"Oh God, the vegan people are coming!" What do we do!?
This book is next on my reading list! I know it's a recipe book but if you actually sit down and read a recipe book you might commit some of the dishes to memory!
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Book Review Plenty: "One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally"
I am nearing the end of an incredible journey with a couple in their mid-thirties who has thrived on eating only food within 100 miles of their home. The lessons they have learned and the wisdom they have shared with their readers is life changing to anyone who chooses to flip through the pages of their year long adventure through farmlands and personal struggle with each other.
"Despite eating more than ever before, out culture may be the only one in human history to value food so little."
I hold this to be true as well, in certain areas of the world. For example, the city that is becoming my new home, Portland, and greater parts of Oregon and Washington both have strong communities that take into consideration how are food effects our environment and ourselves.
"Our inability to feed the world is not an agricultural failure; it is a failure both of imagination and of kindness"
I am a huge advocate for ending child hunger, it saddens me to learn about the hundreds of children who are not sure if they get to eat today. I have seen and heard the excuses about crops failing and not having the ability to distribute the food, but frankly it is all bull crap. Now, the excerpt behind this quote was that we throw away food or leave food in the dirt that is still perfectly capable of being turned into a meal. We are losing our imagination to create beautiful and nutritious food out of the greens of a radish or squash blossoms.
"A study in the Untied kingdom showed that the amount of time people now spend driving to the supermarket, looking for parking, and wandering the lengthy aisles in search of frozen pizzas or pre-mixed salads is nearly equal to that spent preparing food from scratch twenty years ago."
Having a farmers market near your home (particularly within walking distance) is quite a blessing. I have been trying to avoid corporate grocery stores as much as possible and make all my salads, and pizzas from scratch. FYI: making a pizza from scratch on your Friday night is way more fun than ordering it or sliding a boxed pizza in the oven!
I have come to find that books about food can be very educational and entertaining at the same time. This book cost me $7.99 in the kindle store and I plan to read more in due time.
Food I Did Not Know Existed + Vita Cafe Restaurant Review
This past week, one of my friends took me to a vegetarian restaurant (how sweet) and I was amazed at the options available to vegetarians. The restaurant is called Vita Cafe, and is in the Lloyd District of Portland on NW Alberta Street. This particular street is fun to walk down on any day. It has adorable little shops, and there is a Salt & Straw which is reason all on its own to go there!
Anyways, I ordered the Seitan Cheese Steak. When I got my food I was first not convinced that it wasn't meat so I had take a few bites because it looked pretty convincing. But it was so soft and tender and had the same texture as shredded tofu.
Here is where the new "vegetarian vocabulary" begins.
The steak was not steak, nor was it tofu, it was a product called Seitan. I had never heard of it before so when I was ordering I figured it was maybe a style of cooking, or a way that they sandwich is put together. When I learned what it is (thanks to the mini dictionary on the back of the menu) I was like "where have you been all my life and where can I find you more often". Quoting the menu "Seitan (pronounced SAY-tan) is derived from the gluten in wheat. It is used as a "mock meat" alternative in vegetarian and vegan diets. It has virtually no carbohydrates or fat in it, just lots of protein". The sandwich was delicious, I prefer it over normal steak because it was much easier to consume.
Not only is it worth it to go back because of the delicious food but Vita Cafe is committed to giving back to the community and reducing their impact on the environment by using locally produced, organic foods. In addition, they have created a building that composts (like most of Portland), uses biodegradable and recyclable containers, and they purchase 100% of their power from renewable energy sources.
I know I will be eating here more often to support everything they work for!
Anyways, I ordered the Seitan Cheese Steak. When I got my food I was first not convinced that it wasn't meat so I had take a few bites because it looked pretty convincing. But it was so soft and tender and had the same texture as shredded tofu.
Here is where the new "vegetarian vocabulary" begins.
The steak was not steak, nor was it tofu, it was a product called Seitan. I had never heard of it before so when I was ordering I figured it was maybe a style of cooking, or a way that they sandwich is put together. When I learned what it is (thanks to the mini dictionary on the back of the menu) I was like "where have you been all my life and where can I find you more often". Quoting the menu "Seitan (pronounced SAY-tan) is derived from the gluten in wheat. It is used as a "mock meat" alternative in vegetarian and vegan diets. It has virtually no carbohydrates or fat in it, just lots of protein". The sandwich was delicious, I prefer it over normal steak because it was much easier to consume.
 |
| Take a look at their website here |
Not only is it worth it to go back because of the delicious food but Vita Cafe is committed to giving back to the community and reducing their impact on the environment by using locally produced, organic foods. In addition, they have created a building that composts (like most of Portland), uses biodegradable and recyclable containers, and they purchase 100% of their power from renewable energy sources.
I know I will be eating here more often to support everything they work for!
One Month Check Up!
It has been a little over a month since I made the decision to cut out meat product from my diet. Here is a little snip of how my health has been effected.
Protein Deficiency
Because I am not yet in expert in the vegetarian world on how to be sure I am getting all of the nutrients my body needs I have been neglecting my protein needs. The amount of protein you need in a day depends upon your own height, weight, and body type; the number is different for everyone. The U.S Department of Agriculture recommends that all men and women over the age of 19 get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (or 0.37 grams per pound). I weigh 145 pounds so I need about 54 grams of protein per day.
I decided to research the signs of protein deficiency to see if I had any and sure enough I was guilty of almost everything on the list. Here's my bad side effects.....
#1 Constant Cravings:
I crave bread (and pasta of course) , and think I need a lot of it all the time to make up for other nutrient losses that I would normally get from meat. This in not necessarily bad but I have to be careful to make sure that the breads I am consuming are whole grains.
The bad is that I crave sweets a lot more than I used to. Chocolate, cookies, and frozen yogurt galore! I read Self magazine and almost every issue says something along the lines of treating yourself at least once a week. Leave out one day like Friday or Saturday to not "watch what you eat".
#2 Sleep.. and a lot more of it than I care to admit!
I have been hitting the hay at about 10 or 11 p.m. these days which is not so bad compared to a lot of people I know. But then for some reason, if I don't have any morning plans or work, I hit that snooze button and sleep another two hours before I wake up and think "crap, half my day is gone!".
#3 Stress
Normally, a good yoga session or an episode of my favorite comedy show can tame the beast but lately its has been a steady stream of headaches and frustration. That should be proof enough that too much sugary foods create moody people (and children so watch out parents!).
And this is all when I knew I needed to keep a food diary! I normally use MyFitnessPal but it mainly focuses on calories so I decided to start using this site called Cron-O-Meter which focuses more on all of the nutrients your getting and making sure that you don't under or over do it!
Now, for the bright side....
#1 Weight Loss
With the combination of steady workouts, and a diet full of more vegetables I have gone from 155 pounds to 145. That is just one month! Now, I am not the type of person who strives to be a twig so I have been adding weights to my workouts to buff 'em up!
#2 Fun
I have so much more fun in the kitchen and ordering food because I am trying so many more restaurants and recipes than I ever have before.
Overall, this vegetarian adventure is turning out to be a more exciting lifestyle and when I get my protein count right I will be the best I have ever felt in my life!
If your a newbie, how is your progress going?
Protein Deficiency
Because I am not yet in expert in the vegetarian world on how to be sure I am getting all of the nutrients my body needs I have been neglecting my protein needs. The amount of protein you need in a day depends upon your own height, weight, and body type; the number is different for everyone. The U.S Department of Agriculture recommends that all men and women over the age of 19 get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (or 0.37 grams per pound). I weigh 145 pounds so I need about 54 grams of protein per day.
I decided to research the signs of protein deficiency to see if I had any and sure enough I was guilty of almost everything on the list. Here's my bad side effects.....
#1 Constant Cravings:
I crave bread (and pasta of course) , and think I need a lot of it all the time to make up for other nutrient losses that I would normally get from meat. This in not necessarily bad but I have to be careful to make sure that the breads I am consuming are whole grains.
The bad is that I crave sweets a lot more than I used to. Chocolate, cookies, and frozen yogurt galore! I read Self magazine and almost every issue says something along the lines of treating yourself at least once a week. Leave out one day like Friday or Saturday to not "watch what you eat".
#2 Sleep.. and a lot more of it than I care to admit!
I have been hitting the hay at about 10 or 11 p.m. these days which is not so bad compared to a lot of people I know. But then for some reason, if I don't have any morning plans or work, I hit that snooze button and sleep another two hours before I wake up and think "crap, half my day is gone!".
#3 Stress
Normally, a good yoga session or an episode of my favorite comedy show can tame the beast but lately its has been a steady stream of headaches and frustration. That should be proof enough that too much sugary foods create moody people (and children so watch out parents!).
And this is all when I knew I needed to keep a food diary! I normally use MyFitnessPal but it mainly focuses on calories so I decided to start using this site called Cron-O-Meter which focuses more on all of the nutrients your getting and making sure that you don't under or over do it!
Now, for the bright side....
#1 Weight Loss
With the combination of steady workouts, and a diet full of more vegetables I have gone from 155 pounds to 145. That is just one month! Now, I am not the type of person who strives to be a twig so I have been adding weights to my workouts to buff 'em up!
#2 Fun
I have so much more fun in the kitchen and ordering food because I am trying so many more restaurants and recipes than I ever have before.
Overall, this vegetarian adventure is turning out to be a more exciting lifestyle and when I get my protein count right I will be the best I have ever felt in my life!
If your a newbie, how is your progress going?
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
My New Idol and Inspiration
Alex Jamieson
I am ready for a new challenge. One of my biggest beliefs is that you aren't really living if there is no challenge under your belt or at least the inspiration of one. I crave to try new things constantly. So I have been on the lookout for something new and complicated to try. I would appreciate some interesting feedback.
Someone I recently have come to admire is Alex Jamieson; who also happens to be the wife of Morgan Spurlock, the star and creator of 30 days. If you were paying attention to the video, you would remember that she is vegan and before she set her husband free on a thirty day McDonald's feast she made him a mini vegan feast to boost his health before it plummeted to its doom.
When I sat down to write a post today, I was feeling negative amounts of inspiration that is until I discovered Alex's blog. What popped up and blew my mind was her "coming out" post from about a year ago called: I'm Not Vegan Anymore. What I learned from her post is essentially my reason for not eating meat anymore, which may or may not appear to be ironic. She went vegan for the sake of her health, then she got involved with the vegan communities and whatnot, and then years later she started craving these animal proteins again: meat and eggs. She figured that eating these animal products would not make her wrong or unhealthy for doing so, but more so in the right because she decided to listen to her body's cravings.
Simply put, she now preaches for you should do what is best for your body!
Eating healthy is complicated enough as it is and all of these growing cultures on being "gluten-free" and vegan make it more overwhelming. Alex puts it all into perspective for the insecure but also still posts vegetarian, vegan options.
I strongly encourage you to take a look at her blog if you have not already left me already, or at least read her most inspiring post (link above).
I am ready for a new challenge. One of my biggest beliefs is that you aren't really living if there is no challenge under your belt or at least the inspiration of one. I crave to try new things constantly. So I have been on the lookout for something new and complicated to try. I would appreciate some interesting feedback.
Someone I recently have come to admire is Alex Jamieson; who also happens to be the wife of Morgan Spurlock, the star and creator of 30 days. If you were paying attention to the video, you would remember that she is vegan and before she set her husband free on a thirty day McDonald's feast she made him a mini vegan feast to boost his health before it plummeted to its doom.
When I sat down to write a post today, I was feeling negative amounts of inspiration that is until I discovered Alex's blog. What popped up and blew my mind was her "coming out" post from about a year ago called: I'm Not Vegan Anymore. What I learned from her post is essentially my reason for not eating meat anymore, which may or may not appear to be ironic. She went vegan for the sake of her health, then she got involved with the vegan communities and whatnot, and then years later she started craving these animal proteins again: meat and eggs. She figured that eating these animal products would not make her wrong or unhealthy for doing so, but more so in the right because she decided to listen to her body's cravings.
Simply put, she now preaches for you should do what is best for your body!
Eating healthy is complicated enough as it is and all of these growing cultures on being "gluten-free" and vegan make it more overwhelming. Alex puts it all into perspective for the insecure but also still posts vegetarian, vegan options.
I strongly encourage you to take a look at her blog if you have not already left me already, or at least read her most inspiring post (link above).
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Feeling like the Grinch + A Debbie Downer =
A call for some laughter!!!
This week is just not my prime time....last week I was high on the sunshine and this week I am feeling the craving for more.
I know that they different things people chose to eat and not eat can cause a lot of controversy for those who have an opinion and are an expert on everything. Thus, to lighten my mood and add some humor to the Great Controversy of weather or not vegetarians and vegans are "healthy" I decided to share some pro and anti vegetarian funnies with y'all.
enjoy :)
This week is just not my prime time....last week I was high on the sunshine and this week I am feeling the craving for more.
I know that they different things people chose to eat and not eat can cause a lot of controversy for those who have an opinion and are an expert on everything. Thus, to lighten my mood and add some humor to the Great Controversy of weather or not vegetarians and vegans are "healthy" I decided to share some pro and anti vegetarian funnies with y'all.
enjoy :)
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Spring Fling
More and more fruit!
In light of it being 80+ degrees out in Portland all week I've been treating myself to some delicious smoothies from the one and only Fruitlandia; located across from the city center downtown. they also have fresh salads, sandwiches, and milkshakes!
My smoothie on the left is strawberry, banana, mango, and kiwi. I think I have found my "go-to" item (which is not exactly on the menu but the great thing about this place is that you can do any fruit combo you want with however much fruit you want).
On the right we have what they call the "Maui". It is simply banana, coconut, and pineapple. I had a few pineapple bits in the smoothie so I decided I will stick to eating my pineapple whole.
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In light of it being 80+ degrees out in Portland all week I've been treating myself to some delicious smoothies from the one and only Fruitlandia; located across from the city center downtown. they also have fresh salads, sandwiches, and milkshakes!
My smoothie on the left is strawberry, banana, mango, and kiwi. I think I have found my "go-to" item (which is not exactly on the menu but the great thing about this place is that you can do any fruit combo you want with however much fruit you want).
On the right we have what they call the "Maui". It is simply banana, coconut, and pineapple. I had a few pineapple bits in the smoothie so I decided I will stick to eating my pineapple whole.
!!!!ON WEDNESDAYS THEY HAVE $3 SMOOTHIES!!!!
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