Monday, December 30, 2013

'snoconut balls'...

This year at work, I was part of a gluten free treat exchange.  I’ve always wanted to do a treat exchange, so I was excited to be a part of it, and also I was a little overwhelmed at the idea of having to make nine dozen treats!  Like most things in life, once you jump in and get your hands dirty, things are never quite as stressful as they initially seem.  
Given that this time of year is full of rich chocolately treats, I decided to go with something fresh and bright: lemon coconut macaroons a.k.a. ‘snoconut balls’.  I absolutely love how the acid in the lemon cuts the fat in the coconut oil.  This recipe showcases how versatile coconut can be, using it in shredded and oil form.  And it’s such a wonderful fat for us to eat.  There is of course some debate over whether saturated fats are healthy or harmful.  Personally, I like to stick to the saturated fats as they are stable and can withstand heat without being damaged, as opposed to unsaturated fats, such as  olive oil (monounsaturated), which is less stable and can lose its health benefits if heated too high.  Plus, coconut oil is a medium-chain triglyceride which our bodies have a much easier time breaking down, providing us with a quick source of energy, as opposed to the long-chain triglycerides we get from the majority of the other fats we eat.  As always, the choice is yours to make! 

So, the recipe!  Full disclosure: I do not use exact measurements – that’s part of the fun!  Grab yourself a big bowl and play around with the ingredients and make them to your taste.  To make a dozen, you’ll need:

* A bag of unsweetened shredded coconut

* Approximately a half cup of coconut oil (you may need to add more), I’ve also added coconut cream concentrate to my recipe for a richer coconut taste, but it’s not necessary

* Zest of one lemon, and juice of one lemon (depending on size, I use the juice and zest of 1.5-2 lemons for extra zing)

* raw honey to taste  (I use a small amount as I personally don’t like the 
macaroons to be too sweet)

* pinch of pink Himalayan rock salt

Melt the coconut oil and honey over low heat and dump into a mixing bowl with your shredded coconut (and add coconut cream concentrate if you’ve chosen to use it), add your lemon juice and lemon zest and pinch of salt and then use your hands to combine really well – taste as you go!  If the mixture is warm from the melted coconut oil, let it cool a bit.  Try rolling in your hands – if they’re not forming easily, then add more coconut oil.  Form into balls and store in the freezer!

and psssst... you can make and eat them all year round : )

coconut #ftw,


xo

Sunday, December 29, 2013

be a critical researcher: a follow up post on "going nuts over soap"


Over the holidays, I've been working on a research paper regarding toxic chemicals in household products.  Based on some of the research and analysis I've done, I've decided to publish a follow up post to my previous "going nuts over soap". 

The database I focused on in my post is called "Think Dirty", a mobile app you use on your smart phone to scan the barcode of the product in question, and it spits out a toxicity level based on various criteria.  I've recently learned that there are two other similar databases available and it's become clear that all three databases use different criteria in assessing toxicity levels of products.  Below is a compare/contrast of what I've found regarding the following three databases: Environmental Working Group'sSkin Deep Cosmetics Database, the Good Guide, and Think Dirty.  I hope you will find it helpful.

Skin Deep’s rating criteria is a based on a dual rating system.  First, a hazard rating, which considers known and suspected hazards associated with ingredients and products and implies a level of ‘concern’.  A rating of 0-2 indicates a low hazard score, 3-6 moderate, and 7-10 high.  The second system is the data availability rating, which is meant to reflect how much is known (or not known) about an ingredient.  In cases where data is limited on a product and its ingredients, it will indicate so.

Good Guide has recently (2011) made changes to their product ratings, and now uses a ‘transparency rating’ system.  Their system provides an overall rating taking into consideration health concerns as well as environmental and social impacts of the products and the companies that manufacture them.  Similar to the Skin Deep site, it uses a rating scale of 1-10, 10 being no concern, and 0 being a high concern.  

The “Think Dirty” App is relatively new (2013) and also uses a scale: 0-2 being no negative health impact, 3-6 moderate negative long-term health effects, and 7-10 potentially serious negative long-term health effects.  Interestingly, Think Dirty does not take into consideration the environmental and social responsibility of a product’s manufacturer.  Rather, their system only considers the potential impact on an individual’s health. 

As I began the research for my paper, I quickly noticed that there were other notable differences between each of databases, not just in their rating systems, but also in the accuracy and availability of product information.  For example, when I looked up the above-noted Aveda product “Botanical Kinetics Purifying Gel Cleanser” and compared the ingredients on my physical products to those listed on the Think Dirty App, it showed ingredients that are not listed on the physical product and gave it toxicity rating of 10 (the highest possible rating).  

The Good Guide database ingredients list was more accurate, but still appears to be out of date.  It gave the cleanser a product a rating of 5.5 (a moderate level).  Given that these two databases use a different methodology, it is not surprising that the ratings are different; however, it’s difficult to know for sure when the ingredients are not accurate on either site.  Interestingly, on the Good Guide’s ingredients listing, it notes to ‘check the package for the most up to date ingredients’.  

I've since emailed Think Dirty and asked them to update their ingredient listing for three Aveda products, given that it's very possible that an up to date ingredients list will result in a lower toxicity rating.This is a very good reminder to look closely and carefully at more than one source.  It’s also a good reminder that ‘one answer is not always best’.  Is it important to take into consideration what product’s manufacturers are doing (or not doing) for the environment?  Personally, I think so.  However, it’s also equally important to know what level of risk the products we use pose to our long-term health.  It is also important to rely on the most accurate and up to date product information.  With the recent increase in social interest and concern over the use of toxic chemicals, many companies are making efforts to change their product ingredients and seek out alternatives, resulting in changes in product ingredients from time to time.  Aveda is actually one such company who has very recently stopped manufacturing products with parabens.  

Perhaps the best we can do is to educate ourselves on each of the ingredients, and make an informed decision balancing the potential health effects as well as the impact on the environment. 

be a critical thinker,
xo

"Be aware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." (George Bernard Shaw)

Sunday, November 17, 2013

going nuts over soap

As biochemistry comes to an end, I'm gearing up for our next course: Nutrition and the Environment.  And, I'm wondering whether by the end of it, I'll be camping in our backyard, wearing burlap and eating grass.  Stay tuned.

It can be really tough (and even upsetting) to find out that some of our favourite products, be it house cleaning, laundry detergents or personal hygiene products are not only harming our bodies, they're also harming the environment.  Recently I downloaded an App called "Think Dirty" (available on iTunes) and it allows you to scan the bar code on different hygiene products and then it spits out its toxicity levels.  It rates the product on a scale of neutral to dirty, considering its carcinogenicity, developmental & reproductive toxicity, and allergies and immunotoxicities.   It also lists the ingredients as well as suggests "cleaner options".  I had some fun with it today in Whole Foods, sourcing out a new deodorant.    Both the Tom's and Kiss My Face brands rated 10 out of 10 and 9 out of 10 respectively for toxicity.  I was so surprised!  Both are just as toxic as the Dove brand.  So I settled on Desert Essence, which only rated 3, which is the higher end on the neutral scale.  Green Beaver deodorant also had a rating of 3.  There are lots of products not in the App's database yet, and it gives you the option to add it yourself.  

I've been a huge fan of Aveda and MAC cosmetics for years, and both company's products contain highly toxic ingredients.  It just goes to show you how marketing can be misleading: Aveda markets itself as 'plant science' brand.  When I used the Think Dirty App to scan the barcode, I learned that my cleanser, tonic and lotion all rated 9 or 10 for toxicity.  Sad face!! 

Recently I learned from my sister-in-law about a company called NaturOli, an online retailer and developer of soap nuts. Soap nuts?  Soap nuts.  So, what are they and why do we care?  Their website has plenty of information which I'll attempt to briefly summarize.  Basically, in a nutshell (sorry, couldn't resist), soap nuts are the dried husks/shells from the soap berry nut.  Soap berries are the fruit from a unique tree species and the shells contain saponin, a substance that produces a soaping effect. Saponin is a 100% natural alternative to chemical laundry detergent and cleansers.  Soap nuts have been used for centuries throughout numerous countries in the Eastern hemisphere (especially in India and Europe) as a laundry detergent, soap for personal hygiene, and as a multi-purpose cleanser.  Soap berries are a sustainable agriculture and forest product, the highest quality of which grow in areas of northern India and Nepal.  At harvest, the seed is removed from the shell and the shells are dried in the sun using absolutely no chemical processing. No commercial manufacturing processes are required in any way for the soap nut to become effective. The soap nut shell is not altered in any way. Therefore, soap nuts are 100% natural and unmodified.

How do they work: the shell contains and releases the saponins (soap) when it comes in contact with water.  Agitation further releases these saponins. The saponins then circulate as a natural surfactant (surface active ingredient). They break down the surface tension between water and oil in the wash water reducing the surface tension of the water which assists it in freeing dirt and oils. And it does all of this, sans chemicals.  Huge benefit!  A few other benefits of using soapnuts: they have antimicrobial and natural anti-fungal properties, they are hypoallergenic (most allergic reactions to detergents are caused the chemicals and fragrances in them), they are mild and gentle on fabric and colors, they are low sudsing, which is especially great for high efficiency (HE) washers.

So, I purchased a trial kit online of their liquid soap nut 18X concentrate which can be used as a laundry detergent or general house cleaner.  The amount you see in the mason jar should get us 60 loads!  I also got a few trial sized shampoos to try.  My sister-in-law recommends boosting with Borax, which I will play around with depending on dirt levels.  There's a lot of mixed opinions out there about the pro's and con's of Borax; I'm hoping to learn more about it in our next course.

The Soap Dispensary in Vancouver is a wonderful spot for all your natural soap needs.  They also carry soap nuts sourced from India and distributed by a company called Eaternal. Unfortunately, they don't carry it in the convenient liquid form but you can buy the nuts or a powdered form (which is a great alternative to Comet cleanser).  I'm curious to give the actual nuts a try, check out the instructions here.

It can be overwhelming to realize that the products we know and love might be causing harm to our bodies and the planet.  The good news is, once we have the information, we have a choice in whether we want to make the changes or not, as well as how quickly we want to make them.  I encourage you to stay really curious about the products you're using and what kind of carbon footprint they're leaving behind.  Exercise your right to critically think.  I'm excited for the course (and admittedly a little nervous about learning all the 'bad' news!) and I am looking forward to making some more changes around our home, over time.

go nuts,
xo

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

I can be a unicorn, too

I've been experiencing a case of the 'never enough's' lately.  never enough time, never enough sleep, never enough energy.  I catch myself several times a day, stopping, and refocusing on what I am grateful for and cultivating compassion for myself, in order come back to a place of self-acceptance.  And, well, as it turns out, I need some extra help with all of it.

Shawn Anchor's TEDx Talk on "The Happiness Advantage" is hilarious and awesome.  Plus, in his opening, he talks about a time when he was seven years old and his little sister fell off the bunk bed and broke her leg while under his supervision.  Running the risk of getting in big trouble from his parents, he told his little sister that there was no way that a human could fall of a bed that way.  So, she must in fact be a baby unicorn. Duh!  Anyway, Shawn believes our brains function significantly better when we experience positivity in the present as opposed to a neutral, negative or stressed state.  He challenges his listeners to rewire the patterns in their brain by practising gratitude for 21 days and recommends writing down three things a day that they are grateful for, in order to do this.  I don't know about you, but I'm buying it!  Plus if it gets me closer to being an actual unicorn... ; )

I happen to think that practising gratitude and acceptance of self go hand in hand.  Really, how can we be truly grateful if we believe we are not enough, just as we are?

Brené Brown is one of my favourite researchers and I had the privilege of attending one of her talks a couple of years ago.  I also recently finished reading her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, which I loved.  If you're not familiar with her, Dr. Brown researches human connection.  She has two particularly famous TedTalks on the power of shame and vulnerability and I encourage you to watch them, if you're interested.  In her research, Dr. Brown finds that those of us who experience a strong sense of love and belonging, experience it because we believe we are worthy of it.  Similarly, it's the fear of not being worthy of love and belonging that keeps us from experiencing it.  It's that simple.  Right?  Anyway, I think she's pretty rad.

So, how do we experience worthiness?  We have to believe we are enough, just as we are.  Enter, compassion.  I believe compassion for self plays a huge role in all of this, as well.

In my work with Shivani Wells, I spent a lot of time sitting with compassion.  Particularly, the idea that there is not one of us without hurt, or suffering, or pain.  In fact, I would go so far as to say suffering is what connects us all.  Once we heal our own pain, we can begin to heal others.  And I believe this lives in compassion.  We must be kind to ourselves, first.

So, how am I going to practise all of this?  A while back, I saw a great DIY on one of my favourite blogs that I follow Mind Body Green about making a gratitude jar.  I remember thinking at the time that this sounded like a really cool idea, and then I kind of forgot about it.  It came up again this week, and this time I decided to get crafty and make myself one.  I grabbed a mason jar (bien sûr!), some pretty stationery, a pair of scissors, some ribbon, a label maker, and got to work.

There aren't any rules other than the jar should be glass, so you can see all that you're grateful for :) The idea is that every day, or even several times a day, you write down something you are grateful for on a pretty piece of paper, and drop it in the glass jar.  Put it somewhere where you can see it, and when you're experiencing a case of the 'never enough's', you've got a crystal clear reminder that you have everything you could possibly ever need, right now.

you are missing nothing,
xo

Sunday, November 3, 2013

one day, I will be a morning person

Hi friends, it's been a while since my last post.  Life's been really busy, juggling work and school, and a world going on around me that doesn't stop.   My days are full of lists: must do's, should do's.  I'm not a fan of the 'should's'.  I try to keep those to a minimum, but they still creep on my lists.   I'm guessing this all sounds familiar?  We are ALL busy living life.  And I learned a long time ago that balance is not a destination; it's a lifestyle. Being on a schedule and having less time to 'play' means being really efficient and organized.  As busy as I might be, it's a huge priority for me to create the time and space to eat well, exercise and have some down time.   I've been having a lot of opportunities to practice this lately.

As you've probably (cleverly) gleaned from the title of this post, I'm not much of a morning person (which my Mom can attest to). Basically I like to wake up at the last possible second: whether it's to get out the door to a fitness class, to go to work, or even to meet a friend for brunch, I truthfully don't really enjoy getting out of bed. I'm not depressed and I'm not lacking in motivation; it's just really comfy and cozy and one of my most favourite places to be. Most especially, when it's still dark outside. I am always so envious when I hear friends talk about sitting and eating breakfast and reading the paper and doing all these lovely cozy things to start their day, and I immediately tell myself: "Tomorrow, I'm going to wake up an hour early!" and then watch myself hit the snooze button 14 times before getting out of bed. As I sit and eat my breakfast at my desk at work, I think to myself: one day, I will be a morning person. For now, I accept that I'm not, and that what works best for this gal, is getting organized and packing up at night.  

These days I'm packing breakfast and lunch, as well as some dinners. It's mason jar mania. I'm packing school books, workout gear, a change of clothes, shower toiletries, a bunch of supplements, and oh ya, must not forget: my sanity.  Honestly, it's an awesome day if I've made it out the door without forgetting something. Last week I forgot my pants. Ya. True story. It's pretty much a revolving door of packing and unpacking, day in and day out. Truthfully, some days, particularly a few times last week, I loathe the packing and unpacking. On other days, packing reminds me how grateful I am for a body that's able to exercise, for delicious and nourishing food to eat, a job that I am happy to go to every day, and the opportunity to go to school to learn about things I'm really excited about.  

Anyhow, I digress. The intention for this blog post was actually to share a quick and easy recipe for stewed spiced apple 'instant oatmeal' :) I hope that having a recipe like this on hand helps when you've slept in or you're feeling like you're too busy to eat well, and like it'd just be easier to grab a baked good on the run.  

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve seen a ton of recipes posted about different renditions of oatmeal and grains for breakfast, which makes me think that now that we're in to fall, we're all collectively looking for something warm (and convenient!) for breakfast.  This ‘instant’ oatmeal recipe is inspired by the lovely Kristin Price, friend and fellow IHN classmate.  It's apple season at the local farmer's markets (hooray for Honey Crisps!) and they make for a great fruit option, now that the berry season has come to an end.

So, the night before (#obvi), start by making your stewed spiced apples:

start by rough chopping some apples:  I usually do about 5 at a time, depending on the size. Granny smiths are most popular for stewing, but I don’t think it really matters.  Skin on or off is fine; I’m sure you learned as a kid, the skin’s got the good stuff in it ;) If skin is on, place skin side down in a pot, drizzle some maple syrup (optional and nice with the more tart apples), and add cinnamon, nutmeg, one clove, and a couple of cardamom pods.  Add water to the pot, just enough that the bottom of the pot is covered. Cook on low heat and as apples begin to soften, just mash them with a wooden spoon. The time it takes will vary based on the type of apple you use. If you’re having to cook for longer, you’ll likely need to keep adding water as you go.

Next up, your oat groats! You can prepare these in the morning, or even the night before if you want. I use raw steel cut oats because they are unprocessed. You could also use raw buckwheat groats if you'd prefer.

Combine 1 cup of raw steel cut oats with three cups of water, bring to a rolling boil, take off heat, and cover with a lid and let stand for 5-10 minutes.  Grab a mason jar (again, #obvi), scoop some of your oats in the bottom, and top with your favourite oatmeal toppings.  I use shredded unsweetened coconut, chopped pecans and hazelnuts and chia seeds.  Any other chopped nuts or goji berries or dried cranberries would also be delicious!  Then, add a scoop or two of your stewed spiced apples.  Put a lid on it (the jar, I mean) and off you go! When you get to work, add some hot water to the jar to reheat, and enjoy. Convenience can be nourishing, too.  



you're worthy of it,
xo


Saturday, October 19, 2013

post-workout pumpkin pie...smoothie!

Hi friends,

Yes, the pumpkin obsession continues...this one's a keeper and fantastic, post-workout.  I devoured mine after a killer TRX workout at my favourite fitness studio, Kondi Fitness, this morning.  This recipe is inspired by Whole Food's Pumpkin Pie smoothie; I've made a few tweaks and added a few personal touches ; )  In usual fashion, I haven't included super specific measurements - what can I say, I like to freestyle!  Here's what you'll need to throw in your blender:

* a banana (frozen, or not)
* almond milk (or any other type of milk: coconut, hemp, your choice!)
* pumpkin puree (a 1/2 of a can)
* a generous spoon of almond butter
* your favourite protein powder (I'm a big fan of Vega products, I use their  'viva vanilla flavoured protein smoothie', hemp protein is also great)
* a generous dash of cinnamon (fantastic anti-oxidant to protect against those free radicals that cardiovascular exercise can produce), a touch of nutmeg, touch of turmeric (great inflammatory properties to help your muscles recover), and a touch of cardamom for some extra depth - I'd suggest to start small with the spices and play around
**If you're taking pro-biotics or any other GI tract supplements in capsule form, feel free to open the capsules and dump the contents in there too.  Our body absorbs supplements faster when it doesn't have to break down the capsules first.

Blend, and savour!  Your body and recovering muscles will thank you for it.

be good to yourself,
xo

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

confessions of a salt-a-holic

Known as "Na" on the periodic table and "salt" on the kitchen table, sodium often gets a bad rap.  Restaurants are adding salt to their food, recipes tell you to subjectively ‘salt to taste’, major food companies pack their processed food full of salt, and a lot of us have salt on our dinner tables.  Why?  Because it awakens our taste buds, and subsequently elevates the flavor of the food.  I mean, it's basically magical.  Not to mention, it also helps to preserve food, protecting it from oxidation.  About five years ago, I never added salt to anything.  Then I met my chef boyfriend.  Now I add salt (and butter, but that's a later post) to everything. Good? Bad?  Well, let’s see.

Many of us learned in high school science that table salt is sodium chloride.  Sodium is an essential mineral that our bodies require in order to function properly.  (You might remember from an earlier post that anything ‘essential’ means our bodies don’t produce them and therefore have to be obtained from diet).  Sodium plays some vital roles in our bodies, particularly in our nerve and muscle function, fluid balance, and blood volume.  Even though it is a essential mineral, it's fairly easy to consume too much, which can lead to health problems, including hypertension (high blood pressure).

There are plenty of dietary sources of sodium, many of which are better than others, the most common being table salt.  Natural sources of sodium can be found in seafood, clean sources of beef and poultry, celery, beets, carrots, artichokes, kelp and other sea vegetables.  No whole, natural food, has a high sodium content. 

The bad news for us saltaholics is there is no physiological need for habitually adding salt or sodium to our food.  Given the roles it plays in the body, it might be helpful to use sodium in cases of dehydration due to excessive sweating, or vomiting or diarrhea, as well as for treatment of heatstroke and leg cramps.  For example, instead of drinking a sports drink to rehydrate, you could try drinking a pinch of pink Himalayan salt along with some lemon in a half litre of water mixed with half a litre of fresh fruit juice. 

The daily recommended dietary allowance of sodium is 1,500mg for both adult males and females, with a maximum intake level of 2,300 mg.  To put this into perspective, there are 2,300mg of sodium in one teaspoon of table salt.  A couple of other comparisons: one teaspoon of soy sauce provides approximately 290mg of sodium.  There are 230mg of sodium in 15 potato chips.  There is 25mg of sodium in a 750ml bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water.  It doesn’t take long to add up in one day, especially if we enjoy things like processed and packaged snack foods, packaged sauces and dressings, cheese, and cured deli meats.  Yet another reason why it’s so important to read labels, make choices, and get really curious about what we’re putting into our bodies. 

The North American diet makes it’s pretty tough to be sodium deficient.  However, under consuming sodium is also possible.  Symptoms of low sodium levels include decreased blood pressure and muscle cramps.  Other symptoms mimic that of sunstroke: nausea, vomiting, poor memory and concentration, circulatory collapse.  Excess sodium will present with high blood pressure and water retention.

We don’t often use table salt, unless we’re baking (baking soda has a lot of sodium in it too, by the way!).  Maldon sea salt and Kosher salt are both in stock in our home (fun fact: the name ‘kosher’ stems from the process the salt is intended for, i.e. koshering, or drawing blood out of meat, so that it meets the Judaic dietary laws).  Both Kosher and Maldon are popular choices with chefs because the large crystals salt large amounts of food and adhere to food better without totally dissolving.  This means that fewer salt crystals are used resulting in less sodium content.  Win win!  Of course, that’s only if your chef is measuring ;)  We tend to use sea salt a little more sparingly, as it’s a bit pricey due to the way it’s harvested.  It’s processed by taking sea water, storing it in small ponds and allowed to evaporate naturally.  After the water evaporates (this takes 1-5 years), the remaining salt is harvested.  We actually found some natural evaporated salt ponds camping in Tofino this summer, as you’ll see in the photo below. 

Personally, my absolute favorite is coarse ground pink Himalayan rock salt (try saying that five times fast).  I use the Organic Lives brand, but there are plenty of other great brands out there.  Another fun fact: the salt mines are not actually located in the Himalayas; in fact, they’re harvested approximately 1,000 miles away.  The salt mines were formed millions of years ago from waters that have never been exposed to impurities or environmental pollution.  Also, there are 84 minerals and trace elements available for absorption and utilization by the body, including sodium, calcium and magnesium, which make it one of the highest quality salts available.  Plus it has about a fifth less sodium than table salt, per teaspoon.  So yeah, I’m a big fan of the pink stuff!

We also have some lovely flavored rock salts that we picked up in a marché de plein-air in Nice, France a few years ago: a purple fig salt, a black Hawaiian salt, and a smoked salt.  These are great as a finishing touch on salad or seafood.  And of course, totally unnecessary.

If you’re trying to cut down on adding salt at the table, consider properly seasoning your food during the cooking stage, leaving you less likely to add more.  For example, add salt to your pasta water, or when you’re boiling potatoes or cooking rice, and consider pre-seasoning your meat or fish.

If you can’t live without it, (you’re preaching to the choir here), and want to add it at the table it’s important to consider that table, sea and kosher salts all contain the same amount of sodium, by weight.  However, because of the coarser grain of kosher and sea salts, they contain less sodium than table salt, by volume, versus your fine grain sea salts will have the same high-sodium content as table salt.  Hint: the coarser the better!  You’ll need to add less, to get the same effect.  Try to look for sea salts that contain iodine, too.  There is some controversy over iodized salt (table salt is iodized); however, iodine is also an essential mineral which is not conserved by our bodies. 

In closing, sodium is something that should not be totally avoided; we should simply be aware of what quality we’re consuming as well as the quantity.  You know what they say (whoever ‘they' are): keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.  

Stay curious,
xo








Tuesday, October 8, 2013

pumpkin chai spice muffins (gluten free)

wipe the drool off your face, read this recipe, and make these lickety split! You will need:
  • 1/2 cup organic coconut flour (no, this isn't a typo, trust me on this one, I've done the leg work!)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup plain organic kefir (or yogurt)
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line or grease your muffin tins 
  • In a small bowl, mix together the coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, kefir, maple syrup, butter, vanilla extract, and pumpkin.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk well to combine until no lumps remain and batter is thick. 
  • Divide the batter between the muffin cups, and sprinkle a few crushed pecans on top of each muffin.
  • Bake for approximately 22-25 minutes, until top and edges begin to turn a light golden brown. 

  • Place on a cooling rack and please, try to restrain yourself for 5 minutes before devouring (again, trust me, I did the leg work)

go ahead.  treat yourself.
xo





Sunday, September 29, 2013

"...but, how do you get enough protein?"



As some of you know, I gave up eating meat earlier this year.  It started as an experiment, and so far I haven't felt the need to return.  I also tried about thirty days of veganism, and afterwards returned to fish and very small amounts of dairy.  I am not ready to declare myself a fish-eating vegetarian yet; I am open to the idea that I may return to eating meat again one day, in a very different way than before.  For anyone else out there who has experimented with vegan or vegetarianism, you've probably been asked more than once "But how do you get enough protein if you're not eating meat?"   It's a valid question.  And I think another important question to ask ourselves, whether we eat meat or not, is what quality of protein are we getting, and how much are we consuming?  There are a lot of opinions out there.  For the purposes of this blog, I’m going to share my understanding based on what I’ve learned the past couple of weeks.

So, what is protein anyway?  And why is it important?  Proteins are large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds.  Our bodies are constantly metabolizing them, recycling them, and using them to build new proteins.  Not only are they a source of energy, we need 'em to do a whole whack of stuff in the body, including building muscle, enzymes, hormones and antibodies.  They are the second largest component of what makes up the human body, next to water.  Okay, okay, so it’s clear we need adequate amounts of protein, how much is enough?  The answer is: you need to consume from your diet food that contains an adequate amount of all nine essential amino acids, in the same day.  This is also known as a ‘complete protein’. 

There are nine essential amino acids that the body requires in order to survive.  The term ‘essential’ refers to the fact that they are not produced by the body and must be obtained from diet.  If the body’s supply of these essential amino acids runs out, then the body won’t be able to effectively use the protein.  The term 'complete protein' refers to the combining of low amino acid foods with high amino acid foods to build one complete amino acid or protein.  A practical example of this is combining beans (low in amino acids) and grains (high in amino acid) in the same meal.  There are also sources of complete protein out there that don’t require any combination, and I bet you can guess where they comes from.  Yep, animal protein: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy.  This means that if you sit down and consume a (reasonable) portion of beef, or an egg, you’ve had your complete protein for the day. 

You can probably tell where this is going.  Since vegetarians don’t eat meat, they must have to do a whole lot of food combining in order to consume all nine essential amino acids, right?  Right.  Unless of course they are pescetarians who eat fish, and/or lacto-ovo vegetarians, who eat dairy products and eggs.  Otherwise, food combining is super important.  Same goes for vegans, obviously.  Not all is lost!  I have one piece of very good news for the readers who don’t eat any animal protein: quinoa is a complete source of protein!  Faith restored, yes?  But what does this look like if we don’t like quinoa or don’t want to eat it every day?  Below are some examples of how vegans and vegetarians can combine their food in order to consume a complete protein:

* hummus and brown rice cakes
* almond butter and whole grain toast
* kale and farro

Protein deficiency is (in)arguably a concern for vegans and vegetarians alike, and is caused by not only inadequate intake, but also poor absorption.  The point being, you could be eating protein, and if your body’s not digesting and absorbing it, you could have deficiency symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, and fatigue.  (By the way, these are symptoms for a lot of other things, too.) 

Now that we know how important protein is and that we need it in order to survive, is there such a thing as too much?  Is excess protein a bad thing?  Protein is made up of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen.  Nitrogen is actually toxic.  The liver and kidneys are responsible for the metabolism of amino acids, and a byproduct of this process is nitrogenous toxic waste (for example, ammonia).   Therefore, eating an excessive amount of protein places a toxic load on your liver.  The urea in our kidneys filters and concentrates our urine so that we can expel the toxic waste.  If we’re overburdening our liver and kidney, they can’t keep up with the metabolism and filtration and we end up with toxic build up, which can obviously lead to increased risk of kidney and liver problems, as well as some other not-so-nice things.  It’s definitely something to keep in mind when you’re considering a high-protein diet.

To keep a healthy balance, it’s important to eat some protein at every meal, whether it be from animal or plant sources.  It’s equally important to avoid an excess of animal protein, and keep portions to 3-4 oz (or the size of the palm of your hand).

So there you have it. Hopefully you're armed with some information the next time someone questions your protein (in)adequacy!

Stay balanced,
xo