

Pumpkin is technically a fruit, which like melons, belongs to the gourd family. The two carotenoids found in pumpkins – beta-carotene and alpha-carotene – are particularly potent phytonutrients. Beta-carotene specifically from food (as opposed to in supplement form) helps prevent many diseases, including lung cancer. Carotenoids have also shown great promise in their ability to lower rates of heart disease. Carotenoid consumption also decreases the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Pumpkin is also a rich source of fiber. Even canned pumpkin with its creamy consistency provides 5 grams of fiber in just half a cup. Moreover, canned pumpkin is one of few foods that is actually more nutritious than fresh! This is because canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling) has been cooked down to reduce the water content. At only 83 calories per cup, it offers more than 400 per cent of the recommended intake of alpha-carotene, 300 per cent of the recommended intake of beta-carotene, and almost half of the iron requirement for adult men and post-menopausal women.

3. Cranberries - a popular remedy for treating cystitis, cranberries contain components that interfere with the adherence of bacteria to the lining of the urinary tract. Other compounds found in this fruit have been found to inhibit plaque-causing bacteria in the mouth which causes tooth decay and gum disease. Cranberries also promote powerful anti-cancer activity and can combat kidney stone foundation.

Make your own cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving.

8 oz. of fresh or frozen cranberries. 1 unpeeled orange. 1 cup apple or grape juice. Place the cranberries and the orange pieces and juice in a food processor and process until evenly chopped. Add a few drops of liquid stevia or raw honey if more sweetener is needed. Store in fridge.

4. Greens or cruciferous vegetables: greens beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, spinach

There are a number of studies demonstrating an inverse relationship between spinach consumption and cardiovascular disease, a host of cancers, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts.

Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables contain carotenoids, antioxidants, Coenzyme Q10 (spinach and broccoli are the only vegetables with significant amounts), B vitamins and minerals. Spinach is also a major source of vitamin K.

Wilted spinach

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp minced garlic

4 cups fresh spinach leaves

Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2/3 cup long grain white or brown rice, cooked

2 tbsp flaxmeal

In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat and cook the garlic, stirring for one minute, or until softened but not browned. Add the spinach and continue cooking until the greens wilt. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Toss the rice with the flaxmeal and divide among 4 warmed plates. Spoon 1 cup wilted spinach along with slices of turkey.

Take a small plate (you can always go back for more) and enjoy. Eat healthy and eat well! Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Breast Cancer Deception Month

October is breast cancer awareness month which, as the name suggests is about raising awareness of the disease. But most people are already aware of breast cancer. The National Breast Cancer Foundation wants to remind us to take the steps to detect the disease in early stages and encourage others to do the same. Which begs the question, why not look for the cause of breast cancer and teach people how to prevent the disease? Answer: because it is not profitable to do so. 

After decades of research, we are still no closer to finding a cure for cancer. Fortunately, there are scientists who are not funded by large corporations who are looking into causes for the disease. In his ground-breaking book, “The Dark Side of Breast Cancer (Un)Awareness Month”, Sayer Ji writes:

Sadly, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a time of increasing awareness not of the preventable causes of breast cancer, but of the breast cancer industry's insatiable need to both raise money for research into a pharmaceutical cure, and to promote its primary means of "prevention": early detection via x-ray mammography.

On first account, a pharmaceutical "cure" is as unlikely as it is oxymoronic. Drugs do not cure disease any more than bullets cure war. Beneath modern medicine's showy display of diagnostic contraptions, heroic "life-saving" procedures, and an armory of exotic drugs of strange origin and power, it is always the body's ability to heal itself – beneath the pomp and circumstance – that is truly responsible for medicine's apparent successes. Too often, in spite of what medicine does to "treat" or "save" the body, it is the body which against invasive chemical and surgical medical interventions, silently treats and saves itself.

… The mystery is not in how our body succumbs to cancer; rather the mystery is in how, after years and even decades of chemical exposure and nutrient deprivation our bodies prevail against cancer for so long.

While the focus on drug therapy remains, the primary causes of breast cancer are continually overlooked. These include: nutritional deficiencies, exposure to environmental toxicity, inflammation, estrogen dominance and the resulting breakdown in genetic integrity and immune surveillance.

What to avoid:

• Substances that mimic estrogen in the body - Many metals are estrogen mimics, making them potentially dangerous in the human body because of their ability to combine with estrogen receptors, thus replacing natural estrogen. Aluminum, used in anti-perpirants, is one of these estrogen mimics.
• Most commercial personal care products - including shampoo, toothpaste and mouthwash - contain carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, degreasers, and surfactants.

The majority of people wash their hair with products containing these toxic ingredients: Sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, and propylene glycol. Parabens are preservatives that mimic estrogen. In cosmetic use, these chemicals have reactions internally. Regulators say they are safe in small doses; however, parabens are absorbed through the skin and are known to bind to the body’s estrogen-receptors, where they encourage breast cancer growth.

Seeking out responsible skin care products is like making healthy food choices. In addition to food, there are healthy alternatives to toxic products. Of course, prevention is not always possible. We need treatments for those who get the disease and research is a necessary part of that solution. My point is that funding is not directed toward finding roots causes and educating the public about cancer prevention. Mammography may not be the best method of prevention; it may actually be one of the causes.

I would like to see more transparency and accountability by companies that take part in breast cancer fundraising, and I encourage consumers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions.

This, and every month, let's do what we can to prevent the breast cancer. We can take steps to avoid toxic substances and look to foods like turmeric, cabbage and miso soup among others. And by all means help raise funds for cancer research. And encourage solutions that are health-promoting not health-damaging.

  

For further reading on the dangers of mammography, see Rethinking Mammograms.

Vegetable day celebration

It may sound funny to set aside one day to celebrate a category of food that is fundamental to our existence. However, here it is. So let's celebrate! There is certainly cause for celebration if this day helps to raise awareness about eating more vegetables. The sad truth is, not everyone has the mighty vegetable on their food eating radar.

While cooking isn't my forte, I am a great maker of salads. So today I am going to share with you a typical salad that I make several times a week.

Ingredients:

Red leaf lettuce, Romaine lettuce or mixed field greens
Red cabbage
Red onion
Celery
Radish
Cucumber
Carrots
Red pepper
Pumpkin seeds
Slivered almonds
Nutritional yeast
Sprouts (e.g. alfalfa, radish, broccoli, clover)

Sauerkraut

Herbamare - Fresh organic herbs & vegetables aromatic sea salt

Homemade salad dressing

1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp maple syrup

(Note: Red and orange colours are missing from picture. Time to go shopping.)

My secret is out there for all to enjoy! I hope you will find this so good, you will get excited about eating salad for lunch or dinner more often. Of course, you may wish to add your favourite fish such as tuna or salmon. Happy vegetable day everyone!

Adding TRX to the toolbox

I have been wanting to get my certification in TRX training for a while but have not found any courses being offered in Ottawa. So I travelled to the next closest city and that turned out to be Toronto. Toronto has their own TRX Instructor and as a result there are more frequent courses offered there. Since I began seeking fitness accreditations, I have taken courses from three different organizations: RMAX International which provided my Circular Strength Training course, Agatsu Inc., which provided my Kettlebell Instructor course as well my Upper and Lower Body Mobility training, and most recently, group training from TRX.

All have proven educational and useful to me both in my personal training and as an instructor.

Circular strength training focused on restorative movements in all planes of movement. Both the bodyweight and the clubbell exercises had to be executed at speed without compromising form. This was the physical challenge. They were also concerned with how well you could teach and coach someone to do the movements correctly, one-on-one and in a group setting.

Agatsu Kettlebell training focused on executing basic kettlebell movements with proper form for peak efficiency and injury prevention. There was physical test of the movements taught as well as a cardiovascular fitness test at the end. Agatsu also taught us how to teach.

TRX training focused on foundational movements, basic TRX exercises, and coaching to the individual and to the group. Through application of TRX’s Group Coaching System, we learned to deliver TRX workouts that are adaptable to all fitness levels.

And yet, despite the differences in modality (clubbell, kettlebell and TRX) there is a common thread to all these systems: That being bodyweight exercises. You must master a basic movement without weight if you can expect to be able to properly execute that same movement under load. All three systems worked on bodyweight movement in addition to the specific tool being learned.

The one exception to the bodyweight rule is the TRX: certain movements can be made easier to do on the TRX than with just bodyweight alone. For example, someone who cannot perform one full push up could conceivably perform a chest press on the TRX. This is because the TRX allows you to work at an easier angle (called a vector) - one that is not horizontal. This reduces the load on the muscles. It is my guess that this single unique factor accounts in some way for the exploding popularity of this particular training tool. However, if that person cannot maintain the foundational movement that the push up is based on, which is the plank, then it follows that the plank must be worked on first. 

Similarly, the kettlebell swing is based on the foundational movement called the hinge. One must be able to hinge forward at the hip properly before adding load in the form of the kettlebell. Clubbells also have a swing exercise that requires the exact same foundational hinging movement as the kettlebell swing.

These similarities make logical sense because when you are discussing body movement the basics are the foundation: proper body alignment and structure, mobility, flexibility, stability, and movement. The basics don’t change. What changes is the way you apply them, whether for the purposes of variety or for stressing different systems of the body – cardiovascular, nervous, and muscular.

The TRX Group Training course was informative and reinforced concepts and practices I learned in previous courses. It definitely built on a solid foundation of best practices which I have noticed to be a growing trend in the fitness industry: One which places health and pain-free movement, and muscular systems not individual muscles, at the core of any fitness program. To quote the TRX mantra: “Movement is a skill you practice, strength is a skill you practice, better is a skill you practice.” Conclusion, you must practice!