by plant4health | Sep 5, 2015 | Recipes, Vegan, Whole food, plant-based
[recipe title=”Gerry’s Gazpacho”]
This is a recipe provided by Gerry Gospe and a wonderful way to celebrate tomatoes on a hot summer night.
Note – this recipe is super easy to make if you have a juicer (for making the tomato juice) and if you have a Vitamix or similar blender. Then you do not need to chop everything so finely.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups tomato juice. If you have a juicer, you can make fresh tomato juice in it.
- 2 1/4 peeled, or not, seeded, or not, chopped red tomatoes
- 1/2 cup minced red onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 medium bell pepper, minced
- 1 peeled, seeded, diced cucumber
- 2 scallions, finely sliced
- 1/2 fresh jalapeño, minced and seeded (unless you like it hot)
- 1 cup minced celery
- Juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 lime
- 2 T. balsamic vinegar, or to taste
- 1 Tsp. each dried tarragon and basil, or 3 Tbsp. fresh
- 1/2 to 1 Tsp. cumin
- 1/4 cup freshly minced parsley
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil (optional)
- Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
Directions:
- Make the tomato juice with a juice or by hand, squeezing the tomatoes
- Add all ingredients through the lemon and lime juice into the Vitamix, blender or food processor, if using. Process on low for 30-40 sec. Otherwise you can simply stir the ingredients.
- Add the remaining ingredients (from balsamic vinegar on), stir and chill for an hour or so. Serve and enjoy!
[/recipe]
by plant4health | Aug 6, 2015 | cancer, Healing, Plant-based, Recipes, Vegan, WFPB, Whole food, Whole food, plant-based
Chia seeds have become a trendy health food, but are they really worth the expense? A 12 oz. bag ranges from $8 to $11. This cost can put a lot of stress on the food budget.
Chia seeds are tiny brown black seeds, about the size of poppy seeds. The chia plant is from the mint family, native to the deserts of Central America and Mexico. They have been a dietary staple for the Aztec and Mayans, most commonly used as an energy and hydration food for their warriors as well as a medicinal for joint and skin complaints.
Today, chia seeds are promoted as a superfood, having been proven to provide the following health benefits:
Aids in the elimination of carcinogens – Chia seeds are loaded with fiber. Eating enough fiber is extremely important as it aids in removing harmful carcinogens through the digestive tract. When in contact with liquid, the seeds expand forming a gel that adds bulk to your stools, preventing constipation by keeping your bowel movements regular. (more…)
![Buckwheat – An Amazing Superfood]()
by plant4health | Jul 23, 2015 | Nutrition, Plant-based, Recipes, Sustainability, WFPB, Whole food, Whole food, plant-based
Buckwheat Groats
Buckwheat is one of the most commonly overlooked gluten free whole grain “substitutes”. I classify it as a grain “substitute” because, while most people think of buckwheat as a grain, it is actually a fruit seed. Although it’s name suggests it’s a member of the wheat family, buckwheat is not related to wheat and is completely gluten free.
Buckwheat Flower
Because the buckwheat plant is not susceptible to any major diseases or pests, it’s easy to grow, making it an inexpensive grocery item. Due to its easy to grow nature with blossoms that attract beneficial insects and pollinators, it is often used as a cover crop for weed control in sustainable agriculture.
Buckwheat is a nutrient rich superfood. It’s one of the best sources of high quality plant protein because it contains all eight essential amino acids with high concentrations of potassium, magnesium and more. It’s significant amount of B vitamins promotes healthy skin and hair while the high amounts of fiber supports gut health.
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by plant4health | Jul 2, 2015 | Nutrition, Plant-based, Recipes, Vegan, WFPB
View Patricia Joy Becker’s video talk on sea vegetables and seaweed.
Sea vegetables (also known as kelp and seaweed) are edible algae that can be eaten as is or used as an ingredient in recipes. The most common types to eat are alaria, arame, dulse, hijiki, kelp, kombu, nori, and wakame. They have been consumed by coastal people for thousands of years and for good reason. According to Dr. Gabriel Cousens in his book Conscious Eating, sea vegetables are packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. In fact, they are “higher in minerals and vitamins than any other class of food” and unlike land vegetables “have all the fifty six minerals and trace elements our bodies require.” In addition to vitamins A, B, C, and E, sea vegetables contain human-utliizable vitamin B12, which is challenging to get on a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) vegan diet. For example, one-half ounce of alaria contains 10 times more vitamin B12 than the recommended daily requirement. One-half ounce of kelp has 1-2 times the daily minimum requirement and nori has 2-3 times.
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by plant4health | May 28, 2015 | cancer, Nutrition, Plant-based, Recipes, Vegan, WFPB, Whole food, Whole food, plant-based
While battling cancer, juicing was a vital part of my husband’s nutritional support system and remains an important part of our plant-based diet.
When your body has developed cancer, or any illness, it is telling you something – its needs are not being met. Your body is a compilation of complex systems that all work together in creating your experience of living. Food provides the fuel all of those interrelated systems require in order to function and maintain health. When one or more of those systems are compromised, we get sick. Reevaluating your eating habits is the first step towards providing your body with the tools it needs to fight disease and regain optimal health.
It’s all about eating consciously. Our bodies have an incredible capacity to heal and your diet is the foundational support system in that healing process. Juicing is a great way to provide your body with much needed nutrients that are easy for your system to absorb.
Juicing Facts:
Nutrient rich – When you drink fresh vegetable juice, highly concentrated vitamins, minerals and enzymes are easily accessible to your body as they rapidly enter the bloodstream. Juice made from fresh produce is high in antioxidants and minerals, wonderful tools in the fight against cancer. Because most of the fiber has been removed, the nutrients can bypass the digestive system and go straight to where you need them most. (more…)
by plant4health | May 21, 2015 | cancer, grocery shopping, Nutrition, Plant-based, Recipes, Vegan, WFPB, Whole food, Whole food, plant-based
Last week, I was talking with a friend who desperately wants to change her diet but can’t seem to take that first step. According to her doctor, if she doesn’t start making some changes soon, she will be destined for heart disease, stroke, chronic arthritis and/or diabetes as she moves towards her 60s. Over the last few years, she’s gained a few pounds, begun experiencing chronic joint pain, and is battling fatigue as she tries to maintain the high energy her busy lifestyle demands. She went to the doctor thinking her symptoms were signaling the beginning of menopause that hormone therapy might ease, only to learn that she is in the “high risk” category for the most popular illnesses that lead to death and disability in the United States.
My friend is not obese nor is she a junk food addict. Actually, before this wake up call, she thought she was living a pretty healthy lifestyle; she always eats a salad with meals, orders whole grains and organic meat when dining out, avoids all fast-foods, and always declines the pastries and sweets offered at business meetings and parties. However, the hidden fats, carbs, salt and sugar from the foods she has been eating, combined with her limited amount of exercise was starting to take its toll.
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