30 Days on FX

This week's episode of 30 days on FX deals with an avid hunter, George, who goes to experience life in a vegan family. Through seeing the horrific cruelty of animals first-hand, protests, and heart-felt conversations, George slowly opens his eyes and realizes the true plight of the "food" animal.

Really try to see this moving episode. Although in the end, George does not become a vegetarian and he still continues to hunt, it made me feel like there is still hope for this world yet.

http://tv.ign.com/articles/882/882790p1.html

Wonders of Tofu

From tofu "steaks" and stir-fries, to pies and smoothies, the possibilities of tofu are limitless. But as if taste weren't enough, tofu also has the added benefit of being highly nutritious.

Protein

This little flavor sponge is a great source of complete and easily digestible proteins. At just 70 calories per serving, tofu provides 9 grams of muscle-building amino acids.

Cardiovascular Benefits

Research over the years has shown tofu to have the ability to lower triglycerides, LDL levels (the so-called "bad" cholesterol) by 35-40%, and total cholesterol by 30%. It also has been observed to raise HDL cholesterol (the good guy) and reduce the tendency of platelets to form clots.

Wait... What does this mean?

Cholesterol, a substance manufactured only by animals (which includes humans, for those of you who don't know), is a fat-like waxy substance found in cells and bloodstreams all over the body. It plays a part in producing certain hormones and cell membranes, among several other important bodily functions.

Two carries of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), transport cholesterol through the blood to the cells. This, along with triglecerides, a form of fat in the body, make up your cholesterol count.

Cholesterol is necessary for a healthy body, but problems start to arise when one develops elevated levels of LDL. When too much LDL circulates throughout the blood, a build up of cholesterol starts to deposit on the walls of the arteries. This thick, hard substance known as plaque narrows the blood vessels and makes them less flexible. When this plaque becomes too large or if it breaks off, a subsequent heart attack or stroke may result. Higher HDL levels seem to help prevent this from happening.

Elevated triglycerides, which can be due to physical inactivity, being overweight, smoking, or consuming an excess amount of alcohol, usually go hand in hand with high cholesterol and/or diabetes, and they may contribute to heart disease and a build up of plaque in the arteries.

Consuming soy protein, which lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, can help prevent and reduce your rise of these serious diseases.

I also would just like to note that your body makes cholesterol and there is no need to consume extra amounts from animal products.

Menopause
Supporting other recent research, a study on menopausal women published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the daily consumption of more than 90 milligrams of soy coincided with a significant increase in spine bone-mineral density. The average was noted to be 20.6 milligrams more per square centimeter.

Vitamins, Minerals, and Other Nutrients

Providing over 30% of your DV, tofu is a great source of iron, a mineral primarily used as a part of hemoglobin to produce energy and transport oxygen throughout the body. Hemoglobin relies on copper for iron to be properly utilized, so it's a good thing tofu supplies 11% of this vital mineral as well.

Other nutrients tofu provides include calcium (10%), manganese (35%), omega-3 fatty acids (15%), selenium (14%), phosphorus (11%) and magnesium (8%). (percents in daily value per serving).

Selenium

Selenium in particular is a powerful trace mineral. It is needed to reduce the levels of damaging free radicals in the body, and it is a necessary cofactor of a very important, internally produced anitoxidant glutathione peroxidase. The actions of this antioxidant help protect against heart disease and certain cancers, reduce asthma, and help relieve arthritis symptoms. In addition, selenium is involved in the repair of DNA, which also reduces your risk of cancer.

So tofu. It's tasty, versatile, and highly nutritious. What's not to love?

Tofu Scramble

I thought this was pretty good. It's the perfect breakfast with a piece of toast and strawberry jam... but, of course, I had it for dinner. Why? Because breakfast is the best meal of the day! Seriously, if I could, I would eat breakfast for every meal.

Anyway, on to the recipe. It's easily doubled if you want to make more.

Scramble

1/2 firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 mushrooms (add more of less depending on what you like), sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1 small carrot, grated
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp tumeric (gives it a golden color)
salt, optional

Sauté the onions in water (or oil if you prefer) until soft. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about five minutes, and then stir in the spices, garlic, and 1/4 cup of water. Crumble the tofu in and coat with the spice and onion mixture (do not smash the tofu! Just stir it around). Cook for about fifteen minutes over medium heat, adding more water when necessary. Pour in the lime juice, nutritional yeast, and stir. Finally, fold in the grated carrot and serve!

Next up: health benefits of tofu.

Mexican Spaghetti Squash with Tropical Salsa

This recipe is delicious! It is definitely one of my favorites.

Based on a recipe from Veganomicon.

Salsa Ingredients:
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup chopped mango
1 avocado, cut into chunks
juice of a lime

Spaghetti Squash Mixture:
1 spaghetti squash (the brighter the yellow the better)
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup corn (I use frozen)
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp or more hot sauce

Before preparing the ingredients, bake the squash. Preheat the oven to 375. Slice the squash in half width wise and scoop out the seeds. Poke a few holes on the outside and place cut-side down into a baking dish. Fill with about an inch of water. Like this:



Bake for about 45 minutes or until tender.

Next, prepare the salsa. Combine ingredients in small bowl and stick it in the fridge. Done.

Bean Mixture:
Sauté the onions in water until tender. Add the beans, spices and garlic. Simmer for about five-seven minutes or until the water is reduced. Stir in the corn and hot sauce. Heat through.

If your squash is done now, carefully take it out of the oven. Scoop out the flesh (I move in and round and round motion, trying to keep the "noodles" long) into a medium sized bowl.

Get out a portion of the squash, spoon some of the beans over it, and top with the fresh, tropical salsa. And do the happy dance.

Spaghetti squash... What's good about it?

Spaghetti squash is an excellent source of vitamin A, supplying 145% of your daily value in just one cup. They are also a very good source of vitamin C, potassium, and manganese, providing you with 32, 25 and 21% of your RDV respectively. In addition, this squash is a good source of folate, omega-3 fatty acids, thiamin, copper, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, niacin and copper. Oh, and did I mention how low in calories spaghetti squash is? Only 75 calories per cooked cup! Compare that to regular noodles with about 300 calories. And the great part is that you can use spaghetti squash in many places that you would use spaghetti noodles, including spaghetti!

Black beans

Black beans are pumped full of fiber. We all know that fiber is key to being regular, but did you know it can lower cholesterol and keep your blood sugar from spiking after a meal? Plus, they are virtually fat free and are a great source of protein.

Do you have a sensitivity to sulfates?

Black beans can help. They contain 172% of your RDV of the trace mineral molybdenum, which is an integral part of the enzyme sulfite oxidase. What this benefitial enzyme does is work to detoxify sulfites (a preservative commonly added to salad type vinegars and dressings) and if you have a sensitivity, consuming enough will help keep you from experiencing rapid heartbeats, headaches or disorientation.

Antioxidants

Black beans contain ten times the amount of antioxidants that oranges have, and are comparable to the antioxidant superstars grapes and cranberries. In fact, black beans have the most antioxidant activity of any bean.

Vitamins and minerals

These little health stars are great sources of folate, maganese, magnesium, thiamin, phosphorus and iron.

All of this, and I didn't even get into the health benefits of tomatoes, mango, and avocados. So go ahead, eat up. Your body will thank you (and your taste buds just might too!).

Four-legged Friend Update

Finnegan, the lovely Irish Wolfhound, is as full of life as ever, and he's huge. He officially weighs more than I do now.



To my dismay, he has found a love for swimming in the pond. Sure, it's hilarious to watch him swim, but when it comes time to bathe him almost every single day because he reeks, it's not so fun anymore.



Oh, and did I mention that he is huge? Like, gigantic? Dogs like him take a long time to bathe... There's just so much of him!



The beautiful Charles and Jaydee walking towards me. While I would love to say that they were coming just because they love me, I'm sure the carrots in my hand had something to do with it.

Dairy Part I: Calcium and Osteoporosis

If you live in the United States, you have undoubtedly been bombarded with the miracles of dairy: "milk your diet, lose weight!", "3-A-Day for strong, healthy bones!", and, of course, "Got milk?" Since much of this is endorsed by the government, that means milk must be healthy, right?

Maybe, maybe not. As always, the government typically has an agenda, and this time, that agenda is a pot full of money from the dairy industry. If you are looking for unbiased information, do not look towards the government.

Also, I would advise you to not look towards sites such as notmilk.com or milksucks.com for reliable information either. While I'm sure there may be some truth to what the websites claim, they have an agenda as well.

So, I am going to try to present you with information that is neither biased nor subjective to try to clear up any confusion you may have.

Alright, here we go.

Traditionally, vegans have taken this mentality: Too much protein, especially from animal sources, increases calcium excretion in the urine. Therefore, dairy, a high source of protein, does not protect against osteoporosis but actually contributes to it. Due to the lack of animal protein in our vegan diets, we are protected and thus calcium intake isn't as important for us.

Sounds convincing, right? However, this isn't necessarily true. Let's take a closer look at the whole picture, shall we?

Protein and Calcium Excretion

As this study suggests, excess protein intake, especially that of sulfur-containing amino acids (which are high in meat products), increases calcium loss in the urine. However, certain proteins actually increase absorption in the gut, which may or may not counteract the loss in the urine. Also, although low protein diets exhibit less calcium excretion via urine, they have been shown to limit calcium absorption in the intestinal tract. As of right now, evidence is mixed as to whether it is more beneficial to have a higher or lower protein diet in regards to calcium.

Vegans and bone strength

In 2007 EPIC and Oxford releases a study that was conducted with 57,000 participants, 1,000 of which were vegans, over a span of 7 years from 1993 to 2000. Over the years, questionnaires were sent out to measure what the participants were eating and if they had suffered from any bone fractures. At the end of the study, only adjusting for age, vegans had a 37% higher fracture rate than their meat-eating counterparts. When age, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass, physical activity, marital status and hormone replacement therapy were taken into account, vegans still had a 30% higher fracture rate.

However, when calcium intake was considered, vegans no longer had a higher fracture rate. In the subjects who consumed at least 525 mg of calcium a day (55% of vegans compared with 95% of the other participants), similar fracture rates were seen from all groups.

Do not fall for the misconception that a diet free of meat and other animal products automatically means calcium is no longer a concern for you.

Next, osteoporosis: what is it?

According to niams.nih.gov: "Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist." Your risk of developing this bone disease increases if you are: a woman, older, small and thin-boned, Caucasian or Asian, have amenorrhea, low estrogen in women, low testosterone in men, a lifetime low intake of calcium and vitamin D, a smoker, or have excessive alcohol intake.

Prevention steps include meeting one's recommended daily value of calcium and vitamin D, and doing weight-bearing exercises (this forces your bones to work against gravity and thus helps to increase bone density) .

Vitamin D

When thinking about bone health, vitamin D is often forgotten, and in fact, it is estimated that more than 80 percent of Americans have some degree of a vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D absolutely should not be overlooked. This vitamin is critical for bone health, and without it, bones can become thin, brittle, soft, or misshapen. A lack of vitamin D also causes rickets in children and skeletal diseases in adults. The major biological functions of vitamin D are to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, aid in the absorption of calcium, and to maintain strong bones. (source)

From veganhealth.org:

"A 2003 report from the Nurses Health Study showed vitamin D to be more important than calcium intake for preventing hip fractures in postmenopausal women.5 In 2007, a meta-analysis of prospective studies and randomized controlled trials found that calcium intake and calcium supplements were not associated with a lower risk for hip fractures."

Requirements and Sources of Vitamin D and Calcium

To meet your RDV of vitamin D (400 IU for 69 and younger, 600 IU for 70 and older), expose un-sunscreened hands, face, and arms to the sun three to four times a week for ten to fifteen minutes a day between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Other sources include multivitamins (look for D2, D3 is not vegan) and fortified foods.

As for calcium, amounts vary according to age.

From this site:

Ages mg/day
14-18 1300
19-30 1000
31-50 1000
51-70 1200
70 + 1200
Pregnant or lactating
14-18 1300
19-50 1000

Good sources include non-dairy milks, tofu (make sure it is made with calcium sulfate), leafy greed vegetables (kale, collards), broccoli, fortified orange juice, beans, blackstrap molasses, sesame seeds, and almonds.

Although spinach, swiss chard, and beet greens have calcium, it is not well absorbed due to their high content of oxalates, which bind calcium.

The Importance Of B12

Please, please, please make sure you are getting enough B12 in your diet. Failure to do so can have serious consequences, such as impaired memory, paranoia, mild depression, numbness, infertility, neurological problems, and a higher risk for degenerative brain diseases, to mention a few.

To clear up any confusion about B12, let me state this: B12 does not come from animal products. It is made by a bacterial fermentation, and it used to be readily available in streams, rivers, and from vegetables in gardens. Now, however, since we as a society have become obsessed with clean water and scrubbing our produce free of dirt (I am in no way saying this is a bad thing!), these sources of B12 are no longer reliable.

Moving on.

Today, many foods are fortified with B12, but still some vegans and vegetarians have milk to overt deficiencies. Why is this so? Simple. Some of us are not putting forth the little effort it takes to make sure we are meeting or exceeding our recommended daily value, or we are simply relying on our bodies' stores, incorrectly thinking that this is all we need. While it is true that our bodies can store small amounts of B12, sometimes this is not enough to be able to prevent mild deficiencies, which invariably tends to result in elevated homocysteine levels. Elevated homocysteine levels are linked to early mortality, heart disease, stroke, pregnancy loss, Alzheimer's disease, neural tube defects and some eye disorders.

Early Symptoms of Deficiency

-unusual fatigue
-faulty digestion
-no appetite
-nausea
-loss of menstruation

Common Vegan Sources of B12

Fortified foods include cereals, non-dairy milks, some nutrition bars, oatmeals, some nutritional yeasts (Red Star and Twinlab brands), etc. Check your food labels. Chances are some of them have B12. Another source would be a supplement. Supplements in which the pill is chewed or a strip that is dissolve are a good choice.

How much do you need?

For ages 15 and over, at least 1.5µg is needed (1000 µg = 1mg). If taking B12 is supplemental form, make sure yours has at least this much or more. High intakes of B12 is not thought to be dangerous as it is water soluble.

For much more detailed information, please see this valuable website: http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/all

Nutrition

I've decided that in addition to posting my [fabulous] recipes, I'm also going to point out the nutritional aspects of each one. So, not only will your taste buds be happy, but your brain will get a little tidbit as well. And this way, everyone's happy!

I know you're excited. Don't deny it.

Summer

So! Long time, no blog!

What's going on in the life of the lovely vegan? I'm sure you are just dying to know.

Schools out, finally, I got my license on the 15th of May, and right now I'm visiting my father and twenty-year-old brother in Kansas City (my parents are not separated; my father's job just transfered him again). If you ever plan on visiting KC, I strongly recommend this website: www.vegkc.com. Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to try out some of those fantastic sounding restaurants, but I'm sure I will next time. Oh, also, check out the Auboretom, if you are a nature lover. The gardens there are b-e-a-utiful, and the trails go on forever. Bring a camera.

On June 23rd, this little vegan will be traveling far, far away to Spain, the land of the meat, meat, and more meat. It seems like it is going to be practically a nightmare to fine vegan food, but vegan food I shall have to find. I'm determined. But, just in case, a few Luna bars or other nutrition bars are going to be making there way into my travel bag. I hope I can take them... Oh, and don't worry, I will post lots of pictures!

On the food front, I have not been doing so well lately. Between finals and traveling, I just have not had the time to eat well. Now that I'm here at the apartment, I'm starving for something green. I'm seriously wondering how these boys live like this. What in the world do they eat? All I could find in the pantry was tuna, mustard, mayo, refried beans with (gasp!) lard, potato chips, and some Campbell's chicken noodle soup. Yum. Their fridge did not fair too much better... Hot sauce, yogurt, cheese, sour cream, meat and of course, beer. I've tried my best to remedy this problem, but there is only so much I can do. My father's been traveling so I have not been able to use his credit card, and I only brought sixty dollars with me. I had to be very pragmatic when planning my grocery list, and needless to say, there is not so much you can buy with sixty dollars, especially with the prices the way they are right now. I had to buy spices, regular base veggies such as potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and celery, and then some fruit, grains, oil, cereal, soy milk, bread/tortillas... etc. It was tough, but I did it. It would not have been so bad if I were only buying for me, but I was buying to feed several people. Ugh. I did it though, and now hopefully my boys will have something green to eat!

I got a great compliment from my diehard meat-eating brother the other day. He told me my cooking was fantastic and he actually went for seconds a few times! (He actually ate vegetarian for a day!) Before, he said, my cooking was... so so... (hey, I was just starting out and I had never cooked before!) but now it's great!

It made me happy.