CanDrugStore Health Blog

January 28, 2011

Quinoa: A Rising Health Food Star

Filed under: healthy eating — Tags: Health, healthy diet, healthy eating, healthy living, nutrition, weight loss — bstacey @ 10:23 pm

Have you made a New Year resolution to eat more consciously? It can be challenging to start eating healthy food. Part of this adventure may include incorporating new foods into your diet. If this is part of your healthy eating plan, you may want to check out the new superfood on the scene: quinoa.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa) is the seed of a plant called Chenopodium. Chenopodium is related to plants such as beets, chard, and spinach, and its greens can be eaten. However, it is its seeds that are fast gaining popularity and recognition for their health benefits.

Though a relatively recent introduction to North America, quinoa has long been cultivated by indigenous people living in the Andean Mountains of Peru, Chile, and Bolivia. So what makes quinoa so great? Quinoa is an excellent source of nutrition. It contains all 8 essential amino acids, making it a rare example of a complete protein found in the plant world and a good choice for vegetarian and vegan diets. Quinoa is particularly high in lysine, an amino acid that is important for tissue growth and repair. The seed contains a good whack of the minerals magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorous. These minerals may help ease the symptoms of migraines, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Quinoa is a source of dietary fiber, which has been shown to reduce the risks of heart disease, colon cancer, and obesity. It is gluten-free and can be used in place of wheat, oats, and other grains. Quinoa is therefore a very good choice for those with celiac disease symptoms.

Quinoa can be found in many regular grocery stores, bulk food stores, at natural food stores. Though its beige and yellow varieties are most common, you can also find red quinoa, and pink, orange, and black colors of the seed. Its flavor has been described as “nutty,” with the seed itself having a creamy texture and its tail a slightly crunchy one when cooked. It is somewhat comparable to couscous or rice.

Quinoa is easy-to-cook and there are many quinoa recipes available such as salad recipes and for breakfast quinoa. When cooking with quinoa, it is best to wash the seeds well to remove the saponins that coat the seeds. It can be cooked in the same way as rice, (one-part grain to two-parts liquid) and there are even recipes for delicious-looking quinoa chocolate cake out there! Creativity and experimentation are what eating well is all about, and quinoa is one super-food you shouldn’t go without. Here’s to a healthy 2011!

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April 8, 2010

Getting Rid of the Clown

Filed under: cancer,healthy eating,mcdonalds,obesity,ronald mcdonald,skin cancer,Uncategorized — John @ 3:12 pm

For years, Ronald McDonald has been the face of the McDonald’s fast food chain. Recently though, there has been a very serious push to send Ronald into retirement. With the current obesity problem, especially among young children, many people believe it’s time for Ronald to go.

Personally, I’m no big fan of Ronald McDonald, but I also don’t believe he is entirely to blame here. Yes, McDonald’s isn’t the healthiest food for anyone to eat, but that doesn’t mean you should blame the company for your weight problems, or the weight problems your children are now facing. You have to make the decision about your life. If you choose to eat unhealthy all the time, you must be willing to accept the consequences of your actions.

As for those parents placing total blame on the curly haired clown, maybe you should ask who bought the food for your child, who continually gave unhealthy food to your child? Parents need to realize they are responsible for their children as well as themselves. Small children don’t know that eating McDonald’s every day isn’t healthy. We as adults need to explain this to them and control what kinds of food they are eating.

Sure McDonald’s isn’t healthy food, but sitting outside tanning in the sun isn’t either. Pretty soon we’ll be suing the sun for giving us skin cancer. We need to start accepting that maybe something’s are our fault and that we should take some actual responsibility, that’s part of growing up that most of us haven’t been able to understand.

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January 25, 2010

4 Healthy Alternatives to Popcorn

Filed under: almond butter,cauliflower,healthy diet,healthy eating,natural weight loss,obesity,popcorn,Uncategorized — John @ 2:09 pm

If you’re like me than you have to have some popcorn whenever you decide to go out and rent a movie. However, if you haven’t already noticed, popcorn isn’t the best food for your body to be digesting all the time. Once in a while it’s okay, but when you have it 2-3 times a week, you might want to consider switching to something else. The good news for you (and me) is that there are healthy alternatives to popcorn.

Cauliflower – Cauliflower is a great alternative to popcorn as it is significantly healthie r than popcorn. Additionally, it has a similar feel to popcorn if you break the cauliflower into pieces. You can decide to eat cauliflower raw (the way I like it) or you can cook it and even use some dips or seasonings.

Trail Mix – Go out and look for you own ingredients to make your personal brand of trail mix. Make sure your trail mix is unsalted though. By purchasing your own foods for trail mix, you’ll save money in the long run, and you’ll be able to decide everything that goes into you trail mix. Ideas – unsalted peanuts, unsweetened chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc.

Cherry tomatoes or grapes – cherry tomatoes or grapes are a very good alternative to

your usual buttery delight. These alternatives are healthy, significantly healthier than popcorn, and will probably make you forget that you’re not eating popcorn. By the time the movie starts, you probably won’t notice or care that you’re not having popcorn.

Apple slices with almond butter – This is one of my favorite things to eat, not just as an alternative to popcorn, but just in general. Apple slices with almond butter are a very healthy choice that will satisfy your need to eat something that’s crunchy, but also salty and sweet.
Hopefully one or more of these things can help you achieve a healthier life. If none of these work you could always try just doing something else with your hands, such as knitting, maybe even fidgeting with a pen or pencil.

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