Tag: healthy eating

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Healthy Eating – Vegetarian Eating- Were We Born This Way?

World Vegetarian day is October 1st, and so is my birthday.  Coincidence? Probably not.

Is it possible we are born to be vegetarian? I’m convinced I was born this way because even as a small child, if I just started thinking about the animal who I was eating, I’d have to push my plate away. I could not enjoy meat while thinking about what the animal might have suffered.

The group think is that humans are designed to eat meat. After all, isn’t it said that we evolved more rapidly during the meat-eating paleo days? Aren’t we hunters before gatherers?

Looking at our digestive system might give us a different view. While the data points below vary according to the source, it appears that the digestive systems of herbivores and humans are more closely linked.

  • Saliva – Carnivores and omnivores do not have enzymes in their saliva to digest carbohydrates, whereas herbivores and humans do.
  • Acidity – The stomach acidity of carnivores and omnivores is higher than herbivores and humans.
  • Intestines – The combined small and large intestines of carnivores and omnivores is 3 to 6 times the length of the body, where herbivores and humans have intestines that are 5-10 times the length of the body.
  • Colon – The colons of carnivores and omnivores are short and smooth; the colons of herbivores and humans is long and sometimes sacculated (a medical term meaning a structure formed by a group of sacs).
  • Kidney – Carnivores and omnivores have highly concentrated urine where herbivores and humans have moderately concentrated urine.
  • Teeth – Carnivores and omnivores have many sharp teeth for ripping into flesh, while herbivores and humans have more flat teeth better suited to grind plants.

 Living in harmony with our design by eating more of the foods that our bodies were born to digest is a more biological approach to good health and a robust immune system. So, even if you aren’t ready to eat vegetarian all the time, I invite you to celebrate World Vegetarian Day and my birthday on October 1st with these recipes, or by serving up your favorite veggie meal.

Vegan “Meatloaf” 

Makes 4-6 Servings

This is my version of a popular online vegan meatloaf recipe. I’ve simplified it a bit. You can play with this recipe by adding veggies you have on hand, or by increasing the oats to give it a firmer texture. One of my clients served this “meatloaf” to a family member who refused to believe it was vegan!

Ingredients

1 large minced onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

8-10 ounces minced mushrooms

1 large minced carrot

3 cups cooked green lentils

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons low-sodium tamari

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground sage

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt to taste – optional

1/4 to 1/2 cup organic barbecue sauce or ketchup

Garnish with fresh herbs if desired

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a sauté pan or wok, cook the onions for a few minutes on medium-high heat until they begin to soften. The moisture of the veggies should prevent sticking. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, if needed. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and carrots, and continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft.

In a medium bowl, mix the cooked lentils, oats, nutritional yeast, tamari, paprika, black pepper, rosemary, onion powder, dry mustard, and sage.  Drain the veggies if the mixture is too wet before adding them to the bowl of lentils and spices, and stir until it becomes somewhat sticky. A sticky consistency means it is ready for the loaf pan.

Coat the bottom of a loaf pan with 1/4 cup (or less) of ketchup or barbecue sauce, then add the vegetable and bean mixture. Try to level the surface before spreading another thick layer of ketchup or barbecue sauce on top.

Bake for 1 hour. Allow this dish to cool a bit. It cuts MUCH better when it has had time to cool and set.

Healthy Eating – Vegetarian Eating- Were We Born This Way?
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Springing to life with Vitamin D

I have a confession to make. I’ve been overdosing on vitamin D all winter.

How does one get extreme doses of the sunshine hormone? One way is spending lots of time outside in the light. Five to fifteen minutes of midday sun exposure can be enough to meet many people’s vitamin D needs. That is the other part of my confession. I’ve been wintering in our Florida bungalow, walking, biking, and paddling outside for much more than 15 minutes each day. I must admit, it’s been nice—except that I didn’t even see snow this winter.

Sunshine indulgence is not without its effects. The immune system greatly benefits from healthy doses of vitamin D, which is not just a vitamin. Vitamin D is a hormone the kidneys produce that controls blood calcium concentration and elevates the immune system.

Our friends at The Physicians Committee tell us that vitamin D consumption and supplementation may reduce the risk for viral infections, including respiratory tract infections, by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory compounds in the body. Increased vitamin D in the blood has been linked to the prevention of chronic diseases including tuberculosis, hepatitis, and cardiovascular disease.

Food sources of vitamin D include mushrooms, fortified cereals, plant-based milk substitutes, and supplements.

As we emerge from what some have called a dark winter, and bounce into the season of renewal—ripe with opportunities to enjoy nature—we might feel like we are springing to life.

Wishing you all a beautiful spring and Easter to those who celebrate. May the recipes I share with you liven up your holiday tables!

DRUNKEN MUSHROOM NOODLES


Makes 4 servings

All mushrooms contain some vitamin D, but mushrooms have a distinctive ability to increase vitamin D amounts with UV light or sunlight exposure. Like humans, mushrooms naturally produce vitamin D following exposure to sunlight or a sunlamp. For the maximum amount of nutrition, eat the darker varieties.

This dish is a cross between Thai drunken noodles and stroganoff. I was recently inspired to create this recipe when I had leftover lasagna noodles, lots of portabellas in the fridge and not much else.

8 ounces of pre-cooked noodles (I cut leftover lasagna noodles into strips.)

1 medium onion, chopped

8 ounces of mushrooms, chopped (about 4 portabella mushroom caps)

3 garlic cloves, chopped (3 teaspoons minced garlic)

1 cup warm vegetable broth in a medium jar or bowl

3 tablespoons liquid aminos

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1 teaspoon ground sage

1 teaspoon basil

½ teaspoon pepper

Salt to taste, optional

Vegan sour cream, optional

Heat vegetable broth and liquid aminos in a small sauté pan or add to a medium bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk in the cornstarch or arrowroot powder until it has dissolved. Then add the sage, basil, pepper and salt, if using. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, cook onions for three to four minutes or until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes. Stirring often, add the seasoned broth and cook down until the liquid evaporates. Once the vegetables have caramelized, add the cooked noodles and mix thoroughly.

Serve with vegan sour cream, if using. (It adds creaminess, but I skipped
this option.)

QUICK RICE PUDDING– A PCRM recipe

Makes 4 servings

This is not only a wholesome sweet treat, the fortified soy milk in this recipe will boost the sunshine you hold inside.

1 ½ cups plain or vanilla soy milk

1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder

2 cups cooked brown rice

¼ cup maple syrup

1/3 cup raisins

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

Pour soy milk into a medium saucepan and add the cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Add the rice, maple syrup, raisins, and cinnamon, and cook over medium heat.

Cook the rice pudding for three minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla and almond extracts.

Serve hot or cold. Top the pudding with sliced bananas for extra flavor and nutrition.

Healthy Eating – Springing to life with Vitamin D
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Tapping into a Delicious Life in No Time Flat

Can’t remember when or how I first heard about EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Tapping. It was about 5 years ago when I was in massive download mode and a sponge to all things related to living a more delicious life.

I went on to become a certified health coach with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition ( Want to Become a Certified Health Coach? ) and a licensed independent educator with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I love teaching others the why and how of incorporating more healthy whole plant foods into their diet. It’s even more powerful when helping someone fully transition to a healthy whole food vegan diet. But often, a level of sweeping change comes from an emergency or struggle, like a heart attack, type 2 diabetes diagnosis or severe complications arising from a chronic disease. Whether the decision to make a lifestyle pivot comes from a place of urgency or not, it’s our mind and emotional body that will determine the level of lasting change.

Enter EFT Tapping. First, I must quickly gush about my recent week at the Omega Institute in upstate New York. I was there for professional training, being taught by one of the foremost EFT experts alive on the planet today, Dawson Church. Want to keep this blog shorter and sweeter for you, but Omega is worthy of its own post. AMAZING setting, quaint cabins, scenery, people and programs. The bonanza of locally grown plant-based meal options made my taste buds and body swoon. Worth Googling, if that sort of thing interests you. Back to Tapping.

What does EFT Tapping do? As you are tapping on meridian end points, areas of the body where acupressure/ acupuncture points converge, the tapping protocol calms the amygdala, a set of almond shaped “organs” in your brain that regulate emotions, especially fight or flight responses. In modern life, many of us live in some state of fight or flight most of the time. Traffic, deadlines, bills and bosses stress us out and flood our blood stream with cortisol, the fight or flight hormone. As you tap, you are also addressing different aspects of the issues that are presenting, breaking through emotional blocks and barriers. In a nutshell, tapping combines ancient acupressure with modern psychology to calm the nervous system, which opens up the potential to rewrite your story (and history) from a different point of view. It has been scientifically proven to be highly effective in transmuting cravings, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, pain and more. Continue reading “Tapping into a Delicious Life in No Time Flat”

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Coaches Catapult Results

Last night my sister texted me a selfie of her attending the Cincinnati Master’s. She’s a tennis fanatic and was over the moon to be there live watching (the mostly vegan) Wimbledon winner, Novak Djokovic. Sports can be riveting! Watching athletes push themselves toward greatness, breathtaking. It’s always inspiring to hear about their journeys. Focus, drive and determination are consistent themes… as is a coach. Athletes are blessed with great physical gifts, but it’s not enough. Beside each of them is a coach. A coach draws on their experience, an outside perspective and expertise in their sport. Their direction is a compass on the road to greatness.

Now I’m not going to lead you to a gold medal or Wimbledon win, but what if I guided you to a more exhilarating life? I think this a natural parallel for me as a certified health coach and educator. I draw on not only my 20 + years of leadership in corporate America and my certifications in nutrition and wellness, but my personal experience in transitioning to a whole food plant-based diet.

For instance, when I switched abruptly to a meatless diet and substituted eggs and cheese for other protein, it wasn’t all clearer mind, brighter colors and feeling like I could take on the world. Much to my chagrin, a few months later, I was puffier, foggier, chubbier, stressed and irritable. I also suffered horrible bladder infections. Overall, I was just feeling crappy, but couldn’t go back to eating meat. Continue reading “Coaches Catapult Results”

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