Mythbusting: Milk is the only way to get calcium

Up until the age of about 25, I thought that breakfast made me nauseous. Yep, breakfast. I'd noticed a pattern that every time I had breakfast before work or school, I was queasy by about 11 o'clock. So I got into the habit of skipping the most important meal of the day altogether and waiting for lunchtime. It wasn't until after I stopped drinking milk and eating other dairy products, that I realized that it wasn't breakfast itself, but the milk in my cereal that was causing me trouble.

When I cut out it out, other things started to make sense as well. It wasn't the stress, but the milk in the help-me-stay-up-late-to write-essays lattes that were causing me stomach aches in college. Those mysterious sharp pains in my lower abdomen that were sometimes so strong that it was hard for me to walk, also disappeared. It had all been because I was/am lactose intolerant.

Chances are that, if you're reading this, you're lactose intolerant too. I say this because you're probably a human person and despite a name that would make you think it's a rarity, as much as 70% of the world's population is lactose intolerant.

Map of Global Lactose Intolerance. See large image here

What is widely referred to as 'intolerance' is actually the general state of affairs. It is mainly people with Norther European heritage, that's white folks, whose cuisine has been linked with dairy farming for eons, that seem to be able to able to digest lactose. The rest of the world puts up with the bloating and pain because they like the taste of cheesecake and ice cream, but it's probably not doing them any good.

What happens in the body when you're lactose intolerant?

It's about your gut. Lactose is a sugar found in milk. When you drink milk, your body digests lactose with an enzyme called lactase. If you are lactose 'intolerant' then you don't have enough of this enzyme to deal with the grilled cheese sandwich or the pecan praline ice cream you just ate! As a result, your colon tries to pick up the processing slack. Or to say it in a sciencey sort of way:

In lactose intolerance, the individual has a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Normally, lactose is broken down in the small intestine by lactase and very little lactose reaches the large intestine where the bacteria break it down to produce hydrogen. In lactose intolerance (lactase deficiency), the ingested lactose is not metabolized in the small intestine and reaches the colon where it is metabolized by colonic bacteria producing a large amount of hydrogen which is measured in the breath sample. This excessive fermentation can cause symptoms and diarrhoea.

The hydrogen detected in the breath and is one of the ways to discover of you are lactose intolerant.  All of these processes cause the symptoms that I'm not too proud to say I've experienced like bloating, cramping, nausea, as well as wonderful things like diarrhea, constipation, and gas. Yeah, it's the best. 

What do you do about it?
I tried a few things over then years but abstinence is the most effective. What I have is not a milk allergy, I don't break out in a rash or anything, but the more I have the more uncomfortable I become. So, though I am vegan, I could physically manage one bite of my grandmoms mac n cheese without too much trouble, but couldn't manage a bowl of Haagen Daaz, even if I wanted to. There are pills you can get over the counter that can ease the aches and pains but in my experience they also act as a bit of a laxative, meaning that you end up replacing one problem with another. Not a glamorous topic I know but truth is truth.

What about calcium?
Yes of course. The biggest side effect of being lactose intolerant is a calcium deficiency, right? Wrong. It's aaaaalllll over the internet but it is complete and utter nonsense. There are so many natural, easy, delicious, plant-based sources of calcium it's not even funny. Don't believe me? Let me spell it out...

Do you like pictures better? Let's put it another way with a little help from the folks at Viva.

There are so many things to chose from. So many many delicious things. And one of them is HUMMUS so as a vegan I'm already eating this 30 times a week anyway!

Are you worried about my calcium? because I'm not!

8 Naturally Hydrating Foods & Drinks to Beat the Heat

Summer is well and truly under way and while it's my favorite time for looking good - less rain to mess up my hair and more excuses for pedicures - all that sun and heat means paying a little bit more attention to feeling good as well. The human body is more than two-thirds water and keeping yourself juiced up goes a long way to making sure joints, eyes, brain, skin have the fluids they need while aiding digestion and keeping the skin healthy this season.

On an average day, the average woman needs about 2.2liters and the average man needs about 3 liters of water from foods and drinks to stay hydrated. As the heat increases, you are more likely to lose these fluids and natural salts through perspiration so it's important replenish yourself throughtout the day. Lots of sports drinks claim to be able to do the job but you can avoid the additives and see real results with some of these deliciously natural sources of hydrating nutrients.

Source: phuthinhco

Coconut Water
Coconut water seems to be everywhere at the moment and with good reason. Unlike traditional sports drinks, leading brands contain no dyes, fat, cholesterol or added sugars but DO provide a natural source of 5 essential electrolytes - potassium, sodium, calcium, magensium and phosphorus - for rejuvenating after even the most hardcore workouts.  Drinking the juice of young green coconuts has been standard practice throughout the tropics forever, but you don't have to go on vacation to get this nutrient rich tipple anymore.

Source: mitch98000

Cucumber Spa Water
I love this one because it tastes fantastic, looks beautiful and cost pennies!  Cucumbers on their own are not only full of water but also potassium, vitamins K and  C, respectively good for your cells, bones and the immune system. Sliced and soaked in a bottle or jug of water, they give you get all of these benefits plus a refreshingly cool taste with almost no trouble at all. Mix it up with a some lemon or fresh mint to make it a spa day any day.

Source: agemo

Lemon Water
Drinking water with lemon is another beautifully simple solution for anyone who likes eating out or going out. When you order your water with ice and slice, your adding calcium, Vitamin C and giving yourself a detoxifying boost. Lemon naturally helps the liver to break down the external toxins from smog, chemicals and air conditioning that become much more relevant as the temperatures increase. As it's generally free and easily accessible, there's almost no reason not to hit it.

Source: mynameisharsha

Watermelon
Growing up, I thought that you just ate watermelon in the summer time because it was delicious. While this is absolutely true, turns out that this perfectly pink treat has been found to be a natural source of electrolytes like potassium, magnesium and phosphorus which help you to better dissolve all the water - 92% of the fruit - in the melon.  All this plus it's fat free and contains lycopene, an antioxidant which has been shown to protect skin from the suns UV rays, making it the perfect summer snack.

Source: daviderestivo 

Tomatoes
A fresh tomato right off the vine is like a mouthful of sunshine and at almost 95% water, they are a great source of fluids on a warm day.  Like watermelon they provide a healthy dose of lycopene with every bite, as well as antioxidants like Vitamin A and C. An extremely versatile ingredient, they are easy to add to salads, munch in salsa or eat as a stand alone snack.

Source: mobilestreetlife

Strawberries
This time of year strawberries are juicy, plentiful and full of goodness. Each little fruit is 91% water and just 8 strawberries can provide more vitamin C than an orange. High in manganese, potassium and fiber, they make a fantastic summer treat that is easy to share, or not!

Source: thedeliciouslife

Celery
A single stalk of celery is made up of 96% water but also contains natural healthy salts and lots of fiber. All of these things help to keep digestion on track during challenging warmer weather. Great for juicing or eating raw, celery is also unique in that it maintains up to 99% of its nutrients when steamed.

Source: pettacolopuro

Water
And finally regular everyday water. If you're feeling thirsty, this is your body telling you that you need more to drink more water, so respond accordingly. If you're taking it easy then drinking water should provide everything you need. But if you're working up a sweat, then your body will start to using up its electrolytes after about an hour and may need something with a higher nutrients mix. As the mercury rises it's useful to keep a reusable bottle to hand so that you can quench your thirst whenever and wherever you need.

As seen in Clutch Magazine

Vegan Recipe: Black Eyed Bean Dip Boats

Vegan Black Eyed Bean Dip Boats make perfect party food!

I grew up eating one recipe for black eyed peas - soul food classic stewed in pork fat. But these little beans are packed with so many nutritional goodies - Omega 6, Omega 3, dietary fiber, protein, folate, iron and potassium - that it's a crying shame not to get them more involved with daily kitchen proceedings. Alongside the soul food recipes of the American south, black eyed peas are found in dishes from Sephardic Jewish, African, South American, Vietnamese, Indian, Greek, Brazilian and Indonesian cuisine. So there is plenty of inspiration for getting creative with these earthy beans.

For this recipe, I wanted to get down with a little bit of finger food, because it's picnic season and eating with your hands is always fun. The main element of this is a Black Eyed Pea Dip that can be dressed as you like in it's tiny tostada. I sandwiched the dip between a green salad base and a chopped tomato topping, but you could easily mix it up with a creamy avocado sauce, cashew crema, or spicy salsa. But I would recommend something with a little bit of  juice - not too much though, you don't want your boats taking on too much water!

I was really pleased with how these came out because as well as being tasty and cute, they're the kind of thing that looks impressive on the pot luck table but doesn't take that long to make! Win and win! Enjoy.

Black Eyed Bean Dip Boats

Makes 9 Boats

Ingredients

3 soft tortillas, 8 inch
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
175g (just over 1 Cup) Black Eyed Peas
2 cloves garlic
1/4 medium yellow onion
1 tbsp jalapenos in brine
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garnish with chopped salad underneath and chopped tomatoes with cilantro(coriander) on top

1. To make the tiny tostadas, heat your oven to Gas Mark 6/400F/200C and grab a muffin tin from the cupboard. You can use any size muffin tin for this, as long as you can find a stencil that is about 1 inch larger in diameter than each muffin hole. So for a tin that made 3 inch muffins, I got a "stencil", aka "a bowl", that was about 4 inches across to cut my tortillas into smaller circles.
2. Once they're all cut out, I got about 3 per tortilla, brush each side of the shells with a bit of olive oil and place into the muffin holes. The should fit easily if you pinch them into a sort of  wonton shape like a cross. Place in the oven for about 5- 10 mins or until they are brown.
3. While this is cooking, put the garlic, onion, jalapenos, and olive oil into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more jalapenos if you like it spicier or another spoonful of olive oil if you like it smoother.
4. When your shells are brown, remove from the oven to let them cool. While this is happening prepare your garnishes.
5. To serve, fill shells with shells with salad, then bean dip then saucy topping like chopped tomatoes or guacamole. Yum!

My "stencil"

Cut tortillas in the muffin trays

Black Eyed Bean Dip Boats

The Good, the Bad and the Grapefruit: Mixing Pills and Pomello is a Dangerous mix

Souce:  BBC.co.uk

All my life grapefruit has been one of the those foods that 'healthy' people eat. You know, when you go to the breakfast buffet they have those pink halves all ready to go for the skinny ladies with the will power to resist the waffle maker and the omelette bar and even the chocolate croissants? I always thought there was a special reward for those who could make such a sacrifice in the name of health and beauty, but apparently it's a bit more complicated than that.

Turns out that `grapefruit contains the compound furanocoumarin, which blocks the enzyme cytochrome P450 3A4, used to metabolize many drugs.` If the enzyme is blocked, the potency of certain prescription drugs can quickly reach toxic levels in the blood stream causing a real health risk. Canadian researchers found that up to 85 different brands of medication were affected.

Book review: Michael Clarke Duncan agrees that Skinny Bitch is awesome

Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan, describes himself as a 'big guy' and is not the image that most people conjure up when when they think of vegetarians. But last week, the star of Green Mile, and partner of American Appretice vegetarian vixen Omarosa, confessed to PETA that his recent conversion to vegetarianism was inspired by a combination of health concerns, a screening of Meet Your Meat and a reading of classic vegan/health manifesto, Skinny Bitch.

What is it about Skinny Bitch?
Well, Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin's book 'Skinny Bitch: A No Nonsense, Tough Love Guide for Savvy Girls Who Want to Stop Eating Crap and Start Looking Fabulous',  has been a New York Times Bestseller and spawned a suite of follow ups because it's more than just a book about vegetarianism or veganism. It's about getting you to understand how your body is affected by all the food and drink that you feed it. Caffeine, dairy, meat, aspartame are all strictly off the menu. Water, sleep, fruit and legumes are all definitely in.

I originally borrowed the book the shelf of my friend at Teeny Vegan Kitchen . She said it was a must read and she was right. The thing that really carries this book is the tone. The girls are straight talking, frank and curse a lot- their chapter on bowel movements is very amusing - but they speak the truth. By the end of it I felt more than motivated to cleanse myself of the toxins that were making me sluggish, unhealthy and keeping me from harnessing my inner skinny bitch.


I found the book to be quite an eye opener and a great read, and apparently I'm not the only one.

'Cress to impress: what's the deal with watercress?

Who knew that mild mannered watercress was actually a superfood? Yeah, I know, not quite as pretty as rocket and slightly more complicated to eat than spinach:  watercress.
I recently came across this  article from Positive News and turns out that the quiet little sproutling is actually ‘packed with 15 essential vitamins and minerals. Weight for weight, it contains more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more folic acid than bananas’….yeah, watercess! I’ve been upping my quota and I’m loving it. It’s a major crop here so not only do I get to eat tasty greens, but I’m also supporting my local farmers  and eating on the cheap, making it taste event better.
So what about the taste? If you've never had watercress it's really spicy  with a hint of bitterness like eating rhutebega greens. And actually it's actually quite versatile. Soup, salad, sandwich, hot or cold.
My favourite cressipe (you like that? I just came up with it and I’m very proud. Watercress marketing people, you’re welcome to use it.) so far is a simple salad with cheese with I regularly have for lunch. I won't bore you with a 'how to put stuff in a bowl' recipe but here's a lovely Indian recipe for Watercress and Chickpeas from vegetarian blog jugalbandi.

Freestylin'...Mostly Minestrone

Just a little something I whipped up!

This is a recipe that I whipped up on the fly because I was too lazy to go to the shop! I had a can of butter beans and a can of tomatoes so I thought why not make some magic?

I've only started making soup recently but I'm really getting into it. They're really hard to get wrong and the result is something that you can have as a starter, a main or a lunch on the go. If you've never tried it making soup from scratch I thoroughly recommend it. You cut down on lots of the salt and grease in prepacked soups and it's a really good way to make use of vegetable leftovers.  So all you get is the goodness.

This is mostly inspired by what I had to hand but looking at it it's pretty similar to a long standing soup standard, but because there's no pasta or rice, I'm calling this....

Mostly Minestrone

Ingredients

• 1/4  onion , slice
• 1 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large chestnut mushrooms
• 1/2 sweet red pepper
• 300ml vegetable stock
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can butter or cannellini beans
• 1 tsp of all spice
• 1 cup spinach

Just to note, I would have put garlic in it, but I didn't have any! If you do, go for it, it should only make it better.

The business

1. Grab a nice big pot and saute the onions, mushrooms, celery, and red pepper in the olive oil.  Let everything simmer unitl soft, should be about 10 minutes.


2. Get your beans out! Pour a little bit of the juice into the oniony stuff to get them sizzling and keep some more of the bean juice to one side for later to use as a thickener.   Pour the drained beans into the pot with the onions.  Let it all simmer for another 5 minutes or so.


3. Stir in the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 mins.


4. This is a great time to get in there with the spoon and season your soup. This is when you add the all spice and pepper. If you're like me and like your soup with a little bit of zing, just tip in a bit of balsamic vinegar. And finally if your soup needs thickening, add a little bit of the starchy bean juice.


5. Now to finish, just plate up and add a handful of coarsly chopped spinach to the top.

And there you have it - healthy vegan minestrone type thing. I put my own stamp on it.  I'm sure you can too. Happy Munching!