In all likelihood I will come back to this sometime down the road, but until then…..

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The noodles, samen, cook quickly and are delicious. I had fennel, leeks and broccoli to cook. I sauteed the leeks and fennel, cut up in small pieces, then added the broccoli for a few minutes to warm through. You can use the whole leek, including the wide leaves, but those should be started first as they take a bit more to soften up. Once the veggies are giving off a nice aroma, you just toss them over the noodles, mix up and eat!

Here is a New York Times Blog article about a new study on fructose. Whether the study applies to HFCS or not is argued throughout the comments. It is an interesting intellectual process to read through not just the article, but the comments that follow it.
I am particularly fond of comment #100, and if you read no other comments, read that one.

What I take away from this article, and the study, is something that I’ve said before. If you want to be healthy and happy, eat real, whole foods, get exercise, love yourself and love those around you. Cutting down on processed foods can only be good for our health!

Without further ado, the star!

Banana Oatmeal Quinoa Muffins

1/4 cup dry quinoa – cook according to instructions (see below)

2 cups quick oats – dry

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon or to taste

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup agave

2 cups banana

1/2 cup fresh cherries or other small fruit

Preheat oven to 325. Grease muffin tin. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. This recipe comes out a bit wet, so you can easily reduce any of the liquid ingredients according to preference, either less or no milk, or cut back on agave – the sweetener. My bananas had been frozen, so were quite moist when added in. And the cherries were very juicy too. I think any small berry would be delicious in place of the cherries, and dried fruit could be used as well.

Pour mixture into muffin tin and cook at 325 for approximately 25 minutes. The extra muffins refrigerate well so they can last all week! And the lack of flour in the recipe means very little crumbs, so it’s easy to eat on the go.

(of course ideally we all have a nice leisurely sit down breakfast, but in the real world, sometimes you gotta run!)

RECIPE TWEAKS:

- you can use less milk (probably even no milk – or try yogurt!)

- you can use less sweetener – and try other sweeteners

- I’ve replaced the bananas with pureed peaches (~2 cups) and think pureed pineapple would be fantastic!

- any small fruit works for the cherries part (I’ve used blackberries, blueberries, chopped strawberries and obviously cherries)

- the pan doesn’t actually need to be greased, so less fat!

Quinoa Muffin Deliciousness (with two Zucchini Bread muffins on the side!)

NOTES:

For those who get really hungry or do a lot in the mornings, adding extra quinoa is another good option as that is the energy powerhouse in the recipe.

A note on bananas: If you eat bananas in your house, always take the last one or so, or the ones that are overripe and pop them in the freezer. This makes for a quick, always ready addition to any baked good (breads, muffins, etc). When you need to use it, it takes less than 5 minutes to soften, just cut the peel open, and the banana goop just pours out! I used two bananas in this recipe, one a bit larger than the other.

To cook quinoa: Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil, add rinsed, dry quinoa. Cover and lower to a simmer. Cook approximately 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.

This recipe was adapted from The Weekend Chef.

What does this have to do with health, wellness and food? Everything. Our climate is drastically affecting food production already. Food prices and gas prices and job availability affect our primary food, our stress and our families’ abilities to provide for themselves. Environmental stability is a MAJOR factor in our health and wellbeing, both physically and emotionally. Changes in food production are an important part of changing our energy consumption, from factory farms, concentrated animal feed lots to organic farming.

While the speech did not touch on the importance of reducing our impact by making different choices, like buying local food, using less energy to begin with and other personal choices, he does finally address the importance and necessity of regulatory changes from the top of the system.

I invite you to take 30 minutes and watch the speech. I try to make changes on a personal level, for myself and those that I work with, and it’s nice to see someone working on changes from a bigger platform.

I have been invited by the owner, Michelle Tinsley, to join the team at The Nurturing Spirit. So Natural Zest health counseling will be offering individual sessions, group programs and classes regularly at this fantastic new studio! The Nurturing Spirit will have regular yoga and tai chi classes, meditation classes, and offers massage.

Somehow I forgot to take a picture of the outside, but here are some photos of the inside. This place is gorgeous and has a fantastic energy in every room!

Here is the owner of The Nurturing Spirit Michelle with her daughter:

Owner Michelle Tinsley and her daughter

The retail area has jewelery, yoga clothes and supplies, books, meditation supplies, candles, soaps and more!

They offer yoga clothes and various other items

part of retail area

The yoga room will also double as a Tai Chi room. Schedule of classes should be available soon! See that shelf unit? I put it together!

Yoga Room

Inside the yoga room is the Shambala Pyramid Meditation room. The energy in the pyramid is fantastic. Sessions will be available in varying lengths and can be purchased individually or as a package. And just fyi, yours truly put the chair together! (Don’t worry, I’ve tried it too, it won’t fall apart!)

Shambala Pyramid Meditation Room

In the hallway between the two bathrooms is some fantastic art. I’ll let you guess why I like it so much!

Buddha Cats in the Hallway

There are two meditation rooms available for rent. For those new to meditation, an introduction and guidance will be provided. Group meditation classes will also be scheduled starting soon. One room is a light blue and designed to provide a relaxing feel. The other room is a wonderful red and is for increasing energies. Both rooms have a meditation chair, cd player and a variety of items for visual meditation/focus. I want one of these rooms in my apartment!

The Blue Calm Meditation Room

Red Energizing Meditation Room

There are a handful of massage therapists available to help ease that stress in your body! Both massage rooms have ample natural light and a very soothing decor!

Massage Room

And perhaps one of the neatest rooms is the soon to be Labyrinth Room. Within the next week this beautiful spacious room will have an indoor walking labyrinth stained on the floor. Labyrinths have been used for ages as a form of walking meditation. This room has beautiful natural light and a wide open energy. Last night Bradford Smith led a kirtan (devotional chant) in this room, which also has great acoustics! It was a wonderful evening and a great way to dedicate the new center.

Labyrinth/Group Class Room

For information on my individual counseling, group programs and classes, sign up for the Natural Zest Newsletter! And check out The Nurturing Spirit for information on the schedules and other offerings!

The things I love in a CSA:

- the challenge of cooking new foods

- the freshness of the food

- supporting local, sustainable farmers and companies

- the weekly surprise!

For some more great coverage of Fair Shares and other local food info, check out my friend Kimberly’s blog, Adventures in Eating Locally!

Slow Food St. Louis will be hosting The Art of Food in late July. This is an art show/silent auction/fundraiser held at Mad Art Gallery. Check out the Slow Food St. Louis website for more information.

And here is a wonderful article from last month’s New York Times with fantastic pictures of food sculptures.

The documentary teaches people how they can eat simple, healthy foods to save their health or regain their health. It is cheap, effective and far better for you than taking another pill from the doctor.

It can be watched online for a fee or the DVD can be ordered. I plan on ordering the DVD to share with clients!

If you or someone you know needs help in learning how to eat well, please visit Natural Zest.