RECIPE - Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake (low cal)

... I know I still need the 2nd half of my blog regarding how to read labels and I'm hoping I can get it done today or tomorrow...but, in the meantime, thought I'd share a recipe for a vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake that I tweaked yesterday and it turned out really yummy!  Here it is (if you make it, let me know how you like it):

(NOTE: If you'd like more detailed nutrient information, go to the USDA food tracker website at https://www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker/foodapedia.aspx )

Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Servings: 12
Calories per serving: 236

INGREDIENTS
For the topping:
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
4 fresh, sweet cherries (you can use the frozen ones as long as no sugar has been added), sliced in half
6 slices of fresh pineapple

For the cake:
1 cup of coconut palm sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp egg replacer (like Ener-G brand)
1/4 cup water
1 cup crushed pineapple (with juice drained & reserved)
1 cup reserved pineapple juice (plus more pineapple juice if not enough to make 1 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1) Preheat the oven to 375degrees F and spray a bundt cake pan with canola or coconut cooking spray.
2) Place the pineapple slices and the sliced cherries at the bottom of the bundt pan.
3) Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of coconut palm sugar over the fruit (make sure to use all of it).
4) In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients for the cake.  Then add all the wet ingredients and blend well.
5) Slowly pour the mixture over the fruit & sugar in the bundt pan.
6) Put it into the oven and bake for about 50-55 minutes, checking the doneness with a toothpick (FYI -toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean if baked thoroughly)
7) Immediately invert onto a heat-proof plate and let cool off.

Enjoy!!

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Is your eye twitching??

If it's been going on for a very long time, it could be the beginning of a B12 deficiency...most especially if you're a vegetarian/vegan or have gastrointestinal issues.  If you suspect that you may not be getting enough, please contact your doctor and get some lab work done because this is a very important water-soluble vitamin!

A water-soluble vitamin (versus a fat-soluble vitamin) isn't stored in the body like its counterpart but must be replaced daily.  Vitamin B12 is usually derived from animal products these days because people now wash all their fruits and vegetables constantly...you see, B12 comes from the bacteria in dirt.  Surprised?  Remember eating dirt as a kid?  Who says kids are dumb??

So I realized recently that I've been forgetting to take my B12 supplement on a regular basis.  Well, first of all, I've been really sick with the flu or at least that's what it's felt like.  I believe that my acupuncture session speeded the symptoms along because I went from feeling fine to "oh my lights! I've been hit by a two-trailer truck" sort of sick.  So, lying on the couch, finally getting around to watching the series "How I Met Your Mother", I started thinking about the reason I went to the acupuncturist in the first place and what she said to me.  When she looked at my anatomical drawing and ALL the circles of where I had pain, she said that she wouldn't be surprised if I had fibromyalgia. Oh no, I don't have that syndrome...do I?...No, not me...but then again...crap, I don't want to have that syndrome!  How did I get here to this place of general pain and fatigue??  My lower back hurts but I know that it's because of my iliopsoas (week lower ab muscles)...my neck hurts but that's because of my scalenes and trapezius (studying, playing video games, crocheting, reading)...But the one thing I couldn't explain away was the burning pain I've been getting in my quads from the smallest of efforts - I had to give up weight lifting because the pain was so bad that it was raising my blood pressure to a scary level too damn fast.  Then I came home and got sick.  And I started thinking.  My eye has been having this horrible nervous sort of tick for a couple of months now and I've been trying to ignore it by eating things with more potassium but it never went away.  Then, I thought about my B12 supplements.

B12 is needed by our bodies (essential nutrient) but only has about a 56% absorption rate in a healthy individual.  It's needed for a few metabolic functions but it's extremely important to nerve function.  What regulates pain reception/perception and muscle function??  The nervous system.  Holy carp!  So I hit the B12 bottle and have been taking my supplement (on top of the enriched milk-like products and cereals I have) everyday for the past three days.  And, guess what?  My eye stopped twitching!!  I'm too drained yet to test out the rest of the issues plus I probably need more time of taking it regularly.

There is no upper limit (UL) intake for B12 because it has such a low (super low) risk of toxicity, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). If you take Prilosec, Prevacid or Zantac (or any sort of stomach acid neutralizer) for gastric issues, these drugs might interfere with the absorption of B12 (B12 from animal sources is freed from those sources via a breakdown by gastric acids, FYI).  Also, if you've been taking antibiotics as that will change the flora in the intestines that are needed to interact with the B12 bacteria...again, check with your doctor.  There are also diabetes' drugs that affect the B12 absorption. This isn't something to just ignore - your nervous system controls EVERYTHING, not to mention that B12 is also important to energy metabolism and the metabolism of homocysteine (elevated amounts have been associated with cardiovascular disease and dementia).  If any of these are your situation, I hope that your medical professional is testing your vitamin and mineral levels on a normal basis - just saying.

This is a VERY important vitamin!  I'm not taking chances ever again, either...I'm taking my supplement every single day and I'm going to make my family take theirs as well.  If you want more information, check out the NIH's site http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional#h7

So, go on - what are you waiting for??  Have you taken your B12 yet??


All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying. 

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Breakfast is Killing People!

Here's something to think about:

Did you know that an egg, while it has only 1 gram of saturated fat, has over 200mg of cholesterol??? That's almost 2/3 of the recommended daily limit! So, if people have an egg for breakfast every morning, plus 2 slices of bacon, plus 2 pats of butter on their toast that's 200+18+22=240mg of cholesterol - just for breakfast!! The USDA recommends a limit of 300mg of cholesterol a day, FYI. Imagine the end of day cholesterol intake after having meat for lunch, meat for dinner, AND all the dairy products that go with all that food, including dessert! 

Here's an interesting article from the USDA website from back in 2000 that discusses how the different types of fat don't affect LDL cholesterol but dietary cholesterol does:

Dietary Cholesterol Makes LDL Cholesterol More Radical By Judy McBride April 4, 2000A little extra cholesterol in our diets may render the “bad” LDL cholesterol in our bloodstream more susceptible to oxidation. That’s what happened to the LDL from a group of older men and women in a study reported in the March issue of Atherosclerosis. And that’s not good: Evidence suggests that oxidized LDL cholesterol is more apt to provoke the plaques that build up in arteries and increase risk of heart attack and stroke. The researchers concluded that the current recommendation to limit dietary cholesterol is both valid and prudent, noting that their findings support those of an earlier study by others. This study was led by Ursula S. Schwab and Alice H. Lichtenstein at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Schwab, who is now back in Finland, Lichtenstein and colleagues designed 30-percent-fat diets that differed only in the type of fat. One was rich in polyunsaturated fat from corn oil; the other was rich in saturated fat from beef tallow. Otherwise, the foods were identical. And by adding extra cholesterol to each diet--ranging from around 220 to 330 milligrams, depending on the volunteer’s total calorie intake--they approximately doubled the cholesterol content. That’s considerably more than the 300-milligrams recommended by the Dietary Guidelines. Thirteen men and women between the ages of 46 and 78 ate each of four diets, the corn oil with and without the extra cholesterol and beef tallow with and without extra cholesterol. The type of fat didn’t significantly affect the susceptibility of the volunteers’ LDL to oxidation in a test-tube assay. But the extra cholesterol increased oxidation susceptibility by 28 percent during the corn oil diet and 15 percent during the beef tallow diet. The volunteers began the study with moderately elevated LDL cholesterol--each having levels greater than 130 milligrams per deciliter. Adding the extra dietary cholesterol prompted a further rise in their total as well as their LDL cholesterol, regardless of the type of fat in the diet. Scientific contact: Alice H. Lichtenstein, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Mass., phone (617) 556-3127, fax (617) 556-3103, lichtenstein@hnrc.tufts.edu.

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Life and Health Aren't Separate Entities!

So, I watched two documentaries last night that were uplifting but also frustrating.  The first was "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" (a Joe Cross film) the other was, finally, "Forks Over Knives".  The movie that frustrated me the most was "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" (see the official movie website for a synopsis).  It frustrated me to see people that were quite obviously in need of a diet change to be healthier but instead of giving whole plant foods a chance to work their miracles, they went on the defense about how they "don't eat to live, but live to eat" and how everyone will die someday and why not die happy by eating what they want.  Uh-huh...okay, here's a scenario for those people - my grandfather had that same exact attitude, he also had type 2 diabetes. He refused to take medication and refused to change his eating habits...he lost BOTH his legs to foot gangrene and the end of his life was spent in a hospital bed!  Yeah, that's definitely the way to live, isn't it?

So, for giggles (that's sarcasm, by-the-way), let's say that you eat what you love to eat (or at least what you've been tricked into loving to eat, thanks to excitotoxins).  You take all the dozen or so meds that you will eventually need to keep up with your lifestyle.  Your energy levels keep dropping while your weight keeps increasing so that when those grandkids come over you have no energy to do much more than sit in your recliner and watch T.V. with them.  Then one day, you wake up in the morning and you have a funny pain across your chest, down your left arm and up into your jaw - it hurts so much that you feel like you can't breath.  You call 911 and off you go to the hospital where they tell you that you've just had a heart attack then the news that you need bypass surgery.  Fast forward a few weeks and now you're home, back to eating what you want because no one is going to tell you what you can or can't eat, right?  A month later, you're at the breakfast table and, yep, another heart attack! You reach for the aspirin and call 911 - again.  This time the doctor tells you that you need a triple bypass and if you don't change your diet you might not survive the next one.  You still dig your heels in and keep eating.  A few months later, you get a funny tingly feeling on the left side of your head and your left arm, then when you stand up your left leg gives out and you fall.  Now, you've had a stroke, according to the ER doctor. You can understand him but when you try to speak, nothing comes out.  You're whole left side is numb and your brain feels foggy and slow.  So now your life is spent trying to get over the stroke.  Wonder how you would rate your quality of life at this point??

I'm not saying that these things are 100% avoidable with a better diet but why would you step in the path of a cannonball (unless you work for the circus)?  The studies have said so much about how things are more preventable than what people think...why do people prefer to continue to suffer?  Oh and another good one is the excuse that "if this is what God has planned for me, so be it".  Hello?!? Did God come down and force you to eat those greasy hamburgers??  No, but have you ever heard of free will?? Also, if you're going to use the God argument, my response to it is "God only helps those that help themselves"!

So, live to eat?  Is being confined to a hospital bed for the last 5-10 years of your life considered really living, especially if there had been a chance to avoid it?  I don't think so.  I want to be like Fauja Singh and running a marathon at the age of 100! Go veg!

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Vegan Food Lacks Flavor?!?!

What?!? Are you flippin' kidding??  Yeah, I've heard the "oh, I'm sorry, it must be really boring" response to the announcement that I eat a vegan diet.  I was just talking about this with one of my daughters today as we sat down to eat a late lunch at the Loving Hut.  Why do meat-eaters assume that vegan food is bland or boring?  Their assumption is really kind of stupid and ignorant, don't you think? Predisposed to thinking that everything outside the realm of meat is sub par.  But, really, we use all the same seasonings and flavors (mostly), I explained to my daughter.  That's when she surprised me by suggesting to these naysayers to eat a piece of meat prepared simply in the oven and without any seasonings whatsoever and then point out that that's the only flavor that's missing from a vegan diet!  Cool!  Who should we test this out on first???  :-D

Vegan eating is not bland and, in fact, we are constantly looking for fresh, new ways to prepare our food or to add something different.  If anything, I'd say it's the complete opposite of bland, it's...it's...heck, I can't even think of the word that would describe it fully...scrumptious? satisfying? flavorful?  Well, whatever the word is, I find myself truly enjoying the different tastes and discovering different ways to make my food :-D

Here's how boring it is...check out the "Walking the Vegan Line" blog post about her French Yule Log recipe...you'll go into a chocolate coma just reading the recipe!! http://walkingtheveganline.blogspot.com/2008/12/daring-bakers-challenge-french-yule-log.html

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Iron Absorption for Vegetarians

Iron. Are you getting enough iron as a vegan or vegetarian? Heme iron (derived from red meats)  technically has a larger percentage of absorption in our systems (about 15%-35%) but since that's not an option for us, we tend to take in non-heme iron (derived from plant sources).  The absorption percentage is lower at about 2%-20%. And, did you know that tannins in tea can decrease your iron absorption? So will calcium and some proteins found in soybeans!  So what can we do?

Eating foods that are also vitamin C rich at the same time as iron-rich foods will improve the absorption rate.  Cooking foods in iron cookware is also a good idea and, if you're prone to iron deficiency, taking a iron supplement might be an option but make sure you check with your doctor first (now there are some mild supplements that don't have the horrible intestinal side effects of their predecessors).  If you want to learn more, go to the National Institute of Health's webpage at: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron

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*Steps on Soap Box*

Drugs. Drugs. Drugs. Drugs.  You take them. I take them (though I keep them to a minimum, hence my vegan lifestyle). Everyone's taking them, right?  The FDA says they're okay or they wouldn't be on the market, right? Doctors prescribe them left and right so that must mean they're safe, right?  W.R.O.N.G.!!  Safe is such a tricky word.  Most medical schools do not require pharmacology as a graduation requirement so if you want real, knowledgeable answers about the drugs prescribed by your friendly doctor or the evil Dr. Oh-you-mean-if-I-write-100-prescriptions-for-your-drug-you'll-send-me-to-Jamaica-for-a-drug-conference-wink-wink you should talk to your pharmacist or a bio-chemist.  Sigh.

Drug pushers or as they're really known, pharmaceutical sales associates...did you know that my physician assistant that I see had applied for a job with one of the big pharma companies as a sales associate when she was in school but they turned her down because they were looking for people who had NO medical background??  Hmmm, wonder why they'd want that...doesn't it make you just a bit uncomfortable to know that they're looking for people to "sell" their product who won't really know any better than what they're told to say?  Yeah, not making my insides all warm and cozy, in fact, it makes me feel like there's a snake slithering up my back every time I see one of those go into my doctor's office.  So why do people not even QUESTION the health validity of these prescriptions?

Here's a pill for your blood pressure, one for your cholesterol, one for your acid reflux, one for your blood sugar, one for your kidneys, one for your gall bladder, one for your thyroid, one to make you happy, one to give you energy, one to help you sleep, one to calm you down (after the energy one of course), one to make you less hungry... REALLY? This is where we're headed as humans if we don't learn to put a stop to it all! FOOD - the first drug we ever put into our bodies - regulate that, and the rest may well fall into place!
As my husband said to me this week after I went off about two people looking for the quick fixes for two different problems: "humans are inherently lazy".  Period.  He's right too. But, aren't we better than that?  Isn't that one of the things that sets us apart from the other animals, the ability to make choices and overcome our instinctive natures?  It just seems that more and more people around me keep looking for the easy way or the quick-fix and it angers me and saddens me to see these people go down that rabbit hole.  Once you start giving in to the quick-fix, then, like the druggie on the corner, you're constantly looking for the next quick-fix, probably to fix the side effects of the first quick-fix...and so on... and so on... and so on...

Let's take ADHD for example.  ADHD is the new tonsil fad and it just seems to keep going.  When I was a kid growing up, everyone seemed to be getting their tonsils removed - "oh, Joey has a sore throat - off with his tonsils!".  Later, the medical community realized that they'd made a boo-boo in getting all happy hacksaw... one that lowered the immunity functions of a lot of my peers (because that's part of the tonsils' job).  I say my peers because, luckily, I had a brilliant doctor who said "her tonsils are fine and she doesn't need to go through that bullshit surgery", or something like that.  He was German so I'm sure it's a very close quote :-D  Anyway, enter the 1990's and a bright new beginning of diagnosing ADHD for every child that was/is a little more rambunctious than the "normal" kids, the child that gets bored too easily...oh, and let's allow teachers who are overworked, underpaid and just plain tired to advise parents to get their children tested for ADHD.  Then, let's have a regular pediatrician or general practitioner diagnose them and hand out pretty little pills, that may or may not work and that may have the child going from one zombie stage to another in search of the right "prescription".  Let's not even talk about the mess that this child's kidneys, liver, stomach, and intestines are going to be in in about 20 years of taking their ADHD medications plus anything else they decide to prescribe to him/her in that time, right?  The parents get told their kid has ADHD and BAM, the doctor must be right because they have that nice, shiny degree that says they finished medical school and their residency - they must have my child's health and well-being as a priority... Uh-huh.  Let's face it.  There's so much on top of these doctors as it is, we can't truly expect them to know everything or to even consider all the alternatives.  That's why I think that people should take the time to learn all there is to know first and foremost before saying "yep, sign me up with the drugs...let's speed up those side effects"!  Here's a few ideas: Change the kid's diet to more fruit and vegetables (nix the McDonald's and Doritos), focusing on feeding them foods that DON'T have excitotoxins (see book Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills by Russell Blaylock).  Get them to exercise but something almost meditative, such as martial arts.  There are alternatives - you just have to try them out...and they are far less dangerous than any pill that child could take!

Unless it's a live or die situation, I tend to wait and try alternative methods for everything before I decide to take the meds and even then, I research the meds to learn about what minerals they'll deplete from my body, what interactions they'll have with the foods I eat and other meds, etc.  That's what I do.  Yes, it would've been easy to have accepted the statin prescription for my cholesterol earlier this year but I chose to change my lifestyle instead and in doing so, dropped my cholesterol levels (to all my doctors' amazement).  I feel better for it too!

So, don't give in to your instincts people...don't be lazy about your health! Research and talk with experts.  Find out what's going to work for you.  No pill can cure diabetes or high cholesterol or heart disease, but you can send those diseases packing with changing your lifestyle!

*Steps off Soapbox*


NOTE: These are all just my opinions and should not be considered medical advice.

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The Good, The Bad and The...Carbs!

Carbohydrates!  Did you flinch?  Hide?  It seems these days that little word (okay, it's a pretty long word) sends fear into so many people and has prompted so many arguments within and without the medical community.  You have fitness gurus, nutrition store workers, chiropractors, medical doctors, and all kinds of people making claims to "stay away" from those bad, awful, belly-bulging carbs, right?  Are they right or just inappropriately generalizing?  I think those people are taking the good of carbohydrates, ignoring them, and lumping them in with the bad.

Carbohydrates are NEEDED by our bodies.  Here's an idea - ask a dietitian or nutritionist (or anyone that spent longer than one semester learning about nutrition - not counting online researching).  Everything in excess becomes a toxin or a bad thing for us.  Too much protein can cause havoc in your stomach, your liver, etc. and lead to so many other issues.   The fact is that most people don't reach for the legumes when they're told to increase their protein and limit their carbs.  Nope, they go straight to the fatty animal proteins, with their cholesterol and saturated fats. Yep, that's so healthier, right?  Forget that bologna if you're trying to lose weight (no, really, bologna is mega bad for you on so many levels)...it's a basic equation to lose weight: More calories out than calories in. PERIOD.

As for thy mortal enemy "The Carbs", the ones we really need to stay away from as much as possible are the overly-processed sorts:  white sugars, white breads, white rice, etc.  (notice a "white" theme here?)  What those folks don't mention is that lettuce is a carb but have you ever seen an obese wild rabbit?? Ya, I didn't think so.  I don't think that even most people know exactly what a carbohydrate is...do you?

First of all, carbohydrates (carbo=carbon, hydrate=with water) are compounds composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen arranged as monosaccharides or multiples of monosaccharides (mono=one saccharide=sugar; they follow a general formula of C6H12O6 & form a single ring).  Did I lose you? Basically, a monosaccharide is the smallest form of sugar.  Now, there are two categories of carbohydrates: simple and complex.  You've probably heard people talk about "simple sugars" or "complex carbohydrates" but, really, what's the difference?  They are either simple or complex :-D  Okay, simple carbs are either monosaccharides or disaccharides and are easy for the body to access or store for immediate energy.

The most important of the simple carbohydrates are:
     -Monosaccharides
        1) Glucose
        2) Fructose
        3) Galactose

     -Disaccharides (pairs of monosaccharides)
        1) Maltose (glucose + glucose)
        2) Sucrose (glucose + fructose)
        3) Lactose (glucose + galactose)

The complex carbohydrates contain many glucose units, including sometimes other monosaccharides.  These are all strung together to form polysaccharides (poly=many).  There's another word in this category - oligosaccharide (oligo=few), which has less units than polysaccharides but more than the simple carbohydrates.

So, why are carbohydrates so darn important?  They're important because, eventually, all these carbohydrates, simple or complex, get turned into their basic forms - glucose or glycogen.  (Glycogen is what our bodies store extra glucose into that isn't immediately needed/used.)  These two basic carbohydrates provide about half of all the energy that our muscles (and other body tissues) use to function.  The other half is provided mostly by stored fat.  Glucose is the "food" preferred by our brain cells and nerve cells to function efficiently.  Also, it's super important for muscle function (which helps when we exercise).

But there are carbohydrates we should try to avoid most of the time and ones we shouldn't, especially if you're looking to lose weight.  It's a matter of making the right choices most of the time.  Sometimes it's difficult to choose between a slice of chocolate fudge cake and a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert...it's difficult to choose carrots over pretzels...trust me, I know!  And, sometimes, you just have to go for that piece of cake and that's okay too but remember that those are "empty" calories (foods that deliver energy but little or no protein, vitamins or minerals) and that there are healthier, more nutrient rich carbohydrates out there.  It's all back to choosing one's calories wisely and trying to go more toward nutrient-dense foods (e.g. a candy bar at 92 calories versus a bowl of soup at 90 calories).

Let's stop with giving carbohydrates such a bad reputation!  They are our fuel and some of them pack a mighty nutrient punch too!  Embrace the carbs!

Oh and this topic isn't over yet...look for my next entry about what happens to your body on a low dietary carb diet!

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RECIPE - Dark chocolate pudding!!

Oh ya, and it's VEGAN!!

Serves: 4

TOOLS NEEDED:
- A small, seal-able container for 1/4cup of liquid.
- Dessert dishes (4)


INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup evaporated cane juice sugar
1/2 cup baking dark cocoa (powder & preferably organic)
1 tbsp non-GMO cornstarch (or use arrowroot instead)
1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (you can use soy or vanilla flavored but that will change the nutrition information)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk the sugar, cocoa, and 1 1/4 cups almond milk.
2. While mixture is warming, add the cornstarch and 1/4 almond milk into the small, seal-able container; shake until well blended. Set aside.
3. When the sugar, cocoa, milk mixture is simmering, open cornstarch container carefully (slowly) whisk the mixture into the saucepan.  If you do it too quickly, you will get clumps of chocolatey cornstarch (which isn't really all that bad but it won't be smooth).
4. Continue whisking until mixture starts to thicken; remove from heat and pour immediately into dessert dishes.  Let them cool before covering with plastic wrap then store them in the fridge.
Enjoy!!

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RECIPE - Lower Calorie Tapioca Pudding!

I loved tapioca pudding when I was a kid and still do but I've never liked the name-brand, pre-made versions at the grocery stores -- they're too watery for me.  My grandma used to make tapioca pudding so that it was thick and, I hate to say it, almost a rubbery consistency.  But that's how I remember tapioca and that's how I like it.  Now, being on a vegan diet, I've been experimenting with different mixtures to get a tapioca pudding that I can enjoy but that will deliver less calories and maybe add more nutrients than a plain tapioca pudding.  So, tonight, I think I've found it!  Here's my discovery - drop a comment if you try it!  My next experiment will be vegan cannoli so that when my daughter is eating one, I can eat one too! :D

Vegan Tapioca Pudding Recipe

Serves: 4

(CalorieCountAbout.com)

  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

4 – dessert bowls

INGREDIENTS

½ cup of quick cooking granulated tapioca (I like Let’s  Do…Organic brand)

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk

¼ cup evaporated cane sugar

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients. Whisk together.
2. Place saucepan over a medium-low heat.
3. Whisk constantly to prevent scorching and the tapioca from sticking to pan.
4. When tapioca has thickened (remember that it’ll thicken and solidify more when it starts to cool) to your desired consistency, turn off heat.
5. Pour into dessert bowls and let cool, then cover & store in fridge.

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RECIPE - Chocolate Soy Yogurt Fruit Parfaits

"You know what ELSE everybody likes? Parfaits! Have you ever met a person, you say, 'Let's get some parfait,' they say, 'Hell no, I don't like no parfait'? Parfaits are delicious!" - donkey, from Shrek (2001)

So, on that note, here's something I "whipped" up in my kitchen to try to use up the rest of some soy yogurt before it goes bad!  The combination of the flavors are really good! Well, that's my opinion at least :D 

Chocolate Soy Yogurt Fruit Parfaits

Serves 3.

(Approximately 279 calories per serving - but you can change this by making smaller portions and increasing the amount of servings.)

Equipment:

3 Hurricane glasses (or tall glasses)

Hand mixer or whisk

Ingredients:

1 cup plain soy yogurt

4 tbsp Agave syrup

3 tbsp Mimic Creme Whipped Topping (almond & cashew cream)

3 tbsp Cacao powder (dark & organic)

1 ripe mango, chopped

1 ½ cups sliced strawberries

½ cup blueberries

½ cup cinnamon toasted rolled oats

Directions

1)     Blend the soy yogurt, Agave, & MimicCreme in a bowl with a hand mixer on low or mix by hand.

2)     Slowly add the cacao powder.

3)     In hurricane glasses (or parfait glasses) toss some mango, strawberries, & blueberries into the bottom, sprinkle with some of the toasted oats, then top with 2 tbsp (more or less) of the chocolate yogurt mixture.  Continue in this order until you’re done. 

4)     Finish with some fruit on the top and a sprinkling of toasted oats.

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Frustrating Weeks=end of stagnation

Yuck!  Don't you just hate weeks that you just need to get soooo much done but it seems like your wheels are spinning in the mud and you're not getting ANYTHING done?  The past couple of weeks were exactly that way for me. But the "blah-ness" stops here and now...this week's gonna rock!  Or, at least, I'm going to try to rock it :D

I've finally applied to the college of my choice to complete my bachelor's degree in nutrition science (yay!!).  I've been working on that darn degree off-and-on for an unmentionable amount of years and now I'm crossing my fingers that it'll be within my grasp within the next two years (or maybe sooner)!  Then, my transition doesn't stop there -- that'd be too easy.  On to chiropractic college to become a chiropractor!  I'm going to be soooo tired by the time I'm done but it'll be worth it...just thinking of how I'll be able to help people makes it worth it.

I've started working on a log for vegans based on the book "Becoming Vegan" written by two registered dieticians.  If it works out really well, I'll post a copy of it for anyone interested.  I've been looking for something that I can easily refer to so I'm sure I'm getting a good balanced amount of nutrients so I can be even healthier (and with all the schooling I'm looking at, I'm going to need that more than ever).  It'd be more for beginning vegans and I'm trying to make it easy to track servings, what servings are, and the different pyramid-type food groups specific to vegans.  Obviously, the one published by the USDA isn't applicable to those of us who don't do dairy or meats...I think that's very small minded of them, don't you think so?  Right. :-D

Also, finally finished watching ALL eleven seasons of the "Biggest Loser" and now I'm so ready to watch the new season LIVE, well as live as it can get not being on Hulu that is.  If they do the "Pound for Pound" challenge again this season, I'm going to start a team - because I think it's a great idea to get people to lose weight and to help those who would go hungry without those food banks.  Wonder how many people I can get to do this with me?  I'm not going to push veganism on people but if anyone asks or has an interest, I'll be there excitedly full of information for them :D

It's funny.  Since I've started this vegan journey, I've improved my health, my energy levels, my thinking is clearer, and I've been able to watch two wonderful friends become vegetarians on the basis that one day they would jump the gap and go vegan, even if just to try it.  I think it's all pretty wonderful.  I just wish more people would discover the health benefits and the ease of being vegan...2 months for me and counting!

By-the-way, here's a recipe that one of those friends-turned-vegetarian sent to me today for homemade vegan pudding...I haven't tried it yet but "Smiles" swears it's awesome!

• 1 avocado, 1 tsp of dark cocoa powder, 1/2 cup soy milk and if you want it sweet, 4 tsp of evaporated cane sugar syrup (or agave nectar) or until your desired sweetness;
• Mix in a blender until well blended.
  Let me know if she's right or not...I haven't been very adventurous with avocados outside their normal uses so I've been hesitant to try the various vegan desserts that use avocado.

Oh, and did I mention that I'm belly dancing this weekend...in public...with a choreography that I wrote -- this is the first time for both these things together and I'm already nauseous at the thought *shivers*.  I hope I don't forget everything...or that my costume stays on (it's new, that's why I'm worried about it)...Okay, just better to not think about it - practice, practice, practice...that's the best way I can prepare, right? Right. *gulp*

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RECIPE - Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 16 pieces
Calories without icing: 114 per piece
Calories with icing: 130 per piece
(Compared to a leading unnamed company's mini version that has 350cals each.)

Dough:
• 3/4 cup vanilla soy milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• sprinkling of evaporated cane sugar
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1tbsp evaporated cane sugar
• 2 tbsp organic canola oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
• 1/2-1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

Filling:
• 3/4 cup organic brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp Blackstrap Molasses

Icing:
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
1. In a small bowl combine ground flax seed and water; set aside.
2. Warm soy milk in microwave but don’t let it get too hot then add yeast and sugar; Let sit for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour yeast mixture into a mixing bowl & add oil, flax seed mixture, salt, and wheat flour. Mix it a little with your hands then begin adding the all-purpose flour 1/4 cup at a time, kneading it in before adding more. The dough shouldn’t be sticky. When it’s not sticky, knead it for another 5 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar, molasses, & cinnamon, making sure the molasses is mixed well into the mixture.
5. Once the dough is ready, form into a ball, spray nonstick spray into bottom of bowl, place dough back & spray top with nonstick (I used coconut oil). Cover with a moistened tea towel & let it sit in a warm area for 1- 1 1/2 hours to rise (1st rising).
6. When ready, put dough on a floured surface & roll out into a 10 by 14 rectangle. Brush entire surface with water & spread filling mixture over surface, leaving about 1 inch without filling at one of the short ends.
7. Begin rolling the dough up using the short edge that has filling. Try to roll it away from you, tucking and squeezing the roll as you go. When you get to the untouched dough edge, brush it with some water and finish rolling, sealing it with that edge.
8. Now cut the log in half, then each half in half, and so on. You should have about 14-16 cinnamon rolls. Place them in an 8” round pan or a square brownie pan. Cover with moist tea towel again and let rise in warm place for 45 minutes (2nd rising).
9. Heat your oven to 350˚ & bake rolls for 15-20 minutes. Rolls should be firm to the touch and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly while you make the icing.
10. To make the icing, place powdered sugar and water in a bowl - add only enough water to get a thick consistency of the icing. Add the vanilla. If you don’t want to do the icing, drizzle some organic, raw honey (yes, I still eat honey because it has no cholesterol).


Let me know if you like these!  We did!

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RECIPE - Vegan Ranch Dressing

Makes 1 Serving = 96 cals (approx.)

2 tsp. Low Fat Vegenaise
2 tsp. Galaxy Vegan Cream Cheese
1 tbsp. Almond milk (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp. Bragg's Cider Vinegar
Dried dill
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. Enjoy!

Milestones! Oh, and Potassium!

     So this week I was able to hit a few milestones in taking charge of my own health.  I've been eating a vegan diet now for just under two months and I got my cholesterol tested last week to see what sort of effect my new eating habits have had on those numbers.  I was pleasantly surprised (and a little not surprised) to learn that my cholesterol numbers had dropped significantly enough to astound my doctor's nurse (who was the one calling me with the results).  My total cholesterol dropped 54mg!!  LDL went down 35mg but my HDL also went down 13mg so I need to work on bringing up those good fats in the next couple of months.  My triglycerides also dropped 30mg.  All-in-all, I think this marks quite a wonderful amount of progress but wait, there's more!!  I also realized that I've now lost approximately 16 pounds in the almost two months that I've changed my eating habits - and that, was like icing on the cake (vegan icing, of course)!!  All of this has made my week, maybe even month!  Of course, I'm sure that it wasn't just the diet but all of this was helped along by a good amount of exercising almost every day and THAT was more difficult than changing my eating habits.
     I've been finding that this whole vegan diet was just meant to be for me.  It feels easy and the food I'm discovering is a no-brainer when it comes to making it.  No more realizing at 4pm that I forgot to take a slab of meat out of the freezer and that it won't defrost in time for dinner only to give up and announce that we'd be going out to eat!  Now, around 4pm, I'm considering what I feel like eating, go to the store to pick up whatever veggies, grains, or additives needed to make it, and dinner is done within two hours!  I tried planning and buying a week's worth of meals but I got tired of the vegetables wilting or rotting before I was able to use them.  So now, I kind-of fly by the seat of my pants everyday.  I try to make sure I have leftovers so I can eat the next day for lunch but if not, I always keep tomatoes, mixed greens, broccoli, tofu (and/or tempeh), and vegan bacon in the fridge for a quick salad or a yummy VBLT (VeganBaconLettuceTomato) sandwich.  When I make a soup or stew, I freeze half of it to use another day that I don't feel up to creating something.  It's very liberating for me!  I do plan well-rounded nutritionally dense foods for every day's meals, remembering to keep it colorful to get a good balance of vitamins and minerals.  My copy of the book "Becoming Vegan" by Brenda Davis, RD and Vesanto Melina MS, RD is my stalwart companion in keeping up with how much of what I need to eat to keep as healthy balanced as possible...if you're also embarking on a vegan adventure, I highly (again) recommend that book!
  

     So, besides needing to raise my HDL cholesterol and lowering the rest of all that a bit more, my other challenge has been potassium intake.  I just can't seem to get enough from what I've been eating.  Now, before anyone jumps on the banana wagon (LOL!), I know bananas have a lot of potassium but I also know that a baked potato has WAY MORE potassium than a banana. I've never been a big fan of bananas but I'll eat them if I have to and potatoes (love them) are way too high in calories to eat more than once in awhile (1 banana is 110 calories & 450mg of potassium; a baked potato is 290 calories for a whopping 1081mg of potassium)!  So I've been researching other sources of potassium that I can "pepper" my meals and snacks with and I've found out some interesting things:

(According to USDA.gov website):
1) Figs.  1 fresh medium fig - 116mg potassium / 37 calories
             1 dried fig - 87mg / 21 cals

2) Canned tomato paste (unsalted).  1 cup = 2657mg / 215cals
3) White beans. 1 cup = 1004mg / 249 cals
4) Raisins (packed). 1 cup = 1236mg / 493 cals
5) Spinach, cooked (without salt). 1 cup = 839mg / 41 cals

These are just a few of the ones I looked at but there seems to be more than I thought there was.  Plus, the list made me recheck my calorie tracking software and I found out that potassium numbers are not always given (even though I know the product has potassium).  Might be that I'm getting enough and I just don't realize it.  Nonetheless, living in a very humid area and working out hard...well, let's just say that I don't bother sitting down on our couch until after I've showered :D Minerals must be replaced constantly here.  It's too bad we can't have a machine in our homes that we can test our own blood every month to check vitamin/mineral serum levels ourselves.  Wouldn't that be grand??  I'd use it just to make sure my body has what it needs to function like it's supposed to.

If you want to check out the USDA's nutrient database sorted by potassium rich foods, here's the link.  (By-the-way, animal products only start showing up on this list at 850mg of potassium, just saying.)

Don't these look yummy?!? 

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RECIPE - Vegan Samosas!

Here's my recipe for yummy vegan samosas! Enjoy!

Vegan Samosas (Serves 12)
(Note:  Prepare the tofu and marinade first.)

INGREDIENTS
For the pastry:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup nondairy milk (I like using coconut milk)

For the filling:
1/2 cup prepared tofu (see below for tofu marinade recipe)
2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered (leave peel on for more nutrients)
1 tbsp. organic canola oil (or cold-pressed virgin olive oil)
1 small, sweet onion - chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. Thai green curry paste (or any curry paste you prefer)
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup shelled edamame
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 tbsp. lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Make the dough:

1. Place flour & salt in a large bowl and whisk together.  Add the nondairy milk & mix with your hands until dough forms a ball (you may need to add more flour or more milk to get the right consistency).
2. On a flour covered board, knead the dough for about 1 minute then cover the ball of dough tightly and store in refrigerator while you make the filling.

 Make the filling:

1. Boil the cut-up potatoes until they're soft. When they're done, rinse them under some cold water.
2. Mash the cooked potatoes with a masher but make sure to leave a few pieces so it's not perfectly smooth.  Set aside.
3. In the same pan you used for your tofu, add the 1 tbsp of organic canola oil and warm it up at a medium-high setting.  Add the onions, garlic, curry paste, & salt.  Saute until onions are soft.
4. Now add the edamame, the carrots, and the lemon juice. Stir and let cook for about 1-3 minutes to get the edamame and carrots to be tender but not overcooked.
5. Remove veggies from heat and add to the mashed potatoes. Mix and let stand to cool for about 15-20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit while waiting for the filling to cool.

Assemble the samosas:

1. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick canola or coconut oil.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator, flour cover your hands and roll dough into 12 one-inch balls.
3. Have a small bowl of water and a fork ready nearby.
4. On a floured surface, roll out a dough ball with a floured rolling pin into a 5-6 inch circle.
5. Put dough circle onto a separate surface and put about 2-3 tbsp of filling in the center of it.
6. Dip your finger into the bowl of water (this will take several dips) & apply water to the edges of the circle.
7. Fold the dough over (it'll look like a half moon), matching the edges, then crimp those edges with the fork (careful to not tear/poke the middle section where the filling is).
8. Place finished samosa onto a prepared cookie sheet then repeat with the other 11 dough balls.
9. Bake samosas at 425degrees F for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375degrees F, flip samosas, & then bake for another 10 minutes.
10. Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool slightly (the filling will be very, very hot) before eating.

Marinade recipe for tofu:

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup extra-firm tofu, chopped into thin squares/rectangles/strips

1/2 cup organic vegetable broth

2 tbsp. Cindy's Kitchen All-Natural Mango Coconut & Pepper sauce

1 tbsp. organic canola oil

DIRECTIONS

Pour the vegetable broth into a small, sealable container and add the sauce. Combine and then add chopped tofu. Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator or up to 1 day. Next, warm up the canola oil in a skillet large enough to fit all of the tofu pieces at about medium heat. Add tofu when the skillet is ready...don't stir as this will break up the tofu. Let it get nice and toasty brown and then flip the tofu pieces over to brown the other side. Remove from heat when done - pieces should be slightly crispy.

The calories are not set in stone for this because it depends on which nondairy milk, curry paste, oil, and marinade sauce that you use.  With that said, doing the recipe like I did, this is the basic nutrition information (per MyFitnessPal):
                  Calories  Carbs   Fat   Protein   MonoUns   Cholest

Total:	2102	319	47	83	18	0
Per Serving:	175	27	4	7	2	0

Calcium and Being Vegan

*NOTE: I am not a health or medical professional but am sharing what I learn on my journey to becoming one and the journey to find my own better health.

We're always hearing about how "Milk does a body good" and how eating all those dairy products are supposed to keep us from getting osteoporosis, right? This is an important subject that I've been forcing myself to learn more about especially since my own bone density test came back two years ago with a diagnosis of osteopenia in my lower back. My first reaction was, "but I eat cheese, yogurt, etc.". Yes, that was my pre-vegan time. So, now with being vegan, I figure I might be in a lot more trouble bone-wise than before and hence the in-depth reading. I have to give a push for the best book with all types of nutritional information that has become my so-called "vegan bible"...Becoming Vegan by Davis & Melina! I highly, and greatly, recommend this book even for non-vegans/vegetarians!

Anyway, back to what I've discovered about our bodies, our food, and calcium...

First off, did you know that calcium isn't just for helping to build bones? Its uses in the body are phenomenal - essential in blood clotting in injuries, relaxing muscle fibers after contraction, enabling nerve signals, and it regulates cell metabolism! Plus, they're seeing signs that it even helps with preventing high blood pressure! Wow, that's one little amazing mineral, right? It does all of this with only about 1% of the calcium stored in our bodies. Now, if we are experiencing bone loss already, what do you think happens to those other calcium functions? Ya, it doesn't look good, does it? But it does.

It's not all about how much calcium we take in but more about the balance of that amount, the absorption of it, and the excretion or loss of calcium. For example, North Americans (according to the RDs who wrote the book "Becoming Vegan") absorb about 30% of the calcium in their diet but once you look at the amount that is excreted, the actual retention is as low as 10% of what was in the food to begin with. Now the question is, what affects these calcium losses.

The things that make our bodies excrete high percentages of calcium that could've been otherwise used for bones and/or any of the other calcium functions are things that will likely surprise some of you:
Protein. Yes, I said protein but namely the sulfur amino acids in it. These amino acids cause a pH imbalance in the blood causing the body to restore this balance by depleting calcium from the bones (acts as a neutralizing agent). It's approximated that for every gram of protein we consume/absorb that 1 mg of calcium is used then disposed of in the urine. Now we know we need protein for many physiological functions but the game is to not overdo it or to stay away from those proteins that have a higher amount of sulfur amino acids. Meat, by-the-way, is a highly concentrated source of these (considered highly acidic) and dairy products are not that far behind (considered moderately acidic)...just putting it out there. The other culprit that creates havoc with our calcium absorption/stores?
Sodium. That just has a bad rep all around, doesn't it? Well, in this case, when the kidneys have to process out all the extra salt, the body also loses about 23-26mg of calcium per gram of sodium removed. This one is definitely a red alert for vegans since a lot of prepared foods come with a lot of sodium in order to make certain things taste better, like those "meat" substitutes.
Soft drinks & coffee. Here is another repetitive health alert for these things, though coffee is only shown to be a possible culprit after 3 cups a day. Soft drinks, on the other hand, do their damage with their phosphoric acids (see the word "acid"? What does the body use to neutralize acids?)

All right, so now we know what's not pro-calcium balance so what does a vegan do to get balanced? Well, it's recommended that an adequate intake (AI) of calcium a day (for an adult) be between 1000-1200mg, while trying to maintain a ratio of calcium(mg) to protein(g) of 16:1 to 20:1 and to get less than 2400mg of sodium per day. Mumbo jumbo translated: for every gram of protein you eat, you should eat 16-20mg of a calcium rich (or enriched) food but keep your daily sodium allowance under 2400mg. Plus, research has shown that we absorb calcium better when small amounts are taken at a time (instead of a giant calcium supplement). Also, don't forget the important roles that vitamin D and magnesium have on calcium absorption - make sure you get enough of those too. I take a vegan vitamin D supplement (VegLife) every morning because I was extremely low and a fizzy magnesium drink every night before bed (Natural Calm)...just make sure to have your blood tested for vitamins & minerals first before adding any supplements to your daily routine. Don't forget weight bearing exercise like jogging or weight lifting, that also helps build bone!

And, just for good measure, here are 10 of some of the high calcium plant foods (calcium mg per 100 calories of the food - nutrient density):

1)Cooked collard greens (1/2cup)...457mg per 100cals
2)Raw kale (1/2cup)...270mg per 100cals
3)Raw romaine lettuce (1 cup)...257mg per 100cals
4)Raw seaweed (1/2 cup)...360mg per 100cals
5)Calcium enriched tofu (1/2cup)...471mg per 100cals (this may fluctuate so read labels)
6)Vegan ground round (2oz)...76mg per 100cals
7)Flaxseed (2tbsp)...56mg per 100cals
8)Figs (5)...83mg per 100cals
9)Oranges (1med.)...85mg per 100cals
10)Blackstrap molasses (1tbsp)...366mg per 100cals (this one is the biggest surprise for me)

Looks like I'll be buying some Blackstrap molasses, though it's hard to find sometimes since most people prefer buying the dark corn syrup but I'll find it! Most of the foods on the previous list are things I already enjoy eating so I think I'm on the right track but only next year's bone density test will prove it or not :D

Want a quick comparison to dairy products for a gauge?
1) 2% milk (1/2cup)...208mg per 100cals
2) Cheese (3/4 oz)...152-182mg per 100cals
3) Yogurt (1/2cup)...291mg per 100cals

If you have a moment, let me know what your experience with increasing your calcium intake has been like!

Today was...

Today was a contemplative day for me. I'm still following my vegan 21-day challenge (Yay for day #16!!) and I'm feeling pretty good but that's not what I was thinking about.

Yesterday I was accused of pushing my new "diet" (we'll talk about that word later) onto people around me. No, wait, I believe the word was "hounding" and not pushing. Nonetheless, this upset me more than I wish to put down here (let's just say that I went to bed angry AND woke up angry AND I'm still pretty ticked-off). I love my family. I love my friends. Now, when I discover new things that just might keep us all alive longer and healthier, I try to make this information available to those that I love. Heck, no use in me hanging around if no one else will be here with me, right? So, ya, maybe I do come across to them as "hounding", "pushing", "nagging", etc. but, is that what I'm doing really? No lies, I do get excited about learning something new. Could my loved ones mistake my excitement as trying to coerce them into eating healthier or to just do things my way? I contemplated this today on the way to my weight-lifting session with my trainer.

Then I started thinking that, on top of all the reading and studying that I do about nutrition and eating habits, I've been watching all the seasons of "The Biggest Loser", back-to-back. I've seen those MRIs on there that show how the fatty tissue congests all the internal organs and pushes them into unnatural positions. I know that bad nutrition and obesity are behind the number one cause of death here in the United States. I get it. But I want everyone near-and-dear to me to also realize it. By-the-way, if you don't know, according to the CDC's 2007 Mortality report, the leading cause of death here is heart disease. Number two is cancer, which I've read some wonderful stories that people completely REVERSED and eliminated cancer by changing their diets to vegan (haven't really looked for research studies on it yet but maybe that's something for next week). But am I "preachy" about it? Am I like a church minister trying to convert a bunch of sinners and knowing it's a hopeless situation, I still keep thumping that bible? Hmmm, maybe.

Well, that drive this morning, paired up with the adrenaline of a near collision, made me think about this in particular: Why do I feel like I need to "fix" everyone around me? To make them healthier? To get them to feel good? Then, it dawned on me - the underlying reason for my, I guess you can call it, obsession with "healing" people. I thought about my life and then it came to me.

Growing up, I had been very close to my godmother/great aunt. When I was 9-10 years old, she had been diagnosed with incurable cancer. She told me, as I perched on her lap and she sat in her favorite rocking chair, that she was very, very sick and that she was going to die. I hugged her and told her "no", that she wouldn't die because I was going to grow up to be a doctor and I would fix her. She laughed a little and said she wished she could wait but she wasn't going to be able to but that she wanted me to still be a doctor and find the cure for cancer. I promised her.

As the months slipped past, I watched that lively woman deteriorate before my eyes as she endured horrible bouts of chemotherapy. I watched as she got sicker and sicker, her hair falling out in clumps and her trying to hide it with a kerchief tied around her head. I remember her having to be kept at the hospital one time and I wasn't allowed to go see her, then she came home - I watched over her and witnessed her fitful sleep with full-out hallucinations from the drugs they were giving her to dull her pain. And, I felt helpless, completely and utterly helpless. Eventually, the pain bled through the drug's power and she was taken again to the hospital, kissing us and telling us "good-bye", looking at us as they backed out of the garage as if she KNEW
she'd never come back and...she never did. I now believe that's why I "push" healthier eating habits because it is the one thing I can control.

See? This isn't just about my adventures with foods and ways of eating healthier. Sometimes my own little psychological self-evaluations may cause someone else to also think about why they do something. Honestly, I never want to see another loved one suffer like that if it can be prevented at all. But, I'm also still hurt that these people I call "loved ones" would turn on me so quickly and easily when I hadn't been hurting them (in fact, they went out of their way to make sure I was suffering their verbal "comical" abuse). It's just so much easier to NOT care...maybe this was to show me where my behavior comes from and to stop fixing everyone else and focus just on me?? I think I can handle that :D


Oh and about the word "diet" - I abhor that word's connotation! Let me just state this once and for all --- my veganism is not a "diet" it is a healthy way of life and it's a choice - it's MY choice because I don't want to wind up at the end of my life having to be hooked up to machines or having to take a boatload of drugs just to keep going. Choose it or don't but don't roll your eyes when I ask waiters about ingredients in my food, got it? Good!

Flavor Enhancers

I've been on my vegan three week challenge for two weeks now and I'm still enjoying it a lot. But I wanted to take a little detour for my entry today and talk about flavor enhancers in our food. The one that most people can identify is MSG (monosodium glutamate) but did you know that there are others hidden in our prepared food under other names? Some people might know this but I'm willing to bet that most people don't know. These flavor enhancers fall into a group that neuroscientists call excitotoxins.

The reason they decided to use the name excitotoxins is because the neurons in the brain get super excited when these particular chemicals reach them, causing those neurons to fire rapidly (imagine how fast an auctioneer can be and then fast forward them). They quickly reach exhaustion then die a few hours later. Pleasant, isn't it? To top it off, these excitotoxins have been shown to not only affect brain tissue but our retinas/optic nerves too (see research at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2930628/ ).

So what else does the neuroscience community think these excitotoxins do to our bodies besides ruin our eyesight and kill neurons? How about make us fatter (leading to obesity & obesity linked death), hormonal imbalances, give us migraines/headaches, heart palpitations, numb/tingling feelings in our extremities, facial pressure/tightness, chest pain, drowsiness, weakness -- hello? These chemicals mess up our nervous system that is, basically, in charge of EVERYTHING going on in our bodies! What don't they mess with?

There are a lot of people out there (FDA, people in denial, etc.) that say these chemicals are non-toxic and that they are perfectly safe because there haven't been any studies to prove them unsafe. To them I ask, "Really? So why is it that I was able to find plenty of research out there showing the type of cell damage these neurotoxins can wreak?" Why are there SO many neuroscientists saying that these additives are dangerous -- they certainly aren't the ones making money off of speaking up against these chemicals, if you know what I mean. Want to take a look at a few research cases? Here are some but you can do your own search on Google Scholar too:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ana.410190202/abstract
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/164/3880/719.short
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899309027528
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996111001938
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0006344
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1601-183X.2008.00395.x/full#b2

So why is it that these horrible additives are still being used today from baby food to just about everything else that comes prepared? Big business? Big prepackaged food companies make money off of making their foods taste so good that they become an addiction (for some people -- perfect example: fast food). I just went onto Gerber's website and randomly checked some of their foods for the signature markings of these excitotoxins and I have to say that most of their products seem all right. Unfortunately, some of their products are not. For example, their GRADUATES® FRUIT SPLASHERS® Beverage – Grape...look in the nutritional information and you will find the words "natural flavor" in seventh place. "Natural flavor"? If they're already adding white grape juice and apple juice concentrates, what's this "natural flavor" they've decided to toss into the mix? I'll assume it's a flavor enhancer, aka excitotoxin. But worse yet? Check out their GERBER® GOOD START® Soy Formula – Concentrated Liquid...listed as ingredient #4 position is ENZYMATICALLY HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE. Wait a minute...but isn't soy good? Yes but hydrolyzed soy protein is not-so-good. Check this site out http://www.soyinfo.com/soydefs.shtml#hsp. Not only is this a "flavor enhancer" but it's also derived from a genetically-manipulated soy! This is being given to babies for goodness sakes! No wonder there is such a rise in neural-type diseases in the past couple of generations!

Let's not just pick on Gerber, how about that soup can in your pantry made by Campbell's? Remember mom (or grandma) fixing you a bowl of old-fashioned Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup? Well, guess what's in it? Another flavor enhancer called DISODIUM GUANYLATE on top of containing HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) -- good job on the double whammy Campbell's! And this was their "Healthy Request" product too! I mentioned fast food a second ago, right? Take a look at Jack-in-the-Box's nutritional ingredient document here. Specifically, look at their "Beef Regular Taco" - do you see how many flavor enhancers are in that thing?!? It's making my head hurt just reading through it all: Hydrolyzed (Corn, Soy, Wheat) Proteins, Monosodium Glutamate (they don't even bother hiding it), Natural Flavors, and Disodium Guanylate! And, by-the-way, let's just throw in some Succinic Acid that is something chiefly used in the manufacturing of lacquers and dyes! Really, Jack?? Looked at Carls Jr. too - they don't seem to be flavor enhancer crazy, not like their counterparts but they do still use them intermittently. You can check their ingredients list here. Also, McDonald's isn't safe from my scrutiny this evening either. They have probably the most interesting hidden flavor enhancer yet - autolyzed yeast extract. Check their ingredients list here but make sure to scroll down because in the beginning of the document, there isn't much to the list.

It just seems so like we are all going to need a chemistry degree in order to just keep up with what's being put into our food, doesn't it? Well, I say moderation is the key. If we try to cook most of our meals from scratch, there wouldn't as big an issue with the added flavor enhancers. But the problem is, we are constantly on the run and the quicker you can get food on the table, the better. There is a limit at where these chemicals are safe (well, as safe as feeding yourself small amounts of arsenic every so often) but we, as a society, are over-eating them with all the prepared, pre-packaged foods then let's thrown in how many times we eat out...we are exceeding the so-called "safe amounts". Moderation is indeed the key or a complete over-haul of the prepackaged food industry and I'm pretty sure we won't really see the industry change any time soon. Consumers need to become more aware of how to really read ingredient labels (without going cross-eyed) and use their common sense. General rule of thumb for me? If there are more than 5 ingredients that sound like a chemist lab project, I try not to buy eat and/or eat it. But, in case you want a summarized, short list of what to look for to avoid flavor enhancers, here's my list:
-monosodium glutamate (basically, anything ending with "ate" you should be skeptical of)
-autolyzed yeast extract
-aspartame
-glutamic acid
-natural flavor
-anything with "glutamate" at the end
-anything with "guanylate"
-anything with "inosinate"
-anything "hydrolized"

If you want to learn more, there's a lot out there but here's what I recommend:
- Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by retired neurosurgeon, Russell L. Blaylock
- Food Additives: A Shopper's Guide to What's Safe and What's Not by Dr. Christine Farlow, DC
- The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry is Destroy Our Brains and Harming Our Children by Carol Simontacchi
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavor_enhancer
- Online article: Sudden Cardiac Death and Food Excitotoxin Additives
- Truth in Labeling Organization
- http://www.ehow.com/about_5162033_autolyzed-yeast-extract-gluten.html
- http://www.soyinfo.com/soydefs.shtml#hsp


Well, hopefully I've given someone something to think about. I personally get major migraines from MSG but other flavor enhancers give me the numb, tingly feeling in my hands and feet - not a pleasant sensation. They are working on linking these chemicals to a lot of neural diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Autism, etc. - let's hope that one day people will realize that if their food tastes like crap, they should leave the food industry to take up something else instead of putting our health in danger with their flavor enhancers.

If you cook with flavor enhancers, then you obviously don't know how to cook or your taste buds are shot! Sorry if that insults anyone but I get the "Well, I cook with Accent all the time and I'm fine" spiel but the music changes when they're asked if they suffer from migraines repeatedly. When it comes to food, people are very closed-minded and loyal - don't know why that is, exactly but it's almost as taboo as discussing politics or religion. It seems, sometimes, that eating healthier is like saying "I'm going to break the law" to some people and they try to go to extremes to "convince" you to get back on the right track...you know, the one they follow. I say do what makes you feel good, makes you healthy, and makes you run circles around those who choose to stay in their sluggish ruts!

Today is the 8th day of the self-imposed vegan challenge and I think I'm doing okay with it. The challenge has been challenged severely only once in the first week when I took my mother to a steakhouse for her birthday dinner. The look on the waiter's face was priceless when I informed him that the 3 out of 4 diners were vegan! He followed up his astonished facial expression by asking me if I knew that that was a steakhouse! When I told him why we were there, his demeanor changed and he was bending over backward to try to find things that the girls & I could eat. All-in-all, it really wasn't too bad of an experience and it taught me that even the most red meat oriented restaurant could be worked around in order to allow me to stick to my eating plan. We were happy, my mom enjoyed her meal, & the waiter got a nice plump tip.

Another obstacle I've come up against is my sugar cravings. I'm not craving meat or any dairy products but I have been going a little crazy with sugary treats (which ends up defeating one of my reasons for going on this challenge). I couldn't help myself. There are soooo many yummy alternatives in this category that I felt that I needed to try them, just to make sure they were all as good as they looked. They have vegan cookies, cakes, whipped cream, pies, cheesecakes, & candy bars that taste as good (& some tasted better) as the mainstream products! With that said, I have returned to a more realistic sweet tooth soother in the last few days -- fruit. Also, there's this new creation for vegans that was created by a chef - MimicCreme (http://www.mimiccreme.com/ ) and they have a whole line of different nondairy cream substitutes. I've been using their sweetened creme (it's like sweetened condensed milk) and pouring a few tablespoons over sliced strawberries mixed with sliced mango and it's really, really good...good enough to calm my sweet cravings.

Cooking at home is still difficult for me now with the house going on the market and not knowing when I'll get a text from someone wanting to show it, but I'm trying. We still use a few of the prepackaged things to make meals faster, just in case. Everyday I learn more about the healthy benefits of removing animal products from one's system. So far, the biggest improvement in my health is the feeling of being lighter and having more energy. Even my trainer noticed this past week that my muscles weren't fatiguing as quickly, even though she'd increased my weight amounts (she does this a little every week). On a side note, I'm happy to report that as of last week I was leg-pressing 400lbs, which seems a lot but I don't think so...going to keep pushing that increase so I can tease Sean that I'm leg-pressing a quarter of a ton :D

Other things I learned this week:

1) Fat stored in all of our muscle cells (called intramyocellular lipid) & what that means to our metabolic health.

Insulin escorts sugar & protein from our blood to our cells to be quickly converted into energy, right? The efficiency of this process depends on how much fat is built up inside the cell. If there's too much built up inside these cells, insulin has a lot of trouble being able to open the cell membrane to allow glucose inside. And, if glucose can't get in there, then it doesn't get converted to energy, if it doesn't get converted to energy, what do you think happens to it? BTW, the buildup of fat inside the cells is what leads to insulin resistance then type 2 diabetes. The other big problem is once there's too much fat built up, it also partially turns off the genes that produce mitochondria ("burners" or metabolizers) which makes it HARDER to burn off fat! (See the study http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v28/n4s/full/0802853a.html )

2) Fish oil isn't as good as it's being promoted to be.

15%-30% of the fat in fish is saturated fat -- look up the definition of saturated fat and you'll find that it's been found to increase cholesterol levels. Also, a study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ 2006; 332:752-60) found that neither fish nor fish oils protect against cardiovascular disease or cancer. They've found that switching to a chicken & fish diet only lowers LDL by about 5%...wow, only 5%?? I won't mention the lowered percentage found by changing to a plant-based diet :D (okay, yes I will...20%-30% lowered LDL).

3) Grilling has been pushed at us for years now as being the preferred, healthier way of preparing meat but is it healthier? Well, not really...ever hear of carcinogens?

When meats are heated at high temperatures, cancer-causing chemicals called "heterocyclic amines" form inside the meat. It's due to the alteration the heat causes to the amino acids, creatine, & other compounds (or man-made compounds stored in the animals cells) stored in the muscle tissue. And which is the biggest source for those chemicals? They occur in all grilled meats but the biggest culprit is --- chicken!

Well, that's what I've learned over the last week. It's certainly given me some food for thought of whether I will return to animal products wholeheartedly when the 21 days are over or limit my animal products to once a week (or every two weeks) or stay vegan for the rest of my life. Well, I've got another two weeks to think about it.