Vegan: To Be or Not to Be?

So I've always had an interest in the Vegan lifestyle.  Though it isn't something I really thought I'd ever try.  It just seems too difficult and there are certain foods I eat daily that would not comply such as Greek yogurt and egg whites. 
 
Well living in California has changed my thoughts and I am actually giving it a fair try.  I have been a lacto-ovo-pescatarian for sometime now so I don't think the transition to vegan will be too difficult for me.  I've decided to try it because I like when I FEEL healthy.  Yes I want to look healthy too but feeling healthy benefits my mind as well.  I really don't know if I will be completely vegan for life but I think the vegan diet principles can promote optimum health when followed correctly. Most likely you will be avoiding saturated fat from meat and dairy and simple sugars and added chemicals from processed carbohydrates.  So my goal is to make it 30 to 45 days and if I love it, I will surely keep it up.  If I find I'm missing some of my favorite foods then I will occasionally allow myself to have what I want and just eat clean and focus on eating for good health with an occasional treat.
 
So I thought I'd start this blog post with some resources you can check out if you ever thought about trying a vegan lifestyle.  I say lifestyle because going vegan usually becomes a lifestyle more so than just a diet plan.  Next week I'll share what my meals have been made and the nutrients to focus on when meal planning, vegan-style!

So there is a great documentary to watch called "Forks Over Knives".  Yes, I've already blogged about this so just search this blog (search box to the right) to find out more.  I also read this book.  The book has great vegan recipes!!

I just started reading "Eat to Live".  This is a great book for someone who is thinking of going vegan.  It gives you a 6 week plan to get started and see amazing results benefitting your health.  It is written by Dr. Fuhrman.  Check it out!  And yes, more great recipes.

Finally you can do a 30 day Vegan Challenge online at http://www.compassionatecook.com/

So here are some of my latest vegan meals.  So far they are not much different than my usual meals so I plan on getting creative and cooking some new foods I've never worked with before such as Tempeh and daiya cheese!

Berries with Ground Flaxseeds

Brussels Sprouts, Zucchini, Celery, Red onion, kidney beans, balsamic vinegar

Cold vegetable salad from work cafeteria with pineapple for dessert

Oven roasted veggies with kidney beans and homemade salsa

BACK to Blogging

One more week and I'll be back to blogging.  Starting September 11th I will be blogging once per week.  Be sure to check back each week for a new and exciting nutrition topic!

In the meantime, check out this delicious dinner I made tonight.  Tilapia seasoned with low sodium tamari, garlic and onion powder with roasted vegetables lightly seasoned in olive oil and Mrs. Dash vegetable seasoning and a new recipe I found on Pinterest: Asparagus and mushroom salad.  You can find the recipe it at the following address
http://www.fitsugar.com/Asparagus-Debloating-Recipes-23164837

Enjoy!!!

Break from the blog

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been SO busy. So I need to take a little break from blogging. I promise I'll be back : )

Geting Creative with Cauliflower

So lately I have been experimenting with new recipes and

some of them have included cauliflower (pizza, fried rice,

mashed potatoes) so I thought I would share the health

benefits of what this cruciferous vegetable has to offer.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup of raw cauliflower provides 86% daily value for vitamin

C. 21% DV for Vitamin K, 15% DV for folate, 11% DV for

choline, 10% DV for vitamin B6, and less than 10% DV for

potassium, fiber, manganese, molybdenum, vitamin B5,

tryptophan, phosphorus, protein, magnesium, vitamin B2, B1,

B3, and iron.  One cup of raw cauliflower is only 25 calories.

Health Benefits

Cauliflower helps to prevent cancer, Crohn’s disease, IBS,

insulin resistence, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2

diabetes and ulcerative colits by stimulating the body’s detox

system, antioxidant system and anti-inflammatory system. 

The powerful phytonutrients that promotes detoxification are

glucosinolates.  We all know vitamin C is a bad-a**

antioxidant and cauliflower is full of it.  Vitamin K acts as a 

regulator of our inflammatory response. 

Cauliflower prevents chronic oxidative stress to our body. 

Protect your heart by eating cauliflower or other cruciferous

vegetables 3 times per week.  Digestive health is restored

from cauliflower due to the fiber content and sulforaphane

which helps to protect the lining of our stomachs. 

The Healthiest Way of Cooking Cauliflower

Sauteeing cauliflower allows for concentrated nutrient retention. Begin by cutting cauliflower florets into quarters and let sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance its health-promoting benefits. To Healthy Sauté cauliflower, heat 5 TBS of broth (vegetable or chicken) or water in a stainless steel skillet. Once bubbles begin to form add cauliflower florets (cut into quarters) and turmeric, cover, and Healthy Sauté for 5 minutes.

Reference: www.whfoods.com

Colors of Cauliflower

Purple

• Purple cauliflower has deep purple florets and large, light green leaves that fan outward. It tastes similar to standard white cauliflower and cooks quickly. This type can change between purple and green when it's cooked. Choose purple cauliflower if you want more variety and color in your salads. Try different varieties such as Violet Queen Hybrid or Purple Sicily.

Yellow

• Yellow cauliflower displays bright yellow, orange, or a combination of both colors. The taste is similar to standard cauliflower. The one main variety of yellow cauliflower is called Cheddar. This yellow species has much more beta-carotene than other types. It also turns bright yellow when cooked.

Reference: www.ehow.com

Low Carb Fried "Rice"

My sister-in-law introduced me to this recipe so I had to do some research and get cooking.  Pinterest is my new favorite place to find recipes.  I created this recipe by looking at other Cauliflower fried rice recipes online.  I made it tonight for the first time and it was AMAZING!! (August 2012)

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 T. toasted sesame seed oil - more or none if you'd like; I just used misto spray oil when I felt the pan needed more oil because I felt one tablespoon of oil was plenty (see recipes tab if you don't know what a misto spray is)
3-4 cups raw riced cauliflower - I had a large cauliflower head and used my food processor to pulse the florets until they resembled quinoa or rice. The cauliflower yielded 5-6 cups of riced cauliflower so I am saving the rest to make a cauliflower crust pizza (previous blog post if you are interested)
Green onions (scallions, small bunch) - white and green parts
1 T. minced garlic - jarred or fresh
1-2 cups Mixed vegetables (mine was a frozen mix of peas, corn, lima beans, carrots, and green beans) and any fresh vegetables you like - I recently used fresh mushrooms and red bell peppers
2 eggs - Cage free please, want to save of fat and cholesterol then just go with the whites. If you are Plant-based then skip the eggs and crumble 1/2 block of pressed firm tofu and add tumeric to give it a nice yellow color.
Trader Joes Sprouted Baked Savory tofu (one of my favorites!) - I used one block; or you can add chicken, pork, shrimp, etc
3 T. Braggs soy protein - you can use soy sauce, this has amino acids so of course I'm intrigued
1 T. low sodium Tamari - I could probably omit this extra soy, too much sodium!!
2 T. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. Garlic powder 

Directions

Pulse cauliflower florets until yields quinoa/rice consistency
Saute garlic and white parts of sliced scallions in sesame oil
Add riced cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes.
Add soy sauce/tamari and garlic powder
Add frozen and/or fresh vegetables
Cook for another few minutes until vegetables are cooked through
Add sliced green scallions
In a separate pan, cook the meat/tofu
If using eggs, push the fried "rice" aside to make room to cook two eggs - I used olive oil spray to coat the pan and fried two eggs and scrambled them in the pan and once they were cooked through, I combined them with "fried rice"
Add cooked meat/tofu and voila dinner is served!  Oh yeah, if you have toasted sesame seeds sprinkle on top of final dish.

So this dinner is full of yummy veggies and protein.  A perfect compliment to any healthy lifestyle. 

According to Spark People Recipe Calculator, below is the nutrition breakdown for the recipe above, minus the toasted sesame seeds.  My recipe yielded 3 servings.  So the information below is for one serving which was probably about 1.5 to 2 cups per serving. 

Spark People didn't have my exact tofu so the nutrition info is an estimate. 

So to summarize, one serving of my Cauliflower fried rice (with tofu and egg) is about 240 calories, 14 grams of fat (from the oil, eggs, tofu), 25 grams carbohydrates, 22 grams protein. 

The above recipe without the flavored tofu and eggs. I substituted 1/2 block of crumbled tofu for the eggs to make this vegan and added the mushrooms and red bell peppers and toasted sesame seeds. This recipe provides 230 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fat, 14 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, 972 grams of sodium (too high so just omit 1 tbs of liquid aminos!)

A typical fried rice recipe for only one cup yields 330-370 calories, 12-14 grams of fat, 40-50 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams protein. 

With my recipes, you saved yourself over 100 calories, 25 grams of carbs and got double the high quality protein!

FYI, one serving of Panda Express fried rice provides 530 calories, 16 grams of fat, 82 grams of carbs, 12 grams of protein, ouch!

My recipe was still high in sodium and fat for my liking, so next time I will go without the Tamari and oil and see how that tastes : )  Maybe I'll misto spray the sesame oil instead.

Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe
3 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		242.7
Total Fat		13.5 g
	Saturated Fat	2.4 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	5.4 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	4.2 g
Cholesterol		123.3 mg
Sodium		1,456.9 mg
Potassium		714.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate		25.2 g
	Dietary Fiber	8.7 g
	Sugars	4.8 g
Protein		21.7 g

Vitamin A	42.8 %
Vitamin B-12	5.3 %
Vitamin B-6	24.0 %
Vitamin C	126.3 %
Vitamin D	6.7 %
Vitamin E	1.4 %
Calcium	44.3 %
Copper	15.4 %
Folate	33.5 %
Iron	19.8 %
Magnesium	15.5 %
Manganese	49.3 %
Niacin	6.9 %
Pantothenic Acid	10.5 %
Phosphorus	25.5 %
Riboflavin	17.4 %
Selenium	15.5 %
Thiamin	12.8 %
Zinc	12.2 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

So Fit City Challenge

To all my local followers, be sure to check out Solano Fit Magazine's first So Fit City Challenge happening September 29, 2012 in Fairfield, CA.  Help your city be the healthiest city in Solano County! 

"The only way we can change our county for the healthier, is to do so together. It will literally take everyone; so get your family, friends, and neighbors to register for the race and rally your city for health, for fun and for the bragging rights!"

http://www.sofitmagazine.com/sofit-city-register-now/

Don't live in the area and want to support your city?  Check out local runs and events happening in your area.  http://www.active.com/

Rev Up Your Morning Routine

I have been approached by various organizations to share their information on my blog.  So far what I've come across I've liked so that is why I chose to share it with my readers.  So let's see what www.onlinecollege.org has to say about Morning Routines Making or Breaking Your Career.

http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/07/23/why-your-morning-routine-can-make-break-your-career/

This week I am doing a 7 day arm challenge when I first wake up.  I found it on Pinterest.  I think this is a good way to get my morning off to a productive start!  Wanna join me???  http://skinnyms.com/summer-arms-challenge/

This week I also started that 7 day belly bloat tea drink I posted about two weeks ago.  I will let ya'll know if I really lose the 5 lbs of water weight like it claims.

Maintain Your Mental Health

I know exercise is my cure for mental overload.  I truly think it is the greatest medicine.  Check out what the people from www.onlinepsychologydegree.net asked me to share with my blog readers.

8 Drug-Free Remedies to Improve Your Mental Health

http://www.onlinepsychologydegree.net/2012/07/25/8-drug-free-remedies-to-improve-your-mental-health/

Now get to it!

Got Milk?

What's your opinion on milk?  Check out my latest magazine article from Solano Fit Magazine.

http://issuu.com/gotitgraphics/docs/sf_napa_julyaug_2012_web?mode=window&viewMode=doublePage

Enjoy!

Protein Pie

Many desserts lack protein, but not today.  Have you ever had a pie that was packed with protein?  Well if the answer is no, then now you can.

I got the idea for these recipes from an Herbalife consultant I knew many years ago. She talked me into selling the products.  I actually liked their protein shakes, vitamins and herbal tea concentrate but I am NOT a sales person so it didn't go very far.

Anyways, here is a SUPER SIMPLE recipe to try the next time you are craving pie.

Today's creation was a Banana Cream Protein Pie

Ingredients

1 cup of your favorite vanilla flavored protein powder (or sweet cream if you buy Visalus)
2 cups milk of your choice (I had almond/coconut blend in my house but if you go for fat free cow's milk or soy milk you will get much more protein)
2 small packets of sugar free pudding mix - one vanilla, one banana cream
1-2 bananas
cinnamon
chopped walnuts
Nilla Wafer prepared pie crust

Directions

Blend milk and protein powder.  Add pudding packets and mix well.

Slice bananas and layer bottom of pie crust with banana slices.  Pour batter into crust.

Sprinkle pie with cinnamon and walnuts.  You can also top this pie with whipped cream (tub) but I didn't have any.

Let this set in the refrigerator for atleast an hour.

Makes 8 slices. Enjoy!!

Estimated about 250-300 calories, 7-14 grams of protein per slice - depends on protein powder, milk, pie crust, toppings

** Now you can make any pie you'd like.  Choose your favorite protein powder, milk, pie crust, and pudding mix.

Healthy Burger and Tots

A burger and fries is one of the most popular meals in America.  So a burger + tots + Coke at Sonic sets you back 900 calories.

How about we mix things up a bit and make a healthy meatless burger and tots for less than 500 calories.  This meal also contains way less fat than a typical burger meal and was high in protein.  Skip the Coke and opt for a diet soda or better yet, water!

I got these two recipes from Pinterest and tried them tonight.  I LOVED this dinner!

Enjoy...

Black Bean Burgers

Mash can of black beans

2 T. ketchup

1 T. mustard

1 t. onion powder, 1 t. garlic powder

Pinch of ginger powder or turmeric or any spice (I used chipotle)

1/3 cup instant oats (I used 5 minute oats)

Form into patties and cook 7 minutes on each side

So I used my food processor to blend all of the ingredients together and made three large patties and cooked them in a skillet with non-stick no calorie olive oil spray.  I built my burger on a whole wheat sandwich thin with dijonnaise, 1/4 avocado, baby spinach, tomatoes, and cholula.  YUM!  I can't wait to have another one tomorrow!

Zucchini Tots

1 cup shredded, peeled zucchini (about 2 zucchinis)

1 small onion, diced

1 egg

1/4 Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

paprika to garnish

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Using a small spoon, evenly distribute the zucchini mixture among the cups - filling about halfway & pressing the mixture down a little with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with chipotle ranch sauce, if desired.

I shredded one zucchini (skin on) and one large carrot using my food processor.  I used 1/3 cup cheddar cheese to save a little on calories/fat. My recipe made 16 mini tots and yes my calorie calculation for the above burger + 16 tots was under 500 calories. It was delicious and super filling.