The Veg-Table

The GAPS diet: One reason why it's so difficult to digest

2021-03-06T14:35:00.002-08:00

My wife and I have three children, one of whom struggles with epilepsy. We have tried MANY different treatments, both natural and traditional, none of which have yet to yield any long-term results. In researching what else we could try, we were introduced to the GAPS diet by Dr. Campbell McBride. We got her book and decided to read it to see if this felt like something that could help my son. Before diving into her claims, I want to preface this by stating that there are many people who swear by this diet, including close family. I believe their claims are most likely accurate, and do not intend, with this post, to discredit any of the claims made by individuals who have tried this diet out. What I DO intend to illustrate with this post is how inaccurate many of her claims are toward the environmental sustainability of her diet, and briefly mention the inaccuracy of her claims toward veganism.

As many of you know, I eat a whole-foods plant based diet. This means all my calories and nutrition comes from plants, and while I am definitely not perfect, I try to ensure that the majority of my food is unprocessed, whole foods. In her book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, ADHD/ADD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Depression and Schizophrenia, Dr. Campbell McBride asserts that veganism is both unsustainable for human beings, AND that veganism is unsustainable for our planet. The first claim is very easy for me to debunk. Simply put, I've been eating this way for 11 years, more than 1/3rd of my life. I have no major health problems (even though I did prior to changing to a whole-foods plant based diet), and I am in great shape. For me, assertions by Campbell McBride in her book, such as, "The fact is, humans can live without plants! However, we cannot live without animal foods" are obviously tough for me to digest, since I am a living contradiction to what she is claiming, and there are tens of thousands of other individuals and studies (here are just a few) that contradict her as well. (and I mean come on! Humans can live without plants!? Seriously doc!?). While I could write a novel exclusively on why her claims about veganism and your health are so contradictory to reality, that isn't my primary focus. If you want to read another blog dedicated to that, let me recommend one titled "Finding my Kid" or you could simply read one of the many, MANY books or research documents on the subject. My favorite: The China Study.

My focus is to address her assertions that vegan living isn't sustainable for our environment. She even claims that the reason there are so many studies and articles stating that vegan lifestyles are so positive for our environment is because "This propaganda for vegetarianism has likely been launched by the agrochemical industry, which can increase their profits dramatically if large populations of people turn vegetarian." This statement blows my mind! There are plenty of resources out there to support that it takes significantly more agriculture to raise meat than it does to raise plants for human consumption. In fact, it takes 3 years and 24 pounds of food a day, to raise a cow to maturity to where it can be butchered. That's a total of around 26,280 pounds of plants. The average vegan eats around 5 pounds of plants a day. This means that you could take the same amount of food you just grew to feed one cow to the point where it can be food, and feed someone for 15 years! Alternately, you could feed 5656 people for one day! In 2018, the average American ate.6 pounds of meat a day, or about 650 calories. Taking that average into account, one average cow can feed 750 people in a day (as long as those people got the other 1350 calories needed from PLANTS!). In other words, you can feed 4906 more people per day having your plants go straight from farm to table, than you can if it makes a stop inside a cow first. Why in the world would the agrochemical industry EVER want people to stop eating meat? Their profits would absolutely plummet if there were no animals to feed with their crops.

Here's where things really get interesting. Campbell McBride's counterargument to this is that animal farming should only be exclusively pasture-raised: "All [animals] need is natural, chemical-free pasture with plenty of growing herbs. They will convert the plant matter into meat and milk for us. And the grass grows for free!" We have all seen the happy looking cow, grazing carelessly in a pasture as we stroll through some part of rural America. Seems so serene, but is it sustainable? I took a deep dive into this topic, and found some very startling results.

-Before I reveal them, just a quick disclaimer. I am not a scientist, and all these numbers are based on empirical averages that I used to make calculations, these numbers are averages linked together, NOT actual scientific studies. These numbers are extremely rudimentary, nevertheless, I believe they are very eye-opening.-

In order to feed all 7.6 billion people on this Earth the way Campbell McBride would want them to eat, we would have to produce at least 17 MILLION cows a day. This is based on us getting 1,100 calories from meat each day, still only half our daily caloric consumption. In order to raise a cow on an open pasture like Campbell McBride recommends, it needs approximately 2 acres of grassland per cow. Plug in some simple math, and here's what we come up with:

--In order for her ideals to work, we would need to be able to kill 6.2 BILLION cows a year. All 6.2 billion cows slaughtered would be on average, three years old, which means there would need to be 18.6 billion cows on the earth, grazing, at any given time.

--Each of these 18.6 billion cows would need 2 acres of grassland in order to get enough plants to survive, meaning there would have to be 37.2 billion acres of pasture land on Earth to feed our animals.

Big reveal: Scientists estimate there are about 4.9 billion hectares, or about 10 billion acres of land available to be cultivated or used for pastures on Earth.

This means, that even if we were to grow enough cows to produce HALF our caloric intake on pasture land, we would be 27 BILLION acres of land short on this planet in order to do it.

Compare that to sustainable plant agriculture, where you can grow more than 10,000 pounds of food per year per acre. In order feed 7.6 billion people 5 pounds of plants a day, you would need 30 billion pounds of plants a day, and 11 trillion pounds of plants a year. Sounds daunting, except that since you can grow 10,000 pounds of food per year per acre, the amount of land you would need to do this is 1.3 billion acres, giving our planet a surplus of 8.7 billion unused acres of farmable land.

The swing from plant growing to pasture animal raising is over 35 billion acres, and over 150 trillion pounds of plant-food.

Below is a spreadsheet to illustrate these numbers, for excel geeks like myself. All these numbers were averages found on various credible sites, multiplied by the respective factors:

Again, I'm aware that these are VERY rudimentary numbers, and I don't claim to be a scientist at all, but it seems pretty darn clear, based on some stats that are easy to piece together, that Campbell McBride's claim that pasture-raised animals is more environmentally sustainable than plant production is simply untrue.

By the way, I approached this topic from a totally unfeeling standpoint, treating cows as simple produce rather than sentient beings that would rather not end up on your plate if they were given a choice.

The above table shows that we would have to murder 6 billion sentient beings a year, practically the equivalent of the entire human race. Seems a bit genocidal in my more emotional opinion.

To conclude, I want to reiterate that this post is in no way attacking Campbell McBride's claims regarding the efficacy of her diet on healing diseases, although I couldn't find any studies or scientific evidence to support her theories. Regardless, I haven't spent the allotted time researching that aspect, so it will have to be tackled another time. My only purpose in writing this post is to illustrate that her claim that "humans don't need plants" is complete nonsense, and her claim that pasture-raised animal farming is more environmentally friendly and sustainable than plant agriculture is impossibly untrue.

The Dreaded Vaccination Post

2019-05-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

Okay. This is the first post I have added in many years. I didn't think I would be posting any time soon, but we as a society are inundated with news revolving around the measles outbreaks that are occurring in the world today, and as a result many states are pushing more and more legislations to mandate vaccinations.

Heads up...if you haven't figured it out by now, this post will be controversial...

I am going to try to present my reasoning for why I have chosen my path regarding vaccines. I will quickly state that I am attempting to do so without contempt for the choices that anyone else has made, and I believe the decision of anyone, whether it is the same as mine or not, can be completely justified. My purpose in writing this is to illustrate the thought process that went into my decision not to give my family a measles vaccination, regardless of the outbreaks that are currently occurring. My sources in presenting this argument will mostly come from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the WHO (World Health Organization). I hope that staying within this realm will limit the argument of whether my sources are legitimate, as they are widely considered reputable among the pro-mandatory vaccine community.

When you think of measles, what comes to mind? Google the word measles and read the news articles being published. All the news articles use words like "hotbeds for disease." and "putting other people in danger unnecessarily" (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/nyregion/measles-outbreak-ny-schools.html)

These articles and phrases are the media's way of grasping viewer's attention. Throughout media history, fear-based reporting has always been the best way to secure viewership and make sure they thrive as a company. While there is truth in what they are saying, it's really only half the story. Here's the other half:

According to the CDC, in the decade prior to 1963 (when the measles vaccine was created), there were about 4 million cases of measles in the US each year. Of those 4 million cases, 48,000 people were hospitalized, 1000 of those cases developed encephalitis (swelling in the brain. In most cases, encephalitis is minor, and resolves itself in a few days, however, it can be serious enough to cause lasting brain damage and death) and 400 of the 4 million resulted in death. (https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html). All of those statistics look terrifying, but they don't have to. Simple statistics tells us that in the decade prior to 1963 only .01 percent of the population that contracted measles died. Encephalitis rate was .025 percent, and hospitalization rate was at 1.2 percent. Meaning, if you contracted measles, all other factors aside, you had a 99.99% chance of surviving, a 99.97 percent chance of not developing encephalitis (which, in most cases was minor and resolved itself in a few days) and a 98.8 percent chance of not even needing to visit the hospital. Please do not consider these statistics to be insensitive. None of these statistics take away from the tragedy that 400 people died. They do, however, lay a groundwork for why I am not afraid of the measles.

Let's leap to 2019. Up to April 26th, there has been a reported 704 measles cases reported in the U.S., more cases than there have been since 1994. If the statistics we took from pre-vaccination era measles held true, that would mean that there should be 8 hospitalizations, and no cases of encephalitis or death. Fortunately there have been no cases of encephalitis or death yet, however, there have been 66 hospitalizations from these outbreaks (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6817e1.htm). 66! That rate is almost nine times higher compared to traditional pre-vaccine statistics in the 1960's. So what is causing this explosion of hospitalization rates?

According to the CDC and WHO, the people that are most at risk for a severe case of measles are children under 5 years old, adults over 20 years old, and pregnant women. Also, anyone with an already compromised or weakened immune system can be at risk (https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/index.html). Once you contract the measles, if you are one of the lucky 99.99% that survives, you will be immune to it for life. In addition, women who have this immunity from contracting the disease can offer "passive immunity" through their breastmilk if they choose to breastfeed their baby (https://www.healthline.com/health/measles). There are also studies that show that breastmilk, while not offering total immunity, can strengthen a child's immune system for life, and prolonged breastfeeding beyond six months has a greater impact (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9892025).

Here's the catch. Thanks to vaccines, adults and mothers in our generation never had measles, never developed an immunity to it, and therefore could never offer passive immunity to their newborn children. The result: Greater susceptibility to developing measles under age 5 when it will be the most severe, and greater susceptibility to developing measles as an adult over 20 or pregnant due to not contracting it earlier in life.

Thus,

...When an outbreak like the one we are experiencing now occurs, the people who are most at risk for severe cases of measles are much more vulnerable...

and our hospitalization rate is nine times higher than it should be.

It is clear, very clear, that vaccines are the most effective answer for preventing measles. There's NO question about that.

My question for you to consider is this: Are vaccines the most sustainable answer?

With hospitalization rates skyrocketing the way they are, and the age groups referenced being vulnerable due to circumstances created by vaccines, ask yourself this question; if a collapse in the private sector stopped the manufacture of the measles vaccine, or a terrorist attack, or a natural disaster stopped the population from having access to vaccines, what do you think would happen? According to the statistics we've seen this year, if 4 million people were to contract measles instead of 704, statistically speaking, one could argue that up to 360,000 people would be hospitalized instead of 48,000.

The alternative:
So what do we do? We are kinda stuck aren't we? Anyone who chooses not to vaccinate is exposing themselves and the community to potentially contracting measles, regardless of their philosophical viewpoint that perhaps this isn't a sustainable way to combat the disease. While I can't offer a major earth shattering, revelatory change you can make, I can offer something simple that can help. There have been several studies conducted that show if you are high in levels of vitamin A or receive a proper vitamin A dosage after contracting measles, your morbitity and mortality rates can be reduced by up to 84% (depending on age) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11869601) (https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/index.html). This means that with the proper administration of vitamin A, that group of 400 people out of 4 million that died in 1963 would be reduced to as low as 4 people. Two other ways of looking at it: With this proper management of measles, if you are one of the 4 million people who contracted measles, and you get the proper vitamin A treatment, you may have a .0001 percent chance of dying, or a 99.9999% chance of surviving.

In Conclusion:
I understand that these numbers are oversimplified. There are deeper dives that need to be taken with all of this. My issue is that instead of looking at measles from the standpoint of seeing how we can combat this without the use of vaccines, everyone is only pushing more vaccines. The vaccine industry is a 6 billion dollar industry. Until someone can figure out how to make 6 billion dollars by giving people vitamin A and a good diet, change is going to be hard to come by. Ghandi told us that we need "to be the change you want to see in the world." That is why my family and I have chosen, despite ridicule from family, friends, and the public, to seek after more sustainable ways of fighting against diseases like the measles. I do not claim to be a professional on this subject. I am just a dad that wants what's best for his kids.

I do not believe I have the authority to tell someone what decision they should make, but I also believe that NO ONE else does either.

Every individual should choose for themselves what they want to do. Every individual should have the right to objectively study these things out for themselves and make a choice without worrying about persecution that may occur based on the choice they made. Our country is founded on these principles of freedom. I have researched it for myself and have made a choice. As I said in the beginning, I can see the justification behind the choices others have made that are not the same as mine.

Regardless of what your choice is, there is no room for unkindness or contempt for the choices anyone makes.

If nothing else, I hope this post has illustrated my thought process behind why I choose not to vaccinate for measles, and perhaps can at least illuminate that maybe people who have chosen not to vaccinate are doing so because they are trying to make an educated decision.

DISCLAIMER: I am happy to receive any comments or opinions that are centered in kindness regardless of whether they are aligned with my own. As a rule, any unkind or contemptuous comment will be deleted and the person making it will be blocked.

Homemade Vegetable Stock

2015-07-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Malissa and I love preparing food that requires vegetable stock. We think it adds a depth to the flavor that would otherwise be lacking. The problem we found, however, is that many vegetable stocks have MSG's or other bad ingredients in them. We also realized that we have a ton of food scraps while cooking that usually go to waste. Solution: we discovered how to make our own vegetable stock with no MSG's that would allow us to put our food waste to a good purpose!

Health Benefits: With regards to nutrition, this is more about subtracting bad things than adding good things into your diet. Most stocks have a base involving animal products, which come complete with a huge amount of sodium, and some saturated fat, which increase your chances of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Even the vegetable based stocks at the store usually have high levels of sodium and some unhealthy or unnatural ingredients. You can avoid all of these things by making your own stock, lowering the amount of bad sodium and saturated fats you consume with each meal.

Homemade Vegetable Stock

4-6 cups scraps, frozen
1 bay leaf
black pepper (or for a better taste, you black peppercorns)
Garlic

Salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a 5 quart pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer one hour. Let cool until lukewarm, strain and discard (or compost) the solids, and pour stock into clean jars, leaving a half-inch of head space. Refrigerate or freeze to store.

Super easy, sustainable, healthy, and delicious! Enjoy!

Here is a list of everything you can use to make your stock. Instead of throwing these things away while you cook, stick them in a gallon bag and freeze them.

NOTE: You can use anything on any of these vegetables, including skins, stems, peels, etc.

mushrooms, onion, leek, garlic, green onion, carrot, celery, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, Stems of herbs

Sweet Potato Kale Salad

2015-07-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Malissa and I were in the mood for something fresh. A quick internet search on some of our favorite sites brought Malissa to this recipe, and after some simple modifications to make it simpler and vegan friendly, voila! We had a new favorite side! This salad has a sweet and tangy flavor, with a hardy taste and texture thrown in thanks to the sweet potatoes. A definite favorite salad in our home, and an instant winner for any potluck!

HEALTH BENEFITS: The combination of kale and sweet potatoes makes a powerful punch of vitamin A (the whole salad has around 1000% your daily need!) which is necessary for good bone growth and is a huge immune system booster! This salad should be in your arsenal anytime someone is experiencing an illness. Also loaded with potassium to help build stronger muscles, vitamin C to boost immune system more, and lots of fiber.

Sweet Potato Kale Salad

(Original Recipe by Real Simple, modified)

2 Sweet Potatoes cut into 1/2" cubes

6 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

2 bunches of Kale

1 Pink Lady, Fuji or other sweet apple, thinly sliced

1/4 cup roasted almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potatoes in 2 Tablespoons of oil until coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 18-20 minutes until tender, tossing them halfway through.

In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, and remaining oil.

Add kale and rub leaves with mixture to coat and soften leaves. Add apple slices, almonds, and sweet potatoes and toss together.

My conversion to healthy eating: A Plant Story

2014-08-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

2009 as a missionary

I have always been a lover of food. Have you ever heard the expression, “eat to live or live to eat?” I have always been on the “live to eat” side. Unfortunately, when I was younger, living to eat meant eating extremely unhealthy. Some people say they eat unhealthy, but I REALLY ate unhealthy. Let me give you an example. A common snack (not my lunch or dinner, a mid-afternoon snack) would be two frozen chimichangas, fried a second time in butter, topped with two eggs, fried in the chimichanga grease, and smothered in melted cheese...then dinner came a couple hours later.

…like I said…unhealthy…

So how did I change from gorging myself on all the fake, processed foods I could get my hands on, to being vegan, living a plant-based lifestyle, and juicing or making green smoothies every day?

When I was 19, I was serving as an LDS missionary and was suffering from many health issues. I had chronic headaches, stomach problems, and was gaining weight incredibly quickly. I was also getting colds almost monthly as well.

Doctors didn’t help much. Every issue I would present to them would be met with a pill. Without any alternative education, I would take these pills, thinking; “If I take this magic pill, all my problems will disappear...right?” Unfortunately, that’s not how it worked. The pills only made things worse.

Finally, after nearly two years of suffering, one doctor examined me and simply said, “you should cut down a bit on red meat.” In two years, this was the first time any physician had given me ANY kind of dietary advice. I decided to cut out all red meat and see what happened. After only a few days, I could feel a noticeable difference! I was still very sick, but I had a little bit more energy, and the headaches were slightly less severe. During this time, I remember thinking to myself,

“hmm…perhaps the food I eat affects my health!”

After seeing positive results from cutting out red meat, I determined that perhaps I would have even better results if I cut out all meat! When people invited us over for dinner, I would eat the meat they served, and would occasionally eat some lean meat on my own, but ultimately, I became vegetarian. This decision not only again increased my energy, and decreased the intensity of my headaches, but it also made me feel happier and more focused! It was easier for me to study the scriptures in the morning, and I felt like a fog lifted from my brain (a fog I didn’t even know was there!).

When I finished serving as a missionary, I returned home determined to discover how I can live the healthiest lifestyle. While searching, my mother introduced me to the book “The China Study,” a book all about a “Whole-foods plant based diet.” Before I was halfway through it, I adopted the whole-foods plant-based diet for myself. Over the next six weeks, my headaches and stomach issues went completely away. I no longer needed any pills and lost 36 pounds! I remember getting on the scale some mornings and worrying that I was going to wither away to nothing with how fast I was losing weight!

March 2014 on a Cruise with my family

"Just pills and bills...well not anymore!"

Ironically, at the same time, I was taking a nutrition class in college, and after I had lost all 36 pounds, we took a BMI (body mass index) test, and mine was perfect! I had lost every excess pound I had on my body, and had reached my genetically perfect weight.

It has been over four years since I changed my eating lifestyle. I don’t get headaches, I don’t have stomach issues, I don’t get colds, and I don’t need pills. I also haven't gained or lost a pound since I hit the weight I'm at right now.

Before I began eating this way, I was always someone who “lives to eat.” I am so happy to be able to say that I have never changed to someone who “eats to live." I have been, and always will be, a lover of food! I still “live to eat,” and thanks to my conversion to eating healthy, I am going to live a long time while doing it!

"Eating Healthy is extremely important, but never forget that the healthiest thing you can do is be kind."

-Jacob Moench

Savory Tomato Gnocchi

2014-05-10T17:24:00.002-07:00

The recipe we made tonight was a spur of the moment creation that turned into a masterpiece! With very little food and a great desire to refrain from shopping, Malissa and I desperately looked through our cupboards for something to eat. After finding a box of potato gnocchi, we devised a plan. Who would have guessed that ten minutes later, we would have created one of our new favorite dishes! This meal is delicious, reminding us of pizza in a bowl (except this is healthy). To top things off, the total cook time is only 6-8 minutes.

Savory Tomato Gnocchi

1 pound (450g) potato gnocchi
1 Green pepper, chopped
4 Tomatoes, Chopped
1/2 Cup Olives, sliced
4 Tablespoons Olive juice (from the can of olives)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 2 Tablespoons dried)

Cook Gnocchi in boiling water 4-5 minutes or until the Gnocchi floats to the top when stirred. Rinse and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add peppers, saute one minute. Add tomatoes, saute 1-2 minutes more. Add the gnocchi and all remaining ingredients into saucepan and saute for 1-2 minutes. Easy enough!

10 Minute Artichokes and Dip

2014-04-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

A Wild Rice Pilaf Makes an Excellent Side for These Artichokes

Growing up, artichokes in our home were a delicacy. Because they were so rare, I always assumed that they were either very expensive or very difficult to make. I was wrong. Artichokes are very inexpensive (around $1.50-$3.00 each) and easy to make. The total amount of time you'll take on making the artichokes and the dip is 10 minutes! They are incredibly healthy and delicious as well.

Artichokes and Dip

2 Artichokes, stems and tops removed
1/4 Cup vegenaise (can be found in most grocery stores)
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Salt, to taste

Place artichokes in pressure cooker with water just up to to the bottom of the steam rack. Seal pressure cooker and cook on high. Once it starts pressure cooking, turn heat down just a few degrees and cook for 9 minutes. Take pressure cooker off heat and hold under cold running water until it can be released.

For the dip: Mix all ingredients together in a small container, adjust seasoning and mustard to taste.

*Note: to make the artichokes have a rich, smoky flavor, try putting a small amount of liquid smoke and onion powder in the pressure cooker water.

That's it! Super simple!

Quick, Healthy, Wild Rice Pilaf

2013-11-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Like many of you, Malissa and I celebrate Thanksgiving at our parents home surrounded by our family. We estimated that there will be close to 30 people at this feast! That many mouths will generally also include many different diets, allergies, and food restrictions, so, for this thanksgiving feast, we decided we wanted to bring a side that would be hardy, substantial, and one that the whole family could enjoy! This wild-rice pilaf is Vegan, organic, nut free, gluten-free, and delicious!

Wild Rice Pilaf

1-2 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 Small onion, diced

2/3 Cup mushrooms, sliced

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1/4 Cup celery, chopped

1/4 Cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon dried sage,

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 cups wild rice (for a unique taste and texture, you can mix brown rice in with it)

3 1/2 cups water or gluten-free vegetable broth

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Add mushrooms, garlic and celery and cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary. Add rice and stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 50 minutes or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Easy Homemade Crockpot Applesauce

2013-11-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Growing up, it was always a treat when I was at school, opened my lunch, and saw a small cup of applesauce from my mom! The applesauce was always delicious, however, looking back and thinking of the added preservatives and sugar I was consuming de-romanticizes my elementary school days a bit. Fortunately, after getting 22 pounds of apples, and scrambling to figure out what to do with them, Malissa and I discovered how to make delicious applesauce with no preservatives, and no artificial ingredients! Now I can re-live my childhood memories without re-living the chemicals!

...OH! And it's SUPER EASY!...

Crockpot Applesauce

12 Apples, peeled and sliced into cubes (we used Fuji, which were really good!)
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 Cups water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon sweetener (optional)

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot, cook for 6 hours on low setting, stir and mash occasionally.

Easy Crunchy Kale Chips

2013-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have a secret I need to confess to everyone who reads this blog. I love chips! I know, I know, chips aren't healthy, they're really oily and fatty and have way more sodium than I should be consuming...but chips are my vice! Malissa always gives me grief because I can turn away the ice cream, chocolate, candy, or any other type of junk food, but when chips are placed before me, my mouth immediately starts watering. Fortunately, I have devised a plan to turn that weakness into a strength! Behold the kale chip! A healthy, delicious chip that you can eat guilt-free! (And I think that picture looks cool too). For all of you who have a weakness of loving chips too much, I have an incredibly easy win-win solution!

Kale Chips

Kale, stemmed and cut into chip-sized pieces
Olive oil
Salt or Seasoning of your choice

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine a small amount of olive oil (just enough to lightly coat all your kale), kale, and seasoning in a bowl. Mix well and spread kale evenly in one layer over a cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are nice and crispy, but not burnt. Enjoy!

Spicy Tomato Basil Pasta

2013-10-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Okay people, move over sloppy joes, this is the new favorite recipe in our house! Malissa and I have recently discovered a new sauce that we have become completely converted to. It's called Harissa and it is divine! Now, you all know how much I love to read labels, so I can tell you that I have read the label of the Harissa sauce thoroughly and there is nothing hidden or bad about its contents. Every ingredient is healthy and natural. As we mixed it in with some garlic, basil, cherry tomatoes, and spices, we created a middle-eastern pasta sauce that is out of this world. If you try one of the recipes I have written this year, make it this one.

Spicy Tomato Basil Pasta

1 Pound spaghetti, cooked (or any pasta)

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Pound cherry tomatoes, halved

3 Garlic cloves, sliced (NOT diced or minced)

3/4 Cup fresh basil, chopped

2 Tablespoons dried oregano

2 Tablespoons dried chives

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

2 Tablespoons onion salt

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1-3 Tablespoons harissa

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Lower heat to medium low. Add cherry tomatoes and cook for five minutes. Add one tablespoon of oregano, chives, parsley, onion salt, and 1/4 cup of the fresh basil. Simmer another 5 minutes. Add Harissa paste (amount depends on how spicy you want this), salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of fresh basil. Cook another 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, another 1/4 cup of fresh basil, and 1 Tablespoon of oregano, chives, parsley, and onion salt. Cook another 5 minutes. Add sauce to pasta and enjoy!

Summer Veggie Pasta Salad With Balsamic Dressing

2013-10-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

I have loved pasta salad all my life. Every time I eat some, I can't help but reminisce about my childhood, eating with my family outside on a warm summer evening. My craving for pasta salad has not been satisfied for a long time however, as most pasta salads usually come with fatty, sugary dressings, and bleached, unhealthy pastas. Malissa and I have successfully remedied this inability to enjoy pasta salad with our new healthy, whole grain version. This meal only takes 15 minutes to make and will create new lasting memories ingrained in your mind forever!

*Veggie Pasta Salad

1 Pound whole wheat pasta (we use fusilli)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 Bell peppers, diced (red, green, or both!)
2 Zucchini, chopped
1 Tablespoon thyme
1/2 Cup fresh basil, cut into small pieces
Salt, to taste

Dressing:
4-5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
5 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dash of cayenne or chili powder (optional)
Dash of crushed red peppers (optional, for a little spice!)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Place in large bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the peppers, zucchini, and thyme. Cook until *veggies are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add to pasta bowl, along with the basil. For the dressing: Combine all ingredients and stir. Add to pasta bowl.

*Note: I call this a veggie pasta salad even though from a scientific point of view, all the main ingredients are actually fruits...however, I think you would agree with me that to claim this as a fruit salad would be ridiculous! Therefore, I am taking a culinary liberty, and calling these vegetables.

Easy Ratatouille

2013-09-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

The word Ratatouille always brings my mind back to the beautiful city of Paris, with it’s glamorous tower, renowned breads, and small rodents cooking for food critics. Yes, the first time I was ever introduced to this dish was when I watched the animated character Anton Ego take a bite, then dramatically drop his pen in slow motion as he savored the delicious taste. Now, several years later, we are cooking our own ratatouille, and it is good! Its flavor didn’t cause me to go into shock and have a flashback of my childhood…but it probably would have if I had ever had ratatouille when I was younger!

This meal is a great way to get rid of all that squash you have piling up in your refrigerator, and you can cook it as a delectable side, or serve it over rice as a wonderful main course. Bon Apatite!

Ratatouille

1/4 Cup olive oil
1 1/2 Cups yellow onion, diced
1-2 Cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (The spice works if you don't have fresh)
1 Cup green bell peppers, diced
1 Cup red bell peppers, diced
*3 Cups zucchini squash, diced
1 Cup yellow squash, diced
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon Harissa sauce (optional, if you like spiciness)

Directions

Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the thyme, green and red peppers, zucchini, and squash. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, salt and pepper, and Harissa (if you want it spicy), and cook for 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either as a side, or on rice as a main course.

*Note- if you like eggplant, you can substitute 2 cups of eggplant and only use 1 cup of zucchini. Add the eggplant before the peppers, zucchini, and squash and let it cook for five minutes.

Healthy Zucchini Muffins

2013-09-07T17:11:00.001-07:00

Once again, we come to that wonderful time of year when all of us are panicking about how we can get rid of the truckload of zucchini we found in our garden. Perhaps an obstacle you are facing is that the children at your table aren't thrilled about the taste of zucchini! Time to sneak some of this squash into their lives! These zucchini muffins are a great side or dessert to add to your meal, and they are very simple to make! Just make sure your kids don't wander into the kitchen while you're making them, and they'll love these muffins without ever realizing what kind of squash they're digesting! Enjoy!

Zucchini Muffins

2 Cups whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup flax meal

A healthy, sweet, and hardy dessert or snack!

2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2/3 Cup agave (Add more if you want it really sweet)
3/4/ Cup soymilk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Cups Zucchini, shredded

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12 muffin tin with paper liners, or spray with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth all the way through. Mix in the zucchini. Scoop 1/3 cup of the batter into each prepared cup, almost filling it. Bake on center rack for 23 minutes. Poke with toothpick to test.

Mexican Rice

2013-08-27T20:11:00.004-07:00

Growing up, I always loved going to Mexican restaurants because of how delicious the Mexican rice was. We never ate Mexican rice in my home, and I assumed the reason why was because it must have been very complicated to make, or required some type of "secret ingredient". Little did I know just how easy Mexican Rice is to make on your own (With just two lines of instructions!). Now, Malissa and I are always just 20 minutes away from enjoying restaurant quality Mexican rice, which has now become the popular side to many of our favorite homemade Mexican Dishes.

Mexican Rice

2 Cups water

2 Cups rice (regular brown rice does not work! Use quick brown rice or white)

1 ½ Cups Salsa

2 teaspoons salt

Dash of Chili Powder

In a medium pot or saucepan, bring water to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, add all ingredients, cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Easy!

*This recipe works wonderfully as a filler for Tacos!

Chunky Tomato Basil Soup

2013-08-21T18:09:00.001-07:00

I don’t believe that Malissa and I are a minority as people who love to have soup with our sandwiches. If you are like us, then this tomato basil soup is perfect for you! Not only can it be enjoyed guilt-free, knowing that it is completely vegan and healthy, but it is also extremely easy to make and works very well as leftovers! It is rich and creamy, but still has some good chunks in it, giving it a good hardiness. This meal is also very quick, taking about 15-20 minutes to make.

8 Cups roma tomatoes, diced

2 Eight-ounce cans tomato sauce

1 Six-ounce can tomato paste

2 Cups water

4 teaspoons bouillon (we get veggie “better than bouillon”)

1 Package silken tofu (optional, adds to the creaminess)

10 Basil leaves, finely chopped (or to taste)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Vegan cheese (optional, for garnish)

Place diced tomato pieces in blender or food processor and pulse 2-3 times. Combine tomatoes, sauce, paste, water, and bouillon in pot and simmer 3-4 minutes. Blend the tofu until creamy and stir into tomato mixture. Simmer until it reaches desired thickness. Remove from heat, stir in basil, salt and pepper.

Statuses of Kindness on Facebook

2013-08-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

Those of you who follow my Facebook page may have noticed a daily post that is a bit different from the rest. Each morning, I have posted a status update that has to do with kindness in some way. Why should a page about living a healthy lifestyle write daily posts involving kindness? This blog post will be dedicated to sharing with you my conversion to promoting kindness each day on my page, and why I believe it is the healthiest post of the day!

When I first began the Facebook page, I immediately went out and looked for lots of other pages that shared my view on healthy eating so that I could become a part of a great healthy eating community. This worked really well and I was able to find many pages that were devoted to promoting a whole foods plant-based diet. What I didn't anticipate, however, was the fact that many of these pages, while promoting healthy eating, also promoted vanity and pride, often writing posts that were being very critical and sarcastic toward people who didn't eat the way they did, and showing pictures of women with beautiful bodies to depict the benefit of eating healthy (this can also be found on most Pinterest pages). It is amazing that the same page could publish a success story of someone miraculously overcoming cancer or diabetes through eating healthy, and then, moments later, publish a cartoon showing someone obese walking into McDonalds with a condescending joke about their eating preference under it! My feed became full of this garbage and I, regrettably, began to succumb to this mindset and became very critical and prideful myself.

After a few months of being consumed by this attitude, I realized that because of my pride and criticism, I had become much unhealthier than anyone I had criticized. This realization led to my choice to stop updating my blog or page in order to get my priorities straight again. I wasn't sure if I was going to ever begin updating my blog or page again, until one day, just a couple weeks ago, I decided to just look at my old posts on my page.

While looking through my posts, I realized that, although there were some critical things, I had also published a lot of posts that were a positive influence in lives of others. Suddenly I realized that I was in a position of influence.

I decided to begin updating my blog and page again, but this time, I was doing it because I saw that it was an opportunity to help others. This is why I have begun the kindness posts. With all the pride, vanity, and criticism in the world, it is easy to become consumed by it; I know! But that's why we all need something uplifting in our lives everyday! And we all need to be kind everyday! Honestly, the posts I write concerning kindness are as much for me as they are for you, the readers. They help me start my day with a proper perspective, and they keep me accountable to the commitment I have made to never criticize, but to always be kind, no matter the circumstances.

Ellen Degeneres has a more expansive influence than I do, and something she does that I absolutely love is that each day she ends her show with the same reminder: "Be kind to one another." (she's also into eating healthy as well!). Every day, we all have some influence in this world. You and I can do so much more good in this world as we begin using the influence we have to promote kindness.

Kindness not only uplifts and benefits the lives of everyone around you, but it is also what will bring happiness and peace to yourself. This is why I believe the kindness post is the healthiest of the day; after all, who cares about being healthy if you aren't happy?

Penne Marinara With Artichoke Hearts

2013-08-05T20:17:00.002-07:00

If you like artichoke hearts, then this Italian dish is a must for you! And for those of you who have never tried artichoke hearts, this is a great introduction.
The marinara sauce is delicious and the artichoke hearts add a taste and texture that is out of this world. A bonus is that it only takes about 15 minutes to make! A perfect dish to prepare for a potluck party, as a side, or as the main course of your meal! Enjoy!

Penne With Artichokes

1 Pound whole grain penne rigate
1 Small onion, finely sliced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
8 Artichoke hearts, quartered
1 Can diced tomatoes
2-3 small cans (8 oz.) tomato sauce (depending on how saucy you want it!)
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning (or to taste)
Salt/Pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley (optional, for garnish)
1/2 Cup shredded vegan cheese (optional)

Cook the penne according to package directions in boiling water. In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion and the garlic in olive oil. Add the artichoke hearts. Cook to pale gold color. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Simmer 15 minutes over medium heat. Combine sauce and penne together, sprinkle with chopped parsley and cheese.

Black Bean Avocado Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

2013-08-03T19:18:00.001-07:00

Tonight, Malissa and I have decided to try something a bit light, though, we still wanted something with a good kick. This salad is incredible! The Mexican style taste could be compared to a salad you would find at Cafe Rio, only much healthier, and the cilantro lime dressing adds a great zest to the already great colors and flavors. Make too much and the leftovers can become an awesome Pico De Gallo. It is also very easy to make, only taking about 15 minutes, and is great for a side or as the main course.

Black Bean Avocado Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

2 Cups fresh or frozen corn
1 Can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Cups fresh diced tomatoes
1 ½ Cups finely diced red or white onion
2 Ripe avocados cut into ½ -inch squares
2 Cups chopped fresh cilantro
6-8 cups lettuce (optional)

Dressing:
½ Cup flaxseed oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
1/3 Cup lime juice
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook corn in pot of lightly salted water for about 2-3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Combine corn, beans, tomatoes, onion, avocados, and cilantro in a large bowl. Whisk oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Pour over veggies and toss gently to coat. Serve on beds of lettuce, or use as a chip dip if desired.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili

2013-03-11T15:46:00.001-07:00

A co-worker of Malissa's has recently changed her diet, and has been looking for a good chili recipe. Let me tell you, I don't blame her one bit for wanting one! Before I changed my diet, I loved the taste of a can of chili regardless of how unhealthy it was. Fortunately, for us chili lovers, I have found a recipe that, besides being extremely healthy, is the best chili I have ever eaten! It is also very good served over brown rice, and can make great leftovers! Double the recipe, freeze the rest, and have it always on hand as a quick meal! Yum!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Large onion (chopped)

1 Red bell pepper (chopped)

1 Green bell pepper (chopped)

2 Jalapeno peppers (seeded and diced)

2 Sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)

2 Garlic cloves (minced)

2 to 3 Tablespoons chili powder

1 to 2 t ground cumin

1 to 2 teaspoons crushed basil leaves

Dash of marjoram (optional)

1 bay leaf

1 Can diced tomatoes

2 Cans vegetable or chicken broth

1 Can black beans, rinsed and drained

Juice of one lime

Sea salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste
Crushed red peppers, to taste (optional)

Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes or until tender. Add bell peppers, jalapenos, and sweet potatoes, cook for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add chili powder and next 7 ingredients. Stir and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and broth. Simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes. Stir in beans and continue to cook 10 more minutes. Remove bay leaf and stir in lime juice. Enjoy!

Healthy Movie Theater Popcorn

2013-03-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about tonight's recipe. Malissa and I love to watch movies together, but we have never really had a snack to eat while we watched. Occasionally, we would pop some popcorn in the microwave, but we felt guilty if we ever put anything on it. Then we discovered this little trick! Now we enjoy popcorn that tastes exactly like the stuff you get at the theaters without the guilt (not to mention the unpleasant side effects). Enjoy!

Movie Theater Popcorn

2 Tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
6 Tablespoons popcorn kernels
Any other seasonings you like

Place the coconut oil in a 14-inch wok over medium heat. Add few kernels of popcorn. When you hear a kernel pop, pour in all of the popcorn.
Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook, shaking the wok constantly, until you no longer hear the kernels popping against the lid. Place in a bowl and Enjoy with your favorite movie!

Four Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

2013-03-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

Alright everyone, this one is a big deal. This is my new FAVORITE dessert! Not only is this incredibly delicious, rich, sweet and wonderful in every way, it is also the easiest dessert we have ever made! A must for anyone who is a chocoholic and wants to eat healthy like me. Only 4 ingredients. period.

Four Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

1 Can coconut milk (make sure it is full fat, or for ultimate thickness, get coconut cream)
5-6 Tablespoons cacao powder (cocoa powder works if you don't have cacao, but cacao is healthier)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Natural sweetener, to taste (to preserve the thickness, use stevia, or xylitol agave will work, but will make it a little thinner)

Make sure the coconut milk is thick like mousse, if not, put it in the refrigerator for an hour or two until it thickens up (also, to make it thicker, leave out the watery part at the bottom of the can). Mix all ingredients by hand or with a mixer in a bowl mixing it may take several minutes to thicken. If you want it thicker, just refrigerate until it reaches desired thickness. Enjoy! Easy as that!

Tex-Mex Rice and Bean Polenta

2013-03-02T08:05:00.001-08:00

Tonight, we are going south with a tex-mex polenta pie. This is a super fun recipe to make, and the citrus garlic avocado topper is to die for! This recipe is also incredibly simple, especially if you have a rice cooker. A must have for anyone that enjoys healthy tex-mex food!

Tex-Mex Polenta Pie

Filling:
1 Cup vegetable broth
1 Cup water
1 Can diced tomatoes
1 Small diced onion
1 Cup brown rice
1 Tablespoon chile powder
1 Can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Cup salsa

Polenta crust:
2 Cups water
3/4 Cup polenta
dash of salt

Avocado topper:
1 Avocado, mashed
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine broth, water, tomatoes, onion, rice, and chile powder in a rice cooker or saucepan. Cook until all liquid is gone or rice is tender (about 45 min).
While that is cooking, make the polenta crust: Bring water to a boil and whisk in the polenta and salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes until the polenta becomes semi-firm. Dump the cooked polenta into a large pie dish and spread evenly over the bottom and sides of the dish.
After rice is cooked, stir in the black beans and Spread the filling evenly in the polenta crust. spread salsa evenly over the top. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Meanwhile, mash the avocado and mix in a small bowl with lemon juice and garlic powder.

Slice the pie and put a dollop of avocado mixture on each slice before serving. Enjoy!

Ginger Veggie Stir Fry

2013-02-22T15:37:00.001-08:00

Ginger veggie stir fry, a classic dish that is packed full of vegetables. This dish is a staple in our house. Often, we simply see what veggies we have leftover from the rest of the week, and throw all of them into the wok or saucepan. It is hard to go wrong with this fiery, sweet, and filling meal. The variety of colors you see in your pan speaks wonders to all the nutrition you are about to consume. Enjoy!

You can see all the bright colors as you
mix all the veggies together!

Ginger Veggie Stir Fry

1/2 Cup cold water
1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Cups broccoli and or cauliflower
1 Carrot, thinly sliced
1/4 Cup chopped onion
1 Clove garlic, minced
1/2 Cup fresh sugar snap peas, tips and strings removed
1/2 Of a large red or green sweet pepper, cut into strips
1/2 Can baby corn, drained and halved
1/2 Can sliced water chestnuts, drained

In a small bowl, stir together the water, soy sauce, cornstarch, and ginger; set aside.

In a wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and/or cauliflower, carrot, onion, and garlic; stir-fry for 6-8 minutes or until just tender. Add peas, sweet pepper, baby corn, and water chestnuts; stir fry for 2 minutes

Stir cornstarch mixture; add to vegetables in wok or skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

Serve over cooked brown rice

*Note: You can always add more or less of any veggie. Don't feel restrained to just this list. It's more of a list of suggested veggies!

Healthy Vegan Nachos

2013-02-18T08:22:00.001-08:00

Malissa and I have been getting several requests for recipes involving snack foods, and kid-friendly meals where they won't realize they are eating something healthy. Because of this, we decided to try a couple of our recipes on our twin nieces to see if they are worthy of being called kid-friendly. These nachos have all-natural ingredients, are gluten free, and vegan. They also passed the test; the twins loved them!

Our niece Kailey said they were delicious!

Vegan Nachos

-Tortilla Chips (look for some that only have three ingredients: Corn, oil, salt)
-Red or Green Pepper Slices
-Black Beans
-Vegan Refried Beans (If not homemade, make sure the canned version you buy says its vegetarian)
-Salsa (If you buy it from the store, make sure it has all-natural ingredients. Pace is a good brand)
-Pickled Jalapenos (optional)
-Olives (optional)
-Vegan Cheese (we like vegan gourmet, non-gmo, gluten free. Can be found in most health-food sections of grocery stores)

Layer aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Lay out chips over sheet, top the chips with all the ingredients except salsa, in whatever order you choose. Finish with cheese sprinkled all over the chips. Put in the over at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Top with salsa. Enjoy!

Homemade guacamole also goes great as a topper for this!