High Cholesterol

The better the foods taste, the higher the chance that they're high cholesterol foods. This is one of the irony's of life.

If you've been told to reduce the high cholesterol foods, it's a small comfort you're not alone. While nobody tells you to become a vegetarian (which would help ;)..), it's a good idea to be aware of your high cholesterol foods you eat – and take steps to control the eating of foods high in cholesterol.

Many medical professionals will tell you that shellfish are definitely on the NO list for anyone who has raised blood cholesterol levels. The debate goes on as to whether it is the cholesterol in the foods or are we taking in to much saturated fat?

Doctors do agree however that increasing your HDL or 'good' cholesterol can be beneficial in reducing your chances of being a stroke victim or having heart failure.

Researchers for the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky found that LDL 'bad' cholesterol can be reduced by up to twenty per cent just by eating a cup full of cooked beans every day. Lentils, chick peas and even baked beans all help to boost your HDL cholesterol levels.

One Israeli team found that people who ate avocados everyday for twelve weeks made big reductions on their LDL cholesterol levels. It is assumed that the high levels of mono-saturated fats in Avocados were the reason for the success.

For people known to have high levels of LDL cholesterol in their blood, possibly the best addition to their diet would be oats. Oats contain a fiber called beta glucans and this sticks to the walls of your intestines and so blocks the LDL cholesterol from absorbing into the blood stream. It can also boost HDL levels.


A List Of Foods That Are High In Cholesterol
* Eggs (mainly the yolks)
* Shrimp
* Liver
* Crab
* Beef
* Pork

LA Vegan

Over the weekend I ate at LA Vegan located at 4507 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles and it was delicious!

I had the best orange soy chicken! It's been a while since I have had orange chicken (over 3 years!) so the fact that I was able to have it soy style was great! So if you are in LA anytime soon and are looking for a good Vegan restaurant you should try LA Vegan. The menu is packed with good dishes...I can't wait to go back!

Oh and I love their Thai Iced Tea with Soy..mmmm!

http://www.laveganthai.com/ (check out their menu)

Fast Food

In today’s age of convenience, fast food needs no introduction. Everyone from a 2-year-old toddler to a 60-year-old grandpa seems to be enjoying it every chance they get. It’s filling, is really affordable, and readily available any time of the day, being only a drive through or phone call away. However, you might be paying a bigger price, health wise.

Fast food is loaded with calories from refined sugar and fats (especially, the artery-clogging saturated and hydrogenated fats, which are repeatedly reheated to high temperatures for frying purposes).

It is also very high in sodium, coming from common salt and other additives. On top of all this, fast food is deficient in dietary fiber and essential micro-nutrients like vitamins and minerals.

To make matters worse, heaps of fast food are normally guzzled down with gallons of sugar-rich colas – which many fast-food restaurants serve free with food as an incentive.

To make a long story short, all this results in piling up of unused empty calories in the body, which get stored as body fat – till one day you look in the mirror and realize that your great figure has been replaced by this creature in the mirror.

So think twice when you see those golden arches and make a wiser choice! ;)

On a non vegan note...women are kicking butt in education but not the work force. Think it's fair?

Soy Versus Milk...more fun milk facts!

Let’s compare 100-gram portions (3.5 ounces) of soymilk vs.
cow’s milk:

Cow’s milk has 61 calories. Soymilk has 33 calories. Cow’s
milk contains 3.34 grams of fat. Soymilk contains 1.91 grams
of fat.

Cow’s milk has 14 milligrams of cholesterol and no dietary
fiber. Soymilk contains 1.3 grams of fiber and has zero
cholesterol.

Cow’s milk contains a full range of amino acids. Soymilk
also contains a full range of amino acids.

Both contain plenty of protein. Cow’s milk actually has one-
half gram more protein than the 100-gram portion of soymilk.

Soymilk contains greater amounts of certain amino acids
including arginine, alanine, aspartic acid, and glycine.

Arginine slows the growth of cancers by strengthening the
immune system. Alanine aids in the metabolism of sugars.
Aspartic acid increases stamina and plays a vital role in
metabolism, acting as an anti-oxidant. Glycine is necessary
for brain and nervous system functioning and muscle/energy
metabolism.

When milk is pasteurized, Vitamins A, C, and D are
destroyed. The same can be said for those vitamins when
soymilk is manufactured. Soymilk does contain more than four
times the amount of thiamin (Vitamin B-1) and nearly twice
the amount of niacin (Vitamin B-3) as does cow's milk.

Soymilk also contains more magnesium, copper, and manganese
than does cow’s milk. In order to absorb calcium, one needs
magnesium. Copper also aids in bone formation. One early
sign of osteoporosis is a deficiency in copper. Soymilk
contains twelve times the amount of copper as does cow’s
milk. Soymilk also contains 42 times the amount of manganese
as does cow’s milk. Manganese is also needed for bone
formation. People with anemia rely upon manganese for iron
storage. Trace amounts of manganese are essential for neural
transmissions, protein metabolism, and many other body
functions.

Say No To Milk!

We were raised to think of cow’s milk as a perfect food. The National Dairy Council advertises that “milk is natural” and if you don’t drink milk, the council will tell you that your bones will become brittle and your strength will fade due to a lack of calcium. Drinking milk will not make you big and strong, nor will it prevent osteoporosis.

Cows do not drink cow’s milk. Calves stop drinking cow’s milk between the ages of six to eight months. Humans are the only species that drink the milk of another animal. You will never see a kitten drink milk from a goat, or a doe drink milk from a bear. However, we have been conditioned to think that we must drink milk from cows. We are told that we must drink milk from cows. We are told that we must drink cow’s milk for the rest of our lives. No adult animal continues to drink milk after they are weaned. We, as humans, drink milk from an adult animal that do not drink their own milk after they reach 7 months of age.

Human milk is made for human consumption for a specific period of time. It has the appropriate nutrients dedicated to building and maintaining our bodies. After 22-24 months, humans no longer need their mother’s milk. So why are we still drinking cow’s milk as adults? Not to mention giving it to our children. Cow’s milk is meant to turn a 200-pound calf in to a 2,000-pound cow. This reason alone is why America is the leading country in the world of obesity.

The Biggest problem with cow’s milk is that the protein in the cow’s milk damages the human immune system. Amino acids, the units that make up proteins, are building blocks for all living cells. When amino acids in our food are properly broken down by the digestive system into protein, it does no harm to the immune system. Protein from milk, however, is absorbed into the blood fully indigested, provoking an immune response. Repeated exposure to these proteins disrupts normal immune functions and may eventually lead to diseases.



Here are some of the disease that milk can cause.



Crohn's Disease

Asthma

Early Sexual Maturation

Early Breast Growth

Diabetes

Breast Cancer

Colon Cancer

Leukemia

ADD or ADHD

Prostate Cancer

Osteoporosis

Arthritis

Sinuses

Autoimmune Disease

Lung Cancer

Childhood Anemia

Diarrhea & Constipation

Hummus...YUM!

I absolutely love hummus..I eat it with chips, celery, pita bread, etc. Here is a really good recipe.

Walnut-Flaxseed Hummus
Instead of sesame tahini, this hummus recipe uses walnuts and flax seed, which are rich in important Omega-3 fatty acids. The result is milder-tasting than traditional hummus, but equally delicious.

1 16-ounce can (or 1 1/2 cups) cooked chickpeas, drained
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) walnuts
1 tbsp. ground flaxseeds
1/4 cup water or chickpea cooking liquid
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/8-1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. paprika
dash cayenne or chipotle chili powder

Toss the garlic into a running food processor, and process until thoroughly chopped. Add the walnuts, and process until they are in tiny pieces. Add the chickpeas, flaxseed, and 1/4 cup of water (or cooking liquid). Begin blending and add the lemon juice. Continue blending until the mixture is smooth, adding a little more liquid if necessary. Add 1/8 tsp. of the cumin, the paprika, and dash cayenne, and blend for another minute, and taste to check the seasonings. If needed, add more cumin and lemon juice.

Serve as a dip for veggies, a filling for pita bread, or on top of a salad. ENJOY!