We all know what they say about beans!

Okay, so I've been back in the kitchen full swing this past week and I can't wait to share my many successes with you guys. I wish I could post them all in a single post, but I need you guys to keep coming back for more, right?! 

So far my vegan experience has been wonderful. Because I have fully committed, without any marginal room for errors, it makes it a whole lot easier to resist processed foods and desserts (seeing as most pastries, ice creams, frozen yogurts, cookies, etc contain both dairy milk, and eggs). That's not to say that you can't make your own tasty & healthy vegan desserts. My calorie count has naturally declined by excluding those rare high fat, high caloric desserts, that I'd very occasionally indulge in. I have also cut out cheese which was another food that I commonly threw in my salads and dishes that very quickly jumped up my calorie & fat counts. BUT with resisting all these foods and cutting out all meat I am super surprised to say that I have not missed any of this..at all. I have yet to feel hungry, tired, or have any crazy unbearable craving for any of the foods that I have cut out.

 How can that be possible?

Well, I believe this is the case because with cutting that stuff out, I have upped my emphases on making sure I am getting enough of the things my body really needs and replaced those unnecessary calories with vital ones. Example: by cutting out even more processed foods has left me with no choice but to incorporated more fresh produce (as if I wasn't eating a lot already), so my body is very efficiently being fueled because of the body's natural ability to break down and utilize plant based foods. So as "extreme" as veganism sounds, it is actually very compatible and natural for the human body. And as I briefly mentioned in my previous post, getting enough plant based protein is high priority, since I do a lot of running and weight training. A no-brainer way to get your protein punch and a mouthful of flavor is beans and rice. Beans and Rice in unison makes a complete protein. So I threw together a concoction that is definitely a keeper. My kids cleaned their plates, and then kept asking for seconds and thirds as the night progressed. The Olympics had kept us all up past our bed time and as 10 o' clock was approaching we were heading downstairs to finally get the kids to bed and both kids start asking for their 3rd helping of rice. This might have been a tactic to try to stay up later, but either way they scarfed it down time and time again.  It has a touch of heat to it but if my kids can handle it over and over, so can you!

Spicy black beans and rice

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp garlic, minced

dried bay leaves (chopped or whole)- optional

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 c. brown rice (I used part brown, part wild)

2 (14 oz) cans of black beans (I used a Cuban variety) -drained and rinsed

1 or 2 (14 oz) cans of Rotelle diced tomatoes with green chile's-drained

3 c. vegetable broth

1 c. water

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place oil, garlic, pepper, bay leaves, and cumin in large pot over medium-high heat and cook for about 8 minutes. (use 2 cans of rotelle for more spice, or stick to 1 for mild spice)

Stir in rice, black beans, rotelle, broth, water, vinegar, salt, & pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover with lid and reduce the heat to low. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Eat it up! 

You can replace the vegetable broth with all water, but the veggie broth just adds a little extra umph. To make my veggie broths I usually use "Better than bouillon organic vegetable base" found in a little 8 oz jar, and you just add 1 tsp of the base per 1 c. of water. It's delicious. I pretty much cook all my rice in this broth no matter what I'm making.

Stay tuned for more smoothie, spaghetti squash, chick pea salad, and snack recipes that I have experimented with this week!

Simply. Healthy. Nikki signing out.

Summer extravaganza!

I know, I know, I disappeared yet again. Ooof, life, tis' a whirl wind. I have actually been hesitant to post because, well, I've been reading a new book called "The China Study" which has actually majorly altered a lot of my nutritional values. It's like thinking the world is flat your entire life and then finding out that it's actually round. Yeah, that major. I'll explain.

When I was 16 I went vegetarian, partially because of animal rights, partially because of the health benefits that I had researched, and partially because, well I wanted to be different. It didn't last terribly long however, because I wasn't fully invested, and I really didn't know what I was talking about. My scarce research wasn't enough to sustain my erratic naive decision. Twinkies are a vegetarian food, but that doesn't make them good for you...I was too uneducated. When I did decide to start eating meat again, I made a choice to only eat lean meats, aka chicken and turkey. And that decision stayed with me, up until now. BUT NOW, oh man, I'm switching it all up. Doing something I've never done, because I've learned something that I never knew, and most of America doesn't know. I'm going Vegan.

RIGHT?!?!?!? NIKKI ARE YOU LOSING YOUR MIND??? I ask myself this frequently, however, I feel very confident in my educated decision. At least you can understand why I've been reluctant to blog. This is new to even myself, how do I continue to blog on nutrition when what I was taught about healthy eating is now being proven to be a major part of the growing cancer rates in our society. "The China Study" is one of the most comprehensive & thorough nutritional research studies done to date, an entire 27 year long research project headed up by Dr. Campbell. Ironically enough, it has some of the most provocative results. To get real solutions, you need real research, using reasonable statistics, funded by un-biased sources, and time. That's exactly what was done. It has been shown repetitively that 'case-in', the protein that is predominantly found in animal products, has the ability to literally turn on and off the growth of cancer. We aren't talking about consuming astronomical amounts of case-in, we are talking about just consuming 20% of  your caloric intake from animal products can create the on switch for extreme cancer growth. Did you know that Americans are easily consuming more that 20% daily? And when they tested high amounts of plant based protein they have NO cancer growth. I'm just barely scraping the surface of what the book entails, and the type of research that has been done. I highly advise reading it if you want more thorough answers. He left no rock unturned in my eyes, but feel free to read it for yourself and come to your own conclusions. Dr. Campbell was raised on an animal farm, consuming high amounts of fresh animal by-products daily, and grew up with the same understanding that I had, that animal protein is complete and necessary for proper growth and nutrition. If what I am saying is true, and everything we have learned about drinking our milk and eating our meat is fallacy, wouldn't you want to know the facts? You can find out more about The China Study here.

Whew, anyways..now that you guys are all ready to send me hate mail and unsubscribe, let me prove to you that Vegan food can be scrumptious and still simple. Even if you have no intention of ever going vegan there are still recipes on here for you (perhaps just making a meatless Monday, to reduce your carbon footprint and amount of casein consumed, would work for you), and I will show you ways of getting adequate amounts of plant based and complete protein. This blog will still be loaded with fun applicable nutritional facts, motivation, and exercises!

 We just got back from a little summer vacation to the grand canyon. OHH, EMMM, GEEEEE, was it INCREDIBLE! My little darlings LOVED camping, and I LOVED hiking and exploring such an enormous and flawless geographical landmark. I don't think I ever fully understood the term "breathtaking" until now.

 I mean who wouldn't LOVE to run along the rim while the sun is rising, or a yoga session in the woods completely surrounded by natures goodness (deer and elk were everywhere, they walked right up to our campsites- so cool)!

While camping I indulged in vegan hot dogs over the open fire, vegan oatmeal bake in the dutch oven (almond milk, vanilla, honey, bananas, blueberries, and oats), vegan approved homemade granola for our hikes, and lots of fruits and PB & J! Life was good...I didn't ever want to leave. But reality must return. Needless to say this vacation really got me in the summer mood. What better way to celebrate summer than with a summer squash pasta dish?! Plus, I had a box of quinoa based pasta I was dying to try.

Summer Squash Pasta

Ingredients:

4 summer squash, sliced thin

1/2 medium onion, sliced

2 TBSP of minced garlic

2 tomatoes, diced

3 TBSP olive oil

1 8 oz box of pasta of choice (I used the Quinoa Rotelle pasta as pictured above)

Parsley, basil, oregano, salt, & pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil pasta according to package. 

Saute squash, onions, and garlic in oil, in pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add tomatoes, and seasonings, and cook for an additional 5 minutes or so until tomatoes are heated and soft, and squash and onions are translucent. Toss in drained cooked pasta, add additional oil and seasonings to taste if needed.

Simple enough, right? Enjoy!

Fun facts about summer squash: 1 cup of squash is only about 30 calories, contains relatively no fat or cholesterol, but is rich in protein, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. It also contains magnesium, fiber, vitamin A, iron, copper, riboflavin, folate, and phosphorus. What does that mean? It means it promotes a healthy heart, healthy eyes, strong bones, and strong immunity. Oh and it's particularly rich in potassium too which keeps your fluid levels balanced and provides energy to muscles. 

How are you processing all of this? Let me know what you think! Feedback always welcome!