I get this question a LOT. So much so that I realize most people don’t really know why buying organic over conventional is the right choice. Or, they don’t realize the value in buying organic. (The precursor to that question sometimes is “it’s more expensive so..”) So here is a quick little post about why you should value your health, the planet, and future generations by choosing organic.

• Nutrient content - Plants derive their nutrients from the sun and the soil. The nutrients in the soil are in a pH balanced, perfectly textured “solution” that allows maximum absorption by plants. Unfortunately when a chemical cocktail of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides is dumped onto soil the balance is disrupted and nutrients are obliterated. Just take a look at this chart from a Rutger’s University Study:

Organic:1
Conventional: 0

Take a look at how much more iron is in organic spinach! Organic:1 , Conventional: 0. So why buy organic? To get the most bang for your buck.

• Toxic overload – If you read the who, what, and how about the chemicals they are treating your conventional produce with, you’d run for cover. The most commonly used pesticides have been linked to low birth weight, brain disturbance in small children, and infertility. They are hormone disruptors and chemical scavengers. With more and more studies emerging about the severely negative effects of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides I’m putting my money in organic. Who wants that garbage in their healthy bod? Organic: 2, Conventional: 0.

Aside from the fact that I trust Lisa’s opinion, on everything, why did I decide to do Belmonte’s juice cleanse? Well readers, here is why I chose to go with Carol Belmonte’s tried and true cleanse:

• Belmonte Raw is real – which we like here at the Healthy Herbivore. Her juices come in glass bottles and are made from all organic ingredients. (NOTE: you will not, repeat WILL NOT detox if your juice is made with non organic vegetables and stored in plastic bottles. BPA, pesticide juice anyone?)
• Carol talks the talk and walks the walk - Juicing became a very large part of her life after her fasts in Thailand.  When she moved back to Toronto, she just couldn’t break the habit!  Juicing gave Carol the energy to sustain her busy life building Belmonte Raw and working as a personal chef.  She taught herself everything she knows by reading as much as possible from as many different sources as possible. Carol combines what works for her and what works for her clients. In addition she admits she  loves to juice and cannot go one day without her morning green juices. She feels so incredible on juice cleanses (once passed day 2, more on that later), feels so much more focused, more creative and it becomes a way for her to be more creative in the kitchen. She says her senses are heightened which allows her to hone her craft in a way that most do not and can not even think of!
• It’s easy as raw blueberry pie - The juices are delivered to your home, labeled with numbers, and you are given an itinerary on when to drink them. Fool proof.

ready for action

I should preface that by saying that I completely disregarded the fact I wouldn’t be eating did 30 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of interval training. Note to self: do not, repeat do NOT work out that hard on a juice cleanse. When your body expends energy your body wants it back. I was starving all day and it was my own fault. Carol even puts on your juice instructions to “relax” when you have your juice or “do yoga” not chug your green juice after a 30 minute run and 20 minutes of “body rock”. Does. Not. Work.  Either way I made it through the first day. Cranky and hungry, but I made it.

Day 2:

Was better.

Day two was much better. I was a little groggy in the morning but once I started getting my juices in I perked up. After my elixir I was feeling unstoppable. I noticed that as soon as I started to feel a bit hungry it was juice time. Between drinking the juices, the detox tea, and the 3 liters of water Carol suggests, I wasn’t feeling hungry in the least.  Since it was a transition package I had food in the early afternoon. It was quite possibly the best Asian slaw salad I’ve ever had. I savored every bite chewing slowly and mindfully, something I rarely do! Day two was good and only got better. I should note that on day two I noticed my sense of smell and taste were off the chart!

the transition delivery included spaghetti with neat balls – yum!

Day 3:

I was a superstar.

I woke up early, after only 5 hours and 45 minutes of sleep, feeling great. I was pepped for my juice schedule. I actually got behind because unlike day 1, I wasn’t counting the seconds between juices. I became more aware of the sensation of hunger. It sounds strange but until this break from food I hadn’t realized there are times that I eat just because I feel like I should be eating..as opposed to eating when I’m actually hungry. We are all guilty of this. I can tell you this cleanse really got me in touch my my digestion.

day 3 I discovered grapefruit juice and spirulina. so, freakin, good!

I have to admit, I was a little sad it was over on Monday. To celebrate I ate an entire papaya. Don’t ask, I have a weak spot for tropical fruit. Post cleanse I am feeling refreshed and revived. I’m also paying more attention to my hunger and giving my body what foods/juices it needs, when it wants in. In retrospect I can’t believe I was hesitant to get to this point.

I asked Carol if she has any advice for those who are hesitant. She answered “You don’t’ realize how bad you feel until you start to feel good! There is nothing to be hesitant about…life is simply a journey in self awareness. When your body is craving a change, one must listen. Change is never easy, but it is worth it!!” 

Wise words from an awesome lady

Be Well!

Raw Cinnamon Buns:

The Bun ~

• 1 1/4 cup ground almonds (I ground up some in the Blendtec. You can also buy almond meal)
• 1 1/4 cup ground golden flax
• 1 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• pinch of finely ground sea salt
• 1 cup medjool dates, pitted and soaked
• 1/2 cup water, divided
• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar syrup (the ratio to make syrup is 2:1 – 2 parts sugar, one part water. You can make and sub for agave)
• parchment paper

In a bowl, combine the ground almonds, golden flax, cinnamon, and sea salt. Stir with a fork to combine all ingredients well. Set the bowl aside.

In a food processor, process the dates, 1/4 cup of water, and vanilla until smooth. Remove the lid and scrape down the sides as necessary.

Transfer half of the date mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Add in 1/4 cup water and coconut syrup. Stir together (I used my hand of course) until a dough like texture is achieved.

On a sheet of parchment paper, shape the dough into a square that is roughly 1/4 inch thick.

The filling ~

• Remaining date mixute
• 2 tablespoons coconut butter
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 2 dates, pitted and soaked
• pinch of sea salt

Add the coconut butter to the remaining date mixture and process until smooth.

Spread the date mixture onto the cinnamon bun dough.

In a food processor, process the walnuts, dates, and sea salt until thoroughly chopped. Spread this mixture onto cinnamon bun dough.

Using the parchment paper, carefully roll the square into a log. From this point you can chill them in the refrigerator for an hour, slice, and enjoy. They will taste yummy however the texture is very soft. I’ve sliced mine into 12 buns and dehydrated them for 4 hours to add a more firm texture.

Cinnamon goodness!

I highly recommend topping with this:

Cashew icing:

• 1 cup of cashews, soaked for 30 minutes
• 1 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

In a high powered blender combine all ingredients and blend until airy and smooth. Schlack all over the the cinnamon buns and enjoy!

Highly recommend the cashew frosting!

One more, in case you weren't drooling.

Eco-friendly and stylish!

So where did I get my RuMe ? I thieved it from my husband when we were dating, plain and simple. Being the eco-friendly household we are, we always have a surplus of reusable bags filling up our hallway coat closet. He brought this one home from his travels and I plucked from the pile and hoarded for a number of reasons:

• It’s the perfect size: It holds the contents of a single shopping trip. It can also double as my lunch box/purse fitting my Klean Kanteen, Wean Greens, fruit, wallet, and cell phone.
• It’s got a sassy design: Not like the burlap looking bags, or the all black ones. My RuMe has style!
• RuMe is an awesome company: Unbenowst to me when I swiped the bag, was that RuMe is an amazing ethical company. Not only do they support local and national charities, “RuMe’s manufacturing partner in South Korea belongs to the Fair Trade Commission. The KFTC aim is to enhance transparency in business activities and  boost competition in the market environment.”

And you thought it was just a reusable bag?! It’s also incredibly durable and bonus, you can create your own design by adding monograms or photographs to your bag. It even doubles as wrapping paper. Do I need to go on? If you are in Toronto you can go grab your RuMe here! If not you can check retailers here.

The Real Deal Full Disclosure: Seeing as how I stole my bag from my hubs, I did technically get my RuMe bag for free. However, I was not given incentive from RuMe for telling you about how awesome their bags are. But if they need a model for the Spring line I am all in!

Label Reading Rule #4: Evaluate Serving Size.

“These cookies are only 170 calories per serving!” “But a serving is 2 cookies”

Who only eats two cookies?! Make sure you look at what you are getting in one serving and if one serving is all you intend to eat.

Label Reading Rule #5: Take a close look at “The Big 4”

Four things that are commonly over consumed in the North American diet are:

• Fat
• Sodium
• Refined Sugars
• Refined Carbohyrates

This is a good time to mention that eating a whole foods plant based diet really helps with all this label reading business as there are no labels to decode.

FAT:

We only really need about 10%-15% of calories from fat per day. Ideally these fats are unsaturated healthy fats. The bad news is we eat more like 35% of calories from fat, and not the healthy kind. There are good fats and bad fats so check ingredient list. Avoid bad saturated fats such as lard, butter, palm oil, and partially or fully hydrogenated vegetable oils. Look for healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats as well as other unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

never, EVER eat trans fat!

SODIUM:

Sodium is an important electrolyte in the body that is crucial for cellular communication. The human body needs a minimum of 250 mg/day. Unfortunately the average intake is more like 3,000-5,000 mg/day. Sodium should be on a 1:1 with calories. If a product is 100 calories it should be no more than 100 mg of Sodium.

This is a little too high..

SUGAR:

Sugar is not the devil! Our bodies need it in fact your brain actually burns around 500 calories of sugar per day! What is the problem is the type of sugar: added, concentrated, refined. When reading a label you want to look for ADDED sugars. Check the ingredient list. Ingredients are listed in descending order according to weight. If sugar is listed first, put it back. If the first is oats, then honey, then brown rice syrup, put it back. You donʼt want any added sugars in the first 3-5 ingredients. If you see evaporated cane juice be careful. Cane juice is evaporated to decrease the weight BUT the caloric content is the same.

Sugar, Corn Syrup, AND Molasses = put it back!

CARBOHYDRATES:

What you need to be concerned with is, again, the type of carbs and how refined they are. Donʼt look at total carbohydrates, look for refined carbohydrates. Look for the words “whole”, “rolled”, “stone ground”, or “cracked” on the label. These are a green light. If something says wheat flour, itʼs white flour! If the word whole is missing itʼs refined. Look for at least 3 grams of fiber per 100 calories. Avoid enriched white flours. They are stripped of nutrients and contain added synthetic nutrients.

Wheat flour = refined blood sugar spiking white flour. This is actually the ingredient list from Kellog's Fruit Loops Cereal Straws. Please don't ever feed this to your children, it's scary. (pic from http://www.eatmedaily.com)

So there we have it. The top 5 rules to follow when navigating a food label!

Label Reading Rule #2: Always read the nutrition facts and ingredients list.

Look at your saturated fats, sodium, and fiber. Think about the amounts of these things in your package of food and ask yourself if it’s worth it to eat it. Sure something may contain 100 calories but if there is no fiber and all calories are coming from sugar. Think twice.

Label Reading Rule #3: If you can’t pronounce and ingredient, put it back.

Period. There are so many food additives and preservatives that are proven toxic and linked to illness. Food should not resemble something I made, or worked with, in organic chemistry lab.

You may feel angry and despaired wondering how you are going to navigate these labels to find something suitable to eat. Don’t fear, there is hope!

• Firstly, fresh organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes don’t have labels. Viola! Choosing an organic apple as a snack gives you 80 calories, 5 grams of fiber, no chemicals and BONUS quercetin!
• Secondly, shop smart. Find trusted brands that you know don’t use toxic chemicals in their foods. Don’t recognize an ingredient on a label? Research, call the company, ask questions.
• Thirdly, shop health food stores. I hate to sound like an elitist but stores like Whole Foods don’t even allow foods through their doors that contain trans fats or artificial dyes. You aren’t going to find M&M’s at Essence of Life in Kensington Market. Shopping at health food stores help you to weed out toxic food simply because it’s not there.
• Lastly, go with your gut. If you are reading a label and the ingredients look strange and you get that “I’m not really sure I should be eating this feeling” go with it. You probably shouldn’t be!

I’ll re-iterate this - Bottom line: When buying packaged foods read the label, know the ingredients, and make wise choices! Your health is literally in your hands.

Speaking of health in your hands, I highly recommend you watch this documentary with your friends or family, asap! It’s free for a few more days: Hungry For Change

But now for the important stuff. In our last class at Whole Foods we talked about label reading. I have a list of 5 rules that I follow when buying packaged foods. There is no better example to teach you about my rule #1 than this; The Snicker’s Marathon Energy Bar. Andy Bellatti (one of my most favotire RD’s) tweeted an article from the Chicago Tribune about Snicker’s most recent attempt to market a “healthy” product. Yet another fine example of Health Washing. So what is my label reading rule #1? Never, EVER believe what’s on the front of the package. Or the poster advertising the food, or what you hear in the commercials. Never. Read the ingredients. If a food label says it’s healthy, gives you energy, makes you smarter, question it. Why is the company trying to convince you it’s healthy food? Food like kale, broccoli, apples, etc don’t have health claims on them. Why? Because they are healthy and don’t need to prove it to you! Also, there are only 5 claims allowed by Health Canada on packaged foods. Going back to the Snicker’s marathon bar line, marketers have added buzz words like “smart stuff” and “energy” on the front of the package to make you feel good about buying it. But you know the first rule of food label reading (see above) so you flip it over to check out the ingredients:

Snicker's Marathon Bar, chock full of awfulness!

Quadratein (Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Peanut Flour, Calcium Caseinate) {casein is a proven carcinogen, especially in the presence of alflatoxin found on peanuts. Also, protein is isolated using some unsavory methods using things like ammonium sulfate and polyethylene glycol}, Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Skim Milk, Lactose, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin) {Do I actually need to comment? These are the exact ingredients in a highly processed chocolate bar}, Caramel (Corn Syrup, Polydextrose, Palm Kernel Oil, Sugar, Skim Milk, Glycerin, Salt, Whey Protein Isolate, Natural Flavors) {Sugar, oil, milk, water…why am I eating this again?} , Polydextrose, Glycerin, Corn Syrup, Soy Nuts, High Fructose Corn Syrup {yikes! why?!}, Peanuts, Tapioca Starch, Salt, Sucralose {Splenda. More chemicals}, Natural Flavor {This could be any number of ingredients!}, Almonds. Vitamins And Minerals {Because lets face it, without these, it’s a Snicker’s bar with some fractioned protein}: Tricalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Sodium Ascorbate, Niacinamide, Vitamin E Acetate, Biotin, Ferrous Fumarate, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine HCl, Vitamin A Palmitate, Zinc Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Cyanocobalamin, Folic Acid

So there you have it, garbage. Sure you’re getting some protein but you’re also getting 40 grams of carbohydrates all in the form of simple sugars. Snickers fail. A better choice would be to grab a Vega energy bar loaded with tons of nutrition!

Vega Bars, a MUCH better choice!

Dates, hemp protein, almond butter, agave nectar, organic sprouted whole flax seeds, cranberries, raisins, almonds, sesame seeds, organic sprouted mung beans, organic wheat grass, natural berry flavor, lemon juice, organic dulse.

Or better yet, make your own! Here is a recipe from Joyous Health  and you can find a great recipe on page 35 of this book

Bottom line: When buying packaged foods read the label, know the ingredients, and make wise choices!

Sure we have all thought about it before: “What if I were stranded on a dessert island, what would I do?” I too have pondered this but since I love food, it’s always been more like, “WHAT WOULD I EAT?”

As someone who lives a vegan lifestyle I wouldn’t be eating meat or trying to milk any animals. This got me to thinking, what 5 foods would I want with me to make me a happy chef?

1. Hemp Seeds: Containing up to 5 grams of complete protein per tablespoon, these little puppies pack a strong protein punch as well as being a great source of omega fatty acids. I would hope that while catching some rays on the island I would be able to answer the age-old question: “so where do you get your protein?”

2. Nutritional Yeast: An inactive yeast derived generally from beet molasses, these fortified super powered flakes are packed full of vitamin B-12. What vegan wouldn’t want to be stranded on a deserted island and be able to make their favorite cheese sauce or be able to sprinkle it over organic popcorn?

3. Miso: Miso is a paste that is generally made from fermented grains or legumes such as barley, soy, brown rice or chickpeas. It helps to provide a strong depth of flavor that is sometimes lacking in vegan cuisine.  The umami or extra sense of flavor that it provides would be a great addition to any gourmet meal on the island. Added bonus, miso soup is easy to make and easy to digest.

4. Blendtec Blender: Ok, so this one isn’t exactly something I could use on a deserted island or an ingredient per say but it is the best blender on the market in my opinion.  I use my Blendtec more than I use my stove these days to make things like cashew cheesecake, raw soups or smoothies loaded withMum’s Original Super foods.  Give me my high-powered blender and I am one happy vegan chef!

5. Tonica Kombucha: We’ve touched on everything so far except for a nice refreshing drink.  If I’m on a deserted island I’m going to assume that I have red wine with me. (Wouldn’t everyone?) To combat those mornings after I’ve had one too many organic Chiantis I’m going to need something to wake me back up.  Kombucha is a fermented tea that helps aid in digestion, provides healthy bacteria for the body and is a convenient way to take away that morning after feeling.

So, the moral of the story.  Don’t get stranded on a deserted island if you don’t have to but if you do, make sure you have all of your favorite things with you.

Just a few of the Mum's Original products I enjoy at home.

Why I love Mum’s Original:

• Transparency – you know everything about their product from the farm to the processing.
• Passion – the owners of mums are dedicated to ethical food production.
• Quality – if love goes in, love comes out. This is easily seen in all of Mum’s Original products.

Things I would change:

• Recipes on the bag – just for things like steel cut oats. It saves me googling time. That’s really about it!

Mum’s Original serves up nothing but quality products brought to you by a company that truly cares.

The “Real Deal, Full Disclosure”: I found out all about Mum’s Original via Borden Communications. Mum’s was generous enough to allow me to try their products free of charge. I did not pay for the product BUT I also didn’t get paid to tell you how awesome they are. If Mum’s would like to hire me, they can pay me in coconut sugar coated cacao nibs.

Over the last year, facts about the detriments of an animal based diet have been popping up more and more in the media. Everyone from football player Tony Viammetta to Bill Clinton are publicly adopting a plant based diet and the over consumption of animal based foods has been linked to everything from global warming to colon cancer. As a consumer staring down the barrel of these frightful fates, you decide to stop eating animal products because you love animals, love the planet and love yourself. The real deal: going vegan doesn’t automatically mean you will be healthier. A light doesn’t shine down from the heavens and anoint you with lower cholesterol and slimmer waste line. In fact there are just as many processed vegan foods as there are animal based foods. Yes, you can be vegan and still be eating garbage. Did you know that Oreos are vegan? Kettle cooked potato chips? Duncan Hine’s classic vanilla frosting with bubblegum flavor mix? The whole idea of adopting a plant based diet is to restore health and vitality but you can easily fall into the trap of…junk vegan food. Hydrogenated fats are bad in any form. Chemicals are chemicals and processed food is processed food.

Yes, all of this junk is vegan.

Going back to my disclaimer, life is about enjoyment and being a food nazi isn’t fun for anyone. On my birthday, I want cake. Once in a while I want vegan biscuits and gravy for brunch. The point I am getting at is just because something is vegan, organic, or gluten free does not mean it’s good for you. Adopting a plant based diet is about making a change, so make a change!

Be Well!