The Plant-Based Pharmacist's Favorite Recipe Sites

For approximately three years I've been writing on the science and health benefits of plant-based diets. This kind of information is very important for understanding why you should follow a plant-based diet. However, many people (especially newcomers to the plant-based world) are left wondering how to "do" a plant-based diet. They need ideas for meals and recipes to make it happen. To help with this, I've compiled my list (in no particular order) of favorite whole foods, plant-based recipe sites for you to check out. I hope you find them useful. Go ahead, indulge a little!

Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipe Sites

1) Straight Up Food - Cathy Fisher is a certified nutritionist who works closely with Dr. John McDougall providing cooking classes at the McDougall Program. She also currently teaches cooking classes at the True North Health clinic in Santa Rosa, CA. Her recipes avoid all animal products as well as oil, salt, and refined flours and sugars.

2) Happy Herbivore - Lindsay Nixon is the author of 3 books including The Happy Herbivore Cookbook. Her site includes fabulous whole food recipes with no added fats (including oil), refined flours, or sugars. She has a number of easy to make plant-based recipes to choose from.

Food Fight! - Overcoming The Social Stigma Of Going Veg

Being different isn't always easy and so goes the life of those who choose to be vegetarian or vegan. The choice of what one eats is very personal. Every single time one of us puts something in our mouth there's something deeply moving about this experience wether we realize it or not. Don't think this is the case? Try imagining going without your favorite foods for a month. Now imagine never being able to eat these foods for the rest of your life. Things just got a little more personal didn't they?

We've all grown up eating certain foods and developing certain tastes which have secretly molded our decision making process come each meal time. In America this may mean lunch served from a drive through window, a night out to your favorite seafood restaurant, or a plate full of meat and potatoes grilled to perfection during a backyard barbecue (this is how I grew up). So it's no wonder that if you decide to give this all up and adopt a diet consisting only of healthy, wholesome, plant-based foods things can quickly become a problem, especially in the social aspect of life.

Family, friends, and strangers alike will probably think you've gone off the deep end by making such drastic changes in your food selections. This happened to me and still happens from time to time even though I took the plunge over 3 years ago to this lifestyle. I'm here to tell you that you're not alone in your feelings of isolation and rejection if this is what's happened or is happening to you in your life. Nor are you destined to live a life of a veggie hermit because the rest of the world sees things differently than you. We all view and experience life differently. After all, it's what makes life so beautiful by providing us with uniquely different perspectives from our woven traditional ways. We can learn from these unique perspectives just as others can learn from us even when our differences are so personal and steadfast (like what we eat). Getting past these "Food Fights" is crucial in fostering loving, nurturing relationships for the rest of your life. My goal in this article is to share with you ways to make this easier so that you can enjoy all the benefits that come with your new food selections without sacrificing the social and loving aspects of your current and future relationships with the people you love most in life.

Healthy Eating While Abroad

by guest blogger Rob Toledo

So you’re completely prepared for your trip. Your bags are packed, passport ready, currency exchange complete… But you also happen to be someone who focuses on healthy eating. This can pose a bit of a problem while abroad, but here are some helpful tips before you hit the road.

Eating healthily while traveling abroad can present the same kind of challenges as eating at a restaurant at home. It’s just hard to know for sure how good a dish is for you when you don’t know how it was prepared. But there’s one big difference: in a foreign country, you might not have the language skills or knowledge of ingredients to be able to ask the questions you need to know, like, “Is this fried?” or, “Are these rice and beans made with meat products?”

Still, eating healthily abroad isn’t entirely out of the question, just as long as you get a little strategic.

Go vegetarian or vegan

Yes, this is probably the most difficult way to eat while traveling, especially since so many cultures view meat as a rare delicacy and a gift for visitors. But it’s very difficult to know where meat came from and how it was prepared. Better to stick to vegetables and whole grains whenever you can and avoid the risk of illness.

Know the most important lingo

Just like at home, the best way to determine whether or not a meal is healthy is to ask a lot of questions. What kind of vegetables does the dish have? Does it use brown or white rice? Look up key terms ahead of time, especially if you’re going to be eating vegetarian in a culture that’s heavily meat-based. In general, it’s best to stick to appetizers, which on a whole tend to be healthier and of smaller portions than main meals.

Get social

In some cultures, “vegetarian” can mean “there’s one carrot on the plate” or “we picked out the meat.” Even “salad” in Britain can mean something different than it does here; most often, a lowly shred of iceberg lettuce.Try reaching out to English-speaking locals on social media sites like Twitter ahead of time to run your phrasing past them. You can also enlist your tour guide or someone who works at your hostel or hotel to write out a more complete message to hand to the waiter.

Prepare your own food

Before you leave, look up staple crops in your destination country and research a few good recipes. This won’t prevent you from experiencing the culture if you seek out local recipes filled with vegetables and whole grains. In fact, browsing through farmer’s markets can give you a truly unique cultural experience. Fruit and vegetables are often available very cheaply and are a great way to keep your fiber intake high. However, if you’re going to be visiting a country with different sanitary habits than our own, go for thicker skinned veggies and fruit to avoid catching any local bugs.

Pack your own supplies

Before you leave home, go shopping for dried fruit, trail mix and energy bars made without hydrogenated oils. While none of these options are ideal as a long term strategy, they make a good tide over option when you’re in a bind. It’s also good to pack your favorite spices as an easy way to take that bland dish filled with random ingredients up to the next level.

Travel to healthy eating hubs

If you’re really set on healthy eating while abroad, travel to places known for their healthy cuisine. India and much of Southeast Asia can be a great option for vegetarians just as long as you stay away from heavy creams. And Greece is heaven for people who love their vegetables.

No matter where you go, healthy eating is possible, though do forgive yourself if you slip up once in awhile. After all, there’s no harm in embracing that local delicacy once in awhile, just as long as you stay healthy the rest of the time. When authentic local cuisine combines with healthy eating, there’s nothing quite like it.

Rob Toledo loves world travel. His ultimate goal is to have visited 100 countries in his lifetime. He recommends doing lots of research about a country before visiting, using a currency converter to avoid scams, and making sure to always have something a little healthier packed away in your bag to ensure the best healthy eating while abroad.

photo credit: Spieke (Wikimedia)

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by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com. 

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!

Calcium In Broccoli — Really?

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

We have all heard the slogan – “Milk – it does the body good.”  But does it? A 12 year Harvard Study showed women who drank 3 glasses of milk a day had more bone fractures than those who drank very little milk. The National Dairy Council website, www.nationaldairycouncil.org, states “the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognizes that moderate evidence shows that milk and milk products are linked to improved bone health.”  Moderate evidence?  A government report published in the journal, Pediatricsconcluded dairy products were “not necessarily the best way” to provide needed calcium. Because the body becomes more acidic when dairy products are consumed, it pulls calcium from the bones to neutralize the acid. Also hormones given to cows are found in its milk.

So what are good sources of calcium?  Surprisingly  broccoli, collard greens, kale, bok choy, Brussel sprouts, beans, legumes, figs, nuts, seeds, and fortified orange juice are better absorbed by the body than milk and other dairy products.  They also have a bonus of providing fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals including vitamin K, folate, iron, and antioxidants.  Bone health can also be improved by not smoking, consuming less sodium, getting 15 minutes of sunlight a day, and exercise.

Balancing The Vegan And Athlete In You

by guest blogger Holly VicHammond

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to commit to a vegan lifestyle and also be an athlete. Most of the sports world subscribes to eating a substantial amount of protein as part of a training diet. Protein ensures peak physical condition, muscular repair after workouts and success in a given fitness-related endeavor. Though vegan meals might take a little more planning, it is possible to be a successful athlete who does not consume any animal products. Plant-based eaters simply have to rely on a bit more strategy. 

Whether an athlete chooses to be a vegan for personal, ethical or religious reasons, they will need to pay special attention to ensure they’re consuming the proper nutrients to fuel their workouts. Many successful athletes and famed fitness trainers, such as distance runner Scott Jurek, television fitness trainer Bob Harper, bodybuilder Mike Mahler and football player Ricky Williams, choose to live a vegan lifestyle. Clearly it is possible for athletes to eat vegan, thrive and achieve great success in their chosen sport.

Overdosed On Sugar - A Nation's Health In Decline

If you're like me then you've probably lived your whole live longing for that sugar fix on a daily basis whether you consciously seek it out or just find yourself munching on sugar laden junk food for no reason. That's because sugar is addictive just like any other drug. In fact, experiencing a "hit" from sugar, whether it be via a candy bar or your favorite sugary drink, has the same effect on the human brain as cocaine and other drugs of abuse do [1]. Both cause a surge in the brain chemical known as dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for producing pleasure sensations deep within the brain.

Consuming sugar is not necessarily a bad thing when done so by seeking out natural foods such as fruit, baby carrots, or other products made by Mother Nature. The problem we face today is that sugar is literally added to everything we eat including bread, ketchup, sweetened beverages, and even baked beans. Yes, that's right - baked beans! Refined and added sugars have become a major problem over the last few decades in the western diet, and it's only adding to the ongoing healthcare crisis we're seeing today.

5 Ways To Improve Your Posture

by guest blogger John Moore

Having great posture is one of the best things you can do to look and feel young. Furthermore, not much else can do such a good job in maintaining strong, healthy bones. Good posture should begin at a very young age, because that is when most habits and skills can be engrained in your psyche the best. Some of the reasons people today have such poor posture is because no one instructed them as kids, and now old habits are so hard to break. So, change those habits now!

1. Stretching

It is important to keep your body moving throughout the day. If you work at a sedentary job and are sitting a lot, take time every 30 minutes or so and stretch. Take a short walk down the hallway, or just stand and stretch all your extremities. This will keep the body and bones limber AND keep you from wanting to slouch, since you won’t be as tired.

2. Support

If you’re sitting all day long in an office, it’s important that you are using a high-backed chair that is going to have a lot of lumbar support. The best position is with the back all the way back against the chair and your hips as far back as possible. Sometimes, you may find that there is not enough support between your back and the back of the chair, and if that is the case, you should use a towel or pillow to provide some support. Make your work or office space ergonomically fit for you, and no one else. Sitting in a chair or behind a computer for hours on end can cause a lot of back pain, and once it starts, it’s really hard to fix.

Plant-Based Diet For The Disabled

by guest blogger Holly VicHammond

If you’re disabled or are caring for someone with a disability, you must take careful consideration when completing daily tasks. Everything that you do must lean toward increasing the quality of life for you or the person in your life. Transportation for a disabled individual may include driving him or her to the grocery store in a handicap van so that he or she can select appropriate foods. Selecting healthy foods is high on the priority list of caring for a disabled person, and a plant-based diet can be the most beneficial choice for a person with a disability.

Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet

A plant-based diet can benefit a disabled person in many ways. Consuming these foods can improve the health of a person with just about any illness or ailment. Plant-based foods contain plenty of antioxidants and phytonutrients. These substances can prevent the development of cancerous cells and may help to retard the growth of existing cells. This diet can also work as a cleanser, clearing the body of disturbances and illness.

New Study Highlights Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

by guest blogger Erica Moss

30 percent of adults in the U.S. are not getting enough sleep.

That’s according to data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey, published in the April 27 issue of the Center for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It’s a pretty sobering statistic, isn’t it?

This percentage constitutes about 40.6 million workers, all of whom are sleeping six or fewer hours each day. Of these workers, 44 percent work night shifts and 28.8 percent work during the day. The most common professions in which a worker is likely to be sleep deprived are law enforcement and fire officials, health care workers, security personnel, retail associates in 24-hour stores, and transportation workers. These are all jobs that often require employees to work nights, sometimes consecutively, and sometimes even after a full shift during the day. 

What You Need To Know About Frozen Shoulder

by guest blogger Veronica Hayes

Frozen shoulder is a condition that can happen to anyone. It happens when the joint capsule of the shoulder becomes very inflamed, which causes the shoulder to become very stiff, with a loss of range of motion. There is no specific cause for frozen shoulder, but the most obvious symptom is pain. Your doctor can perform x-rays and an MRI, but it probably won't show anything. It is mainly diagnosed symptoms.

Before diagnosing you with frozen shoulder, a doctor will first have to rule out other conditions, such as arthritis, degenerative arthritis, and injury to the tendons around the shoulder. Once diagnosed, it can be a lengthy process to heal, and regaining full range of motion can typically take 6-9 months.

Symptoms

- Severe pain in your shoulder
- Stiff shoulder
- Difficulty with daily tasks
- loss of range of motion

Exams and Tests

- X-rays
- MRI
- Blood work

Oral Health And Plant-Based Diets

We all know that eating a plant-based diet abundant in fruits and vegetables does wonders for our health. The reduction in the three most talked about diseases in these regards are obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. All of them can be prevented or reversed just by adopting healthy eating habits but there's another great benefit to eating wholesome, healthy foods―superb oral health!

Following a diet of whole, plant-based foods has been shown to reduce bad breath, prevent gingivitis and periodontal disease, and even reduce the risk of oral related cancers. A closer look at each one reveals why this is so.

Beating Back Bad Breath

Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is caused mainly by the formation and release of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) during bacterial breakdown of proteins [1]. Eighty to ninety percent of halitosis cases originate in the mouth due to the abundance of food particles left behind after eating. Bacteria, located within the oral cavity, then have a field day with feasting on these food particles. This is especially the case in individuals suffering from gingivitis and periodontal disease as these bacteria can be found hiding beneath diseased gum lines. However, the main stomping ground for these bacteria is on the back third of the top surface of the tongue. In fact, four times as many bacteria are found there than in any other part of the mouth [2].

The other 10%-20% of bad breath cases originate from sources such as infections, medication, kidney failure, liver failure, and pancreatic disease amongst other things. The putrefaction of food in the lower digestive tract is also a likely culprit in these cases. Sulfur containing gases from certain foods like garlic and onions can be absorbed into the bloodstream and make their way to the lungs where they are then exhaled through the mouth producing a foul odor. This odor can last up to three days after consuming such foods.

Plant-Based Diets for Seniors

"Old age isn't for sissies," one adage attempts to advise humorously. Despite the saying’s levity, it hits a little too close to the truth. The term "elderly" is the last life-stage known and listed in the human life cycle before death. Many aspects of an elderly person's life are designed to prolong it.

Frequent visits to doctors are scheduled for preventative care, a higher-than-average number of prescriptions are ingested to treat the common diseases that accompany old age and even potential problems are anticipated with measures such as a personal medical alert system or the installation of bathroom grab bars.

Special diets are often included in such life-extending efforts. Elderly individuals may forego added salt to help treat high blood pressure or eliminate candy from their diets to help with high blood sugar levels. More and more, physicians and nutrition experts are also advocating plant-based diets for seniors.

Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet

A recent study by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association underscores some of the benefits of a plant-based diet. Study participants who followed a vegetarian diet had better overall nutritional profiles than meat eaters, and their diets included more essential vitamins and nutrients than the non-vegetarians' diets. Vegetarians also ate healthier foods and had lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites

Vegan desserts are notoriously tricky because of the substitutions you need to make for traditional dessert recipes to work. It can be difficult to come up with a dessert without eggs, milk, cream or other dairy products, especially if you aren't vegan but are cooking for people who are. Many people who are vegan are also health-conscious and prefer to keep their sugar intake low. Cooking a tasty but healthy dessert can seem difficult but isn't.

When you need something simple, delicious, healthy and vegan, chocolate peanut butter banana bites are a great option. Frozen bananas actually have a consistency and flavor similar to ice cream, but are much healthier. As an added bonus, desserts that only require microwaves and don't need any actual cooking or baking are always a great option when you're low on time.

For this recipe, you only need a few ingredients:

• 4 bananas
• 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut shavings

For supplies, you'll need:

• 1-quart microwave-safe glass bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Cutting board and knife
• Cookie sheet
• Parchment paper
• Fork

How To Make Meditation A Habit

by guest blogger Brandon Mercury

Meditation is a wonderful practice to help the body and the mind relax and re-center. Those who participate in daily meditation find that their minds are clearer and their muscles more relaxed. The benefits of meditation are many, including reduced mental clutter that often occupies our minds in a world of stress. Daily meditation has physical, spiritual and emotional benefits that help us to live happy, productive lives.

Meditation is a process used to bring clarity to the mind.  Regular everyday stimuli are unhealthy for us if we don't learn how to silence the noise from time to time. By using meditation to concentrate and clear your mind of distractions, you will find yourself being more focused and productive.

It’s important to experience daily meditation, but how do you get in the habit of meditation every day? You know there are important benefits to your health, but making the time for meditation isn’t always easy. Make meditation a part of your life with these tips.

Vegan Shopping Tips

One of the main fears busy moms have about adopting a vegan diet is that it will be too time-consuming and too expensive. However, as many Americans have turned toward healthy lifestyles, Vegan and organic foods have become widely available at local grocery stores. Because these are high-quality foods, they do tend to be pricier, but utilizing a grocery coupon for produce or organic products can help cut costs.

Where to Shop for Vegan Foods

Knowing where to shop can help you save a bundle on healthy, vegan food for your family. Here are a few places to consider shopping:

·         Bulk food stores - Bulk food stores, such as Costco, are a great place to stock up on staples such as whole grains and rice. If you're squeamish about digging in those bins after everyone else (I am!), note that many bulk stores have prepackaged containers of various sizes available, instead of the loose items.

·         Organic food stores – Healthy stores, like Whole Food Market, are a one-stop shopping paradise for vegans; however, they do tend to be more expensive than standard grocery stores.

·         Farmers' Markets - Stock up on fresh produce from the farm fruits and vegetables in season at your local farmers' market.

·         Online shopping - Online vegan stores are popping up frequently. Some of these are great sources for hard-to-find items. Even Amazon.com is getting into the food staple business, with attractive prices and free shipping for orders over $25.