Vegetarian

Oh, by the way I am a vegetarian, so you will see that all my foods are such and contain no meat. I will be posting information as I go along this journey about different vegetarian options, as well as some recipes that I will be using.

Link to 1st blog entry:

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: Starting my journey for a better me!

Link to the blog main page:

http://mybody4life-michael.blogspot.com/

Quinoa

A little about Quinoa that I will be using as a protein sourse for anyone that does not know what it is.
This information was taken from Wikipedia:

Quinoa (pronounced /kinw/ KEEN-wah or /kino/ KEE-no-uh, Spanish quinua, from Quechua kinwa), a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass. Its leaves are also eaten as a leaf vegetable, much like amaranth, but the commercial availability of quinoa greens is currently limited.


Nutritional value

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthful choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.

Preparation

Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous.

The first step in preparing quinoa is to remove the saponins, a process that requires soaking the grain in water for a few hours, then changing the water and resoaking, or rinsing it in ample running water either in a fine strainer or in cheesecloth. Removal of the saponin helps with digestion; the soapy nature of the compound makes it act as a laxative. Most boxed quinoa has been pre-rinsed for convenience.

A common cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups of water to a boil with one cup of grain, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 14–18 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it (like al dente pasta). As an alternative, one can use a rice cooker to prepare quinoa, treating it just like white rice (for both cooking cycle and water amounts).

Vegetables and seasonings can also be added to make a wide range of dishes. Chicken or vegetable stock can be substituted for water during cooking, adding flavor. It is also suited to vegetable pilafs, complementing bitter greens like kale.

Quinoa can serve as a high-protein breakfast food mixed with honey, almonds, or berries; it is also sold as a dry product, much like corn flakes.

Quinoa flour can be used in wheat-based and gluten-free baking. For the latter, it can be combined with sorghum flour, tapioca, and potato starch to create a nutritious gluten-free baking mix. A suggested mix is three parts quinoa flour, three parts sorghum flour, two parts potato starch, and one part tapioca starch. Quinoa flour can be used as a filling for chocolate.

Quinoa may be germinated in its raw form to boost its nutritional value. Germination activates its natural enzymes and multiplies its vitamin content. In fact, quinoa has a notably short germination period: Only 2-4 hours resting in a glass of clean water is enough to make it sprout and release gases, as opposed to, e.g., 12 hours overnight with wheat. This process, besides its nutritional enhancements, softens the grains, making them suitable to be added to salads and other cold foods.

Link to 1st blog entry:

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: Starting my journey for a better me!

Link to the blog main page:

http://mybody4life-michael.blogspot.com/

Starting my journey for a better me!

01 April 2009

I am a 36 year old "frumpy" man, not in the shape I used to be in and finally decided to do something about it.
I am in the Navy, have been for almost 18 years now. I use to stay in shape by running all the time, playing soccer and working out at the gym.
Over the last 2 years I have really let myself go. I had a torn miniscus in my knee and had to wait a while to get into the doctor and get it scoped. I had the operation last summer, it has just recently finnished healing enough for me to start running.
I was able to run my last PRT (physical rediness test) in the Navy. First one in 2 years, I ran a 10.30 mile and a half. Not bad for only being healed for about 2-3 months.

Now I really want to build on that success and take charge of my life with this program. I am so excited to see and to show off my new body in 12 weeks. I will be so happy, and feel so much better.

I will be posting weekly pictures of me as I go through this challenge so we can all see how my body responds to this way of living.

My goals are to loose 30 lbs of fat, gain 20-30 lbs of muscle, be a more positive person, have more energy and feel better about myself

Body for life is not a "Fad" or a "Diet" it is a way of living from now on. The concept revolves around eating 6 small meals (portioned into fist sized portions of a protien a carb and a vegitable) spaced 2-3 hours apart every day as well as a workout program that alternates weights and cardio workouts every other day with the 7th day being your "day off".

Here is the website for Body-for-LIFE
http://bodyforlife.com/



These are links to the other posts in this blog:

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: To get in shape

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: Body-for-LIFE Books

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: My starting measurements

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: Comments

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: Bowflex Ultimate Home Gym

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: Vegetarian

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: Quinoa

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: 2009 Partners Challenge

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: What I want to look like

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: Starting my journey for a better me!

My Body-for-LIFE Journey: The Body-for-LIFE Challenge

I also have a Financial blog about My Quest for Financial Independence that you can see here:

http://quest-for-financial-freedom.blogspot.com/

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