Quinoa vs Oats

Hello, It has been a long Vacation week. My kids have been off of school and with them home, nothing gets done. That means no blogging for me!!

However; I did find a few minutes today to write on something that has been on my mind since one of my clients asked me this question "What is the nutritional difference between Quinoa and Oats".
Thank You, Angela:)

Note: This comparison is for cooked quinoa and cooked oats.

Comparison Of Nutritional Value of Oatmeal And Quinoa
Both these grains are highly nutritious and can be used to make a wide variety of dishes. So, let us see a nutritional comparison of both.
A single cup serving of 234g cooked oatmeal provides :

• Calories  – 166
• Total fat – 4g (5% Daily Value reqd.  by body (DV))
• Saturated fat – 1g (4% DV)
• Trans Fat  -  0g
• Cholesterol – 0mg (0% DV)
• Sodium  – 9mg (0% DV)
• Total carbohydrates – 32g (11% DV)
• Dietary fiber  – 4g (16% DV)
• Sugars          -  1g
• Protein  – 6g
• Calcium – 2%
• Iron  – 12%
• Vitamin C – 0%
• Vitamin A – 0%

The percent daily value is calculated on a normal 2,000 calorie diet. This will vary with different individuals. This food is low in cholesterol and saturated fat and is an excellent source of phosphorous, manganese and selenium. It is suggested that complementing oatmeal with other foods rich in amino acids can improve the quality of protein.
The following is a nutritional profile of cooked quinoa.
For a serving size of 185g

• Calories 222
• Calories from fat 32
• Total fat 4g (16% DV)
• Saturated fat (0% DV)
• Cholesterol 0mg (0% DV)
• Sodium 13mg (1% DV)
• Total carbohydrates 39g (13% DV)
• Dietary fiber 5g (21% DV)
• Protein 8g (48% DV)
• Vitamin A 0%
• Vitamin C 0%
• Calcium 3%
• Iron 15%

DV refers to percent daily value that is based on 2,000 calorie diet. Each person’s DV will vary depending on daily needs. The nutritional opinion is that this food is very low in sodium and cholesterol and low in saturated fats. It is also a good source of magnesium, phosphorous, folate and manganese.
As far as protein content is concerned, quinoa which has been compared to dried whole milk has higher protein content, especially essential amino acids like threonine, lysine and methionine. For example, ½ cup uncooked oatmeal gives 5g protein and uncooked quinoa 12g protein.
For more information log onto
http://www.thesuperfoods.net/


Also, Quinoas protein is what makes this such a super food.

Protein in Quinoa:

One of the best reasons to enjoy quinoa is because it has a high-protein content, which makes it a great cholesterol-free and low-fat source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. According to the USDA nutrient database, 1 cup of cooked quinoa (185 g) contains 8.14 grams of protein. To put that in reference, the recommended daily protein intake is about 56 grams for most men and 46 for most women.

One of our favorite Quinoa meals is a Mexican style Quinoa....
Make Quinoa according to package. 1 cup of quinoa makes 3 cups cooked. So, I take the 3 cups and  mix in a can of diced tomatoes seasoned how you like or we use homemade salsa. Then, mix in your seasonings of cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes. Add in cilantro, lime and some green onions. Then, add in some black beans and top with cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. Enjoy!!

Enjoy this wicked cold day!!!

The Importance of Vitamin C

The Importance of Vitamin C, especially at this time of year. Eat lots of Vitamin C rich foods which can be found here http://strengthandcore.blogspot.com/2013/05/vitamin-c-rich-foods-to-decrease.html
Lots of good information a must read!!!

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/apr2008_Newly-Discovered-Benefits-Of-Vitamin-C_01.htm

What You Need to Know: Vitamin C

Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is a potent antioxidant with increasingly diverse uses in health promotion and disease prevention. Every step in the progression of atherosclerosis can benefit from the antioxidant power of vitamin C, from preventing endothelial dysfunction and altering lipid profiles and coagulation factors to preventing blood vessel changes that can lead to strokes and other vascular catastrophes. Vitamin C supplements reduce cellular DNA damage that is the vital first step in cancer initiation and also reduce the inflammatory changes that allow a malignant cell to grow into a dangerous tumor. Vitamin C supplements enhance the health-promoting effects of exercise and reduce exercise-induced oxidative damage. Vitamin C supplements also dramatically combat the oxidative damage caused by smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke. In respiratory conditions, vitamin C supplements help avert or shorten the duration of common colds and may mitigate the risk of serious respiratory conditions like asthma. Vitamin C supplements can speed the clearance of the stomach disease-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori Vitamin C and the Importance of Antioxidants Oxidative damage and the resultant inflammatory changes are now known to lie at the root of most common chronic conditions in humans, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.5,35,48-51 Although for many years it was thought that tissue ischemia (lack of oxygen-rich blood) caused the damage from acute conditions such as myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke, today we recognize instead that it is the sudden restoration of vital oxygen and the consequent production of reactive oxygen species that wreak major havoc on surviving tissue.52 This so-called ischemia/reperfusion injury is also now recognized as a critical factor in brain injury following bleeding and head trauma.53 Reactive oxygen species are harmful in other ways as well—they contribute to the DNA damage that is the first step in converting healthy cells into malignant cancers54,55 and they impair many of the checks and balances inherent in our immune systems, rendering us potentially vulnerable to deadly infections and their consequences.56,57 Finally, healthy lifestyle choices such as exercise17,18 and unhealthy activities such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption14,24,58 produce reactive oxygen species that must be controlled to prevent tissue injury. Scientists studying all of these conditions are rapidly developing a strong appreciation for vitamin C’s powerful potential as a preventive and often therapeutic supplement.  and cut the risk of gastric cancer it causes.