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For those not familiar with the word, it’s pronounced “Keen-Wa”  rather than “Kwinoa”.

I’ve known about it for a while but this wheat free diet has given me the motivation to actually get around to trying it.

Apparently, while often used instead of grains, Quinoa is actually a seed.

Do you know what?

Wheat is actually a seed too isn’t it?  LOL.  Wonder what the difference between a grain and a seed is?  Not that I really care enough to actually find out.  I’ll just believe them when they say one is a grain and one is a seed.  Whatever.

Anyway, plenty of people seem to be raving about it.  What makes it so good?  I did a little bit of research and this is what I’ve found:

1.  Quinoa is Gluten Free

There appears to be a growing demand for Gluten Free foods.  While I’m not actually on a “gluten free” diet it would seem that gluten free products are naturally “wheat free” so I’ve started following the “trend” in an attempt to find more variety in what I can actually eat.

2.  Quinoa is an Alkaline Food

I’ve only recently learnt about this but apparently an “acidic body” is actually on it’s way to becoming a corpse.  A lot of Western foods have an acidic affect on our bodies so most people are in need of more alkalising foods.  It’s not as simple as avoiding foods high in acid either.  From what I’ve been told, Lemons are actually an alkalising food.

3.  Quinoa is a Complete Protein

Quinoa has all the essential amino acids (9 in total) needed by the body to build muscles.  (Source)

From what I can understand, it’s quite rare to get a plant source with all 9 of these amino acids.

4.  Quinoa is high in fibre

I think we all know the benefits of increasing fibre in our diet.

5.  Quinoa has high amounts of Magnesium

Magnesium is a great muscle relaxant and increasing magnesium in your diet can help with migraines, muscle cramps and energy levels.

It also helps the body deal with insulin and blood sugars so can be beneficial to those with type 2 diabetes.

6.  Quinoa has higher levels of nutrients than many grains

Compared to other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than wheat, barley, or corn. ^(source)

7.  Quinoa acts as a prebiotic

It helps feed the good bacteria in the intestine.

There are plenty of other “claims” when it comes to the benefits of Quinoa and diseases it can help prevent.  These are the ones that seemed most relevant to me.

Of course, it can have all the benefits in the world but if it isn’t tasty to eat, who’s going to eat it?

I have to admit I was a bit unsure when it came to trying it.

I’m not exactly what you’d call adventurous when it comes to trying new foods.

So I tried to stick with flavours I enjoy.

Basically chicken and broccoli.

It was DELICIOUS!!!!

CHICKEN & BROCCOLI QUINOA RECIPE

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 chicken stock cube (check it’s wheat/gluten free if required - not all are).

1 chicken breast

2 cups of broccoli (or more if you like it - I added heaps!)

cream to taste (I used 3-4 heaped teaspoons)

Rinse quinoa well under running water (some websites suggest presoaking but my packet didn’t say anything about that so I just rinsed it thoroughly).  Add quinoa to water.  Crumble stock cube into water.  Bring to boil then allow to simmer until all water is absorbed.

Cook broccoli and chicken breast.  Chop into small pieces.

Fluff quinoa with a fork.  Add broccoli and chicken.

Stir through cream if desired (for a low fat option, leave cream out - but it does make it YUMMY!!!!).

***

This amount was enough for 3 serves for me.  You might want to adjust the quantities to suit your own family.

I did find it was much nicer fresh than reheated, even though I added a bit more cream when I reheated it (the quinoa absorbs the cream).

My next challenge  will be to make this for the whole family and see if they’ll eat it!!!! 

* Disclaimer: I’m no expert and this is just what I’ve found in my research.  I can’t guarantee the accuracy of anything written here.

Related articles by Zemanta

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I have been contemplating trying diet changes to try and improve my health for some time now.

The problem is, where do you start?

Different people are affected in different ways by foods so it’s really trial and error what may or may not make a difference.

I tried researching the internet but everyone has different ideas on what is and isn’t good for you.

It’s enough to drive a girl crazy!!!!

After listening to a couple of seminars by a travelling Naturopath who visits the area, I started to wonder if my body was even absorbing nutrients properly.

He put me on dozens of “pills” which seemed to be having little to no effect (hundreds of dollars later I might add).

So either he has no idea what he is doing or there’s a deeper problem here that needs to be addressed.

One of my netball team mates is a Community Health Nurse and is also studying Naturopathy so I talked to her about it.

She suggested that I try a wheat free diet.

Apparently the most likely irritants are wheat or dairy and the only way I can find out is by going off one or the other and seeing if it helps.

So I am now on day 7 of my wheat free diet.

It hasn’t been easy.

You don’t even realise how much wheat is in your diet until you try and eliminate it.

It’s been good though because it’s helping me break the toast, toast and more toast diet I seemed to have lapsed into (there’s nothing like hot toast with butter and jam on a cold day!).

I did some research into “wheat free diets” to try and get some ideas and discovered that some of the common problems in those with a wheat intolerance are low energy levels, depression and irritable bowel.  The very 3 things I’m trying to find a solution to.  So, fingers crossed this works.

Not that my wheat growing husband is all that impressed about me going off of wheat.  He thinks if everyone stops eating wheat we’ll go broke.  I think if everyone goes off wheat we’ll just find something else to grow.

So, how is it going so far?

Days 1 & 2 I nearly starved because I couldn’t work out what to eat (very thankful to facebook friends for their suggestions).

Days 3 & 4 I didn’t feel so crash hot.

Days 5 & 6 I felt pretty good but that could be as much to do with better eating patterns than specifically wheat free.  Either way that’s a good outcome.

Day 7 (today)  I’m feeling a bit tired again today but yesterday I did 2 lots of full on exercise (totalling  2 and a half hours) so that might be playing a part in how tired I am.

I’m not sure how long I need to try it to really know if it’s helping.

Probably quite some time given the real improvement should come as my body heals and starts to absorb nutrients from food more efficiently.

And then if it’s not wheat that’s causing the problem….

Hmmm.

Anyway, what I would like from anyone out there is suggestions for wheat free eating.  No doubt there are at least some of you that are wheat free or have tried wheat free.

And does anyone know of any good Australian websites I can source products from?

Our little town is a bit limited in variety.

Yes, we won our netball game today.

I’m very happy about that because I wasn’t ready for the season to finish yet.

This win means we have 2 more trainings for the season (at least).

And without netball training, I find it REALLY hard to maintain my fitness.

I thought we all played really well today.

We are really playing as a team!

Which makes netball even MORE fun!

There really is very little bitchiness in our team this year.

Unless they’re all talking about ME behind my back.  LOL.

I played a full game.

A full game in FINALS!!!!

Talk about stunned!

3/4 of that was in Centre and 1/4 I played Wing Defense.

And boy am I exhausted!!!! 

Exhausted but happy.

I found out later that I played 3/4 of the game against a D-grader who is one of the top players in the Association (which makes her quite a handy little player).

She sure was zippy!

But lots of people told me I played well.

That’s really boosted my confidence going into the next finals game.

Sadly, both Farmboy and Lleyton lost today which means they’re now out of the finals and finished with football for the year.

But Lleyton was given the $10 incentive award from the coach today which he was stoked about.  I couldn’t watch him as my game was earlier today but Farmboy says he played a great game.  Which is wonderful as the team he was playing for is the team he goes up into next year.  I really hope the coach for that team decides to do it again.  He’s a great role model for the boys and a great coach.

We’re coming close to the end of netball season now, with finals starting this Saturday.

We finished the minor round 3rd on the ladder (out of 5 teams).

Now we have to win every game to stay in the competition.

While it would be GREAT to win another Grand Final, I don’t really mind winning or losing.

EXCEPT that now losing means netball is over for another year. 

Just when our team is really gelling well together.

And the coach has really been hitting her straps the past few weeks.

Settling in to her position (as coach I mean), understanding the individuals in the team and their various strengths and weaknesses.

And PUSHING us!

I LOVE THAT!!!!

Often in sport you get this attitude that if you’re not good enough to be the “best” (or at least “up there”), you’re not worth the time and effort.

That’s what I love so much about this coach.

She DOES give us the time and effort.

She DOES expect us to put in time and effort.

She DOESN’T treat us like the “dregs”.

And yes, sadly, there are many in our club who see our grade as not really worth anything (but there are also others who are very supportive).

Win or lose, I think we’re going into the finals a lot stronger than we started out the year.

It’s just a pity there aren’t more games in the season.

I hope she decides to coach us again next year (maybe I should send her this post?). 

P.S.  If my old coach happens to read this, none of this post is a reflection on the job you did as coach!!!  I <3 you too!!!!

P.P.S.  You know my last post about netball, where I was talking about not being “great” but being “consistent”.  Well, it turns out the coach of the opposing team chose ME as player of the day (for our players auction) for the very game I was talking about.  I nearly fell off my chair when they read my name out.  ME????

I tend to be a bit “ho hum” about politics in general.

Not something I’m advocating.

After all, you can’t complain about the state of things if you’re not prepared to do something about it, right?

Still, the whole “politics, policies and parties” generally leaves me feeling rather baffled.

In year 11 Australian Studies we had to follow the election and write a paper on who we would vote for and why.

That was the year John Howard and Bob Hawke were the leaders of the major parties.

I chose John Howard because I liked his smile. 

Not sure I got the best of grades for that paper!

As things turned out, maybe my “gut instinct” was right.  A few years later he spent time in one of my Tafe lectures.  He wasn’t leader of the Liberal party at that time but he took the time to speak to about 10 of us and explain the GST.  He explained it REALLY well.  And when he did eventually become Prime Minister, I think he did a reasonable job.

That was my first Federal Election as a voter and Liberal got my vote because of that.

I didn’t become supportive of any particular party though.

Then I married Farmboy.

Farmer’s in general tend to be big National/Liberal voters.

They’re the ones who tend to look after small business (and therefore farmers).

Of course, Paul Keating certainly didn’t do anything for the Labor vote with farmers when he stated categorically that Australia did NOT need Farmers.

These days I’m not so sure there’s much difference between the major parties.

What were once strong left and right wings (or whatever terminology they use - and don’t ask me which is which because I can never remember!!!!) don’t seem to be quite so much these days.

I do think that’s a good thing.

Maybe both major parties are a little more “balanced” these days (????).

So, the long and the short of it is, I’m still not sure WHO I want to vote for this Saturday.

And I’m not even sure my vote counts really, given I currently reside in a “safe” Liberal seat.

How do you decide who you are going to vote for?

Do you get right into policies?

Do you vote based on the leader of each major party?

Am I alone in feeling like neither of the leaders or their parties are really inspiring?

And I still feel sick with what happened over the ousting of Kevin Rudd.

And it’s not like I particularly like him or anything!

I didn’t like it when Paul Keating did it to Bob Hawke either. 

I like it when people play nice.

And you don’t last in politics if you play nice. 

Isn’t that a sad state of affairs?

*** end political brain dump***

My apologies to international readers who don’t care squat about the Australian elections.

We’ve been very blessed this year to have a music teacher in our primary school.  We only have limited NIT (non instruction time) hours and generally they get used on Physical Education and/or Languages.

I find it kind of frustrating that there is quite an emphasis on sport and very little emphasis on the arts.

So it’s been a welcome change to actually have a music teacher.

Sadly, the school are saying we may not be able to keep her next year.  :(  Which is annoying because I know she would continue.

Anyway, the great thing is my kids are really enjoying it and it has meant our school choir has been up and running again and has gotten involved in a Primary Schools Festival of Music.

This has involved students learning a series of songs and movements  that other students all over the state have also been learning.

Recently we went to a nearby regional town where the students were able to perform with students from many other schools:

It was an absolutely AWESOME experience for the kids.

One they had a lot of fun doing.

That last one is just our choir (those of it who fit in the age group for this particular concert), taken after the concert.

Today the years 6s and 7s head off to Adelaide to do the same thing (on a much bigger scale) at the Festival theatre.

I REALLY hope Singstar Princess gets that opportunity to go to Adelaide when she is the right age.

She’s not the kind of kid who’s likely to get into things like Sapsaasa (state sport for years 6s & 7s) and it’s about time those who are not “sporty” had their talents nurtured.

Now I just need to find a way to convince the school (and the Education Department) that it’s a good idea to continue having a music teacher in our school.

Well, the technician came and discovered a tiny little spider was playing havoc with our satellite reception so we’re back online again now (the part was nearly worn anyway so he’s also replaced it).

It’s nice to have reliable internet again.

Well, as reliable as we get out in the sticks.

I’d like to think this means I’ll be blogging more regularly now.

Problem is, life has gotten INSANELY busy and while I have plenty I’d like to say and share, finding the time and energy to do so is proving to be a challenge.

I will try my best though.

In the meantime, here are the Sultana Buds Giveaway Winners:

1.  Lynette

2.  Jo

3.  Katef

4.  Marita

5.  Katy

Could you please send me your postal address to lightening at lighteningonline dot com and I’ll get Zing to send out your prizes.  I’d love to know how they go in your family so please pop back and leave your experiences once you’ve tried them.

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for sharing your great “cheer others up” experiences.  We’re having internet troubles at the moment so I’m not able to do as much online as I would like (right now in town at the library trying to do this post quickly).  My apologies for not responding to your comments as I would like.

Recently we were sent a pack of the new Sultana Bran Buds to try.

The kids were rather excited when they arrived and wanted to try them immediately.

To be honest, I was somewhat surprised as my kids don’t like sultanas.  LOL.

But they LOVE these!!!

I’d have walked past them in the supermarket every time assuming they wouldn’t like them because of the sultana content.

The packet we were sent to try was wolfed down in a matter of days.

Followed by “can you buy some more of these mum?”

I’m kind of relieved because the younger two are painful when it comes to what cereal they like.

They’ll eat coco pops and nutra grain (and fruit loops if I’d let them) but I prefer them to have something with some sort of nutritional value for breakfast!

And from what I can gather on the nutritional panel, they have more fibre per serve than weetbix!!!

So, I’ve been offered 5 packs of these to my readers as a giveaway.

If you’d like to try them, simply leave a comment below answering either (or both) of the following questions:

1.  A creative idea for getting more fibre in your kids diet.

2.  What kinds of cereal are popular in your house?

I will announce the winners in a few days (internet willing) so don’t delay, get your comments in straight away. 

I feel like everywhere I look (read) at the moment, all I find is blah, blah, blah and boo, hoo, hoo.  Everyone seems so down at the moment. :(  I’m not sure if it’s the winter blues here in Australia or what it is.

There certainly seems to be a lot of illness around at the moment.  Maybe that’s part of the reason.

I’m almost at the point of avoiding facebook.  Not because I don’t care what all my friends are going through but because I’m not in the best place to handle it.

It’s dragging me down.

Making me sad.

Then this morning I read a comment where someone was gloating over another person’s misfortune. 

And that just made me sadder.

Is life so bad that our greatest source of joy needs to be at someone else’s expense?

So, my challenge to everyone today (and especially myself) is to think of something I can do today to make someone’s day a little brighter.

A smile?

A hug?

A note?

Some flowers?  Chocolate?  Cup of coffee in bed?

Why not share your ideas in the comments section?

Or better yet, share something you do to brighten someone’s day.

Let’s see if we can’t bring out a little sunshine and lollipops into the lives of those around us.

Want an extra challenge?

Brighten the day of someone who really annoys or bothers you in some way.