Recommended Product: Sprouted Corn Tortillas

This is a short post about a Sprouted Corn Tortillas, a gluten-free alternative to Sprouted Corn Tortillaswheat tortillas.

I found this product, in the frozen food section at Whole Foods Market on the Bowery, in New York City.  They’re made by Food For Life.  One tortilla is 60 calories, and contains no added sugar.

Warm the tortilla in an oiled skillet until firm.  Add your favorite filling, and enjoy having a healthy meal.

The price of one package is $3.49 for 12 tortillas.  If you live outside of New York City, you’ll most likely pay less than that.

Irene Portrait Paint BlackIrene Pastore is a native New Yorker, health and fitness blogger, and personal trainer. Irene owns this website, and writes all the blog posts. For her complete bio, visit the About Page.

Copyright 2016 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core.com

Quick Gluten-Free Buckwheat-Rice Pancake Recipe

Buckwheat & Rice Pancake Recipe: Fast, Healthy, Gluten-Free

Eating healthy in New York City is top priority for people living a healthy lifestyle.  PANCAKES free imagesThe downside to city living, is the hectic pace, stress, and not having the time to make sustainable food choices.

No matter where you live, you’ll like this recipe because it tastes great, doesn’t take a lot of time, and the ingredients are very good for you.

Buckwheat is a gluten-free seed, not a grain.  It’s an excellent wheat substitute for anyone who wants to avoid eating wheat, or those who have celiac disease.  Pancakes made with buckwheat are darker in color than those baked with wheat, or spelt flour.

Rice is a gluten-free grain.  Brown rice flour is used for baking cookies, and cakes. Combined with buckwheat flour, it produces light, fluffy pancakes with crisp edges.

At first glance, this recipe may look complicated.  But, after you’ve used it a few times, you’ll get the hang of it.

  • There are only 8 ingredients. 
  • It’s easy and fast to put together. 
  • Make a batch and store it in the fridge.

BUCKWHEAT & RICE PANCAKE RECIPE

Dry Ingredients

3/4 Organic Cup Buckwheat Flour

3/4 Organic Cup Brown Rice Flour

3 1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1 Tablespoon Xylitol (or cane sugar, or stevia.

Liquid Ingredients

1 Egg (or Egg Replacer)

3 Tablespoons Oil (or canola, coconut, or your favorite oil).

1 1/4 Cup Milk (or hemp, soy, almond,  or other favorite milk).  If you use hemp milk, you’ll need to add more liquid, because the batter will be too thick.

Utensils

Measuring Spoons, Fork or Whisk, Flour Sifter, Mixing Bowls, Measuring Cups, Skillet, Pancake Rings (optional)

Instructions

Measure all dry ingredients, and place in a large measuring cup.  Pour the mixtureMIXING BOWLS free images through a sifter into a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat egg until smooth.  Add oil.  Add milk.  Stir together until well blended.

Add liquid ingredients to the flour mixture, by pouring the liquid slowly over the flour to form a smooth batter.  Use a mixing spoon to blend the batter.  By adding the liquid slowly you can judge the thickness of the batter. If the batter is too stiff, add more liquid.

When your batter is ready, add oil into a skillet.  When heated, slowly pour the pancake batter into the skillet.  I recommend cast iron because it heats up fast.  Be sure you add enough oil, so that the batter doesn’t stick. Use a low-medium setting.

Toppings

Use your favorite topping.  Suggestions: jams, jellies, maple syrup, sugar, xylitol, stevia, honey, cinnamon, or plain.

Cooking Utensils

A six-inch skillet produces a round pancake. If your skillet is cast iron, the pancake will cook in 3 to 4 minutes over a low-medium light.

Larger skillets will produce uneven pancakes, unless you use pancake rings.

Pancake Rings: If you want to have perfectly round pancakes, use either silicone, or stainless steel pancake rings. Amazon sells them.

Irene Portrait Paint BlackIrene Pastore is a native New Yorker,  health and fitness blogger, and personal trainer.   Irene owns this website, and writes all the blog posts.  For her complete bio, visit the About Page.

Copyright 2016 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core.com

A Quick Guide To Core Muscles

The core is a powerhouse of important muscles that help you carry out everyday activities, with more efficiency, and less injury.

© Copyright 2014 CorbisCorporationA strong core enhances sports performance, prevents athletic injuries, gives you good posture, and makes your back strong so that you’ll never have problems with debilitating backaches.   A strong core keeps older people from falling, and equestrians squarely on their horse.  The core is located within your torso.

Think of your core like a sturdy tree trunk, immovable and very solid, able to withstand outside forces.  Strong trees have powerful resistance against winds, torrential rain, and snow storms. And in a way, you’re just like a sturdy tree when you © Copyright 2010 CorbisCorporationdevelop the muscles of your core.

In basic terms your core is made up of your abdominal, back, hip and backside muscles. Working together they give you the upper hand at life’s chores, and activities.  All movement travels through your core, the center of your body.  A sturdy core keeps you from getting injured, gives you superior posture, and enhances the way the look, feel and breath.

For more information about core exercise, read the following posts, Core Exercise For Equestrians, Ten Reasons To Strengthen Your Core, Why Older Adults Need Core Strength, How To Exercise Your Core, and Strong Core Muscles Can Save Your Life.

Copyright 2015 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core Personal Training

Cafe Chihuahua

Thanks to his owner, this little dog made one too many trips to Cafe Chihuahua, an imaginary name for humans who overfeed their dogs.

Overweight dogs are not healthy animals, and neither are people who overeat.   Feeding your dog too much food may result in  serious, and life-threatening health problems.  Neither you or your dog enjoy veterinary visits.  Take better care of your furry friend by feeding him properly.

The life expectancy of this breed is 15 or more years.  Healthy Chihuahuas weigh between 4 to 6 pounds.  When overfed, they balloon up to as much as 13 pounds.

Obesity causes problems to humans and animals alike.  An overweight Chihuahua may develop arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and shortened lifespan.

Read more about the rise in animal obesity at these posts, Obesity Up In Cats, Dogs and Horses, and Doggie Calories.

Copyright 2015 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core Personal Training

National Oatmeal Day

No joke.  I thought I was hearing things when I heard someone mention this. So I looked it up online, and there really is a National Oatmeal Day. It’s today, Thursday, October 29.

ONE MILLION BOWLS OF OATMEAL GIVEAWAY

National Oatmeal Day is promoted by Quaker Oats, the 140 year-old American company located in Chicago, Illinois.  To celebrate the day, they’ll be giving away up to one million bowls of oatmeal throughout the country.

Aside from corporate brands, you can get oatmeal from your local health food market either packaged or bulk.  A natural, packaged brand is Bob’s Red Mill.  If you live near a Whole Foods Market, you can find oatmeal in the bulk section.

HOW TO USE OATMEAL

Oatmeal is used to make, pancakes, breads, cereals, cookies, cakes, breakfast squares, and smoothies.

Oatmeal is compatible with cinnamon, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, oranges, apples, coconut, raisins, dates, maple syrup, honey, agave, cashews, almonds, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, nut milks, whip cream, and whipped vegan cream.

Copyright 2015 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core Personal Training.

 

 

 

 

 

World’s Most Dangerous Path Open for Hiking

 

 

Known as the world’s most dangerous path, El Caminito del Rey, is newly restored and now open to the public.

 

The King’s Little Pathway, is a walkway, located along the walls of a narrow gorge, in the village of El Chorro, near Malaga Spain.  The path rises 328 feet above the river below, and is the site where 5 hikers plunged to their death between 1999 and 2000.

Comprised of board walks, forest paths, and walkways, and characterized by long distance, and steep slopes, the estimated time for the full 7.7 km (4.7 miles) length of the linear hike, is between 4 and 5 hours.   In some sections the path is no more than a yard wide.  El Caminito del Rey reopened in March 2015.

If you’re venturing out on this path, better be sure you know what you’re doing.  Wear proper clothing and footwear, know the upcoming weather conditions, bring plenty of water, food, and first aid.  And, never hike alone.

For more information on planning a trip to El Caminito, go to:  www.caminitodelrey.info.

Copyright 2015 Irene Pastore, and Tour De Core Personal Training