Unlike Kirstie Alley - I Promise This Diet Will Stick

As mentioned earlier, I have recently proven that a person can gain weight fairly quickly on a vegan diet. I have gained somewhere between 10-15 pounds since November. I don't want to have to change the title of this blog to Being A Fat Vegan - I can't imagine anyone would want to read that. Alec Baldwin had already proved the theory that a chubby vegan can exist, but I had to try it for myself...

Why?

After almost 4 years of continuous 12 month per year hockey, 2-4 times per week, I'd had enough and started shedding nights. Three weeks ago, my Sunday night hockey ended for the season and my Friday night hockey that would normally go all year round, ended until September because we can't get enough people out. This is great because, come September when hockey starts up again, I should be back in love with playing the game.

Working out and running have been severely reduced. I have many excuses, of course! Weather, health (colds), high amounts of time spent on other projects...

My eating habits have gotten lazy as well. I can't seem to avoid that extra meal at 10 or 11 at night. I've got into eating a lot of processed food that, even though it's vegan, is simply not good. I haven't been preparing my lunches ahead of time so I'm eating fast food often at lunch. I'm also just beginning to drink more water again. I normally drink a ton of water every day, but with drinking more and more green tea while experiencing reduced physical activity, there were days when I wouldn't drink a single drop of plain cold, fresh agua.

What I've Learned

• Especially over the age of 40, there is no miracle diet (ok, maybe raw veg or fruitarianism...).
• Timing is everything! I know there's some dispute about when and how often you should eat. What works for me is a small breakfast, small lunch, small dinner and nothing whatsoever after dinner. When I go to bed hungry, I'm not starved in the morning, but I find it so much easier to get out of bed and I have so much more energy than if I ate a late snack or meal.
• Green Tea is a prince but water is king! Green tea is full of goodness but it also contains caffeine and is a diuretic. Therefore, if you only drink green tea, you will be in a constant state of dehydration.
• Even 100% whole wheat bread is not for those who want to lose weight! 160 calories for two slices of plain, grocery store whole wheat bread.
• Vegans can get sick, too. I never had a full blown winter cold. Instead, it just seemed to linger and put me at around 80% for what felt like forever.

What I Plan To Do

I promise that I will not be like any of the celebrities that represent Jenny Craig from time to time. Once I have my physical health back on track, I will not fall back! My personal challenge is to lose 10 lbs in 4 weeks. This is ever so slightly above the recommended 2 pounds per week but I'm not concerned. Actually, deep down, I want to shed 15 pounds in that time period but to announce that on this blog would be just plain reckless!

How Am I Going To Do It?

• Run every day. Even if it's only 5km, I must become a real runner again.
• Get up earlier each day to have a proper breakfast.
• Get up earlier each day to go for a walk to get the blood moving and boost the metabolism.
• Start each day with a minimum of 16 ounces of water, then keep drinking it all day long.
• No bread, sugar or processed food.
• Portion control.
• Update my progress here to make myself more accountable to this goal.
• Workout on a regular basis again.

Here's The Details

Current weight as of April 19, 2010: 189 pounds.

Goal weight as of May 17, 2010: 179 pounds (secret goal: 174 pounds!)

Running mileage total: 120 km

Raw Fruit Fast - Final Update

My raw fruit fast came to a premature end at noon on Monday, less than 24 hours from the original completion time. I was fine Sunday after my 10.4km run but when I got on the ice an hour later for hockey, I just wasn't right.

I had nothing in the tank and my heart was pounding. Not only that, my head was pretty spacy. It reminded me too much of the feeling I get when I donate blood. We only had one sub per side and got a good hour and half of hockey in - dreamlike conditions for me - but I was going off more than my share of the time. By this morning, I was getting light-headed from just standing up and my resting pulse was higher than normal.

I still received very positive results as far as weight loss, dropping four pounds in two days. This has put me in second place for the biggest loser contest at work... Also gone is the stomach bloat that I was living with for the past little while. I forgot to mention yesterday that on my run last night, my pace was the fastest since November despite the fact that I thought I was dogging it.

However, the lesson learned is that this might be a great fast to take on when you know you're going to be fairly inactive for a few days. I do see the benefit of even going just one day raw. In fact, I think it would be a good plan to do this once per week.

I must mention that what I had for lunch today was spectacular. Quiznos pulls off a great veggie sub. Most restaurants think that what will satisfy a veg custumer is sliced veggies on a bun. Quiznos steps it up a notch by putting guacamole on it. They also 'get it' when you ask for 'no cheese'. Those at Subway look at you like you're the strangest being when you exclude the cheese.

So what did I learn out of all this? Going raw is good. However, for me, going raw is not a full-time gig. I remember reading a bit of Tony Robbins' wisdom that you should start your day off with fresh fruit and try and go as long as you can before breaking. Not a bad idea. If you can eat just fruit until lunch, I think the health benefits will kick ass.

One other thing which is certainly worth noting. I wrote yesterday that I kept hydrated for pretty much 36 hours on fruit alone. This came severely to and end this morning. I just couldn't catch up by eating fruit alone and found myself quite dehydrated.

Raw Fruit Fasting - First Attempt

At 10:00am, Saturday morning, January 16, I ate my final cooked meal for a few days. I ate a hardy mix of beans, rice, potato and tomato sauce. My last drink of green tea went down the hatch as well and by 10:30, my raw fruit fast had begun.

I was originally going to just do it for the day on Sunday. I changed my mind and decided to start today and end Monday morning. After doing some more reading on the subject this morning, I decided to extend the fast until Tuesday morning. Three days is the recommended length of time for someone trying this for the first time.

I woke up this morning weighing 178 pounds. At 4:00pm, that weight had been maintained. What has amounted to a beans, rice and potato diet over the last few weeks has left my stomach feeling like a beach ball and sounding like a bongo. I’m hoping that this is one other thing that will change over the next few days.

I stopped at the grocery store after work and an arena visit. I stocked up on Granny Smith apples, Red Delicious apples, Red pears, Bosc pears, Avocados, Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Coconut and Navel oranges. It only cost $23 including tax and I was pretty much able to fill the fridge. It still amazes me how relatively inexpensive a vegan diet is. Yet, I still get the comment all the time that it must cost so much to have a diet like mine.

Looking ahead to Tuesday, if all goes well (and I know it will) I plan to continue on raw but with veggies added in. I would like to go right around and back to Saturday morning. I’m so curious of what the physical and mental effects will be. There are so many conflicting opinions of a raw diet and I guess you only really know if you try it how it’s going to work for you.

On Tuesday, I do plan on re-starting my green tea habit, so I won’t be totally raw! I will continue to run and play hockey as usual. Actually, I hope to run a lot more than I have been. The running gods have finally blessed Orangeville with a prolonged winter warm spell with temps hovering just above the freezing mark. This has allowed for the roads and sidewalks to rid themselves of most of the snow and ice.

On a totally unrelated note...

Can you believe that a grown woman gave my 13 year old son the finger today at hockey?! This woman does have a history in town of being quite a bitch. It was at the hockey rink and her son’s team was playing against my son’s. Apparently my son looked through the glass along the boards to see this lovely lady giving him the middle finger!

Even less related...

If anyone out there is interested in OHL hockey or hockey in general, I’ve launched a new blog that follows graduates of the world’s greatest junior league as they make their way through the professional ranks around the world. It’s long been an obsession of mine and partly due to my horoscope in a cheesy movie magazine, the site was born January 11. OHL Alumni Central will hopefully be a hit but hopefully will never take me away from writing on this lovely blog. After all, what would the 3 or so readers do???

You may want to check out these earlier posts:

August 2009 Personal Challenges
Follow My Running At RunningAhead.com
Associated Content Article – Weight Loss Strategy That Works

What Are The Real Benefits Of A Vegan Diet?

I have a little bit of chest cold that I'm fighting through. It's nothing serious but it's annoying. In my down state with the bit of a cold and the depressing winter weather that just couldn't hold off any longer, I began to wonder if things are better after 13 months of vegan living.

They are. There are four things that I know for certain have changed in my health over the past year and I'm pretty sure that they are at least in part due to my vegan diet. My increased physical fitness certainly helps as well.

Here are the noticeable improvements:

• On the occasions when I do get 'sick', the length and intensity of the illness is greatly reduced.
• Seasonal allergies, such as 'hay fever' have been pretty much eradicated.
• Acid reflux has disappeared.
• The constant dull headache has completely disappeared.

Over 13 months, I've had two colds and they have been just a slight inconvenience. I really don't get sick as much as just noticeably tired. The symptoms such as cough, congestion, fever, don't really show up with any intensity at all.

I'm sure that our lack of summer in Ontario has something to do with it but, for the first time in decades, I showed no sign of 'hay fever'. 'Hay fever' is a seasonal allergy that hits a number of people starting in August and ending as late as November. Symptoms include constant sneezing, watery eyes, headaches and congestion. Over the counter medication to combat the symptoms is expensive and it was nice this year to not have to worry about 'hay fever' at all.

I used to suffer from acid reflux but no longer do. I assume that losing 40+ pounds has helped but this is directly due to my lifestyle change. I am sure it is scientifically proven somewhere that a meat based diet is a large culprit for acid reflux.

One of the main reasons I needed a change over a year ago was the constant dull headache that just would never go away. I assume that it was due to blood pressure and all the grease and fat that came with eating meat. They stopped the day I changed and only on the very rare occasion when I celebrate with a few too many beers, do I ever experience any kind of head pain strong enough to resort to Advil or one of its equivalents.

So, yes, the changes are there. You get used to a new found health, it becomes the norm and it's hard to remember what you used to feel like. When people ask you if you feel different since becoming Vegan, say 'yes'. Even if you think you can't, take some time to remember or simply listen to those around you complain about how they feel and realize that you don't feel that way anymore.

The Goods On Spaghetti Squash

It's autumn in Southern Ontario and that means it's squash season. One of the tastiest yet one of the more overlooked is the Spaghetti Squash. This yellow fleshed delight is easy cook and even easier to eat. The only question is whether to cut before or after cooking. The skin of the Spaghetti Squash is quite tough when raw.

If you cut before baking, it is suggested to clean out the 'guts', cut into two halves and bake for 10 minutes at 350, cut side down. After the ten minutes, flip the halves over and bake for another 20 or so minutes.

If you don't cut, bake at 375 for 1 hour but before putting in the oven, pierce the squash with a sharp knife in a few locations so that the squash does not blow up in your oven. After an hour, take the squash out of the oven and cut in half. Remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh into a bowl.

The reason why it is called Spaghetti Squash is because the flesh separates into thin strips that resemble strands of spaghetti. Form follows function (or, I guess, function follows form...) and one of the best ways to eat the squash is as a substitute for pasta.

The way I like to prepare Spaghetti Squash is by baking the whole squash for an hour while preparing a tomato based sauce on the stove top. I start with some sauteed onions mixed with a cubed zucchini squash. Once the onions have browned, I add a can of crushed tomatoes (or a mason jar of homemade, Italian-style tomato sauce). I add garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, black pepper and turmeric and let the mixture simmer until the squash is done. When all is cooked, I scoop out the flesh from the squash. I put a serving on a plate then cover it in the sauce.

The Spaghetti Squash is not a essential nutrient powerhouse but does contain a decent amount of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and Manganese. The seeds can be roasted in the same manner as you would Pumpkin seeds and have a very similar taste.

Essential Nutrients - Part I

essential nutrients
This is the first in a series of post discovering the essential nutrients that the body needs. I am not a nutritionist and everything I post on nutrition is something I've researched and learned about quite recently. If anyone spots something that is not correct or can add anything to the discussion, please do so.
Today, we'll take a look at vitamin A, C, D, E and K. We'll look at why each is essential to our good health and what foods can provide us with a substantial amount of these vitamins. For my list of power foods, high in essential nutrients, see this post.

Vitamin A

Is essential for:

• maintaining the immune system
• maintains vision
• differentiation of cells

Plant based foods providing Vitamin A:

• carrots
• apricots
• pumpkin
• sweet potatoes
• red pepper
• melons

Vitamin C

Is essential for:

• the formation and maintenance of connective tissue
• essential for amino acid metabolism
• protects the system from chemicals

Plant based foods providing vitamin C:

• red pepper
• broccoli
• brussels sprouts
• cauliflower
• kale

Vitamin D

Is essential for:

• helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus

Plant based foods providing vitamin D:

• no plant based foods naturally contain vitamin D, however, we can absorb plenty enough from sunlight, even on a cloudy day to meat our requirements

Vitamin E

Is essential for:

• having an anti-oxidant effect and clearing free radicals from the body
• improves blood glucose metabolism - great for diabetics
• keeps arteries from clogging by not allowing bad cholesterol to oxidize
• helps speed up the healing process for cuts

Plant based foods containing vitamin E:

• sunflower seeds
• almonds
• broccoli
• soybean
• kiwi
• mango
• spinach

Vitamin K

Is essential for:

• helping blood to clot
• helps regulate flow of calcium to tissue and to bones
• keeps calcium out of the arteries

Plant based foods containing vitamin K:

• beet greens
• swiss chard
• collards
• romaine lettuce
• kale

8 Great Vegan Excuses

Yes, I know we shouldn't hide who we are. Sometimes, though, it's just easier that way. Keep in mind, this post is meant to be somewhat humorous! There are times where telling little white lies, instead of getting into the in-depth conversation about your diet, is acceptable. My parents are well into their 80's. These are people that come from the meat and potatoes era and when they were kids you were damn lucky to even have that - so they say... The incredible amount of stress it would cause them and myself to explain that I don't eat all the things they were brought up to know everyone had to eat (my Mom is famous for dipping bread in bacon grease, for Christ's sake!) is just not worth it for me. Besides, at their age, they'd forget the whole conversation ever happened and we'd have to go over the same thing at the next meal. (If you ever get a computer and happen to read this - Sorry, Mom and Dad!)

There are other times, as well, where you may be at a large or not so large dinner party with people you don't know and maybe don't feel all that comfortable around. This is also a time when you may want to avoid the spotlight attention that mentioning you're Vegan inevitably brings.

So, here's my list. I have used some. I have actually used more far-fetched excuses but I don't feel they are appropriate on this blog. I most likely will use some or all of these again on occasion. I'm sure you will too!

• I'm lactose intolerant. (the easiest)


• I have diarrhea. (the questions will cease immediately)


• I have a minor procedure tomorrow and can't eat anything for 24 hours. (a little far-fetched but good for a laugh. watch your spouse or significant other try and keep a straight face)


• Oh, I already took some meat, it's underneath my mashed potatoes. (this one works well. try and immediately draw attention to someone else at the table so that everyone doesn't continue to stare at your mashed potatoes)


• I'm part of a paid meat-deprivation experiment and I can only eat vegetables for the next couple of days. (this will draw just as much attention, but it'll be more fun because you're making up a whopper of a story)


• My wife is pregnant and even the scent of meat on me will make her vomit. (not good at the in-laws - unless you wife really is pregnant)


• My timing is all off today - I just had a huge meal before I came here - I'll just have some salad and maybe I'll take some left-overs home with me for later. (the most practical and easy excuse to pull off)


• I was picking away at the turkey in the kitchen while you were preparing this delicious feast and now I just want the mashed potatoes. (this is the one I pull on my parents - works every time)

Once again, I'd like to emphasize that we should never be embarrassed of who we are and we should try and promote our lifestyle choices whenever possible. But, sometimes you just have to lie like a rug!

Off The Beaten Path - Ackees!

Native to Africa, the Ackee was brought over to the new world in the late 1700's by Captain William Bligh. It was brought to cheaply sustain the diets of slaves. It is now the national fruit of Jamaica and a staple in most every Jamaican's diet. Although usually associated with the Jamaican National dish of Ackees and Salt Fish, Ackee's are also used in meatless dishes as well.

At times in history, the Ackee has been outlawed in some countries, including the USA. The reason being that the Ackee can be rather toxic, carrying hypoglycin A and hypoglycin B. However, once the fruit has ripened and opened up naturally to reveal the fleshy, edible arils, the toxicity subsides and for the most part disappears, existing only in the seeds that, of course, should not be eaten. When you get sick from eating unripe Ackees, it is considered 'Jamaican vomitting sickness'.

NutritionData.com does not recognize Ackee's but food value information from Mexico states that the fruit is high in protein, calcium, phosphorus and iron.

I put away a can of Ackees today for the first time. I used a recipe from http://www.jamaican-recipes.com/ that was completely vegan and quite delicious. Of course, I bastardized it ever so slightly like I do with every recipe!

This is the original:

Ingredients:

1 can Ackee

2 oz. cooking oil

1 large onion

2 plum tomatoes

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp black pepper

Instructions:

In a frying pan, sauté onions and tomatoes, without burning onions, until onions are soft.

Open the can of Ackees and drain off the brine.

Add Ackees to onions and tomatoes and fold together.

Cook for 2 minutes and add salt to taste.

Here's my version:

Ingredients:

1 can Ackees

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (give or take a tbsp or 2)

1 large onion (yellow, cooking)

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 heaping tbsp black pepper

1 heaping tbsp garlic powder

The instructions are the same as the original. I changed the tomatoes simply because that was what I had in the garden. I subbed the garlic powder for salt because I've never believed in adding salt to anything. Olive oil is most always my choice of cooking oil.

What the fruit comes out of the can looking like is scrambled eggs. In fact, in certain cultures the translated name is somewhat equivalent to egg-fruit. Many other local names refer to the Ackee as brains.

The final product I found to be amazingly like scrambled eggs. I read that in Jamaica, the people almost consider it a meat more than a fruit. With the nutritional makeup and the taste, I can see why. It was great tasting. I had it on top of a few slices of bread and I had two plate fulls. I would have had more but there was none!

Unfortunately, I can't buy Ackees at this time in my town. There is a Caribbean specialty market about a half hour away, at the north end of Brampton, that does carry them, though. I will be stocking up this weekend when I pass through. I may even be able to pawn this recipe off on my carnivorous family if I tell them that it's scrambled eggs!

Associated Content Article - Weight Loss Stategy That Works

Just a quick note that I have another article on Associated Content. This article details the 10 basic principles I use to lose weight and to keep that weight off.

Check out my recently published content on AC:

Weight Loss Strategy that Works

Off The Beaten Path - Kohlrabi

It's always available in most grocery stores year round. Yet, ask anyone if they eat Kohlrabi and chances are you'll get a strange look and a 'No'. I worked in a produce department of a major grocery chain in my youth and I must confess, I may have put these little gems on the counter but never once held any curiosity as to what they might taste like. I assumed, as with so many other products in that department, it was food for 'foreigners' and probably was crap!

So, last week, I'm in my local grocery store and Kohlrabi catches my eye. It's not very expensive so I decide to give it a try and buy a bunch. After I get home I jump on the computer and do a little research. I'm assuming that there's going to be some complicated cooking technique to make this stuff taste good. How wrong I was. Apprently, Kohlrabi is enjoyed raw! I soon found out that this was right. I cut up one of the bulbs and added it to a salad and it was delicious.

Tasting like Broccoli stems but with the texture of say, raw new potatoes, it certainly was a pleasant surprise and I became an instant fan. I have yet to try the greens, but they are edible too - in the way that beet greens or swiss chard are.

It can be cooked as well. In fact, the larger the bulb, the better off you are cooking it because it gets tougher with size. Check out this site for some great Kohrabi recipes.

Here are some fast facts about Kohlrabi:

• also know as German Turnip



• meaning in German: Kohl=cabbage, rabi=turnip



• it is of the cabbage family



• 1 cup raw contains 140% of RDA of vitamin C!



• very low in calories at 36 per 1 cup



• minor source of protein with 2g in 1 cup



• also a significant source of fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, copper and manganese

Off The Beaten Path - Dragon Fruit

I've always been adventurous when it comes to food. In my meat-eating days, my favourite place to go was Louisiana, USA because if there was something that lived, you could eat it there - most often deep-fried.



Being Vegan has opened up an amazingly large new world of food that I never even would have noticed before. I often get the same line from friends, family and total strangers: don't you get sick of eating the same thing everyday? What!?!? Well, you have only two choices, a salad or a stir-fry...



Let's see... pork, beef and chicken. There's three choices. Oh right, you cut them different ways and it's a whole different dead flesh experience. There are thousands of different types of fruits and vegetables in this world - there are 7500 variations of the tomato alone!



When I visited Chinatown in Toronto for the first time since changing my lifestyle, I was overwhelmed, as you can imagine. The markets along Spadina and into Kensington are full of fruits, vegetables, roots and herbs that I'd never heard of before in my life. Funny thing is, I'd walked by them many, many times before and didn't give them a second glance. I was probably more interested in the animal carcasses hanging inside the front windows.



One fruit that really caught my eye was Dragon Fruit. It is commonly know throughout the world as Pitaya or Pitahaya. I didn't buy any that day because we had come down on the subway and I didn't feel like carrying groceries around for the rest of the day. However, I asked the folks at my favourite Thai/Vietnamese restaurant, 7 Stars, in town and they were more than happy to pick one up on their next shopping run. Of course, they thought I was crazy. In Vietnam, where they come from, Dragon Fruit is just a cactus that grows wild and no one eats the fruit despite its abundance.




I took it anyway. I ate it and it was great! The taste is sweet but not to any extreme - some would even say it was close to bland. The fruit is white fleshed with a texture that I would say is a mix between watermelon and kiwi fruit. It is very high in water content like the watermelon and would be a great 'hydrater' on a hot summer day. It also would be a great addition to a fruit salad, mixed in with watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, etc.




Here are some fast facts about Dragon Fruit or Pitahaya:

• Grows in dry, tropical or sub-tropical locations
• Red flesh variety from Costa Rica can cause pseudohematuria - colours urine in the same way that beets do! Always a great trick to pull on unsuspecting guests...
• Native to Central America but grown throughout southeast Asia, Mexico, South American and Northern Australia and pretty much anywhere tropical
• Called 'thanh long' in Vietnam - translates to Dragon Fruit. The cactus will grow up the side of tree and make the shape of a dragon
• Latin name is Hylocereus undatus
• Flower is 35 cm long and 25 cm in diameter (30 cm = 1 foot)
• Flower blooms at night and lasts only one night - sometimes called a moon flower
• Contains laxative properties! Careful how much you eat at your rain forest resort!

The fruit is highly nutritious and is a substantial source of Vitamin C. It is also a great way to control type 2 diabetes. For more information, check out this site.

August 2009 Personal Challenges

I have two challenges to focus on for the month of August. I'm finding that posting challenges/goals on this blog gives me the motivational boost I need to complete those challenges. This months challenges are a) drop weight to 169 lbs. from 175, the weight I have been maintaining since my last weight loss challenge ended successfully on July 9 and b) run 180 km.





Here's the why and the how of my two challenges:





a) Drop Weight to 169 lbs.





Why:

• I'm close to my ideal weight, but not quite there. Ultimately, I want to reach 160 and maintain at that, but I also don't want to do it too rapidly.



• Why 169 and not 170 - it just feels better! I've broken the 170 barrier and am now in the 160's. It's the equivalent of pricing a product at 4.99 instead of 5.00...



• To help my running speed.



• To reduce the chance of lower body injury.



• My fiance just bought me shorts with a 32" waist and I'm at around a 33. Not bad, considering I was 38 not so long ago...



• Vanity!


• To increase chances of living longer and healthier.

How (pretty much a repeat of my last weight loss challenge - stick with what works!):

• No food after dinner.


• No sugar drinks.


• No packaged junk food (chocolate bars, chips, etc.)


• Exercise each and every day.


• Keep water consumption at at least 64 ounces per day (I include my green tea addiction in those numbers)


• Give regular updates on this blog.


• Review the reasons 'why' given above on a daily basis.


• Continuing my vegan lifestyle.

I'm pretty confident that I will be successful in this challenge. In maintaining my weight since July 9, I have dropped as low as 172 and at no point did I feel I was starving myself.

b) Run 180 km.

Why:

• To be able to go longer, faster.


• To push myself eventually toward ultra-marathons.


• I simply love to run.


• The health benefits are too numerous to mention.


• To be a positive influence on my family.

How:

• Make running a priority over other activities.


• Run 6 days per week.


• Put in longer, long runs.


• Stay in tune with body to ensure going injury-free.

I would like it known that these short term challenges/goals are not just randomly picked from a hat. They are meant to bring focus and accelerate my larger goals. I also do not become reckless in the pursuit of success. I know my body's needs and capabilities and I learn more about those needs and capabilities every day. And, I share my bed with a nurse who would never let me do something careless with my physical health!

Watch for updates coming soon!

Humans: Natural Carnivores???

For years, I have heard people try and convince others and themselves that humans were naturally made to eat meat. I have been reading a lot on the internet lately that refutes that claim. The fact that we lack the built in tools to be a carnivore is a strong argument that we were meant to be vegans. Without hand made tools, we have a very hard time killing another being with our bare hands. Even if we could, we're too big and slow to actually catch anything other than a sloth, and they'd rip us to shreds if we tried.

We also lack the mindset to be true carnivores. We, unless insane, no not have the instinct to rip apart an animal with our bare hands and our teeth. Those who 'hunt' now get off on the thrill of the chase and usually kill their 'prey' from a distance and most all feel squeamish if they have to 'finish off' the job with a knife because the bullet didn't quite do it. I'm willing to bet there are not a lot of hunters out there who pounce on their kill, rip it open with claws and teeth and eat the flesh warm and raw.

There's one article in particular that I came across. Scientifically-Credible Information on Vegan and Vegetarian Diets by Lauri Forti provides awesome insight and scientific details about us not being meant to be meat eaters.

The article can be found here and is a great read. Please find the time to check it out and share it with others.

9 Benefits of Green Tea

My love of Green Tea came shortly after becoming vegan but not because of it. I've always had issues with caffeine to the point of having palpitations and panic attacks but, I also love the wakening jolt that caffeine gives.
It's been several years since I've had any soft drinks containing caffeine and a few years since my coffee addiction ended. I was having a meal at what is now my favourite Thai restaurant, 7 Stars in Orangeville, and with each meal comes a pot of green tea. When told that it contained much less caffeine than coffee, half as much actually, and that it was good for you in many ways, I decided to give it a try. From that point forward, I haven't been able to put it down.
Here's a list of 9 reasons why drinking green tea is awesome for you:

1. It lowers cholesterol levels.
2. It improves HDL to LDL cholesterol ratio (this is good!).
3. Inhibits growth of cancer cells.
4. Is rich in polyphenols, specifically epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which are powerful anti-oxidants.
5. Prevents tooth decay by killing bacteria (same principle prevents food poisoning by killing bacteria in the stomach).
6. Helps burn calories.
7. Just enough caffeine for the caffeine-intolerant (like me) to get 'high'! (40mg in a cup of GT compared to 85mg in a cup of coffee)
8. Excess is good! This is not something that should be consumed in moderation. The more you drink, the more you benefit.
9. Helps in balancing blood sugar levels.

If you haven't tried the stuff, pour yourself a mug today. You'll soon get past the bitterish taste and fall in love with this magic potion. Afterall, the stuff's been used for 4000 years in China and they are still the most populous people on the face of the earth!

Vitamin B12 - Just Not That Big Of A Problem

B12. The vegan's nemesis (or so they want us to think). The information is out there on the net in abundance but it can't hurt to have it here as well. After all, the more myths about veganism that are busted, the healthier the planet will be.

Yes - according to the hard facts, you can only get vitamin B12 naturally from animal flesh. There is speculation that there may be other ways of getting it from plant material but the sources are unreliable and when you're messing with the possibility of irreversible damage, unreliable is no good.

The numbers range but the most agreed upon Recommended Daily Intake of B12 in an adult is 2.4 micrograms. The simplest way to achieve this RDI is by taking a daily multi-vitamin (which you should be doing anyway). Check the list of 'ingredients' on the side of your vitamin bottle. Daily, you should be getting 10-100 micrograms of B12. Mine have always contained 100 micrograms, which I believe is pretty much a standard. Another option is to take a B12 supplement of 2000 micrograms once per week, but you're taking the multi-vitamin anyway, right?

Why do you need such a high intake if you only need 2.4 per day? Like anything else you ingest into your system, only so much is actually absorbed into the body before becoming waste product.

What does B12 do? It is needed for cell division and blood formation. Without it, anemia and nerve damage will eventually result. Humans that have switched to a vegan diet in their adult years, and have not fortified their diet with B12, have been know to go 20 years before showing the effects of B12 deficiency. This in an experiment you should not try!

You can get B12 from other sources as well, such as fortified breads, fortified cereals, and fortified soy or rice milk. But, as I'll say a million times over, and believe me I don't get paid to say it a million times over, take a multi-vitamin daily!

Myth#1 - Calcium (aka-Calcium, not just from cows anymore...)

One of the bigger questions that new vegans have for themselves and have to field from well-wishers and skeptics alike is: “How can you possibly get enough calcium if you don’t ingest dairy products???”

Everything the dairy boards, in collaboration with all the governments of the western world, has forced into your mind since you were a child is nothing but a big, fat lie. Most of their products are in fact killing you. But, this is for another post and is probably something you’re already aware of and is a reason why you’re going vegan in the first place.

1000mg per day. This, for the most part, is the agreed upon daily standard intake of calcium for adults. Sound like a lot? Not really at all. I am not a supplement junkie but I’ve always taken a standard 1-a-day vitamin. I would never stop this ritual simply because of the B12 that is included. What is also included in my 1-a-day that I currently have a year’s supply of is 200mg of calcium. Right off the bat, first thing in the morning, before my eyes are even fully open, I’m already 1/5th of the way there.

There are quick lists throughout the internet (just Google ‘calcium in vegetables’ and you’ll get a few hundred thousand hits) with vegetables and the amount of calcium they contain. The on-line nutritional bible, nutritiondata.com (the ones that make the labels that are on all the food packages), lists 17 pages at 50 items per page of the top vegetables or vegetable products that are highest in calcium. That’s 850 items! A sample of a handy condensed version is at www.carrotcafe.com.

Most vegetables, plain and simple, contain calcium. Plenty contain more than 50mg per 100 gram serving. It doesn’t take long to add up to that magic 1000mg number. Some of the best and still realistically available and edible are beet greens, radishes, beans of all kinds, spinach (duh!), cabbages of all kinds, celery (!), and broccoli. The interesting thing about broccoli is that the stalk contains more calcium than the florets by about 10mg per 100g. When I cook broccoli, I always include the stalk, sliced fairly thin.

It is not difficult to keep up with the recommended daily intake of calcium at all. Stick to a wide mixture of fruits and vegetables in your day from start to finish. If you still have some concerns, take in some fortified soy or rice milk as well as a multi-vitamin and you’ll get more than enough.

Remember, if people give you a hard time about you practicing your right to not consume dairy products, remind them that humans are the only creations in the known universe that drink milk after they are a baby.