Chocolate Carob Protein Shake with SUNWARRIOR

Had an amazing workout at the gym this morning, and I want to share with you my latest post-workout drink. I'm loving it!

It contains only three ingredients:

• 1-2 C Hazelnut milk
  
• 1 scoop Sunwarrior Protein powder
  
• 2 T Carob
  

You can mix them in a blender or shaker. I use my Vitamix. It's quick; it's easy. That is, as long as you have your hazelnut milk prepared. I've written before on how to make almond milk and touched on Hazelnut milk once in this article. But now I use Hazelnuts (also called Filberts) because they are locally grown, can be obtained in a truly raw state (unlike almonds which are by law pasteurized), and thus can be sprouted.

Hazelnut milk is also easy to prepare. You just need to plan ahead about 8 hours to allow the nuts to sprout.

Needed ingredients for 1/2 gallon of milk:

• 1 C Hazelnuts
  
• 1/2 C Brazil nuts
  
• 6 large medjool dates
  
• 1/2 vanilla bean
  
• Water
  

• First, I soak the nuts in water for at least 8 hours. This allows the nut to sprout, making its nutrients bioavailable.
  
• Second, I drain the soaked nuts and put them in my Vitamix blender with the dates and vanilla bean and about 2 cups of water.
  I blend on high until the nuts are reduced to an extremely fine texture. They should be basically liquified.
  
• Third, I add more cold water to make 1/2 gallon in total.
  
• Lastly, I taste it. Mmmmm... yummy.
  

And that's it. You have your Hazelnut milk ready to go into the super-easy carob protein shake.

The reason I like the Sunwarrior protein is because it contains one amazing ingredient: Brown Rice Protein (Biofermented Raw Sprouted Whole Grain Brown Rice Protein). Talk about amazing. No fillers, extra junk, or dubious ingredients. It has a complete amino acid profile and is gluten free. If you have allergic reactions to most other protein powders, I encourage you to sample this one. Chances are, you will not react badly. I prefer the natural flavor because then I can tailor it to be chocolate, vanilla, or whatever.

This shake is just enough to recharge me right after a whirlwind session of weight training and intervals on the stairmaster.

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More "After School" Snacks: Vega Shake & Go Smoothie

I have been taking advantage of the nice weather this summer by biking to and from work. I save so much time by combining my daily exercise and commute, it's awesome! However, when I get home after the 4 mile uphill ride, I need some food right away. This week my dynamite solution has been the Vega Shake & Go Smoothie.


The Vega Shake & Go Smoothie comes in four different flavors: Choc-A-Lot, Vanilla Almondilla, Bodacious Berry, and Tropical Tango. I have tried 3 of the 4. The first time I tried this product, I blended just the powder with water and ice. Result: eh, not too fantastic, and they sat on my refrigerator shelf untouched for several weeks. However, I got inspired this week to add a banana and nut butter to help out. Result: Fantastic!

First smoothie (probably my favorite):
1/4 C Water
Ice cubes
1 banana
2 heaping tablespoons of Choc-A-Lot powder
2 T Raw Almond butter

Second smoothie:
1/4 C Water
Frozen banana
2 heaping tablespoons of Vanilla Almondilla
2 T Peanut butter

These smoothies not only serve as post-biking nutrition but also pre-activity nutrition before I head out the door again to play futsal. These smoothie powders are a combination of proteins, fiber, greens, and probiotics. They serve as a great, quick, whole-food snack for the famished. Give 'em a shot.

Quick note on nut butters: unless you grind the nuts yourself, you should look at the ingredient label. One would think peanut butter is self-explanatory; however, have you seen some of the labels out there? Holy cow! Steer way clear of those containing even a little high fructose corn syrup and/or hydrogenated oils. When I purchase peanut butter or almond butter, I check the label to see that the only ingredients are nuts and sea salt. If there is anything more, I put it right back on the shelf. Read more...

Proper Food Combining: Fruit First!

As a kid, I thought it would be a great idea to eat dessert first. But Mom was certainly correct to argue that it would spoil my dinner. However, you may be surprised to find out that dessert first is actually not such a bad idea after all. That is, if you would prefer to avoid post-meal intestinal discomfort.

For optimal digestion and assimilation of nutrients, certain types of foods should not be combined with others. Follow these rules when preparing meals in order to achieve comfortable and optimal digestion:

1. Fruit First: Fruit should only be eaten on an empty stomach and never after consumption of starches or proteins. A piece of fresh fruit contains all the elements it needs to digest itself; it needs almost no help from the body. Fruit passes through the digestive system in under an hour and will rot or ferment if the passage of the fruit is hindered by starch or protein. Often, desserts are made of fruit. That is why I say dessert first may not be such a bad idea. When you slam fruit on top of a tofu burger, the fruit will begin to rot since it takes the digestive system 3-4 hours to digest that protein. When you slam fruit on top of mashed potatoes, the fruit will ferment. In each case, the result is gas, bloating, indigestion, or heartburn. No fun for you, your neighbors, or your digestive system.
   
   My strategy is always to eat fruit first thing in the morning. I know my stomach is completely empty and no problems will result. Additionally, fruit for breakfast is a great idea because it is cleansing and the perfect way to stimulate bowel elimination.



2. Separate Starch From Protein: Starches and proteins require different digestive environments. The protein requires an acid environment while the starch needs a more alkaline one. If the two are combined, no ideal environment is achieved which results in undigested starches and proteins moving through the digestive system. This means you are not only suffering the discomfort but you are also not absorbing the nutrients from your food. Some foods, such as a garbanzo bean, are naturally composed of some combination of protein and starch. In this case, it is okay to eat the food because it is naturally composed. The body can coordinate digestion. Don't make it difficult on your body by combining all kinds of proteins and starches yourself.


3. High Water Content Vegetables & Natural Fats Are Neutral: Vegetables and natural fats such as avocados and olive oil are neutral and may be combined with either starch or protein. It is a great idea to eat a big, green salad with any meal. Fats and oils can really add flavor and substance.

A sample day's worth of meals might look like this:

Breakfast
Fruit or Green Smoothie

Lunch
Protein
Vegetable salad

Dinner
Starch
Green Salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar


Now that you know the basic rules to proper food combining, apply them and become aware of how your current habits can be altered for improved digestion.

Smile, 'cause dessert is being served first from now on!

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Diet For A New America

I recently finished reading John Robbins' book, Diet For A New America. It has been around for a while, so maybe you have already read it yourself. For me, it was very educational as well as inspiring. Today I am going to share with you a couple highlights that I marked in the book as well as my reasons for pursuing a vegetarian diet.

Overall, the message of the book is to persuade the reader to forgo meat and animal products in one's diet. The reasons are plentiful and backed up with abundant scientific research. Some reasons include the following:

• The animals we eat are raised in horrendous, unnatural conditions on factory farms, fed an unnatural diet of corn and soybeans, and endure an unbelievable amount of suffering.
  
• The meat from the animals raised on the factory farms is unhealthy as a result of the poor diet and unhappiness of the animals. For example, the adrenalin that courses through the animal just before it is slaughtered poisons the meat. And that is just the beginning.
  
• The hormones and antibiotics given to the animals are imparted to the consumer through the flesh and negatively impact one's health by causing hormonal imbalance and destruction of one's internal digestive ecology.
  
• The factory farms on which most meat is raised, pollute and destroy the environment.
  
• The vast amount of resources such as grain and water that go into fattening herds of cattle, for example, could eliminate world hunger. The number of input calories is far fewer than the number of output calories. It is a very inefficient way to feed humans. 
  
• The human body really does not require so much protein that eating concentrated sources such as meat is necessary or useful. In fact, it is often damaging causing gout, kidney stones, and osteoporosis.
  
• Meat and dairy products acidify the blood and tissues leading to overall calcium loss and osteoporosis. Drinking milk does not result in calcium increase and stronger bones as we may have been led to believe. It actually has the opposite effect.
  
• Pesticides are concentrated in animal products many times more than in plants and vegetables. This toxic load impedes the body's ability to efficiently regenerate and carry out primary functions for optimal health.
  
• The human digestive system is not best suited for digestion of meat. In fact, it is much different from that of carnivorous creatures. The regular consumption of meat will, over time, result in various physical maladies such as colon cancer.
  
• The meat that is mass produced in this country and all over the world is so unhealthy it is seriously damaging the health of all those who eat it which increases the burden on the health care system as well as supports a society dependent on pharmaceutical drugs leading ultimately in a continuous downward spiral of degenerative disease.
  

My reasons for being vegetarian are out of concern for the following:

1. My health: I wish to live to an old age, free of physical pain and physical limitation. I always wish to be active and dwelling in a fully functioning body. Being vegetarian and eating whole foods will greatly contribute to the accomplishment of this goal.
   
2. The environment: It is apparent how much the meat industry from start to finish irrevocably damages the environment. Climates change; drinking water becomes scarce and contaminated; clean air becomes polluted. It is important to think ahead rather than live for today's profit or pleasure.
   
3. The suffering of animals: A certain passage from the book sums up my viewpoint regarding the animals - "It's not the killing of the animals that is the chief issue here, but rather the unspeakable quality of the lives they are forced to live."  Most people have no concept of what suffering was endured by the animals they have eaten. It is so bad that it is nearly beyond belief. I personally don't wish to make that suffering literally a part of me.
   

Another passage from the book states the issues succinctly: "We have become protein obsessed, and we pay an incalculable price for it. We feed an enormous amount of grain to livestock which could otherwise be fed to the world's hungry. We cause a great deal of needless suffering to animals. And finally, we seriously compromise our health."

Busting the Protein Myth

The book presents a great study on how much protein is really needed for a proper functioning body and how easy it is to consume sufficient amounts on a vegetarian diet. Healthy protein intake ranges on a spectrum of 2.5 - 10% of daily calories. Mother's milk provides 5% of its calories from protein which feeds babies who are growing faster than at any other time in their lives. If one eats protein at the high end of the spectrum (10% of calories), it is almost impossible to not get enough protein on a well balanced vegetarian diet. 49% of the calories from spinach are from protein. If we ate nothing but spinach, we'd have WAY more than enough protein. If we ate nothing but cabbage (22%), we'd have more than double the maximum protein requirement. Even a cantaloupe diet (9%) would provide our bodies with sufficient protein.

A meal of 1 cup of beans and 1 cup of brown rice, for example, provides complementary amino acids and contains approximately 19 grams of protein. Add 1.5 cups of broccoli for 6 more grams. And that's just lunch! If you are consuming enough calories with natural foods, you are virtually certain of getting enough protein.

Be Thankful & Aware

I don't wish to come across as dogmatic or judgmental in my approach. I am just so passionate about both physical and environmental health, I want others to grasp some portion of the impact that eating meat has in myriad realms of our world. I realize that people are not going to give up meat over night, but my hope is that people could be concerned enough about their own health at the very least to cut consumption of meat and animal products in half.

I always thought that I would not hesitate to eat meat if given some from an animal that was properly raised in a natural environment. I allowed myself the opportunity one night to partake of meat from a non-factory farmed animal. While it tasted pretty good, I ultimately realized, I liked the vegetables that were on my dinner plate much more. The meat felt heavy in my stomach and did not make me feel particularly well. It was good to allow myself that experience and realize that my body truly no longer desired meat. I am not harsh with myself. Sometimes I will allow myself to eat a little meat thinking that I want it. In the end, it so happens that the experience only reinforces my desire to stay vegetarian.

Whatever your eating philosophy, I implore you to eat with positive thoughts and thankfulness. If you are on a road trip and have to eat something you would typically not, bless it and be grateful for it. Otherwise, the supposed unhealthy food will truly create unhealth. So often, people who are pursuing a healthy diet will beat themselves up when they falter a bit. For instance, I very often talk to raw foodists who express guilt at having eaten cooked food. My philosophy is to be gentle with oneself. Make the best choice you can at the moment. If you are going to break your eating plan, do it consciously, realize how it makes you feel, then get over it. The most important thing to remember is to eat with gratitude. A statement from the book (paraphrasing Mark Braunstein) says, "The person who eats beer and franks with cheer and thanks will probably be healthier than the person who eats sprouts and bread with doubts and dread."

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Cuban Dinner & BEANS!

I want to share with you what has been one of my favorite dinners lately. While I don't put myself in any boxes by labeling myself vegan, vegetarian, raw foodist, etc., I absolutely prefer those types of foods. To my great pleasure, all desire for meat, including big, juicy hamburgers, has vanished. A common concern about becoming vegetarian is getting enough protein. Many people don't know where to turn for protein other than to meat. I used to feel this way since I would suffer from low blood sugar, resulting in emotional distress when I had not received sufficient amounts of protein. But today, I find myself very satisfied on a vegetarian/vegan diet. If you would like to eliminate much of your meat consumption but don't know with what to replace it, I would like you to consider the bean.

Today, I want to tell you about the bean and how it can be properly prepared so you can consume it happily with comfort. But first, as I promised, my latest favorite dinner: The Cuban Plate! This will get your mind open and mouth watering for those beans!

There are four different components to prepare, but it is really quite simple once you get to it.

Cuban Black Beans:

1. Prepare about a cup of dry black beans through proper rehydration and heating technique as described later in this article. This will take some planning ahead of time.
   
2. Once you have your beans ready to go, sauté about a half an onion and 3 cloves of garlic (both minced) in coconut oil
   
3. Add the prepared beans to the onions and garlic
   
4. Add about 2 teaspoons of cumin, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, and 3-4 dashes of apple cider vinegar
   
5. Heat through and let the flavors mingle a bit
   
6. Add sea salt to taste
   

Spanish Rice:

1. Measure white rice and water according to package directions (typically a ratio of 1 part rice to 1 1/2-2 parts water)
   
2. After you bring the water to a boil, add a whole, un-peeled clove of garlic and a chunk of onion
   
3. Add 2 Tbsp. of tomato paste
   
4. Add 2-3 threads of saffron
   
5. Cover and simmer according to package directions
   

Guacamole:

This recipe comes from oneradionetwork.com and can be prepared ahead of time or while the beans and rice are cooking.

Ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes (choose two varieties).
  
• 1/2 onion (your choice of color).
  
• 1 pepper (your choice of type and temperature).
  
• 1 clove garlic.
  
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (leaves and stems).
  
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice.
  
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil.
  
• 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar.
  
• 1/2 tsp cumin.
  
• 1/2 tsp coriander.
  
• 2 ripe HAAS avocados
  
• 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
  
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
  

Instructions:

1. Mince garlic, cilantro, cumin and coriander.
   
2. Add lemon, oil and vinegar to spice blend.
   
3. Dice tomato, onion, garlic and add to spice blend.
   
4. Add the avocados and blend ingredients together with potato masher
   
5. Top with lime juice and salt.
   

Delicious!

Coconut Fried Plantains:

Save preparation of this component until last. It should only take 10 minutes maximum.

Buy a plantain from the grocery store that looks very very ripe. I am talking about one that looks beyond your comfort level for normal banana consumption. It should have quite a lot of black on the skin. Even plantains that are completely black are still good. If you get one that is very yellow or green, it will not have any flavor, will be very tough, and will be very disappointing.

Once you have your nearly black plantain, heat a good amount of coconut oil (2 Tbsp, perhaps) in a skillet to medium temperature. While your pan is heating, cut a skin-deep slice all the way down the length of the plantain. From there, you can lop off the top and start peeling off the skin. I like to cut the plantain into wheels about 1/4"-1/2" thick.

Lay each slice in the heated coconut oil and turn them over on their other side when they get to be a toasty, golden brown. When both sides are toasty, serve 'em up!


Combine all four of your attractive dishes on a plate, garnish with cilantro and lime wedge, and enjoy immensely!


Now that your mouth is watering for some delicious cuban black beans, let me talk to you further about the virtues of beans and how they should best be prepared for optimal digestion and assimilation of the nutrients.

What is so great about beans?

• They are extremely inexpensive! $2-3 per lb. dry weight = $0.50/ lb cooked!
  
• They have high protein content. Black beans contain 15 grams of protein per cup.
  
• They possess in abundance minerals such as magnesium, potassium, iron, and phosphorus
  
• They contain B vitamins such as folate and thiamin
  
• They are high in soluble and insoluble fiber!
  

Now that we know why beans are so great, what is the digestive challenge all about?

Legumes as well as grains and seeds possess certain anti-nutrients that allow the seed to survive through the winter and preserve itself until the proper environment for sprouting presents itself. These anti-nutrients are phytates and enzyme inhibitors. Phytates bind to minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium and prevent the absorption of the minerals in the body. Enzyme inhibitors block the enzyme's activity, which is to assist in the breakdown and digestion of the protein, sugars, and phytic acid. Beans possess complex sugars (oligosaccarides) that cause digestive discomfort frequently experienced when consumed, hence their reputation as the musical fruit.

The solution around these complications is the use of water, heat, and time! With a few hours of planning you can sprout the bean, which will activate the enzymes to assist in the breakdown of the oligosaccarides and eliminate the phytic acid.

Just follow these steps:

1. Cover the beans in four times their weight in warm water (between 90 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit). The water should also be slightly alkaline, if possible. Rehydration will take between 1 to 4 hours. The enzymes need plenty of time to do their work breaking down the complex sugars and phytic acid. You may let the beans soak overnight for convenience.
   
2. Drain the beans then cover them again with 4 times their weight in water that is heated to 147 degrees Fahrenheit. It is at this temperature the enzymes work the most efficiently. However, for simplicity, generally warm water will still do the trick. Just remember that the enzymes are destroyed at 150 degrees. The soaking also assists in eliminating the sugars as they diffuse out of the bean. Changing the water multiple times will further the diffusion of the sugars out of the bean. A useful tip is to add a strip of the sea vegetable kombu (member of the kelp family) that will help alkalize the water and add alpha-galactosidase, the enzyme which assists in the digestion of the complex sugars.
   
3. After soaking, drain the beans well, add them to a pot with more water, and bring them to a simmer. Adding kombu again will eliminate any oligosaccarides still lurking. Cook the beans until tender.
   

Sources:

http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/cooking-legumes.html
http://teaching.ucdavis.edu/nut10/handouts/Misc/content.pdf

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