I made Brown Rice 'n Bean Jumble-aya from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan as my first actually meal after my fast/detox (which went quick well, by the way). It was a wonderful, nutritious meal. It was actually fat-free since I'm out of olive oil and figured it would be okay to simply saute my onions and celery in vegetable broth. The warmth from the paprika and cayenne pepper was very welcome, as it is still cold and rainy in Knoxville. I paired it with some lemon-broiled asparagus and a slice of french bread. I don't know about you, but I LOVE asparagus. And, again, since I'm out of olive oil, I just simply doused my asparagus with lemon juice, added a little pepper and paprika and stuck it in the oven. The asparagus was light, vibrant, and oh so yummy!
I really wish I had remembered to take a picture. I don't have a camera (or a phone that I can send pictures from), so picture-taking never really crosses my mind.
However, I WILL remember to take a picture of some of the food I'm making tomorrow. I know you're pumped.
Prior to my detox, I was baking a lot of goodies. This was mainly because I had all these recipes that were so fun and delicious, and I happened to have all the ingredients. My baked goods are pretty healthy compared to the butter, eggs, and dairy versions, but still not a good replacement for nutritious meals (I was eating cookies for lunch and sometimes breakfast too). Now, I'm not only going to try to resist the temptation to constantly make sweets (maybe only like once a week), but I'm going to try to reduce the amount of oil that I use in my everyday cooking. I've been noticing lately that I go through canola and olive oil pretty quickly. I realize the importance of getting those essential fatty acids in my diet, like from flax seed oil and I'm definitely not going fat-free. I am however going to try to be conscious of the amount of oil I use and if there are some areas in cooking where it can be replaced or omitted, as low calorie lifestyle is linked to longevity.
I've really been into spicy hot foods the past month or so and I just don't see an end in sight for those cravings, so tomorrow is going to be chimichangas for dinner! And I've already made dressing and croutons for my Caesar salad that I have planned for lunch tomorrow. I am still making an effort to eat more salads, and I'm actually improving. : ] Especially with this killer Living Caesar dressing from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. It's heavenly. : ]
Well, I'm off! Remember to always strive for optimum vitality, not just the absence of illness. : ]
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
On the Fast Track!
So, I have been doing a 3-day fast in preparation for a simple liver detox that's doing down tomorrow evening. I know that it seems absolutely absurd for someone to go 3 days without food and that it's supposed to be healthy. I just read this interesting paper about the bodily processes during a fast and it also describes the benefits. I don't have the time to recap the essay, but please check it out, if not just for your own knowledge.
Anywho, this is the second time that I have done this fast/detox. I am aiming to do one about every 1.5-2 months.
So, other than the physical benefits of a fast, there are other benefits that I really enjoy (maybe not at the time, though, haha).
First of all, it is a nice break from food prep and eating. I know that sounds even more ridiculous, but for someone who cooks all of her own food, has two jobs, 18 hrs of school and tries to maintain a social life, it is a welcome duty off of my list. I love cooking and eating so much that sometime I shove other priorities aside to play in the kitchen.
Which brings me to my next benefit of fasting. During a fast, I can't use cooking or food to mask any of the problems in my life, whether they are relationship problems, academic duties, or anything else you can think of, I have to deal with them. I really figure out what is not quite up to par in my life when I'm fasting because I can't lean on the bandaid of cooking. Thus, when I can't emotionally eat out of stress or whatever, I have to find a different, hopefully, healthier way of channeling my stress into more productive things. These practices carry on after the fast is over. (Sometimes not for long though, hence the regular periods of fasting.)
What else lingers over after fasting? Well, can I just tell you that after I do my liver detox (which is definitely not so fun, but worth it afterward), I really have no desire to waste all of that effort and fasting by eating sugary, fatty, nutritionally poor foods. On the contrary, during my fast I plan my next few meals for after the detox that will be chock full of vitamins and nutrients to really boost my immune system and the stimulate the effects of my detox. So, if my diet starts to get a little slack (recently I've been obsessed with vegan baked goods), my fast/detox is a regular checkpoint for me to get back on track eating healthier foods and trying not to stuff myself to the brim because they are so delicious.
Also, it is a little eye-opening to think about those who don't have regular daily meals. I'm very thankful that my body has enough energy stores that without eating for 3 days my body doesn't need to break down my muscle mass out of starvation. There are many people in the world that do not have the luxury of food-security. It's not really one of the more pleasant things to think about while fasting, but you really can't help it.
But, on a happier note! My detox is tomorrow so I have some really great plans for my meals on Thursday and Friday which I am more than ecstatic about blogging about. Hopefully, I'll remember to take pictures also! Oh the joys of nutritious food!!
I know you can't wait! In the mean-time, remember to dance and enjoy life and good health!
Anywho, this is the second time that I have done this fast/detox. I am aiming to do one about every 1.5-2 months.
So, other than the physical benefits of a fast, there are other benefits that I really enjoy (maybe not at the time, though, haha).
First of all, it is a nice break from food prep and eating. I know that sounds even more ridiculous, but for someone who cooks all of her own food, has two jobs, 18 hrs of school and tries to maintain a social life, it is a welcome duty off of my list. I love cooking and eating so much that sometime I shove other priorities aside to play in the kitchen.
Which brings me to my next benefit of fasting. During a fast, I can't use cooking or food to mask any of the problems in my life, whether they are relationship problems, academic duties, or anything else you can think of, I have to deal with them. I really figure out what is not quite up to par in my life when I'm fasting because I can't lean on the bandaid of cooking. Thus, when I can't emotionally eat out of stress or whatever, I have to find a different, hopefully, healthier way of channeling my stress into more productive things. These practices carry on after the fast is over. (Sometimes not for long though, hence the regular periods of fasting.)
What else lingers over after fasting? Well, can I just tell you that after I do my liver detox (which is definitely not so fun, but worth it afterward), I really have no desire to waste all of that effort and fasting by eating sugary, fatty, nutritionally poor foods. On the contrary, during my fast I plan my next few meals for after the detox that will be chock full of vitamins and nutrients to really boost my immune system and the stimulate the effects of my detox. So, if my diet starts to get a little slack (recently I've been obsessed with vegan baked goods), my fast/detox is a regular checkpoint for me to get back on track eating healthier foods and trying not to stuff myself to the brim because they are so delicious.
Also, it is a little eye-opening to think about those who don't have regular daily meals. I'm very thankful that my body has enough energy stores that without eating for 3 days my body doesn't need to break down my muscle mass out of starvation. There are many people in the world that do not have the luxury of food-security. It's not really one of the more pleasant things to think about while fasting, but you really can't help it.
But, on a happier note! My detox is tomorrow so I have some really great plans for my meals on Thursday and Friday which I am more than ecstatic about blogging about. Hopefully, I'll remember to take pictures also! Oh the joys of nutritious food!!
I know you can't wait! In the mean-time, remember to dance and enjoy life and good health!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Where did March go? This month has gone by so quickly to me. There are only like 10 days left!
Lately my mind has been on saving money and even saving the planet a little. Hehe. : ] After my trip to California and also looking into the future, I'm hoping to save up some money this summer season. My monthly expenses are simply food, gasoline, water and electricity. So... I have been thinking of how I can save money and precious fuels. These are definitely great things to be thinking about, especially with Earth Day coming up in April.
So, I've sort of come up with a list of areas in my life that I can start putting to good use the first two aspects of that famous mantra "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".
-Gardening (what better way to save on food than by just growing your own!)
-Hanging clothes on a clothes line.
-Composting
-Reusing glass containers to get grains, beans, and nuts from bulk
-Taking quick showers
There are more details and I've already begun to plant some herbs and a few peppers, but I'm running short on time and must cut out!
More on saving the planet later!!
Lately my mind has been on saving money and even saving the planet a little. Hehe. : ] After my trip to California and also looking into the future, I'm hoping to save up some money this summer season. My monthly expenses are simply food, gasoline, water and electricity. So... I have been thinking of how I can save money and precious fuels. These are definitely great things to be thinking about, especially with Earth Day coming up in April.
So, I've sort of come up with a list of areas in my life that I can start putting to good use the first two aspects of that famous mantra "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".
-Gardening (what better way to save on food than by just growing your own!)
-Hanging clothes on a clothes line.
-Composting
-Reusing glass containers to get grains, beans, and nuts from bulk
-Taking quick showers
There are more details and I've already begun to plant some herbs and a few peppers, but I'm running short on time and must cut out!
More on saving the planet later!!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Looooooong, catch-up post!
So, it's been a while since my last post. I had a wonderful week in Berkeley and I definitely enjoyed some great food there but first I want to mention something from school last week.
My Biology teacher made some very wonderful points in the middle of one of his lectures last week. I honestly don't remember what the rest of the lecture was about but he began to speak of the energy transfer along the food chain which led him into a brief discussion into reasons why people become vegetarian. I was very thankful for the reasons he gave as they all are the reasons I have become vegan. One is obviously health. But he didn't mention necessarily the benefits of a plant-based whole foods diet in regards to the good nutrients and phytochemicals it contains but rather he looked at the lack of man-made, pollutant chemicals that this diet lacks.
Some people maybe believe that because as a vegan consuming way more produce than your average American, I am consuming many more herbicides and pesticides (lets pretend I don't even buy organic). However, he did a very wonderful job of making it clear that this is not the case. You see, for every pound of meat (say beef), 10 pounds of plants (say corn, since cows aren't ever really fed their normal diet of grass). This is an increase by 10 times. Biologists just refer to it as the rule of 10. So for every 100lb of beef, 1000lb of corn are required. Well, when an animal consumes this corn, which I'm going to assume not very regulated for pesticide levels since people aren't consuming it, cows are, the chemicals are not flushed out of the cow's body. The pesticides and herbicides (think DDT) are actually stored in the muscles and especially the fat tissues of the animal. So even though the amount of nutrients someone will get from eating an animal will decrease by 10 times as the animal must use these nutrients up, the amount of pesticides increases by 10 times. So, if corn contained only 20ppm of an herbicide or pesticide. Than same amount of meat would contain 200ppm of those chemicals. The majority of herbicides and pesticides that the average American consumes in their diet is from meat (I think the number was around 75%). Much of the rest is from other animal products like dairy (these chemicals get passed through cows' milk much like alcohol is passed through breast milk). Now, I DO buy most of my food organically grown but I also feel like by becoming vegan I have GREATLY decreased my exposure to harmful, toxic chemical buildup in my body just by no longer eating animal products, not to mention I now only eat plant-based, nutritious foods that support my immune system and my natural detoxifying organs (kidneys, liver, etc.).
And how delicious these foods are!! This week I got to splurge since I was in a more vegan friendly area of the US and actually go out to dinner! It was wonderful. When my plane arrived in Berkeley Monday night, my hosts were so kind as to have a delicious vegan meal, hot and ready for me at the house. Udon noodles with some greens and mushrooms. It was perfect after a long day of traveling. Tuesday was low-key with a vegan cookie for breakfast (it was vacation after-all), and then deliciously easy-to-make tortilla pizzas for a late lunch/dinner. Wednesday morning, we made Chocolate Chip Raspberry Scones from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan by Dreena Burton and they were just wonderful! I absolutely love breakfast pastries and this new recipe is a god-send for me. My gracious tour-guide took me to many a wonderful grocery store and on Thursday we went to a big farmers' market in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Oh, how I wish I could do all of my grocery shopping at a farmers' market! The Berkeley Bowl (another HUGE grocery extravaganza) was just like heaven. Organic bulk containers of every like of grain, nut and seed, raw, roasted or spiced, beautiful organic produce and just a wonderful selection. SOOO MUCH FOOD!! It was great! I hope to one day do a lot of my purchasing at the Berkeley Bowl.
On Thursday night we went to a fancy little vegan restaurant call Millennium. We ordered the prix fixe, 4-course menu and all of it was absolutely delectable. The first two courses were eaten before pictures could be taken but they were beautifully cooked. I tried my first falafel and we also had a mushroom dumpling with some sprouts and asparagus to begin. Our main course was this stuffed artichoke. It was heavenly. It had fava beans and there was a split pea side, as well as some greens and broccoli.
Dessert was AMAZING! It was a dark chocolate creme brulee with orange ice cream on top, garnished with a chocolate dipped orange slice (all vegan!). And.. I got to eat both mine and my friend's because he's a boy and boy's don't like dark chocolate. Haha! More for me!
I think that is it for now. I'll leave you wishing you had been eating this yummy vegan dessert with me!
My Biology teacher made some very wonderful points in the middle of one of his lectures last week. I honestly don't remember what the rest of the lecture was about but he began to speak of the energy transfer along the food chain which led him into a brief discussion into reasons why people become vegetarian. I was very thankful for the reasons he gave as they all are the reasons I have become vegan. One is obviously health. But he didn't mention necessarily the benefits of a plant-based whole foods diet in regards to the good nutrients and phytochemicals it contains but rather he looked at the lack of man-made, pollutant chemicals that this diet lacks.
Some people maybe believe that because as a vegan consuming way more produce than your average American, I am consuming many more herbicides and pesticides (lets pretend I don't even buy organic). However, he did a very wonderful job of making it clear that this is not the case. You see, for every pound of meat (say beef), 10 pounds of plants (say corn, since cows aren't ever really fed their normal diet of grass). This is an increase by 10 times. Biologists just refer to it as the rule of 10. So for every 100lb of beef, 1000lb of corn are required. Well, when an animal consumes this corn, which I'm going to assume not very regulated for pesticide levels since people aren't consuming it, cows are, the chemicals are not flushed out of the cow's body. The pesticides and herbicides (think DDT) are actually stored in the muscles and especially the fat tissues of the animal. So even though the amount of nutrients someone will get from eating an animal will decrease by 10 times as the animal must use these nutrients up, the amount of pesticides increases by 10 times. So, if corn contained only 20ppm of an herbicide or pesticide. Than same amount of meat would contain 200ppm of those chemicals. The majority of herbicides and pesticides that the average American consumes in their diet is from meat (I think the number was around 75%). Much of the rest is from other animal products like dairy (these chemicals get passed through cows' milk much like alcohol is passed through breast milk). Now, I DO buy most of my food organically grown but I also feel like by becoming vegan I have GREATLY decreased my exposure to harmful, toxic chemical buildup in my body just by no longer eating animal products, not to mention I now only eat plant-based, nutritious foods that support my immune system and my natural detoxifying organs (kidneys, liver, etc.).
And how delicious these foods are!! This week I got to splurge since I was in a more vegan friendly area of the US and actually go out to dinner! It was wonderful. When my plane arrived in Berkeley Monday night, my hosts were so kind as to have a delicious vegan meal, hot and ready for me at the house. Udon noodles with some greens and mushrooms. It was perfect after a long day of traveling. Tuesday was low-key with a vegan cookie for breakfast (it was vacation after-all), and then deliciously easy-to-make tortilla pizzas for a late lunch/dinner. Wednesday morning, we made Chocolate Chip Raspberry Scones from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan by Dreena Burton and they were just wonderful! I absolutely love breakfast pastries and this new recipe is a god-send for me. My gracious tour-guide took me to many a wonderful grocery store and on Thursday we went to a big farmers' market in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Oh, how I wish I could do all of my grocery shopping at a farmers' market! The Berkeley Bowl (another HUGE grocery extravaganza) was just like heaven. Organic bulk containers of every like of grain, nut and seed, raw, roasted or spiced, beautiful organic produce and just a wonderful selection. SOOO MUCH FOOD!! It was great! I hope to one day do a lot of my purchasing at the Berkeley Bowl.
On Thursday night we went to a fancy little vegan restaurant call Millennium. We ordered the prix fixe, 4-course menu and all of it was absolutely delectable. The first two courses were eaten before pictures could be taken but they were beautifully cooked. I tried my first falafel and we also had a mushroom dumpling with some sprouts and asparagus to begin. Our main course was this stuffed artichoke. It was heavenly. It had fava beans and there was a split pea side, as well as some greens and broccoli.
Dessert was AMAZING! It was a dark chocolate creme brulee with orange ice cream on top, garnished with a chocolate dipped orange slice (all vegan!). And.. I got to eat both mine and my friend's because he's a boy and boy's don't like dark chocolate. Haha! More for me!
I think that is it for now. I'll leave you wishing you had been eating this yummy vegan dessert with me!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Strawberry-Goji Muffins
What better way to start Spring Break than baking muffins and coffee? This muffins I got from my favorite cookbook author and blogger. So my break is finally here and I've enjoyed my evening by taking a loooong nap, baking, cleaning, and packing for my trip to Atlanta this weekend and Cali.
Even though Fridays are my long days of school, today wasn't bad at all. I had a break between my Biochem lecture and discussion and had a chance to sit at Starbucks and reflect a little bit. I always try to look at the New Year's resolutions that I've made and meditate a little on my progress or other areas I would like to see improvement in. I don't know about you but I make resolutions all the time, new ones just about monthly. Some of them are recurring as I they are on-going qualities or things that I want to make habits. I have definitely gotten a few of my New Year's resolutions under-wraps. These were my resolutions to eat a vegan diet and cook more. I have really enjoyed both of these new ways of living. I love that I know what is in everything I eat and that I know it has nutritional value, even my cookies. I am definitely drinking less coffee now than I used to but it is one of the resolutions that needs to stay on my list as a reminder. I've cut back from pots of coffee to simply a cup and not even every day.
Some of my newer or revised resolutions are:
- Meditate: I have realized, especially of late, that I'm pretty stressed. I am very aware of the feeling of stress in my body (normally a tension headache or a tautness in my chest). I really want to work to reduce that. I resolve to spend sometime meditating every day. Whether its 10 minutes or I am able to do a full hour, I want to put my body in a relaxed, efficient state. I will incorporate stretching and breathing into my meditation. Just a few of my favorite stretching poses to turn my thoughts inward to my body and breath rather than the stress of the world around me.
-My lovely sister said this last night while she was talking to her step daughter: "Remember, how do we move? With a purpose." This is the most brilliant thing I've heard in a long time. I'm going to try to get out of this idle state and learn to really move with a purpose in all areas of my life. I'm not talking about constantly running around but being mindful to live an active life. It's hard to get out of an idle state of mind, but I'm trying to take a lesson from my sister who does this so well, and I admire her so much for it.
-The last resolution I'm going to share is one that is seemingly for others but it's really for myself. I have always loved to see other people happy and healthy, especially my family and close friends. So, I have resolved to encourage others and hopefully have a positive effect on their lives. Whether it is giving someone a healthy recipe or smiling at someone. I just think there needs to be more smiles and love. A little more laughing and joy. I of course believe that health is a key component of this because diet and exercise have such an effect on moods and the feeling of well-being. I am overjoyed by the opportunity to encourage someone to work toward a healthier lifestyle. I also resolve to learn from those around me, like my sister.
With all of that said, smiles and good moods are contagious. Dance and sing with your family and friends. Be a little bit silly. Hug a tree if you're feeling over barren and let it hold all the weight for you.
Even though Fridays are my long days of school, today wasn't bad at all. I had a break between my Biochem lecture and discussion and had a chance to sit at Starbucks and reflect a little bit. I always try to look at the New Year's resolutions that I've made and meditate a little on my progress or other areas I would like to see improvement in. I don't know about you but I make resolutions all the time, new ones just about monthly. Some of them are recurring as I they are on-going qualities or things that I want to make habits. I have definitely gotten a few of my New Year's resolutions under-wraps. These were my resolutions to eat a vegan diet and cook more. I have really enjoyed both of these new ways of living. I love that I know what is in everything I eat and that I know it has nutritional value, even my cookies. I am definitely drinking less coffee now than I used to but it is one of the resolutions that needs to stay on my list as a reminder. I've cut back from pots of coffee to simply a cup and not even every day.
Some of my newer or revised resolutions are:
- Meditate: I have realized, especially of late, that I'm pretty stressed. I am very aware of the feeling of stress in my body (normally a tension headache or a tautness in my chest). I really want to work to reduce that. I resolve to spend sometime meditating every day. Whether its 10 minutes or I am able to do a full hour, I want to put my body in a relaxed, efficient state. I will incorporate stretching and breathing into my meditation. Just a few of my favorite stretching poses to turn my thoughts inward to my body and breath rather than the stress of the world around me.
-My lovely sister said this last night while she was talking to her step daughter: "Remember, how do we move? With a purpose." This is the most brilliant thing I've heard in a long time. I'm going to try to get out of this idle state and learn to really move with a purpose in all areas of my life. I'm not talking about constantly running around but being mindful to live an active life. It's hard to get out of an idle state of mind, but I'm trying to take a lesson from my sister who does this so well, and I admire her so much for it.
-The last resolution I'm going to share is one that is seemingly for others but it's really for myself. I have always loved to see other people happy and healthy, especially my family and close friends. So, I have resolved to encourage others and hopefully have a positive effect on their lives. Whether it is giving someone a healthy recipe or smiling at someone. I just think there needs to be more smiles and love. A little more laughing and joy. I of course believe that health is a key component of this because diet and exercise have such an effect on moods and the feeling of well-being. I am overjoyed by the opportunity to encourage someone to work toward a healthier lifestyle. I also resolve to learn from those around me, like my sister.
With all of that said, smiles and good moods are contagious. Dance and sing with your family and friends. Be a little bit silly. Hug a tree if you're feeling over barren and let it hold all the weight for you.
Monday, March 7, 2011
So, what do you eat?
This is the first time I've legitimately been asked this question about being vegan. The obvious answer would be fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains in awesomely delicious recipes and combinations. But, I caved under pressure. I've heard of a lot of vegans who on the spot have trouble answering this question posed by our meat-eating friends. I've wondered why that is and have come to the conclusion that we are looking for specific ways to describe who wonderful these foods are to people who rarely enjoy their goodness. We realize that for most people "fruits, vegetable, nuts, seeds, and whole grains" sounds extremely boring. BUT ITS NOT AT ALL!! I love my diet and way of healthy, conscious living. And to me, my diet sounds so much more appealing than decaying flesh, the milk of a lactating cow and the spoilage of that milk people know and love as cheese...
Hello!!
Goodbye.
Hello!!
Goodbye.
Suck it up, Buttercup
This is going to be the week from hell. I have a bajillion tests this week and there is just sooo much going on. AHHHH!! My life is a little too crazy this week. But, if I can just get it all finished then, it will be Spring Break. Quick stop in Atlanta for a tournament and then.... CALI!!!
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