By Rachel Venokur-Clark •
September 14, 2009
Going Meatless on Mondays doesn’t have to mean deprivation of all your favorite foods. By making some simple changes to recipes, you can easily swap out the animal products for vegan options. Here is a simple veganized muffin recipe, so you can start your Meatless Monday off with delicious, healthy, energizing and decadent baked good.
Tibetan Goji Berries are regarded in Tibet as the “Fruit of Longevity and Well Being”. Goji berries have been traditionally regarded as a food that offers your body longevity, strength-building, and sexual potency. Goji’s are a complete protein source and a low calorie snack that strengthens your immune system, increases energy and helps to curb cravings. It has one of the highest antioxidant contents in all food, which helps to fight free radicals, keeping you young and vibrant. Goji’s contain 18 amino acids, vitamin C, beta-carotene, 20 rare trace minerals, vitamin B1, B2 and B6 and vitamin E.
In honor of this Meatless Monday, let’s boost our energy, keep ourselves looking and feeling young and chow down on some delicious vegan, anti-aging muffins.
In the latest edition of Veg News, there is a small article discussing the quandary a Plant Based eater may face when trying to pair a fabulous wine with a fabulous vegan meal. Unlike our omnivore friends, plant based eaters don’t get to follow the age-old rule of “red is for meat and white is for fish”. So simple for the meat eaters, except it just doesn’t sound quite right when put into veggie terms. Can we really say “red is for seitan or texturized soy protein and white is for tofu and tofurky”? Selecting a wine to pair with your food can make a meal spectacular, or spoil the flavor of both the meal and the wine. Have no fear all you wine loving vegans, Denis Cotter, owner of Café Paridiso, serving seasonal and vegetarian fare in Ireland of all places, has put together some very easy pairings for us to rely on (along with some help of some wine experts). You, my thirsty friend, do not have to be wine expert to get the basics down.
As the dog days of summer come to an end, a 3 course, no cooking required meal sounds pretty good to me. Turn that stove off, shut down the oven, choose to go meatless this Monday and cool off with this appetizer, main course and dessert.
There is so much more to being healthy then simply what you eat. Sometimes, taking a moment to slow down and focus on “how” you eat can actually begin to make a difference in how you feel and possibly even in your weight. Healthy digestion begins in the mouth where the digestive enzymes in your saliva start to break down the food you are eating. When food is easier to digest, your body doesn’t have to work so hard on breaking down the food, and can focus instead on assimilating all those quality vitamins and nutrients you just ate. In order for this process to happen, you have to actually chew your food. Sounds simple right? Unfortunately in the fast paced, rush everywhere, do a million things at once kind of world we live in, most of us are lucky if we are able to scarf down a sandwich, while sending an email, talking on the phone, “tweating” and saving the world all at the same time. The experience of eating has changed and it’s time we stop swallowing our food whole and take back the joys of eating. Ladies and Gentleman let me reacquaint you with chewing and mindful eating.
Eating mindlessly can lead to overeating. When you are trying to accomplish a handful of things all at the same time, including eating, it takes your brain longer to connect with your stomach to register that it has eaten and just may be full. Chewing reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food. It also allows you to actually taste your food, leaving you and your brain more satisfied, and not looking for that extra something right after a meal. When you slow down and take the time to enjoy the eating experience with all your senses, you just may find you eat less and in the long run, may weigh less as well. Here are tips to help you get started.
According to the folks over at Eat This Not That, there are certain nutrients you should try to eat every day for optimum health. In case you needed a few more reasons to cut back on overly processed and animal based foods, all of the nutrients just happen to be found in natural plant based sources. Not only will you be helping your body by following these guidelines, but by choosing to eat a diet rich in plant based foods, you’ll be lowing your carbon footprint and saving the environment at the same time. It doesn’t get much better then that. Here’s a list of my top 5 of the recommended plant based foods, along with the nutrients they provide for your body and easy ways to start incorporating them into your diet today.
B vitamins help to regulate the sex organs, which directly correlate with the amount of sex hormone that is released in the body. Vitamin B deficiencies can lead to lethargy and fatigue, which usually means more sleep and rest is needed, not sex. B’s also play a large role in brain function and cognition and may be useful in relieving minor depression and anxiety. Each specific B vitamin offers your body something different in regard to your overall health as well as your sex health. Vegan’s need to pay especially close attention to their B intake, especially B12, to ensure that their entire B vitamin needs is met. Also, as we age, this specific nutrient is not absorbed as well as it is when we are young. Those sexy elders need to keep an eye on their B levels as well if they want to keep the passion alive in the bedroom.
It is quite easy to meet all your B needs with a plant based diet, as long you are paying attention to what you are putting in your mouth. Ideally, you always want to get your vitamins directly from your food, but if you find yourself stranded in the desert, far from a grocery store, you can always supplement with a B complex. Since each B delivers different health and sex related fun to our bodies, here is a breakdown of each with specific sexy veggie food choices for that particular B.
In my article Vegetarian Sex Health- Sexy Veggie Food for Sexual Enhancement, I explained how simple it is to eat vegetarian or vegan and still get all the vitamins and minerals you need for a healthy sex life. I will be posting some “Sexy Veggie Recipes” that incorporate these sexy foods so you can get started cooking healthier, eating greener and getting your groove on tonight.
Through the ages, food and sex have been linked together, all the way back to Garden of Eden. Today, it seems so simple to fix sexual health issues with a little pill, but when we take a deeper look, your overall health and wellness can have a huge effect on your sex life. It’s important to go back in time, say goodbye to your pharmacist for the time being and reexamine the links between food and sex right there at your local grocery store.
Old school aphrodisiacs were often chosen as such due to their shape or resemblance to certain body parts, as well as for the chemical reactions that take place in the body when eaten. Today, research shows that certain aphrodisiac foods do contain vitamins and minerals that can help to enhance your overall sexual vitality. As a vegetarian or vegan, getting enough of these nutrients can ensure that your evenings will be filled with excitement and pleasure. There is a plethora of healthy, sexy and vegetarian food for you to choose from to get your groove on tonight.
It is very easy to misjudge portion sizes. We get super-sized portions while dining out and most of us do not take the time to measure out what a true serving size looks like when we cook at home. Portion control can be your key to permanent weight loss or weight control. Before your next meal check this list from WebMD of foods, serving sizes and visual clues. Check in with yourself and see how many servings you are actually eating in one sitting.
Summer is upon us. The plants are in full bloom, and the sun feels great on your skin. The longer days give you more energy. There are barbecues, beaches and pool parties with your name written all over them! Since you will be spending all that time soaking up the sun, there a few facts you may be happy to know about sunlight and the healing powers of Vitamin D. Vitamin D has gone on for years as the single most underrated nutrient and only recently did it begin to get it’s moment in the spotlight. Research is showing that Vitamin D is known to help prevent osteoporosis, depression, prostrate and breast cancer and even affects diabetes and obesity. If that is not enough to get you to throw your bikini on, maybe these facts from “The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D-an exclusive interview with Dr. Michael Holick”, by Mike Adams will help persuade you.
