Quinoa and Grilled Corn Tacos

Hi all!

I've been inspired by a couple raw/vegan/vegetarian clients to do a bit of cooking! Here's my first recipe...came out sooooo yummy :)

 

Quinoa and Grilled Corn Tacos

1 1/2 cups cooked red quinoa

1 Tblspn olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup vegetable/chicken broth

1 (14.5) oz can diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp coriander

salt and pepper to taste

3 ears of corn, cleaned and husks removed

2(15) oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Juice of 1 lime 

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

For corn:

2 Tblspn lemon pepper

1 Tblspn olive oil

salt to taste

Serve with:

corn  tortillas

chopped cabbage

cheddar cheese

diced avocados

diced tomatoes

hot sauce of choice

Directions

Preheat grill. Coat 1 ear of corn with olive oil, lemon pepper and salt, Wrap in foil and put on grill. Rotate periodically. Cook 15-20 min. Remove and cut corn off the cob. 

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium high heat. Once hot, add onion and saute until golden and tender, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Stir in broth, diced tomatoes, cooked quinoa, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover saucepan with lid and simmer about 20 minutes, until mixture has thickened.

Stir in grilled corn and black beans and simmer, uncovered 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in lime juice and cilantro. Serve warm over tortillas with desired toppings.

The Media Loves Confusion!

This is a great little blog post from a trainer I've learned so much from and admire greatly.

Well said.

http://brettklika.com/the-media-loves-confusion/

The Media Loves Confusion
Brett Klika C.S.C.S.

Take health information, for example.
One week eggs give you atomic cancer, the next they are the perfect protein.  Dr. Cooper told us to run all day every day at a low intensity, now we’re supposed to sprint and lift weights or our bones may disintegrate.
According to the Journal of American Medical Association, over 1/3 of us have become obese trying to keep up with the information roller coaster.
Following the above statistic, about 35% of Americans are at significantly greater risk of a variety of health problems and a decreased quality of life due to excess bodyweight.
What’s to blame? Is it the eggs?  It must be the meat.  The wrong workout routine? Ah yes, gluten was sent from the planet GLUH-TON 4 to kill us all!
Just for a moment, let’s call of the dogs and apply some common sense to the problem.
Research on the human genome suggests our DNA and resulting physiological and metabolic make-up hasn’t changed from the earliest recovered samples, estimated to be about 40,000 years old.
Despite skyscrapers, automobiles, cell phones, and Hot Pockets, our physiology is designed to work the same way as the earliest humans.  Are we using and fueling our machine the way is was designed to be used and fueled?
Anthropologists estimate our hunger-gatherer relatives walked and moved about 13+ miles a day to get food and avoid being eaten by bears.  According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, the average American is completely inactive for 11 hours per day.  35% of Americans lead completely inactive lifestyles; about 35% of Americans are obese.  Hmmm.
One doesn’t need to be a PhD to see the disconnect here.
We have a body that is designed to move, but we don’t.  Sitting more than 11 hours a day appears to increase the likelihood of death and disease by about 40%.  Our physiology needs to hunt and gather.  We sit and, well, sit.
It appears that in contrast to ancient man, we should be fearing chairs more than bears.
From a nutritional standpoint, our ancestors ate food to fuel physical work.  Researchers claim they appeared to have a palate, enjoying certain foods over others. Food was used ceremonially and even consumed during leisure.  However, the relative scarcity of food and the reliance on quality energy for daily survival created a natural balance between fuel supply, quality, and demand.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Americans eat more calories per day than we ever have, despite having low demands for fuel due to inactivity.   Again, a blatant disconnect.
Of more concern than total calories is where these calories come from.  The USDA estimates we consume about 3 pounds of sugar per person per week! Seriously! (I won a bet with my wife on that one! She said there was no way that could be true! Look it up!) Sugar, void of nutritional value, makes up 1/3 of our plate every time we eat.
Our genome requires foods with a high nutritional value for our physiological systems to work correctly.  Again, we’re not providing it with that.  Would we be here today if thousands of years ago 1/3 of our diet was maple syrup?
Our survival circuitry wants us to move and consume quality fuel. Create a lifestyle where you move more.  Make it a priority to take stairs, go for walks, and stand up.  Do all of the above quickly and for a sustained amount of time whenever possible.  Eat as many foods as you can that don’t have added ingredients like sugar and other stuff you can’t pronounce.  Better yet, grow whatever you are able to.  If you don’t know what something is, don’t eat it.
Create less confusion by using more common sense!

BURPEES: FROM FITNESS TEST TO FITNESS PUNISHMENT

The single greatest complaint I hear from my clients involves the dreaded Burpee! Why do people fear this exercise so much? A recent article from Greatist examines the history of this movement.

Is Coconut Oil the next big thing!?

We've all been reading about coconut oil recently -- from oil pulling, to using it as a cooking aide, to smearing it on our lips as a moisturizer. Let's look at all the ways Coconut Oil is the next big thing in beauty and fitness!

This article, 76 Genius Ways to Use Coconut Oil in your Everyday Life, gives you tons of ideas and suggestions for incorporating this popular product in to every aspect of your daily routine.

Have you tried any of these on the list? What has been your experience so far? Life changer or just the latest trend?!

30 Sugar Substitutes for Any and Every Possible Situation

We all crave sugar; some of us more often than others. Below you'll find a list of excellent substitutes for when that craving strikes!

You can read more about these ingredients here!

1. Agave Nectar
2. Maple Syrup
3. Lemon

4. Honey
5. Applesauce
6. Erythritol
7. Raisins
8. Cinnamon

9. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
10. Reb A
11. Cranberries
12. Processed Dates
13. Grapefruit

14. Coconut Sugar
15. Brown Rice Syrup
16. Rapadura
17. Lime
18. Pureed Banana
19. Milk
20. Frozen Juice Concentrate
21. Barley Malt Extract
22. Sucanat
23. Apricot Puree
24. Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice
25. Club Soda
26. Rum

27. Tea Leaves
28. Molasses
29. Balsamic Glaze
30. Yacon Syrup

What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Processed Foods?

If there was any doubt left in your mind over the devastating effects of processed foods on your health, this may be the final nail in the coffin. In a video documenting what goes on in your body after consuming processed verses whole foods, a small electronic device reveals just how much your body struggles. 

Read more here!

What's your take on this... Inspirational or Insulting??

Some of you may have seen this post on Closer that has gone viral this week:

In the article, it appears (in the beginning, at least) that the writer is insulting a "fat person" who is running the track. As you read on, however, the article completely changes direction to what many readers found to be an inspirational story. As always, there were critics, most notably the person who was the supposed "inspiration" for the post. You can read his response here:

What are your thoughts? Was this an ill-conceived plan to shockingly grab readers attention by appearing to be an insulting fat-shamer turned cheerleader? Or, are we too sensitive as a society to what other people think? A person's weight loss/fitness journey is extremely personal, and as such, should it be open to public scrutiny?