for cholesterol and glucose. Turns out veganism is treating me quite well. High cholesterol runs in my family, but it looks like I’ve conquered my genes!

glucose

My glucose level (after I had already eaten, which raises your level) was 60. Normal levels are between 60 and 110 if you’ve been fasting, and 140 if you’ve eaten. Not bad! If I keep this up, I see no diabetes in my future. One less thing to worry about.

Good ways of keeping your glucose levels normal are to consume 40% of your calories from carbs, 30-35% from fat, eat healthy proteins, and keep track of your caloric intake. Being vegan, you’re already way ahead of the game. But once again, I must stress, that there are unhealthy vegans, so don’t get the majority of your calories from processed foods. If you stick with the whole foods: plants, fruits, nuts and grains as your base, you should be just fine.

cholesterol

When they tested my cholesterol I registered as “LOW.” She said, “Either I didn’t get enough blood from you, or you just have really good cholesterol.” So, we tested a second time with the same results. Looks like I have really good cholesterol! Unfortunately, the test was not very specific, so I didn’t get to find out what my good cholesterol (HDL) versus bad (LDL) was. All I know is that my overall cholesterol level is below 150. How much below? It didn’t say. But total cholesterol should be between 135 and 200. Score!

Veganism is great for lowering your cholesterol because you’re not consuming any animal products, which is where all cholesterol comes from. And the vegan diet is filled with cholesterol-lowering foods. According to this cholesterol pamphlet in front of me, the cholesterol-lowering diet consists of “ample servings of fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products… low in meats, high-fat dairy products and processed foods- all of which contain high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol.” It also says “Cut back on foods high in saturated fats, which can raise your bad cholesterol level more than anything you eat. Animal products are a major source of these fats.”

However, it does note that coconut oil, palm-kernel oil, palm oil and cocoa butter contain saturated fat, so use these sparingly.

It also says increase the fiber you eat, particularly soluble fiber, such as cereal, grains, peas, and many fruits and vegetables. Plant substances called stanols and sterols are known to lower LDL cholesterol.

So really, give yourselves a pat on the back. By being vegan, you’re doing wonders for your cholesterol and glucose levels, as well as your overall health!

Raw update: I successfully went all raw for 9 days and loved it. My body feels clean. Yesterday, for my birthday, I went off my raw streak and had Thai food (rice noodles and veggies in black bean sauce) and drank wine and had a sugar-filled cookie. So delicious. But this morning I woke up and felt terrible. I hadn’t slept well. Too much salt, too much Louis Jadot Beaujolais (fantastic vegan wine), too much sugar … I felt bloated and irritable. So that gave me motivation to stick with the raw diet. I don’t plan on being 100% raw, but I’ll definitely incorporate a lot more raw food into my diet. I can’t wait to see how I feel after a few months. I feel bad for people who grew up during times when everything was cooked for safety. My dad said his mom used to over cook everything. She was a dietitian and was very conscious of good health. But fresh foods just weren’t considered safe because of germs and diseases and pesticides. But now we have wonderful organic food in our stores and need to take advantage of that.

So, what are sources of raw protein?

• cashews
• almonds
• brazil nuts
• hazel nuts
• macadamia nuts
• pecans
• walnuts
• oatmeal
• chickpeas
• green peas
• spinach
• kale
• broccoli
• peanuts
• lentils
• sunflower seeds
• spirulina

Spirulina, an algae, is the ultimate best source of protein (yes, better than animal protein). But where can you find it?

It is a supplement generally taken in pill form or added to food. You can add spirulina powder to your smoothies!

What do I eat?

I like to start my morning off with my wheatgrass shot and a little bowl of raw oats and flaxseed in milk. I also love making smoothies. Blueberries, banana, strawberries, clementines, peaches, cherries… I like to mix it up. Even when they’re out of season you can use frozen fruits- they still count as raw and maintain their nutrition. Throw them in a blender. Delicious. Sometimes I’ll add a splash of oat, hazelnut, hemp, almond or some other milk. I eat fresh fruit, dried fruit, lots of fresh spinach and salads. I’ve made raw hummus, pesto, marinara… various sauces, which I pour over veggies, like shredded carrots, green beans and broccoli sprouts. Using olive oil is a great way to get some healthy fat. I get a raw trail mix that contains seeds, nuts, and dried fruit that I bring to work. I LOVE raw cashews. Figs and dates are divine. I’ve switched most of my coffee for tea. And I use hot water for the tea, but not boiling. I try out new recipes whenever I can from Raw Truth: The Art of Preparing Living Foods and Living in the Raw: Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle.

Ani Phyo also has intruiging recipes that I want to try.
I finally got a food processor (for my birthday) so I can make a lot more stuff.

I love sprouts. Sometimes I’ll thaw frozen peas or other veggies during the day so I can use them for dinner at night. I also love adding avocado to things. The raw lasagna I made is soooo good. And My acid reflux has gotten so much better since I went raw. Odd since raw food is usually harder on the stomach. But these foods are also known to have great healing effects, and I guess that’s what’s happening. I get so much less salt (I rarely add it to anything) and sugar (I use mostly fructose) and just feel much more energized with raw food. I also find I need less sleep with raw food. And the sleep I do get is very deep.

Downside: It can get expensive with buying so much organic, and having to shop more often for fresh foods. So I need to figure out what I can get at the regular grocery store for cheaper, versus Wild Oats, so I can afford to stick with this lifestyle. Because so far it seems very worth it.

prep time: 30-45 min.
Oooh so good. Best raw dish I’ve had so far. No pasta involved, but man oh man is it full of flavor!

note: you will need a food processor for this.

Base:

• 2 C almonds, soaked 12-48 hours and blanched
• 1.5 C sunflower seeds, soaked and rinsed
• 3 stalks celery, or a few branches of broccoli
• 1 C fresh basil
• 1.5 tsp sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic

Process all ingredients though a food processor using the “s” blade. In a glass rectangular dish, spread the base and pat lightly.

Topping:

• 1.5 C sund-dried tomatoes, soaked 1 hour (save soak water)
  • note: I used Bella Sun Luci sun dried tomatoes in olive oil and herbs and it added wonderful flavor
• 1 C fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic

Process sun-dried tomatoes in a blender (or food processor) with a little soak water and blend until the consistency of icing. Add basil and garlic; blend to make a spread. Spread topping onto base and garnish with fresh parsley.

For many more amazing recipes like this one, get this fabulous book:

I just watched an HBO documentary called I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and Peta. I highly highly recommend that everyone watch it. It’s educational and, yes, upsetting. I started bawling a few times. It gives a taste of the cruelties inflicted upon animals that happen every day, that we are fortunate enough to turn a blind eye to most of the time. But Ingrid Newkirk, the founder of Peta, forces her eyes open and does everything in her power to help these defenseless creatures. And she has made a monumental difference. She has helped alter the ways of many companies. The big changes are great, but no gesture is too small. Even if that means saving just one turkey out of the thousands that are murdered each day at Butterball. If only more people in the world had the compassion that she does.

She put it well when she said, I didn’t choose to be this way, it just happened. I can absolutely relate to that. I’ve always been very compassionate towards animals. Who knows where it came from, but I have it. And I’m glad. It means I care enough to give a voice to animals that have none. Some people are just more sensitive. Some people are able to understand that animals do have feelings. They are not here for our fashion statements and our veal parmesan. I mean, if we can survive perfectly well without murdering animals for sustenanse, why the hell wouldn’t we? Why is it so hard for others to get that? How many times do I have to hear people say, “I see what you’re saying, but I love a big juicy steak.”

It’s one thing to come from a small farm where you know the animals had a good life… even then I don’t think I’d have the heart to eat an animal. But it’s quite another during this time of mass production, where there are so many animals, with little space and little time to kill them humanely. I mean, are humans so desensitized that this doesn’t bother them? Why is it such a small percentage of the human race that actually tries to avoid animal products? Oh yeah, it’s inconvenient, isn’t it? To the undercover researchers that work for Peta, I am filled with gratitude. You put your lives on the line. You take jobs in slaughterhouses for months at a time, forcing yourselves to participate in the slaughter of animals, so you can get footage showing just how horribly inhumane these companies are. To show how much suffering these animals endure, often times for sheer entertainment of the slaughterhouse workers. Tell me what is funny about ripping a turkey’s leg off while it’s still alive? Or sitting on one as it struggles and suffers under the body weight? What a cruel world we live in. It’s no wonder the people at Peta and the ALF go to extreme measures to stop animal abuse. The less extreme measures often bear no results.

I’m generally not preachy on my posts, but I just get so filled with emotion that I need to express it. This is why I’m a vegan. Even the thought of someone trying to skin my cat for her fur brings tears to my eyes. And to think that many of these animals are skinned while they’re still alive!!! So they can feel the flesh ripping from their bodies.

People who take in pets only to mistreat and neglect them. People who are mindlessly separating the meat in their burger from the cow that gave its life. From the tortured baby cow that gave you the veal in your high end restaurant. How can I not speak out? How do we separate our pets from the animals that are cruelly tested on and slaughtered? I just don’t get it. It does not make sense to me. I wish all the world was as confused about this as I am, and other vegans are. What a difference it would make. If there is a just God out there, I only hope he is able to prevent animals from feeling the horrible pain and torture that is inflicted upon them.

Here’s a food pyramid not enough people know about. If you’re going to go raw, or even just plan on adding more raw food into your diet, which I highly recommend, you’ll want to use this pyramid as a guide. This is taken from Raw Truth: The Art of Preparing Living Foods. I took the liberty of recreating it for you.

My all-raw experience is going quite well thus far. I need to learn more recipes though. Thank goodness for this book. And also for Ani Phyo. A former pastry chef who went all raw and makes some amazing dishes. She’s pretty inspirational.

When you’re searching for gifts for your loved ones this holiday season (or whenever you’re inclined to give gifts), you obviously want to get them something they will like. But you might also be inclined to get them something that, in addition, supports your moral and/or dietary choices. And I must give props to VegNews, once again, for coming up with a fantastic vegan shopping guide. I’ll highlight some of their recommendations, which I particularly liked, here.

Allison’s Gourmet
801.361.8292
Vegan organic gourmet award-winning (deep breath) brownies,
cookies, fudge, hot fudge, chocolates, caramels, caramel sauce,
peanut butter cups, and more! AND your resource for the only
vegan cookie and brownie of the month clubs. AND voted “Best
Online Vegan Bakery” in 2006 Veggie Awards. Wow!

Alternaive Outfitters
866.758.5837
I personally am a big fan of this site. It’s a vegan boutique.
All cruelty-free apparel. Get the look of fashionable leather
without the mean.

Raw Food Chef
800.816.2319
I’m hoping for a kitchen appliance from here.
Get your raw food appliances, books, DVDs
and much more.

Frey Wine & laroccavineyards.com
800.760.3739 & 800.808.9463
Looking for a good bottle of wine? How about wine from
companies that are certified organic and vegan?

Choose Well Travel
832.724.3308
This vegan owned-and-operated company donates 10%
of their profits to organizations fighting animal exploitation
and advocates animal rights.

Animal Place
707.449.4814
The $25 Foster Parent Gift Package helps the rescued
farm animals at this sanctuary. You can pick cows, chickens,
rabbits and others to “adopt.”

Sauce Goddess
858.272.6205
Vegan gourmet sauces and spice rubs. all natural, and
preservative-free.

Mary Dorsch Pottery
408.646.3911
This vegan owned-and-operated company is certified
green and carbon neutral. They make teapots, bowls,
mugs, and casseroles.

The Sensual Vegan
Cruelty-free vegan items for the intimate times. Lubricants,
massage oils, vegan condoms and dams, high-quality adult
toys, etc.

Eating raw vegan foods is believed to be incredibly healthy. Since the food remains uncooked, you don’t lose the nutrients and enzymes in the food. I see it as the antithesis of “empty calories.” Supposedly you can cook food up to 106 degrees F. But after that, the food will start to break down and lose nutrients. Cooked food also contains toxins. Today is day 1 of me going purely raw. I will be eating only raw food for the next 9 days. A fun, educating challenge. I am unable to fly home to visit my family for Thanksgiving, and my boyfriend will be away seeing his family and friends. So, sadly, I will not be partaking in the usual Thanksgiving festivities (though I plan on making those amazing recipes once I’m done with this all-raw challenge). Thanksgiving temptation averted. So last night I went to Wild Oats and stocked up on raw nuts, veggies, fruits, sprouts and seeds.

For the most part I’d say I’m a healthy eater. Being vegan, I eat mostly vegetables. I have my shot of wheatgrass every morning. I take my Alive! Whole Food Multi. But there are still areas I could be healthier. For one, I have a sweet tooth. I’m a sucker for soy and rice ice creams, vegan cookies and chocolate. The only sugar I’ll be getting for the next 9 days is via fruit. I also love coffee. I drink it almost every day. I will be banning coffee during this raw mission. And alcohol. I am also ridding myself of soymilk because I’m trying to lessen my soy intake. If I want milk I’ll drink almond milk, oat milk, or some other alternative. I found some easy recipes for almond milk, like this one here.

There’s still a lot I don’t know about going raw. This will be quite a learning experience. I just discovered that not all dried fruit is raw. Some fruits are cooked before they are dried. Same with frozen veggies. Though frozen fruits are generally considered acceptable. So if you plan on taking on the raw food venture, it’s a good idea to do some reading on the subject.

Here’s a link to the Vegan Society’s discussion and advice for the raw vegan diet.

And here are some links for raw vegan recipes, etc:
http://www.thegardendiet.com/
http://rawveganrecipes.com/
http://www.living-foods.com/recipes/
http://rawveg.info/
http://www.raw.veganbodybuilding.org/recipes.htm
Interested in listening to Raw Vegan Radio? Go here. Very interesting and informative.

It’s that time of year! I love the fall. Not only is it the season of mine birth, but it’s also the season of Thanksgiving. Fresh, delicious food galore. I haven’t partaken in a “typical” Thanksgiving meal since I was 12 years old. And to this day, as I approach a ripe 25, I still have to convince my grandmother that I’m not going to eat any turkey. Even after she says “Just take a bite. I won’t tell anyone!” Very cute. And aggravating. Aside from that, I was able to eat most everything else on the table. Until I turned vegan.

Never fear! vegan recipes are here! We do not need to starve this holiday season. No, no. We will stuff ourselves silly with healthy, animally lacking goodies. And love it. Oh, and I would like to begin with this link http://www.slashfood.com/2006/11/21/tackling-the-tofurkey/ about Tofurkey. This person had a similarly unpleasant experience to mine. With that in mind, if anyone knows how to successfully make a Tofurkey, do share.

Let’s begin!

STUFFING

5 cups bread cubes
1 1/2 cups wild and brown rice mix, cooked
1 cup onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1/4 cup fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, etc)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth

Preheat over to 375.
Saute onions and celery until soft.
Mix everything together.
Bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered until top is browned.
__________________________________________________________________________

VEGAN GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Beans
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon table salt (Alanna says it’s essential)
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

Bring the water to boil in a large pot. While it’s heating, cut up the beans. Add the salt and beans to the boiling water. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. Drain beans in a colander, and then spray for a minute with cold water to stop the cooking. Let them drain in the colander, shaking every now and then to get off all the water.

Sauce
10 ounces mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Fresh pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon dry sherry
3/4 cup soy creamer (or full-fat unsweetened soymilk)

Trim and discard the mushroom stems and chop the mushrooms into pieces. Spray a non-stick pan with canola oil and heat it. Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are very soft and exude their juices. Whisk the flour into the vegetable broth and add to the mushrooms along with the sherry. Simmer, stirring, until mixture thickens. Add the soy creamer and simmer until thick, about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and stir in the beans.

Topping
1 1/2 slices whole grain bread
1 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/16 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3-ounce can of French fried onions

Put the bread, margarine, salt, and pepper into a food processor and pulse until crumbly.
Pour into a bowl and add the onions. Stir to combine.

To assemble:
Put the green beans into an oiled casserole dish and top with the onion mixture. Bake at 425 F for about 15 minutes. If you are not serving this right away, refrigerate the topping separately. Bring to room temperature before sprinkling the topping on the casserole and baking for about 20 minutes or until hot throughout.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/11/best-vegan-green-bean-casserole.html

_____________________________________________________________________________________

ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

12-14 garlic cloves (to taste), unpeeled
4 lbs. potatoes (preferably yukon golds), peeled, and cut into cubes
2/3 cup soy milk, rice milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice
salt and white pepper, to taste
2 T. freshly snipped chives
paprika, for garnish

Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a pie pan and bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cloves are soft. Remove the pie pan from the oven and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a large pot, place the cubed potatoes, cover them with water, and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes, saving the cooking liquid for use in the mashed potatoes, and the remaining cooking liquid can be used in soups or sauces. Transfer the drained potatoes to a mixer (or return to the large pot if using a hand mixer or potato masher) and set aside for 5 minutes to dry. Using your fingers, squeeze the cloves of garlic from their skins, and place them in a small bowl. Using a fork, mash the cloves of garlic to form a paste. Add the mashed garlic, soy milk, sprinkle with a little salt and white pepper, and whip the potatoes until smooth. Add a little of the reserved potato cooking liquid, if needed, to achieve a creamy consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a large bowl, sprinkle with the snipped chives and a little paprika before serving.
Yield: 2 Quarts or 6-8 servings

http://www.veganchef.com/rgmp.htm
_____________________________________________________________________________________

FRESH CRANBERRY RELISH

Ingredients:
2 large navel oranges
4 cups (1 pound) fresh cranberries
2 unpared red apples, cored
2 cups water
Peel oranges; reserve half of 1 peel. Chop oranges coarsely. Wash cranberries; drain and remove stems. Put cranberries, apples and reserved peel through the coarse blade of a food chopper or use food processor. Add oranges and sugar; mix well. Refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving. Makes 1 quart.

http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/cranberries.html

If anyone has any other Thanksgivingy recipes they’d like to share, please comment!

My boyfriend made me some delicious, flavorful pasta fagioli last night. Yum yum!

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
• a dash of crushed red pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1/2 C pasta
• salt to taste
• oregano to taste

Saut

Sodium is essential for the body to stay hydrated. It is the mineral that puts water into our cells. It is also necessary for transmitting nerve impulse, and influencing the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Important stuff. But as you probably are aware, most people get too much sodium. People that really need to worry about getting enough sodium are endurance athletes. They need more salt because of excessive sweating.

Deficiency, which is rare, can cause hyponatremia, an electrolyte disturbance, characterized by lethargy, confusion, muscle twitching, seizures and coma.

The minimum requirement is 500 mg a day. The average American gets 3,000 - 5,000 mg per day. Getting too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and edema (swelling in the tissues due to excess fluid). High intakes of sodium can also cause osteoporosis because you end up losing more calcium via your urine. Vegans can easily get too much sodium as well. For example, the Boca Burger contains 280 mg of sodium. A Boca Chik’n Patty has 430 mg of sodium. And let’s not forget about the soy sauce on our veggies, which is around 920 mg per tablespoon (reduced sodium is around 700 mg), vegetable bouillon (987 mg per half cube), the salt in hummus, on popcorn, in soup… It’s all over!

If you’re ever in need of a “salty” substitute, I recommend Mrs. Dash. It comes in an assortment of flavors and tastes like salt. It’s made up of a blend of spices and can really add a world of flavor to your dishes. Total sodium: 0 mg.