GOT MILK?

Milk Doesn't Do A Body Good

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, around 75% of the world's adults can't digest milk (they're lactose-intolerant) and most don't even know it.  Stomach pain, gas, bloating, allergies, eczema, asthma, arthritis, inflammation and acne can all be linked to dairy.  Beyond childhood, most people stop producing the enzyme lactase, which is needed to digest lactose (the sugar in milk).  The protein in cow's milk (casein) is difficult for humans to digest.  According to Dr T. Colin Campbell author of The-China-Study, the protein "Casein", which makes up about 87% of the protein in cow's milk, creates and promotes cancer cell growth.
"GOT MILK?"  NO THANK YOU!

According to the Dairy Industry we need to consume milk and cheese to obtain our calcium requirements, but there are many other alternatives with nondairy milk:  Almond, Coconut, Rice and Soy milks are just a few.  You can even make your own with a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec with raw nuts, organic coconut flakes, water and a nut milk bag!  Here's a recipe for almond milk from The Blender Girl:  Awesome Almond Milk.

We don't need to get our calcium from milk.  Cows get there calcium from eating plants.  Gorillas, rhinos, elephants and horses maintain a strong physique from eating greens also.  So can we!

Dairy has approximately 300 mg. of calcium per cup, along with plenty of casein, but very little magnesium (which is needed for our bodies to absorb the calcium).  Therefore, the calcium we have in our bones is leeched out to help digest what we just consumed.

Here our some examples of plant-based calcium sources:

Collard Greens-270 mg. per cup

White Beans-160 mg. per cup

Kale-125 mg. per cup

Tofu-200-400 mg. per 1/2 cup

Oranges-80 mg. 

Figs-dried-150 mg. per 1/2 cup

CHIA SEEDS-300 mg. per OUNCE (5x the amount of milk), plus it has Boron
 to help our bodies to absorb it.

Here are 4 great articles to check out; 

 The Truth About Dairy, KrisCarr.com

   Calcium and Strong Bones, pcrm.org

10 Fascinating Facts About Cow's Milk, OneGreenPlanet.org

                                  5 Myths About Cow's Milk, OneGreenPlanet.org

NOT MILK!

How Food Can Fix Your Mood

How Food Can Fix Your Mood

In last week's episode on Rich Roll's Podcast, he states: "If we want to repair our broken health care system and move culture towards true, long-term sustainable wellness, then medicine must embrace a a new approach to healing.  An approach that’s so new, it’s old."

As with most of his episodes, this one is about two hours long, so sit back, relax and enjoy!

You won't be disappointed.  Click now to listen to "How Food Can Fix Your Mood".

The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of the disease.” 
—Thomas Edison

Plant-Based Diets and Diabetes

Plant-Based Diets and Diabetes

nutritionfacts.org is the go-to site for any questions about nutrition and health.

Here is a great video on the subject of preventing and treating Diabetes with a plant-based diet

from Dr. Michael Greger: Plant-Based Diets and Diabetes.

Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet

Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet

The American Cancer Society is now suggesting to eat more fruits and vegetables, and limiting or cutting out meats and dairy in our diets.  Plant-based diets benefits not only us, but also the environment. Check out Rich Roll's podcast on "Cowspiracy"  to find out information on the negative impact the meat and dairy industry has on our planet.  It takes approximately 1800 gals. of water to produce one pound of beef (26 grams of protein per 100 grams), compared to approximately 250 gals of water to produce one pound of soybeans (36 grams of protein per 100 grams). And most of the soybean crops are to feed the cattle!  Check out some statistics at Food and Water Footprint.

Here are two articles on the benefits of eating a plant-based diet: How Cancer, Diabetes and Other Health Concerns can Be Addressed By What You Eat and How to Reverse Aging and Change Lives Through Food.

Food for Thought

Cholesterol in a Nutshell

Cholesterol

We have had several questions about what foods to eat and which to avoid to help lower cholesterol levels.  While we are not qualified to give out medical advice, we do have some recommendations for gaining valuable health information online.  This article is a good place to start:  Lowering Cholesterol With a Plant-based Diet

Overcoming Flu Season

Strengthening Our Immune Systems

With flu season upon us, it is good time to keep our immune systems strong.  As we all should know, WASH your hands through out the day, especially before eating.  According to the Center for

Disease Control, the flu season has reached epidemic levels.

Check out this article from One Green Planet:
 Plant-Based Foods To Boost Your Immune System

Maintaining proper balance of healthy gut flora is a crucial component of our health.  While the development of antibiotics has lengthened our lifespans and are 
sometimes necessary, our excessive and inappropriate use of these drugs 
may be causing serious long-term consequences we are only now 
becoming fully aware of  (not to mention the side effects).

We will be doing a post in the near future on maintaining proper "gut" health; until then here is a great article/video on improving your health by Kris Carr.  You really should check out her story and website...she's truly an inspiration.  You could stay on her site all day!

Food for Thought

Information Sunday

Information Sunday

Today's post is all about information.  I come across so many articles about nutrition and wellness, and I'd like to share a few with you.  These are from one of my favorite websites, One Green Planet:  

5 Pantry Staples and 10 meals   

Plant-based Nutrition Myths Busted

Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Muscle Tone Without Eating Meat  

Another great website with lots of valuable information is Mind Body Green.  Check out one of their posts I found to be interesting: How to Make it Real Easy to Eat Healthy.

  

Lastly, here's our latest cookbook recommendation:  "The Thug Kitchen Cookbook".  Let me warn you, it contains language that may be offensive to some, so with that in mind make your own decision whether or not to check it out.  We find it humorous, and the recipes easy to make and delicious.  In addition, the nutritional knowledge is unsurpassed.

Tempeh Reuben Sandwich

Tempeh Reuben Sandwich

Tempeh is an organic fermented soy product, very high in protein and considered to be a great replacement to meat.

             This a much healthier alternative to the original Reuben sandwich for us non-meat eaters.

                                             Everyone who has tried these, LOVE them!

Ingredients:

1- 8 oz. package of Tempeh

Organic Sauerkraut

Avocado

Rye Bread

Marinade:

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 tbs. Dijon Mustard

2 tbs. Coconut Amino Acids or Soy Sauce

1 tbs. Maple Syrup

1 tsp. Liquid Smoke

Prepare your marinade in a small bowl and set aside.

Cut and slice Tempeh (see pic), oil a cast-iron skillet (preferred) and brown each side over med-high heat. When browned, add marinade and let it sizzle!  Turn down heat to simmer.  The tempeh will soak up the sauce which will be a sticky paste in 5-6 minutes.

Sauce/Dressing

1/2 cup vegenaise

2 tbs. organic pickle relish

1-2 tbs. organic ketchup

Mix all together.

Brush olive oil and garlic powder on your slices of Rye bread and put in a toaster oven to toast.  To assemble your sandwich: apply sauce to bread, add tempeh, sliced avocado (cheese replacement) and load it up with sauerkraut.  ENJOY!

Please use organic sauerkraut and pickle relish,

as traditional products use Sodium Benzoate as a preservative.

Tempeh

Kristen's Vegan Crock-Pot Chili

Kristen's Vegan Crock-Pot Chili

Ingredients:

• Crushed Tomatoes-28 oz. can
• Diced Tomatoes-28 oz. can
• Red Kidney Beans-Two 15.5 oz. cans
• White Cannellini Beans-15.5 oz. can
• Black Beans-15.5 oz. can
• 1 Large White Onion, Diced
• Spices: Garlic Powder, Cumin, Italian Seasoning Blend, Chili Powder
• Optional-1 bag of browned Gardein Beefless Ground Crumbles

Brown the Gardein Beefless Ground Crumbles according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, add all other ingredients to your Crock-Pot.  Once browned, add the Beefless Crumbles.  I like to cook the chili on the highest heat setting for approximately 4 hours, but if you have more time and would like it to cook longer, by all means use the Crock-Pot setting that you're most comfortable with.  Stir occasionally and enjoy!

A note from Kristen regarding the spices:  You'll see I didn't put exact measurements in the ingredient list.  When it comes to flavoring with spices, I like to cook by taste rather than measurement.  However, for a guideline I would say I used approximately 2 Tablespoons of Chili Powder and 1 teaspoon of all other spices.

As with all of our recipes, please drop us a note or comment if you try them.  And please share, share, share our blog with your friends and family; we love sharing our joy of cooking (and eating!) with others.