Guess what? Remember how sad it was, when Kung Food, everyone's favorite vegan buffet style restaurant and drive through, closed? In case you don't, I still remember it vividly, like a bad dream: March 31, 2007 was their last day open, and I remember the date specifically because I was hoping it was all an April Fool's joke. Sadly, the cashier assured me it was not, and I swear I was dismayed for weeks. Besides the great, all-vegan food, which included numerous raw options, I also loved that there was outdoor seating, which meant that Juno, our beloved Great Dane, could accompany us. Add that to the fact that it was mere blocks from Nate's Point, Balboa park's leash-free dog area, and you can see why we were so disappointed to see its doors close.
However, the reason I bring up this past trauma is because this weekend they reopen their doors! Same place (Quince and Fifth Streets), same people, new name: Nature's Express. We've already planned a meal there for this Sunday with some vegan friends (well, one vegan, one veg-friendly to be exact) and I can't wait to try out their new dishes and savor old favorites. Look out for a review soon, and be sure to try it yourself and let us know what you think!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
San Francisco Treats!
So, we spent a weekend in San Fran, celebrating Marc's (belated) birthday with friends, and one of the many highlights of our trip was all the good eats! I did a Happycow.net search before we left so I had a pretty good idea of some of the places I wanted to try before we even got there. San Fran has so many great options for vegans that we couldn't try all of them in our short little trip, but here are some brief reviews on the ones we did try.
The first place we tried for dinner with friends was Cafe Gratitude. There are actually two of them in the city (and three more outside San Fran), so we tried the one on Harrison St. this time since we hadn't been there yet. Besides being vegan, everything at Cafe Gratitude is raw, so it's perfect for a meal before stepping out, when you don't want to be weighed down by heavy, processed fare.
Cafe Gratitude is a different eating experience in a few ways. Besides the fact that everything on the menu is named with affirmations such as "I am precious" and "I am whole," the tables are community tables, meaning that my friends and I sat at a table with another guy who was already enjoying his meal, and when he was finished, another couple sat down. It wasn't as uncomfortable as it might sound, at least not for us.
For the appetizers, we shared the "I am abundant," a nice dish of assorted spreads and flatbreads. I had a lasagna dish made with zucchini, which was very good, and two of the others had the "I am elated," which is a mexican style dish with great guacamole. Another friend was "whole" with a macrobiotic bowl, that was quite good, and we all had various elixirs, which left us "effervescent," "enlightened," and so forth. But my very favorite thing there, indeed the best thing I ate all weekend, was the tiramisu. I have probably missed this dessert more than any other non-vegan food, and I can't remember the assigned affirmation, but the way it made me feel was "I am deserving of an absolutely sinfully delicious dessert in spite of (or perhaps due to) the fact that I am vegan."
The next day, we had lunch at a vegetarian (and mostly vegan) Chinese place called The Golden Era. The menu was quite extensive, and all but about two things (out of approximately 50 - 75 items) were vegan (the two exceptions were vegetarian). We started with the Vegetable Fu Young, which was even better than I had hoped for! There were three good-sized patties, perfect for our table of three. My friend had a yummy eggplant dish, I had a mock chicken and ginger dish, and Marc had a fried mock chicken dish, all of which were good, although I preferred mine the most. The prices were very reasonable, and even more so the next day (Monday), when Marc and I went back and tried the budget-friendly lunch specials. Again, I was blown away by the appetizer Marc ordered, which I didn't think I would like. It was a vegetable "bun," in the style of dim sum, which is usually too gooey for me. Much to my surprise, this one was perfect; the bun part was soft and sweet, but not too gooey, and the veggie filling was excellent.
We did go out for a fancy schmancy dinner while we were in town too—and Millenium was just the place for it. I had been wanting to try this place since it got voted #1 vegan restaurant in Veg News, and I was not disappointed! I had told Marc we were going to an all vegan restaurant, but once we sat down, as he looked at the menu, I heard him mention that he thought he could find something vegan in the appetizers. I questioned him, reminding him that everything was vegan, and the look on his face was pure shock and delight! As it turned out, once he saw the opulent atmosphere, he assumed it wasn't a vegan restaurant, but he was thrilled that it was. I must say, it was so nice to eat a vegan meal in an atmosphere with an upscale ambiance.
I had the Pumpkin Pupusa (pictured above), and others in our party had the Creole Spiced Portobello & Root Vegetable Gratin (which I ended up enjoying even more than my entree). We shared the Butternut Squash Raw-violi to start with, and also tried the Seared Brussels Sprouts (which were amazing!) and the Huckleberry Potato Flatbread. The latter, as well as being very tasty, is a great value for those watching the budget (and who isn't these days?). The serving was very large for a starter and it was quite filling for only $9.95. So although the entrees are all in the low $20's range, you could easily have a delicious upscale meal for a little less by getting the Flatbread and one of the small plates or sides, all of which are $6 or less. As well as great food, service and atmosphere, Millenium is involved in philanthropic efforts benefiting various local organizations, and their food is organic and free of genetically modified ingredients.
If anyone has any other recommendations for great Bay Area vegan restaurants, feel free to share them in your comments, and we'll try them next visit! Ciao for now...
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Doomie's Home Cookin'
So a few weeks ago, my friends and I were staying at a hotel in LA's Chinatown, and after a long night out were looking for a place we could grab lunch before the drive back to SD. After a quick search on Happycow.net, I found a vegan eatery a mere two blocks away from our hotel. How convenient!
The place is called Doomie's Home Cookin' Veggie-Vegan, and it's located on the second floor deck of what seems to be a nightclub. We were a little confused at first, but Doomie himself came out and greeted us and sheepishly explained that it was their first day of business and he had to quickly print out menus for us. Now I've worked at enough restaurants to know that opening weekend is no time to judge service, so I'll just say that it was friendly, but chaotic and leave it at that. I'm sure all the little kinks have been worked out, and if anything, the number of times the server and Doomie had to come back to our table to clarify things was amusing.
But as for the food—amazing! I had the fried chicken and it was unbelievably good, as well as being a very decent size portion (I brought some home for Marc, which he eagerly devoured). I was eating with two omnivores, who managed to find and order one of the only non-vegan (but still vegetarian) things on the menu—the BLT. Actually, there is vegan bacon available, but Doomie explained that the reason he offered a vegetarian version is because he felt the taste was better than the vegan version. Fair enough; I was just happy to have a whole menu of delicious-sounding dishes to choose from! These range from Shrimp Scampi to Chicken Alfredo to Philly Cheesesteak, with all sorts of diner-y comfort food selections in between.
I will definitely be eating at Doomie's again next time I'm in the area, and I recommend you check it out for yourself. Bon appetit!
The place is called Doomie's Home Cookin' Veggie-Vegan, and it's located on the second floor deck of what seems to be a nightclub. We were a little confused at first, but Doomie himself came out and greeted us and sheepishly explained that it was their first day of business and he had to quickly print out menus for us. Now I've worked at enough restaurants to know that opening weekend is no time to judge service, so I'll just say that it was friendly, but chaotic and leave it at that. I'm sure all the little kinks have been worked out, and if anything, the number of times the server and Doomie had to come back to our table to clarify things was amusing.
But as for the food—amazing! I had the fried chicken and it was unbelievably good, as well as being a very decent size portion (I brought some home for Marc, which he eagerly devoured). I was eating with two omnivores, who managed to find and order one of the only non-vegan (but still vegetarian) things on the menu—the BLT. Actually, there is vegan bacon available, but Doomie explained that the reason he offered a vegetarian version is because he felt the taste was better than the vegan version. Fair enough; I was just happy to have a whole menu of delicious-sounding dishes to choose from! These range from Shrimp Scampi to Chicken Alfredo to Philly Cheesesteak, with all sorts of diner-y comfort food selections in between.
I will definitely be eating at Doomie's again next time I'm in the area, and I recommend you check it out for yourself. Bon appetit!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Thoughts on Prop 2
Well, as most of you Californians (and many non-locals as well) probably know, Prop 2 passes by an overwhelming majority of votes yesterday. While my first reaction was a very happy one, I have had mixed feelings about this proposition, even though I did vote yes on it. Here are some of those feelings.
When I first read the actual proposition, I was disappointed and even a little angry about how little it actual improves the lives of farm animals. As I mentioned to a friend, it's almost like putting a bandaid on a heart attack. It doesn't go into effect until 2015, there's lots of loopholes, and the bottom line is, it's not a big difference in each animal's life. As a matter of fact, those who belong to the animal abolitionist movement (a movement considered rather extreme by many, but whose views I support for the most part), were even more angered than I, and some were against the proposition because they felt like it would make people feel guilt-free about indulging in animal products, regardless of the fact that the animals would still live a miserable tortured life and die a horrible death.
However, I still stand behind it based on the following reasons: for one thing, it got people thinking about farm animals, some of whom have probably never thought of them before. It publicized the animal rights movement and the torture the farm animals go through, by getting footage of factory farms on mainstream TV programming, such as the Oprah show. After all, some people who saw that footage, including a student of mine, may go veg or vegan as a result. Perhaps it will convince some vegetarians that eggs and dairy are no more humane than animal flesh and motivate them to go vegan. It proved that today's public is concerned with animal welfare, at least a little bit, when it passed. It opened the door for stronger legislature to eventually get passed. And last but not least, perhaps it will allow a tiny bit more breathing room for the poor animals who suffer needlessly for the gluttonous appetites of the masses.
So to end on a more positive note, thanks to all who voted yes on Prop 2 and encouraged their family and friends and even strangers to do the same. This is a victory, no matter how small! Baby steps, right?
When I first read the actual proposition, I was disappointed and even a little angry about how little it actual improves the lives of farm animals. As I mentioned to a friend, it's almost like putting a bandaid on a heart attack. It doesn't go into effect until 2015, there's lots of loopholes, and the bottom line is, it's not a big difference in each animal's life. As a matter of fact, those who belong to the animal abolitionist movement (a movement considered rather extreme by many, but whose views I support for the most part), were even more angered than I, and some were against the proposition because they felt like it would make people feel guilt-free about indulging in animal products, regardless of the fact that the animals would still live a miserable tortured life and die a horrible death.
However, I still stand behind it based on the following reasons: for one thing, it got people thinking about farm animals, some of whom have probably never thought of them before. It publicized the animal rights movement and the torture the farm animals go through, by getting footage of factory farms on mainstream TV programming, such as the Oprah show. After all, some people who saw that footage, including a student of mine, may go veg or vegan as a result. Perhaps it will convince some vegetarians that eggs and dairy are no more humane than animal flesh and motivate them to go vegan. It proved that today's public is concerned with animal welfare, at least a little bit, when it passed. It opened the door for stronger legislature to eventually get passed. And last but not least, perhaps it will allow a tiny bit more breathing room for the poor animals who suffer needlessly for the gluttonous appetites of the masses.
So to end on a more positive note, thanks to all who voted yes on Prop 2 and encouraged their family and friends and even strangers to do the same. This is a victory, no matter how small! Baby steps, right?
Friday, October 31, 2008
Notes on Dr. Gregor's Presentation
Well, Marc and I barely made it on time to Dr. Gregor's talk on Monday (we had a pseudo emergency when our cat bit his tongue so bad that there was blood everywhere!), but we did and I'm so glad. It was extremely educational and entertaining—educataining?
Anyway, he presented his facts in the style of a game show: he would have everyone stand up, ask a multiple-choice question, and everyone who got the answer wrong would sit down. He did this with a series of questions each round, until only one or two winners were left, each of whom would receive his CD with the presentation on it.
Here are some of the interesting facts I learned, all of which he showed the scientific data for:
A handful of nuts a day cuts the risk of hear attacks by half. Worried about the fat and calories? Don't be; studies showed that, amazingly, the addition of a handful of nuts did not cause any weight gain at all. The most healthy nuts are pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, and almonds, in that order, which I was happy to hear since pecans are my favorite and I love walnuts, pistachios and almonds too! Surprisingly, roasted nuts are more healthy than raw.
Supplementing vitamins E, A, and beta carotene increase all cases of mortality! Luckily I don't do any of those. However, vegans, vegetarians and even most meat-eaters need to supplement vitamin D (although many San Diegans may get enough from the sun, you would need 15-30 minutes a day, between the hours of 10a-2p without sunscreen). If you don't get that (I don't), you should take 4000 I.U. of vitamin D a day. I will be getting some on my next grocery store trip.
As most of you probably (hopefully) know, B12 is a must supplement vitamin for vegans. What you may not know is that even meat-eaters need to supplement this since animal products are not a good reliable source of B12.
Alfalfa sprouts are better left at the grocery store, because of the risk of salmonella. Although they only caused 100 cases of salmonella in the U.S. last year (as compared to 182,000 caused by eggs), it was also found that 1 in every 67 containers of alfalfa sprouts had E Coli (as do 1 in every 91 burgers), so skip them and go for the broccoli sprouts instead. Interesting fact about broccoli sprouts: they provide strong levels of UV protection when rubbed on the skin. So strong, in fact, that after they were rubbed on an arm, washed off, and then the arm was exposed to high levels of radiation a week later, they still protected it! This makes me want to rub broccoli sprouts all over my face, tee hee. You can read more about it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/health/research/30nost.html.
Not only is coffee not bad for you, but two cups a day are helpful. However black tea is much healthier, green tea is even better than that, and white tea (a certain processing of green tea) is best. Roiboos and honeybush are also good, and chamomile tea fights cancer, but yerba mate is NOT good. It contains high levels of carcinogens similar to that of fried chicken—yuck!
Here's some news about soy I was happy to learn: tofu cuts diabetes risk in half, helps with weight loss, and cuts cholesterol. Worried about a possible link between soy and breast cancer? Not only does soy cut the risk of getting breast cancer, but when a study was done on women with breast cancer, it cut their risk of dying in half. Yay, soy! I was very relieved to hear of this after some of the bad press soy has gotten lately. I still limit myself to only two or three meals containing tofu per week, but at least I don't have to feel guilty about that. Another surprising fact: tempeh is even healthier than edamame beans in their natural state, due to something that occurs during the fermenting process. So what about the bad press soy has been getting? Dr. Gregor explained that a lot of those tests are done on rats and other unfortunate animals, and are therefore irrelevant to its effect on humans (for instance, cow's milk was found to be healthier than soy milk for mice in one study but that was because soy milk lacks something needed to help them grow fur; since we don't grow fur, we're better off with soy). All the studies he presented as evidence were conducted on humans.
For those of you who are not yet vegan or concerned with the health of a non-vegan family member or friend: dairy is extremely harmful to human's health. It's the number one source of saturated fat and cholesterol, and additionally has a high concentration of pus and manure, which the dairy industry thinks is ok since they pasteurize it. Personally, I don't care for cooked pus and manure any more than the raw kind, so that's not acceptable to me! Dairy also is linked to an increased risk of Parkinson's disease.
Some other interesting facts for the non-veggies: pregnant women who eat meat reduce the fertility of their baby boys. The breast milk of veggie moms has only 1-2% of the toxins meat-eating moms' milk has. (I am so thankful that my mom, who was not vegetarian, refrained from eating meat while pregnant with me.)
There are high levels of fire retardants found in beef, dairy, bacon, fish and chicken (chicken having the highest levels by far). Don't ask me how they got there!
Once and for all, there is no such thing as healthy fish. This concerns me as I have so many friends who don't eat red meat or poultry but continue to eat fish. It actually is more harmful to the human body than other meats for the following reasons:
One can of tuna has the same amount of mercury as 100 vaccines, and methyl mercury increases the risk of heart attack among other things.
Think you're safe because you only eat sushi grade fish? Think again. The average (not highest) amount of fecal bacteria found on sushi is 90,000 mg (30,000 is the maximum allowable, although I can't remember who allows it).
Factory farmed fish are much higher than wild caught fish in PCBs, DDT, dieldrin and other cancer-causing chemicals. But all fish, farmed or wild, are dangerous in levels of mercury.
Dioxin, one of the most harmful chemicals known to science (and yes, it causes cancer), is rampant in fish. I'm going to quote EJnet.org here to put it in perspective:
"The major sources of dioxin are in our diet. Since dioxin is fat-soluble, it bioaccumulates, climbing up the food chain. A North American eating a typical North American diet will receive 93% of their dioxin exposure from meat and dairy products (23% is from milk and dairy alone; the other large sources of exposure are beef, fish, pork, poultry and eggs). In fish, these toxins bioaccumulate up the food chain so that dioxin levels in fish are 100,000 times that of the surrounding environment. The best way to avoid dioxin exposure is to reduce or eliminate your consumption of meat and dairy products by adopting a vegan diet. According to a May 2001 study of dioxin in foods, "The category with the lowest [dioxin] level was a simulated vegan diet, with 0.09 ppt.... Blood dioxin levels in pure vegans have also been found to be very low in comparison with the general population, indicating a lower contribution of these foods to human dioxin body burden."
You can see some great charts and read more here: http://www.ejnet.org/dioxin/#food
Alright, enough bad news! Let's assume you're already vegan (or about to go vegan after reading the facts above). There is nothing beneficial in fish that we can't get from other sources without the toxins. Golden algae (which is grown in a pristine environment) is a great source of Omega 3s and DHA and it's more sustainable and of course, bloodless. Compassion for the animals really pays off! There are lots of good brands that offer this supplement.
Moving on to antioxidants: Walnuts, cloves and oregano are great sources of these. Here are the top 12 on the antioxidant list:
1. Acai berries
2. Goji berries
3. Artichockes
4. Cinnamon
5. Apples
6. Cranberries
7. Pears
8. Pecans
9. Black Plums
10. Pomengrantes
11. Blueberries
12. Cocoa powder
Dried fruit is healthier than juice, and golden raisins are healthier than regular.
Red onions are way healthier than yellow or white. I used to only use them for salads, but now I'm going to switch to them for cooking too.
Beans are great antioxidants. The top three are:
1. Black beans
2. Lentils
3. Red Kidney beans
The healthiest mushrooms are porcini and button in that order. And did you know that portabella mushrooms are just button mushrooms, all grown up? I didn't!
Apples are great, readily available and affordable antioxidants. Red Delicious are the best, with Granny Smiths a close second.
Steamed broccoli is healthier than raw! I was so happy to learn this as I much prefer it that way. Apparently the steaming boosts the absorption of the nutrients. Someone asked if enzymes of veggies are lost in the cooking process. Dr. Gregor said, yes, they are, but we have our own enzymes and we don't need the enzymes of vegetables. Interesting...
Similarly, tomato sauce is healthier than raw tomatoes, another happy fact for me since I love the former and can't stand the latter.
And to conclude, my favorite fact from the whole presentation: as we age, our DNA get breaks in their structure. Eating plants protects DNA and meat breaks it. A recently concluded study showed that vegetarians at age 65 have the DNA of meat-eaters at the age of 25!
Special thanks to Dr. Gregor for a fabulous presentation. Happy halloween to all! (By the way, pumpkin is also a great antioxidant...)
Anyway, he presented his facts in the style of a game show: he would have everyone stand up, ask a multiple-choice question, and everyone who got the answer wrong would sit down. He did this with a series of questions each round, until only one or two winners were left, each of whom would receive his CD with the presentation on it.
Here are some of the interesting facts I learned, all of which he showed the scientific data for:
A handful of nuts a day cuts the risk of hear attacks by half. Worried about the fat and calories? Don't be; studies showed that, amazingly, the addition of a handful of nuts did not cause any weight gain at all. The most healthy nuts are pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, and almonds, in that order, which I was happy to hear since pecans are my favorite and I love walnuts, pistachios and almonds too! Surprisingly, roasted nuts are more healthy than raw.
Supplementing vitamins E, A, and beta carotene increase all cases of mortality! Luckily I don't do any of those. However, vegans, vegetarians and even most meat-eaters need to supplement vitamin D (although many San Diegans may get enough from the sun, you would need 15-30 minutes a day, between the hours of 10a-2p without sunscreen). If you don't get that (I don't), you should take 4000 I.U. of vitamin D a day. I will be getting some on my next grocery store trip.
As most of you probably (hopefully) know, B12 is a must supplement vitamin for vegans. What you may not know is that even meat-eaters need to supplement this since animal products are not a good reliable source of B12.
Alfalfa sprouts are better left at the grocery store, because of the risk of salmonella. Although they only caused 100 cases of salmonella in the U.S. last year (as compared to 182,000 caused by eggs), it was also found that 1 in every 67 containers of alfalfa sprouts had E Coli (as do 1 in every 91 burgers), so skip them and go for the broccoli sprouts instead. Interesting fact about broccoli sprouts: they provide strong levels of UV protection when rubbed on the skin. So strong, in fact, that after they were rubbed on an arm, washed off, and then the arm was exposed to high levels of radiation a week later, they still protected it! This makes me want to rub broccoli sprouts all over my face, tee hee. You can read more about it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/health/research/30nost.html.
Not only is coffee not bad for you, but two cups a day are helpful. However black tea is much healthier, green tea is even better than that, and white tea (a certain processing of green tea) is best. Roiboos and honeybush are also good, and chamomile tea fights cancer, but yerba mate is NOT good. It contains high levels of carcinogens similar to that of fried chicken—yuck!
Here's some news about soy I was happy to learn: tofu cuts diabetes risk in half, helps with weight loss, and cuts cholesterol. Worried about a possible link between soy and breast cancer? Not only does soy cut the risk of getting breast cancer, but when a study was done on women with breast cancer, it cut their risk of dying in half. Yay, soy! I was very relieved to hear of this after some of the bad press soy has gotten lately. I still limit myself to only two or three meals containing tofu per week, but at least I don't have to feel guilty about that. Another surprising fact: tempeh is even healthier than edamame beans in their natural state, due to something that occurs during the fermenting process. So what about the bad press soy has been getting? Dr. Gregor explained that a lot of those tests are done on rats and other unfortunate animals, and are therefore irrelevant to its effect on humans (for instance, cow's milk was found to be healthier than soy milk for mice in one study but that was because soy milk lacks something needed to help them grow fur; since we don't grow fur, we're better off with soy). All the studies he presented as evidence were conducted on humans.
For those of you who are not yet vegan or concerned with the health of a non-vegan family member or friend: dairy is extremely harmful to human's health. It's the number one source of saturated fat and cholesterol, and additionally has a high concentration of pus and manure, which the dairy industry thinks is ok since they pasteurize it. Personally, I don't care for cooked pus and manure any more than the raw kind, so that's not acceptable to me! Dairy also is linked to an increased risk of Parkinson's disease.
Some other interesting facts for the non-veggies: pregnant women who eat meat reduce the fertility of their baby boys. The breast milk of veggie moms has only 1-2% of the toxins meat-eating moms' milk has. (I am so thankful that my mom, who was not vegetarian, refrained from eating meat while pregnant with me.)
There are high levels of fire retardants found in beef, dairy, bacon, fish and chicken (chicken having the highest levels by far). Don't ask me how they got there!
Once and for all, there is no such thing as healthy fish. This concerns me as I have so many friends who don't eat red meat or poultry but continue to eat fish. It actually is more harmful to the human body than other meats for the following reasons:
One can of tuna has the same amount of mercury as 100 vaccines, and methyl mercury increases the risk of heart attack among other things.
Think you're safe because you only eat sushi grade fish? Think again. The average (not highest) amount of fecal bacteria found on sushi is 90,000 mg (30,000 is the maximum allowable, although I can't remember who allows it).
Factory farmed fish are much higher than wild caught fish in PCBs, DDT, dieldrin and other cancer-causing chemicals. But all fish, farmed or wild, are dangerous in levels of mercury.
Dioxin, one of the most harmful chemicals known to science (and yes, it causes cancer), is rampant in fish. I'm going to quote EJnet.org here to put it in perspective:
"The major sources of dioxin are in our diet. Since dioxin is fat-soluble, it bioaccumulates, climbing up the food chain. A North American eating a typical North American diet will receive 93% of their dioxin exposure from meat and dairy products (23% is from milk and dairy alone; the other large sources of exposure are beef, fish, pork, poultry and eggs). In fish, these toxins bioaccumulate up the food chain so that dioxin levels in fish are 100,000 times that of the surrounding environment. The best way to avoid dioxin exposure is to reduce or eliminate your consumption of meat and dairy products by adopting a vegan diet. According to a May 2001 study of dioxin in foods, "The category with the lowest [dioxin] level was a simulated vegan diet, with 0.09 ppt.... Blood dioxin levels in pure vegans have also been found to be very low in comparison with the general population, indicating a lower contribution of these foods to human dioxin body burden."
You can see some great charts and read more here: http://www.ejnet.org/dioxin/#food
Alright, enough bad news! Let's assume you're already vegan (or about to go vegan after reading the facts above). There is nothing beneficial in fish that we can't get from other sources without the toxins. Golden algae (which is grown in a pristine environment) is a great source of Omega 3s and DHA and it's more sustainable and of course, bloodless. Compassion for the animals really pays off! There are lots of good brands that offer this supplement.
Moving on to antioxidants: Walnuts, cloves and oregano are great sources of these. Here are the top 12 on the antioxidant list:
1. Acai berries
2. Goji berries
3. Artichockes
4. Cinnamon
5. Apples
6. Cranberries
7. Pears
8. Pecans
9. Black Plums
10. Pomengrantes
11. Blueberries
12. Cocoa powder
Dried fruit is healthier than juice, and golden raisins are healthier than regular.
Red onions are way healthier than yellow or white. I used to only use them for salads, but now I'm going to switch to them for cooking too.
Beans are great antioxidants. The top three are:
1. Black beans
2. Lentils
3. Red Kidney beans
The healthiest mushrooms are porcini and button in that order. And did you know that portabella mushrooms are just button mushrooms, all grown up? I didn't!
Apples are great, readily available and affordable antioxidants. Red Delicious are the best, with Granny Smiths a close second.
Steamed broccoli is healthier than raw! I was so happy to learn this as I much prefer it that way. Apparently the steaming boosts the absorption of the nutrients. Someone asked if enzymes of veggies are lost in the cooking process. Dr. Gregor said, yes, they are, but we have our own enzymes and we don't need the enzymes of vegetables. Interesting...
Similarly, tomato sauce is healthier than raw tomatoes, another happy fact for me since I love the former and can't stand the latter.
And to conclude, my favorite fact from the whole presentation: as we age, our DNA get breaks in their structure. Eating plants protects DNA and meat breaks it. A recently concluded study showed that vegetarians at age 65 have the DNA of meat-eaters at the age of 25!
Special thanks to Dr. Gregor for a fabulous presentation. Happy halloween to all! (By the way, pumpkin is also a great antioxidant...)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Vegan Nutrition Lecture this Monday
I'll keep this one short but sweet—just wanted to let you all know that there is an event on Monday evening (October 27th) called "The Latest in Human Nutrition 2008." Michael Greger, M.D. will be speaking at the Health Services Complex, in the Coronado Room from 7:00p until 8:30p, with vegan refreshments being served at 6:30p. The event is free, although donations will be accepted. The address is 3851 Rosecrans St., San Diego 92110 and you can call 619-583-9522 if you need more info. You can also find out more about Dr. Greger here: www.drgreger.org and the event is sponsored by Last Chance for Animals.
OK, that's it for now but hope to see you there, and in case you can't make it, I'm sure I'll be blogging about what I learn there. Ciao!
OK, that's it for now but hope to see you there, and in case you can't make it, I'm sure I'll be blogging about what I learn there. Ciao!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Vegan Feather Earrings
So I've been loving the beautiful feather earrings I've been seeing a lot lately, but I was concerned about getting any; after all, how would I know that the feathers came from a cruelty-free source? I decided to check one of my favorite jewelry shopping sites, Etsy.com, and found some gorgeous feather earrings by an artist named Heather (her shop is Smoobage's shop). I emailed her to see if she knew whether or not the feathers she used were indeed vegan.
Not only did she reply quickly and honestly, saying that she wasn't sure where the main source of her feathers got them, but she went to the trouble of ordering some gathered, moulted feathers and made a whole line of vegan earrings! She gave me first dibs on a pair that I fell in love with (although it was very hard to decide, as they were all so beautiful), but there are many others to choose from (the ones pictured above are available here). Once again, I am amazed by the willingness of others to cater to my strict ethical code. Who says style can't be compassionate?
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