Before I get into my results, I do want to share about the smoothie we started Wednesday with.
We often make smoothies for breakfast in the Summer time. This one had orange juice, rice milk, coconut water, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, psyllium husk, and two "rotten" bananas. (I say rotten for the benefit of Liza B and Adara K - any bananas with black spots on them are, to me, rotten!) The coconut water came from some coconuts we bought at the farmer's market earlier in the Summer - we poured the water into ice trays, added some cut coconut meat to each cube and have used them in smoothies - it's yum. Good in cube form in cocktails too! The berries were frozen.
Psyllium husk adds a health dose of dietary fiber ... here's some more information from Wise Geek(http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-psyllium-husk.htm). For some it may be TMI, but you should read it anyway - it's good for you!!
Psyllium husk or isphagula is the covering of seeds grown on the plant, Plantago Psyllium, which flourishes in the Middle East. Psyllium husk has long been recognized as an excellent means of getting more dietary fiber into a person’s diet due to its high fiber count in comparison to other grains. Oat bran, also a good source of fiber, has about five grams of fiber per a third of a cup. Psyllium husk, on the other hand, offers approximately 71 grams of fiber for that same third of a cup.
This heavy dose of dietary fiber makes psyllium husk the choice of many who manufacture dietary fiber supplements and powders like Metamucil. For those suffering from constipation or diarrhea, appropriate daily dietary fiber intake can help improve these conditions. As psyllium husk travels through the human digestive tract, it absorbs water, but is not digested. This results in stool that is bulkier, but also softer, translating to fewer problems with passing stool.
Although most associate psyllium husk with improving digestion, clinical studies on isphagula have also shown that it is beneficial in lowering blood cholesterol. Of course, cholesterol is more likely to be lowered when combined with a low fat diet. Yet even with a higher fat diet, psyllium husk, when taken regularly, lowers low-density lipoproteins, known as “bad cholesterol” by about 7%.
Some studies have also suggested that regular use of psyllium husk supplements may help pass more fat in stools, translating to weight loss. Other studies suggest psyllium husk may also be helpful in lowering blood sugar counts. These studies are still in their infancy and have yet to truly prove that psyllium husk can be beneficial in these ways.
It is important to be careful with psyllium. Some complain of bloating or gas when first using the product. Most doctors suggest taking several weeks to work up to a full dose of this dietary fiber. Early reactions might include diarrhea and flatulence.
Some people are severely allergic to psyllium husk. This is especially true of those who handle large amounts of psyllium husk to prepare laxatives. Some have had anaphylactic shock reactions to taking psyllium husk. Intestinal obstruction may also be a risk for some, particularly those who have had surgery on the intestines or bowels.
The most important thing to remember when taking psyllium husk is to take it with lots of water. Drinking a full glass with the supplement, and six or seven more glasses a day is recommended. This may be easy to remember if you’re taking a supplement like Metamucil, but don’t forget that plenty of high fiber cereals like Bran Buds and Heartwise contain psyllium and should be consumed with a large glass of water on the side, and at least six more glasses of water during the day.
We also often put spirulina in our smoothies - but I'll save the benefits of that for another day!
So, what did I eat this week!? Wednesday afternoon, I went to Reid's Fine Foods - a great gourmet supermarket in downtown Charlotte. In addition to a great grocery section, they have a hotline, salad bar, deli, carving station, bakery etc. I chose to get Ginger Sesame Tofu by Beverly's Gourmet Foods, Inc. for $5.95. Beverly is a local chef who makes a variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes. On her website (beverlysgourmetfoods.com), she says "My products are vegetarian and vegan. I only cook with olive oil and vegetable oil. I do not use processed foods, artificial coloring, artificial flavorings, or preservatives in my products; only whole foods." I commend and thank her for work! It's so refreshing to go into a store and have variety! There are several soups, dips, salads and entrees at Reid's and I'm eager to try more of them, especially her black bean burger mix.
In my Sesame Tofu, I was promised organic tofu, carrots, onions, snowpeas, mushrooms, red peppers, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, olive oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce; served over sesame noodles. I got everything promised except the noodles - it was over a bed of brown rice ... no biggie. I have to be honest and say that I thought the meal was a little disappointing. The consistency of the tofu was a little odd, kind of mushy, and the seasonings were a bit bland. I think the noodles might have helped add some textural variety. As I said, I am keen to try more of her items - this dish hasn't put me off all of her products - but I think that a meat eater trying this might be sworn off tofu in general! I'll try her black bean mix before Summer's end and her soups as it turns to Fall, and give an update.
In my Sesame Tofu, I was promised organic tofu, carrots, onions, snowpeas, mushrooms, red peppers, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, olive oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce; served over sesame noodles. I got everything promised except the noodles - it was over a bed of brown rice ... no biggie. I have to be honest and say that I thought the meal was a little disappointing. The consistency of the tofu was a little odd, kind of mushy, and the seasonings were a bit bland. I think the noodles might have helped add some textural variety. As I said, I am keen to try more of her items - this dish hasn't put me off all of her products - but I think that a meat eater trying this might be sworn off tofu in general! I'll try her black bean mix before Summer's end and her soups as it turns to Fall, and give an update.
On Thursday, my friend Cristi C and I ventured over to blynk organic - a fairly new (within the last year) veggie friendly restaurant in downtown Charlotte - www.blynk.com. We discovered when we got there that they operate grocery-store style. They make x amount of everything on their menu, and when they sell out, they're out. We arrived around 2pm which was a risk considering their policy - but we still had a great meal. For $6.95, I had a half of a Thai Sky Wrap and an Israeli Cous Cous Salad - here's what was in each:
Thai Sky Wrap: ginger peanut marinated tofu, shredded organic carrots, organic snap peas, organic cilantro, organic cucumber, organic green onions, and sweet ginger chili sauce in a chili wrap. FANTASTIC!
Israeli Cous Cous Salad: organic israeli cous cous, organic cucumber, organic carrots, organic spinach, organic zucchini and roasted red peppers with lemon and organic olive oil. DELICIOUS!
Each menu item notes whether it's vegetarian (v), vegan (ve), or gluten free (gf). Awesome. My only criticism would be that the half wrap was on the small side. That being said, I did not leave there hungry.
Cristi had Give Pea a Chance vegan split pea soup and Hummus and Tabbouleh with local feta. She loved it! Thanks for trying something new with me CC!! I can't wait to go back ...
On Friday, I brought a yummy lunch - pita pockets with veggies and veggie burger ... but that night I picked up dinner from Tin Tin Box with my friend Jenn S who then graciously took me home - thanks Jenn! For $5.50 each, I bought two orders or Grilled Tofu with Veggies and Brown Rice. Love that they have brown rice. Their portions are so large, each one will feed you at least twice. Hence, this became Saturday morning's breakfast too!! Here's their menu: http://www.allmenus.com/nc/charlotte/39635-tin-tin-box--noodles/menu/.
Friday night was tough. David played a(n awesome) live performance at NOFOMATIC. While we had a good time, it was really hard being in a late night social setting with people drinking all around us. We had virgin margarita's (yuck) and mojitos (yum!) all night. It helped having something other than water in our hands, but in all honesty, it just wasn't as fun. I know it sounds lame, but it's true. We don't drink a lot, but we enjoy drinking socially with friends. The food has been easy, coffee a breeze, it's abstaining from alcohol that's been the hardest!! David has been working so hard and such long hours on his PA that I told him that I was OK with him having a drink ... which after discussing it, he gladly took me up on :) Knob Creek on the rocks - he said it was glorious! But now he feels incredibly guilty ... it's spilled milk - on with the mission!
With Friday being a late night, on Saturday we lazed about the house, took naps and grazed on random snacks. Saturday night, I did not fancy cooking ... so, yes, we got take out. This should mark the end of our take out habit for a while (although, I must say that David packed lunch every day last week, I'm the guilty one). We ordered from Thai Thai - a fantastic, veggie friendly take out only spot in Dilworth. Their menu is HUGE and the variety mindblowing: http://thaithaitakeout.com/index.html. Like Tin Tin, Thai Thai's portions are so huge they'll feed you at least twice. I got Gaeng Massamun and David got Gaeng Keow Wan - both coconut milk based curries.
So, I've mentioned coconuts twice in this entry ... let's talk about coconuts for a hot minute. They've been misunderstood by Western culture for the longest, and have gotten a bad rap to boot. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods includes six full pages of information about the coconut! Highlights include:
"Like most nuts, coconuts contain significant amounts of fat, but unlike other nuts, which contain mostly long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, coconuts provide fat that is almost all in the form of health-promoting medium-chain saturated fats. Fresh, mature coconut meat contains more than 50 percent water and approximately 35% coconut oil, 10% carbohydrates and 3.5% protein. Coconuts are an excellent source of manganese, molybdenum, and copper. Coconut is also a good source of selenium and zinc.
"Until the 1950s, coconut oil was commonly used in the food industry in the United States until it was, as we now understand, mistakenly accused of contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease. Coconut oil was implicated in raising cholesterol levels along with the saturated fats found in meats when a researcher in Minnesota fed rats fully hydrogenated coconut oil and saw a dramatic rise in the rats' cholesterol levels. Although Harvard scientests later reviewed this study and concluded that the cholesterol-raising factor was not coconut oil per se but the fact that it had been fully hydrogenated and purposefully altered to make it completely devoid of any essential fatty acids, coconut oil was labeled as an artery-clogging fat.
"In addition to the now well-recognized harmful cardiovascular effects of hydrogenated fats, current research has shown that any diet that causes an essential fatty acid deficiency will also cause a significant increase in blood cholesterol levels when fed to animals. Yet despite the fact that the initial study generated misinformation about coconut oil and other studies in which fresh/raw coconut oil was used shows that natural coconut oil not only does NOT cause an increase in cholesterol but increases levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol, coconut oil continues to have a bad and undeserved reputation as an unhealthy saturated fat."
The entry then goes on to discuss lauric acid, which is converted by the body into a highly beneficial compound called monolaurin - an antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride that destroys a wide variety of disease-causing organisms. It also covers capric acid, which we convert to monocaprin, which has been shown to have antiviral effects against STDs. It goes on to say, "The antiviral properties of the medium-chain fatty acids abundant in coconut have been found to be so potent that they are now being investigated as a treatment for AIDS patients."
"Coconut oil also protects against heart disease and promotes weight loss. In one study in which coconut oil was used as part of a high-fat diet, researchers found not only that coconut oil did not increase body fat, but that the coconut-oil enriched diet actually produced a decrease in white fat stores. In another study, when genetically obese mice were given a diet high in either safflower oil or coconut oil and their number of fat cells was measured, those given coconut oil were found to have produced far fewer fat cells than those given safflower oil.
"In addition, because coconut's medium-chain fats are easily absorbed and preferentially used as an energy source, their burning actually increases the body's metabolic rate. The result - as long as calories in excess of the body's needs are not consumed - is that more calories are burned, a situation that encourages the burning of the long-chain fatty acids found in other fats as well."
"In addition to the now well-recognized harmful cardiovascular effects of hydrogenated fats, current research has shown that any diet that causes an essential fatty acid deficiency will also cause a significant increase in blood cholesterol levels when fed to animals. Yet despite the fact that the initial study generated misinformation about coconut oil and other studies in which fresh/raw coconut oil was used shows that natural coconut oil not only does NOT cause an increase in cholesterol but increases levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol, coconut oil continues to have a bad and undeserved reputation as an unhealthy saturated fat."
The entry then goes on to discuss lauric acid, which is converted by the body into a highly beneficial compound called monolaurin - an antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride that destroys a wide variety of disease-causing organisms. It also covers capric acid, which we convert to monocaprin, which has been shown to have antiviral effects against STDs. It goes on to say, "The antiviral properties of the medium-chain fatty acids abundant in coconut have been found to be so potent that they are now being investigated as a treatment for AIDS patients."
"Coconut oil also protects against heart disease and promotes weight loss. In one study in which coconut oil was used as part of a high-fat diet, researchers found not only that coconut oil did not increase body fat, but that the coconut-oil enriched diet actually produced a decrease in white fat stores. In another study, when genetically obese mice were given a diet high in either safflower oil or coconut oil and their number of fat cells was measured, those given coconut oil were found to have produced far fewer fat cells than those given safflower oil.
"In addition, because coconut's medium-chain fats are easily absorbed and preferentially used as an energy source, their burning actually increases the body's metabolic rate. The result - as long as calories in excess of the body's needs are not consumed - is that more calories are burned, a situation that encourages the burning of the long-chain fatty acids found in other fats as well."
To add to Amy's research on vegan friendly options at Reids's: I had Bar Be Que Tofu by Beverly's Gourmet Foods, Inc. for lunch today, and it was pretty good. I wasn't much for the texture either, but it tasted good and had lots of yummy vegetables included. I would definitely get it again.
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