Quinoa is SO Good and Healthy too!

I never even knew what quinoa was about a year ago and now it's become part of our weekly menu. Here is what it looks like before it's cooked.

And this is after (you can cook the same way as rice in a rice cooker).

I got the following information from www.lifestyle.iloveindia.com

• Quinoa is rich in protein content. In fact, it is a complete protein as it contains all the essential amino acids, especially lysine, which is required by the body to grow and repair tissues.

• It has high content of manganese in it, which acts as antioxidant in the body and helps it get rid of dangerous cancer cells and other diseases.

• The seed proved to be a good source of magnesium, which provides relief from migraine headaches, relaxes blood vessels, and decreases the risk of hypertension.

• Riboflavin present in quinoa reduces the frequency of migraine attacks, by producing energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells.

• The presence of potassium and magnesium in quinoa prevents clogging of arteries and hence, relieves stress on the heart.

• Quinoa has low content of saturated fats and cholesterol, making it an ideal food for every health conscious consumer.

• It is a good source of calcium, which is extremely important for the growth of healthy teeth, bones and skin.

• The grain is a boon for people who are allergic to wheat and are suffering from Celiac disease, as it is gluten free.

• Quinoa is a wonderful source of fiber for the body, which aids easy elimination and toning of colon.

• The food is rich in carbohydrates, an efficient fuel for energy production required by children and athletes.

• It is a good source of insoluble fiber that helps avoid gallstones, especially in women who are more prone to them.

• The high content of copper present in it helps in oxidizing glucose, produces skin coloring agent melanin and acts as catalyst in the formation of hemoglobin. 

There are so many great quinoa recipes out there, so I thought I'd share a few. If you use my weekly meal plans then you've probably noticed that I put quinoa on there every week. It's because it's so dang healthy!!!

Here's a great looking dish from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen 

Here's some yummy looking soup from Laylita's Recipes

You can even use it to bake with, here are some delicious looking muffins from Cooking With Kimberly

I usually just have it plain, but I really need to start spicing it up a bit. You can get a 4 pound bag of gluten free organic quinoa at Costco for only $8. I think thats a pretty great price because I was just looking at places online to buy it and I saw prices for organic quinoa up to $60 for a 9 pound bag.

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Fun And Balanced Friday~ Week #12

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Imma Model ~ ~ ~ Ya know what I mean...

No I'm really not but sweet Kendra Hales, the founder and designer of Impel clothing made me feel like one for a day :) I got to get my hair and make up done and get all dressed up in her cute clothes for a photo shoot. It was so much fun and also FREEZING!!!
I wanted to share a few of the pics and videos of the photo shoot with you today. Also you're going to want to check out her website. I am TOTALLY impressed with the quality, design and affordability at Vintage Inspired Modest Women's Clothing by Impel.  Everything being priced at under $40.

How Do You Feel?

I don't know about you but I am feeling SICK... sick from eating so much crap over the weekend. I'm sure I gained at least 5 lbs and feelin it in my jeans. 

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I'm getting ready to do a cleanse and thought I'd answer a few frequently asked questions about the program I do.

What do you DO when you're cleansing? Do you get to eat at all?

First of all, YES, you do get to eat on certain days. It starts out with 2 warm up days,  you'll be replacing 2 meals with the meal replacement shakes, and have one regular healthy meal around 400-600 calories. Then you'll start the 9 day with 2 days of cleansing where you'll basically just be on a liquid diet, drinking the cleanse juice provided in the 9 day Pak (it's not as hard as it sounds, with the amount of water you'll drink as well as the cleanse juice, surprisingly you won't be that hungry). Then you'll do 5 days of the shakes again (shake, meal, shake), then finish with another 2 cleansing days.

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Will I gain the weight back?

Yes, you will gain the weight back if you don't go on some sort of maintenance program or begin making regular cleansing part of your life. There is no such thing as a quick fix, cleansing should be done as often as every 3 to 6 months. Just like changing the oil in your car in order for it to run properly, so is it with the body.  I am not the type of person that can just eat perfectly for the rest of my life, I like to enjoy all the yummy foods this world has to offer, so I don't deprive myself. I have noticed that I crave less of the junk after cleansing though. As for the maintenance program, it's very simple, all I do is I start out each day with my yummy Isalean shake. It's quick and easy, and tastes great! Plus I just feel good when I have the shakes, it's the best way to start out my day, providing the body with all the nutrients it needs. I'm sure you all know that our food these days is not what it used to be. Our food is depleted of nutrients, which means we eat WAY more than we really need. Our body is only telling us it's hungry, because it's craving NUTRIENTS!

How will I feel during the cleanse? Nauseous, hungry, tired, headaches, ect? Will I be stuck to the toilette all day?

First of all, NO, you won't be stuck to the toilette, if anything you may experience a little constipation, but nothing a little magnesium can't fix :) Most people feel fine during the cleanse, but it's totally normal if you experience a minor case of any of the above. Just take it easy on cleanse days, drink lots of water, and take a nice relaxing bath. 

How much does it cost?

About $5 a meal, which I don't think is too bad considering what the average person is spending on consumable products. Think about the amount of money you're already spending each day on things you consume, Starbucks, Diet cokes, fast food, ect.  I've had people tell me that they've actually SAVED money when they were on a cleanse. Here is a great cost breakdown you can look at. Just click on it to enlarge.

The membership is just like a costco membership. Gives you access to all the wholesale prices for 1 year. You can go to www.wannabelean.com to get all set up with your program. Watch the videos on the site, and click on GET STARTED if you'd like to give it a go.  

I'm going to leave you with some pretty interesting information on the HCG diet. These are documents so just click on it if the text is too small to read and it will enlarge.

If you like me :) then click to vote for me! That's all you have to do, just click, nothing else is required beyond that! Your click is your vote. You can vote daily too.


P.S.
Only one more day to enter the $36 Effie's Heart Gift Card Giveaway! This could make a great Christmas gift too!