A Southern Feast

Tonight my Georgia (the state)-native mother-in-law helped me create a delicious vegan southern feast for dinner. Sorry we forgot to take pictures! I made this collage of the staples we used, which brought back memories for my MIL and got my preschooler excited about trying some new foods.

Dish #1: Pan-fried okra and potatoes. I'd never bought okra before yesterday. Honestly I'm not a big fan of the gooey vegetable. But my MIL loves it and I wanted to surprise her. I learned that, when choosing fresh okra from the store, smaller is usually better, and firm is better than flimsy. But they should not be too hard either. I think I did ok. We sliced each thin (they're very pretty once sliced, like little stars) and cubed a few potatoes into tiny pieces. I tossed them both in a mixture of flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Then pan-fried them in canola oil. Yum.

Dish #2: Collard greens with "bacon." Traditional southern collards almost always call for a ham hock or bacon. Or both. I pan fried some fakin bacon and used that in simple braised fresh collards. I was surprised at how yummy they were. They were my son's favorite. There's nothing like watching a 3-year-old stuff his face with cooked leafy green vegetables.

Dish #3: Blackeyed peas with "sausage." Ok have you ever tried soy chorizo? The stuff is unbelievable. And the recipe is laughably simple: 2 cans of rinsed, drained blackeyed peas, and 1 tube of soy chorizo (1/2 a package). (I used the Trader Joes brand.) Heat, stir, serve. Tastes like a complicated dish slaved over for hours.

Dish #4: Quinoa pilaf. Ok, NOT traditional southern, but I wanted to include a healthy grain. We pretended it was grits, but of course quinoa is a much better source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Dish #5: Sliced cucumbers and tomatoes in vinegar and dill. Southern, I'm not sure... but what American vegetable garden is without cukes and tomatoes? I watered down the vinegar and threw on some dried dill.

It's fun to pick a food theme and run with it. And in this day and age, there's almost nothing you can't veganize yet still maintain an authentic look and flavor.

Vegan Treats Get Fancy

Check out this recent story from the Washington Post -- a former Ritz Carlton pastry chef is baking vegan cookies! Every week I see more evidence of a mainstream acceptance of vegan foods and a vegan lifestyle. This article also features a recipe for vegan biscotti -- a challenging cookie to veganize. I can't wait to try it. Here's the recipe for Chocolate Ginger Biscotti, and Pecan Snowballs. One thing is for sure: vegans aren't hurtin' for dessert. And even non-vegans (as this article agrees) are jumping on the vegan dessert bandwagon -- my dad (a self proclaimed NON VEGAN) prefers the vegan version of Whole Foods bakery chocolate chip cookies to the traditional ones. It's endearing, the way he thinks he's boosting his health with these cookies as if they were steamed kale, but I'm not about to burst his bubble. And I've yet to meet anyone who did NOT take second helpings of my vegan chocolate mousse pie, made, of course, with tofu.

Now, to find a vegan meringue....

Bone Health: not only about calcium

It's always been a pet peeve of mine that "calcium" is synonymous with "bone health." There's no question that bone is predominantly calcium and that dietary calcium is important. However, there are so many other factors that are crucial to bone health, but they don't get all that much attention. This is probably due to the Dairy Council's fine job at convincing most Americans that without dairy products and all that calcium, they can't possibly have strong bones. Nutrition experts know that this is ridiculous; dairy products are just one food (essentially milk from a cow), and cultures worldwide and for thousands of years have enjoyed superior bone health without a spec of dairy. Dairy farming is a relatively recent advent in history, and not practiced by all cultures. Furthermore, we know that dairy is not the secret to osteoporosis prevention, because the countries with the highest intakes of dairy products also have the highest osteoporosis rates. Calcium is abundant in whole plant foods; we don't NEED dairy products to get calcium.

Want strong bones? It's not only the calcium you take IN that matters, it is important not to LOSE the calcium that you have. And it turns out that if you're doing all the wrong things and you're LOSING calcium from your bones, all the calcium pills in the world won't do much for you. You have to RETAIN that calcium, and the best way to promote calcium retention is to practice those habits that make the most difference. These include:

EXERCISE. Weight-bearing exercise is the cornerstone of bone density. Even seniors can build bone mass by doing regular, moderate exercises. Indeed, studies have shown tremendous benefit to certain exercises with regard to reduced risk of fractures. Free weights, running, walking are all good bone-building activities. Swimming and biking are great cardio workouts but aren't good bone-builders; mix up your routine for the best results.

MAXIMIZE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. A recent study out of Boston published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism showed that forcing an alkaline environment in the gut promoted bone retention, while an acidic environment promoted bone loss. This relationship has been known for some time, but this study actually measured the results in a methodical fashion. The authors suggest that increasing fruit and vegetable intake will naturally help lean the environment more alkaline, helping to retain bone mass. Yup, ANOTHER benefit to eating lots of fruits and vegetables! Foods like meat and dairy promote acidic environments, leading to bone loss.

MINIMIZE ANIMAL PROTEIN AND SODIUM. Both have been linked to calcium excretion.

TAKE A VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENT. The research keeps pouring in about vitamin D. Vegan or not, take 1000 IU a day. Vitamin D is absolutely crucial for bone health; indeed the #1 symptom of vitamin D deficiency is rickets, which is a bone disease. Furthermore, studies have shown that supplementing with D reduces fracture risk. See vitamindhealth.org for more information.

EAT YOUR SALAD. Vitamin K is an important vitamin for bone health. It is found mostly in leafy green vegetables (raw or cooked, doesn't matter). Potassium, a mineral found in abundance in most fruits and vegetables, is also important. Do you see a pattern?

Getting back to my point that calcium intake is still important, the best vegan calcium sources include leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds, calcium-set tofu, calcium-fortified soy milk and OJ, and some dried fruits. Base your diet on a nice variety among the Basic 4 (whole grains, nuts/beans/seeds, fruits, and vegetables), and follow the guidelines above, and you're well on your way to optimal bone health.

A vegan gelatin?

Has it really been this long since I've posted? Yikes, time flies this time of year, doesn't it? I'll be more consistent in '09.

Well I am excited about a story I just read, brought to my attention by the nutrition news group nutraingredients: a new vegan gelatin is in the works!

This is great news for vegans and vegetarians (since an animal must be slaughtered to manufacture traditional gelatin), because a few treats are almost always made with gelatin, most notably marshmallows. And sadly, our beloved Emes vegan marshmallows (which were made with seaweed-based "gelatin") have ceased to exist for many years now. (There are vegan marshmallows out there -- Sweet & Sara's -- but they're not priced like the Campfire ones [nor do they look like the ones we used to float in our cocoa]. You can get them at Cosmos and Vegan Essentials.) According to a recent article in Vegetarian Journal, the reason for the lack of vegan gelatin is simply cost: it is far more expensive to manufacture a vegetarian gelatin than an animal gelatin. But if the folks at Avebe (an Australia-based company) can swing it, gelatin made from slaughterhouse byproducts might become a distant memory.

Things like candies and supplement capsules often contain gelatin, so hopefully this new vegan gelatin will be the standard for such products and more.

A good week for nutrition news

We all love to read good things about foods we love but we know, deep down, are not really nutritious (yes, me too). As a vegan, I also enjoy reading things about foods that people justify, over and over, as healthful and appropriate, when we all know that regular consumption of these foods is the foundation of chronic disease. The more evidence that piles up against the consumption of animal products, the bigger push there will be towards the general acceptance of plant-based diets.

This month, the journal Diabetes Care (click here for the abstract) published a study by Harvard researchers who reported that people who eat eggs daily may substantially increase their risk of type 2 diabetes.

According to the study, this is the first time researchers investigated this particular connection. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; no conflict of interest has been reported.

The study analyzed the eating habits of 57,000 people (a combination of the Physician's Health Study and the Women's Health Study) and concluded that men and women with the highest level of egg consumption (one a day or more) were 58% more likely and 77% more likely, respectively, to develop type 2 diabetes than those who did not eat eggs.

That's pretty impressive. Sometimes study results can be attributed to chance or confounding variables. With numbers this high (57,000 subjects) and the effect this strong, it's highly unlikely that these results are not real. Of course, correlation is not necessarily causation, so the effect may not be quite this strong, and of course not generalizable to everybody. Some alternate explanations for the reported observations include (per the lead researchers): First, the data did not include repeat fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and other biomarkers of glucose metabolism to comprehensively examine possible physiologic mechanisms. Second, he observational studies may also have been limited by self-reporting and residual confounding, Third, the generalizability may have been limited as well by the homogeneous, primarily Caucasian health professional population, which may have different behaviors than the general population (reference).

In other news, a recent Dutch study presented at a recent American Heart Association Meeting reports that all trans fats -- regardless of its source -- raise blood cholesterol levels. (Click here for more details.) This is an important finding because historically, nutrition professionals have warned against the trans fats that are manufactured as a result of hydrogenation of fat (listed on a label as "partially hydrogenated oil" -- found mainly in processed foods like crackers, cookies, and condiments), essentially ignoring the contribution of naturally-occurring trans fat, that is, trans fat found in dairy products and meat. Most people aren't even aware that animal products are a natural source of these damaging fats. The amount of trans fats in a typical serving of meat or dairy is relatively low, but over time the amounts do add up and are indeed significant. Add yet another reason to follow a primarily (or exclusively) plant-based diet.

Hummus Heaven

I love hummus. I crave it like some crave chocolate cake. When I was pregnant, my favorite meal was a sesame bagel smeared with hummus and topped with a thick slice of tomato.

Hummus is a simple spread made from cooked, mashed chick peas (garbanzo beans), sesame tahini (ground sesame seeds, or sesame butter), lemon, garlic, olive oil, and seasonings. The recipe originated in the Middle East, and sure enough if you visit different ethnic restaurants, each region does something a little differently with their hummus. The quality, type, and proportion of the ingredients yield wildly different results. Vary with herbs like parsley; other beans like black beans; add-ins like roasted red pepper or hot peppers, and the possibilities are endless. Cedars brand used to make a chocolate hummus!

A trip to your local grocery store will reveal no shortage of hummus; there are at least 7 different brands I can think of, with a huge variety of flavors, sizes, and prices. I have sampled many, many types of hummus in my time, but none compare to the one pictured here: it is from my local bagel store, called King of Bagels, at 560 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair. The woman who works there makes the hummus herself, and it's delicious.

Since I love hummus so much, I thought I'd share some favorite ways to use it, and give you my own recipe:

1 can chick peas (drained, liquid reserved)
1/4 cup sesame tahini
3 cloves garlic
juice of 1-2 lemons
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
fresh parsley
salt, pepper, and cumin to taste (note: you may not need salt because the liquid that the chick peas are canned in is already salted.)

In a blender, puree the drained chick peas and remaining ingredients. Add reserved liquid slowly until desired consistency is reached.

Hummus is good for you too! Of course it is -- it's 100% whole plant foods (plus the olive oil, which you could leave out). It is a good source of iron, calcium, zinc, protein, fiber, and vitamin C. And it has a nice balance of carbs, fat, and protein, making it ideal for stabilizing blood sugars and avoiding that spike that often results from sugary or low-fiber snacks.

Some uses:

• In a pita with lettuce, tomato, and chopped raw veggies
• As a mayonnaise or pesto stand-in, on a roasted vegetable sandwich (see my last post!)
• Thinned out and used as a salad dressing
• As a dip for raw veggies, chips, pretzels, mini toasts, rice cakes... anything you can dip
• On a cracker
• On a slice of bread or bagel, topped with red onion, sprouts, lettuce, tomato...
• In a wrap with tabouli (another Middle Eastern salad) or falafel
• As a sauce -- try tossing with piping hot spaghetti and freshly roasted or steamed vegetables
• As a topper for brown rice or other whole grain
  
• Mixed with chopped olives, roasted portabello mushrooms, and roasted red peppers for a chunky side-dish
• Right off the spoon -- a great pre-workout snack!
  

Top 10 Calorie Wasters

Even though I'm a dietitian, I don't believe in counting calories (or fat or carbs for that matter), in the strict sense, and I don't advise others to do it, even if they need to lose weight. The reason is because calorie counting is tedious at best, and, if you're susceptible to OCD or all-or-nothing thinking, the very act will drive you loony. Who wants to feel that way, when the GOAL is to feel great?

Nonetheless, the harsh reality is that calories do matter. Calories are merely the measure of energy in a food. So if a food contains 100 calories of energy, that 100 calories enters your body to do one of 2 things: 1) supply the energy your body needs to function (whether that be to think, walk, jump rope, produce a heartbeat, lift a dumbbell, or breathe), or, 2) become stored for later (fat). That's it, it's pretty simple. Where it gets complicated is asking questions about how many calories we need, which sources of calories (food) should we focus on and in what proportions, balancing calories with exercise, and so forth. Unfortunately we can get so caught up in the hype that we lose the big picture: Calories are a GOOD thing. They are our fuel for life. But when we overindulge in food, the excess energy gets converted into its ever-feared storage form: fat.

Last night my family went out to a local pub, as they offer face-painting and a kid-friendly atmosphere. I ordered an eggplant and red pepper panini (hold the fresh mozz cheese but please, yes, still DO charge for it), which, to my surprise and initial delight, came with a gigantic side of french fries: a rare treat. I tasted a fry and was immediately disappointed: they were tasteless. I had to add salt and ketchup to make them edible. After a few I stopped, realizing that the ketchup and salt were what I was enjoying, and why eat ketchup and salt plus a bland, deep-fried host-carrier? That's when I got the idea for this post: why even eat food that is loaded with calories but does nothing for our taste buds (and usually, nutrition)? If we're going to indulge in a rich food, shouldn't it be absolutely scrumptious?

I've come up with a top-ten list of calorie wasters: those foods that are high in calories but low in nutrients but don't taste delicious. In other words, "not worth it."

1. French Fries. Unless the first bite makes you sigh with ecstasy, pass on the fries. You're eating mostly oil anyway. Want potatoes? Get one baked with the skin, or roasted with olive oil and rosemary. Yum.

2. Store-bought national brand cookies. There was a time that I celebrated the fact that Oreos are vegan (they weren't always). And having one now and then is fine. But talk about a calorie waster -- Oreos are available EVERYWHERE, if I ever want one, so why splurge on something so everyday, so loaded with calories and fat, and completely devoid of anything health-supporting? Bake your own (at least you KNOW what's in them) and share with your neighbors. You'll feel better and save money and packaging. Plus you'll be very popular on your street.

3. Bad chocolate. (Enough said.)

4. Stale foods. Have you ever eaten those last few crackers, even though they've transformed into cardboard, because you didn't want to "waste" them? I have, and now I realize, they were wasted on ME -- better in the trash, and I should have grabbed a banana instead.

5. "Buttered" popcorn. I know I said I'm not a numbers gal, but did you know that the glop you can add to movie popcorn (which is usually vegan, mind you, but possibly not suitable for human consumption) is primarily hydrogenated oil? According to an article from CSPI/Nutrition Action, a large popcorn has about 80 grams of fat (due to the oil it's POPPED in), and adding "butter" topping adds 50 more grams of fat? Do you really want 1170 calories from fat ALONE while you sit at the movies and barely taste what you're eating? I'm a fan of freshly popped movie popcorn, but I find if I share a no-"butter" small size with my movie partner, the indulge factor is just right, and I don't have to worry that I just clogged an artery.

6. Sugary drinks. I once had a client who, after following my advice for weight loss, completely eliminated all calorie-containing beverages, and lost 55 pounds in 3 months. No other changes. 55 pounds. Mind you, he was drinking about three 2-liter bottles of Pepsi a day, which is unusual, but it demonstrates how quickly calories can add up and how they count just as much as calories in food. In fact, I would argue that the calories in drinks count MORE because the body does not have to work hard to digest it. If you have a sandwich, for example, you have to chew, digest, and assimilate all those nutrients, processes that require energy, so you're actually burning some calories just to process the sandwich. Sugary beverages, on the other hand, aren't much different than an introvenous feed of sugarwater. Go ahead and sip on sparkling organic grape juice now and then, but gulping down soda or juice on a regular basis is just a waste, pure and simple.

7. Large portions. I've been guilty of this: I am out to dinner or eating at someone's home and I realize I am full, but I keep eating anyway because [insert excuse here]. People around me are eating, I don't want to insult the host, the food is really good, I don't want to waste food, I'm not paying attention to my satiety because I'm too busy socializing, etc. etc. etc. If you're full, stop. Food that goes into your body that it does not truly need is worse than trashing it: either way, the food has been made (thus waste is not really an issue at this point), and the only real difference between that food ending up in your stomach or the garbage is, it won't end up as body fat if its destiny is the trash. Feel guilty about wasting food? Ask for a doggie bag. Start composting. Best yet: take only a little food, and if you're still hungry, take seconds.

8. Supersizing to "save." In this value-driven society, sellers tempt us to "maximize value" by spending just a little more to get a lot more of whatever it is you're buying. This is especially true for food. And who isn't tempted (for just one more dollar you can double your portion!)? But we must look at the "extra" we're getting and ask ourselves if we really need (or even want) extra. Extra food that our bodies don't need will, by design, end up as extra body fat. Remember, even if you pass up that great deal, you STILL end up with more money in your wallet at the end of the day. (On the other hand, I encourage this behavior at the grocery store for non-perishables: if you get a free can of beans if you buy 3, but you only need 2, by all means buy 3 and get the one free! You won't end up eating more; you'll just save some money.)

9. Pre-sweetened stuff. From soy yogurt to breakfast cereal, it makes sense to buy the "plain" or "unsweetened" variety and doctor it up yourself. Maple & Brown Sugar instant oatmeal packets, for example, have 160 calories and 13 grams of sugar, while the plain has 100 calories and 0 grams of sugar per packet. You're better off eating the plain with a cup of chopped fresh apples and a dash of cinnamon for the same calories, plus a handful of nuts for smart calories and fat, and staying power so you're not famished by 10AM.

10. Fancy coffee drinks. Consider this scenario: a week of Starbucks on your way to work, each time a grande (medium size).

Monday: Soy Caffe Mocha (250 cals)
Tuesday: Soy Cappuccino (110 cals)
Wednesday: Soy Gingersnap Latte (270 cals)
Thursday: Iced Soy Caramel Macchiato (220 cals)
Friday: Soy Hazelnut Hot Chocolate--Hey, it's Friday!... (510 cals--yup, that's sans whip).

Grand total: 1360 calories. Over a month's time, that's enough extra calories to make over a pound of body fat.

Need a morning buzz? Save about 1100 calories a week by choosing a Starbucks grande brewed coffee with a splash of vanilla soy milk. Better yet, save money and packaging and make it youself (a French press is great, or set up your machine the night before).

Deprivation stinks. That's not what this is about. It's about making minimal sacrifices and wise choices in order to maximize optimal health and longevity, while still leaving room for occasional indulgences. Isn't that ultimately what we all want?

(By the way: I only ate 1/2 my sandwich last night, so at lunch today I reheated it and added a spread of hummus--it was amazing. Hummus is a great mate for eggplant and peppers!)