Category Archives: Health

Health, News and Activism, Restaurants and Dining

covid-19 and the food industry

Leave a comment

COVID-19 – Time to eat and build a plant-based future!

By now I am sure you have heard about novel Coronavirus (the cause of COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by a new strain of virus related to the common cold, with global implications. As the toilet paper vanishes and grocery stores empty, it is time to explore where viruses like this are born and review the larger impacts of COVID-19 on our food system, supply chain, and future practices.

One of the biggest obstacles to our health and safety is Diet Literacy. No, that doesn’t mean which diet is going to make you thin or jacked, but it does mean that most people have no idea about the food they eat: where it comes from, who makes/grows it, how its packaged, or what hitch-hiking bugs may be along for the ride.  The following article is a compilation of insights and professional expertise I developed to send to the media and communicate with public policy officials in the first week of the US wave of the outbreak.  In an interest to bring people into that knowledge base, I have expanded upon these ideas and linked to resources at the bottom.  Please reach out for more info!

Continue reading covid-19 and the food industry →

Health, Lifestyle

Family Holidays – guest post Therapist Adriana Gambino

Leave a comment

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about navigating family holidays as a vegan. When you’re vegan, and even worse– THE ONLY VEGAN– in a large family gathering, it can be difficult to find common ground when old sibling rivalries and family traditions are the stakes.

Sound familiar? Many of you are dreading this holiday season, but the good news is plant-based diets are rising, not just in prevalence but in awareness and understanding.

I want to share with you how it works in my family, and hopefully you can have a happy and a healthy with yours!

Continue reading Family Holidays – guest post Therapist Adriana Gambino →

Health, Lifestyle

Supplements for Vegans, pt 4 final

Leave a comment

Plant-based diets are great for your health, and when part of a vegan lifestyle can be a great benefit to the animals, the planet, your body and mind.  The benefits of veganism are being talked about more and more, and it’s getting easier and easier to imagine a critical mass of vegans! Hooray!

With all of the benefits that come with a healthful vegan diet, it is very possible to live a vegan lifestyle that neglects your health. For example, you could eat Oreos for every meal, which are technically vegan, and you would probably not end up with a very healthy diet ☺ 

Nutrition is a confusing thing, and scientifically we are just starting to link nutrition to  major diseases.  I hope that with this handy guide you’ll find great ways to manage your whole-health, mostly with whole plant foods– and maybe sometimes with a very well researched vitamin supplement. The bottom of this article has a great healthy food shopping list with every food mentioned to make it easier to incorporate into your meals.

These nutrients are essential but often overlooked…

Continue reading Supplements for Vegans, pt 4 final →

Cooking and Recipes, Health, Lifestyle

Vegan Keto

2 Comments

Vegan Keto may seem like a contradiction in terms…isn’t Keto that crazy butter and bacon diet? GROSS!  However, there is a way to do keto vegan and delicious!

After all, anything you can do I can do vegan, right? 

IMG-4564
Vegan Keto Chocolates! The dream can be real. Comment below if you want me to post the recipe!

So whether you are looking for a rapid weight loss diet, a cleanse, or something new, giving vegan keto a try could be worth it– you will eat ALL OF THE AVOCADOS, who doesn’t want that?

For me, Vegan Keto is the perfect way to transition between the seasons, reset my food habits, drop some pounds and change up my metabolic rate! I usually go 1-2 months Keto and then enjoy the comfort foods of the winter, the fresh fruit abundance of the summer, the crisp apples of fall, and the florals of spring. I’m never one to compromise flavor, so come and get inspired with my vegan keto shopping guide and meal ideas below!

Continue reading Vegan Keto →

Health, Lifestyle

Supplements for Vegans, pt 3 Vit D

Leave a comment

Veganism can be great for your health, and for your family. Veganism has been shown to reduce or reverse many diseases, and more and more doctors are advocating a plant-based diet– not to mention the environmental benefit that is healthy for us all.  It’s no wonder that I find myself wondering why everyone isn’t already vegan!  

While being vegan CAN be healthy, being a junk-food vegan is also possible. For example, you could go home and eat the totally indulge-worthy Beyond Burger for every meal, and you would probably not end up with the most balanced diet ☺  And, the animals need you in fighting shape!

While there is a lot of confusion out there about nutrition in general, and for vegans in particular, with this handy guide, I hope you’ll find great ways to manage your whole-health, mostly with whole plant foods, and maybe sometimes with a very well researched vitamin supplement here and there, and the healthy food shopping list found at the bottom of each article in this series. And remember, balancing nutrition is not a Vegan problem, it’s an everyone problem, and healthy vegans are definitely better off.

Missed the first two? Jump to Part1: B12, and Part 2: Protein

Are fortified foods enough to replace supplements….?

fortified

Continue reading Supplements for Vegans, pt 3 Vit D →

Cooking and Recipes, Health, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Kombucha for ALL

1 Comment

There comes a time for every health-loving vegan, every trend-loving hipster, and every ferment-loving culture-fiend, when it’s time to learn to make kombucha.  And why not? Buying it retail is upwards of $5 a bottle, produces a fair amount of single-use package waste, and sometimes the flavor choices are…questionable. Preparing your own kombucha can be a little addictive, especially since the basics are easy to master, and a virtually endless amount of tweaking and flavor combinations can radically alter the outcome! It’s such a rewarding practice that you’ll probably be making your own by the gallon every month in no time!

This recipe uses a combination of ceylon and sencha with organic sugar and will have 2 ferments over the next 20 days! Basic recipes below, look for amazing flavor recipes in PART 2!

Continue reading Kombucha for ALL →

Health, Lifestyle

Supplements for Vegans, pt 2

Leave a comment

Veganism can be great for your health, with the overall reduced risk of most cancers, heart disease and diabetes, not to mention the environmental benefit that is healthy for us all.  This information is becoming more and more widespread, and I find myself wondering why everyone isn’t already vegan!  

While being vegan CAN be healthy, being a junk-food vegan is also possible. For example, you could go home and eat the amazing Earth Balance Cheese-Snacks for every meal, and you would probably not end up with the most balanced of diets ☺  And, the animals need you in fighting shape!

While there is a lot of confusion out there about nutrition in general, and for vegans in particular, with this handy guide, I hope you’ll find great ways to manage your whole-health, mostly with whole plant foods, and maybe sometimes with a very well researched vitamin supplement here and there, and the healthy food shopping list found at the bottom of each article in this series. (Or you can Jump to Part 1: B12 or Part 3: VItamin D)

Do vegans need a protein supplement?

Continue reading Supplements for Vegans, pt 2 →

Health

Supplements for Vegans, pt 1 B12

Leave a comment

Veganism is great for your health, with the overall reduced risk of most cancers, heart disease and diabetes.  This information is becoming more and more widespread, and I find myself wondering why everyone isn’t already vegan!  

With all of the benefits that come with a healthful vegan diet, it is very possible to live a vegan lifestyle that neglects your health. For example, you could go home and eat the amazing So Delicious Cashew Ice cream for every meal, and you would probably not end up with the most balanced of diets ☺  And the animals need you in fighting shape!

While there is a lot of confusion out there about nutrition in general, and for vegans in particular, with this handy guide I hope you’ll find great ways to manage your whole-health, mostly with whole plant foods– and maybe sometimes with a very well researched vitamin supplement, and the healthy food shopping list found at the bottom of each article in this series. (you can also Jump to Part 2: Protein)

The one supplement all vegans should take…

Continue reading Supplements for Vegans, pt 1 B12 →

Health

Fiber- Can We See the Forest for the Trees?

Leave a comment

Fiber, can’t see it now, shining and glowing, surrounded with gold, placed on top of the high pedestal of Health Food. Dieticians, weight loss books, and health coaches all ask you if you have enough fiber in your diet. In stores, everywhere, fiber fortified foods line the shelves, boasting fiber content this and insoluble fiber that. But is fiber actually that good for you? What exactly is fiber, anyway? How much is good, and how does it even work?

These are really important questions to ask, and there is no easy answer, no magic pill or formula. The closer we look at each of the component nutrients (fiber is a component nutrient of the macro-nutrient Carbohydrate) the more complicated we make these choices for ourselves. So, let’s talk about fiber, and see whether isolating fiber, and targeting it’s levels in our diets, is the answer to our prayers, the cause of all our woes, or just another nutrient that needs balance within a healthy diet.

Continue reading Fiber- Can We See the Forest for the Trees? →

Health

Boost your Metabolism

Leave a comment

What do scientists and the multi-billion dollar diet industry have in common: they are obsessed with metabolism. Chances are, you are too, because, well, who doesn’t want to be a lean, mean, fat-fighting machine? Your metabolism can play a role in getting you into fat-fighting-form, but contrary to popular opinion is definitely not the reason you packed on that extra weight in the first place. The quality, quantity, and type of food, sustained restful sleep, exercise type and duration, and the amount of water we drink play much larger roles.

So, we are all obsessed, but what is metabolism… and why should we sweat it? 

Continue reading Boost your Metabolism →