Thursday, September 23, 2010

Day 16 - Black Bean Burritos

Day 16 and it just keeps getting easier. I've been finding many local vegan markets and restaurants. This has made finding new food ideas easy. I made the recipe below last night and I can say that I will be definitely be making it again soon.

Many studies have shown that a low-fat diet improves health. You don’t have to put a lot of time and effort into making a nutritious reduced fat meal that tastes great too. Black beans contain cholesterol-lowering fiber and they’re packed with high-quality, fat-free protein.




Ingredients:

1 15-oz. can vegetarian refried black bean
4 flour tortillas
2 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup salsa

Directions:

Heat the black beans on the stove or in a microwave.
Warm tortillas, one at a time, in a large dry skillet, flipping to warm both sides until soft.
Spread warm tortilla with approximately 1/2 cup of bean mixture.
Top with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado, and salsa.
Roll tortilla around filling and enjoy.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Day 8 - Corn Sugar???

Well it's been one week eating vegan and I can say I feel great. Last night I had whole wheat pasta with fresh made sauce from the garden.


I woke up today and read that the Corn Refiner’s Association said in a press release posted on its website that it has asked the Food and Drug Administration to allow manufacturers of high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, to use the name "corn sugar" instead of high fructose corn syrup. The FDA considers HFCS as natural, even though critics point out that this sweetener consisting of both glucose and fructose is in reality, not found in corn.  This product is made by enzymatically converting some portion of glucose, which is derived from corn starch, into fructose.


It has been directly linked to obesity and Type-2 Diabetes.The good news is that with all the attention by the media and public figures, Americans are consuming less of the sweetener than we have in 20 years. So not surprising with the drop in sales the CRA is looking to change the name.  How sad that they try to trick the American public, if people dont self educate they suffer. 


How can you avoid HFCS? "Corn Sugar"



  • Avoid processed foods.
  • Avoid foods that contain added sugar.
  • Choose fresh fruit 
  • Avoid soda.




Saturday, September 11, 2010

Day 4- The Milk Myth


It's shocking to see when you look at our food system how much is controlled by a handful of large companies. Looking deeper you will see how these companies donate large sums of money to political campaigns and keep a large staff of lobbyist at work. The Dairy Farmers of America are no different. The dairy farm of today is much different than even 50 years ago. 

The Milk Machine
Female calves born are kept for the dairy industry. They are inseminated at 15 months to start their grueling life as a milk machine. The male calves are just by-products of milk production. Many are shot at birth because the cost to raise them for meat is not economical to the dairy farmer.  By the end of the dairy cow's short life, she will be physically exhausted. Happy healthy cows can have a long life of around 25 years, the dairy cow is cut short in just 4 or 5.  They will be sent to slaughter, where many cannot even stand up anymore.

The Question
Now what is all this for? Milk. Let’s think about this in pure basic terms. Humans are the only creature on this earth that drinks another animal’s breast milk. Not only as babies but for a lifetime, most other mammals wean off breast milk  after a few months. We just assume to keep on this path because it’s how we’ve always done it?

The Dangers
Now the dangerous health risks. Studies, such as the famous China Study have proven that the casein protein in milk has a direct relationship to cancer development and growth. Also, milk is liquid fat. All animal fats are converted into cholesterol in the body contributing to heart disease.

The Alternatives
There are plenty alternatives to dairy, my favorite being almond milk. There is also soy milk and many other nut milks. The taste is the same if not better, and they do not contain the harmful ingredients contained in the dairy products.


Here are a couple of links to research further:



Wednesday, September 8, 2010

VATT - Vegan At The Table

I am starting this blog as I embark on a new phase in my life. As I type and you read this, I am on day one in my quest to get to 30 days eating vegan. What you say, why would I do this when there are such scrumptious, comfort foods that do not fit into a vegan lifestyle? I have 2 motivating factors. The first is health and the second is awareness for the humane treatment of animals. In later blog posts i will go into each one in greater detail. I have been eating a mostly vegetarian diet for the past 7 months. I can see some small hurdles moving to a vegan diet such as the hot cheesey pizza slice and the incredible butter-cream frosted birthday cakes , but in the end it all boils down to one thing, animal fat. So here it is, a quest for 30 days and this blog to hold me to it. What will I do once i reach 30 days? Well that you will have to stay tuned for, but I know whatever happens will be for the best.