Meatless Mondays...it's a great start!

I had heard of this movement, but didn't know they had a website until I stumbled across it in another blogger's post.  Meatless Mondays encourages folks to eat vegetarian for one day a week.  I think it's a great start. I remember back 15 years ago when I didn't think I'd make it as a vegetarian, it never occurred to me to try just one day a week. Like 99.9% of all meat eaters, I thought I needed a lot of animal protein or my body would shut down. ;) It seems rather funny now, but that's what our media and USDA have us brainwashed into believing.  I think I will go sign up with this website and start a Meatless Monday posting here. I did notice there are alot of vegetarian and vegan websites listed. :)

I wish everyone could realize the benefits that could come from everyone doing a Meatless Monday even if you can't take the whole plunge. :) Many benefits include our health, our environment, we could support local farmers (love those farmer's markets!), we would need to slaughter less animals and could be more humane to the ones we do, and let's not forget our wallets. Go Veg! :)

Strong scientific evidence shows that eating berries benefits the brain

As we age, one of the functions that can often deteriorate dramatically is our mental function - our brain power, if you will. The good news is, researchers may have discovered a way to prevent this kind of decline: Eat more berries.

That's right. According to research published in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, eating more blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and other berry fruits may help prevent age-related memory loss and other mental status changes.

In the journal article, Dr. Barbara Shukitt-Hale, PhD, and Marshall G. Miller note that as we live longer on average, there are increasing concerns about the social and monetary costs of treating Alzheimer 's disease and other forms of mental decline. That concern will only grow as the U.S. population continues to age.

Keep your brain healthy and functioning as you age

According to the research, eating more berries can have benefits for the aging brains. "To analyze the strength of the evidence about berry fruits, they extensively reviewed cellular, animal and human studies on the topic," said a press release from the ACS.

A review of the data found that there was strong scientific evidence that berry fruits help the brain remain healthy in a number of ways. For example, berry fruits contain high levels of antioxidants, "compounds that protect cells from damage by harmful free radicals." In addition, research shows that berry fruits alter the manner in which neurons in the brain communicate.

"These changes in signaling can prevent inflammation in the brain that contribute to neuronal damage and improve both motor control and cognition," said ACS, a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress.  "They suggest that further research will show whether these benefits are a result of individual compounds shared between berry fruits or whether the unique combinations of chemicals in each berry fruit simply have similar effects."

'Berry' good benefits

The ACS research isn't the first to suggest that antioxidants in berry fruits are beneficial to your overall health. The Global Healing Center also says berries are high in antioxidants and "have been shown to be some of the healthiest foods on the planet."

The antioxidants in berries and other fruits act as "scavengers" of free radicals, which create a destructive process on the cellular level, causing molecules within cells to become unstable, according to Dr. Edward Group.

"They may even be a big player in the formation of cancerous cells by a 'chain-reaction' effect, causing other cells to become damaged," he writes. "Because of the inherent instability of free-radicals, they try to attack other healthy cells to get stable themselves. This then causes the once-healthy cells to react in the same way, attacking others in [a] never-ending attempt for cellular stability."

Sources for this article include:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/healthy-berries/
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com

Meal Plans March 4 - 9

Sunday March 4:
B: pinto beans
L:  Curried eggplant & chickpea soup, Ezekiel wrap (MSF cal. turk'y "burger", peppers, mushrooms)
D: 13 bean soup

Monday March 5:
B: 1/2 pita bread (MSF cal. turk'y "burger", asparagus, mushrooms), 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon, cucumber)
L: curried eggplant & chickpea soup, org. blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: chickpea & spinach soup, nut sure salad (mixed greens, apple, walnuts, balsamic vinegar), hummus, jasmine tea

Tuesday March 6:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal w/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon, cucumber)
L: curried eggplant & chickpea soup, org. blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: pinto bean soup

Wednesday march 7:
B: 13 bean soup, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon, cucumber)
L:  1/2 pita (hummus, red peppers, mixed greens), org. blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: fishy sandwich, fries

Thursday March 8:
B; 13 bean soup, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon, cucumber)
L: 1/2 pita (hummus, red peppers, spinach), org. blueberries, almonds, tea
D:vegan foccacia pizza (spinach, mushroom, black olives), Red & black bean w/chickpea soup

Friday March 9:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal w/almond milk &banana, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, lemon, cucumber)
L:  1/2 pita (hummus, red peppers, spinach), grapes, almonds, tea
D: seitan & veggie curry stirfry over LC Pasta (dreamfields)

Enjoy jasmine and its many benefits

Derived from Chinese Green Tea leaves, jasmine tea has become one of the most popular teas around. Other names it is known by include Xiang Pian or Mo Li Hua Cha. This tea offers many health benefits, ranging from reducing stress to preventing certain types of cancer.

Jasmine tea is also widely known to lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, lower cholesterol levels and regulate aging processes in our bodies. It is claimed that drinking jasmine tea can assist those who want to lose weight. It also possesses sedative qualities and is said to help prevent strokes, arterial sclerosis and heart attacks.

A study done at Kansas State University showed that jasmine teas are able to inhibit the growth of bacteria such as Listeria and Salmonella, as well as those responsible for causing cholera, flu and dysentery. Gargling with this tea and/or using it as a mouthwash is said to help prevent tooth decay.

Using Jasmine tea can also assist with relieving headaches and respiratory problems. It helps to balance fluids in the body, making it a good choice for those suffering from water retention caused by PMS or any other medical condition. It has been claimed to have aphrodisiac qualities because of the fact that it contains linalool, jasmon, Indole and benzoic acetate (all of which are utilised by herbalists when preparing aphrodisiac remedies).

Preparing different types of jasmine tea:

Many people prefer to simply purchase the ready-prepared varieties, although you can also prepare the tea yourself from scratch using the following tips.

Iced tea can be made by using the green and white varieties of jasmine tea. Ensure that it is properly cooled before adding ice to it though. The green and white varieties of jasmine tea also contain higher concentrations of antioxidants than the oolong or black varieties.

Black: Boil some water and pour 1 cup (250ml) over a teaspoon of loose leaves. Cover and steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain and enjoy.

Oolong: Pour 1 cup (250ml) boiling water over a teaspoon of loose leaves. Cover and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain and serve.

White: Bring water temperature to 185F and pour 1 cup (250ml) over 2 teaspoons of loose leaves. Cover and steep for 5 to 8 minutes. Strain and serve.

Green: Bring water temperature to 160F and pour 1 cup (250ml) over a teaspoon of loose leaves. Cover and steep for 1 to 2 minutes. Strain and serve.

The reasons for different steeping times is that should it steep too much or too little, it can cause the tea to either be too weak or become bitter.

Pregnant women should exercise caution and not consume too much jasmine tea. It should also not be consumed on an empty stomach as it can cause raised levels of acidity in the body.

Sources:

http://www.liveandfeel.com/medicinalplants/jasmine.html
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5009088_health-benefits-jasmine-tea.html
http://www.syl.com/travel/jasmineteahealthbenefits.html

Meal Plans Feb 26-Mar 3

Sunday Feb 26:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L/D: pinto beans, rustic italian bread

Monday Feb 27:
B: Kashi Heart to Heart cereal/soymilk, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: 1/2 pita (lettuce, pepper, hummus), blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: eggplant curry soup, red cabbage slaw, seitan & mushroom burger

Tuesday Feb 28:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: 1/2 pita (lettuce, pepper, hummus), blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: seitan & mushroom burger w/red cabbage slaw, red bean & mushroom soup

Wednesday Feb 29:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: salad (mixed greens, green pepper, carrot) w/italian dressing, pistachios, blueberries, tea
D: hummus w/pita points, seitan & mushroom burger

Thursday Mar 1:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal w/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: 1/2 pita (lettuce, green pepper, onion, hummus), blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: tomato & corn chowder, hummus w/pita points

Friday Mar 2:
B: pinto beans, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: 1/2 pita w/mixed greens, green peper, onion, humus, blueberries, tea
D: bbq tofu & veggie stirfry, tea

Saturday Mar 3:
B/L: pinto beans, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon,spinach)
D: blackened crab-stuffed tilapia, broccoli florets, salad w/ranch dressing

No need to be so snarky, Paula

From Yahoo!TV news....Paula Deen is shrinking. The queen of Southern cooking looks noticeably smaller, and told People magazine she’s dropped two pants sizes.

The Food Network star, who is not shy with butter and frying up anything, came under fire when she revealed she had been living with type 2 diabetes for the past three years but continued to promote unhealthy cooking on her show (one of her dishes is a burger between two doughnuts). The condition is in part caused by obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle.

But Paula seems to be finally embracing a healthier outlook -- and it shows. The chef told the magazine that her new regimen includes walking for 30 minutes every day and cutting her portion sizes in half. She has also said she is easing up on sugary treats such as cake and sweet tea.

Paula still doesn’t know how much she weighs, telling People, "We don't own a scale in our house.” She adds, "Every six months I go for a physical and find out. Now it's time to see the doctor. She'll be so happy if I've lost weight."

The 65-year-old, who has teamed up with a drug company, Novo Nordisk, on a website called Diabetes in a New Light, promised to introduce lighter versions of her Southern-style food.

Paula told the Associated Press, "I am who I am. But what I will be doing is offering up lighter versions of my recipes." Just don’t expect a vegan menu: "I'm Southern by roots. I was taught (to cook) by my grandmother and nothing I can do would change that."

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And here comes my rant....Paula, I greatly resent the fact that you have hid your diabetes for the last two years while continuing to push your artery-clogging food. Really girl. What's up with that? Now you choose to lose weight after it finally comes to light about your diabetes. Don't you realize why people don't sympathize with you? I am very glad that you are losing weight because, as a diabetic, I too know the risk we put ourselves at with being overweight...AND CONTINUING TO EAT WRONG.

But I have to tell you, I greatly resent your comment. No, I don't expect to see you eating a vegan diet (although that would greatly improve your diabetes). But don't go saying that the reason you cook the way you do is because of your southern roots! I am a southern girl too and we never ate anything like you cook. For those of you from other parts of the country, NO, we do not cook pork fat & a pound of butter in everything (unless you're my mother-in-law, but that's another story). I never grew up eating that...and yes, I too, learned to cook from my grandmother. I had never heard of pork fat in beans until I was older and eating at a friend's house (and oh, yes, my body rebelled after eating it too. Believe me, it did!) Sure we used butter in moderation & we ate "sweets" on occasion, but I assure you, Paula Deen's cooking does not accurately represent the South.

Yeah, I am embracing a vegan lifestyle now and after 1 month my total cholesterol (as a pescatarian) dropped from 166 (which was good anyhow) to 137!! For the first time in my life, my HDL and LDL are great.

The last thing vegans and vegetarians need are for someone to be throwing snarky comments around about our food choices. We've made the choice to EAT TO LIVE, not LIVE TO EAT.

And I have to honestly say, I have never eaten this good before and I am loving the vegan choices I make now.  So keep chowing down, Paula, and throwing the lbs. of butter and fat in your food. As for me, I am looking forward to the day of being healthy and thin and not taking Metformin or sticking a needle in myself every day. And if eating healthy and making the right decisions is what it takes, I'm up for it. How about you?

Harvard study: Pasteurized milk from industrial dairies linked to cancer

The truth has once again shaken the foundation of the 'American Tower of Babel' that is mainstream science, with a new study out of Harvard University showing that pasteurized milk product from factory farms is linked to causing hormone-dependent cancers. It turns out that the concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) model of raising cows on factory farms churns out milk with dangerously high levels of estrone sulfate, an estrogen compound linked to testicular, prostate, and breast cancers.

Dr. Ganmaa Davaasambuu, Ph.D., and her colleagues specifically identified "milk from modern dairy farms" as the culprit, referring to large-scale confinement operations where cows are milked 300 days of the year, including while they are pregnant. Compared to raw milk from her native Mongolia, which is extracted only during the first six months after cows have already given birth, pasteurized factory milk was found to contain up to 33 times more estrone sulfate.

Evaluating data from all over the world, Dr. Davaasambuu and her colleagues identified a clear link between consumption of such high-hormone milk, and high rates of hormone-dependent cancers. In other words, contrary to what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the conventional milk lobby would have you believe, processed milk from factory farms is not a health product, and is directly implicated in causing cancer.

"The milk we drink today is quite unlike the milk our ancestors were drinking" without apparent harm for 2,000 years, Dr. Davaasambuu is quoted as saying in the Harvard University Gazette. "The milk we drink today may not be nature's perfect food."

Meanwhile, raw, grass-fed, organic milk from cows milked at the proper times is linked to improving digestion, healing autoimmune disorders, and boosting overall immunity, which can help prevent cancer. Though you will never hear any of this from the mainstream media, all milk is not the same -- the way a cow is raised, when it is milked, and how its milk is handled and processed makes all the difference in whether or not the end product promotes health or death.

American government seeks to further perpetuate the lie that all milk is the same with egregious new provisions in 2012 Farm Bill
Of particular concern are new provisions in the 2012 Farm Bill that create even more incentives for farmers to produce the lowest quality, and most health-destroying, type of milk possible. Rather than incentivize grazing cows on pastures, which allows them to feed on grass, a native food that their systems can process, the government would rather incentivize confined factory farming methods that force cows to eat genetically-modified (GM) corn and other feed, which makes them sick.

As it currently stands, the government already provides incentives for farmers to stop pasturing their animals, instead confining them in cages as part of a Total Confinement Dairy Model, aka factory farms. But the 2012 Farm Bill will take this a step further by outlawing "component pricing" for milk, which involves allowing farmers to sell milk with higher protein and butterfat at a higher price.

Allowing farmers to sell higher quality milk at a higher price provides an incentive for them to improve the living conditions on their farms, and milk better cow breeds. But the U.S. government would rather standardize all milk as being the same, and create a system where farmers continue to produce cancer-causing milk from sick cows for the millions of children to drink.

To learn more, visit:
http://www.anh-usa.org/healthy-milk-what-is-it/

Sources for this article include:

http://www.anh-usa.org/healthy-milk-what-is-it/

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/12.07/11-dairy.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/035039_raw_milk_pasteurized_CDC.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035081_pasteurized_milk_cancer_dairy.html#ixzz1nbMJwhhz