Know your Facts. Organic Food vs Conventional Food

This is so important!!

Conventionally grown produce generally costs less, but organic food is safer and more nutritious! Get the facts before you shop!!!

People seem to have a concern with the seemingly "high" cost of Organic food.
There is a direct correlation with quality and cost.

People always pay more for better clothes, better shoes, better furniture, better experiences, better cars and yet don't want to pay more for better food.

That makes no sense.

Organic foods typically cost more, due in part to more expensive farming practices.

Because organic fruits and vegetables aren't treated with waxes or preservatives, they may spoil faster. Conventional growers use pesticides to protect their crops from molds, insects and diseases. When farmers spray pesticides, this can leave residue on produce. 

I don't know about you, but I prefer not to eat pesticide residue and wax. I prefer to eat Organic food as we were intended.

Here are some basic facts.

The word "organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat.

Organic farming is designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don't use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease.

For example, rather than using chemical weedkillers, organic farmers may conduct more sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay.

Here are some key differences between conventional farming and organic farming:

Conventional	Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

So if any of this is making sense then the choice should be clear right? Well some people still are not sure how to tell if things are Organic or not in the store.

Check the label to see if its Organic.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires all organic foods to meet strict government standards. These standards regulate how such foods are grown, handled and processed.

Any product labeled as organic must be USDA certified. Only producers who sell less than $5,000 a year in organic foods are exempt from this certification; however, they're still required to follow the USDA's standards for organic foods.

If a food bears a USDA Organic label, it means it's produced and processed according to the USDA standards. The seal is voluntary, but many organic producers use it.

Products that are completely organic — such as fruits, vegetables, eggs or other single-ingredient foods — are labeled 100 percent organic and can carry the USDA seal.
Foods that have more than one ingredient, such as breakfast cereal, can use the USDA organic seal plus the following wording, depending on the number of organic ingredients:

• 100 percent organic. To use this phrase, products must be either completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.

Eating healthy Organic food provides more nutrients to your body.  When your body is getting more nutrients it's healthier. You have fewer colds and fewer health problems.  When your body is healthier you quality of life is better.
Eat foods that are in season, they are are freshest. When you are eating the freshest fruits and vegetables you get the maximum amount of nutrients.

Organic food has so much more nutrition in it than Conventional food.
Organic food tastes better, it's better for the environment and it's better for your body.

Nourish your bodies and your minds properly.
Support your local Organic Farmers Markets and Eat Organic! xx

The Model Vegan

Watch, Listen, Learn. Take Action. Go Vegan.

                                 

As I have mentioned before my mother, a Physician, Kinesiologist and Homeopath has always advocated that when you put healthy nutrients into your body your body will be healthy.  

My mother has been a Homeopath and a Vegan since the 1970's so I grew up without Western medicine, everything that came up ie. cuts and bruises and sniffles was treated with Homeopathic Medicine.  As children we rarely were ill, many health symptoms others consider "normal" have never afflicted myself or anyone in my family.  Most notable as a child the yearly Flu that all my classmates would get I never seemed to catch. Now, I know it was due to my Vegan diet.

I have had the pleasure of watching a dear friend of mine see the benefits of eating healthy. Like most people, he ate whatever he wanted healthy or not and had the body to prove it. Overweight and extremely unhealthy he had to make a change.

He began to eat healthier one week at a time, literally.

He started off by doing a week long challenge of eating a vegetarian diet. Then slowing introducing more healthy foods and eating healthier for longer amounts of time. Since he was feeling better and had more energy he increased his exercise.

He began watching documentaries such as Forks Over Knives and Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, and reading books like "The China Study."

Then began adding juicing to his diet. Drinking one fresh veggie juice or fruit juice a day along with a healthy diet.  He finally lost the stomach that he had been carrying around with him since college.  He is changing his body one week at a time.

First the challenge was to be vegetarian for a week, then two.
Most recently he informed me that he was taking on the challenge of eating Vegan for an entire month. This was awesome. I did get several phone calls and texts the first few days, as he needed help finding out what he could eat on the run during the day.

Now, although my friend is not a Vegan, he is now seeing the benefits of eating a Vegan diet. Today he begins his 3rd week of his 1 month Vegan challenge. He has lost all of his excess weight and is healthier now than he has been in years.

I spoke to him about his experience so far, he says that "Overall, so far it has been a very positive experience. The first few days were a bit rough, figuring out what I could eat, but after that it's been great."  He recommends that for those who are going to eat a Vegan diet, to do some research first. Find local restaurants that have Vegan options, plan out your meals before hand and bring snacks with you during the day.

Becoming Vegan will change the quality of your life in more ways than you imagine.
Your body will thank you.

Your skin will be clearer and more vibrant, your breath will smell better, you will have more energy, you will sleep through the night and will feel well rested in the morning.

Diet is the cause of so many "common" illness and it is also the cure. Becoming a Vegan will create the health in your life that you are looking for.

Click on the link below for testimonials of people who have reaped the health rewards from changing what they put into their body.

http://gentleworld.org/rewarded-for-being-vegan/  

There is so much medical data to support the benefits of eating a plant based Vegan diet.   

Please Watch, Listen, Learn and Take Action. Go Vegan.

http://www.forksoverknives.com/

ttp://www.milkdocumentary.com/ 

http://www.veganhealth.org/

http://www.thechinastudy.com/  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA2CWnJ8j-k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh2xNcuOmVU

'The time will come when men will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men'

--Leonardo da Vinci

The Model Vegan

The Inevitable Protein Question

I am constantly asked the question, "So where do you get your protein from?" or "How do you make sure you are getting all the protein you need if you don't eat meat?"

Many people are worried about getting enough protein when becoming vegan. This concern about protein is misplaced. Although protein is certainly an essential nutrient which plays many key roles in the way our bodies function, we do not need huge quantities of it.

In reality, we need small amounts of protein. Only one calorie out of every ten we take in needs to come from protein.

It is very easy for a vegan diet to meet the recommendations for protein, as long as calorie intake is adequate. Strict protein combining is not necessary; it is more important to eat a varied diet throughout the day.

The truth is protein can be found in many things.

Nearly all vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds contain some, and often much, protein.  All the protein you need can be gotten from brown rice, beans, lentils, leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, quinoa, oatmeal, fruits, nuts and seeds and whole grain breads.

So if you are eating a varied, healthy diet of organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains you will absolutely get all the protein your body needs.   :)

Check out some awesome athletes whom you might not know are Vegan!

Mac Danzing: UFC Fighter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5FnA0SPniY

Scott Jurek: Ultra Running Champion
http://www.scottjurek.com/#/home/

Tony Fiammetta: NFL player for the Dallas Cowboys
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/nfl-fullback-goes-vegan/

Vegan Athletes: UFC vs Boxing Manny Pacquiao KO GSP vs Shields, Frank Mir, Mike Tyson Go Vegetarian.  YES, you read that correctly Mike Tyson is a Vegetarian!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzPOUaSg2Y

The Model Vegan

The Model Vegan: Eggplant Manicotti

Cooking Time 30-40 minutes

1 Large Organic Eggplant

1 16oz Can of Organic Tomato Sauce

4 Organic Garlic Cloves* 

1/2 Large Organic Onion, diced

8 oz Organic Extra Firm Tofu

2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Crushed Red Chile Flakes to Taste

Sea Salt to Taste

Organic Oregano to Taste

Organic Basil to Taste

Thinly slice the Organic Eggplant on a Mandoline Slicer into long thin strips

In a food processor combine Onion, Drained and Cubed Extra Firm Organic Tofu, Basil, Oregano, Salt and water until creamy (add chile flakes here too if you like) Saute Garlic with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Crushed Red Chile Flakes to taste over medium heat add Tomato Sauce and herbs/salt to taste.  Stir and cover with lid for 5 minutes, reducing the heat to low.
*My sister does not add any garlic to her sauce in this recipe

Roll individual slices of Eggplant into a tube with room for filling. Fill Eggplant completely with Tofu mixture. Place some sauce in the bottom of your baking dish, then arrange the Eggplant Manicotti in rows.

Once the baking dish is filled, cover with all of the remaining tomato sauce. Bake for 20 minutes at 4oo degrees. After 20 minutes reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes.  Test the Eggplant with a toothpick,  the toothpick should slide through the Eggplant without any resistance.  Bake longer at 350 degrees if necessary.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDGWg8pXcss

The Model Vegan

The Model Vegan: Beans 101

 The humble bean is a marvel of bio-engineering. Inside its hard-shelled, self-protective skin lurk life-sustaining carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. Beans, along with a little grain are a complete protein. They're fat-free and each type of bean has its own distinctive flavor, its own texture, and its own special uses. This is where the fun begins: we can make literally hundreds, even thousands, of wonderful dishes from these great little sources of perfect nutrition.

If you like so many out there think that eating beans causes gas, well its not entirely true. Many bean recipes call for an apple, or a bit of animal fat, or even sweeteners such as molasses and honey.  All of which, when mixes with beans, will cause gas.
When you cook and eat beans with food that mixes you never get gas. 

My mother always used pinto beans, which I still love.  Now, I cook mostly with Kidney beans. Kidney beans are large, kidney-shaped bean with a subtle sweet flavor and soft texture that keep their shape during cooking. I love the bright color they add to dishes.  No matter what type of bean you are cooking with you have to make sure to wash them several times if you are buying dried beans. Be careful of tiny rocks! 

Here is a simple recipe that is absolutely delicious. Everything is really to taste and will depend on how large a pot of beans you are cooking.

Cooking time will vary from 40 minutes-4 hours depending on if you are using dried beans or canned beans and if you are using a pressure cooker or not.

I usually make this in a pot, not a pressure cooker.  If I am just cooking for my husband and myself I use about 64oz of beans or several cups of dried beans. However, I must note that if you love beans as much as we do you will want to have extra for later!

Also, if you are not used to eating hot and spicy food please go easy on the heat.  I am from New Mexico and love things hot and spicy, to me these beans are not even in the least bit hot, they just taste amazing. To others however, the cayenne can be left out.  I would recommend adding a mild green chile it will enhance the flavor of the beans tenfold.

64 oz of Organic Kidney Beans rinsed well
1 Whole chopped medium Organic Yellow/Purple Onion
1-3 Chopped Organic Tomatoes (depending on size)
Plenty of salt- to taste
Lots of Red Chile Flakes or extra hot Green Chile if I have some- to taste
Plenty of Cayenne- to taste
1-3 cups of Organic Chopped Kale

Cover the Beans with filtered water so it is about 4 inches above the Beans.
Add everything else except the Kale
Bring water up to a boil......then reduce to medium heat and cover with a lid

Cook until the Beans are tender... about 2 hours if you are using Dried Beans/if you are using Canned Beans then cook for about 40 min. Now add your Chopped Kale.

Cook for another 20 minutes or so.... Turn the heat off and leave the lid on the pot.
The longer you let the beans sit the better the flavor.

These are great with Rice, or can be used for Tostadas or even used for a filling in Tamales.
Enjoy!

The Model Vegan

The Model Vegan: Proper Food Combining = A Healthy Vegan Diet

People are drawn to a vegan diet for a variety of reasons. Some have ethical or health considerations, for others its a matter of religious beliefs. Whatever the reason it's important to lean how to combine you foods properly to get the maximum amount of nutrients through proper digestion.

One thing that always drives me nuts is seeing "Healthy" Salads /Juices or Vegan/Vegetarian recipes that have food that doesn't mix.

Even if everyone swears it tastes amazing I still wouldn't eat it. Why?
Because it doesn't mix!!

Growing up vegan my mother taught us what mixed and what didn't mix, not exactly through schooling....it was more along the lines of  "No, put that apple back. That doesn't mix, you have to wait an hour before you can eat that."  Seeing as how there is a lot of misinformation out there on healthy diets I wanted to provide a guide to those who actually want to be healthy and stay away from foods that don't mix.

The principle behind food combining is that different food classes require different enzymes, different rates of digestion, and different digestive pHs for proper digestion. If the foods of the different food classes are combined incorrectly, the specific requirements for their proper digestion tend to cancel each other. 

No digestion equals;
Rotting food in stomach=Heart Burn/Stomach Aches/Acid Reflex/Gas/Bloating....
I could go on, but it only gets more disgusting and I'm sure you get the picture.

This doesn’t leave too much in favor of raisins bran products, fruit preserves on toast or bananas in your cereal or carrot slaw with raisins, etc…all things that have food that doesn't mix.  There are so many bad combination of this that we think are fine, because we were taught it’s healthy. But when you think about it, oranges and rice doesn’t sounds too good either. 

So all those who want to know a thing or two about being Vegan, first things first:
Learn how to combine your foods properly.

(1) Fruits DO NOT mix with Vegetables!!!

So everyone out there who is Juicing to be healthy and adding apples to their veggies to sweeten up the drink or putting tangerine slices in salad, you aren't doing your body any favors.

Some foods are digested faster than others. If fast-digesting foods like fruits are held up in the digestive system for a longer time than necessary through being combined with foods that digest more slowly like vegetables, fermentation takes place. One word for you. EW.

Fruits and vegetables require different digestive enzymes, which tend to neutralize each other and no digestion is able to take place in your body.

 (2)  Fruits DO NOT mix with Proteins

Fruit digestion results in the release of an alkaline secretion, which neutralizes the acid secretions, needed for protein digestion. Because of this, it is not a good idea to eat fruits and proteins at the same meals.

(3) Fruits DO NOT mix with Starches 

The fruit sugars are quickly absorbed into the intestines while the starch requires digestion in the mouth and stomach. Starch is the only food that begins to digest in the mouth with the enzyme Ptyalin. If the fruit sugars are held up in the stomach while the digestion of starch continues, the food will rot in no time!  

A general rule regarding fruit if you haven't noticed the pattern already is to eat it by itself. 
 
(4) Melons DO NOT mix with any other food....NOT EVEN FRUIT.

Crazy right? But its true.

They are in the simplest form and require not much digestion time at all in the stomach.  So when you are eating any kind of melon, eat it alone.

(5) Proteins DO NOT mix with Starches

Mixing proteins and starches leads to disease states. Sound serious? It is.  It takes a series of acid digestive juices to digest the protein and a series of alkaline digestive juices to digest the starch.  Remember back in 6th grade science class when you learned that an Acid substance is neutralized by an Alkaline substance? Well guess what?  It's true.
  
If starches are mixed with proteins, the enzymes in the stomach are diluted and the stomach feels full for longer because digestion of the proteins is inefficient. Acid is being produced for every mixed meal, which puts the stomach under stress. The acid has to be neutralised by the bile salts for every meal, which puts the small intestine under stress.  

Why would we want to do that to ourselves?

We need to treat our bodies like the temples they are designed to be. Your body will thank you in its own way. Your skin will become clearer and tighter, your eyes will become brighter, your breath will smell better. You will feel lighter, and probably be actually lighter as well since proper food combining regulates the metabolism and helps you loose weight. You will have more energy, more clarity, and more marvelous savory meals now that your taste buds are awakened once again. 

Rules of thumb for a Healthy Vegan Diet:

Combine foods properly. 

Eat only Organic Foods and Whole Grains.  

Eliminate all refined sugar and processed foods.

The Model Vegan

The Model Vegan: Spaghetti with Hearty Tomato Sauce

Cook time about 20 min

1 lb Organic Spaghetti
1 16oz Can of Organic Tomato Sauce
1 Bunch Fresh Organic Beet Green Tops, chopped
1/2 Large Organic Onion, diced
8 oz Organic Extra Firm Tofu
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Crushed Red Chile Flakes to Taste
Sea Salt to Taste
Organic Oregano to Taste
Organic Basil to Taste

Saute diced Onions with Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Crushed Red Chile Flakes to taste over medium heat.  Add chopped Beet Green Tops, Tomato Sauce and Crumbled Tofu.  Stir and cover with lid for 5 minutes, reducing the heat to low.

Bring water to a boil in a pasta pot then add Salt and Spaghetti.  Let cook about 12 minutes.
When the Spaghetti is cooked to desired texture, drain and add directly into the sauce.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkkBW_0ZvXE&feature=youtu.be

The Model Vegan