February 2013 Newsletter www.Food4Thoughtdm.com

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Food 4 Thought
The Food You Eat Nourishes The Thoughts You Think..And Thoughts Nourish Your Life!
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Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.     -Rumi

 

 
Soul Food 

Think for a moment of a food from your past, one that makes you feel great after you eat it for no specific reason. Maybe it is macaroni and cheese, slow-simmered tomato sauce, ice cream cones or potato pancakes. Eating comfort foods (every now and then) can be incredibly healing, even though your rational brain might not consider it highly nutritious.

Food has the power to impact us on a level deeper than just our physical well-being. What we eat can reconnect us to precious memories, like childhood playtimes, first dates, holidays, our grandmother’s cooking or our country of ancestry. Our bodies remember foods from the past on an emotional and cellular level. Eating this food connects us to our roots and has youthening and nurturing effects that go far beyond the food’s biochemical make-up.

Acknowledging what different foods mean to us is an important part of cultivating a good relationship with food. This month when we celebrate lovers and relationships, it’s important to notice that we each have a relationship with food—and that this relationship is often far from loving. Many of us restrict food, attempting to control our weight. We often abuse food, substituting it for emotional well-being. Others ignore food, swallowing it whole before we’ve even tasted it.

What would your life be like if you treated food and your body as you would treat your beloved – with gentleness, playfulness, communication, honesty, respect and love? The next time you eat your soul food, do so with awareness and without guilt, and enjoy all the healing and nourishment it brings you.

 

Food Focus:Beans

Beans, or legumes, including peas and lentils, are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Beans are found in most traditional cultures as a staple food, offering grounding and strengthening properties that enhance endurance. They offer a highly usable, highly absorbable source of calcium for the body and have a high degree of antioxidant protection. A very inexpensive source of high nutrition, beans can be rich, delicious and satisfying. Beans are known to reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, risk of cancer, risk of heart disease along with regulating colon functions and preventing bowel problems.

Beans have a reputation for causing digestive distress, but this is usually because they have been undercooked or improperly prepared. To help reduce gas-forming properties, soak beans overnight prior to cooking, increase cooking time, add spices like bay leaf, oregano or cumin, or add kombu (a sea vegetable) when cooking.

Cancer Prevention and Beans


Additional Information

 

Upcoming Classes 
Homemade Cleaners
January 31st 6:30-7:30pm
Location: The Village Learning Centre
733 19th Street, DM
Sign Up/Get More Details!

Superfoods & Smoothies For Super Health!
February 26th 6:30-8:00pm
Location: The Village Learning Centre
733 19th Street, DM
Sign Up/Get More Details!

Attain your Health & Wellness Goals in 2013!  

*Are you challenged with finding time for yourself or doing something for yourself?  Do you feel that you don't have time or energy for yourself or your family? 2013 can be your year!  I challenge you to take 30 minutes to discover how you can have more energy and incorporate your passion into your daily life.  Schedule a Free 30 Minute Health Consultation and start uncovering small setps to take to move towards your goals. Obtain an understanding of the support you can receive to improve your health and wellbeing!
Health Consultations can be done face to face or over the phone.

*Receive 10% off Health Consultation Program.

*$10.00 off each new Juice Plus+ Whole Food Nutrition Order.

Call or Email  Melanie to schedule/redeem by
2/15/13     515-371-3463

 
February Recipes

Black Bean Burgers
1 (15oz) can no-salt black beans, rinsed and drained
1 egg (or 1tbsp Flaxseed Meal mixed with 3 tbsp water as egg free option)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs (whole wheat or gluten free)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 - 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
Put beans in bowl and mash well or place in VitaMix and blend. Add egg (or egg subsitute), onion, bread crumbs, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well in bowl and shape into patties.
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and cook.  Serve on buns, top with lettuce, tomatoes and red onion.

 

Easy Beans & Greens

1 can black beans (or pinto, red, kidney—your choice)
1 bunch collard greens (or kale, spinach—your choice)your favorite toppings, such as salsa, avocado or guacamole and sour cream

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat

drained beans. Add your favorite seasonings, if desired.
Fill a separate medium
saucepan with 1-2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Wash and chop greens (you can use the stems, too) and add to boiling water.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until greens are bright green and tender. Drain off water. On a plate, arrange a portion of the greens, top with a portion of the beans and finish with toppings of your choice.

 

 

 

 

 

EMAIL UPDATE: The Melanie@Food4Thoughtdm.com email address is experiencing intermittent issues, until resolved please use the email address: mjs0818@gmail.com

Melanie Schmidt
Health Coach
515-371-3463
Mjs0818@gmail.com
www.Food4Thoughtdm.com
Melanie is a Holistic Health Coach and the owner of Food 4 Thought. She believes that the mind, body and soul are all interconnected to create overall health and wellness. As a mom of 2, Melanie understands that the demands of family, working outside of the home, fulfilling personal goals, and maintaining optimal health can be challenging and a delicate balance. As a result, she has taken a strong interest in empowering, supporting, and educating moms, families, and expectant moms (or anyone at any stage of their life) to attain health and wellness goals along with life balance. Melanie's passion is to provide individualized health coaching support along with health and wellness group classes. Melanie is also the Nutrition and Wellness Coordinator for Willowsong Midwifery Care's Healing Passages Birth and Wellness Center.

For ongoing information, join Melanie on:

Food 4 Thought website      Blog     Facebook Page  


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