What to Know About Grass Fed Beef

I just read this article today that was published in 2012 and although it is three years old I think it still has some very good points. I really wanted to share this article with all of you because I feel that it is important to really understand where are food is coming from and how it is produces.

What struck me most in this article was what he wrote about organic vs grass fed. I have always felt comfortable purchasing certified organic beef from the grocery store until now. I never really thought about what organic cows eat, have you? Unfortunately it's mostly organic grain which is still just as inhumane as non-organic feed.

Through all of my research in the last year on this subject and visiting beautiful small grass fed/grass finished cattle farms, I learned the importance of why cattle need to eat grass. This article will explain it so I will not go into it, but I have now realized that buying organic beef from the store will no longer be on my grocery list. 

Please keep in mind this is one mans point of view and thoughts, take what you believe is true to you and dig deeper. Link to article The truth about Grassfed Beef

Less is more and quality over quantity is what I believe is balanced and the right thing for me and my family!

Sriracha, How It's Made

Ever wonder how that delicious, addictive Sriracha hot sauce is made? If you are like me, you relish in the knowledge of knowing how food is actually made and the history behind it.

Here's a short video of the CEO explaining the process and the history of the Huy Fong Food company, very cool!

Raw Garlic and It's Healing Powers

Lets talk about garlic and it’s healing properties for the body. Garlic is a member of the lily family and it’s cousins; onion, leek and chives all have powerful healing properties for the body as well. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants dating back as much as 5000 years ago, so you know it has to be legit. Garlic’s most powerful healing properties thus far; come from the sulphur containing compounds it possesses. These compounds are most healing to the body when chopped by hand and eaten raw or cooked at a low heat and for little time (5-15 minutes.) The sulphur containing compound’s help reduce inflammation throughout the body, but specifically in our blood vessels. These compounds are important for the health of our cardiovascular system; they reduce oxidative stress, thus reduce the blood vessels from becoming inflamed. Many sulphur compound’s such as allicin have been shown to help reduce high blood pressure, reduce LDL cholesterol, prevent certain cancers and prevent heart attacks.

The most well known healing properties of garlic are definitely it’s anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. I use raw garlic on a daily basis to prevent a cold or stomach flu, but when you are under the weather, adding raw garlic to your food will help increase the strength of your bodies immune system and hopefully reduce the length of time that you are sick. Garlic has been known to kill unwanted yeast (Candida) overgrowth in the gut as well.

What to look out for when buying garlic

You want your garlic bulbs to be firm and do not contain any mould on them, I like organic garlic much better than conventional, because it is much stronger, easier to peel (usually) and the cloves seem to be bigger and more desirable. Please, please do not buy prepared garlic in a jar or already peeled garlic. They contain very little nutrients and it tastes horrible. By chopping your own fresh garlic you get to not only practice your knife skills but you also release the enzymes that convert alliin into allicin; one of the extremely powerful sulphur compounds that makes garlic so healthy. Do not buy garlic bulbs that have green vines coming out from the top. This means that the garlic is old and will not contain the healing properties that you want and it does not taste as good as fresh garlic. If you do have garlic that contains the little green tops, just remove them; as they are hard to digest.
So the next time you go buy fresh garlic think the following; heart health, immune support, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and cancer prevention. Why wouldn’t you start eating more raw garlic?

Here are a couple of recipes that contain raw garlic that I think you may like

Basil and Pine Nut Pesto

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

Kale Caesar Salad

How To Make Homemade Almond Milk

Homemade Organic Almond Mylk

2 cups whole organic almonds
6 cups water
1 organic vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons  (optional)

Method: 
Soak the organic almonds overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Drain and rinse the almonds, place half of the almonds in the blender with 3 cups of the fresh water. Cover and process on the highest setting for about 1 minute. If you have a nut milk bag, pour the liquid into the bag and strain. I don't have a nut milk bag so I use cheesecloth. Place a large piece of layered cheesecloth into a fine sieve and place it over a bowl. Pour the almond milk through the cheesecloth. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and, using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid from the almonds as possible. Repeat the process with the other half of the almonds and water.

Dry the leftover almond meal on a baking sheet in a 250 degree Fahrenheit oven, for about 40 to 60 min. Make sure the almond flour is completely dry before storing. After the almond flour is dry, I like to run it through the food processor to make it nice and fine. Note: I would probably refrigerate the almond flour after it has cooled and is dried. Great for gluten free baking and smoothies! Here is my gluten free apple and cinnamon muffin recipe made with leftover almond flour. I like to mix half of my almond flour with half of the store bought almond flour. It gives the muffins a nice fluffy texture.

This is my favorite part; flavor your almond milk with the delicious insides of the vanilla bean and the raw local honey. Use a whisk to separate all of those amazing little vanilla beans in the almond mylk, and to incorporate the raw honey. Pour the fresh organic almond mylk into a glass storage container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

The Meatrix (Bringing Awareness to Sustainable Farming)

Produced by Sustainable Table and Free Range Studios, the animated movie The Meatrix spoofs The Matrix while illustrating the problems with industrial agriculture and today’s meat supply. The Meatrix uses pop culture and entertainment to educate viewers about the food they eat and where it comes from. The film features three superhero farm animals including Leo, the young pig who wonders if he is “the One,” Chickity, the feathered family farm defender, and Moopheus, the trench-coat-clad cow with a passion for green pastures. Join the group as they delve into the reality of animal cruelty, antibiotic overuse, massive pollution and destroyed communities.

I can't say or support this website enough. These videos are a simple and perfect illustration of what really goes on in our meat and dairy industries.
The point and purpose of this website is not to stop eating meat and dairy; but to support local, organic farmers that have respect for both their animals and nature. Their practices work together with the animals they raise and the environment in which they live and graze on.

Animals do not need to be treated the way they are in factory and dairy farms. Organic, sustainable farms have shown that if the animals are treated with love and the environment is respected, they can produce nutrient dense, high quality meat and dairy products. We do not have to eat meat or dairy everyday to sustain health. We as society, consume too much! I'm sure many of you are cursing me out right now and saying that it's too expensive to buy local, organic meat and dairy everyday. I would agree, I can't imagine buying organic grass fed meat and organic cheese everyday; I would be broke ass. That is why I suggest cutting your meat consumption down and eating more plants and whole grains. When you do decide to eat meat, buy local and organic and eat less of it in one sitting.

The Meatrix.com

What is Chia?

Where does Chia come from?
Chia is a seed, native to Mexico and was used by Aztec warriors to sustain their hunger and give them long lasting energy back in the day. Many people lived solely off of chia seeds when there was nothing else to eat. The Aztec and Mayan people still use chia today; agua fresca con chia is still a very popular drink today all over Mexico.

Nutrients in Chia
Chia seeds are filled with omega 3 fatty acids, actually they contain more omega 3 than flax seeds. Their hard exterior helps preserve the fatty acids much longer than flax can, so they are more stable than flax seeds.
Chia seeds contain many antioxidants, which help block the oxidation of chemical reaction’s in the body. Therefore reducing the possibility of disease in the body. The seeds also contain high amounts of fibre for healthy bowels and contain a great absorbable source of iron and magnesium. The high amounts of magnesium have been known to relax the muscles and bowels, alleviate muscle pain and constipation.
Chia helps reduce inflammation in the body, balance blood pressure and balance high blood sugar. Really, I don’t see a negative thing with the chia seed, it really is a great whole food to incorporate into your life.

What to do with Chia
When added to water it forms a gel like substance. The downfall to chia is that the seeds get stuck in your teeth like mad. So most of the time I like to grind them. I sprinkle them over my oatmeal in the morning, make a delicious Chocolate and Banana Chia Pudding, add them to muffins and sometimes to my yogurt in the morning with fresh berries.

Cooking and Thinking Outside the Box

I used to be a hard core “inside the box thinker”. I only really started thinking for myself when I was in my 20’s. Before then I lived and thought by what society told me. My whole thinking “outside the box”, started when I went travelling with my awesome cousin Joel. We went to Europe for 6 weeks and at first, I thought I made the biggest mistake ever. I remember walking all day, trying to understand the languages, looking for our hostels in a foreign language and being exhausted after walking all day. I cried and I remember telling Joel “ I can’t do this, it’s just not me.”

I was outside my comfort zone then, and at that time I could not see outside the box. I could not be in the moment, my narrow way of thinking consumed me and I missed out on so much at the beginning of that trip. Then something changed, I don’t recall when it happened but I started thinking differently; for myself, without the ego and without the outer world in my head.

I saw the possibilities; I saw how other people lived and how happy they were just doing their own thing. I saw that there were so many ways to live your life. That is when I started to think about how I really wanted to live my life, instead of how society told me how to live my life.

I realized that, if you truly want something, if you truly feel it and if you truly work hard for it, it will happen. The more authentically you live your life, the more you live your truth; things will just happen. You have to trust the process and you have to truly feel it when you visualize what you want. You also have to be willing to accept your path and accept who you are.

I have had a couple of moments so far in my life, that when I chose to look outside the box, listen and truly feel, the universe has always provided.

I chose to  start my own business when I had no idea on how to run a business, but I trusted myself and truly felt how it would feel if I did live and work on my own terms. I chose to wake up for work no earlier than 8am. I chose to work 4 days a week and have 3 days off. I chose to have more than two weeks of vacation a year. I chose to have a lifestyle where I had the time to think of others instead of being so busy in my own life. I chose less instead of more. I chose to move my cat and I to Mexico to be with Aaron and develop a true relationship. I chose to sell my condo and rent or house sit to be mortgage and debt free. I chose.

All of these decisions have brought me here, to my life as of now. I have an amazing husband, I'm healthy, I love my family and I have my Honey and Vanilla.

I never wanted a website and I never really wanted to share my ideas because I didn’t think they were valuable. Maybe they still aren’t valuable, but I have learned and am still learning, that that is not the point. The point and question is, am I living my truth? Am I following my own path?  Do I love what I do? 

As you may or may not know, I have been trying to figure out a way to help people cook more at home with whole foods. I think that many people feel that cooking and eating whole foods is boring, tasteless and pointless. I tell people that cooking can be quite simple and rewarding, but most people roll their eyes and laugh at me. They say its simple for me because I am a Red seal chef. Well, that is partly true, it is easier for me. But I think these days there are so many cookbooks and cooking shows that complicate the shit out of cooking and it does not need to be like that. I promise.

So this is why I decided to implement my “outside the box” thinking, to how I write my recipes and my articles. If I can teach you how to take one simple nutrient dense ingredient or nutrient dense dish and turn it into one or more, simple nutrient dense dishes, by looking outside the box; then I have accomplished a great goal of mine.

I want you to be able to prepare something for dinner and then see the other possibilities from what is leftover. Or see that every time you make my basil pesto to use as a pizza base, that there are so many other things you could do with one simple, nutrient dense spread.

Every recipe I write has a "Cook Outside the Box" at the bottom of the page. This is to help you become creative and realize that cooking can become quite simple if you just look outside the box. If you make spaghetti sauce, ask yourself, what else could I do with this? If you have a couple of tasty spreads or salsas in your fridge, some fresh vegetables, a couple of protein sources; the possibilities are endless.

I would like your time in the kitchen to be more of a pleasant challenge than a hassle. Hopefully you will become more connected to your food and realize that cooking at home with more whole foods can help balance not only your body and mind but your life as a whole.

Cooking and thinking outside the box= Living for yourself and making your own choices

How to start incorporating more whole foods into your life? Click here: Whole Foods Lifestyle

Bon Appétit! Till next time. 

What is Nutritional Yeast?

What is Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional Yeast is a deactivated yeast that is grown on molasses. It is harvested, washed, and then dried to create a yellowish flaky like product. That yellowish color comes from riboflavin (vitamin B2). Nutritional yeast  is used in many vegan kitchens because it has a “cheesy” like flavor and can be a great supplement to real cheese.
*Note to vegans: I love you but please don’t call your vegan creations nut cheese dips or cheesy vegan macaroni and cheese. It’s not cheese so lets all get along and call it what it is. Don’t be angry :)

Where Do I find it?

You can find nutritional yeast in the bulk section of your local health food store; if you’re lucky you may find it at a regular grocery store as well. If you are looking for nutritional yeast to help increase your vitamin B12, you must buy packages that say "fortified with B12", if it doesn't say fortified then it does not contain B12. Also, buying nutritional yeast in a package instead of in bulk ensures that you are buying nutritional yeast and not Brewer’s yeast, which is not the same at all.

There is one brand out there called Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula for B12. It seems to be a reliable source of Vitamin B12. I did find it in bulk the bulk section at my natural health food store and it did state that it was fortified with B12. But I would not rely on it for my B12 intake. Vitmain B12 is much more complex to absorb then we think.

How Do I Use Nutritional Yeast?

Here are my favourite ways to add nutritional yeast to my food:

• Homemade popcorn with black pepper and grass fed butter
• Homemade tahini dressing (recipe coming soon)
• Homemade falafel (recipe coming soon)
• Creamy nutty vegan sauce for pasta
• Mashed potatoes
• My yummy kale chips (add about 1 tablespoon to the recipe)

*Note: I usually use about 2 tablespoons in most of my recipes.

What’s So Great About Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast is a complete protein; meaning that it contains all 9 essential amino acids to help build and maintain muscle and tissue. It contains many minerals and B-vitamins, especially folate, selenium, phosphorus, and zinc.

Contrary to some articles out there that state that nutritional yeast contains Vitamin B12; it actually contains little or no vitamin B12. Sometimes commercially produced nutritional yeast is fortified with Vitamin B12.

What’s the big deal about Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is part of the Vitamin B family. It is a water-soluble vitamin that is responsible for the proper function of the brain and nervous system. It also helps in the synthesis of our DNA and in the formation of our blood. Vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal products only. Some may argue that B12 is found in plants as well, but it is an inactive B12 analog (an analog is a substance that blocks the intake of true B12).
Here are two great articles on B-12 if you are interested in looking further:

http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/mol

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/vitaminb12

I have been experimenting with a lot of vegan food these days because I want to reduce the amount of meat that Aaron and I eat. We are choosing to eat less meat, not because I don’t believe we should eat it, but rather for health reasons, animal welfare and for the environment.

I always speak about having a balanced diet and I still believe that grass fed, organic meat is necessary to maintain a healthy body but as a society I think we eat too much meat. I would love for you to start eating less meat and start choosing high quality local, organic grass fed meat when you do decide to consume animal products.

People who choose not to eat meat should supplement vitamin B12 because they will not be able to find an efficient, real absorbable source of vitamin B12 through their diet.  Also, people who have severe gut/intestinal problems such as pernicious anemia, crohn’sdisease or celiac disease should get their B12/ homocysteine levels checked periodically. There is a specific protein called intrinsic factor that lies in the lining of the stomach; it is responsible for the normal absorption of vitamin B12. If this protein (intrinsic factor) is depleted or destroyed by these diseases, it makes it very difficult to absorb Vitamin B12 and therefore you can become defficient in B12.

Oxfam "Behind The Brands"

I just discovered this wonderful website called "Behind The Brands" by Oxfam. Oxfam breaks down and exposes specific policies and practices of our biggest food corporations. Issues such as corporate transparency, environmental impact, women's rights, workers' rights, farmers' rights, land rights and water rights are all covered.

I think this is such a wonderful website filled with very helpful information. I encourage you to explore this website for yourself and discover what you can learn and then help spread the word. Have fun!

The Pomegranate

I saw pomegranates in my local grocery store the other day and decided to pay tribute to this amazing nutrient dense fruit. I love to discover what the stories are behind the food that we eat, so here is the story of the pomegranate….

The pomegranate shrub originally came from Iran and Iraq and eventually made it’s way to Latin America, California and South East Asia. The shrub produces these beautiful apple like fruits and within the fruit they contain hundreds of juicy seeds called aerials. The flavor of the delicious pomegranate is sweet and tart at the same time with notes of acidic tannin.

Depending on where you live you can buy pomegranates starting as early asSeptember and as late as the  end of February.

Micro and Macro Nutrients

Pomegranate seeds and their juice contain vitamin C to help maintain a healthy immune system, B5 which helps manufacture red blood cells and certain hormones, vitamin K for proper blood coagulation, fibre for healthy bowels and detoxification, raw enzymes for too many things to mention here and antioxidants to help fight free radical damage in the body.

Pomegranates seeds and their juice have been known to reduce heart disease, prevent blood clots, reduce LDL from oxidizing, fight cell damage and lower blood pressure.
I love to eat pomegranate seeds by the handful as a snack but they are also delicious in mixed green salads, added to quinoa salad, sprinkled on top of ice cream or used in a cocktail as an edible garnish.

The Iranians have a delicious dish called Fesenjan that cooks chicken with pomegranate molasses and walnuts. It is amazingly delicious.
The Lebanese have a delightful dip called Muhammara that contains pomegranate molasses, walnuts and roasted red peppers. It is usually served with pita but I eat it with everything, from roasted salmon, raw veggies and even as a spread in my sandwiches.

*Note
Pomegranates have been known to interact with certain medications so it is important to consult your medical practitioner before consuming high amounts of pomegranate seeds and juice.