Sweet & Sara Featured On The Food Network's Unwrapped!

Marc Summers from the Food Network's "Unwrapped" recently featured the one company who brought vegetarians and marshmallows together, Sarah Sohn the founder of vegan company Sweet & Sara.

Source: Ecorazzi

Review: Vega Whole Food Vibrancy Bars By Sequel Naturals

Recently we were given the opportunity to test out the newest addition to Vega's award-winning product line, the Whole Food Vibrancy Bars in Wholesome Original and Green Synergy (they are also available in Chocolate Decadence).

Like all of Vega's products these bars are all-natural, raw and organic. Unlike many of the power or sports bars on the market, Vibrancy bars are vegan, gluten-free, sprouted, alkaline-forming and rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients and Omega 3.

My husband and I enjoyed both of the bars however my 3-year-old daughter preferred the taste of the Wholesome Originals as it had more of a pleasant flavor whereas the Green Synergy tasted very "green". I will be purchasing a few for travel snacks as they are extremely healthy.

Each bar contains:

* 17.5g of sprouts, rich in enzymes and phytonutrients
* 10g of raw protein for easy digestion
* 4g of Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids
* 5g of soluble and insoluble fibre (20% of RDI)

I love that these bars contain 0 refined sugar, soy, and are GMO and pesticide free. They make excellent snacks and are nutrient powerhouses!

These are available at most Health Food stores however if you are unable to find them where you are, check out Sequel Naturals to order online or to view a list of retailers in your area

Thanks to Sequel Naturals for providing us with a few samples of these bars for review!

Windsor Castle Goes Vegan

On November 3, 2009, Windsor Castle went vegan for the day. The Duke of Edinburgh, founder of the secular Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) which, with the UN Development Programme, organised the lunch as part of “the Celebration of Faiths and the Environment”. The banquet served 200 including UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, the Grand Mufti of Egypt and Archbishop Valentine Mokiwa, President of the All Africa Conference of Churches. It was the first vegan banquet in Windsor Castle's history.

BBC News reported:

All the food will be free-range, and most organic, local and fair-trade. No bottled water will be provided.

The menu for the vegan banquet at Windsor Castle

STARTER

Salad of roasted English pear, steamed celeriac and oven roasted cobnuts

Frisee leaves tossed with a hazelnut oil and lemon oil dressing

Served with a red grape reduction

Ciabatta bread served with olive oil

MAIN COURSE

Portabello mushroom stuffed with artichoke, red onion and thyme, set on pearl barley and butternut squash risotto with gremolata oil

Roasted root vegetables to include carrots, parsnips and beetroot turned with baby chard

DRINKS

Cranberry and fresh orange cocktail

Jugs of iced tap water and lemon on the tables

(No dessert due to extremely tight schedule)

The article also noted that the Bishop of London has become vegetarian for ecological reasons.

I think it is wonderful that a celebration of various faiths as well as the environment took place during a vegan meal at Windsor Castle. Talk about a historical moment!

Photo: f_samora

Vega Vanilla Chai Whole Food Optimizer Review

In case you aren't familiar with Vega, it is an award winning protein powder/meal replacement made from all natural plant-based whole foods. Not only is it nutritionally complete but also very easy to digest and alkaline to your body!

The entire Vega line was formulated by Brendan Brazer a professional Ironman triathlete and best selling author.

Vega Facts:


* Packed with complete protein, 100% RDI of vitamins and minerals, fiber, Omega-3 and 6 EFAs, antioxidants, probiotics, enzymes, ChlorEssence and MacaSure.

* Free of animal products, dairy, gluten, soy, sugar, wheat, yeast artificial sweeteners, GMOs or pesticides Clean, green and alkaline-forming, Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer combines whole food goodness with fast food convenience.

* Every serving contains 11 grams of protein, only 3 grams of fat and 1 gram of Omega 3. Health factor - 10/10

* With only 100 calories, this nutritional powder sure packs a lot of nutrients into it's 30 g serving size. It has 11 g of protein, only 3 g of fat and 1 g of Omega 3.

* Made of all natural, plant based ingredients,Vega has 50% of the recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals per serving.

I have tried the natural, chocolate and berry flavors however Vega's new Vanilla Chai is honestly my favorite of them all. The flavor is almost like that of a baked vanilla cinnamon cake. The only con I found was the product was slightly grainy when mixed with water alone. This was not an issue when I blended it with fresh bananas or fruits.

I definitely recommend giving the new Vanilla Chai a try. Sample sized packets can be found at most health food stores. Visit Sequel Naturals for a list of retailers.

Thank you to Sequel Naturals for providing Vega's Vanilla Chai for review!

Vegan Buddhist nuns have same bone density as non-vegetarians

I found this study to be very interested as I have this question asked all the time, "Where do you get your calcium?" Calcium is available from many food sources such as almonds, calcium-fortified soy milk and juice, calcium-set tofu, soybeans and soynuts, bok choy, broccoli, collards, Chinese cabbage, kale, mustard greens, and okra. Many people are not aware that there is in fact more calcium in 4 ounces of firm tofu or 3/4 cup of collard greens as there is in one cup of cow's milk!

The study was led by Professor Tuan Nguyen from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research. He collaborated with Dr Ho-Pham Thuc Lan from the Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Their findings are now published online in Osteoporosis International.

"For the 5% of people in Western countries who choose to be vegetarians, this is very good news," said Professor Nguyen. "Even vegans, who eat only plant-based foods, appear to have bones as healthy as everyone else."

"Bone health in vegetarians, particularly vegans, has been a concern for some time, because as a group they tend to have a lower protein and calcium intake than the population at large."

"In this work we showed that although the vegans studied do indeed have lower protein and calcium intakes, their bone density is virtually identical to that of people who eat a wide variety of foods, including animal protein."

Source:

Raw Chocolate Orange pudding

I made this pudding last week and was blown away! I find it is more of a chocolate mousse than a pudding. So rich, creamy and smooth it would be a sure hit for vegans and non vegans a like. Vegan Fusion has some great recipes in their cookbook as well as on their website.

Chocolate Orange Pudding

from the Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw

Sure to please the whole family, this pudding actually resembles an elegant mousse.

Yield: 3 cups
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 1+ hours
Serving size: [1/3] cup

2 cups avocado, mashed
6 TB. raw cacao powder
2 TB. raw carob powder
2 tsp. orange zest
4 dates, soaked
[1/4] cup date soak water
[1/4] cup agave nectar
3 TB. freshly squeezed orange juice

1. In the food processor with the s-blade attachment, blend avocado, cacao powder, carob powder, orange zest, dates, date soak water, agave and orange juice on high speed for 40 seconds until a smooth consistency is reached.

2. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Variations

Substitute [1/2] teaspoon of mint extract for orange zest.
Try adding 2 tablespoons of rose water.

Recipe courtesy of Jennifer Murray.

Mark Reinfeld, Author, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine: Healing Recipes and Timeless Wisdom from our Hearts to Yours & The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw

Please visit www.veganfusion.com or www.blossominglotus.com for more information.

Homemade vegan teething rusks

When my eldest daughter was teething I had a hard time finding teething crackers which were vegan. After searching high and low I came across these two recipes.

Recipe #1

This one is dairy, wheat, salt and sugar free. Please note wheat free does not mean gluten free! Barley flour is not suitable for celiacs.

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup barley flour
1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
water

Preheat oven to 250 F. Mix brown rice flour and whole barley flour. Add the blackstrap molasses. Add enough water until mixture forms a dough/thick batter. Drop onto a cookie sheet which has been lined with parchment paper. Shape into 1/4-1/8 inch disks. Bake for 1 hour for rock hard cookies or less for slightly chewy ones. Please note that all ovens are different so baking times may vary!

Recipe #2

1/3 cup honey (or part molasses)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup soy or nut milk

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry or unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup soy flour
2 Tbsp arrowroot flour
1/4 tsp ground anise seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon or 1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 275-300 F.
Cream first three ingredients together. Add the remainder ingredients. Mix and knead well. Break off walnut sized pieces and roll between hands to 2 inch lengths (slightly tapered at one end). Press flat until 1/4 inch thick. Bake for 25 minutes. Again all ovens vary!

Barack Obama responds to Vegan question

Healthy raw pudding

I found this on the VegFamily website while searching for healthy snacks for my daughter earlier this year. She LOVES it and its chock-full of nutrients.

Dad's Sneaky Pudding

This recipe was created by Earthsave International's Chair of the Board of Directors, Louisville Lawyer and amazing chef, John Borders.

• 1.5 cups frozen strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1-2 tsp. carob or cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. flaxseed oil
• 3-5 Tbsp. nut butter (cashew or almond)
• 2-3 Tbsp. orange juice or other healthy juice such as carrot juice
• 2 Tbsp. fortified soymilk
• 1/8-1/4 avocado

Set your little companion up on a stool beside you, ready to toss in the ingredients and push the button. Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. This works best in a food processor; you might add a bit more juice or soymilk if you use a blender. Blend until smooth.

Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 336 calories, 7 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 19 g fat.

Source

Vegan diet makes news..

I saw this in the Globe and Mail a couple of days ago. Its so nice to see a positive article for once. Maybe people are becoming more open minded and looking towards the facts.


Vegan diet has surprising stick-to-it-iveness

A meat-free menu is easier to maintain and lowers blood sugar better than a traditional diabetes food plan, according to a new study


LESLIE BECK
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
February 4, 2009

Is a vegan diet the new "non-diet"?

The question isn't if a diet works, but if it's sustainable. Any number of diets can lower blood sugar, reduce cholesterol or promote weight loss over its initial three months. But the real winner is the one that can accomplish these tasks over the long term.

Enter the vegan diet - a low-fat eating plan that shuns all animal foods including meat, poultry, dairy and eggs. Such a diet has been shown to improve blood sugar in people with diabetes, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, promote weight loss and even help reverse heart disease.

A study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association has concluded that a vegan diet - no calorie counting or measuring foods required - is easier to stick to than you might think.

In the study, researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the George Washington University and the University of Toronto assigned 99 people with Type 2 diabetes to follow either a low-fat vegan diet or a conventional diabetes diet for 18 months.

The conventional diabetes diet, based on guidelines from the American Diabetes Association, controlled calories, carbohydrates and monounsaturated fat (e.g. olive oil, canola oil, avocado) according to each participant's need to lose weight and lower blood cholesterol. The diet was low in saturated (animal) fat and cholesterol.

The low-fat vegan diet avoided animal products and fatty foods and favoured foods low on the glycemic index such as sweet potatoes, legumes and green vegetables. (Low-GI foods are digested more slowly and, as a result, don't produce large spikes in blood sugar.) There were no restrictions on calories, carbohydrate intake or portion size. In fact, the vegan diet followers consumed more of their daily calories - 75 per cent worth - from carbohydrate-rich foods than did folks on the diabetes diet.

Each group met with a registered dietitian for one hour to establish a meal plan and then attended weekly meetings for nutrition and cooking lessons for 22 weeks. This was followed by optional biweekly nutrition sessions for a year.

The vegan diet dramatically cut consumption of cholesterol, fat and saturated fat and increased fibre intake compared to the conventional diabetes diet.

People on the vegan diet lost weight, lowered their blood sugar and LDL cholesterol, and reduced the need for diabetes medication. Among people whose diabetes medications remained unchanged, those following a vegan diet achieved better blood-sugar control as indicated by bigger improvement in a blood test that measures hemoglobin A1c.

The fact that people assigned to the vegan diet ate as much as they wanted, increased their daily carbohydrate intake and still experienced favourable blood-sugar and weight-loss results may seem surprising. Researchers believe that a low-fat, plant-based diet improves how the body uses insulin. And because vegan diets are low in fat and high in fibre, they're typically lower in calories, which can facilitate weight loss and result in better blood-sugar control.

Sounds good so far, provided you can follow such a plan for the long term. According to this study, you can. While the vegan diet initially required a little more effort in meal preparation, this complaint was no longer heard at 18 months. In contrast, those following the standard diabetic diet reported more discomfort with restrictions such as watching calories and limiting portions of carbohydrate and fat.

While neither diet triggered increased cravings for fatty foods, the vegan diet followers were less likely to crave such foods after 22 weeks on their diet.

Other studies have also reported the acceptability of a vegetarian diet.

In a study of 250 young women who had tried both calorie-controlled weight-loss diets and vegetarian diets, most abandoned their calorie-restricted diet after four months but were able to stick with a vegetarian diet for two years.

A vegetarian diet has the advantages of being lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, and higher in fibre and low-GI carbohydrates, but it does require planning (and supplementation) to ensure you meet daily requirements for protein, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D and iodine.
If you've considered going vegetarian, but don't want to give up all animal foods, consider moving toward a plant-based diet - one that emphasizes grains, vegetables and legumes rather than meat, poultry and dairy. When you do eat meat or poultry, eat a smaller portion.
Start by replacing animal foods with meatless protein sources at three meals a week and build from there. Vegetarian protein foods include fortified soy beverages, tofu, soy burgers, tofu dogs, veggie ground round, tempeh, legumes and lentils.

Other types of vegetarian diets limit - but don't exclude - all animal foods. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products along with plant-based foods.

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat eggs, dairy products and plant-based foods.
While these diets may not lower your blood sugar or cholesterol to the same extent as a vegan diet, if planned properly they still have the advantage of being lower in saturated fat and higher in fibre.

One final note: If you have diabetes, consult your dietitian or doctor before making any changes to your diet. Do not stop taking your diabetes medication without checking with your doctor.
Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Her website is lesliebeck.com.
*****
Going vegan
If you adopt a vegan diet, the following foods and supplements will help you meet daily nutrient needs:
Protein : Tofu, soy products, tempeh, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds, soy beverages.
Calcium: Fortified soy beverages (about 300 milligrams per 250 millilitre), tofu made with calcium, almonds, dark green vegetables. To meet calcium requirements of 1,000 milligrams (aged 19 to 50) or 1,500 milligrams (50+), a supplement is likely needed.
Vitamin B12: Fortified soy products, nutritional yeast, multivitamin with 5 to 10 micrograms of B12.
Vitamin D: Fortified soy beverages supply 100 international units of vitamin D per 250 millilitres. To get the recommended 1,000 IU per day you need to take a supplement.
Iron: Legumes, lentils, nuts, whole grains, enriched cereals, leafy green vegetables. To help absorb plant sources of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C (citrus, strawberries, broccoli, red pepper) with iron-rich foods."

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