Cucumber tuna salad roll- ups

Great for appetizer or a light lunch 

Tuna salad

INGREDIENTS

• 15 ounces good-quality tuna, packed in oil, drained
• 1 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pickled green beans
• 3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 Thinly slice cucumber

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   In a medium bowl, combine tuna, celery, pickled green beans mayonnaise, dill and lemon juice; mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

2. STEP 2

   On a work surface, divide tuna salad among the slice cucumber and roll; top with salsa Serve

Breakfast simple but delicious.

Menu: a bed of Kaniwa  grain top with boil egg cut in half, chicken sausage, and slice yellow cherry tomato, and sprig of mint. Yum,yum,yum delicious!!!!

Menu: tostones or patacones, sausages and onions with a grill grapefruit.

     Kaniwa - Follow instruction on package for preparation.

Cucumber and diabetes and other benefits.

Cucumber is often regarded as a healthy food because it is low in calories and fat. Cucumber also contains many vitamins and minerals that make them a healthy choice for cooking and snacking. Here are 15 health benefits of cucumber

Manage Diabetes

Cucumbers have been useful for diabetic patients for many years. Cucumbers possess a hormone required by the beta cells during insulin production. The Glycemic Index of cucumbers is actually zero. The presence of carbohydrates and their result on the body is measured by the quantity Glycemic Index. Every food item contains essential nutrients in different percentages. The carbohydrates contribute in raising the glucose level, however the carbohydrates present in the cucumber can be easily digested by diabetic patients. Thus, consumption of cucumbers keeps the glucose level in check. Nowadays, most commercial stores have cucumber supplements as spiny sea cucumber extract powder, which is very effective in combating the effects of diabetes.

1. Keep you hydrated
   Cucumber has 96% water content that is more nutritious than regular water, which helps in keeping the body hydrated and regulating body temperature. It also helps in flushing out the toxins from the body.
2. Skin care
   The high water content and the presence of certain vitamins and minerals make cucumber an essential part of skin care. Facial masks containing cucumber juice can be used for skin tightening. Ascorbic acid and caffeic acid present in cucumbers can bring down the water retention rate which in turn diminishes the puffiness and swelling under the eyes. Cucumber skin also can bring relief to the skin caused by sunburn or windburn.
3. Fight cancers
   Cucumber contains lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol – three lignans that have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of several cancer types, includingbreast cancer, prostate cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer.
4. Control Blood Pressure
   Cucumber juice contains a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber which are very helpful for regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumber especially good for treating both low blood pressure and high blood pressure.
5. Beneficial for teeth and gums
   Cucumber juice is also beneficial for people with teeth and gums problems, especially in cases of pyorrhea. Cucumber is a good source of dietary fiber and this fiber massage in the teeth and gums.
6. Aid digestion
   Digestive disorders, such as heartburn, gastritis, and even ulcers, can be cured by the daily consumption of fresh cucumber juice. The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumber are very effective in driving away the toxins from the digestive system and hence aid digestion. Daily consumption of cucumber can be regarded as a remedy for chronic constipation.
7. Promotes joint health
   Cucumber is an excellent source of silica which is known to help promotes joint health by strengthening the connective tissues.
8. Get rid of bad breath
   The photochemicals present in cucumber help kills the bacteria in your mouth which are responsible for bad breath. To get rid of bad breath, press a slice of cucumber in between your mouth with your tongue for at least 30 seconds.
9. Nail care
   The high silica content in cucumber also helps prevent splitting and spoiling of nails of the fingers and toes.
10. Relieve gout and arthritis pain
    Cucumber is a best ingredient for gout pain relief. When mixed with carrot juice, they can relieve gout and arthritis pain by lowering the uric acid levels.
11. Cures diabetes
    The cucumber juice has been found to be beneficial for the diabetic patients. This vegetable contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin.
12. Reduces cholesterol
    Researchers found that some compound called sterols in cucumber may help reduce cholesterol levels.
13. Stimulate hair growth
    Cucumber contains silicon and sulphur and thus a regular intake of cucumber can help promote healthy hair growth. For best results, mix cucumber juice with the juices of carrot, lettuce orspinach.
14. Acts as a diuretic
    The water content of cucumber acts as a diuretic. It encourages the elimination of waste products from the body through urination. Regular intake of cucumber helps to dissolve bladder or kidney stones.
15. Aid in weight loss
    Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people who looking for weight loss.

Tip: When buying cucumber, choose the ones that are firm to touch and dark green in color. Do not buy overly matured or yellow colored as they are prone to contain more insoluble fiber and mature seeds. Go for organically grown cucumber to get a rich taste and more nutrients content.

Grapefruit and diabetics

Diabetes: Diabetic patients can safely eat grapefruit, because consuming grapefruit can reduce the level of starch in the body. If a patient is diabetic, intake of grapefruit can help them to regulate the flow of sugar in their body, effectively handling the disease. recent studies have shown this beneficial relationship between diabetes and grapefruits to be due to the flavonoid content of grapefruits, along with a number of other healthy benefits from those compounds.

Roll- up Romain Tuna Melt

Roll- up Romain Tuna Melt

Tuna salad

1 can tuna

1 celery rib dice

1 tbsp green onion chop

2 hard boiled eggs dice

1 tsp salsa verde

4 pickled  green bees dice

1 tbsp chop dill

2 tsp mayonnaise 

2 slice Swiss cheese cut in half

4 green Romain lettuce leaves

Grated cheddar cheese for topping

Method: in a bowl combine the first 8 ingredients and mix well. Set aside

Take the lettuce leaves place them on a pancake griddle let them get warm, then add half Swiss cheese to each lettuce leaves and let partially melt. Pull off the griddle, then add the tuna and roll, place each one on a baking dish, top with cheddar cheese. Preheat oven to 350 degrees then place lettuce leaves in oven until cheese melt. Enjoy 

Encouragement for the day

We are more than conquers

Breakfast

Scramble eggs with chicken sausage, sauté spinach , cup of ginger mint fruit salad and top with plain Greek yogurt and a cherry. Yum!!!!

Encouragement of the day

Lentil oxtail, Farro grain, and steam spinach.

Ingredients oxtail stew

2 tablespoons olive oil 

3 pounds oxtails 

2 teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

2 teaspons crushed red pepper flakes ( optional )

1 cup small diced onion 

1/2 cup small diced carrot 

1/2 cup small diced celery 

1/2 cup small diced green pepper

1/2 cup small diced red pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic 

2 teaspoons minced ginger 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1  cup lentil beans

1 1/2 cup red wine

Water to cover oxtail

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Season the oxtails with the salt and pepper and let sit a few minutes. Add the olive oil to a large pot (cast iron with lid if you have) and heat over medium heat until hot. Add half of the oxtails to the pot and cook until well browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Set the seared oxtails on a platter once browned and repeat with the remaining oxtails. 

Once all the oxtails are browned, add the onions, carrots, celery and all peppers to the pan. Saute the vegetables until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, and ginger to the pan and saute for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the wine to the Pot and increase the heat to medium-high. 

Add the water and allspice & crushed red pepper flakes, stir, and return the oxtails to the pan. Return the pan to a boil and place the lid over the pan. Once a steady stream of steam is emitted from the pan, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook the oxtails until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.  Then add lentils and let cook for another hour or until beans and oxtail are tender It will thinking as is cooking keep an eye on it so it will not stick to the pot. before you serve. Remove the lid, and stir the chopped parsley into the pan. Serve immediately over Farro.

Side dish steam spinach or any other vegetable 

Serves about  8 - 10

Encouragement

Have a bless day.

Fashion

Part of our health is looking and feeling good about our self, and to accomplished that it should be reflected in the way you dress everyday and you carry yourself. It helps your self esteem, your mood, and your spirit. Be confident in yourself and the way you look. Whether it may be casual, evening or office attire. Remember to dress appropriately for your age, but if you have a great body flaunt it.

These picks is just to give an idea of how beautiful you can look, choose your own style.

Word of encouragement

Menu and recipe

Farro spinach dill salad with roasted chicken leg

Recipe

Farro spinach dill salad

2 1/2 cup organic pearled farro

1/4 cup pickling juice homemade preferable

1/4 cup olive oil or coconut oil

1 cup blueberries

3 scallion finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill

1/2 cup julienne arugula 

1/2 cup julienne spinach

1 cup dice pickle green beans

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup dice cucumber

Directions:

Fallow direction on package on how to cooked Farro

Drain and let cool, set aside.

In a large bowl add chopped spinach, dill, scallion, dice pickled green beans, and cucumber. Then add Farro, and  blueberries, mix together, in a separate bowl combine oil, pickle juice, salt and pepper, whisk together and pour over salad. Let marinate for one hour or over night preferable. 

Manage your emotions

In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  Colossians 2:3 NLT

In the last few days I have been going through some tough emotional problems, I lost it a few times but I realize that I was only hurting myself. And then I went to church on Sunday morning and the pastor said: "Emotions make great passengers and lousy drivers. The other thing he said was, "when entitlement start gratefulness stop.  And those words hit home in my heart. 

When God is dealing with us He will continue to instruct and encourage us day by day until we are free of our negative emotions and be free in Him. So here is today's food for taught.

By Joyce Meyer.

"We all have emotions, but we must learn to manage them. Emotions can be positive or negative. They can make us feel wonderful or awful. They are a central part of being human, and that is fine. Unfortunately, most people do what they feel like doing, say what they feel like saying, buy what the feel like buying, and eat what they feel like eating. And that is not fine, because feelings are not wisdom.

Feelings are fickle, they change frequently and without notification.  Since feelings are unreliable, we must not direct our lives according to how we feel. You can be aware of your feelings and acknowledge their legitimacy without necessarily acting on them. God has given us wisdom, and we should walk in it, not our emotions.

Healthy emotions are very important. They help us recognize how we truly feel and what we value. Good emotional health is vital for a god life. But a good life also means being able to manage our emotions and not to be manage by them. Negative emotions such as anger, unforgiveness, worry, anxiety, fear, resentment, and bitterness cause many physical illnesses by raising our stress levels.

It seems to me that most people in our society today are mad, and the ones who aren't are sad. Thank God we no longer have to be like " most people." God doesn't want anyone to be a slave to their feelings. To manage your emotions and your life, you need to ask God for His wisdom instead of trusting your feelings.

The more stable our emotions are, the healthier we will be, and we all want to enjoy good health. I strongly encourage you to trust God to help you learn to manage your emotions so they don't manage you. Trust God to lead you by wisdom."

Health menu/Low glycemic index

Grilled vegetables/ Farro Chili

"My first introduction to Farro was in Tuscany Italy. I was visiting an organic farm and  in the spectacular rolling hills of the Crete Senese - enjoying the view and being treated to a delightful lunch. Farro was the base of a colorful salad - farro and raw vegetables tossed together with rich balsamic vinegar and topped with a light sprinkle of Pecorino cheese. It was so simple and so, so delicious. I thought "is it the beautiful scenery? The glorious sunny weather? The sounds of melodic Italian being spoken? the friendly smiles? What made this simple salad taste so good?"

Having been diabetic since I was a child I knew to give myself extra insulin right after a grain based meal. Carbohydrates turn to sugar in the system and I needed to take extra insulin to metabolize the farro. Much to my surprise, an hour later my blood sugar dropped below normal! I had too much insulin in my system despite calculating the number of carbs in the grain the way I always do. I had to drink some sweetened cranberry juice to quickly bring my blood sugar back to a normal level! "Hmmm" I thought - the farmer who served the Farro Salad said the grain was "good for diabetics". Now I was curious!

After some in depth research - including a visit to one of the oldest organic farms in Tuscany - I learned the difference between "farro", spelt, modern durum wheat and other similar grains. I discovered that farro (triticum dicoccum) is an ancient grain dating back to 10,000 BC that became a staple for the Roman Legions as they marched across Europe and has been enjoyed ever since by families all over Italy. Throughout the evolution of these hulled grains farro has retained many of its original healthy properties. Although understanding the history and evolution of farro is informative, the more important fact is that Farro is really tasty, very easy to prepare and, as I discovered, very nutritious!

Here are some quick "healthy" facts about Farro Perlato: it is higher in protein than in regular durum wheat - 8g / 9g per cup depending on the producer; unusually high in fiber compared to other grains - again 8g / 9g per cup; Also higher than wheat in vitamin B complex; it's a good source of Vitamins A, C, E and rich in magnesium; it's low in fat - NO saturated fat and NO cholesterol; and most intriguing, it has a low Glycemic Index (GI) of 40.

The low blood sugar I experienced the first time I had farro was repeated a few more times. Finally I learned more about this delicious source of carbs and began to adjust my insulin intake whenever I ate farro. It turns out its low GI is the reason my blood sugar didn't go up when my body metabolized it. Commonly called "complex carbohydrates", low GI foods take longer to metabolize and be absorbed by the body. Simple carb foods like white bread (GI of 80 - 100) or the simple sugars in the sweetened cranberry juice (GI of 65) I drink when my blood sugar is low, metabolize quickly and go almost directly into my blood stream. Although simple carbs with a high GI are good when you need a burst of energy, if you need sustained energy or you want to stay lean, it is better for your food not turn to sugar so quickly. Plus there are health concerns about high GI foods affecting Hypoglycemia and the extra sugar "turning to fat". In summary - for the same amount of rice, couscous and other similar grains, you get more nutrition and longer lasting energy from Farro - it is a delicious addition to any diet.

Once I discovered this wonderful food I began to experiment. Farro is so versatile you can serve it as a hot entre or side dish for lunch or dinner; Add vegetables and tofu for a super vegetarian meal; combine with chicken or meat for a hearty entre; serve chilled with different veggie combinations and dressings for mouthwatering salads; or serve plain farro hot with milk, blueberries, strawberry, or honey for breakfast. "

Breakfast

Fry yuca and sausage vegetable stir fry.

Rating *****

Dinner

Recao Butter Talapia with Bean Salad and Avocado.

Lunch

Chicken soup with red quinoa top with mozzarella cheese.