Tag: vegetarian

You Are What You Eat

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I’m a firm believer that you are what you eat- what you put into your body effects your entire being. You may not realize it but that bag of potato chips has more of an effect on your mood, well being and health than you would expect. Ever wonder why you feel lethargic, on edge, jumpy or just plain old moody? Think about the things you’re eating on a regular basis. Sure, it’s much easier to grab take out on the way home from work but what you don’t realize is you’re sacrificing great health for convenience.

Though your schedule may not permit you to make conscious healthy decisions, you can make the effort to set aside time to prepare for the week ahead. Get on over to the grocery store or the farmer’s market and opt for fresh produce and less processed foods. Processed foods can have a negative impact on your body because of the simple fact that it is not natural. By opting for more fresh ingredients and planning out a menu for the week (if not the week, how about the next few days) you’re giving your body the chance to feel energized naturally (without the caffeine), you’ll feel more motivated and overall feel much happier. Weave in some daily physical activity and your body will thank you.

Make conscious decisions for long lasting results and remember, you are what you eat.

Peace, love and healthy eating (and no beef of course!),

Guramrit Khalsa

Summertime Vegetable Risotto

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Ever had a random epiphany regarding what you wanted to make for dinner? Well…I had one as I was eating lunch. Go figure right? As I was eating my delectable half of a mediterranean veggie sandwich and slurping my creamy tomato soup from Panera, it hit me. I needed to make risotto for dinner. It is truly a rare moment that I crave risotto, especially since it is incredibly tedious and tiresome to make. This bad boy took me about an hour to make – including prep and all that jazz. But I was determined. I just HAD to make risotto. Besides, my boyfriend had YET to taste my risotto (at the end of the meal he begged me to make more so he could have more than just seconds).

I encourage you to try this amazing risotto and experiment with different vegetables (as I usually do). Here’s my adaptation of the many recipes of risotto I’ve attempted combined into one amazing pot of deliciousness!

What you need:

1/2 bunch of broccoli (baby broccoli is great here too!), chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups of frozen sweet peas
2 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped finely
3/4 cup of arborio rice (the risotto rice!)
3 cups of vegetable broth (bring to a boil & let simmer. Keep it hot while preparing. It’s important!)
1/3 cup of dry white wine (or cooking wine)
2 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (plus more for sprinkling)
Salt, pepper to taste

How you make it:
1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Toss in onion and garlic. Add pinch of salt and stir. Sauté until onions are soft and tender. Add rice and sauté until coated well in the olive oil mixture.
2. Deglaze the pan by adding white wine. Stir until it looks like the rice has absorbed the liquid.
3. Using a ladle, add one ladle full of vegetable broth to the rice and stir until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
4. Toss in the broccoli and stir. Add another ladle full and stir until the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Continue to slowly add the vegetables (leaving the peas for last) while adding broth.
::Note: only add the broth to the rice once the previous amount of broth added is absorbed::
6. Continue the procedure of adding broth until rice is tender. Turn off the heat. Add butter and Parmesan and stir.
7. Cover for 3-5 minutes. Serve!

Voila!
This was by far one of the best risottos I have made. There is always room for improvement and experiment with new veggies of course!

Can’t wait to share that with you next time!

Peace, love and risotto!

Guramrit

The debate about soy…where do you stand?

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Hello my dear readers,

I hope you are all enjoying the summer weather and not only making better eating choices but also staying active. I know I’m trying to keep myself motivated but hey, I am human and sometimes I just want a lazy day at the beach.

I’ve gotten a lot of questions lately as well as critical or even interesting remarks regarding soy. I feel people either LOVE soy products or blatantly hate them. I love soy products especially tofu but with the new information out there regarding the “health risks” of soy I often get the raised eyebrow and criticism.

One of the main comments I have come across is, “soy has estrogen in it and makes you fat and you can get cancer.” I believe that consuming anything in excess can make you sick. I don’t agree with eating soy products multiple times in one week and I ALWAYS opt for organic tofu (at least you know it hasn’t been tampered with).

I immediately start thinking about Asian countries who consume soy regularly (who are not fat by the way) and think on Dr. Andrew Weil who said the following:

Just because soy contains stimulating phytoestrogens does not mean that the effect of whole soy foods is stimulating to estrogen-sensitive cells. In fact, the epidemiological evidence – that is, the evidence of incidence of diseases in different populations – strongly suggests that soy protects women from estrogen-dependent problems.

Actually, soy’s estrogenic effect is weak compared to the natural estrogen in women’s bodies, only 1/100th to 1/1000th that of estradiol. Some research suggests that isoflavones may act in the body by blocking the more powerful effect of a woman’s own estrogen. If true, this may explain why Japanese women who eat a lot of soy-based foods have only one-fifth the rate of breast cancer that occurs among Western women. Asian women consume 20-80 mg of isoflavones daily compared to less than 5 mg per day for American women.

An interesting study in Japan looked at whether diets high in soy foods increased the rate of hysterectomies among premenopausal women. At the outset, none of the women had uterine fibroids or endometriosis, both of which are leading indications for hysterectomy and both of which are promoted by estrogen. The researchers found that of the 1172 women participating in the six year study, the hysterectomy rate was lowest among those whose diets contained the most soy foods suggesting that soy foods seem to reduce the risk of fibroids and endometriosis.

I believe that soy foods such as edamame, tofu, tempeh and soy milk are much more likely to help you than hurt you. Therefore, I recommend one to two servings per day, even to women with breast cancer. That amount will provide about 40 mg of isoflavones, enough to give you the benefits of soy without the theoretical risks. However, I do not recommend soy supplements because of their high isoflavone content and lack of evidence demonstrating their long-term safety. Nor do I recommend eating “designer foods” spiked with soy isoflavones.

If you are considering a vegetarian lifestyle and are worried that your primary source of protein will be soy, think again! There are plenty of protein rich leafy green veggies, lentils, quinoa, legumes, nuts, etc. Consume soy products every ONCE in a while and don’t make that your sole basis for protein. Sure, tofu is great and dandy but please make sure you opt for organic.

That’s all for now my beautiful readers!

Peace, love and tofu (er…no beef lol)!

Guramrit

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My breakfast this morning:

Steel cut oatmeal with grade A Maple Syrup (sorry Aunt Jemima, you just don’t cut it. Besides, you’re not REAL maple syrup. I like the real stuff tapped from the tree. YUM!) and fresh blueberries. 

I must admit this was amazing and by far some of the best oatmeal I’ve ever had. I’ll definitely make it again, just more thick. 

If you’re looking for a great brand you can find at most grocery stores look for: McCann’s Irish Oatmeal!