3.02.2012

SPROUTS (easy as A,B,C)

SPROUTS
easy as a,b,c.. 1,2,3... do, re, mi..


Why grow your own sprouts?
   ♳ takes 3-6 days
♴ half the cost
           ♵ grow in any climate
                   ♶ no green thumb required
   ♷ nutrient dense

(How to grow)

tools:
mason jar/sprouting trays
seeds (alfalfa, sandwich mix...)
water
your noggin




                    Step 1: soak seeds overnight (8-12 hrs) 
Step 2: rinse seeds
                   Step 3: put tbsp of seeds in tray/jar
                    Step 4: water 2-3x a day, drain water
                    Step 5: leave in dark room for 2-3 days
              Step 6: bring out to light 4th day
    Step 7: Rinse of sprouts
now...
EAT YOUR SPROUTS
!!!



some facts on sprouts...

alfalfa, radish, sunflower sprouts are 4% protein
sprouts are filled with healthy fats
baby green sprouts have B-vitamins (niacin, thiamine..)

Enjoy!

xoxo 
jessica













2.27.2012

Agave, Coconut Water & Blowing Smoke

Agave syrup
Coconut Water
(this years rave)
(and what you didn't know was in the fine print)
.....................


Agave syrup is better than sugar
Try using agave instead of sugar
Agave is natural
Agave is not processed
Agave here, agave there
__
Coconut water has all those nutrients
Coconut water has potassium/magnesium
Coconut water filled with electrolytes
Coconut water better than normal water
Drink Coconut water
__

Have you heard these before?

I sure did, it was not until
I stumbled upon a few articles
on these products that I then
realized that not all of them were
really what they said they were.
Scary.

Some Truth:

Agave: 
most commercially available agave is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers, and filtration chemicals. Here is a partial list of the chemicals many producers use:
  • Activated charcoal
  • Cationic and ionic resins
  • Sulfuric and/or hydrofluoric acid
  • Dicalite
  • Clarimex
  • Inulin enzymes

Agave’s fructose content can range from 55% up to 90%, depending on the processing method used. Agave nectar with 55% fructose is about the same as high fructose corn syrup so there would be no benefit in agave at 55% fructose over sugar.

Coconut water:

Most brands contain either pasteurized or micro filtered coconut water. Pasteurized coconut water is heated, which causes changes in taste and bioactivity, while micro filtered water although not heated, also lacks in original taste and sometimes contains added flavoring to compensate.


The other two major brands(coconut water) tested had only 18 and 59 percent the "promised" levels of sodium. Sodium -- a common electrolyte -- is a key feature in sports drinks, as it can be lost through sweat.

_______________________

After reading these facts

I then realized that we cannot take info

at face value.

I started to search for products

that did not process the Agave nectar

in facilities with the chemicals

and I looked for a coconut water

that was "raw" and not heated.

_________________

What I found to be.....


☑ The best Agave: Madhave Agave in light

or raw 
(http://www.madhavasweeteners.com/organic-agave-nectar/organic-agave-nectar/)


☑ The best Coconut water: Harmless Harvest
(http://www.harmlesscoconut.com/Harmless_Coconut/factsclarity.html)


I hope this was help to someone

because I know this info was for me.




My sources:

http://www.crossfitinvictus.com/coaches/a-closer-look-at-agave-nectar/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/04/coconut-water-not-the-mag_n_918135.html?ir=Food

http://cgsfoods.com/site/?p=116

http://www.ecokaren.com/2010/05/agave-is-no-better-than-sugar/





2.20.2012

BEST (vegan) Enchiladas

Being vegan has presented 
many challenges but
within itself many
successes.

First, I want to give credit
to Sheila Wright for
giving this recipe to
me.
Second, I want to thank my
husband for trying 
everything I make good
or bad.
________________________

These vegan enchiladas are really easy,fast, 
and affordable. Best part, its two meals.



When making the enchiladas there are a few parts:

①Tomatillo sauce
②Cheesy sauce (or other cheese replacement)
③Tortilla choice.

⧔We like to use  Sonoma gluten free/natural tortillas
from Whole Foods.

⧔Cheese options are either Daiya mozzeralla(vegan)
or a sauce which will be below.

______________________________

Tomatillo Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and quartered ( I use canned if I don’t have fresh)
½ cup yellow onion chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 ancho chili/or jalapeno
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Saute in olive oil, tomatillos, onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Pour in water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Place tomatillo mixture and remaining ingredients in Vita Mix container(or blender) in order listed.
Run for 3-4 minutes
After blending, I keep the sauce in a saute pan
to keep warm.
____________________


6 tortillas
2 cans black beans
1 cup rice (make ahead of time)
1 can mild green chillis

1 cup diced black olives
1 jalapeno diced

MIX ALL except tortilla
___________________

Turn oven to 350
Put some on the sauce in the bottom of the baking pan.
Dip tortilla in the sauce, and place a little mixture in and roll up and place in pan. When all 6 enchiladas are in the pan pour sauce over the enchiladas and top with grated vegan cheese or wait to put cheesy sauce on afterwards. Place dish in the oven and cook for 30 minutes uncovered. 

Save some tomatillo sauce to put on afterwards.

___________________

Cheesy Sauce

vegan mayonnaise
Nutritional yeast flakes
water

I usually do about a 2:1 ratio 
of mayonnaise to water then add
nutritional yeast to taste, until it
tastes "cheesy"
Can add more or less of any ingredient 
until it is the right consistency

__________________

After the enchiladas are done add:

tomatillo sauce
cheesy sauce/vegan cheese
avocado
cilantro
tomato salsa 

anything you like!

________________

Bon Appetit!

xoxo
jessica














2.15.2012

Rejuvenated Results (a different way)

I want to share with everyone
my results.
these were life changing.
It was not easy.
it took dedication.
There's still more to come.
the greatest part.....
ITS ONLY BEEN ONE MONTH
.
____________________________


Here is what I did:
          ① Cut out all Meats
     ② Cut out Dairy
       ③ Cut out Gluten
④ More Fruit
    ⑤ More Veggies
 ⑥ More water
-essentially vegan, gluten/sugar free-

Here is how I felt before:
            ① Headaches
          ② Gas/Acid
       ③ Hunger
          ④ Insomnia
                        ⑤ Trouble waking up
     ⑥ Mucus
                  ⑦ Lack of energy
____________________________

Here's How I feel now...

i have never felt this good. I wake up
at 8:00. No coffee, no get me up.
I stay up until 10:30 every night
there is no afternoon drop.

Hunger? YA RIGHT. im never hungry
Im full. Im satisfied. 

that means, NO HEADACHE.
let me say it again...
I cannot remember the last time 
I HAD A HEADACHE.
its amazing. 

If anyone knows me... I have always
had gas...
NOPE. no more painful gas in my stomach.

Energy level is over the top...

WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY:
 I have never felt this good in my life,
my head is clear because I am not
looking for the next thing to put in 
my mouth, I am not reaching for
advil when my head starts to hurt.
I FEEL REALLY GOOD.

-I want everyone to feel as good as i do
so this is why i share my journey-

____________________________

The Realities
 If you eat good 95% of the time
the other 5 % will not matter.
(example: on saturday nights
we eat whatever we want for dinner)

Its really hard to eat veggies 
everyday, but its doable.
(example: we eat 1/2- 1lb of carrots
a day for our liver, and we eat apples
before every meal to help metabolism)

Vegan isn't something that anyone
can jump into, everybody needs
certain kinds of foods.

____________________________

I didn't do this to lose weight
but i lost weight
I did this to be healthy
and i feel great
.

Everyone needs to do their
research before choosing
lifestyles
.

These aren't "diets"
This is a mindset.















1.25.2012

VEGAN. and why

You are what you eat.
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" 

This blog will be unlike any other blog I have ever done. 
It will be constructed around the notion that facts, data, science, experiments,
and proof are good enough and hold true. .  not merely opinion.
These are facts.
These are tests done.
These are real life data.
WHAT you choose to do with the information
is up to you.
This will be lengthy, but I believe that knowledge is power
and informing yourself is important in order to become
a critical thinker of our world around us.
The topic:
FOOD.

I am not going to spend time discussing:
Government "sins" in food
FDA's lack of research
Doctor's lack of training in nutrition
"myths"
Animal cruelty
money scandals
& etc.

Why not? 
because at the end of the day we can argue the wrongs but
 the most important thing is what 
YOU CHOOSE to put in your mouth 
not what OTHERS did and circumstances
surrounding the topic of "food"

What I will be discussing:
the effects of meat, dairy, eggs, chicken,
poultry, seafood, etc. YOU get it.

My sources of information:

"Skinny Bitch" by Rory & Kim
(disclaimer: everything from these books
are backed by data and numerous tests
and research, dont believe me?
inform yourself and look at the data)

Now that I have made it clear I am not simply giving out opinion or thoughts, and
that this information is scientifically proven, Id hope those who are reading
will read with an open mind knowing that we have been CONDITIONED to
believe certain things about protein and animals products.
If you are not reading with an open perspective,
 just stop now.

Personal testimony:
I spent my entire life eating butter. BUTTER BUTTER BUTTER.
cheese, blue cheese, pate, milk, refined sugar, red meat, brown meat,
chicken, eggs, seafood, crab, pork, bacon. But with this i also consumed
hormones, growth hormones, carcinigens, chemicals, hydrocholic acid.. 
You get the idea.
I am french and by nature those things do taste good on my tongue. 
I never knew what it was I was actually consuming, i was always told we needed
milk to grow. i was told we need protein as 70% of our diet. I was told I
needed to eat eat eat meat.
It was not until this past three months where i COULD no longer deny
the research and data and I WISH someone would of said something earlier
before i continued in damaging my body.
I was continually surrounded by people who mentioned the
 "notion of eating vegan"
but i wasnt ready to give up what i love.
Ironically enough, i have never felt good physically.
My most common symptoms:
gas
nausea
constant hunger
acidic stomach
mucus
insomnia
anxiety
depression
trouble waking up
tiredness
lack of energy
afternoon drop
...
I couldnt ignore that my symptoms had to have
a direct correlation with what it was
i was putting in my mouth.
You are what you eat.
THIS is what Urged me to 
embark on a journey
that I knew was not the easiest path but 
the most rewarding.

the biggest reward:
Feeling good and healthy
___________________________________

The next few sections will be short
passages or summaries from the book
"Skinny Bitch" for there is no need
for me to re write a New York bestseller.

It will be snip its of information. The sections
I chose will be related to diet and health 
and will then be back with more information in the book.
YOU have to do the rest of the reading if you care.
But do not respond with "you dont have the whole story
or wheres the backing"
the backing is in the book and resources mentioned 
for data, things cant always be handed on a 
silver platter.

Here we go

"This is not a diet, this is a way of eating"

Sugars & Coffee
"soda's high levels of phosphorous can increase calcium loss from the body, as it can its sodium and caffein" chp1

"aspartame, found usually in diet sodas, has been blamed for a slew of scary maladies like arthritis, birth defects, fibromyalgia, alzheimers, lupis, multiple sclerosis and diabetes" chp 1

"Think about how widely accepted it has become that people need coffee to wake up. You should not need anything to wake up" chp 1

"Caffeine can cause headaches, digestive issues, peptic ulcers, diarrhea, fatigue, anxiety, weight gain, and depression. Its highly acidic." chp 1

"Refined sugar, a simple carbohydrate, has been linked to hypoglycemia, yeast overgrowth, weakened immune system, enlargement of the livers/kidneys, dental cavities.." chp 3

"According to studies conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, diabetes and obesity is directly linked to eating refined sugar and high fructose sugar" chp 3

"When aspartame was put before the FDA for approval it was denied 8 times." chp 3
"Neuroscientist Dr John Oley and researcher Ann Reynolds reported that aspartame was dangerous"

"Nutrasweet/Equal contain aspartame, when ingested one of aspartame's ingredients methyl alcohol converts into formaldehyde, a deadly neurotoxin. In addition to aspartame, Equal contains the amino acid phenylalanine, which your brain already makes. high levels of the amino acid can cause seizures and lead to schizophrenia."

TRY AGAVE NECTAR.

NOW the ANIMALS

"Americans eat twice as much protein necessary, which has sent obesity, heart disease, and cancer rates soaring over the past fifty years. 
When you eat large amounts of animal protein and saturated fats and do not eat whole grains vegetables, and fresh fruits, there is no fiber to bind all of the toxins and fat together to be eliminated from your body. You will eventually do an incredible amount of HARM to yourself."  Chp 4

"In a case of study involving 1500 patients with diabetes, most had lost more than half of their kidney function because of a high intake of animal protein."

"Half of all the antibiotics made in the U.S each year are administered to farm animals, causing antibiotic resistance in humans who eat them. A study at UC Berkeley linked eating beef to urinary tract infections(UTIs) in women. It just so happens that the most common infectious disease in women is UTIs. 
YOU do the math." chp 4

"list of whats in meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy:
benzene hexachloride, chlordane, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane(DDT),
dieldrin, dioxin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, and lindane.
 PERHAPS, thats why eating "meat"
has been linked to obesity, cancer, liver, kidney, lung, and reproductive disorders, birth defects, miscarriages, and now nervous systems disorders."

"David Steinman reports that of all the toxic chemicals found in food, 
95-99%  come from MEAT FISH DAIRY EGGS.
He also reveals that many of the tests performed dont even detect many chemicals
and pesticides. The FDA's own Total Diet Study found that:
bacon has 48 different pesticide residues
bologna/lunch meat: 102 industrial pollutants/pests
fast food hamburgers: 113
hot dogs: 123
ground beef: 82
"

Everytime you consume factory farmed chicken, beef, veal, pork, eggs, or dairy
you are eating antibiotics, pesticides, steroids, and hormones. 

"The FDA approves about 1700 drugs in use for animal feed. Of these approved drugs,
300 include weigh gain in their description."

"present in fish/seafood are high levels of mercury and PCBs, which are well
absorbed by the body, these chemicals can cause neurotoxicity which impairs
a person's mental state and ability.

"Mercury, a suspected carcinogen can alter IMMUNE FUNCTION, 
RAISE BLOOD PRESSURE, CAUSE BLINDNESS/PARALYSIS, 
increase the chance of cardiac mortality and is known to reduce fertility and virility.
it can also inflict permanent brain damage on fetuses, infants and children.

Appetizing much?

now milk..
Mammals need the enzyme lactase to digest lactose.
However between the ages of 18 months-4 yrs we lose 90-95% of this enzyme.
The undigested lactose and the acidic nature of pasteurized milk encourage
the growth of bacteria in our intestines. All this contributes to a
GREATER RISK OF CANCER
because cancer cells thrive in acidic condition.

Got mucus? Dairy products produce mucus and often the body will
develop a cold to fight the dairy invasion. Mother Nature is no fool. All species, including ours have just what we need to get by. She did not intend for grownups to suck 
their MOTHERS TITS,
We dont need our mothers milk as adults just like
grown cows dont need their mothers milk anymore.
We ARE the only species on the planet that drinks
MILK AS ADULTS.
We are also the ONLY species on the planet that 
drinks the milk of another species.
We could be putting gorilla milk or zebra milk on our cereal
why cows? because its the animal that produces the largest amount 
of milk? no elephants do! but we dont house them because of cost.

Dairy products have been linked to a host of other problems as well:
acne anemia anxiety arthritis ADD fibromyalgia headaches
heartburn indigestion IBS joint pain osteoporosis allergies ear infections
colic obesity heart disease diabetes autism Crohns prostate cancer ovarian cancer

believe it yet?

MIlk is not a reliable source of minerals, you get much higher levels of manganese,
chromium, selenium, and magnesium from fruits/vegetables. They are
also high in boron which helps lessen the loss of calcium in urination. 

Research shows that supplements do not make a difference in preventing or 
treating osteoporosis. 

Remember milk is designed to fatten up baby cows.
do you really believe it can be fat free? 
milk=fat
butter=fat
cheese=fat
___________________________________

Too much protein, especially animal protein, can impair our kidneys,
leach calcium, zinc, vit B, iron, and magnesium from our bodies, cause
osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, and protein.
Remember people in other cultures 
consume HALF the amount of protein then we do
yet they LIVE LONGER AND HEALTHIER LIVES.
ironic.
___________________________________

Ive set out to show you guys a part
of the research and studies done 
so that the information was more
easily attained.
Inspiration from Forks over Knifes documentary
which was then very close to the information in 
Skinny Bitch which i used for written documentation.

What I have chosen to do with the information:
eat a plant based diet
remove animal products
eat organic
spend money on food rather then medical bills
remove refined/processed foods
BE HEALTHY

I hope this is a more thorough response to 
that which was on facebook.
i urge you to do your own research.
Educate yourself.
Understand the consequences.

"To repeat what others have said, requires education;
to challenge it require brains."
-Mary Poole