For those not familiar with kava, here's some info from www.kava.com:
Kava Root (the only part of the plant that is used) is largely employed as a celebratory drink much in the same way that alcohol is used in the West. It helps mark momentous occasions such as weddings, public festivals, political powwows and holidays, and it is even used in ceremonies honoring the dead. Unlike alcohol, kava does not produce or stimulate aggression. It does not condemn the user to a dreaded hangover, unlike alcohol. Alcohol literally kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, and Kava, when properly harvested, has never actually hurt anyone. Kava has even been known to help reduce alcohol consumption!
Many people find other uses for kava, including many medicinal ones. It’s interesting to note that kava has been shown to help ease anxiety, depression as well as producing a restful sleep. It is used by athletes, businessmen and diplomats to help “take the edge off” and focus concentration. Widely prescribed throughout Oceania and Europe to treat hyperactivity in children, it has also been used to aid children who have difficulty sleeping on occasion.
It's available in different strengths from health food stores.For breakfast, we had oatmeal. For lunch, I had more of last night's Caesar salad with a side of grapes. David opted to take peanut butter and jelly on whole grain sprouted bread ... only to attend a lunch-time meeting ... with pizza. Piping hot, freshly delivered, good smelling pizza ... heaping with oozy, melty cheese. And ... he ate his PB&J ... good man!
I was tested this evening when I met some girlfriends after work. Yummy cheese and crackers and good looking wine on a hot Summer's night ... and I had an Odwalla green juice. I thought I'd be jonesin' for what they were having but surprisingly I wasn't tempted at all. I felt very satisfied. And now I feel well pleased with myself!
For dinner, David made veggie burgers on a whole wheat bun with a bit of Caesar dressing, avocado, romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes and vegan cheddar cheese. He said it was mighty tasty.
A note about vegan cheese. Not all "dairy free" cheeses are vegan; most contain casein which comprises 80-85% of the protein in cow’s milk. (So obviously watch out for casein in the ingredient list if you're lactose intolerant!) The remaining 15-20% is whey. There is conflicting information available on casein. From what I've seen online, it seems to be popular among body builders primarily because:
An attractive property of the casein micelle is its ability to form a gel or clot in the stomach. The ability to form this clot makes it very efficient in nutrient supply. The clot is able to provide a sustained slow release of amino acids into the blood stream, sometimes lasting for several hours. This provides better nitrogen retention and utilization by the body. (This is from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casein)
It is also controversial because has been linked (most frequently) to the autism spectrum. In fact, a lot of autistic children are encouraged to adhere to a wheat- and milk-free diet. Cancer and elevated cholesterol levels are also mentioned in some articles. Unfortunately, I haven't found an article that explains all of the potential risks of casein ... I'll see what I can find. If you know of a good source of more information, please share it. In the meantime, if you're interested, just google casein, casein-free diet, casein intolerance etc. and you'll find some info. Here's a decent site too: http://www.glutensolutions.com/autism.htm
Onward to day three ...
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