VEGANISM - IT JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER!

when a book claims that “the science is clear. the results are unmistakable”, and that by changing my diet i can “dramatically reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity” … how could i not invest a little time in finding out exactly how this can be done! the china study: the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight loss and long-term health was well worth the investment and i not only feel more supported in my decision to be vegan, but inspired to share this information with others in my field of study, circle of friends and family and anyone who cares to ask what the benefits of my lifestyle are!

after hearing the name of this text pop up here and there, and subsequently reading some great reviews, i decided to hop online and excitedly place an order for this and a few other vegan reads

although the spanish mail system required considerable patience, the china study: the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight loss and long-term health finally landed on my desk ready to educate me and reinforce my views on how great a vegan diet really is!

MY (MUCH NEEDED) VEGAN WEIGHT-LOSS MEAL PLAN

ok... so after moving to europe right after smashing through my uni exams, to start a new job far, far away from home (on the other side of the world to be exact!), going from one winter to another (very cold european) winter, and feeling stressed, cold, lonely and bored... i just so happened to inevitably gain a heap of weight - boo hoo! well at least they are my lame excuses for a lack of willpower and common sense!

the issues:

VEGAN BLOGS I LOVE

another weekend break (this time is gorgeous, sunny sardina) has meant no cooking for me... but... i did spend some of my days sitting on the beach, listening to the waves crash, whilst reading michael pollan's the ominvore's dilemma. i had a few reasons for choosing this title... the first being that i heard it had received good reviews; the second, being in madrid means finding an international book store with a book you actually are intrigued to read is a little bit challenging; and finally i love food and all discussion about it.

to cut this long story short... there was a particular point that pollan makes about the internet which turned on a light it my head; that being "... the beauty of the internet is that it allows like-minded people to find their tribes…the internet splinters us into tribes that want to go their own way"

how true. being vegan can sometimes feel a little isolating... you are often put in the 'too hard' basket and when living in an area that has a minimal vegan population, or visiting a country with a limited understanding of the concept - times can be tough! 

but then there's the internet. an amazing source of information, inspiring ideas, and a window to the prosperity of other vegan communities.

i felt it fitting to write a few words about those blogs that have inspired me and kept me feeling connected to the passion i have for food and beliefs i hold strong about what i choose to eat.

so here they are... (in no particular order) some of my fav blogs by amazing photographers, collators and bright minds: 

vegan breakfast: with amazing photos that just make you want to run into the kitchen, whip out a mixing bowl or frying pan as required and cook up a breakfast storm! the design of this site is deliciously simple and clean. love love love the collation of a community's ideas and inspiration

the vegan stoner: this site is true genius-ness! the use of cute and charismatic cartoons character ingredients is gold! i remember back to my tafe days when i was studying commercial cookery and would draw little pictures to organise what kitchen 'tools' i would need and the order in which to whack together each required dish - makes me reminisce! oh and the photos - wow! 

have cake, will travel: without an oven in which is bake some delish vegan goodies i am restricted to drooling over the keyboard of my laptop when browsing the pages of this gorgeous blog! the stylings are simple and sophisticated, and the recipes look so homely that i automatically miss the joys of baking and being at home with my family

vegan yack attack: love the title, love the photos, love the recipe ideas... this site is a fav! with step-by-step pics to guide you along the way to vegan yumminess. the directions are easy to follow and the design is top notch. every new recipe that pops up just makes me want to cook! 

an unrefined vegan: simple, hearty, honest vegan meal ideas are definitely top on my list for inspiration. i strive to eat and live healthy (although this, of late, has been very rarely the case following a little too much indulgence in order to populate my blog with yummy vegan meal ideas) so finding a blog with straight forward, healthy vegan dishes is a delight! these home cooked meals are just the kind of thing i would be whipping up back in australia to sit down and enjoy with family.

HERBOLARIO

another success in madrid was my stumbling across herbolarios doemi at centro comercial pau de vallecas, who supply a good range of organic cereals and some refrigerated veggie products. it was a bit if a trek from central madrid, but is accessible via the metro (line 1/light blue) alighting at las suertes. 

i picked up a few staples... some rolled
oats (which have proven quite a challenge to find in madrid and at a
considerable price!), some textured vegetable protein (tvp), a bottle of agave
syrup and some chia seeds - can't wait to find some great recipes and start
cooking!

ENERGY VS WEIGHT - THE SCIENCE

although adopting a vegan diet can be a great way to initiate weight loss and improve your general health dramatically, it can also be just as unhealthy as a non-vegan diet without consideration of some basic facts! 

FROZEN TOFU - CHAPTER 2

wow! so excited... i am going to use some of the tofu that i froze last week (check it out at 'freezin' ma tofu') before i can add my flash fried tofu to a fab vegan dish i need to do a tiny bit of prep!

how?

to thaw out the tofu i cheated a little and used the microwave... but if you'd prefer you can be more organised that i am and take it out of the freezer the night before and leave it in the fridge to defrost.

i popped 1 portion (1/3 of a block of tofu) into a microwave safe bowl and whacked it on for 5 minutes on defrost/low... this wasn't quite long enough (it all depends on your mircowave's wattage - so adjust accordingly) i zapped mine for a further 5 minutes and it was perfectly defrosted and ready to drain.

i then placed the defrosted block between some paper towel and gave it a good squeeze into the sink. once it was nice and 'dry' i sliced it up and gave it a quick fry-off in a hot pan with a tiny little bit of vegetable oil.

done! and ready to enjoy... (p.s. it tastes so good right out of the pan that you will need to exercise some will power not to eat it all if you are using it in another recipe!)

i added these fried tofu pieces to a wikid vegan vegetable pilaf, but it would also be great in a vegan vegetable curry, stirfry, eaten as a snack (yum!) or crumbled over a saucy vegan pasta dish!

INSPIRED

everyday i seem to stumble across more and more amazing blogs, articles and publications that fill me with a sense of purpose and inspiration! one such publication is chickpea magazine - it is so beautifully designed and the content is ... well amaze! check it out - you can access it online at issuu

CALCIUM CAN DO!

"you don't drink milk?!... but... but... how do you get your calcium?" - heard this before? well don't fret... milk is not the only (or necessarily the best) source of calcium!

B12 BOOST

you may possible have heard the spiel about vegan's being unable to access the necessary vitamins and minerals blah blah blah! but this is far from the truth! an important vitamin that may be a little difficult for vegans to find is, however, vitamin b12

FREEZIN' MA TOFU

firm tofu

i have never frozen tofu before... i am a complete tofu freezing newbie... but after reading flyingvegan's blog post on how easy it is to do i gathered up some courage and gave it a go! and... so far so good! 

all you need is a block of tofu, cut into serving size pieces and a few sandwich bags, or a plastic contact as i used, and a freezer

i sliced my tofu block into 3 pieces and whacked them in my suitably sized container, which i then placed it in the freezer drawer - done!

tofu ready for freezing

now when i want to use it i will grab it out and thaw it in the fridge or microwave (as per flyingvegan's instruction) and (most definitely) use it an amazingly delicious tofu dish!

THE SKINNY ON VITAMIN A

remember those stories as a kid about eating carrots and developing a super-power of enhanced night vision?! well its true!

CLEANSE

hot water w/ lemon

rather than hitting up the fridge for a pre-bed snack, try a glass/mug of hot water with a slice or two of fresh lemon. 

not only will the lemon help satisfy the sugar cravings but also (according to Jethro Kloss in his book Back to Eden) help:

- prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria and the decomposition of tissue;

- cleanse the system of impurities and prevent disease;

- dissolve uric acid (often the cause of pain and inflammation in joints) and other poisons in the body; and

- reduce symptoms of malaria, rheumatism, gout, rickets and tuberculosis

plus! lemon is also an excellent stimulant to the liver, liquefing bile and helping to control excess bile flow (ewwh! but yay!) 

source: Kloss, J. (1997). Back to Eden: A Human Interest Story of Health and Restoration to be Found in Herb, Root , and Bark. Twin lakes, USA: Lotus Press.

ONE VEGAN MEAL

VEG·AN /ˈVĒGƎN/

what is a vegan? ... well that's an easy one!... a person who does not eat or use animal products - that's pretty straight forward! so why does so much confusion exist as to who is and who is not a "vegan", not to mention the very liberal interpretation of the concept of what constitutes a vegetarian! (veg·e·tar·i·an/ˌvejiˈte(ə)rēən/ (noun) a person who does not eat meat, and sometimes other animal products, esp. for moral, religious, or health reasons). perhaps the sticking point is the reference to 'other animal products'

the veg society makes this a little more straight forward, for those of you who are still a little lost, by defining vegetarianism fundamentally as a person who does not eat meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, or any by-products of slaughter followed by 4 degrees:  

1. lacto-ovo-vegetarian: eat both dairy products and eggs (most common 'type' of vegetarian diet) 
2. lacto-vegetarian: eat dairy products but not eggs
3. ovo-vegetarian: eat eggs but not dairy products
4. vegan: does not eat dairy products, eggs, or any other animal product

about.com gives a more in-depth description of this 4th degree (veganism) by noting that vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines, and avoid the use of all products tested on animals, as well as animal-derived non-food products, such as leather, fur and wool - spot on!

'SHEEZE'!

looking for cheese alternatives?! check out godairyfree.org for a list of products, links and availability