Are Raw Foods Good for Weight Loss?

Question: Are raw foods good for weight loss?

Answer: It’s an open secret in the health world that eating raw has a built in weight reduction mechanism. Raw foods have higher water content, fiber and nutritional values than their cooked counterparts.

Going raw also keeps you away from two of the main weight gain culprits – refined sugars and flours. Whatever the reason, we think the raw food diet is the best way to lose weight because it’s simply so satisfying!

The higher water content of raw foods encourages weight loss. When food is cooked, it loses its moisture and becomes denser. Raw foods, loaded with water, fill you up sooner. You wind up eating less because you are filling up on low calorie, nutrient rich foods. You may find yourself eating more frequent, lighter meals.

The water in raw foods is the water of life that is designed to sustain our bodies. Going raw naturally creates a light cleansing effect that purifies and assists our body in weight loss.

Mark Reinfeld, Author, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine: Healing Recipes and Timeless Wisdom from our Hearts to Yours & The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw (Complete Idiot’s Guide to)

Please visit www.veganfusion.com or www.blossominglotus.com for more information.

Conquering Lion Cashew Cheez

Conquering Lion Cashew Cheez
	20 min prep / 6 hrs-overnight culturing / 3-4 servings

One of our Twitter friends asked what our favorite vegan cheese is.  Making your own cheez is a great choice.  Here is one of our recipes from Vegan Fusion World Cuisine. Ingredients 2 C Cashews 1 C Filtered water 1 / 3 C Red bell pepper, diced 2½ Tbl Green onion, diced 2 Tbl Cilantro, minced 1 tsp Garlic, minced (optional) 1 tsp shoyu, or to taste ¼ tsp Sea salt, or to taste Pinch Crushed red pepper flakes Loving preparation 1. Blend cashews with filtered water until very smooth. Place in a ½ gallon open-mouthed glass jar. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band. Cover with a towel and allow to sit in a warm place overnight. 2. Pour cashew mixture into a large mixing bowl, combine with remaining ingredients and mix well. Variations Delicious when made with macadamia nuts or pine nuts. Blend 1 C of chopped red pepper with cultured cashew mixture, before adding the remaining ingredients. Replace cilantro with other fresh herbs. Add ¼ C grated carrots or beets. Replace bell pepper with other fresh veggies. Serving suggestions Use as a dip for Flax Crackers.Use as a spread in Live Nori Rolls or scoop into a salad.

Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions for Becoming Vegan

As the New Year approaches, many of us look forward to a fresh start. Some will decide to go vegan, or at least include more vegan foods in their diet. Here are 5 mini resolutions that can strengthen you in your newfound conviction.

1. I resolve to think about where my food comes from. There are no hamburger or hotdog trees in the wild. Our food begins to look differently when we think of what was involved in bringing it to the table. Remember that ‘veal’ is actually a baby cow and lamb chops come from baby sheep.

2. I resolve to examine the impact my food choices have on the planet. Plan on going green in ’09? Realize that by choosing plant based foods at every meal you are reducing your environmental impact more than by driving a hybrid car or even bicycling to work.

3. I resolve to be kind whenever possible. Deciding whether to dine on sushi or a cucumber avocado roll? Making your food choices based on which option causes the least suffering is a radical step to bring more peace into this world. One of our favorite sayings is ‘Peace begins in the kitchen!’

4. I resolve to read labels. This step will help you to make healthier food choices and eliminate hidden animal products in your foods. Even “non-dairy’ creamers actually contain dairy products! Remember that ingredients such as whey or sodium caseinate are derived from milk.

5. I resolve to learn more about the benefits of vegan cuisine. Read books like Vegan Fusion World Cuisine, Diet for a New America, The China Study, The World Peace Diet and others that delve into the many benefits of vegan cuisine for our health and the health of our planet.

Roasted Squash – Quick and Easy

Roasted Squash

Thoroughly wash the outside of the squash. Slice in half, remove seeds and place on a well-oiled baking sheet ( or enough water to keep moist and prevent sticking to sheet ) Bake at 400 degrees until a knife easily passes through. Serve on its own with a drizzle of maple syrup. Or season with some flax oil, fresh minced herbs, nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste.

Meat Free for the Health of It

A great deal of evidence exists linking the consumption of animal products to heart disease and certain forms of cancer. Other studies suggest that over-consuming animal products leads to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, gout, and kidney stones. In addition, animals raised on factory farms are routinely given hormones to accelerate their rate of growth, and antibiotics to protect their health when housed in less than sanitary environments.

Go Veg, Walk Lightly

Following a vegetarian lifestyle is a great way to help the planet. Today, people are becoming more aware of environmental issues. Earth Day celebrations, rain forest preservation, and global warming initiatives are becoming more widespread. But how does eating meat-free help the earth?

The environmental impact of a vegan diet is a fraction of the impact of the standard American diet (SAD), with its high consumption of animal products and processed foods. Going veg for the planet returns a lot of positive effects. Check out this list for a few of the biggies:

Feed the hungry. Animals are fed more than 80 percent of the corn and 95 percent of the oats grown in the United States. Each year, the U.S. livestock population consumes enough grain and soybeans to feed more than five times the U.S. human population. Less than half of the harvested agricultural acreage goes to feed people.

Preserve the rain forests. To support cattle grazing, Latin American countries are deliberately destroying their rain forests. These rain forests contain close to half of all the species on Earth and many medicinal plants. For each acre of forest land cleared for human purposes, 7 acres of forest is cleared for grazing livestock or growing livestock feed.

Pure and clean water. The factory farm industry causes a tremendous amount of groundwater pollution due to the chemicals, pesticides, and waste runoff inherent in its practices.

Efficient land use. The human population is increasing at a dramatic rate. How we use land to produce food is more of an issue as the human race proliferates. According to the USDA, 1 acre of land can produce 20,000 pounds of vegetables. This same amount of land can only produce 165 pounds of meat.

There are many more benefits, of course, including soil preservation, the rights of indigenous people, and promoting sustainable agriculture. Insuring the integrity of the plant kingdom as our sole food source is one of the greatest challenges humankind faces today.

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HOLIDAY KANTEN

Here is a great festive holiday dessert. Kanten is the vegan version of jell-o (which is made with gelatin- a product that comes from the collagen inside the skin and bones of animals such as cows and horses). Ours is thickened with agar flakes, a gelatin made from wild sea vegetables.

Place 2 cups of fruit juice in a saucepan on medium heat. We like grape or berry juice.

Cook until juice begins to simmer.

Whisk in 2 Tbl. of agar flakes and continue whisking until agar dissolves, approximately 5 minutes.

Remove from heat,

add 1 cup of berries such as cranberries and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.

Pour into a medium bowl or shaped molds and refrigerate until chilled and solid, approximately 2 hours.

Listen to Vegan Holiday on Public Radio

Click this link to listen Mark’s 5 minute excerpt from the show ( link will open a new audio player window hosted at Earth Harmony Home )

We are happy to announce that Blossoming Lotus Founding Chef Mark Reinfeld has been interviewed on Public Radio’s food show, The Splendid Table, now in its 14th year of broadcasting. This popular program was named “1999 Best National Radio Show on Food” by the James Beard Foundation, and “2000 Best National Syndicated Talk Show” by American Women in Radio and Television.

Mark discussed a Vegan Holiday Feast with host Lynne Rossetto Kasper the weekend of December 13th and 14th on over 200 stations across the United States, and world-wide via SIRIUS and XM satellite. Please help us spread the word by forwarding this newsletter to your friends and family.

Mark’s interview segment is included in the audio podcast here. ( link will open audio player window.  Audio hosted on Earth Harmony Home )

Vegan Holiday Survival Tips

As the holidays approach, many vegans, especially those new to the lifestyle, tremble at the thought of visiting their omnivorous relatives and friends. “What do you mean you don’t eat meat? What do you eat? How do you get enough protein?” are just some of the inevitable questions we confront at holiday parties.

To answer the protein question, please see our recent blog The Protein Myth. Please read on for 3 survival strategies for vegans during the holiday season.

Vegan Holiday Tips

1. Avoid proselytizing. Holiday parties are usually not the place to break out your photos of factory farms. If others are curious about your new lifestyle, answer questions to the best of your ability. Remember, even if you are outnumbered (you may find yourself the only vegan in the room), there are millions of other healthy and happy people who embrace a vegan diet.

2. Be prepared. When invited to parties where you think the vegan food will be in short supply, you can politely let the host or hostess know of your vegan lifestyle and ask if there will be anything you can eat. If appropriate, offer to bring a dish to share. This has the added benefit of introducing others to delicious plant based cuisine. Desserts are an especially effective way to introduce folks to the pleasures of the vegan table. When in doubt, you can always eat your fill before you go to the party, pack a couple of energy bars or trail mix, and content yourself on a salad or whatever other vegan foods happen to be available.

3. Smile like you mean it. Demonstrate through your demeanor that your choice in lifestyle is working for you. Being positive and compassionate – Its contagious!

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Vegan Channukah

This year channukah is from 22nd of December 22nd to the 29th. As the festival of lights approaches, here is a vegan take on a traditional channukah dish- potato latkes, typically made with eggs.

Vegan Latkes

2 medium russet potatoes, cleaned and coarsely grated

2 TBL ground flax seeds

1/4 cup diced onion

1/2 tsp sea salt

oil for sauteing

Preparation

Heat a griddle or large saute pan on high heat. Combine all ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl and mix well. Well oil the griddle or pan. Place 1-2 tablespoons of the potato mixture on the pan and cook for until the bottom is browned, approximately 3 minutes. Gently flip and cook until brown. Remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with apple sauce or vegan sour creme.

Variation: Replace potatoes with yam or sweet potato.

Vegan Sour Cream

10 minutes / 2 cups

2 cups Vegan Mayonnaise, see recipe

1 1/2 Tbl. Lemon or lime juice, fresh squeezed

1 1/2 tsp. Green onion ( the greenest part ) or chives, minced

1/2 tsp Dill, fresh, minced ( or 1/4 tsp. dry )

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well

Vegan Mayonnaise

10 minutes / 3 1/2 cups

2 1/4 Cups Safflower oil

1 Cup Soy milk

1 Tbl Maple syrup or agave nectar

3/4 tsp Sea salt, or to taste

2-2 1/2 Apple cider vinegar, raw or lemon juice, fresh squeezed

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients except vinegar or lemon juice in blender, blending until smooth. Slowly add vinegar or lemon juice until liquid thickens.

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