Naturally Vegan Health & FitnessⓋ

Health & Wellness

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Vegan Lasagne Recipe...no meat, no dairy, no wheat, no soy and gluten free

Today I created a real veggie lasagne! I wanted to use some sort of "ground meat" substitute but NOT soy based "veggie-meat". I googled some recipes of nut based meats and came across an interesting one that blended cauliflower and walnuts! So here goes:
This is one head of cauliflower ground up, and about one cup of walnuts ground up! Season with your fave Italian seasonings like basil, salt, parsley, garlic powder, and smoked pepper!
Place evenly on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 mixing every 15 minutes to brown evenly.
When golden brown, remove from oven and let cool! You could make this in advance and freeze it just like meat, or keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
Using a Mandolin, cut zucchini into thin slices to use as your "noodles".
Start to layer the zucchini, tomato sauce, veggie meat, and I added a layer of sauteed mushrooms with onion and spinach!
Keep adding those layers :)
Top layer should be zucchini, a thin layer of tomato sauce, sprinkled with nutritional yeast, and fresh parsley! Bake at 350 about 45 minutes, or until top is golden :) Enjoy!

Veggie Lasagne- The real thing!






Sunday, December 16, 2012

Are we frugivores?

As I continue to change my eating habits and study Natural Health, I find Fruit has become the biggest part of this experience. Reading books about plant based diets I discovered they all have one thing in common...FRUIT! Fruit has had a terrible reputation as "high protein" and "low carb" diets flooded the diet and fitness industry...well you know because fruit makes you fat, right??? WRONG!!! Now, I won't go into the dangers of eating high protein and low carb, instead I will talk about the benefits of eating HIGH CARB!
High carb does not mean eating bread and pasta, which is what most people associate carbohydrates with, it's all about eating an abundance of fruit...our natural fuel supply!
As a specie, we ALL have a sweet tooth, at one point, most of us ate fruit to satisfy it...exactly how nature intended, but as the food industry created man-made sweets full of refined sugars, food additives, and colorings, our taste buds have drastically changed. We have a sweet tooth because our natural diet should contain an abundance of fruit, providing us with fuel, amino acids, vitamins, and water! The modern day human has been so over-sweetened, fruit no longer tastes sweet. This has caused us to satisfy our NATURAL sweet tooth with UNNATURAL foods...dangerous foods. Is fruit making us fat & sick? NO...most humans don't even eat the recommended serving of fruit in a day, but I bet they are eating an abundance of man-made crap...oops I mean carbs ;)
What does the human body use for fuel? Glucose! Some will say protein and fat...I would disagree. And think about this...who benefits from a high fat, high protein diet? THE FOOD INDUSTRY and BIG PHARMA, no one else! Ever seen an athlete "fat load" or "protein load" before an event? No! The human body can run like a smooth machine on a high fruit diet, it provides it water, glucose, amino acids, vitamins without robbing us of energy!
We need protein, that is very true, but the RDA grossly exaggerates what our real need is. Well, let's break it down to what we really need...AMINO ACIDS, about 21 grams per day! We have been sold this idea we need meat and lots of it, meet contains protein which the body needs, if you think the meat industry doesn't have their dirty little paws in our RDA of protein you are brainwashed. Fruits & veggies contain amino acids, most contain all essential amino acids! When we eat an abundance of fruits and veggies we are eating a direct source of what we need, instead of eating meat...which is high in protein, but the body needs to break it down into amino acids. This is a laborious process robbing us of energy! Eating fruit and veggies gives us the amino acids we need in the raw and ALIVE form.
As I add more fruit to my diet, I have seen many amazing changes! My desire for processed foods has been cut down 90%, really, Fruit has become my natural carb supply, and it has excited my sweet tooth! When you give your body natural fuel it will set you free from processed food cravings! Does protein make you lean? Ask any high raw food vegan and they will say NO WAY! I haven't been this lean without restricting calories EVER!!! That's right, no cutting calories! No robbing your body and mind of fuel (glucose)! My diet is very high in fruit, I eat fruit all day, as much as I want! I have a ton of energy, hydrated, clear headed, and my body is LEAN!
I cannot go back to eating the American standard Diet...also known as SAD. It is sad for sure. Most who are living on this diet created in labs by people more concerned about the bottom dollar, are struggling with major health problems including obesity! I do believe our natural diet is supposed to be high fruit & veggie, low protein, low fat! This s a lifestyle full of abundant eating, no calorie restricting, eating so much raw food you really do feel ALIVE! So are we a fruit eating specie? YES WE ARE! So ditch the man made protein bars, energy snacks, and weight loss shakes, and eat fruit! Give your body the fuel it craves, don't deny your natural sweet tooth!  Try 30-60 days on a high fruit, low protein, low fat diet...do it for your health!