eating new stuff

the title is what's going on, i'm eating new stuff. i've heard a lot about two different super-grains. the first is quinoa and the second is the wheatberry.

QUINOA:
A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa was once called "the gold of the Incas," who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.


WHEATBERRY:
The term wheatberry or wheat berry refers to the entire wheat kernel (except for the hull), comprising the bran, germ, and endosperm. Wheatberries have a tan to reddish brown color and are available as either a hard or soft processed grain. They are often added to salads or baked into bread to add a crunchy texture; as a whole grain, they also provide nutritional benefits since they are an excellent source of dietary fiber.


last night i made a bunch of quinoa and a bunch of wheatberries. the wheatberries took a whole hour to cook on the stove. that's a long time in my world. they are pretty good though. i am going to add some to oatmeal and yogurt. the quinoa is alright... i used it until red lentil curry in place of brown rice. it wasn't bad but i prefer the rice. i am going to look into cooking it a few different ways, which might help as well.

my weekend was pretty good, but too short. exercise-wise, on saturday i went for a 5-mile run, and on sunday i swam lengths for about half an hour. i wore my HRM in the pool (i checked online if i could do this first) and it was pointless. i only wore it for about 5 minutes, but it said my heart rate was about 69 bpm. obviously that's a false reading. i stood up and it shot up to 126 or so. i just wanted to look at my heart rate in the pool. even though the polar website said i could wear it in the pool, today it was acting all funky and stupid, giving me inaccurate readings. i am going to clean it with soap and water and see what's up. otherwise i'll have to cause a scene and nobody likes that.

this morning i just did a quick workout. 3 x 10 minutes running on the treadmill, with some arm-weights in between. it's monday and i'm kinda pooped. today on the menu is:

strawberries
4 organic animal crackers

cinnamon oatmeal
1 T flax
1/2 cup all bran
2 T pumpkin
1/4 cup wheatberries
fat free strawberry yogurt

1 cup plain 2% yogurt
strawberries
carrots with hummus
regular oatmeal

red lentil curry on quinoa with mixed veggies