21-Day Vegan Re-start Day 4

Breakfast:  Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

Serves 2 to 4

These whole-grain pancakes drizzled with pure maple syrup make for a delicious and hearty breakfast. Blueberries and aluminum-free baking powder add a delicious and healthful touch.

*Note: Aluminum’s role in the brain remains controversial. However, because aluminum has been found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients, it pays to err on the side of caution. Avoid uncoated aluminum cookware and read labels when buying baking powder, antacids, and processed foods.

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder*
Pinch of sea salt
1 cup rice milk or other dairy-free milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1-2 teaspoons safflower oil, to brush the skillet
Warmed maple syrup, for drizzling

In a medium bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, whole-wheat pastry flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, and salt. Whisk briefly to blend. Slowly stir in the rice milk and stir just until the lumps disappear. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Heat a cast-iron griddle or skillet over medium heat, then lightly brush with a little of the safflower oil. Add enough batter to form a 4-inch pancake and cook until the edges look dry and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gently flip the pancake and cook on the other side until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot, with warmed maple syrup.

Per pancake: 82 calories, 2 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 3 g sugar, 1 g total fat, 13% calories from fat, 2 g fiber, 112 mg sodium

Recipe by natural foods chef Christine Waltermyer, C.H.H.C. via PCRM.org

Lunch:  Leftovers

Dinner:  Curried Tomato Lentil Soup.  I liked this, but Fred said it was not his favorite - but he did eat it all!  This would be tasty with Indian garlic naan bread.  

Curried Tomato Lentil Soup (Shorba Addis)

Serves 3

This recipe is based on an Ethiopian soup with a rich, deep curry flavor and complex textures.

Curried Tomato Lentil Soup (Shorba Addis)

Serves 3

This recipe is based on an Ethiopian soup with a rich, deep curry flavor and complex textures.

(I used 1 tsp organic canola oil for sauting the veggies)

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 small carrot, diced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon curry powder (berbere is preferable) (I think I accidentally used only 1 teaspoon!)

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup brown or green lentils

1 Yukon Gold potato, diced (I used a medium Russet potato)

1/4 cup whole wheat orzo pasta

(I added ⅜ tsp salt)

Over medium-high heat, sauté the onion until it is brown. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrot, ginger, garlic, curry powder, and fenugreek, sautéing them for about 1 minute. Add the veggie broth and tomato paste, stirring until the tomato paste is thoroughly combined with the broth. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the lentils and stir. Once the soup comes back to a simmer, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook the soup for 20 minutes. (My lentils were not done after 20 min.) Add the potato and orzo; cook the soup, covered, for 5 more minutes. (I cooked them for 25 more minutes as the lentils and potatoes were not done.  Plus I added ½ cup more water.)  You will need to stir occasionally and watch the temperature to avoid the soup sticking to the bottom of the pan.

The Gourmet Touch: This is an Ethiopian soup, so its flavor is best created using berbere—an Ethiopian curry mix.

Core Concepts: The key to this soup is timing when you add the ingredients. Lentils require time to cook, while diced potatoes and orzo pasta need only a few minutes; these are best added to a soup during the last few minutes of cooking.

Per serving:

• Calories: 202
• Fat: 1 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Calories from Fat: 4   
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 8.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 42.3 g
• Sugar: 7.7 g
• Fiber: 7.1 g
• Sodium: 157 mg
• Calcium: 62 mg
• Iron: 4.4 mg
• Vitamin C: 17.2 mg
• Beta Carotene: 1799 mcg
• Vitamin E: 1.7 mg

Source:21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Neal Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jason Wyrick of the Vegan Culinary Experience.

Using http://www.myfitnesspal.com, as a recipe analyzer, the addition of oil and salt increased the sodium per serving to 280.6mg.  Fat increased to 2.1g per serving.

21Day Vegan Restart - Eating Out

Eating out can be a challenge for a vegan or vegetarian, unless you're in New York City!

Some of the vegan options in New York City

My husband and I have now had almost two years' experience (our veganversary is April 4!)  To help you out, the lists below come from a very helpful link at NutritionMD.org. to help you choose healthfully while dining out. 

Candle 79 in New York City, 2012

If you live in Bella Vista, we recommend El Pueblito, located on Forest Hills Boulevard.  Recently, we ate there and ordered their vegetarian fajitas - they were wonderful!  Full of ALL kinds of veggies and not as greasy as some restaurants make theirs. 

Here is another article about eating vegan in restaurants:
Eating Vegan at Chain Restaurants

Dining Out: Expand Your Horizons with World Cuisine
Ethnic restaurants often have healthy vegetarian dairy-free menu items. There may even be some in your neighborhood. Check out just a few of the healthy and interesting meals you'll find.

World Cuisine	Staples	Sample Dishes
Mexican	Rice Beans (refried or black) Fresh vegetablesTortillas	Burritos Soft or hard tacos Vegetable fajitas
Chinese	Fresh vegetables Tofu Rice Noodles	Mixed vegetables in garlic sauce over brown rice Tofu and broccoli in black bean sauce Sweet and sour soup with tofu Vegetable fried rice (no egg)
Italian	Pasta Vegetables Tomatoes Broccoli Spinach Eggplant Mushrooms Onion Soups	Pasta primavera Grilled eggplant with marinara sauce Minestrone (with white beans and pasta)
Middle Eastern	Whole grains Couscous Bulgur Pita bread Rice Vegetables Eggplant Zucchini Peppers Tomatoes Lentils Chickpeas	Hummus with whole wheat pita bread Falafel Tabouleh Filfil Rumi Mahshi (stuffed green peppers) Mujadarra (lentils and rice) Dolmas (grape leaves stuffed with bulgur wheat)
Japanese	Rice Vegetables Cucumber Scallion Cabbage Carrot Sweet potato Udon and soba noodles Seaweed Soybeans, tofu, and miso	Vegetable sushi, avocado, shitake mushroom and cucumber rolls Miso soup Cucumber salad Seaweed salad Edamame (whole soy beans) Sesame soba noodles
Ethiopian	Lentils Vegetables Potatoes Cabbage Collards Tomatoes Injera (flatbread)	Vegetarian platter Yemiser W'et (spicy lentil stew) Yatkilt Alitcha (cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions) Timatim Fitfit (fresh salad of chopped tomatoes and onion) Yeabesha Gommen (collard greens)
Vietnamese	Fresh vegetables Tofu Noodles Fresh herbs Rice Peanuts	Vegetable Pho (noodle soup topped with vegetables) Nom (grated vegetable salads seasoned with vinegar and chilis) Fresh spring rolls with noodles and cabbage Vermicelli with grilled vegetables and seasonings

Dining Out: Chains and fast food options

The All-American Chain Restaurant

The tips above should help you order at any restaurant. However, here are a few special suggestions for some common restaurants:

• Chili's: Ask them to make you fajitas with grilled vegetables and rice with a side of beans. Other options include a dinner salad and the Guiltless Tomato Basil Pasta.
• Pizza Hut (or any pizza place): Veggie pizza (hold the cheese)
• California Pizza Kitchen: Veggie calzone (hold the cheese)
• Houston Steak House: Excellent veggie burger (hold the cheese)
• Ruby Tuesday: Huge salad bar loaded with fruits and vegetables. They also have a veggie burger (hold the cheese).
• Fuddruckers: Veggie burger (hold the cheese)
• Johnny Rockets: Steamliner Veggie Burger (hold the cheese)
• Don Pablo's: Portobella mushroom and vegetable fajitas
• Baja Fresh: Vegetarian bare burrito or grilled veggie tacos (hold cheese on both); rice and beans platter
• The Wrap: Teriyaki tofu wrap or bowl; beans and rice burrito (hold the cheese)

Fast Food

While fast food is often a less-than-healthful option, sometimes it can work out just fine. If you're stuck on a long road trip or caught with only five minutes to spare before your meeting, vegan options are available at many fast-food restaurants.

• Chipotle: Beans and rice burrito (hold the guacamole, hold the cheese and sour cream)
• Subway: Veggie Delite sub on whole wheat or Veggie Delite salad (hold the cheese, hold the mayo, light on the oil).
• Blimpie: VegiMax, (hold the cheese and mayo, hold the oil)

They didn't mention Wendy's.  At Wendy's we order a baked potato and a side salad.  It would be great if they offered salsa to top the potato, but they don't, and trust me when I say that ketchup is not the same.  (Yuck!).

21-Day Vegan Re-start Day 3 - A hit!

Day 3 of our 21-Day Vegan Re-start:

Breakfast:  Old-Fashioned oats, organic unsweetened West Soy soymilk, cubed raw mango pieces, a little organic evaporated cane juice for extra sweetness.  Oats are my day-to-day standby breakfast of choice because you can add so many different things to it to make it taste different.  

Lunch:  Baked potato at a restaurant with sautéed mushrooms.  Unfortunately, I cheated today and had butter, sour cream and a sprinkling of cheese on the potato as well.  That's ok, I'll jump right back onto my vegan eating plan and forgive myself for eating some animal-derived products.  I believe there are degrees of success.  For me, eating food products that come FROM an animal that you don't have to actually kill the poor animal to obtain fits better with the yogic philosophy of Ahimsa (to cause no harm, nonviolence towards all living beings including animals), than to eat actual meat.

Dinner:  I took pity upon Fred, and made something for dinner that I knew he would love!   I added some Wholly Guacamole single serve (1/2 tub for each of us) on top.

Blue Corn Chip Salad - 21day Vegan Kickstart

Serves 2

4 cups baked blue corn chips (other colored corn chips can be substituted)

1 small head red-leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

16 ounces cooked black beans, rinsed

1 cup salsa

3 roasted red peppers, sliced into strips about 2" long by 1/2" thick

1 Roma tomato, diced

Options: 1/4 cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

Place the corn chips on the plates first, followed by the lettuce, then the beans, then the tomatoes, then the salsa, and top it off with the sliced roasted red peppers.

Options: If you add pepitas, make them the final ingredients you place on the salad.

Per serving:

• Calories: 380
• Fat: 5.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
• Calories from Fat: 12.1
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 11.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 75.7 g
• Sugar: 18 g
• Fiber: 11.4 g
• Sodium: 1182 mg
• Calcium: 111 mg
• Iron: 6.2 mg
• Vitamin C: 304 mg
• Beta Carotene: 9900 mcg
• Vitamin E: 5.9 mg

Source:21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Neal Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jason Wyrick of the Vegan Culinary Experience.

Namaste'
Carrie

21-Day Vegan Re-Kickstart - Day 2

Day 2 of our Vegan Re-Kickstart:

Breakfast was super easy!  Mesa Sunrise Cereal by Nature's Path with a sliced banana and a tablespoon of hemp seeds.  I love the taste of this cereal plus it's organic and gluten-free!  Hemp seeds are soooo good for you.   Seeds of the plant cannabis sativa, hemp seed, contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life. No other single plant source has the essential amino acids in such an easily digestible form, nor has the essential fatty acids in as perfect a ratio to meet human nutritional needs.  Plus, they taste good!  They have a mild nutty taste even though they are seeds.

Lunch was also an easy task - leftover Amy's Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup and a cup of leftover Couscous Confetti Salad.

Dinner today was Hoppin' John Salad and Kwick Kale.  

HOPPIN’ JOHN SALAD - (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Makes about 10 1/2-cup servings or 5 1-cup servings

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, or 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 cup finely sliced green onions

1 tomato, diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Directions:

Combine black-eyed peas, rice, green onions, tomato, and parsley in a mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, oil, salt, and garlic and pour over the salad.  Toss gently.  Chill 1 to 2 hours if time permits.

Nutrition:

Per 1/2-cup serving

• Calories: 91
• Fat: 1.9 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
• Calories from Fat: 18.5%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 3.7 g
• Carbohydrates: 15.4 g
• Sugar: 1.3 g
• Fiber: 3.6 g
• Sodium: 68 mg
• Calcium: 20 mg
• Iron: 1.2 mg
• Vitamin C: 5.4 mg
• Beta Carotene: 137 mcg
• Vitamin E: 0.4 mg

Source: Turn Off the Fat Genes by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond M.S., R.D.

HaHa!  This picture kind of looks like a quirky smiley face!  Fred was not smiling too much when I served him this for dinner.  I could have sworn that he liked this the last time I made it.  Not so much this time - in fact he said he had to force himself to eat it.  I on the other hand, loved the lemony, vinegary taste of the bean salad.  So, I guess I will have to retire this recipe unless I want to eat it all myself.  

Namaste'
Carrie

21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program - Day 1

Happy 2014!!  I hope that this New Year will bring wonderful things to everyone!

Have you made any New Years' Resolutions?  I no longer make "official" resolutions.  I do like to think about what is really important to me at this point in time and recommit to making time for those things.  One of those important things is healthy eating.  So, just like we did in 2011 when we first adopted a vegan lifestyle, we are jumpstarting or kickstarting our eating plan again using PCRM's 21-Day Vegan Kickstart plan.  Over the past year in particular, we have not been as diligent in eating a totally vegan menu.  It is very difficult when eating out or visiting family to completely avoid ALL animal products (i.e. milk, butter, eggs, cheese).  So rather than making a big fuss about it, and trying to avoid making others uncomfortable with our choices, we have eaten in more of a vegetarian style than vegan.  I will still not knowingly eat any meat, poultry, or fish.

Today is the first day of the program, and I am actually picking and choosing recipes from former and current programs.  For lunch today, we had Couscous Confetti Salad and seasoned Black-eyed Peas (in honor of New Years' Day traditions!)  

Couscous Confetti Salad

Makes about 8 1-cup servings

Couscous is pasta from northern Africa that cooks almost instantly and makes a beautiful and flavorful salad. Whole-wheat couscous is sold in natural food stores and some supermarkets.

1 ¹/₂ cups dry whole-wheat couscous
2 cups boiling water
3 - 4 green onions, finely chopped, including tops (I left out)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 carrot, grated
1 - 2 cup finely shredded red cabbage
¹/₂ cup finely chopped fresh parsley (I used about 1 T. dried parsley)
¹/₂ cup golden raisins or chopped dried apricots (I left this out)
1 juice of 1 lemon
¹/₄ cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 ¹/₂ teaspoons salt 

In a large bowl, combine couscous and boiling water. Stir to mix, then cover and let stand until all the water has been absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Add green onions, bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, parsley, and raisins or apricots.

In a small bowl mix lemon juice, vinegar, oil, curry powder, and salt. Add to salad and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Per 1-cup serving

• Calories: 194
• Fat: 2.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
• Calories from Fat: 9.8%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 5.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 40.2 g
• Sugar: 10 g
• Fiber: 4.2 g
• Sodium: 283 mg
• Calcium: 33 mg
• Iron: 1.1 mg
• Vitamin C: 40.9 mg
• Beta Carotene: 1157 mcg
• Vitamin E: 0.7 mg

Source: Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes by Patricia Bertron, R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Tonight we will have one of our favorite's - Southern Beans and Greens, which I have written about here:  Southern Beans and Greens.

Namaste'
Carrie

Hello all my Yogi and Yogini friends!  Remember to take time out for your Yoga practice - there's nothing like some Yoga to help center yourself during all the madness of shopping and travel during the holidays.

Remember there will be no Yoga class at Metfield in Bella Vista on Dec 24, 26 or 31.  Also, no SilverSneakers YogaStretch on Dec. 23 or 28th.  There WILL be YogaStretch at Branchwood on Dec. 30th, thanks to Peg Corcoran, who will be subbing for me.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Yoga Opportunities in Bella Vista

I love teaching Yoga!  There are many opportunities to take a variety of Yoga classes in Bella Vista, Arkansas.  Check out this link:  Bella Vista Yoga.

News >From Recreation Manager Clem Morgan Thursday, October 17, 2013 -

Yoga class, anyone? Bella Vista Village's Recreation Division offers yoga in the morning, afternoon and evening! SilverSneakers Yoga Stretch, also referred to as chair yoga, is offered at the Branchwood Recreation Center at 9 a.m. each Monday and Saturday. The class is taught by Carrie Ridgeway. The cost is $3.50 per class or $30 for a punch card, which is valid for 10 classes. The class is free to SilverSneakers Members. The Branchwood daily facility fee or a monthly or annual fitness pass is also required. SilverSneakers Yoga Stretch is offered at Riordan Hall at 8:30 a.m. each Monday and Wednesday. Instructors are Nancy Keesling and Carolan Weaver. The class is free to SilverSneakers members. The cost for non-SilverSneakers members is $2.50 per class. Additionally, non-SilverSneakers members are required to have a current photo identification card issued by the Property Owners Association or pay the Riordan Hall facility fee of $2.25. SilverSneakers Yoga Stretch will move your whole body through a complete series of seated and standing yoga poses. Chair support is offered to safely perform a variety of seated and standing postures designed to increase flexibility, balance and range of movement. Restorative breathing exercises and final relaxation will promote stress reduction and mental clarity. Yoga for Active Adults is offered at 4 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at the Metfield Clubhouse. Instructor Carrie Ridgeway leads the class. The cost is $3 per class or $25 for a punch card, which is valid for 10 classes. Participants without a current POA-issued photo identification card will be required to pay the Metfield facility fee of $2.25 per class. Yoga for Active Adults is also being offered at the Branchwood Recreation Center at 4 p.m. each Wednesday through Nov. 13. The class is led by Carrie Ridgeway. Robin Smith will offer Yoga for Active Adults at 4 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday, beginning Nov. 19. The cost is $3.50 per class or $30 for a punch card, which is valid for 10 classes. The Branchwood daily facility fee or a monthly or annual fitness pass is also required. Yoga for Active Adults classes offer a flowing style of Hatha Yoga that helps create core strength and increase flexibility and balance. Poses flow one into the other linked with the breath. The class is suitable for students of all experience levels. Students should bring a yoga mat. Other optional accessories include a yoga strap, yoga block and a blanket or cushion. Evening Yoga, led by Maureen Neagle, is available at 6 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday at Riordan Hall. The cost is $3.50 for one class or $36 for a punch card, which is valid for 12 classes. Participants without a current POA-issued photo identification card will be required to pay the Riordan Hall facility fee of $2.25 per class. Yoga classes are also offered at 9 a.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at Riordan Hall. Instructors Maureen Neagle or Carolan Weaver lead the class. Bring your own yoga mat! The classes are free with a current POA-issued photo identification card. Those without a photo identification card will be required to pay the Riordan Hall facility fee of $2.25. So grab your friends, visit one of our three recreation facilities and enjoy an hour of stress-relieving yoga exercises.

Gong Relaxation Anyone?

Last Saturday, I attended my second "Gong Relaxation" at It'z OK Yoga Studio.  If you want to experience a deeply relaxing, meditative state, attend one or more of these sessions with Pat Talbot.

So what is gong relaxation?  The gong (example below): 

is an ancient instrument.  The healing vibrations it produces have been used around the world. Listeners can benefit in many ways, including stilling the mind and strengthening the nervous system to effectively deal with daily, stressful situations.  All participants need to do is relax comfortably on their mats and breath deeply to experience sound healing.   Here's a link to a really informative website about gong therapy:  Gong Sound Healing.

The sessions at It'z OK Yoga studio usually last for an hour and a half.  The first few minutes are spent in focusing on our breathing and some gentle stretching that helps the nervous system to prepare for the sound vibration.  Then participants relax stretched out on our mats in Shivasana (final relaxation pose) with eye pillows (often scented with lavendar) and absorb the sound of the gong for the next 45 minutes.  I had no idea what the gong would sound like - actually I thought it would be very quiet.  In reality, it can be quiet and then build to a fairly loud sound.  Each sound vibration merges into the next.  It's a really cool sound!  At first, there is the tendency to fidget on your mat, and for the mind to flit from one thought to the next, but then things settle down and that's when the relaxation starts.   At the end, we spend a few minutes enjoying our feelings of relaxation and well-being while sipping on some delicious Yogi Tea, homemade by Pat, while talking amongst ourselves.

Each time you experience a gonging session, you may have a different experience.  The first time I went, I had no trouble at all letting go of the thoughts jumping here and there, and truly relaxing.  Towards the end, I had a sensation of a warm blanket gently covering my body - but there was no blanket there.  This last time, I felt a lot of involuntary muscle twitching and jerking going on.  Some say this is a sign of your body letting go of some concern or worry.  I have to agree, that this was exactly what was happening as I had gone through two medical tests in the two weeks before, which had turned out to be fine.  My intention that I had set at the beginning of the gong session was gratitude for health, so, now I feel like I've totally let go of the worry and LIFE IS GOOD!!  

If you are interested in going with me to a gong relaxation, let me know.  The next one is Saturday, October 19th at 3 pm.  (I probably won't make it to this one as it is Craft Fair Weekend).  Then another on Sunday, October 27th at 3 pm.