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In Search of Vegetable Protein

I wasn’t always a vegetarian. Back in the day, I used to be seated right beside some of you, gnawing away on that rib bone, masticating that filet mignon, devouring a double double from my (former) favorite burger place, In-n-Out. I was an animal-eating carnivore most of my life—just like over 90% of the population. Then I had some blood work done and got a glimpse of my cholesterol levels. Yikes!

Here’s the thing: I was never what you would call a BIG meat eater. More often than not, I was just as interested in the vegetable and salad portion of my meal as the animal protein part. And once I’d done further research about the contributing factors of high cholesterol (mine, by the way, was closing in on 300) and unhealthy weight gain—namely: saturated fats—it made perfect sense to gradually cut down on the meats. Years before I became a full-time vegetarian, I often would go days without consuming any animal protein. My palette, as well as some deeper region of my subconscious, was changing, sounding an alarm: Reduce your saturated fats or die!

Okay, Mike, you can stop with the dramatics. But it was a wake-up call, and my unhealthy cholesterol and weight gain (I was up over 200 pounds—far too heavy for my barely 5’ 11’’ frame) forced me to do something else—discover healthier eating options. More to the point: I needed to reduced saturated fats, which meant limit the consumption of animal proteins. The answer:

VEGETABLE PROTEIN!

Here are some of the best sources of vegetable protein that I incorporate into my daily eating routine. Eat as much of this stuff as you can and you will not only get the necessary amount of protein into your diet, but tons of fiber (a good thing!). All without those harmful saturated fats; instead filling up with the good fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

NUTS
I eat nuts every day—mostly almonds, but all nuts have a decent amount of vegetable protein. In addition to almonds, eat walnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, even peanuts. They have anywhere from 6-8 grams of protein and 3.0 grams of fiber. I also suggest trying some of the butters. Almond butter is delicious and has 8.0 gms of protein per serving.

BEANS
I love Mexican food, and eat it at least twice a week. I’ve found that you can replace just about any of the meat dishes with healthy black beans (7.0 gms protein/7.0 gms fiber) or refried beans (be sure to check if they are made with lard, in they are, opt out). There are dozens of varieties of beans (see one of my previous blog posts, You Don’t Know Beans…or Do You?); pinto, navy, garbanzo—add them to salads or eat as a side dish. Most have around 6-8 gms of protein and about the same amounts of fiber.

And don’t forget lentils. These tasty tidbits are loaded with vegetable protein—10.0 gms. And 9.0 gms of fiber.

WHOLE GRAINS
I eat a high-protein, whole grain cereal every other day. Kashi makes excellent products. Try their Go Lean. It has 13.0 gms of protein per serving, also 10.0 gms fiber. I mix mine with their Good Friends (5.0 gms protein/12.0 gms fiber) for a vegetarian protein and fiber blast (pun intended!) The days I don’t eat whole grain cereals, I have some toasted whole grain bread (4-6 gms protein; shop around and read labels, some have more protein than others. I recommend Milton's) with almond butter. You can see how the vegetable protein is adding up, huh?

Pastas, especially whole grain pastas, are another great source of vegetable protein. Most have at least 6-8 gms, while some go as high as 12-15 gms. Again, read labels, and you will be pleasantly surprised by all of the healthy vegetable protein options available to you.

I also eat oatmeal (8.0 gms protein/ 6.0 gms fiber) every day. And wild rice will get you around 5.0 gms of vegetable protein per serving.

VEGETABLES
Not all veggies are created equal. Some have more protein than others. Here are the ones you should look for when looking to increase your vegetable protein consumption:

SOY
I eat edamame, or soybeans, (11.0 gms protein/ 6.0 gms fiber) several times a week. I like to mix in another vegetable, usually broccoli (5.0 gms protein/ 4.0 gms fiber), add a little olive oil, salt, pepper. How’s that for veggie protein? Also, soy chips are a wonderful source of protein: 6.0 gms--I like Glenny's  and Gen soy. And Dr Soy makes a tasty soy bar (11 gms protein) that I devour most days.

ALSO:
Avocado: (4.0 gms protein/8.0 gms fiber)
Peas: (5.0 gms protein/ 4.0 gms fiber)
Corn: (4.5 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)
Lima beans: (6.0 gms protein/4.0 gms fiber)
Brussels sprouts: (4.0 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)
Artichoke hearts: (4.0 gms protein/4.0 gms fiber)
Asparagus: (4.0 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)

This is by no means a complete list, and a lot of it is personal preference. But, as you can see, the variety of vegetable proteins available to you are endless. And the best part—they are low in saturated fats, high in good fats, loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that contribute to a longer, happier, skinnier, healthier life.

As always, you can watch me talk about all of these healthy topics at my video website, livelife365.com

peace,

Mike

In Search Of Vegetable Protein

I wasn’t always a vegetarian. Back in the day, I used to be seated right beside some of you, gnawing away on that rib bone, masticating that filet mignon, devouring a double double from my (former) favorite burger place, In-n-Out. I was an animal-eating carnivore most of my life—just like over 90% of the population. Then I had some blood work done and got a glimpse of my cholesterol levels. Yikes!

Here’s the thing: I was never what you would call a BIG meat eater. More often than not, I was just as interested in the vegetable and salad portion of my meal as the animal protein part. And once I’d done further research about the contributing factors of high cholesterol (mine, by the way, was closing in on 300) and unhealthy weight gain—namely: saturated fats—it made perfect sense to gradually cut down on the meats. Years before I became a full-time vegetarian, I often would go days without consuming any animal protein. My palette, as well as some deeper region of my subconscious, was changing, sounding an alarm: Reduce your saturated fats or die!

Okay, Mike, you can stop with the dramatics. But it was a wake-up call, and my unhealthy cholesterol and weight gain (I was up over 200 pounds—far too heavy for my barely 5’ 11’’ frame) forced me to do something else—discover healthier eating options. More to the point: I needed to reduced saturated fats, which meant limit the consumption of animal proteins. The answer:

VEGETABLE PROTEIN!

Here are some of the best sources of vegetable protein that I incorporate into my daily eating routine. Eat as much of this stuff as you can and you will not only get the necessary amount of protein into your diet, but tons of fiber (a good thing!). All without those harmful saturated fats; instead filling up with the good fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

NUTS
I eat nuts every day—mostly almonds, but all nuts have a decent amount of vegetable protein. In addition to almonds, eat walnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, even peanuts. They have anywhere from 6-8 grams of protein and 3.0 grams of fiber. I also suggest trying some of the butters. Almond butter is delicious and has 8.0 gms of protein per serving.

BEANS
I love Mexican food, and eat it at least twice a week. I’ve found that you can replace just about any of the meat dishes with healthy black beans (7.0 gms protein/7.0 gms fiber) or refried beans (be sure to check if they are made with lard, in they are, opt out). There are dozens of varieties of beans (see one of my previous blog posts, You Don’t Know Beans…or Do You?); pinto, navy, garbanzo—add them to salads or eat as a side dish. Most have around 6-8 gms of protein and about the same amounts of fiber.

And don’t forget lentils. These tasty tidbits are loaded with vegetable protein—10.0 gms. And 9.0 gms of fiber.

WHOLE GRAINS
I eat a high-protein, whole grain cereal every other day. Kashi makes excellent products. Try their Go Lean. It has 13.0 gms of protein per serving, also 10.0 gms fiber. I mix mine with their Good Friends (5.0 gms protein/12.0 gms fiber) for a vegetarian protein and fiber blast (pun intended!) The days I don’t eat whole grain cereals, I have some toasted whole grain bread (4-6 gms protein; shop around and read labels, some have more protein than others. I recommend Milton's) with almond butter. You can see how the vegetable protein is adding up, huh?

Pastas, especially whole grain pastas, are another great source of vegetable protein. Most have at least 6-8 gms, while some go as high as 12-15 gms. Again, read labels, and you will be pleasantly surprised by all of the healthy vegetable protein options available to you.

I also eat oatmeal (8.0 gms protein/ 6.0 gms fiber) every day. And wild rice will get you around 5.0 gms of vegetable protein per serving.

VEGETABLES
Not all veggies are created equal. Some have more protein than others. Here are the ones you should look for when looking to increase your vegetable protein consumption:

SOY
I eat edamame, or soybeans, (11.0 gms protein/ 6.0 gms fiber) several times a week. I like to mix in another vegetable, usually broccoli (5.0 gms protein/ 4.0 gms fiber), add a little olive oil, salt, pepper. How’s that for veggie protein? Also, soy chips are a wonderful source of protein: 6.0 gms--I like Glenny's and Gen soy. And Dr Soy makes a tasty soy bar (11 gms protein) that I devour most days.

ALSO:
Avocado: (4.0 gms protein/8.0 gms fiber)
Peas: (5.0 gms protein/ 4.0 gms fiber)
Corn: (4.5 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)
Lima beans: (6.0 gms protein/4.0 gms fiber)
Brussels sprouts: (4.0 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)
Artichoke hearts: (4.0 gms protein/4.0 gms fiber)
Asparagus: (4.0 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)

This is by no means a complete list, and a lot of it is personal preference. But, as you can see, the variety of vegetable proteins available to you are endless. And the best part—they are low in saturated fats, high in good fats, loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that contribute to a longer, happier, skinnier, healthier life.

As always, you can watch me talk about all of these healthy topics at my video website, livelife365.com

peace,

Mike

What's Up, Doc?

Remember Bugs Bunny? That big-tooth, wise guy rabbit? Besides always tormenting poor Elmer Fudd, Bugs was always doing something else. Chomping on a carrot. Now, I'm not one to watch cartoons these days, let alone be inspired by one of their characters, but we can learn a lot from Bugs. Not about how to annoy a funny-voiced wabbit hunter, but by enjoying the myriad health benefits of carrots.

Recently, I wrote a post about apples that received some nice feedback. This was on the heels of a blog entry about the wonders of beans in your daily diet. Now carrots. I could have started with apples, followed by beans, and then added this entry about carrots, and called it the ABC's of Nutrition, but my brain isn't that organized. Maybe I'm more like Bugs after all: I am a bit of a wiseguy, I have been told that I can be annoying at times, and I do love carrots.

Besides being an excellent source of fiber and low in calories (one cup of chopped raw carrots has only 50 calories), carrots are loaded with good stuff for you. Like potassium, antioxidants and pro-vitamin A carotene. These protect against cardiovascular disease and all types of cancer (especially colon cancer, because of falcarinol, a phytochemical found in carrots), and promote good vision, especially night vision. Yup, carrots really are good for your eyesight!

And good news for you smokers and, hopefully, soon-to-be, ex-smokers. Vitamin A-rich foods like carrots promote healthy lungs by counteracting the vitamin A deficiency caused by cigarette smoke.

Eat them raw or cooked, in salads or as a vegetable side dish, in a soup or to use as a scoop for your favorite (low-fat) dip, just eat them. Or drink them (carrot juice, try it!) Every day, if you can, and you will benefit from all that healthy beta-carotene.

So next time you hear the words from that famous Looney Tune, "Ah, what's up, Doc?" The answer should be, "Ah, carrots, that's what."

Until next time...

peace,

Mike

An Apple a Day

Sound familiar?

I recently wrote a post about my love of beans and their amazing health benefits. I received a lot of excellent feedback from vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. Encouraged by such kind words, I now will add apples to my long list of nutritious foods you should eat...daily!

I read recently that the average American eats about one apple a week. Now, given the poor and sometimes unhealthy, eating habits of most people, I was actually happily surprised by this statistic. But the article went on to state that for the maximum benefits of apple eating, you should eat at least one a DAY. Guess what? I do. I have been eating apples, daily, for so long I honestly cannot recall the last time I did not eat one. Wow, that's a lot of apples!

The good news is twofold: One, there are countless varieties of apples, from sweet to sour, crisp to soft, spicy to mellow. You have your red and golden delicious, granny smith, gala, fuji, braeburn, honeycrisp, Macintosh, cameo, pacific rose, rome, jonagold, the list is endless, the myriad flavors countless.

Do you know that apples have been around for thousands of years? The apple tree is one of, if not the, earliest tree to be cultivated. Apples made their way to North America in the 1600s, and we have been eating them in this country ever since. Now about the second wonderful thing about apples: their amazing health benefits.

Apples have been linked to helping lower cholesterol, improve bowel function (one apple has around 5 grams of fiber, and you know how I feel about fiber!), reduce the risk of prostrate cancer, stroke, diabetes and heart disease. There have also been studies that claim apples can improve lung health and help prevent strokes. One a day? I think I may have to up that to two a day!

As I mentioned earlier, apples are loaded with fiber, they also contain no fat, and have only around 100-120 calories. Besides vitamins A and C, you will also get some calcium, iron, and potassium from eating apples. Back to the fiber, one of my favorite health subjects. It is proven that eating a diet high in fiber will help you lose weight while maintaining a healthy weight, promote regularity, and help keep your stomach full longer, thus making you less hungry. What better way to increase that all-important fiber into your diet than with a tasty apple? A common suggestion for those trying to eat less and lose weight is to eat an apple an hour or so before a meal. Try it, you will be amazed at how effective it is in helping to limit caloric consumption.

In the wise words of Benjamin Franklin, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Sounds just about right.

Eat your apples, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables, load up on fiber, and you will not only keep the doctor away, you will live a healthy, happy, longer life.

Until next time.

peace,

Mike

You Don't Know Beans...Or Maybe You Do?

I love beans!

Now there's a headline that makes one stop and look. Hey, I am not ashamed to admit that I am a bean freak, an eater of all varieties of beans: black, pinto, kidney, refried, garbanzo, lentils (which are legumes, part of the pea family), navy, and soy, lots of soy, or edamame. Why am I an unabashed lover of these colorful nuggets of protein, fiber, and taste? Well, besides protein, fiber, and taste, they are so good for you.

Beans are loaded with vitamins and minerals, like: calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, chlorine, sulfur and vitamin A. And don't forget antioxidants: the darker the bean the greater the antioxidants. Plus folate, which helps fight cancer and heart disease. Better yet, beans are a fantastic source of vegetarian protein (8-10 grams per serving), and for non-meat eaters like myself, they are just what the dietitian ordered. I eat one variety of bean or another at least once a day, be it while battling my Mexican food Jones (black beans and refried beans), or tossed in a salad (kidney, garbanzo, pinto), or as part of my nightly pile of vegetables, usually edamame. And I can't think of a better tasting meat substitute than lentils prepared just right.

Beans are also a wonderful source of fiber. And when I am not advocating the importance of beans in ones diet, I can often be found singing the praises of fiber. Lots of it. I eat well above the recommended daily allowance of fiber, which is 25-35 grams, depending on your size and caloric intake. Why? Because fiber is king: it lowers cholesterol, helps you lose weight by making you feel full longer, by digesting slower, and when if finally decides to digest, it promotes regularity. Beans are full of fiber. Depending on what kind you eat, around 5-8 grams a serving. What's not to love?

What else is great about beans and legumes? Fat. They are virtually free of fat, depending on the variety you choose. Read labels and be careful how you prepare them and beans will help you lose weight, stay fit, and live a healthier life. Also, when you have a choice, always choose organic. I have discovered some very healthy, tasty organic bean products that are canned. Check them out, read the labels, and you can find some healthy foods. Or buy a bag of dried beans and find someone who knows how to prepare them from scratch. This blog entry is all about the goodness of beans, not how to prepare them. By the way, if you find a good recipe on how to prepare them, let me know.

So, have you had your beans today? Try to make beans a part of your daily diet, like I do. You'll be glad you did.

peace,

Mike