5 Great Reasons to Try Quinoa

I found this post at http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2007/08/09/5_great_reasons_to_try_quinoa.php. I thought it was interesting since I love Quinoa and I was wondering if it contributed at all to symptoms of ADHD or Candida (yeast overgrowth commonly displays ADHD symptoms in children) and it

does not, because Quinoa is a seed and not a grain. It will cook up all nice and have the consistency of a grain, but it is a gluten free seed. I knew there was a reason I liked it so much! Check out my videos on www.iholistic.tv for a great quinoa recipe. They are also on my website at www.sobelwellness.com/cooking-classesevents.html.

Original post by Dr. Carmin Iadonisi

Everyone knows that whole grains provide a whole host of health benefits including lowering heart disease risk and helping with weight maintenance.

I love to experiment with different whole grains and by far one of my favorites is Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa).

Over the past few years, I would often start my day with a big bowl of hot quinoa mixed with walnuts, flaxseeds, berries and protein powder. It is one breakfast that leaves me feeling satisfied and full of energy for the rest of the day.

Recently, my wife has become an expert at cooking quinoa and we now eat it as a side dish more often than rice or sweet potatoes.

If you have never eaten quinoa, here are 5 reasons to add it into your diet:

1. Price - Quinoa is inexpensive.
   One of the biggest challenges that I hear from patients is that eating healthier is often too costly. I agree that many organic foods are more expensive, but whole grains are one exception. For only $2.95 per pound- you have enough quinoa to eat several times in one week.
2. Quinoa is gluten free
   With the rising incidence of Celiac's disease in many populations, Quinoa is one grain that contains no gluten, so it is safe for anyone with Celiac’s disease or a suspected intolerance to wheat products.
3. Quinoa is a good source of protein.
   A ½ cup serving of dry quinoa has approximately 11 grams of protein. When cooked, one cup of quinoa is about 254 calories and has almost 9 grams of protein.
4. Quinoa is loaded with minerals
   Quinoa contains potassium, magnesium and manganese. Of these three minerals, magnesium is one of the most common mineral deficiencies in the body. Magnesium helps regulate the absorption of calcium, energy production and aids with muscle contraction.
5. Quinoa is easy to cook.
   One of the easiest ways to make quinoa is to take 1 cup of quinoa and boil it with 2 cups of organic chicken broth. This normally takes about 15 minutes. As the quinoa is finished, add 1 Tbsp of curry powder. Now you can sprinkle in anything you want from raisins to sautéed mushrooms and enjoy.