Ramblings of a Vegan Traveler

Time to make over your kitchen...Uh-Oh, here come's the plant based food police!  Is it really hard to make your food plant strong and junk free? Nope! It really isn't and it also isn't hard to go plant based. I know that people think it would be SO hard, but in today's era, there are TONS of great whole food plant based recipes that you really won't miss the animal products, fat and sugar.  So why do I think everyone should be eating a low fat, plant based diet?  A low-fat whole foods plant based diet can help prevent and reverse many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, auto-immune disease, etc. It keeps your body healthy and you feel better. You'll lose weight. Your taste buds will change, I guarantee it. But you do have to make a commitment to do it. Don't you owe it to yourself and those who love you to be the healthiest you can be? I sure think so.  Why is fat an issue? Specifically the bad kinds of fat which are animal based...

I know many of you will say "jackfruit" what the "bleep" is jackfruit? Here's what jackfruit looks like growing on a tree and the fruit itself. They are HUGE! Really want to know what jackfruit is, check this out:  What is Jackfruit? The first time I saw jackfruit was in Thailand. There were trees at a wildlife sanctuary we visited and the guide pulled one off the tree and gave it to one of the Sun Bears! It was also the first place I tried jackfruit (not the one the bear got!).  A lot of vegans, vegetarians, etc. use unripened jackfruit as a meat substitute. In its unripened state it shreds and is great for many different types of dishes, but lends itself especially well as a substitute for chicken and pork in Mexican dishes. I love Mexican food, maybe because I grew up in SoCal. Any cuisine that uses cilantro, cumin, salsa, avocado, and chili peppers is okay in my book!  So I hadn't gone to the store recently, but I did stop at the huge Asian m...

Pineapple Mango Chia Fresca Oh Yum...Delish...not sure what made me come up with this one, maybe it is because the weather here in Portland today is picture perfect. Or maybe because tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. Whatever the reason, I'm glad it popped into my head today.  Chia seeds are so good for you...yes, chia seeds as in ch ch ch chia (pets!). Those little terracotta pets from the 1970s...they still exist today, although I rarely see the commercial anymore! Just make sure you get your own bag of chia seeds, don't use the ones that come with the chia pet!  My favorite brand is Navitas Naturals Why is chia so good for you?  You know I'm going to list the reasons, right?  Chia seeds are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, even more so than flax and they have 8X more Omega 3 than salmon!  Chia seeds don't have to be ground like flax seed, so they can be stored much longer without going rancid. Remember, flax has to be ground otherwise it, ...

Purple Haze...yum! So what is better? Juicing or smoothies? Well, in reality they are both good. They both have their benefits and they both have their disadvantages too.  Let me preface this that when I say juicing and smoothies I mean GREEN! Vegetables, vegetables and more vegetables. Little if any fruit. Why? Am I a fruit hater? Not at all. Fresh whole fruit is SO good for you. But, when juiced, fruit becomes a major sugar blast and when blended in a smoothie, it also adds to the sugar and calorie content.  Juicing is a a great way to get a boatload of wonderful antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients from veggies into your body really fast. Juicing removes the fiber from the vegetables/fruits you are juicing and delivers a quick jolt of energy to your body. You can drink it fast, you can drink a lot because the fiber is gone so it doesn't fill you up like drinking a smoothie does. There are so many nutrients in vegetables and it really does energize your body. As I s...