Celebrating an all-natural lifestyle

Conservation Burgers

Hi guys!

Thanks for showing veganism some love in the comments to my last post.

It’s Sunday. And what does that mean? It means food prep for the week to come. At some point I mean to detail for you exactly how I plan for the week ahead. But for now, I’ll give you an overview. No matter how busy I am, I always use weekends to:

• Wash, spin, prep, and bag my greens
• Prepare 2-3 salad dressings/sauces
• Prepare one large soup and freeze half
• Prepare almond milk
• Make juice — both for morning drinking, and also to incorporate into various soups (ie, carrot-avocado bisque)

The rest of my food prep, for the most part, happens during the week.

There are some weeks, though, where I know I’ll be out or coming home late every night. This is one of those weeks. Anticipating a paucity of kitchen time, I’ll take as much advantage as possible of my Sunday afternoon to prepare food that’s fridge-stable for a few days. I happened to be editing like a madwoman today, which meant many hours in my apartment — all the better for patiently overseeing some food prep! On my agenda this afternoon:

• 3 soups: celery root bisque, African yam and kale soup, and semi-raw beet soup
• baked beets
• baked yams (great for nourishing breakfasts and pre-workout snacks)
• soaking and cooking garbanzo beans
• 3 raw salad dressings (avocado cumin, Asian dressing, and zucchini dressing)
• raw zucchini hummus
• raw zucchini wraps (recipe forthcoming!)
• almond milk
• carrot/celery/romaine juice
• raw burgers with raw ketchup

Phew! What a tasty roundup.

My highlight of the day? The burgers. There are multitudes of raw burger recipes out there. Just do a simple search, and you’ll find infinite varieties, using all sorts of nut/seed bases. I’ve got my own little group of favorites, and I like to continually invent new combinations. But I always like to include carrot and celery in the base, and I like to add some parsley to the mix, too.

This particular batch of burgers captured up the spirit of my weekend aptly, since they were devised specifically to use up the dregs of my food prep. Two things I’m always sure to have on hand at the end of the weekend are almond meal (from almond milk) and juice pulp. I’ve blogged before about things I like to make with juice pulp; suffice is to say, I never like letting it go to waste. I have been known, though, to toss out my almond meal, which isn’t cool. The whole point of eating a mostly raw, plant based diet is to use up what nature gives us, and I like to think that a spirit of conservation animates my kitchen.

With that in mind, I came up with conservation burgers. Using almond and juice pulp as my base, I came up with little patties that aren’t so very different from my carrot falafel (without the Middle Eastern spices, of course). They’re super tasty and easy to prepare. I also like that they’re nut-based, but not nut-heavy; the finely ground almond meal takes second stage to the veggie pulp and fresh parsley, so the resulting burger is light and bright.

Choosing Raw Conservation Burgers (makes 6 patties)

Ingredients

1 cup almond meal (leftover from almond milk prep)
1 1/2 tightly packed vegetable juice pulp (I used carrot/romaine/celery)
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Spike salt free seasoning (or substitute herbs you like)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp sea salt (use personal taste)

Procedure

Blend all ingredients but parsley in a food processor till well mixed. Add water as needed; mix should be moist, but firm. Add parsley at the end and pulse to incorporate.

Dehydrate patties at 115 degrees for 2-3 hours on each side, and enjoy!

Along with these, I took my very first stab at raw ketchup. Boy oh boy — this is a new winner!

Raw Ketchup (yields one cup)

1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 heaping tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp Bragg’s liquid aminos
1 heaping tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp water

Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend, starting on low and switching to high, until well blended.

Yummy, no?

These burgers will (I suspect) keep for at least four days in the fridge, so I can’t wait to enjoy them at my desk for work lunches this week!

Waste not, want not. Hope this shows you how easy it is to do fun things with food prep odds and ends.

OK guys — enjoying the last bit of the Grammys before another busy week begins. Have a great night!

xo

A shift away from veganism in the raw world?

Greetings, all!

Glad you liked my cabbage cups. I love having readers who appreciate the joys of simple food as much as I do.

A few days ago, blog reader Lisa sent me a link to this article, which details ongoing controversy about whether or not a 100% raw, vegan lifestyle is optimal. A few notable raw figures have recently announced that they’re adding small amounts of animal proteins back into their diets in response to poor bloodwork, or as a concession to personal preferences. As a result, various experts on raw and vegan nutrition have offered their opinions on whether or not the raw vegan lifestyle is sustainable, optimal, or even feasible.

I found most of the responses, with the exception of Doug Graham’s unintelligable rant, quite reasonable. But what strikes me as noteworthy about these revelations is the fact that the impulse in all cases has been to move away from veganism, rather than away from 100% raw diet. The response to certain perceived flaws in the raw vegan diet has been (in most cases) to eat raw dairy. This seems relatively common: in my own personal navigations through the raw community, I’ve known many men and women who ultimately felt that a 100% raw vegan diet was far too limiting, and chose to add either goat milk products or eggs back into their routines.

These are personal choices, occasioned by unique circumstances. I’m not familiar with the full range of health and psychological factors that prompted the decision to eat animal products again, and so I won’t comment upon the efficacy of the choice. I do, however, wish to offer an alternative course of action to anyone who’s been trying an all raw vegan approach, and is encountering either deficiencies or a sense of limitation.

The alternative? Rather than adding raw animal products to your routine (like goat’s milk kefir, raw cheese, or eggs), try adding a wider variety of cooked vegan foods to your diet. Many new raw foodists become unbelievably zealous about being as raw as possible, and in the process they eschew grains, legumes, root vegetables, minimally processed soy, and other mainstays of veganism. This, in conjunction with giving up all animal products, certainly can lead to feelings of deprivation, and it can, especially when paired with undereating, lead to nutritional deficiencies. (Note that I say “can,” not “will”–I know scores of vegans who are 90-100% raw at all times and feel and look incredible.)

One of the reasons often cited for rejecting raw veganism is low levels of vitamins D or B-12. While it’s true that vegans can be susceptible to deficiencies in both of these, it is also true that simple supplementation can prevent them–a point which both Fred Bisci and Shazzie make in the article above. So, first things first: if you’re low in B-12 or Vitamin D, you needn’t feel pressured to abandon veganism! Seek out a high quality vegan or raw vegan supplement or multivitamin (I’m currently loving Garden of Life’s Vitamin Code line). This route is, in my opinion, ethically preferable to giving up on veganism, and I encourage you to consider it if you’ve been told that you’re low in either vitamin. I’ve been a vegan for years with consistenly high B-12 levels, but I know that this may not persist over the course of decades, and I’ll be happy to supplement if I need to.

But as I mention above, another common reason for giving up on the raw, vegan lifestyle is the feeling that one’s diet is simply too restricted and narrow. And it’s this concern that I really want to talk about today.

As you guys can imagine, I’m often asked whether or not I am, or think others should be, 100% raw vegan. The answer is no. Do I believe that there are many people who can and will thrive on a 90-100% raw vegan diet in the long term? Absolutely! I’ve met many who are. Do I believe that most people–women especially–are well suited to eat a completely raw and vegan diet forever? No. This is partially psychological: most women I’ve met and counseled ultimately feel limited on a 100% raw and vegan protocol, and the sense of limitation can spur on unhelathy or disordered eating habits. As for the nutrition angle, it’s tough to make broad statements, because women’s bodies differ so dramatically, but most women I see feel best if they continue to eat some cooked foods, in addition to raw ones. This has certainly been true for me.

So what does this have to do, exactly, with “the shift away from veganism in the raw world”? Well, it seems to me that the problems underlying this shift and the problems I’ve encountered as a nutritionist are one in the same: a feeling that the 100% raw, vegan diet isn’t varied enough to be sustainable. And if this is the concern, an increase in cooked vegan foods may be the answer.

It’s interesting: people who are interested in raw veganism tend to fall into two camps. Some were preexisting vegans who became gradually intrigued by eating more raw food. And some are are former omnivores who were interested in the idea of raw food itself.  I would say that most raw vegans I’ve met–and that’s most, not all–fall into the latter category. They were generally healthy eaters, though not necessarily vegans, who were attracted to the idea of “raw” more than the idea of veganism.

Not me. Veganism was an important part of my life long before I got interested in raw foods. When I started eating more raw, my goal was to boost alkalinity and digestion with more raw food, not to switch to an entirely uncooked diet. To this day, raw foods are only a part of my vegan lifestyle. Eating them has made a world of difference in my life–my skin, my energy, my digestion, my mental clarity, my moods, and my overall well being. I love preparing them and sharing them with you all. But they’re only one component–albeit a major component–of my well-rounded vegan diet, which also includes non-raw foods.

I’ve never stopped eating certain foods that are typically eaten in cooked form: grains, legumes, root vegetables, sprouted breads. Some raw foodists choose to sprout these instead; I don’t. (I actually find grains and legumes easier to digest cooked!) But regardless of how one chooses to prepare them, I believe that these foods–along with a combination of raw and cooked vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, sea vegetables, and fruits–is the key to a balanced vegan diet. They’re important sources of protein, minerals and nutrients for most aspiring vegans, and they lend a sense of variety and wholeness to a plant-based diet.

If a client who was trying to maintaing a 100% raw, vegan diet came to me with the complaint that he or she felt undernourished or limited, I would first ask a bunch of questions:

1. Are you eating enough? New raw foodists often overdo it with fasting regimes and abstinence–long before their bodies are ready for such measures. If you’re feeling tired or weak on a raw protocol, it may well be because you’re not taking in adequate portions of food.
2. Are you eating enough healthy fats? While I certainly believe that many new raw foodists overdose on fats in the form of nuts and seeds, I maintain that fats are important for energy and overall health. Avocados, coconuts, healthy oils, and nuts/seeds are all important components of brain function, immunity, hormonal balance, and reproductive health.
3. Are you eating enough variety? This is usually the crucial question. As dearly as I love giant salads–and boy, do I love them dearly!–man was not made to live on greens alone. Eating a variety of vegetables (in addition to grains, nuts/seeds, fruits, sea vegetables, and legumes) is important.

Oftentimes, a client who has been complaining of being stuck in a rut with raw foods will agree to eating a few more cooked meals weekly, with legumes and grains. The result is an immediate increase in energy and mood–if only because said client feels grateful to have more food options. And if she can maintain a sense of balance by eating raw and cooked, she’s far more likely to thrive on a vegan diet in the longterm.

Every body is different. Some people who hit a rut with the 100% raw vegan diet  really do believe that they’re in need of animal protein. But to those who find themselves in this situation and wondering which course of action to take, I’d say this: expand your veganism before you turn to animal products again. Try eating a wider variety of vegan foods, even if this means eating some that are cooked. It may be the key to sustaining a mostly raw, all vegan diet in the long run, and it will save you the ethical and nutritional ambiguities of eating animal products once again. Your body, the planet, and animals will thank you.

And to any of you who have been diving whole hog into raw veganism, remember: you’re aiming to create a lifestyle for yourself that’s sustainable not just for a month or a year, but for the rest of your life. Think carefully about how narrowly you want to set your parameters. There can be huge pressure, as one enters a mostly raw or all raw lifestyle, to give up a huge number of previously cherished foods. Always be smart about maintaining a diet that’s feasible and, most of all, pleasurable for you! If this means maintaining some variety, please do. Be gentle and realistic with yourself; you’ll be grateful later.

Happy weekend, friends!

xo

Simplicity.

Ah, simplicity.

It seems that everywhere we look, we’re being encouraged to simplify our lives: to streamline our to-do lists, to downsize our list of obligations, to clean out our closets. I can think of at least four yoga classes in the last two months that have begun with the injunction to simplify, simplify, simplify.

We all want lives that are simple and streamlined: lives in which all of our priorities have magically been distilled from needless anxieties or obligations. But of course, it’s easier said than done. These days, for example, there’s nothing I’d like more than a simple and streamlined existence. But I can’t have one–and I can think of a whole lot of women who have far more obligations than I do!

The one area of my life in which I can have simplicity, though, is in what I eat. Now as always, nothing makes me happier than food that is prepared as simply and as minimally as possible. And it seems that, the busier and more hectic life is, the more I crave simple, nourishing foods.

The following recipe is a perfect example of culinary simplicity. Vegetables, lemon, sea salt: does it get any better–or more simple than this?

Stuffed Napa Cabbage Leaves (serves 2)

4 Napa Cabbage leaves
1 large avocado, cubed
2 large steamed/baked beets, cubed
1 carrot, grated
1 cup pea shoots, chopped
1 tbsp flax/hemp oil
2 tbsp agave
1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients except for the cabbage together in a bowl. Scoop into 4 cabbage leaves, and savor.

I shared this recipe with the amazing women who participated in the Choosing Raw + Spark Wellness January cleanse (which is almost finished, and had amazing results!), and they all loved it.

We can’t always simplify our lives. But if we can’t make life less complicated, we can certainly un-complicate what’s on our plates. Today, tomorrow, and always, let’s all return to the basics: vegetables, juices, fruits, legumes, grains. Enjoy them with as little fuss, as little stress, and as little work as you can. Bon appetit, everyone!

xo

Horizons Restaurant, Philadelphia

Thank you guys for being so unbelievably smart. I was away this weekend, but I returned to find commentary and discussion in the comments section of my last post that blew my mind. I’m always impressed by the caliber of your conversations, but this dialogue was a particular winner.

One of the last comments I got was from a reader who called him/herself “Hm.” She wrote:

The fact is, not everyone who has some disordered eating patterns has an eating disorder… While disordered eating habits are common, it takes something above and beyond some “food issues” to have an eating disorder. While I’m not saying the DSM definitions are perfect (they aren’t, and a friend of mine did some research for one of the foremost ED researchers in the country that I found interesting), there are some legitimate arguments in favor of keeping them a bit on the narrow side.

I’m not saying you’re entirely off base (you aren’t), but by telling every single person who has ever gotten a little caught up counting calories or cutting out things that they’ve had an eating disorder there is a really slippery slope we risk walking.

Good point! To be clear, I didn’t state that anyone who has eating issues, insecurity, or disordered habits has an eating disorder. As I mentioned in the post, most people struggle with some sort of body dysmorphia or obsessiveness about food at some point in their lives. To label anyone who has such experiences an eating disorder patient is an overstatement, and a diminishment of the suffering that those who have severe disorders endure. My point was that many people with patterns that are severe or habitual enough to constitute eating disorders are conditioned not to heed the problem because the clinical criteria for diagnosis are too limited. And this is especially poignant for women who are at normal body weight or are overweight, but who don’t “qualify” as eating disorder sufferers because their BMIs are not low enough.

Moving on. This has been a busy week for me, and I apologize for the absence of posting! The next few weeks may prove to be a bit slim on recipes and musings, and I also may not be as consistent in commenting on my fellow bloggers’ posts as usual. But I hope to get back to my usual schedule soon

I did have a chance, though, to do one of my very favorite things this weekend: I explored vegan dining in a new city! I was in Philadelphia on Saturday night, and I had a chance to eat at the very wonderful Horizons restaurant. Rated by PETA as one of the top seven vegan restaurants in the USA, Horizons is indeed a gem: as with any great restaurant, it’s stylish and classy but unpretentious. It’s a vegan restaurant with very strong cross-over appeal. The dishes are familiar enough to omnis to appear unthreatening, and absolutely full of taste. I also thought the service was quite impressive. In short: Horizons more than earns its 26 Zagat’s rating, not to mention its immense popularity (I was there at 5:30 p.m., and it was packed).

I’ve heard that Horizons is happy to make an al raw dish if you call ahead. But when I eat at vegan restaurants that specialize in non-raw cuisine, I much prefer to taste their specialty dishes–after all, I can get gourmet raw food Chez Gena! So on Saturday, I arrived at the restaurant ready for some delectable and warming vegan fare.

My friend and I split the creamy kale soup (or rather, he ordered, and I helped myself liberally). This was terrific: delicate, gently spiced, and the perfect balance between creamy and fresh-tasting (forgive the flash photography!).

As an appetizer, I got the salt roasted golden beets (served with avocado, red onion & capers, cucumber dill sauce, and pumpernickel points). It was a beautiful little terrine, and very tasty!

I opted for two appetizers and soup, rather than an entree, so my next course was a root vegetable salad (baby turnips, rutabaga & parsnips, shallots, pistachio black truffle vinaigrette). It was served with micogreens, and I got it along with a side of gently sauteed spinach:

Again, the dish was delicious! Sweet, filling, and although the truffle oil was savory and decadent, it wasn’t too overpowering. My friend got the grilled seitan, served with yukon mash, grilled spinach, horseradish cream and roasted red pepper tapenade. It was superb! I’m not a seitan love (the whole “it tastes just like chicken” thing sort of grosses me out) but this was especially excellent. My friend, who is a newbie to vegan dining, loved it, too!

In all? I was thrilled with our meal. If you’re anywhere near Philly (and even if you’re a New Yorker who wants to enjoy a fun day trip with a lovely meal attached), I highly recommend making a trip to Horizons. It’s most definitely among the best vegan dining spots I’ve tried.

Alright, friends. It’s back to the grindstone for me. Happy Monday to you all!

Gena xo

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