Vegan Cheesecake

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 Keebler Graham Ready Crust
• 2 8oz containers of tofutti cream cheese
• 1 lemon
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• Topping of choice (fresh fruit, fruit sauce, chocolate sauce, etc)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. From the lemon, prepare 1 tbsp of fresh juice and 1 tsp of lemon zest.
3. Add them to a mixing bowl, along with the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt. Blend well.
4. Pour into the graham crust, bake for 30 minutes, and then chill in the fridge for an hour.
5. Decorate with fresh fruit, a fruit sauce, or chocolate sauce.

This recipe was found at Vegangela.com.

Vegans and Protein

"You're vegan? How do you get enough protein?" This is a question that I get asked a lot. If you're vegan or thinking about going vegan, this is something that you've not only been asked, but you've probably thought much about. Well, here's the new answer: WE DON'T NEED TONS OF PROTEIN! Protein is not a food group, it's a nutrient, one that the human body naturally creates on its own. Proteins can be created in the body by consuming, on a daily basis, the nine amino acids not created in the body. This means that you don't have to eat a "complete" protein (containing all nine amino acids) at each meal. As long as you eat all nine aminos in one day, your body will (with its amazing ability to be perfect) make protein from these amino acids. 

It has been ingrained in us for decades that we need a lot of protein in our diet (I always thought hundreds of grams per day). This isn't true. Along with just about everything, how much protein each person needs is based on the individual. "The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein for the average, sedentary adult is just 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. (To find out an average individual need, multiply body weight in pounds by 0.36 to get the recommended protein intake in grams.) Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or people who are very active or athletic, need more protein, but their requirements can easily be met through larger food consumption daily." Pregnant or breastfeeding women and athletic/highly active people generally consume more food on a daily basis anyway, so this larger consumption will make up for the extra protein required. Let's say you are a regular, sedentary American that weighs 160lbs...you only need 57.6 grams of protein per day. A regular protein shake usually contains 25 grams of protein, nearly half of the daily need.

Any excess protein that the body has will be used in one of several ways: burned directly for energy, converted into glucose through gluconeogenesis of the liver, or peed out, as long as the kidneys are working properly. Protein in the urine is called proteinuria and can be a major sign of kidney disease. You do not want protein in your urine!

Complete plant-based proteins are soy, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth. If you are eating one of these foods mixed with other vegetables, fruits, beans and lentils each day, then you will be consuming plenty of protein building amino acids required for daily life. 

Always listen to your body. If you are tired, run down, fatigued, or drained, then play with some different foods like complex carbohydrates and proteins. If you are extremely active, pregnant or breast feeding, make sure you're eating more food in general and that should compensate for a higher need for protein.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological health diagnosis that is growing more popular these days. PTSD can happen to anyone, but I think most of us associate it with military personnel. PTSD can affect anyone and can be triggered by pretty much anything. A trauma can be caused by any unexpected event. You can develop PTSD when you go through, see or hear about something that causes intense fear, helplessness or horror.

The most common events that can cause PTSD are:

• Combat exposure
• Rape
• Childhood neglect and physical abuse
• Sexual molestation
• Physical attack
• Being threatened with a weapon
• Major car accidents

The symptoms of PTSD vary widely and can be divided into three different categories: intrusive memories, avoidance and numbing, and increased anxiety or emotional arousal (hyperarousal). 

Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:

• Flashbacks, or reliving the traumatic event for minutes or even days at a time
• Upsetting dreams about the traumatic event

Symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing may include:

• Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Avoiding activities you once enjoyed
• Hopelessness about the future
• Memory problems
• Trouble concentrating
• Difficulty maintaining close relationships

Symptoms of anxiety and increased emotional arousal may include:

• Irritability or anger
• Overwhelming guilt or shame
• Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much
• Trouble sleeping
• Being easily startled or frightened
• Hearing or seeing things that aren't there

PTSD symptoms usually get aggravated during times of stress or if you encounter a reminder of the traumatic event, such as hearing a car backfire and reliving combat experiences.

Effective treatment plans for PTSD exist through talk therapy with a licensed psychologist and acupuncture is proving to be extremely effective in treating patients with PTSD. Acupuncture can use the body's Qi (pronounced chee) to keep energy flowing and keep all the channels open. This helps prevent our minds from locking away those painful images so we can more effectively deal with them. I'm not saying acupuncture and therapy are easy, but they are effective ways to allow ourselves to deal with the pain and emotions from PTSD. 

The military has started to use acupuncture in treating soldiers who are dealing with PTSD and they are finding it to be very useful along with meditation and other standard treatments. If the military adopts it, it's bound to enter the civilian population shortly thereafter. 

For more information on PTSD see the Mayo Clinic's website. 

Vegan French Toast

Servings: as much as you want
Total Time: very little

Go ahead and continue to make more batter to make more toast for as many or as few people as you'd like to serve.

3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp sugar (use less if you're using a sweetener like Stevia)
Sprinkle of nutmeg to taste
Sprinkle of cinnamon to taste
Approx. 1/3 cup milk (almond, soy, rice, coconut)
4 pieces of bread (sliced thick is best)
Coconut oil (or any kind of vegetable oil you prefer)

Mix together the flour, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add the milk and mix/whisk until it is no longer lumpy. Heat 1 Tbsp of coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Coat each side of one piece of bread and place in frying pan. Fry both sides until golden brown. Serve with your favorite toppings such as syrup, powdered sugar, peanut butter, fresh fruit or whatever you like.

Creamy One Pot Pasta

Servings: 6

Total Time: 20 minutes

4 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed

1 jar (7 oz.) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, not drained

3 cans (14.5 oz each) vegetable broth

1 lb uncooked penne pasta

1 head broccoli 

shredded carrots

8 oz. vegan cream cheese

ground black pepper to taste

salt to taste

vegan Parmesan

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in the bottom of a stock pot. Sauté garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook covered for about 8-10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cut broccoli into SMALL florets. Drain sun-dried tomatoes and pat dry to remove excess oil. 

Add cream cheese to stock pot with pasta, stir. Then add broccoli, carrots (as much as you like), and sun-dried tomatoes. Add salt and pepper. Cover and reduce heat to medium, cook for an additional 2-4 minutes while broccoli and carrots steam. The broth should fully reduce, this should not be soupy at all. Top with vegan Parmesan.

This recipe was adapted from a published Pampered Chef recipe. I just veganized it.

This dish is awesome for at least three reasons:

1. It's vegan

2. It's super tasty

3. There's very little clean up required

Cravings

Cravings: we all get them. A thousand years ago, before the days of pesticides, GMOs, and Red 40 a craving was our body's way of telling us what we were lacking in our diet. This is still a function of our cravings, but I strongly believe that the "junk" in packaged, unnatural foods are addictive and cause us to have unnatural cravings. If you're craving strawberries, by all means, grab some strawberries. Don't grab a strawberry slushy. If you find yourself craving Cheez Its, perhaps it's some deep internal addiction calling out to you. When I find myself craving sweets or anything sugary, I choose to curb that craving with natural fruit. Our bodies process the sugar in fruit better than refined sugar or sugar substitutes like Splenda and Aspartame. 

If you're just starting out on a vegan journey, you might find yourself craving the foods you've chosen to give up like meat, cheese, or eggs. This is normal. Our bodies were originally desinged to hold onto the precious nutrient substances: sodium, sugar, and fats because they weren't so easy to come by thousands of years ago. Now that they are so abundant in our diets, we don't need to give into those cravings so easily. Most likely, our bodies have perfectly good stores of those nutrients and our cravings for meat, cheese and eggs are just stemming from a life-long addiction.

Cravings do serve a purpose, however. Listen to your body and if you crave something everyday for several consecutive days and those cravings aren't being curbed by something healthier, go ahead and eat what your body really wants. Don't compromise your morals, but listen to what you need. Our bodies are smarter than we think.

Acupuncture and Exercise

Over the last several years I have been a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I love to work out and work out hard. I have been a long distance runner for over five years and now I've taken on indoor cycling (aka spinning). I will get up before 5AM on my day off to spin from 5:30 to 6:30, then I'll hit up a second class that day for 30 minutes on the bike and 30 minutes of yoga. I've also been know to do a two and a half (2.5) hour ride on Saturdays. Some people in my circle have started referring to me as psycho, but honestly, high intensity exercise keeps me sane.

Any time I went through a difficult period in life where my anxiety grew stronger and I had slight bouts of depression, I wasn't exercising. As soon as I start up an exercise routine, I'm happier and have more energy (even waking up at 4:55AM).

An article I recently read highlights a study on how acupuncture can help cardiac patients gain muscle function in their skeletal muscle system (not in their heart pumping function). It has been shown that inflammation messengers increase in the blood stream during chronic heart failure and those messengers make the muscles tired signaling to the body that it can't sustain the workload. This particular study found that one of the inflammation messengers, Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF alpha) decreases after an acupuncture treatment. TNF alpha actually leads to the loss of muscle mass and muscle strength, so a reduction in TNF alpha can help prevent loss. The study followed cardiac patients; one group was in the "real acupuncture" group and the other group had dull placebo needles placed on the skin, but not inserted. "[The real] acupuncture patients could cover a greater walk distance in the time allowed than the placebo patients. They recovered more quickly and tended to feel subjectively less exhausted."

So, if acupuncture can help heart disease patients tolerate exercise longer with a better recovery, how might it help the rest of us? Give acupuncture a try for any overused aches and pains, but also to boost your bodies capacity and recovery time. Give exercise a try to reduce fatigue and boost mood. I promise, it's worth it!

Vegan Enchilada Recipe

Servings: 8-10 (two 9x13 baking dishes)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

15 oz. can black beans, drained
15 oz. can corn, drained
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 to 1 onion, diced
Green bell pepper, diced
Taco or Chili seasoning packet (if Trader Joe's packet only use 1/3 to 1/2)
22, 6-inch corn tortillas
Can (28-ish ounces) enchilada sauce
Vegan cheese (I prefer Daiya or Trader Joe's Mozzarella Shreds)

Preheat the oven to 350*. In a skillet saute the onion and bell pepper until almost translucent (about 3-5 minutes). Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes and seasoning packet and heat through.

Pour some enchilada sauce in the bottom of two 9x13 baking dishes, just enough to coat the bottom. Pour some enchilada sauce on a plate or in a bowl. Coat one tortilla in enchilada sauce from the plate/bowl and put it in the baking dish. Add some of the sauteed mixture to the tortilla and sprinkle on some "cheese." Roll the tortilla and place seam on the bottom of the pan. Repeat until both baking dishes are full (about 11 per dish). Pour some of the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle some more "cheese" over the top.

Heat in the oven for 25 minutes.

Note: you can always freeze one tray for later. If you're going to freeze a tray, do not heat in the oven before freezing.

Vegan Chili Recipe

Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

1 can black beans
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 orange bell pepper (or the color of your choice), chopped
1/2 to 1 onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic
Seasoning packet - chili or taco work well. If you get the taco seasoning packet from Trader Joe's (TJs) only use 1/3 to 1/2 of the packet...it is spicy!

In a large pot, slightly saute bell pepper, onion and garlic. Add beans, corn, diced tomatoes and seasoning. Bring to a low boil and heat through. Serve with Daiya or TJs Mozzarella Shreds.

Notes:

• All cans are 15-ish ounces. 
• Drain more or less items depending on how soupy you like your chili.
• This is a great recipe for the crock-pot too. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, no need to saute.

Animal product substitutes

They don't taste exactly like the real thing. Don't expect them to!

I try to avoid highly processed meat substitutes as much as possible. Tofu and Tempeh are fine to cook with. I try to limit my tofu intake due to the high phytoestrogens that it contains. For women that are going through menopause or are post-menopausal, the phytoestrogens in tofu and soy can help replenish the lack of estrogen that occurs during menopause. Always be careful when buying tofu or any other soy based product that it isn't made from soy beans containing GMOs (genetically modified organisms aka genetically engineered). Stick with things that say "GMO Free" or "Certified Organic." You can't go wrong with these products.

My favorite food substitutes are:
Soy Chorizo (Trader Joe's brand)
Mozzarella Shreds (Trader Joe's brand)
Daiya substitute cheese (found at Whole Foods and Sprouts)

I use these items sparingly, but when I need cheese or something a little "meaty" this is what I choose.

How can acupuncture help your digestion?

Poor digestion can be the key indicator for less than optimal health. Anytime one's body loses its normal balance, our digestion is usually one of the first things to pipe up and say, "Um, hello...there's something wrong!" Just like pain, a digestive imbalance is the body's way of signaling that there is a problem. In a great deal of cases, digestive issues are strongly related to emotion. Studies have proven that there is an undeniable connection between one's brain and one's gut.

So, if you have poor digestion, how can acupuncture help you? Acupuncture is great at improving many health problems, but digestion is one of the areas in which acupuncture excels. As I mentioned above, the brain is strongly associated with the gut, so one might notice that stress can aggravate the digestive process.  Perhaps you have a little extra stress at work or with finances, you may find that stress manifesting in your stomach and intestines. These manifestations can come in the form of bloating, excessive gas, diarrhea or constipation. Acupuncture can work wonders not only by alleviating the symptoms (the branch) of poor digestion, but treating the underlying cause (the root). The "root" in this case would be stress and acupuncture can tell the body to relieve the stress by properly circulating Qi (energy).

Another helpful tool that one can learn in dealing with stress is meditation. Most acupuncturists are trained in meditation and can give tips on finding a style that is right for you.  Spending just 15 minutes per day with a clear head while focusing on the breath can do amazing things for reducing stress, and you might just find some inner peace while you're at it.

The wide range of veganism

Being vegan can mean so many things.  Some people use the term more loosely than others. I personally stay away from anything that comes from an animal such as dairy, eggs and especially meat of all kinds, fish included.  I also stay away from things like casein, a protein found in dairy products. Hard-core vegans also eliminate honey from their lives, but this is not me. Although I love the bees (as long as they're not flying around me) and I want them to be protected, especially since they are crucial to our precious ecosystem, I still eat honey. I have met some people that consider themselves vegan, but take fish oil as a daily supplement.  It's not my place to judge what people eat and I've always said that listening to ones body is most important in adopting a non-traditional diet.

Whatever end of the vegan spectrum you may be on, I find that my body works and feels best when I practice a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) lifestyle.  This doesn't mean that I fork over my paycheck to Whole Foods, the grocery chain.  It means that I cook with and eat foods that aren't overly processed.  I draw the line with breads and tortillas and stuff like that...come on, who has the time to bake bread each week? I don't! I will admit that I love the Soy Chorizo from Trader Joe's and will use it in my recipes from time to time. I also use some cheese substitutes occasionally like Daiya or Trader Joe's Mozzarella Shreds. I really do try to limit the amount of animal product substitutes that I eat the reason being, that I feel so much better when I don't eat processed foods.  When I follow the WFPB eating plan, I fall asleep easily and sleep through the night, I have plenty of energy to get through the intense workouts that I do (spinning and running). I also have spectacular digestion. I don't get bloated anymore and my elimination is always complete and consistent.

So, if you're a vegan that hasn't been feeling as well as you might expect, reevaluate your diet and see if it includes too much of the processed fake meats and cheeses.  Perhaps, you're eating too much soy.

Remember: if it comes from a plant, eat it! If it's made in a plant, dont!