The Healing Overview

 My mom was a socially involved go-getter and when I was a child, (I was the youngest of four) and I needed more individual attention, I would have sick days where I would be looked after: couch, blankie-wank, eggnog  Mr. Dress-Up. 

Of course when I was an adult (with a child of my own and a full time job to look after) and I felt neglected or overwhelmed, guess what? I had all of the exact same symptoms over and over, except for the adult-self, there were no perks. 

I was experiencing a pattern; successful for the child at the time it was wired in, but this certainly diminished the quality of life for me as an adult.


When you think of the human body as a complex computer, it makes sense to recognize that our bodies get hardwired over time. Neurological goat paths turn into Neuro-super- highways as we traffic those same patterns over and over. Our emotional experiences become our cellular experiences.

I question people around: is it seasonal, does it change with barometric pressure, or times of elevated pollen, or by going indoors/outdoors, are your symptom worse when you lie down, or bend down, thirsty/thirst less? Do your symptoms occur only on weekdays or weekends? Many small pieces when put together, make a more complete picture.

Laterality is an interesting phenomenon. For many people, all their physical concerns will tend to be on the same side of their body. Often they will not notice until I point this out. Grief and loss often revolve around significant dates. This has been coined ‘anniversary syndrome’. 

Like Frodo, people often have a difficult time yearly, around the date of a traumatic or significant date. Often women will feel unaccountably depressed around the date of a miscarriage or lost child. Again, we may not consciously be aware this is happening.

I also pay attention to people’s languageing. I will often hear “I can’t stand it” or “I'm working my ____ off” or “I'm losing my grip”. Our bodies are designed to be expressive, and I assume that the area of our body that is expressing discomfort is only our body attempt to get our attention. The body talks, but are we listening?

We can live in a house for a couple years and a Plumber or Carpenter will listen to us with rapt attention to hear clues about what the problem may be. Yet we can live in our own bodies for decades and our health care providers will act as if we are a stranger in our own house. 

As a complementary health care provider, listening is my most valuable tool. Sometimes people need to hear something come out of their own mouths.  

When working with a health care provider, make sure they are not by-passing the interview. This is a valuable process where locked-in patterns can be illuminated.

A Cure for Old Knees

Marlene Dietrich once said, “Careful dress and grooming can take 20 years off a woman’s age but nobody can fool a flight of stairs”.

We are only as old as our knees think we are

Many people believe that it is normal to expect that our bodies are going to wear out and break down.  Is this true in all cases?  Perhaps we give in too soon.  I’d like to share my personal process of bringing my feet and knees back to health.  I am living proof that our bodies can heal and repair and that there is real value in an alternative approach.

Walking the talk! 

 The last three years have been a limp of faith for me. I love to dance.  Five years ago, I decided to take ballroom dance and I now have my bronze level in 7 dances.  I fast tracked with the goal to complete this within three years…..in high heels.

I have moved my home and office 3 times within the last 8 years and have done extensive remodelling each time.  Read ‘the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak’.   I have a gift and passion for designing small spaces. I love giving that part of me free rein.    

Two of these re-locations required 3 months of work each.  As a result, I have had the joy and satisfaction of creating unique and beautiful home and work spaces.  On the dark side, my poor old body has to bear the brunt of these Olympian  projects.  

If my body were a horse I’d have been reported to the SPCA.

This is going to read like the never ending saga, so if you don’t want the morbid details…..quit while you still can.

Move #2

Three years ago on after a stressful move, I could hardly stand on my feet.  If I put one shoe on I couldn't put my weight on that foot to put the other shoe on.  I still had to paint, unpack my home and office and get back to work as soon as possible.  So why did this happen all of a sudden?

 

The truth is it wasn't all of a sudden.  We are taking about 60 years of history here.  I was looking at acute and chronic elements affecting many major systems of my body:  structural, immune, circulatory, urinary, hepatic, lymphatic and nervous system. 

Arch Supports and Orthotics

I’d like to make a comment about arch supports and orthotics.  Architects will be the first to tell you about arches and how the pressure from above makes them stronger.  Putting pressure from beneath them makes them weaker.  Many people swear by arch support technology, but I have to say that they make no sense to me. I wasn't looking for a crutch.   I wanted my feet back.

What I Chose to do

I made an appointment with my brilliant RMT (Registered Massage Therapist).  She began to work on the structure of my foot, and began to break down and iron out the scar tissue that had built over time in the arches of my feet.  This condition is called ‘Plantar Fasciitis’.  

With Plantar Fasciitis the plantar muscles can begin to shorten and if left untreated, can pull the heel bone forward and down, which then causes bruising when you put weight on it.  Also when you step down and the tissues aren't warmed up, the tissue rips a bit more and the body creates more scaring in its attempts to heal the tearing.  This can be reversed.  During treatments I practically had to bite down on a belt because this procedure really hurts.  This took a few visits. 

Next, I made an appointment with a reflexologist.  She started easing the general structure back to mobility.  She said I had ‘uni-foot’.  It felt like a block of wood.  Over the next few weeks, my feet began to articulate in the way that they were designed.  Then she started on the reflexes.  Many were painfully active.  The significant ones were the kidney and urinary reflexes which were active for many weeks as was the sciatic nerve reflexes. 

The sciatic nerve runs all the way from the atlas wedge in the neck (C1) down the back, divides in two and runs down the legs to the heel.  Most people complain about the pain in their leg or in one buttock, but I noticed the inflamed nerve issues in my heel and feet.  Working with kidney drainage and getting the nerve inflammation down was the piece that I know well, so I put myself on’ a taste of my own medicine’.  Inositol, (a water soluble B factor vitamin) by the way is a big player when you need to get the inflammation down quickly in the nervous system.  I took about 8 to 12 capsules a day for about a week then reduced to about 4 a day.  

After several reflexology visits, and time, and some wise self-care my feet were feeling mint

.

Move #3

Two years ago I started renovation on an upstairs flat which took three months to become livable.  This required 10 and 12 hour days, 6 days a week.  In addition I was trying to keep up with my client needs. 

I moved before I had finished painting the walls.  Within 5 days I left for a 10 day trip to Texas.  I took the opportunity to rest.  I had 10 hurting digits and knees that felt broken.  When I got back home, only my thumbs were still hurting.  Hurting or not, I launched into painting walls and getting my life settled again.

Last May I was carrying my groceries in a back-pack while I carried my bike up 3 steps onto the porch.  When I put the combined weight on my left leg I heard a huge ‘crunch’ and my knee gave out.  It hurt so badly I thought I had broken something. 

Getting the inflammation down is the first thing.  Putting a bag of frozen peas on it and using homoeopathic Arnica helped.  After this injury I started to experience wicked leg cramps when my knees were flexed that did not respond to magnesium supplementation.  (For the keeners I will list all assorted products used near the end of this article.)

Lucky for me I know really clever people in the healing field.  My colleagues (RMT and Electronic homoeopathy) helped me figure out what was going on.  The chronic bit was scar tissue that had built up over time to the point where my knee was pushed slightly out of joint.  When I put the weight on it that fateful day I crunched through the scar tissue.  I was left with stretched and misaligned tendons, ligaments and cartilage. I couldn't put any lateral flexion on the injured knee at all.   This made trying to sleep a whole lot of fun!

I also had circulation congestion (bruising and blood clot) issues that were chronic (ageing) in my legs which was the underlying issue in the cramping.  This congestion also can contribute to restless legs. Kidney drainage (congestion) causing swelling and fluid in the knees was also a root concern.  There were a list of usual suspects (infections such as bacteria, parasites, mixed infections and their TOXINS in my system and especially getting stored in my knees).  I also had to address the poor circulation to my extremities.  If the blood is not flowing well, the healing potential body in the local area will not detox well or receive nutrition well either.  There was still scar tissue needing to be broken down in both my knees.

The key modalities were massage therapy, reflexology,electronic homeopathy, nutritional, herbal and homeopathic therapies.

Here is a list of products and why

I didn't take them all at once, but this is the general list of players over the last 10 months:

Prickly Ash Combo – herbal - circulation

Cleavers Combo - herbal - blood, lymph, liver, kidneys

Borage Combo – herbal – adrenal, immune

Nettles tincture – herbal – blood – minerals

Glucosaplex – natural anti-inflammatory with kidney drainage built in and a highly absorbable glucosamine

MSM Glucosamine – connective tissue nutrients for repair to joints

Unda # 25 for arterial and circulation clean up

Unda # 33 for clean-up of peripheral circulation

Unda # 258 – joint drainer – liver and kidneys

Pinus Montana – herbal/homeopathic to stimulate repair of joints and bone surfaces.

Anti-inflam – herbal – to reduce swelling

Vegan Protein – building blocks for repair

Essential Fatty Acids – anti-inflammatory and lubricates the joint surfaces/ nervous system nutrition

Hyaluronic Acid – increase synovial fluid in joints

Cina homeopathic/Oil of Oregano/Echinacea Mix 1 – infection fighters

Vege Greens – detoxifier and general nutrition

Liquid magnesium – feeds muscles

Juncturinum Plex – helps stimulate repair of joints and bone

Super Cal Mag – minerals

Flora Salushaus liquid cal-mag – highly absorbable minerals and nervous system nutrition

Sinew Plex – nutrition for building and strengthening connective tissue

Topical creams:

I started out using Trammel gel.  This helped for the initial swelling.  Then I switched to arnica topical cream and Now brand MSM, arnica and Glucosamine liposome lotion.  I used Minute Muscle Relief cream.  I have Guinea- pigged almost everything my suppliers had available during the last 10 months.

Here is the mixture that worked the best for providing comfort and healing - swelling, pain, re-sprains, re-strains and bruising (circulation).  Apply morning and night or as often as needed to find relief.

Arnica cream - 1 part (Unda)

Minute Muscle Relief cream (Peaceland) – 1 part

Devil’s Claw cream (Genestra) – 1 part

PharMax ‘delivera’ compound base cream (Seroyal) – 1 part

Rest

Resting the injured part of our body is often the missing ingredient.  Wisdom prevails.  We need to determine what approach will speed the healing process.  Do we push on through or do we give the injury total rest. 

Re-injury is the factor that slows down healing.  Few of us have lives where we can rest completely.  I tried to find the healthy balance where I was able to rest my knees (the local area) but get enough movement to promote and enhance circulation and lymph flow.  Keeping muscles strong and toned prevents undue strain on the associated connective tissues.

I'm back on track, wearing flip flops, or bare feet (my favourite).  I'm biking, walking and playing with horses.  I can trust that ol' knee to get me safely in the saddle.  

A Desire to Heal

The path of healing chronic issues isn't for the faint of heart, but when we truly desire to heal,  it is a matter of patiently peeling though the layers in priority. Take it a step at a time; work with what presents itself and then as each layer resolves, go deeper.

Whew!  This was wordy.  Great that you stuck with it to the end.

Keep well_  Nelda

Reality Check

When I am on my home turf, I find myself surrounded by people who can appreciate my point of view.

As a result I have been lulled into the illusion that I (along with my point of view) are almost hitting the normal zone.



The definition of a real vacation is 'the rare opportunity to see life through a different lens that is very different from our own'.  


I enjoyed some relaxing down time this past Christmas.  I was visiting family in the Southern US . While there I was exposed to American Reality TV, in large doses and for an extended length of time.  I don't have a TV at home so if there is video screen in the room I am like a Mennonite in a furniture store.  I can't help myself.  My eyes keep getting drawn in by the movement.

One night I had a dream about Pickers and Pawners.  Although these were the shows I enjoyed the most while away, the dream itself was more of a nightmare.

I am by nature a neat freak.  I find clutter to be painful.  In this dream I was trying to clean out a building that was full of trash.  The other characters in the dream kept tossing the stuff back to me telling me how valuable all this junk was, and that I should hold on to it and sell it.  Rick says to me "You could make a fortune!".

Is this for real?
The drugs commercials in particular blew my hair back.  The visual images always showed radiantly happy  families blissfully doing outdoorsy things together.  In the US, by law, the advertisers have to list the side effects of their products in full, and most of the slotted airtime was given to this verbal listing.

So as one is hearing the horrific list of ills like "may cause drowsiness  headaches, blindness, cause sterility", bleeding, and "some individuals may experience homicidal  or suicidal tendencies", you see these beautiful people going about experiencing the best life has to offer (in slow-mo with great music).


One advertisement in particular was describing the benefits of a drug used  for the treatment of chronic body pain.  It showed a lovely woman sitting on a  park bench serenely  reading a book.  All the while my ears are being subjected to the horrible litany of side effects which goes on and on and on. (and on).



So as I am watching this, I am wondering if it is just me or is everyone else on glue?


Through my networks I hear many people who are upset about the drug companys' agenda.  Yet I wonder how any company or any movement can continue without the mass of people to support the enterprise?  Companies usually survive by giving people what they want.  Maybe soma is what most people want?  Or perhaps people don't have enough information or common sense to make different choices.

Long ago,  before my personal exploration into the world of natural healthcare, my medical healthcare providers would  suggest medications to me.  I always considered the treatment they were offering, but gave myself the choice.

 I give myself the choice to 'Just Say NO'.

Sometimes I followed their suggestions. Sometimes not.  I wasn't opposed to 'swallowing the pill', but for the most part I just couldn't see a future in it.  I wanted real answers to real questions.

These questions were usually:  What ?  How?  Where? and Why?

I never got great answers.

On one occasion the attending  doctor at my local clinic suggested that my digestive ills were because I was a woman, and women tended to be hysterical.  I want to let you know that I let him live, if only for the reason that if I actually bitch-slapped him, I would indeed prove that I was hysterical.

I did visit with a local herbalist and she was able to determine that I was experiencing simple liver and gall bladder overwhelm.  I also had a congested large intestine.  (She never mentioned 'hysteria' thing at all.)

So back to the chronic body pain.  We can say it in another language 'arthritis' but al in all, our structure hurts. It hurts when we move or it hurts when we don't.  Or we hurt all the time. When it goes on for a long period of time without relief or our bodies don't resolve the problem on its own, we call it 'chronic'.

Here are some thoughts.
To view the body holistically one must assume that we exist in a time continuum, experience cause and effect, and accept that no part or aspect of the body is divorced from the whole.  To push this right into the Quantum zone, we are energy and matter.

Pain is really a symptom of a mystery.
Do we have too much mineral?  A lack of mineral?  Infection toxins backing up in the blood and being pushed and stored into the joints?  Is this an allergic symptom?   An immune response?  Is there a chronic shortfall of nutrition needed for the joints to build?  Is this local or systemic?  Are we over/under exercised.  Perhaps we have toxic blood, or poor circulation?  Is this pain in the area of an old injury or birth trauma?  What about our nervous system pathways?  Is this pain a drug reaction or side effect?

There are so many possibilities.  To my mind, drugs that suppress symptoms short circuit the body's ability to heal the root of the problem.  Removing the pain and leaving all else keeps us from looking at the real issues.


So the questions remain:  What?  How?  Where? Why?  And what can I do about it?

Keep Well_
Nelda

The Brain of the Gut

What do I mean by ‘The Brain of the Gut’?   

Our brain/spinal/nervous systems and our digestive systems started out as the same embryonic tissue.  

This rod of tissue at some point divided in two.  One half developed into the brain, spine and nervous system.  The other half become a hollow tube and became our digestive system.  

There are more nerves surrounding the stomach than any other organ in the body.  Often we teach ourselves to ignore our 'gut' reactions.  Even a dog knows not to eat while fatigued, upset or under stress.  Humans will even go so far as to condition themselves to eat specifically when they are upset.  Many people can't discern when they are hungry or differentiate between hunger and thirst.

It takes the first 8 years of our life to create an engine of digestion.  Some people do not achieve this development for many reasons.  Unrelenting stress, socially, nutritionally, or ecologically can have a detrimental effect on the growth and strength of our digestion system for the rest of our lives unless effort and attention is taken to heal this system.  

Elaine Gottscall's work as been helpful for many to reclaim digestive balance.  Fermented foods such as yogurt, keifer, sauerkraut and sourdough can educate our digestive tract to handle dairy foods, vegetables and grains.

Digestive Enzyme supplementation can really make an improvement if one often feels comatose, bloated or gassy after eating.  Often it is not only a matter of what one eats but whether there are enough plant enzymes to ‘catalyze the fire’, turning food into energy on a cellular level.  For some people, there is a need to ‘prime the pump’ and get the digestive secretions going.  Digestive tonics such as Agrimony Combo, Cheladonium Plex or bitters like artichoke or dandelion can really aid in creating a more efficient digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

 

Food supplements are just that; they expand the body’s ‘nutritional pool’.  Supplements will not make up for habitual ongoing poor food choices. When I recommend nutritional supplements I want to find the big performers first. What nutrition specifically increases a person’s energy and vitality by 20% or more?  The form and source of these supplements may be a big concern for those who have a suffering/struggling  digestive engine.

Working through digestive issues requires patience and care. The digestive system is such a sensitive system which we impact with every aspect of our lives.  I recommend Specialized Kinesiology food testing, as much to see what foods do work well in the system.  Sensitive testing methods will help people to make personalized choices. It gives us a chance to know what foods to avoid as well. For example some people have trouble digesting gluten or the starch/protein combinations that are present in most grains and beans.

Amaranth, teff and quinoa have been used by many people as staples to replace other grains in the diet.  These are all gluten free and easy to digest.   Generally, rice is another good choice. 

I have never cooked with teff, but  Phoo-d knows how.  Miss Phoo-d has been an adventurous and committed Foodite blogger.  I have enjoyed following her for the last year or so.  She has made some extreme adjustments to her diet for health reasons  and (lucky us!) shares her food knowledge and experiences with us.

 How to work with Quinoa

Find (1Cup) of the largest, whitest Quinoa you can find (organic Bolivian)

Quinoa has a resin on the outside which will be bitter is you don’t rinse like mad

Put the one cup of grain in a large measuring cup add cool water.

Whisk vigorously and drain carefully

Repeat this rinse at least 5 times and cover with clean water to the 4 cup mark

Soak for at least 2 to 8 hours on counter. If you are not ready to cook it right away you can put grain and water and all in the fridge.  What you are looking for is that the quinoa grain will almost triple in size

Before cooking drain carefully and rinse and whisk the Quinoa another 5 times.

Transfer to a good rice pot and add (1 cup) of water

Bring to a full boil and stir well. 

Put lid on and turn heat to lowest setting

Time for 15 minutes then take pot off heat and let rest for another 5 minutes.  You want an el dente grain. Don’t overcook!

Take off the lid right away and fluff with a fork.

For a side grain, serve as is.  As a salad grain, let it cool.

Quinoa Tabouli

Soak ¼ Cup Sunflower seeds and ¼ Cup pumpkin seeds in filtered water for 1 hour (I use a mason jar)

Mix basic white wine vinaigrette, in a medium salad bowl,

½ Cup light tasting oil, I like Koroneiki Olive Oil

¼ Cup white wine vinegar

Herbamere/Sea Salt

1 Cup cherry tomatoes halved

1 Cup Cucumber diced

½ Cup Green onions chopped

1 Cup Red pepper diced

1 Cup Parsley chopped

Rinse and strain the seeds and add to vegetables

Mix well to coat with dressing.

Add quinoa and toss gently to mix

Quinoa has a very delicate flavor and can be overpowered by strong herbs or strong flavoured oils, so keep flavours light 

Cover and marinate in fridge for 1 hour or so. 

Food and health are so profoundly connected.  Our food styles are very unique and personal to us.  Diet choices are always evolving as we evolve.  I think that awareness (intuition and knowledge) is the key. 

Enjoy the bounty and keep well_

Nelda

Sports and Female Nutrition

Women are exceptional and successful world class athletes, but women have the extra stress of the female cycle.  Hormones and menstruation are a huge factor in athletic performance.  Higher and cyclical nutritional needs require a constant monitor and awareness of the flux in a woman’s body.

What makes an athlete?  It is the exceptional ability to pump huge volumes of blood quickly through the heart, liver and lungs.  Blood cleansers such as Red Clover, Nettles and Chlorophyll can help to clean the blood and decongest the liver.  For women, herbs such as Vitex (Chaste Tree Berry) are helpful to bio-degrade hormones in the liver.

Notes on iron
Track your cycle to make sure your iron is up before your period starts, this can be done with beets, blue and black berries, beet greens, red meat, barley malt, and black strap molasses. Miso and tamari sauce are good to increase B12.  Floradix liquid tonic by Salushaus (Flora) is the only worthy iron supplement is my opinion.  It also will work as a mild detoxifier for the liver.  If you have had problems with constipation while on iron supplements, this highly digestible and absorbable food form will be a much better choice.

Antioxidants

Athletic performance increases the body’s production of free radicals. We choose to exercise to feel better and look younger, but end up damaging and aging our cells at an increased rate.

Free radicals are reactive compounds that can damage the cells that they come into contact with. Although impossible to avoid, we need to minimize our exposure to free radicals while simultaneously supporting our body’s ability to neutralize them.  Unless kept in check, excessive free radicals can cause a chain reaction that contributes to the erosion of good health. This is why berries and specifically a concentrated berry supplement should be thought of as one of our most effective defenses.

What is ORAC?  The latest scientific standard for measuring the antioxidant properties of food is in ORAC units (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). ORAC measures the total antioxidant capacity of a food or nutrient and can help us to understand its antioxidant strength. This is where berry concentrates really shine. 

Green food supplements

Each little scoop offers the health promoting properties of a whole days’ worth of veggies. Greens foods are highly alkaline, full of wonderful phytonutrients and should be considered one of the cornerstones of any supplement program. A berry supplement should be thought of in the same way.

Berry concentrates and green foods both offer tremendous health benefits, but the most complete nutritional strategy includes a serving of each.

In praise of the noble Avocado

Many years ago I had a friend who bicycled over 40 miles so that she could purchase one avocado.  At the time I thought she was stark raving bonkers!  I now can understand why she saw the Avocado as an essential food worth going ‘the extra mile’.

It is interesting that the signature of the avocado is shaped like the womb and cervix of the female and it takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. It contains about 141 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition including Essential Fatty Acids, glutathione and Vitamin C.  When a woman eats one avocado a week, it helps to nourish the glands and help to balance the hormones. It feeds the brain, joints and skin.

This amazing fruit easily adds a creamed texture to any food.  Mashed and added to a vinaigrette is instantly becomes a cream dressing loaded with nutritional value.  It can be whipped with a little agave syrup and vanilla extract to make an amazing dairy free ‘whipped cream’ dip for fresh fruit. Try it in sandwiches and salads.  Try it as a milkshake by adding it to rice, almond or soy milk.

Getting More Food-based Calcium

Japanese Gomasio

Rinse 1 cup of organic brown sesame seeds in sieve under tepid running water

Let drain

Use dry cast iron skillet –medium, medium-low heat 

Cut dulse into very small bits

Toast dulse in pan until it is dry and crisp

Add 1 tsp Celtic salt –ground fine

Up end sieve and dump in sesame seeds all at once

Spread lightly over bottom of skillet and leave it to dry for a bit without stirring

When it releases from the bottom, stir gently and fairly constantly (you may need to reduce heat)

This is ready when seeds are fragrant, slightly golden and hollow

Cool slightly and store in an airtight jar.

To release the calcium and minerals inside the seed, grind the seeds coarsely with a mortar and pestle or small coffee grinder just before serving.

For an interesting and calcium rich salad dressing, grind about ¼ cup with mortar and pestle, or small coffee grinder and add to any Balsamic Vinaigrette. 

To get more calcium working with foods, remember anything that has structure, has more calcium.  For example, brussel sprouts have more calcium content than leaf lettuce.

Just as soaking beans for 8 hours activates the enzymes and makes the beans easier to digest, so is true with nuts and seeds. 

Soak organic almonds overnight in pure water.  Drain in the morning and eat 6 or so 2x daily.  Soak organic pumpkin and sunflower seeds in pure water for about one hour.  Drain and add as a topping to salad or rice.  Instead of a dry waxy crunch, you will now have a tender and fresh food crunch.

Boil a heaping teaspoon of Oatstraw in a pint of water for 5 minutes and then use this water for making tea.  Nettles would be a safe choice to increase iron as well as performing as a natural diuretic.  Mineral rich Alfalfa would be a great choice.  Put something else fun in it for flavour.  I like cranberry juice, or lemon/lime juice.

Keep in mind that it is not only the calcium we ingest, but the calcium that we deplete. 

Nutritionist, Anna Marie Colbin has a published a great deal of research regarding the calcium bandits and their effects over a long period of time.  Acid based foods draw calcium to buffer from our system.  Coffee, and sugar and especially carbonated beverages are huge calcium thieves.  So it’s not only what we eat, but what we don’t.

A Miracle Grain

Quinoa is a gluten-free grain that is a nutrient power house. Quinoa is very high in protein (14% by mass) and is also considered a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 amino acids required for a human diet. It is high in calcium – making it a great selection for vegans or those who are lactose intolerant. It also has good amounts of phosphorous, iron and fibre.

Higher in monounsaturated fats than wheat and grain, quinoa is very heart healthy. It also contains small amounts of omega 3 fatty acids.

At one time only available in specialty or health food stores, quinoa is now widely available at grocery stores. The standard quinoa is off-white, however black and red quinoa is also available. It is an extremely versatile ingredient and can be substituted in for a recipe that calls for a whole grain. The flavour is mellow enough that it can accompany many flavour profiles.

Quinoa is cooked similarly to rice. When cooked, quinoa will quadruple in volume (1 cup dry will yield 4 cups cooked). For the most part, quinoa should be rinsed before cooking

Cooked quinoa can be enjoyed hot or cold. Store dry quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for three to six months. Cooked quinoa can be stored refrigerated about three days.
 Quinoa flour is also available and is used commonly in gluten-free baked goods.

Cooking Quinoa

(1Cup) of the largest, whitest Quinoa you can find (organic Bolivian)

I have found a great brand from Cosco – ‘Tru Roots’ organic

*Quinoa has a resin on the outside which will be bitter is you don’t rinse like mad

Put the one cup of grain in a large measuring cup add cool water.

Whisk vigorously and drain carefully

Repeat this rinse at least 5 times and cover with clean water to the 4 cup mark

Soak for at least 2 to 8 hours on counter. If you are not ready to cook it right away you can put grain and water and all in the fridge.  What you are looking for is that the quinoa grain will almost triple in size

Before cooking drain carefully and rinse and whisk the Quinoa another 5 times.

Transfer to a good rice pot and add (1 cup) of water

Bring to a full boil and stir well. 

Put lid on and turn heat to lowest setting

Time for 15 minutes then take pot off heat and let rest for another 5 minutes.  You want an el dente grain. Don’t overcook!

Take off the lid right away and fluff with a fork.

For a side grain, serve as is.  As a salad grain, let it cool.

Option:  Throw in chopped spinach or swiss card and let the greens wilt.

Quinoa Tabouli Salad:

Soak ¼ Cup Sunflower seeds and ¼ Cup pumpkin seeds in filtered water for 1 hour (I use a mason jar)

Mix basic white wine vinaigrette, in a medium salad bowl,

½ Cup light tasting oil, I like Koroneiki Olive Oil

¼ Cup white wine vinegar

Herbamere/Sea Salt

1 Cup cherry tomatoes halved

1 Cup Cucumber diced

½ Cup Green onions chopped

1 Cup Red pepper diced

1 Cup Parsley chopped

Rinse and strain the seeds and add to vegetables

Mix well to coat with dressing.

Add quinoa and toss gently to mix

Quinoa has a very delicate flavor and can be overpowered by strong herbs or strong flavoured oils, so keep flavours light 

Cover and marinate in fridge for 1 hour or so.

In regard to the Quinoa Salad, I have used the basic recipe but substituted cooked rice or wild rice/rice or even potatoes that were cooked and left over.

I always have fresh mint/parsley growing in pots outside and add this to any food I eat during spring/summer/fall.  For potatoes, I like a lemon/olive oil dressing.  By soaking nuts and seeds you have easily digestible essential fats and a way to up your protein.

Mineral Balance
The other addition I might suggest if you are beginning to exercise or are in the peak of training/competition especially in the summer heat is a supplement called Endurolyte, which is a supplement that replaces electrolytes lost during exercise.  It is much like Gator-aid but without the sugar and nasty colour chemicals.

Women Who Run
There is little difference between ‘running’ and ‘on the run’.  Any woman who has a lifestyle that is extra demanding can use extra nutritional support.  Often women look after everyone else and let themselves get run down. 

The one constant in life is change
A Specialized Kinesiology assessment can determine what your current personal nutritional needs are.  We are at our best when we follow a personal and individualized program that changes as our lifestyle changes.