Familiar with carrageenan? It might be smart to start avoiding regular consumption of foods containing carrageenan and shop for options made without it.Carrageenan is a water-soluble fiber extracted from red edible seaweeds. It’s widely used in the food industry, for its gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties, in products like soy milk, ice cream, whipping cream, cream cheese, bakery products, cereals, salad dressings, sauces, and snack foods. It’s also used as a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin in some applications. But why is there concern about carrageenan? Should it be avoided? It might be smart to start avoiding regular consumption of foods containing carrageenan and shop for options made without it. The Cornucopia Institute has put together a list of foods with and without carrageenan. View here. Carrageenan is commonly found in
Classified as GRAS by the United States Food and Drug Administration (GRAS stands for “generally recognized as safe”), carrageenan has undergone many long-term dietary studies under defined regulatory conditions en route to its current global regulatory status. "Carrageenan has been used in thousands of biological experiments over several decades, because it predictably causes inflammation. Inflammation is well-known to be the basis for many human diseases and is associated with over 100 human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and arteriosclerosis, and inflammation is also linked to cancer." - Dr. Joanne Tobacman, MD, addresses the May meeting of the National Organic Standards Board. Have you ever made your own plant-based milk? Here are some easy directions to get started from the BEVEGAN® Recipe Collection. Read the full report from Cornucopia Institute here
http://nutrition.about.com/od/foodadditives/f/What-Is-Carrageenan.htm
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Ever wonder why the majority of marathons are held in October and November? It’s the ideal weather for running. The colder the weather, the less heat stress on the body, which makes it significantly easier to run. As an avid runner, I look forward to bringing out my gear for cooler running for many reasons– from the picturesque beauty Mother Nature brings us to the numerous health benefits. Take advantage of running outside as much as possible this fall season - Lace up, put on your layers and hit the trail. Tips & motivators that will enhance your running in cooler temps
What does Miss Bellevue Vegan run with?Base layers (depend on temps, all can be stand-a-lone or used as layers):
Save the seeds! Seeds from winter squash make a great snack food, just like pumpkin seeds. They include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, as well as anti-diabetic and insulin-regulating properties.
Explore the many amazing winter squash varieties while they are in season! A few of Miss Bellevue Vegan's Favorites include:Acorn squash is a great all-around squash, with moist, sweet, tender flesh. They are good for roasting, baking, steaming, mashing, and sautéing. Smaller ones are perfect for stuffing with a protein-rich pseudo-grain like quinoa and fibrous veggies to make an excellent vegan main course. Butternut squash is the sweetest winter squash. It has a thick and moist flesh; its peel is comparatively thin and easy to peel. It's quite versatile as it roasts and sautés quickly. Best of all, is mashes and purees smoothly, with no thick strands or fibrous bits, making it perfect for soups. Spaghetti squash is all about the texture. Once cooked the flesh will pull apart into thick, slightly crisp, noodle-like strands. Try it with tomato sauce or salt, pepper and Bragg's Nutritional Yeast. Sweet Dumpling squash is small and quite cute! They have a yellow skin with bright orange or deep green stripes. The flesh is starchy with a slight corn flavor. The small size makes them perfect for stuffing and roasting. They are an excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of vitamin C. For a complete, nutrient-dense, vegan meal, try stuffed with quinoa, spinach, hulled hemp seeds, sea salt, ground pepper, fresh garlic and olive oil. (See recipe below) Checkout your local farmer's market! |
An amazing, COMPLETE, plant-based protein that is extremely easy to digest. "Complete" refers to amino acids. There are 21 different amino acids that can form a protein and nine that the body can't produce on its own. These are called essential amino acids. In order for a protein to be considered "complete", it must contain all nine of these essential amino acids in roughly equal amounts. Hemp is also rich in two of the most important EFAs: Omega-6 and Omega-3. Hemp has many other health benefits. To name a handful:
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Stayed tuned for more hemp education from Miss Bellevue Vegan!
Plant-Powered Stuffed Winter Squash
2-3 sweet dumpling squash (you can use acorn as well)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3 cups fresh spinach
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup cooked quinoa
4 tablespoons hemp seeds
2-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast (add more or less depending on your taste preference)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Preheat oven to 375 F or 190 C.
- Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. (Remember, the seeds can be roasted like pumpkin seeds.)
- Place squash face-down in an oiled baking dish. Bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes.
- Remove squash from oven but keep oven on.
- Prepare the plant-based stuffing while the squash is baking: Heat coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped bell pepper and sauté for 5-10 minutes. The add in spinach and sauté until spinach is soft and dense. Stir in the cooked quinoa and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, add in nutritional yeast and mix well.
- Turn the squash upright in the baking dish and stuff with the plant-based mixture.
- Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, add hemp seeds to the top of the stuffed squash, serve and enjoy!
EDUCATION & TIPS:
- You can cook with hemp seed, provided that the temperature doesn’t go above 350 F or 175 C. It's best to just add in hemp seeds after any warm meal is done cooking.
- The peel of sweet dumpling squash is generally tender enough to be eaten.
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Healthy Meal Tips and Backpacking Dessert Recipe
Get Geared-Up Vegan Style
Camp Muir, Mt. Rainer
Fueling the Runner's High
"Proper plant-based nutrition sustains energy levels and performance during long hikes fueling you to tackle switchbacks and peak-bagging all day long."
- Miss Bellevue Vegan
Protein + Fat + Carbs
Quality plant-based fat:
• Olive oil • Chia seed • Flaxseed • Sesame seed • Hemp seed • Nuts • Avocados •
Quality plant-based protein:
• Hemp seed nut • Beans • Legumes • Nuts • Seeds • Whole grains •
Energy Level Sustainability
Plant-based iron-rich foods:
• Soybean nuts • Dried peas & beans • Raisins • Peanut butter • Nuts • Nutritional Yeast •
Preventing Muscle Cramps and Stiffness
• Almonds • Beans • Sesame seeds • Sunflower seeds •
Once you get it down, plant-based nutrition is easy to plan and pack for any outdoor adventure.
Grocery Store List: |
Kristin Wuhrman
Owner of BEVEGAN® Grassroots Health. Board Certified Holistic Health Coach. AKA Miss Bellevue Vegan. Plant-Based Health Consultant. Vegan Athlete. Outdoor Enthusiast. Outdoor Gear Reviewer. Author. Cotopaxi Local Ambassador. Animal Lover. Dreamer. Believer.
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