Posts Tagged ‘Nia’
Posted by terrepruitt on April 21, 2012
To me life is about learning. I have learned a few things since I started my Nia Class on Monday in Campbell in the evenings and my Nia Class on Saturday. It is much better for me to have Monday’s dinner cooked on Sunday. So I have been planning my weekend meals so that I have leftovers on Monday. You may have noticed that I didn’t post anything last Saturday . . . . lesson learned: I need to make sure my Saturday post is done on Friday. I have too many other things to do when I get home from my 10:00 am Nia Class. It ends at 11:00 so I don’t get home until 11:30 (at the earliest) or noon! So I really need to have my post done because the next thing I know it is 1:48 am on Sunday morning and I am just noticing I forgot to post on my blog. 😦 Well, it was only the second time I forgot. The first time also was a Saturday. This past week the weather has been gorgeous here in San Jose. I haven’t spent much time lately getting any pictures of our yard happenings. This past week while the weather was cool and nice I took a few. I thought I would share some with you. It has been awhile since I have shared some fun pictures on my blog.
This guy has an injured foot. I noticed his injury about the same time I hurt my foot. I try to keep an eye on him and make sure he gets some nuts. And he makes sure I know he wants nuts. He will find a spot where he can look in a window at me and stare. He will stare at me until I go outside and give him some peanuts.
He is doing that now. Staring. Of course, I went outside and gave him some nuts. Did you notice how clear the sky is?
Sometimes the squirrels drop whatever it is once they get it up to the roof. There is often fruit in our yard that doesn’t blog to any tree we have.
Here is a picture of the cat enjoying the sun. She will stay in the sun for a bit, then get too hot and move.
The blue jay was getting some nuts. I took a few shots “through” the chair then I went out and turned it so I could get a clear shot. And of course I sat there for a long time waiting. I got bored with staring at my camera at a peanut filled chair so I started taking pictures of the cat. What happens? The blue jay sneaks back while I wasn’t paying attention. But I managed to get a few.
Of course the squirrels wanted some too!
I wanted to get some shots of our blooming rose bush. A while back I was unhappy with the wilderness that was out the window so I went outside and did some pruning. It was completely “Edward Scissorhands” style as I just took the saw and went right and left and left and right and up and down and down and up and all around. I just wanted all the wildness gone. So I was very concerned that I wrecked the bush. So when I saw one rose I was very happy. And now that the whole bush is blooming I am really happy and wanting to share. I’ve posted about how weird our roses are. But I still like them, even though they start out really sunset orange and then fade to a washed out peach. They SMELL really good. 
One bush has a single flower on it. The single flower is pictured below.
Well, thank you for stopping by and visiting our yard. We enjoy the entertainment the wildlife offers and the beauty that the flowers share with us. I hope you did too.
Do you have a flower garden? Do you have a vegetable garden? Fruit trees? Does any wildlife visit your yard?
Posted in Birds, Flowers, Misc | Tagged: backyard, evening Nia, flower garden, fruit trees, Nia, Nia class, Nia in Campbell, Nia on Saturdays, Nia San Jose, rose bush, Roses, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia classes, vegetable garden, wildlife | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 19, 2012
In a Nia class the participants are encouraged to make sounds. There are many reasons to make sounds while you are working out. One, is to ensure breathing. As you are making a sound there is air going out, and in order to repeat it, there has to be air that was inhaled. So making sounds during an exercise class is a great way to let the teacher know there is breathing going on. There are also specific sounds related to specific things, but we don’t always have to be so particular. Sometimes just any sound will do. I did a post on Sounding in July of 2009. That is when I was brand new to Nia and new to teaching. I was still learning to be vocal. I had no probably being vocal as I was teaching but as a student I didn’t always participate. So I believe I understand some of the reasons a person might not want to sound and some of those reasons are the very reasons we SHOULD be making noise. All of these points can easily lead to additional posts, and they just might (a sounding series?), but for this post I am going to share what I found a while ago about healing sounds.
There are sounds associated with the chakras so a while back I was thinking I could bring a list of them to my Nia classes and I could use them to encourage my Nia students to sound. But I found a different list instead. Before I share the information with you I want you to play along with me. Pick one sound from the six below. Just pick one that appeals to you right now as you are reading it. Don’t think, just pick one.
SHOO, HAA, HOO, SSS, FOO, and SHEE.
Now keep playing along with me. Inhale and then say the sound you picked out loud on the exhale. Now do that six times. How do you feel?
Well, according to Sales Creators, a business problem solving company, the above sounds are healing sounds related to specific problems or issues. As I mentioned I had wanted to find some sounds that we could make in my Nia classes that would be fun and associated with chakras. As I was looking I discovered this information. At the time I didn’t know it was from a company that helped with business problems, I just discovered that now as I tried to locate the source of my information. In glancing quickly at the website, it looks pretty interesting. They actually speak to wellness of the entire person. What? REALLY? On a sales and marketing consulting company’s website? Yes.
Anyway here is what the information said in summary.
SHOO is a sound that helps alleviate problems associated with a sense of depression. The information states that you will feel better after having repeated it six times. The liver and the gall bladder is positively affected by the vibration of this sound.
HAA helps alleviate anger and helps calm the heart and regulate the small intestine.
HOO is a body temperature regulating sound. It helps one to not become too cold and balances the spleen, pancreas, and stomach.
SSS is a balance sound. SSS helps to regain equilibrium in the nervous system and the body. The vibration of this sound cleanses the lungs and regulates the large intestine.
FOO is another body temperature regulating sound but this one helps with a high body temperature. So to me is sounds as if you are typically hot making this sound will help cool you down. This sound is said to stabilize the kidneys, bladder, and adrenal glands.
SHEE helps relieve stress, tension, and anxiety. The instructions say that if you are under stress make this sound 36 times. It helps with regulating the blood circulatory systems and the central nervous system.
I truly believe that vibrations affect us, so to me it makes sense that certain ones would affect us in certain ways. I was hoping that without your knowledge, without you thinking about it you would gravitate to one of the sounds that would help you.
So, did the sound you randomly picked match up to what you were feeling? And now that you know what is associated with each sound are they a few you might want to try out? What do you think about vibrations and healing sounds?
Posted in Helpful Hints, Misc, Sounding | Tagged: business problem solving, chakras, exercise class, exercise teacher, good vibrations, Healing Sounds, Nia, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia participants, Nia Sounds, Nia students, Nia Teacher, regulate body temperature, relieve anxiety, relieve stress, relieve tension, sales and marketing consulting, Sales Creators, sounding, sounding series, workout class | 7 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 10, 2012
For a long time now, I have been hearing about the nutritional benefits of flax seeds. I know one of my Nia friends said she uses them. They have probably been in the spot light a bit more lately as more and more information becomes known and available about inflammation. Chronic inflammation is the body’s response to things in it that shouldn’t be in it—as in, a very large part of the average Western Diet. With the over processing of food comes a huge amount of chemicals and chemically altered compounds. These types of things are not meant to be in our bodies and used as “nutrition”. In addition, the average Western Diet contains too much omega-6 fats. Omega 6 fats are linked to health issues and inflammation. Flax seeds contain omega-3 which is an anti-inflammatory agent, among other things. There is a ratio of the fats that is thought to be the optimal. I’ve heard that it is 3 to 1. Wiki states: “Modern Western diets typically have ratios of n−6 to n−3 in excess of 10 to 1, some as high as 30 to 1.”
Flax seeds can be eaten whole, but they are difficult to digest so the common thought is to grind them so that their nutrition is readily available. I didn’t know that when I bought them otherwise I probably would not have bought such a HUGE quantity. I just remember see information that said to put them in things. I thought I could just toss them into — whatever. Well, it seems like I can, but I might not be getting all the nutrition out of them eaten that way then if I grind them.
Omega 3 is thought to do many wonderful things. It is thought to help protect against heart disease, cancer (both prostrate and breast cancer), and diabetes. And help with high blood pressure through both control and prevention. Also studies are showing that flax seeds can help lower cholesterol. Some studies show that flax seeds may help in reducing hot flashes. As little as “40 grams (1.4 ounces) of crushed flaxseed each day” (per WH Foods) cut the flashes in half.
Web MD says: “Although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to three ingredients:
Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
Lignans which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75-800 times more lignans than other plant foods.
Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.”
Remember lignans are phytochemicals!
Flax seeds are best stored whole in the fridge. Once ground they tend to go rancid quickly, they should be used within a week. I guess I could grind some once a week and just make sure that I use it all. As with many foods that deliver great health benefits, they are still meant to be a part of a healthy diet. None of the amazing foods are meant to make up for an unhealthy diet, they are to ADD to a healthy diet.
As I first mentioned I know one of you uses them. But I don’t think she said how. I could use some ideas as I now have four HUGE bags!
What about you, do you use flax seeds as a supplement? How do you use them? Do you grind them?
Posted in Food | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, chornic inflammation, fatty acids, fiber, flax seeds, ground flax seeds, Nia, Nia friends, nutritional benefits of flax seeds, Omega 3, omega 6, phytochemicals, western diet | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 7, 2012
In Nia we do something that is called cooking all four sides. When I first learned this I thought it to be just when we were on the ground. “Cooking” to me was the “side” of the body that was on the ground. When you “cook” all four sides you allow your belly, your back, your left side, and your side to “cook” on the ground. So basically you are lying on a different “side” at one point in the dance. In one routine, I can’t remember which one, while we are standing we turn and face one wall, then turn again, then turn again, then turn again and Debbie called it cooking all four sides. I thought, “Wow! I hadn’t thought to call THAT cooking all four sides, because (as I mentioned) I think of ‘cooking’ as being on the floor.” But it works. We are “cooking” or facing all sides, all walls. In country line dancing we call it a four-wall dance. Often times there are a few steps then a turn, a few steps, then a turn, and so on, eventually you face all four walls. There are two wall dances and maybe even three, but the point is you face a different direction. Generally the back becomes the front and the front becomes the back.
I’ve posted about Nia Routines before. I explained a bit about how the routines are created and teachers can purchase them. Nia routines used to be choreographed and performed on the training DVD by Debbie Rosas or Carlos Rosas or both. I’ve also posted about the fact that Nia morphs and changes. At the end of 2010 Carlos AyaRosas, the male co-creator of Nia retired. As with any company that wants to continue on after a founder retires Nia had to make some changes. To me it seems as if Nia had been thinking about this for a while. I know when I attended my Nia White Belt Intensive both Debbie and Carlos talked about Nia continuing on after they leave. So it seems to me that they had plans and ideas for how Nia will change. I think it is evident in the way that Nia does not seem to be a flag flapping in the wind, it has true direction. With the exit of Carlos a new era has been born. Debbie is now co-creating routines with Nia Black Belt Trainers. I love Nia and enjoy both the routines Debbie created and the ones Carlos created. There are some I like more than others. I am not saying that I like the new one I have seen more than I liked the “old” ones, I am just saying, “Yay! Nia is not disappointing me.” The new routine I have looked at is just as fabulous as the old routines I love.
As a little background: In order to teach Nia we must pay a licensing fee. When we pay the fee we are purchasing the right to teach, continued education, and four Nia routines. We are free to purchase additional routines when they are available, but four are included in the licensing fee and we are obligated to learn at least four a year. I just recently renewed my license and ordered my routines. I ordered two that are older (from 2007 and 2008) and two that are considered our new ones, dated 2011. Usually I skim through all four before deciding which one to learn next. One of them I ordered I have done once before in a class so I know that I like it and I was planning on learning that next, but my curiosity about one of the new ones got to me. I decided to learn it next after having watched it.
I am very excited about this routine because it has the “four-wall” or cooking all four sides technique in it. The routine I am currently teaching has it too but only briefly, this new routine has this technique in more than one song. Since a Nia class is not a dance lesson we just lead follow like other cardio workout classes the cooking all four sides is to not a series of complicated steps, but it does allow us to face other directions. In FreeDance there is always opportunities to face many directions and sometimes in the Nia movements alone one can be turning far enough to achieve facing another wall, but this is choreographed to have the entire class turn. It allows the class to see a different perspective. I think it is fabulous.
It could be making me nostalgic and thinking of country dancing days . . . but more so, I am excited to have this technique used in a Nia routine so my students can see things from the front if they are always in the back or the back, if they are always in the front. It will help move the class in new directions and Beyond!
Have you ever thought about the fact that a cardio dance class is pretty much like a line dance?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: cardio class, cardio dance, cardio workout, Carlos Aya Rosas, Carlos retired, Carlos Rosas, CEU, continued education, cooking all four sides, country line dancing, dance class, dance technique, Debbie Rosas, four wall dance, freedance, Nia, Nia Black Belt, Nia class, Nia DVD, Nia education, Nia license, Nia routine, Nia students, Nia teachers, Nia Technique, Nia White Belt | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 3, 2012
All in the quest for something quick and easy to eat before I teach my Nia classes . . . . I am on my sixth oat post. The last post was about why some people believe we need to soak our oats before eating them. This post is about why some people believe we should not bother soaking our oats before eating them and even a little bit about we should not soak the oats before eating them.
One of my favorites sites wrote up information from the point of view of “I”, so I am thinking that it is George Mateljan’s point of view since he is the founder of The George Mateljan Foundation for the World’s Healthiest Foods. He says he doesn’t even consider oats to be particularly high in phytic acid. Given that the phytic acid is in the outer layers his belief is that cooking reduces the levels of it. He states that studies have shown that absorption rates of zinc and copper do not get much higher when ALL the phytic acid is removed and in an average kitchen not all of the acid will be removed so soaking is not really contributing that much to the grains nutrition.
I’ve seen articles call phytic acid the “antinutrient”, but in fact it contains antioxidant properties along with a phosphorus (mineral) and inositol (Inositol is a key B vitamin necessary for the metabolism of fat and cholesterol.). Dr. McDougall stated in one of his newsletters:
“It acts as a powerful antioxidant and has been shown to reduce blood sugar, insulin, cholesterol and triglycerides. Phytic acid is linked to a reduction in heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases in people.”
The Oxford Food & Fitness Dictionary states: “There is some evidence that those who regularly eat high fibre diets adapt to the high phytic acid content by secreting an enzyme which can break phytic acid down into inositol and phosphorus.”
And the Wiley Dictionary of Flavors in regards to Phytic Acid states: “An acid found in grains that would normally block the absorption of calcium in the body. However, phytase is present in most of these grains and allows for the hydrolysis of phytic acid by the body as well, nullifying the effect.”
Everything I’ve read seems to agree that phytic acid can bind with minerals and keep the body from absorbing them. But nothing states that it happens to ALL of the minerals, nothing states that it happens all the time, and nothing states that it happens in every BODY. Also some people and research believe that it is a GOOD thing that phytic acid binds to minerals because it helps remove toxins that are in the body. So it could be that a portion of it DOES keep the body from absorbing minerals but the other portion takes out some bad metals and toxins in the body.
Another site states a study, from the Journal of Nutrition, showed that phytic acid stimulates the production of phytase in the gut. Phytase activity increased the absorption of some minerals.
One study states that while this type of activity might interfere with the absorption of minerals it “may protect against the development of colonic carcinoma” when left undigested in the colon. Research is showing that phytic acid “is the major ingredient responsible for preventing colon cancer and other cancers”.
Many people stated that with a healthy diet there isn’t really a threat of malnutrition from lack of minerals and bone loss because we do eat other foods that supply us with minerals.
The more I look the more I see the subject being very controversial. Yet, I see many sources stating why it is not necessarily necessary, it seems the only reference I see stating that it is necessary is Nourishing Traditions.
My posts are obviously not here to tell you what to do. They are here to share with you what I have learned, what I have found. I have found two different sides to the story (well, that is excluding the sides that say we shouldn’t eat grain at all, and the side that says we should eat more grain).
Since it seems as if there are benefits to soaking and benefits to not soaking, I would say soak your oats and see how that works for you. If you sense that they are more easy to digest and you have the time and forethought to do it, then do it. Why not? But if you don’t sense a difference and/or you don’t have the time and forethought, I would think that you would be receiving the mineral binding toxic eliminating benefit. Basically like EVERYTHING else, it is up to you. There is always going to be information saying the opposite things, so we need to research it and then do what we think, what we feel, what we sense is best for us.
So, what do you think? Do you think it is necessary to soak oats?
Posted in Food, Oats | Tagged: antioxidant, colon cancer, diabetes, grain nutrients, healthy benefits, heart disease, inositol, Journal of Nutrition, malnutrition, Nia, Nia class, Nourishing Traditions, oat series, oatmeal, oats, obesity, phosphorus, phytic acid, soaked grains, soaked oats, steel-cut oats, The George Mateljan Foundation, World's Healthiest Foods | 12 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 31, 2012
Before I started teaching Nia I had a corporate job. I worked with a woman who loved oatmeal. If you have read any of my Oat series (Oat series? Really? How did that happen?) you will know that I do not like oatmeal. She, like many others, tried to educate me on the fact that “instant” oatmeal is not really oatmeal and she said the best is steel cut oats. She told me what brand she buys and she said that she soaks them overnight because that is what makes them so yummy. Since then I have heard many people say the yummiest way to eat oats is to soak them. So I have heard of soaking oats before, but I thought that was for the flavor. A friend of mine posted a comment on one of my oat posts and she mentioned pre-soaked oat cereal. So I went to the website she mentioned to check it out. That led me to discover some people believe another reason to soak oats is for better nutrition.
After reading her comment I was excited thinking I would have something else to post about. I quickly looked into soaking oats, guess what I found? If you think about it you will know . . . . . I found conflicting information! “No”, you say, right? I mean there is never another opinion. Geez. So I though maybe I could look into the health benefits and do a post and mention the two different trains of thoughts. Then I thought, no, my poor readers, what is it with me and oats? But then, I was talking to one of my Nia students and explaining to her about my oat series and I mentioned soaking oats. She said she in fact, had oats soaking right that minute. When I asked her why she said because that is what makes them yummy and you can eat them raw when you soak them. So, while yes, it seems to make the oats yummy, and yes, soaking them allows them to be eaten raw, some believe there is a nutritional benefit to soaking them.
While I somewhat felt there might be a need to do a post on soaked oats, I thought it odd that my little quest for breakfast had grown into a series of post. I wasn’t going to post about soaked oats, but then I realized people might want to know. So bear with me for two more oat posts (at least I think it will be just two more). There has to be at least two more because there is conflicting opinions.
One post I’ll call “pro-soaked oats” and one I’ll call “con-soaked oats”. This is the “pro-soaked oats” post.
The idea is that oats should be soaked to remove or neutralize the phytic acid. Phytic acid binds to some minerals and blocks their absorption. There is a popular book out there, Nourishing Traditions, that states it is necessary to soak grains. It states that eating bran that has not been properly soaked will help with regularity at first, but could possibly lead to irritable bowel syndrome along with possible mineral deficiencies and bone loss. The soaking allows for the break down of the phytic acid so that the minerals will not be bound and they will be allowed to be absorbed. The book says an improvement in grain nutrition is achieved in “as little as seven hours”.
Body Ecology states that grains need to be soaked for at least 8 hours, with 24 being even better. Other information I have found on the internet states at least 12 hours. So it seems there is a difference in opinion with how long oats should be soaked.
Most agree that oats need to be soaked in water and something with acidic properties, but here again opinions differ. Some say to use water and a dairy product such as milk or yogurt and some say that dairy is not good because while it might help with breaking down the phytic acid in the grain it will cause acid levels to rise in the body. Some also say that the calcium in the dairy DOES NOT help break down the phytic acid. That is in OATS only. Since I started this whole series because of oats and because getting into all the other grains would make this a huge series this post is focused on OATS. So some information suggests to use lemon or vinegar as the “acid”. A lot of comments from people who soak their oats state that they just use warm water.
The science behind the idea of soaking sounds simple enough; a seed or grain is designed not to be penetrated until it is ready to sprout. It is ready to sprout and release its nutrients when it has had enough time to be moist and warm in a slightly acidic environment. Eating grains that have not been soaked just drops them into your system when they are not ready making them more difficult to digest in addition to the risk of the pyhtic acid binding with nutrients and not allowing the body to absorb them. Makes sense. A grain’s own defense system keeps it safe and locked up until it is in the right conditions.
A common “recipe” I am seeing for soaking is:
Oats, water (enough to cover the oats), warmth, “acid”, time.
Now the only thing I have actually seen people agree on is the oats. Ha, funny, but true. Now that I think about it they might not all agree on what KIND of oats. The TEMPERATURE of the water is from just above body temperature to warm tap. The “warmth” as in a place to keep it — goes from the refrigerator (which they are not saying is warm but is just showing how different the “recipes” are) to a warm oven, the “acid” is from lemon to a dairy product, and the time, well, from 30 minutes to two days. It is crazy.
So it seems pretty straight forward. Grains designed to protect themselves until ready to germinate need the ideal conditions in which to do so and then they will happily release all kinds of healthy benefits. And the science is there to prove that phytic acid binds with minerals which would keep them from being absorbed in the body. Now all you have to do is be organized enough to remember to soak your oats anywhere from 30 minutes to 48 hours before eating them. 🙂 Or you can tune in to my next post and see what some people have to say about why there is no need to soak the oats all the way to you shouldn’t soak your oats.
Do you soak your oats? Do you do it because you think it increases their nutrition?
Posted in Food, Oats | Tagged: Body Ecology, grain nutrients, healthy benefits, Nia, Nia student, Nourishing Traditions, oat series, oatmeal, oats, phytic acid, soaked grains, soaked oats, steel-cut oats, Weston A. Price Foundation | 7 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 29, 2012
Seems as if my quest for something to eat for breakfast before teaching my Nia classes has turned into somewhat of a series on oats. I know a body needs to eat to break the fast, but I don’t always have time to eat something before Nia in the morning. I wanted something quick but healthy. Oatmeal is always said to be one of the best breakfast to have, but I don’t like oatmeal. I don’t think eating a processed breakfast or snack bar is the answer I was looking for. I was thinking granola even though I used to not like granola, I have found a few that I like, but most often than not they have canola oil in them so I have been looking for recipes where I can make my own. I found one that I like after I did a little bit of adjusting. The whole process had me wondering about oats and oatmeal. When I did a search of nutrition one of my favorite sites came up with some information on oats I found totally interesting. As usual I learned something totally new to me. I hear a lot more about Gout lately than I used to. And the information about oats and gout had me looking gout up what gout is again. I always forget it is a form of arthritis.
Here is what wiki says about Gout:
“Gout has increased in frequency in recent decades affecting approximately one to two percent of the Western population at some point in their lives. The increase is believed to be due to increasing risk factors in the population, such as metabolic syndrome, longer life expectancy and changes in diet. Gout was historically known as “the disease of kings” or “rich man’s disease”.”
According to PubMed Health there is:
“Gouty arthritis – acute; Gout – acute; Hyperuricemia; Tophaceous gout; Tophi; Podagra; Gout – chronic; Chronic gout; Acute gout; Acute gouty arthritis”
This type of arthritis that occurs when uric acid builds up in blood and causes joint inflammation. So just like other types of arthritis there can be flare ups. With the different type of gout the flare ups are different. One joint is affected by pain and inflammation in the case of acute gout, but in chronic gout it can be in more than one joint.
While they know what causes gout, they don’t know what causes the cause. Too much uric acid in the synovial fluid causes crystals to form. The crystals are what cause the pain, swelling and inflammation. But they don’t know why a body might make too much uric acid or have difficulty getting rid of it. They have a list of what they consider to be risk factors. Risk factors include: being over weight, consuming too much alcohol, eating too much red meat or fish or foods high in purines. Gout is more common in males than females, although woman after menopause seem to be at greater risk. Certain medications might contribute to gout.
These risk factors could be what contributed to the historical nicknames as probably kings and rich men were more often the ones overweight, drinking too much alcohol, and eating too much red meat and fish.
It is the food high in purines that got my attention. Oats are high in purines. So oats might not be good for people with gout or with high levels of uric acid because they could cause gout. Even though oats are a good source of antioxidants and are believed to help lower cholesterol if you have too much uric acid you might not want to consume them every morning. Another uric acid related health issue is kidney stones. So monitoring your intake of oats, might be prudent if you are prone to high levels of uric acid. Although the site does go onto say that recent research is showing the purines in the meat and the fish are the real culprits in producing too much uric acid contributing to the health issues and that the vegetable/plant purines are not, it still might be a good idea to keep it in mind if your body is prone to gout or kidney stones.
Just another thing that is so great for you, but depending upon your individual body might not be so great. I really believe that our diets are a main factor in our health. It is important to know that even foods that have so many health benefits and are so full of nutrition still could affect your health in a negative way. It really depends on your body. I think it is always a good idea to look at the diet when there are health issues.
Did you know that oats could aggravate gout?
Posted in Food, Oats | Tagged: acute gout, arthritis, breakfast bars, chronic gout, gout, granola, healthy breakfast, joint inflammation, joint pain, kidney stones, metabolic syndrome, Nia, Nia class, oatmeal breakfast, oats, purines, uric acid | 31 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 24, 2012
Since breakfast is so important I have been looking for an easy and healthy thing to eat before I rush off to teach Nia. I don’t always have a chance to eat before my Nia class, but I have been looking to try to change that. Oatmeal is always touted as being one of the best breakfast foods. I do not like oatmeal. I recently found a recipe for granola that is basically just oats and I started to wonder if oats cooked that way are as good as oatmeal. Here are some nutritional facts on oats:
The fiber contained in oats is known in studies to have a cholesterol lowering effect. Since high cholesterol is associated with buildup of plaque in the blood vessel walls the lowering of cholesterol helps with heart disease. In addition to oats special fiber that helps lower cholesterol scientists have also found an antioxidant compound in oats that help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Studies have also shown that postmenopausal women can greatly benefit from eating oats at least six times a week. The study showed that the antioxidant slowed the progression of narrowing the arteries. In addition oats have been shown to improve or enhance the body’s immune system’s response to infection. They were mentioned in my post Some Foods Can Boost Your Immune System. Oats also help stabilize blood sugar.
You have probably heard a lot of talk about flora in the intestinal track and how important it is to keep the guts healthy. Oats also contain phytochemical the gets converted to friendly flora and a healthy gut contributes to a healthy digestive system which helps the body in so many ways. If your digestive system is healthy it allows you to absorb the nutrients you need and eliminates the stuff you don’t need.
Oats are also gluten-free which is very helpful since it is a whole-grain and it can be used as a serial and it can also be used ground as a flour. So it can be a very healthy substitute for gluten containing cereals and flours.
The oats I bought show that 1/2 cup of uncooked oats have:
Calories 190
Total Fat 3.5 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg
Total Carbohydrates 32 g
Dietary Fiber 5 g
Protein 7 g
Of the Daily Values there is 2% calcuim and 15% iron.
A lot of fiber and a lot of protein and the benefits of a whole grain. I am thinking that I might even just like the oats toasted and eaten as a cereal without adding all the extra stuff as called for in the granola recipe. Since I have this whole bag I might just try that. Of course I will also have to use some of this bag for the Banana Oatmeal Walnut Cookies.
Oats do contain tryptophan so if you get sleepy after eating them it could be more than just because you might think of oatmeal as a comfort food.
With the large amount of fiber and protein this is a great food to start the day with, both fiber and protein help keep you full. So you can start the day off energized and satisfied. Oats are an incredible whole grain!
Are you including this whole grain as part of your breakfast?
Posted in Food, Oats | Tagged: antioxidants, Banana Oatmeal Walnut Cookies, cholesterol, filling breakfast, GF, gluten free, healthy gut, high in fiber, high in protein, lower cholesterol, Nia, Nia class, oatmeal, oatmeal cookies, oats, tryptophan, Whole grain | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 22, 2012
It is important to eat breakfast. I don’t always have a chance to eat before my Nia class, but I have been looking to try to change that. Oatmeal is always touted as being one of the best breakfast foods. I do not like oatmeal. I used to not like granola, but I have found a few I like, but most often than not they have canola oil in them so I have been looking for recipes where I can make my own. I found a recipe that looked simple and quick and had ingredients I could live with. Oats is a main ingredient in granola so I can get my whole grain oats in granola instead of oatmeal.
Do you ever wish that you would have followed your instincts? The first time I make a recipe I follow it. Then after I make any adjustments. Well, with this one I made a few measurement adjustments and as I was cooking it, I had a feeling that I should also make some procedural adjustments, but I didn’t. I thought, “No, I will do what it says and it will turn out fine.” Honestly it DID turn out fine if you want crumbly granola and that is what this recipe is. So had I really thought about it I would have realized that I wanted more like bars.
I am not sure where I got this little booklet from but the recipe on the website is a little different from the one in the booklet, but that is the beauty of it you can add whatever you want to your granola. I opted for plainish because that is one of the things I don’t like about granola and granola bars they often have dried fruit in them. I don’t like dried fruit.
I altered the recipe to be:
Granola:
3 1/2 to 4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup olive oil
a little over 1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
a round heaping 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon**
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 cup roasted almond slivers
(you can add in anything you’d like)
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Mix together the oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
Pour over the oats and mix well.
Spread the coated oats onto the baking sheet. Stir every 5 minutes. Bake about 20.
Then let cool completely then mix the oats with your add-ins. Store up to 2 weeks.
Well, I will probably use less salt or omit it all together (YES! ME, saying I will use LESS salt or remove it all together . . . . hmmmmm . . . . ) And I will cook it less than I did. I think I cooked it for more than 20 minutes. I won’t do that, but it didn’t look like it was cooking at all. I will put my add-ins BEFORE it cools, maybe even before I bake it. Depends on what they are.
I am also going to try using less oil and sugar.
Anyway, this is a granola recipe I like — finally– after I made my own adjustments (I use olive oil instead of canola and more oats). With this recipe after a bit more tweaking I can experiment with anything now. Now that I have a really simple basic recipe I can go from here . . . . or not. I is really good on its own. I can see having it warm as a hot cereal. Not quite making it oatMEAL, but making it a meal of oats. 🙂
Do you like granola? Do you like oatmeal? Do you eat oatmeal? What type?
**As I was making this today and using my posted recipe I realized I typed this incorrectly! It is NOT a full teaspoon of cinnamon, but a 1/4 of a teaspoon!!!
Posted in "Recipes", Food, Oats | Tagged: Canola Oil, dried fruit, eat breakfast, granola, granola bars, granola recipe, hot cereal, Nia, Nia class, oatmeal, oats, whole grains | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 20, 2012
Have you ever heard of Meatless Mondays? I thought about it when I was talking to my Nia student who is about to go vegan. Seems as if we always try to make things sound neat or nice. The double M has a nice ring. MEATLESS MONDAY. It is just a tool that someone thought up to help and encourage people to eliminate meat from their diet. I guess the thought process is that people eat meat every night for dinner so one night would be good to not have meat and why not make it Meatless Monday. I always thought it was just for dinner, but I guess you could have a whole day of non-meat. The reasons for eliminating meat from the diet range from health to environment. We don’t have a meatless Monday in our house. What we have is a oh-snap-I-forgot-to-take-any-meat-out-for-dinner-so-we-aren’t-having-any kind of meatless dinner. Or sometimes I just decide I am not going to cook meat and I figure something else out. We do not have meat every dinner.
Sometimes I just don’t feel like meat. It was a few years after we had been married that my husband gave me the go ahead regarding meatless dinners. I probably was whining about having meat every night and he said he was ok with not having meat for dinner. WAHOOO! That was a happy, happy, happy day for me. Meat for us primarily consists of chicken breast or ground turkey. Yes we do have pork every once in a while. Beef even less often. But actually more than we used to. Just not having to have meat every night was so freeing. Because having that freedom meant to me that we could have less meat. So sometimes we can still have meat but instead of having a piece of chicken each we can split one. Since he is ok with not having meat than having less is ok too, right?
But we do have meatless dinners. Having the added help of quinoa to get a seedy/grainy protein is nice. Because I am not a fan of beans I usually don’t substitute beans for meat. Sometimes I do during the summer when we are having a bean salad, but not always. Sometimes we will just eat soup for dinner. If we are not having soup or bean salad then we are filling up on a ton of veggies.
Tonight we had a green salad, roasted eggplant, and mushrooms with broccoli thrown over pasta. It was pretty good. Between the pasta and the mushrooms I am ok with the amount of protein. We don’t have just pasta every night. (I took pictures because I actually thought, “Hmm, I might blog about this.” And they didn’t come out. I mean my computer is giving me that little question mark in a red box. Hmmm. Oh well. You would have drooled.)
Even though I might be having meatless dinners for other reasons there is still the same benefits that some people are doing it for. It seems as if it is a “movement” and it is for those that truly do eat red meat every night. That is probably why when I first heard about it I didn’t really get it, because we rarely eat red meat and we don’t even eat meat every night. I can see how it can help people that do, although I didn’t know that people did eat red meat every night.
What about you? How often do you eat red meat/beef? Do you eat meat every night? Do you have a Meatless Monday (or one night a week that you plan to not have meat)?
Posted in Food | Tagged: aubergine, bean protein, bean salad, beef, chicken breast, ground turkey, meat substitute, meatless dinner, Meatless Monday, Meatless Monday movement, Nia, Nia student, quinoa, red meat | Leave a Comment »
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