It’s definitely that time of year when we want silky smooth skin (I mean, don’t we always). Plus if you’ve ever had dandruff, or brittle hair and nails, this recipe is a must for you! Its got great sources of trace minerals like zinc and selenium as well as vitamin E and healthy fats that are so essential for a glow up. Also, the nutritional yeast is a b-complex powerhouse to help you feel super energized and buzzin like you’re made for. Not to mention is goes PERFECTLY on top of all the seasonal pesto, tomato, basil pasta perfections you’ve been enjoying lately 😛 Give this one a go!
3 Seed Parmesan Cheese
Makes ~10-15 servings
1 cup Brazil nuts
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
0.5-3 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
Blend in a food processor S blade until perfect parm consistency
Make it cherry ;P Haha have fun with this one! You seriously can’t mess it up. I invite you to truly savor the beautiful people in our lives right now and have this memorial day be one of utmost gratitude. If you are having a celebration and feel anxious around food at parties, this is your time to seriously practice self trust, self love, and release the ideas of shame around certain foods. We are here to be happy and free, and we can choose a perception that serves us. No more beating ourselves up. Just fully enjoy!
If you feel called to help those who have been wounded in war, whether that be physically, mentally, or even a loved one of a wounded warrior, I invite you to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project. This is a very progressive organization active in helping those who need it most. I am confident the funds will help. Or, if you live in the SoCal area, it would be awesome to see you at their 5k in late August.
Crust:
20 medjool dates, pitted
6 oz raw almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
Steps:
Line a 9×6 baking dish with parchment paper (feel free to try round spring cake pan, pie plate, or square pan!)
Using food processor S blade, blend the crust ingredients until well combined and pressable texture for crust, nice and chunky, not paste or butter
Press crust evenly into parchment lined dish
Cheesecake:
2 cups raw cashews, soaked in the fridge overnight and drained
So if you really knew me, you would know that I have considered myself vegan for 8+ years and I LOVE SEAFOOD. I grew up north of Boston where lobster rolls, clam chowdah, tuna melts, cod, haddock, salmon, scallops, muscles.. all of it. Were what I grew up on and 😛 I’m obsessed with. AND I chose not to purchase those foods anymore because of many reasons, a few I mentioned in the video. My mom’s birthday was Sunday May 19th and I know one of her favorite meals is a simply divine tuna melt. So I made, in honor of her, the best damn vegan tuna melt everr.
!! TuNa MeLt !!
Chickpea “Tuna”Adapted from the amazing forks over knives website
1 can chickpeas, drained and mashed
3 Tbsp tahini
1-2 tsp mustard
¼ cup onion
¼ cup celery
¼ cup pickle
kelp
Turmeric
Salt
Pepper
Mix well!
Ooey Gooey Melty Cheez:
2 C. potatoes, diced large
1 C. carrots, diced large
1/2 C. water
1/4 C. olive oil (or just use 1/4 an avocado)
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is best!)
1/2 C. nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 garlic clove (or 1/4 tsp powder)
Dash of cayenne
Boil the potatoes and carrots until soft.
Blend potatoes and carrots with the rest of the ingredients on high in blender until the cheese is extremely smooth. I use my high-powered VitaMix blender.
To everyone out there who once said, “I LOVE CHEESECAKE” Look no further. Seriously.
These babes are so delish, and are actually full of ingredients for sustained calm energy, mood, and even improve digestion and immunity! How!? Well, using healthy foods like dates, pecans, and cashews of course. But also! I am a huge fan of the Lavva Yogurt company.
Their yogurt is pili nut based with 0 (zero!) added refined sugars, and 50 billion! Yes 50 billion probiotics. Probiotics are amazing for of course digestion and beautiful perfect snake poops, (yay!), but did you know that most of our serotonin (the feel good neurotransmitter) is produced in the gut? Plus, our GI is an open vessel to the outside world, and is lined with inflammatory and immune cells ready to fire to protect us from invaders. It makes sense if the biota is thrown off, our immunity and inflammation would be all over the place.
I love how this yogurt tastes and makes me feel so much that I got it for a yogurt parfait bar at one of The Shift retreats that I chef at. The ladies 1. loved it and 2. Were floored with how amazing their digestion was after just one weekend! Granted, my whole foods plant based cuisine helps peoples digestion, but honestly often people will complain of discomfort and gas due to so much fiber they are eating all of a sudden. With the addition of this effective delish yogurt, it really helped!
Mmmm comfort food at its finest. I love using chickpea pasta and other bean pastas. They’re super high in protein, fiber, iron, and resistant starch to really help feed your good gut bacteria- helping not only your digestion and blood sugar levels, but also your immunity and mood! Lots of nerves in the gut- feed it well!
Serves about 8:
1 cauliflower, rough chop into large florets
1 yellow onion, discard outer layer and chop into quarters
1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 avocado
1 boiled sweet potato (skin removed)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 garlic cloves
Juice of 1/4 – 1/2 lemon
16 oz dry elbow macaroni pasta (I like using banza chickpea pasta)
1 cup frozen peas
Steam onion and cauliflower until soft and translucent (about 15 minutes)
Combine steamed vegetables with salt, pepper, avocado, potato, and nutritional yeast in a food processor S blade or high speed blender and blend until smooth
Boil macaroni according to manufacture’s instructions and mix with peas. Pour sauce over macaroni and peas and mix well. Transfer to casserole dish for serving
These enchiladas are by no means at all traditional. Traditional as in white flour tortillas and cheese and meat… blegh! Sounds like a mess of weight gain, and heart disease! Time for a neeeeeew recipe. This recipe has got kale, shrooms, quinoa, and all simple wholesome ingredients. Mmm what could possibly be more deliciously satisfying and nourishing.
Completing my master’s and dietetic internship in South Texas where cola, taki’s, breakfast tacos, and bacon fat laden pinto beans are unfortunately staples, the statistic that 3/4 of Americans are overweight or obese made sense to me. What’s crazy is that, a calorie dense, nutrient poor diet is actually quite common. Even where I live now in Los Angeles, California. I have a couple of clients who, prior to working with me, had never chopped a vegetable before. Gawd. I love my job. And these enchiladas. They’re not insanely overly stimulatingly like oh my gawd so f***ing good (if you’re comparing to something thats been salted, oiled, idk.. fried and oober processed) . Recalibrate your taste buds. And these will knock your socks off. 😛
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I like the Fire Roasted diced tomatoes from Muir Glen – no salt added)
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
The Enchiladas
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3/4 pound baby bella or button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup diced jalapeño peppers (or for V mild version, use poblanos)
3 cups kale, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
10 6-inch organic corn tortillas (I used masienda brand – just corn, lime, water)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
avocado on avocado on avocado
Steps:
To make the enchilada sauce, heat water in a medium skillet or pot. Saute onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes
Add the chili powder, cumin, thyme, tomatoes, and maple syrup
Transfer sauce to a blender or food processor, and blend till smooth. Add a little water to adjust the consistency as you wish. Set sauce aside till you’re ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pot over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp water (have some handy to add if burns off). Saute onion and garlic till onion is translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has been released and evaporated.
Add the chilis to the pot and give them a stir. Add the kale and allow it to wilt slightly. Add the cumin, sea salt (optional), black beans, corn, and quinoa. Continue heating mixture until it’s completely warm and well mixed.
In the bottom of a casserole dish, spread a thin layer of the enchilada sauce. Place about a quarter cup mushroom and quinoa mixture in the center of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla up and place it into the dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Cover them all with a layer of enchilada sauce and bake for 25 minutes. Top the enchiladas with chopped cilantro, avocado, and pumpkin seeds, and idk. More corn because noooom!!!
Also, squeeze a lime on there and, call me crazy, but I put a little cinnamon on mine and it was off the charts
So.. why is this recipe so generally disease reversing?
No Salt: although 0 calories, it is a super processed white powder (aka crack cocaine) that causes responses in the brain to make us not only want to eat more, but that makes wholesome food taste less flavorful. Cut the salt, and all of a sudden, celery, cilantro, avocado and lime dance on your tongue like a tap dancer in times square. Flavors so very exciting, no white powder added. Plus plus, high sodium intake has been shown to decrease calcium absorption / utilization. That ain’t good!!! Also also. Sodium is important. This is different than salt. Naturally occurring sodium is sufficiently found in wholesome plant foods like the veggies I mentioned a second ago. No stimulants needed. Excess sodium causes water retention, causing blood volume to increase, leading to high blood pressure, strokes, heart disease, etc.
No Oil: Talk about caloric density. Not many foods are more calories per pound than oil… are any foods more calorie per pound?? Just a tiny bit of oil adds a lot of calories with not much benefit. All it really does is make you eat more calories than you’re designed to eat plus make you want to eat more. The fat from the avocado and pumpkin seeds is fantastic. You got fiber and zinc and fresh phytochemicals and antioxidants. Avocado oil and pumpkin oil?? Mmm I’ll pass.
Nutrient Dense: Self explanatory. Every calorie is full of nutrition. Helping you to feel calm, balanced, satisfied, energized, clear headed.. not to mention beautiful bowel movements. Which is actually a huge fricken deal these days. If there’s a magazine rack in your bathroom… call me!!! You need help!!!
Intact Grains: Ok, obvi the tortillas are made of corn flour, which is not intact. The quinoa tho- that’s good stuff. And the tortillas I used were just 3 ingredients: non-gmo corn, lime, and water. That’s all you need. No gums, oils, preservatives, or fortified etc etc. Keep it simple. The more whole the better.
Beans: Resistant starch is liiife. Did you know that resistant starch in beans actually decreases the glycemic load of your next meal? Also, beans are such great sources of protein, iron, fiber. Eating them has been shown to help decrease risk of so many diseases and cancers. If you’re afraid of fartiness. Don’t fret. The resistant starches may take a couple of weeks for your gut to adjust to. Start with a little bit like 1/4 cup a day for a week and work your way up to ~1-3 cups or so / day. A healthy gut can process beans just fine. Little to no fartiness. If you’re used to eating a V low fiber diet. Warn your friends and family your increasing ahead of time hahaha.
Greens: The most nutrition per pound possible. Everything you need. Just amazingness.
Mushrooms: Should be eaten cooked. Mushrooms help decrease excess estrogen that may cause breast cancer- very well targeted, doesn’t cause low estrogen if you are healthy. Also, mushrooms contain lectins (ABLs) that recognize cancer cells and prevent them from growing and dividing. Also also, mushrooms upregulate IgA antibody secretion, helping the immune system. Also also also, they have beta glucans which also boost immune function. PLUS they make their own vitamin D if exposed to the sun!! Honestly. All plants are amazing. I just don’t have all day to tell you every magical component of everything gawd!
Onions: Eaten raw the allinaise enzyme is active and is potent cancer fighter. Onions also help to blunt blood sugar spikes. Onions and garlic are antimicrobial and help the immune system to fight viruses and fend against cancers. Scallions are great too.
Healthy Fat: Includes fiber 🙂 Necessary for healthy hormones, satiety, clarity, and overall optimal health. It doesn’t take much though. A little dab will do you.
Peace of mind: Honestly, of course. A favorable health destiny is priceless. HOWEVER I say “generally” disease reversing because I do have clients with eating disorders, amenorrhea, and anemia, and athletes who aren’t getting in enough calories and wasting away, or frail adults, etc. Who, it is healthier for them to eat more refined foods. More calorically dense foods. More stimulating foods. These recommendations are for the general average American looking to lose weight, lower their cholesterol, blood pressure, have regular bowel movements, and reverse type 2 diabetes. Have your healthy AF enchiladas, and your vegan cookies too maybe. Ok? All depends on your goals and what you, you beautiful individual, need.
Superbowl 2018 is tomorrow. Friends! Don’t let your friends eat meat. Chicken may seem like a healthy option, however 99.9% of chickens raised in the US are from factory farms where they are in tight spaces rubbin up on eachothers salmonella and feces, where they’re stuffed with arsenic drugs to make their color pinker and antibiotics to ya know, keep them.. alive.. they are basically turned into mutants stuffed with saline to make them juicy and salty and. EW. Save a friend. Save the world. Share this list. !
Chickens are the most probable reservoir for pathogens causing UTI infections
E. coli and drug resistant pathogens in poultry are found to establish themselves as majority of the gut flora, even when prepared correctly! “Chicken strains were isolated from the faecal sample taken on the day after the bird was handled, prepared, and cooked but before it was eaten. This indicates it was the handling of the uncooked carcass that provided the opportunity for the onward transmission of E. Coli rather than the eating of the cooked product.” 2
Since chickens are fed so many antibiotics (routinely feeding antibiotics by the millions of pounds every year) eating chickens can cause multi-drug resistant bacteria and pathogens to amplify in our bodies.
Even when using the most sanitary practices, bleaching even! Pathogenic fecal bacteria like campylobacter and salmonella from chicken contaminates kitchens surface, sink, and utensils significantly.
In just over 50 years, the number of chickens produced annually in the US has increased by more than 1,400%. The average American eats almost 84 pounds of chicken a year, more than twice the amount eaten in 1970. while the number of farms producing those birds has dropped by 98% !!! , The transformation of the industry to large poultry farms is causing a major pollution problem!
In the “Broiler Belt” (the area which extends from eastern Texas through the southeastern US and north to Maryland and Delaware) chickens outnumber people by as much as 400 to 1.
In a study involving hundreds of thousands of men and women, “our results indicate that meat intake is positively associated with weight gain during adult life in European subjects. The association persisted after adjustment for total energy intake and underlying dietary patterns. Our results are therefore in favor of the public health recommendation to decrease meat consumption for health improvement. The strongest relation with annual weight change was observed for poultry.”
“Women and men with the highest chicken consumption had a greater increase in BMI compared to those with the lowest intake after 14 years. Data suggest that men and women with the highest chicken consumption had a higher increase in BMI after 14 year of follow up, respectively, compared to those who consumed no chicken at all”
Beyond Meat Chicken Strips have 3.5g fat at 130 calories per serving while regular lean chicken strips from Whole Foods have 19g fat and 270 calories per serving!
Workers in poultry slaughtering and processing plants have increased risk of dying from certain cancers- new findings were for cancers of the cervix and penis
Those who slaughter chickens have about 9 times the odds of getting both pancreatic cancer and liver cancers. (even if you smoke cigarettes for more than 50 years you only about double your odds of getting pancreatic cancer vs. those that slaughter poultry have 9 TIMES THE ODDS!
70% of samples of chicken meat from conventional producers in grocery stores across America DO NOT HAVE prohibitory arsenical drug policies to prevent arsenical drugs from being consumed. (arsenic is a known human carcinogen and the FDA Stated, “any new animal drug that contributes to the overall inorganic arsenic burden is of potential concern”)
Since 75% of US population is estimated to be chicken consumers (probably more) estimates suggest industry-wide use of arsenical drugs could result in 8,661 additional cases of cancer over 70 years, or an average of AN UNNECESSARY 124 CANCERS PER YEAR DUE TO CHICKEN!
“Annual production of fecal waste from poultry flocks was 8.8 million tons on a dry weight basis plus more than 106,000 metric tons of broiler hatchery waste. Add this to 37 million dead birds and condemnations at processing plants. When all this waste is added together, the task of keeping the environment clean becomes monumental.”
The leading source of sodium in the American diet for adults is chicken
“Consuming chicken is the most common cause of Salmonella poisoning. A 2014 issue of Consumer Reports published that 97% of chicken breasts found in retail stores were contaminated with bacteria that could make people sick, and 38% of the Salmonella found was resistant to multiple antibiotics.”
About 90% of retail chicken showed evidence of contamination with fecal matter!
72% increased risk of pancreatic cancer for every 50 grams of chicken consumed daily (about 1/4 of a chicken breast)
Growth-promoting drugs fed to chickens could be playing a role in lymphoma and leukemias
U.S. Department of Agriculture exempts birds from its enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which requires that farm animals be insensible to pain before they’re shackled and killed.
I would love to list 80 more tid bits/ articles / info things!! AHH! If you’d like to kick meat and chicken for good, hit me up k.reines1@gmail.com, DM me @vitamin.katie or check out my youtube channel and comment to me here.
Fact: The way we prepare our food changes its nutrient content. So, if you’re going to cook your food, in a soup is the best way! Cooking in water means the food can’t go over 212*F. This is a plus because the higher the heat, the more nutrients are denatured and destroyed and the more carcinogenic properties begin to form. With moist heat, there is now browning or charring occurring. Also, in a soup all of the nutrients are cooked into the broth instead of drained out. So you’re eating all of those incredible vitamins and minerals instead of pouring them down the drain with the water.
Medicinal Ingredients
Is it possible to make a whole foods plant based soup that isn’t medicinal magic? Flavor it up with ginger, garlic, and onion, Throw in that turmeric and black pepper and make a curry. Use all those veggies you never heard of like romanesco, leek, and lion’s mane mushroom. The ingredients in hearty wholesome soups and stews are powerful disease prevention and reversal medicine for a calm mind and a happy healthy and long beautiful life!
Variety on Variety
Vegetable soups, bean stews, creamy squash, chili, bisque, even chilled raw soups! The possibilities are endless. Thickening up by blending with cashews, chopping some veggies chunky, blending others, using vegetable juices for a base, maybe even coconut milk, garnishing with pumpkin seeds, or even avocado. There are so many kinds of soups. I eat them almost daily and don’t think I’ll ever get sick of them.
Easy Peasy
Feeling lazy? Me too. I’m down to heat up some water and throw in all my favorite veggies and spices any day. ( me everyday ) Yay soup!
Underrated AF
Soup is a great option. Sure, if you get it in a can it can have some extra sodium look for less than 300mg of sodium per serving or find “no salt added” or “low sodium” options and maybe if you get them at a restaurant they’ll have some oil, but overall, whole foods plant based soups and soups are an incredible option not to be overlooked. Please try making at LEAST one of these recipes this winter!
3 cups carrot juice (3 pounds of carrots, juiced, or put 2-4 carrots chopped in a blender with enough water to reach 3 cups and blend until smooth) (they sell carrot juice at whole foods and trader joe’s)
2 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes (Muir Glen Fire Roasted – No Salt Added)
3 cups canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth/stock
diced avocado and chopped green onion, garnish
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes.
Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the beans, tomato sauce, and vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and adjust seasoning to taste.
3. THE HERO POT
A large pot
1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
1 small chunk of ginger
1 tbsp ground or fresh turmeric
1 sweet potato
1 cup red lentils
~6 cups filtered water
~1/2 cup broccoli
~1/2 cup celery
~1/2 cup mushrooms
~1/2 cup peas
Lime and avocado to garnish
Prep ingredients: chop vegetables, mince garlic + ginger
Sautee onions and garlic in pot in 1/3 cup of water (keep a jug of water nearby to add as needed)
Add turmeric, lentils, sweet potato, and 5 cups of water and bring to boil for about 10 minutes
Turn down heat to simmer and add in rest of ingredients to simmer for about 15 minutes
Wow. What an extremely lucky child to have a parent reading this. Can you believe you are creating life?! This is HUGE! I am so glad that you are here. Educating yourself for not only an incredibly healthy and happy you, but the best future for your magnificently blessed kiddo as well ❤
YES as a matter of fact there is nothing missing in a vegan diet to raise an EXTREMELY healthy happy successful, talented, bright, beautiful, and alive child. AND you are dramatically reducing your risk for complications, pain, sickness, and beyond.
Educate yourself with all of the material on this post! In general, pregnant women only require about 300 extra calories per day from starch. This video is very informative!
Emphasize beans and greens combined with a source of vitamin C like lemon or orange juice for peak iron absorption. (great recipes)
Incorporate omega-3s daily: ground flax, chia, walnut, hemp, and leafy greens daily for omega-3s (vegan algael oil DHA supplement if you’d like) for a super smart baby 😀
Incorporate calcium rich foods: kale, broccoli, collards, okra, oranges, figs or calcium-set tofu, fortified plant based milk, etc. daily
Get iodine from a dulse or kelp shaker, nori, Eden’s brand beans, or sea palm. Iodized salt is not the best source of iodine as concentrated sodium like that in salt + high sodium foods has been shown to increase blood pressure and may lead to preeclampsia.
Take a B12 supplement 2-6x / week if not already in your multi / fortified foods
Avoid seafood!!! Heavy metals cross placenta as they detox from mom’s body into baby while pregnant and breastfeeding. Mercury, antibiotics, and other additives and heavy metals in seafood and other animal products should be avoided.
Spend at least 20 minutes / day in nature if you can. Relax! Take it easy! Get some natural sunshine vitamin D or make sure it is in you multi or be sure to take a supplement 2000IU/ day should do the trick 🙂
Emphasize whole plant foods like veggies, whole grains, fruit, beans, seeds, and nuts and minimize processed foods like added sugars, processed oils, white and refined flours and flour products, and added sodium and salt.
Practice Intuition: what do you feel like eating? An entire watermelon? Fantastic! 3 whole heads of lettuce with an avocado?! Amazing. Our bodies are incredible. Meditate, listen to what it wants, stay calm, and have so much fun!
Feeding Vegan Kids. The Vegetarian Resource Group. http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/kids.htm. Practical information for parents of children from infancy through adolescence.
Vegetarian Nutrition for Teenagers. The Vegetarian Resource Group. Available at: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/teen_veg.pdf. Brochure designed for teen vegetarians. Covers key nutrients, body weight issues, and simple snacks.
Raising Vegetarian Children. Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. Available at:http://vegetariannutrition.net/vegetarian-kids/ Blog written by registered dietitians with suggestions for vegetarian families.
Teen FAQs. Vegetarian Resource Group. Available at: http://www.vrg.org/teen/. Questions and answers about nutrition, social situations, family issues, foods and cooking for vegetarian teens.
Vegetarian Teens. Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. Available at: http://vegetariannutrition.net/vegetarian-teens/Blog written by registered dietitians with a focus on vegetarian teens.
Vegan Lunch Box Blog. Available at: http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/. Blog includes many ideas for healthy packed lunches for vegetarian and vegan children.