nutrition Archives - Compassionate Women

My China Diet

April 29, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

I just returned home to Texas after a six month stay in Beijing, where I was teaching English to little kids and cultivating my blog. Before I went, I imagined that being a vegan in China would be fairly easy. Even though China has adopted a more Westernized diet in recent years (lots of meat and dairy), I figured it would be pretty easy to find plant based dishes.

Boy was I wrong! All I ate the first two months I lived there was rice with vegetables because that’s all I could find in the way of vegan options. That got tiring after a while and didn’t give me an array of needed nutrients. Eating out was wreaking havoc on my digestive and immune systems because the quality of food is so low in China, plus they tend to over-do it with the oil. I was always sick, had headaches, couldn’t sleep well, and felt tired and light headed. I decided to stop eating out, get a blender and food processor, and make all of my meals at home. What a difference!

For anyone that plans on being abroad for an extended amount of time, here are some suggestions for quick, easy meals that are healthy and plant based.

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Earl Grey Truffle Bark

April 26, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

This week’s recipe is a little bit country, a little bit British. That’s right, you heard me. I just got back to Texas after 6 months in China and I’m staying with my friend who has a beautiful piece of land in the hill country outside of Austin. She’s from England, but is a Texas girl at heart! While looking through one of her cookbooks entitled The Vintage Tea Party Book, I saw a delicious looking recipe for Engraved Earl Grey Truffle Hearts, and I knew I needed to veganize it!

This recipe is so simple it’s silly! With it’s super rich texture, chocolatey goodness, and hint of bergamot, this truffle bark is the perfect homemade gift or a healthy alternative for your next chocolate craving.

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Delicious Vegan Cheese Sauce

April 7, 2015 by Jillian 6 Comments

The other day I was making Red Lentil Hummus and I got an idea. I added a little too much water to my lentils when I was cooking them, but when I transferred them to the food processor with my seasonings and blended it, it came out with a cheesy flavor and the consistency of a sauce. I’ve been wanting a super easy vegan cheese recipe, because the one I usually make consists of too many steps and too many ingredients. My Delicious Vegan Cheese Sauce recipe only has six ingredients, is full of fiber and other nutrients, and is super filling and yummy.

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Hungry for Change

March 23, 2015 by Jillian 2 Comments

Today I finally watched the critically acclaimed 2012 documentary Hungry for Change, directed by James Colquhon and Laurentine Ten Bosch. I like this film because it gets down to the root causes of obesity, illness, bad health, and unhappiness and makes the connection between mind and body. It also talks about why diets don’t work, what is in the foods we are consuming, and gives a solution to this epidemic of unhealthiness.

I decided ahead of time to take notes while watching Hungry for Change because I knew it was going to be filled with great information. And boy was it! I highly recommend watching this documentary (which you can find on Netflix and the Hungry for Change official website), but in the mean time, here are the “cliff notes” with what I found in the film to be most significant.

OVERFED & UNDERNOURISHED

While hunter gatherer cultures consume more nutrients and less calories, Americans today are consuming more calories and less nutrients. We are fatter than ever but starving our bodies at the same time. Why is that? Because Americans are consuming processed foods instead of whole foods that come from nature. Let’s take a look at a few of the toxic ingredients that are causing widespread obesity and chronic illness, and some of my suggestions for healthy alternatives.

MSG – A food additive used in nearly every processed food and restaurant in America. The problem with MSG is that it’s an excitotoxin, meaning that it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, which can cause brain damage and learning disabilities. It also causes overeating and weight gain. Case in point: MSG is used on lab mice in medical studies to make them fat. Alternative: pink Himalayan salt
Aspartame – It’s an addictive substance most commonly found in diet soda. Aspartame causes neurological damage and weight gain, yet it’s marketed by diet soda companies as a “healthy” alternative to regular soda. Alternative: Stevia

Fat/Fat Free Foods – If you see “fat free” on a food label, that usually means loaded with sugar because they have to make up for the taste. And sugar is what really makes us fat. Low fat foods leave you hungry because your body needs good fats, NOT fats like soybean oil, corn oil, or canola oil. Partially hydrogenated oils are the worst kinds of fats and are used in many baked items and margarine spreads. Healthy fats are plant based. Alternative: avocados, chia seeds, flax oil, coconut oil
High Fructose Corn Syrup – Created by Japanese scientists in the 1970’s, it reduced production costs, but fructose (or “fruit sugar”) is highly addictive and changes brain chemistry. In the 1900’s, children consumed about 15 grams of fructose a day, which is less than 1 ounce. Presently, children consume about 70-80 grams of fructose a day and some children consume up to 120-150 grams a day, which is 10x the amount in 1900. Alternative: maple syrup, coconut palm sugar

Take away: Read the ingredients labels on foods! Be careful of ingredients that are plant derived but have been chemically altered, like high fructose corn syrup.

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Sweet Potato Pudding

January 25, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Sweet potatoes are one of my new favorite foods here in Beijing (the other being pomelos). They are super cheap and readily available, plus sweet potatoes are easy to prepare and very filling. Not to mention the health benefits. I’ve always loved my mom’s sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving, but I know the recipe included butter, sugar, and eggs – 3 ingredients that pretty much cancel out the good stuff in the sweet potato itself. Last year I attended an amazing vegan workshop held through PCRM (Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine) that focused on how anyone can help prevent and cure cancer through a vegan diet. I came home with some vegan recipes that were so delicious and simple to create, I was in a state of wild and utter happiness. One of those recipes was Sweet Potato Pudding. 5 ingredients, 5 minutes to make, and devoured in about 1 minute!

Before I wow you with this genius recipe, let’s take a quick look at the great health benefits of sweet potatoes:

They are a good source of vitamin C, which is necessary in warding off cold and flu viruses, instrumental in bone and tooth formation, digestion, and blood cell formation. It also accelerates wound healing and produces collagen, the substance that maintains skin’s youthful elasticity and helps us cope with stress. Vitamin C has been linked to fighting cancerous toxins as well.
They contain vitamin D, which is crucial to the immune system and linked to our energy levels and moods. Vitamin D is essential for building healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin, and teeth, as well as supporting the thyroid gland.
They contain iron, an essential mineral that is responsible for red and white blood cell production, resistance to stress, adequate energy levels, proper immune functioning, and other duties.
Sweet potatoes are a good source of magnesium and potassium. Magnesium plays an important role in healthy artery, blood, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve function. It’s also known as the relaxation and anti-stress mineral. Potassium is an electrolyte that regulates heartbeat and nerve signals, and protects and controls the kidneys.
Another perk is that the natural sugars in sweet potatoes are slowly released into the bloodstream, which creates a balanced and regular source of energy without the negative side effects associated with other types of sugar, such as weight gain and fatigue.
Finally, sweet potatoes are high in beta carotene and other carotenoids, as indicated by their beautiful orange color. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that fight cancer, strengthen our eyesight, and boost our immunity.

I’m impressed not only with the health benefits of sweet potatoes, but the flavor and versatility of them. Take your pick – grilled, baked, roasted, sauteed, pureed, steamed, in soups, stews, salads, or even sweet potato fries. It’s important to note something that I learned from the instructor at my PCRM vegan workshop; be careful not to cook sweet potatoes at ultra high temperatures because it diminishes the nutrients. (this is true of many other vegetables as well). My instructor suggested roasting sweet potatoes in the oven at about 200-250 degrees. It takes longer, but the nutrients remain intact and the natural sugars have more time to simmer and come out, making for an even sweeter sweet potato!

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