Chocolate Peanut Butter - Banana Smoothie ala Leigh Ann (Vegan)

Inspired by one of my Yoga teachers who gave me the base recipe that I tweaked a bit.

1 cup of soy milk
1/4 cup raspberries
1 banana
1 tbs unsweetened cocoa (or hot chocolate mix but then it is not vegan and sweeter)
1 tsp flax seeds
1 tbs  peanut butter  -  either smooth or crunchy.  With crunchy you get nice PB bombs :)


Sort of like a fine wine with great hints of peanut butter.  

The raspberries make it a nice purple color but you do get seeds from them.

Spicy Zucchini and Tomato Curry and Raijta Recipes - Vegetarian and/or Vegan

Spicy from chillies, sweet from raisins, protein from nuts., lots of good veggies..   takes about 30 minutes to prepare.

Raijta  (let sit for 1 hour before eating)

½ Cup of Non Fat Greek Yogurt  (or plain soy yogurt if vegan)

4 inches of cucumber cut into small pieces

¼ of a pepper cut into small Pieces

1 baby carrot sliced very thin

A little cilantro

Mix above with a pinch of salt.  
 

Curry

Use a heavy somewhat deep frying pan 

1 Medium Onion

1 Large Tomato

2 medium zucchinis

1 inch Fresh Ginger or equivalent Powder

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Tsp. – Cumin Seeds

1 Tsp. – Coriander Seeds crushed

1 tsp. – Turmeric   (bright yellow)

1 tsp. -  Mustard Seeds  (tiny black ones) 

5 cloves

1 tsp. – Garam Masala  (red powder that looks smells a bit like cinnamon)

1/4 cup raisins

1/3 cup cashews or peanuts 

Jalapeno or other chili pepper  to suit 

Salt to suit 

1 cup water or veggie stock

Olive Oil

Cut onion and tomato up into small pieces

Mince Garlic, Chili Pepper and Ginger

Cut up  zucchini into quarter then about 1 inch in lengths so they are chunks and not slices

Put oil into pan coating bottom and heat on medium

Add Cumin,  Cloves, Coriander and Mustard. 

When Mustard Starts Popping  add in Onions,  Garlic, Chili and Ginger

Fry until onions are somewhat translucent

Add tomatoes and salt and cook for 3 minutes

Add in zucchini,   water (or stock) and turmeric.   Mix well

Cook until zucchini are almost done

Add in Raisins and Cashews/Peanuts

Cook another 3 minutes

Add in Garam Masala

Service with Basmati Rice and Raijta

Yummy and Quick and Easy Pasta Primavera (Vegan or Vegetarian)

Good for a dinner and a next day lunch for one.   Takes 20 minutes to make.

Lots of protein,  iron, vitamin c,  carbohydrates.   

5 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes
1/2 pound pasta/ spaghetti   (regular or whole wheat or rice if gluten free)
2 tbs of virgin olive oil
2 cups of Broccoli
1 cup raw spinach
1 cup of tomatoes cut up into bite sized pieces  (cherries,  grape,  etc.)
1 cup of tofu cubed
1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds
Grated cheese  (if not vegan)


Cut up tomatoes and broccoli

Add tomatoes to serving bowl along with spinach.

Cut garlic into small pieces
Cook in olive oil until brown in a small frying pan or pot.
Turn off gas and add crushed peppers
Put tofu in and stir but do not cook anymore. 

Boil Pasta Water
Before putting in pasta add broccoli and cook for 20 seconds
Add broccoli on top of spinach and tomatoes

Cook pasta

Add on top of vegetables and wait 2 - 3 minutes to heat up spinach and tomatoes

Add on garlic, oil, flax seeds and tofu  Mix and stir.

Serve with grated cheese like Romano of Parmesan or add salt if not adding cheese.

Serve with a cucumber and pepper salad with balsamic vinegar only (no oil)  to add more vitamin C to the meal.  

Vegetarian and Nutrition. What I worry about.

Some nutritional points  that I think about to make sure I get enough of as I have eliminated eggs, meat and fish and most dairy from my diet.    






If you are taking multivitamins,  make sure they have no animal or fish products if you are really committed to being a vegetarian as some do either have fish oils or gelatin from animal sources.
 
Calcium  Milk and dairy foods are highest in calcium but I think they should be limited or eliminated eventually if you can.  Dark green vegetables, greens,  kale and broccoli, are good plant sources but you have to eat enough. One thing to do is to make sure that you buy Calcium-enriched and fortified products  Things like calcium enriched OJ, cereals, soy milk, Greek yogurt and tofu.

Iron  Just switching to spinach only salads is a very smart move.  Most lettuce  (especially Iceberg) have limited nutritional value.   Beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables and dried fruit are good sources of iron. Because iron isn't as easily absorbed from plant sources, the recommended intake of iron for vegetarians is almost double that recommended for non-vegetarians.  Juicing your greens makes absorption easier.   I have read that to help  absorb iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C, such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli, at the same time as you're eating iron-containing foods.  I have also read that cooking in cast iron helps as well.   One thing to note is that the proportion of Iron to calories in meat  is much lower than in vegetables. For example, you would have to eat more than 1700 calories of sirloin steak to get the same amount of iron as found in 100 calories of spinach.




Omega-3 fatty acids  Diets that do not include fish and eggs are generally low in active forms of omega-3 fatty acids. Canola oil, soy oil, walnuts, ground flax seed and soybeans are good sources of essential fatty acids.   I always sprinkle a tablespoon of flax seed on salads and a few other items.   It adds a slightly nutty flavor to salads.

Protein  Dairy products are good sources, and you don't need to eat large amounts to meet your protein needs. You can also get sufficient protein from plant-based foods if you eat a variety of them throughout the day. Plant sources include soy products and meat substitutes (tofu and seitan) , legumes, beans, chick peas, lentils, nuts  , seeds and whole grains.  Avocado is a good source.
Whole grain pastas and breads are good sources.   Quinoa is the new rage grain and it is very high in protein.     Cooking with cashews in a stir fry adds lots of protein as well.

Vitamin B-12 is necessary to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. This vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, so it can be difficult to get enough B-12 on a vegetarian diet. For this reason,  consider vitamin supplements, vitamin-enriched cereals and fortified soy products.

Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health. Vitamin D is added to cow's milk, some brands of soy and rice milk, and some cereals and margarine. If you don't eat enough fortified foods and have limited sun exposure, you may need a vitamin D supplement (one derived from plants)

Perspective and Frustration in Yoga

I took three hot classes in the past few days (plus some at home Yin) with three separate teachers .     Two of the classes involved teachers who were new to me and who were hands on in adjustments  (which is unusual for me and they did ask before the class started if it was OK to do so).    It is interesting to be adjusted in poses that you thought you were doing OK.   I guess the learning there is that nothing can be done perfect and that there is always an adjustment to be made.

Last night I really struggled with balance poses.   My back was tighter than normal and even though I was able to do a tree pose in the office for what seemed like forever  on each side(during a conference call with the speaker phone on it is a great thing to do) ,  I really had a hard time in tree and airplane and was not able to do a half moon at all even with a block.     Balances were just not happening.    It was frustrating in that I  I know that I can do them at other times but my body was just saying to me 
"It's 8PM,  you are hungry,  tired and hot and I am not letting you do this right now" .    This is one of the paradoxes I face in my Yoga practice.   I have always been a competitive person and not being able to do a pose can be frustrating.    I think it happens to us all.    We by nature want to see progression and in Yoga,  progress can be very slow and sometimes you body (because Yoga does tax it to its limits some times) just does not want to do what you would expect it to easily do.   I would not say it is maddening but I think it goes against our thinking that once you can do something,  you can always do it.

If I look at things in perspective and over the last 2+ years of practicing, my  Yoga capabilities  (I am struggling with the words here) has increased and I can easily do poses I never thought possible even one year ago.   What I am trying to say is that Yoga is a practice and a way of life.  It will have its ups and downs but over time,  the ups will far exceed the downs.   I have to stick with it and know that it is my practice,  no one is judging me and what I can do today I may not be able to do tomorrow and visa versa.Who knows,  I may even be able to do side crow some day..

Namaste.

Vegan Muffins

 Yummy,  low fat..  Easy to make.   Can also use the mix for pancakes by adding a little more soy milk.

Low fat, low sugar 1/2 whole wheat muffins. 

Ingredients
1 cup Whole Wheat flour
1 cup White flour
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup sliced almonds
2 tsp poppy seeds
2 cups soy or almond milk   (regular milk if non-vegan)
2/3 to 1  cup apple sauce  (2 of the small portion cups)
2.5 tsp baking powder
Cooking spray or muffin cups


Pre-heat Oven to 425

Mix dry ingredients and cranberry with whisk  (do not add in almonds)
Add in Milk and Apple Sauce and mix again
Spray Muffin pan with cooking spray (or use muffin cups)
Put mixture in muffin pan
Sprinkle Almonds on top


Bake 17 minutes

The "Stigma" about Yoga for Men

I started writing this blog as encouragement to people  (guys mostly) to step out of their unhealthy existence and to start eating right and begin exercising (and hopefully start an active Yoga practice)

I have been reading a lot over the last few days about men and Yoga and how there is somewhat of a stigma for men who practice Yoga.    I think a lot of it has to do with misconception of what an active Yoga practice can be  (which is anything you want it to be) and how it is promoted as a women's activity.    I took a look at the current website for Yoga Journal  ( http://www.yogajournal.com ) and counted on the home page the number of humans on it.    Our of the 14 people on that page  (various sizes of photos),  not one was a guy.  Hmm.. Interesting.       Lets face it.  Yoga is marketed to women.   There are thousands of woman's fashion items on Amazon for yoga and maybe 100 for men. (and none in my own studio)    I know two other guy friends besides me who practice  (one whom has been doing it for 15+ years) and there is only one other guy I see at my studio on a regular basis and he is now an instructor there. 

Additionally,  Men are marketed to build size and muscle.  Even Men's Health Magazine focuses on weight training.    Here are the five workouts on their website  in the workout session.

Total Body Muscle Assault
Coolest New Core Exercise
Situp Throw
The One Dumbbell Exercise
The Squat/Pushup Challenge 

The only mention of the word Yoga is a link to a related company website.


There is no doubt that weight training, if done properly and not to a great extreme, does build up definition and size.   Between the ages of 25 and 40,  I happily spent countless hours lifting weights,  doing the stair master  (as a warmup in some cases and as a full exercise in others),  and running  (though I always had knee problems) .    I liked the results.    But as I aged,  and the time commitments of family and life came on.   I stopped lifting and limited my exercising to occasional walks and hiking.     At 50,   the exercise routine that I did when I was younger was  (in my humble opinion) not appropriate for me anymore.     Running was killing my knees and feet and lifting was not the only answer.  That is one of the reasons I chose to stick to Yoga when I realized how much benefits it was giving me physically  (when I started practicing,   I had the impression that it was slow and stretching only)  .    

If you are 50+,  you running days are near over unless you have knees made of rubber or wish to run in pain.    Lifting weights is good but it does nothing for your flexibility unless you add some sort of stretching to the mix.    Walking is good  but again, but it is no where near a full body exercise.  Swimming is great for those with access to a pool.  However, with Yoga you can practice in the comfort of you home  (and in the friendly confines of your home studio) and work on stretching and strengthening your whole body and  increasing cardio (with an active flow).      Incorporating a Yoga practice into your life will give you the flexibility to reduce injuries as you age.       It does add strength,  and over time,  if combined with proper eating habits,   allows you to lose weight and add muscle definition.

So, where is this going.  Good question.     Yoga is not just for women even though it is marketed to them and not to men.    It is a great exercise and just as importantly, a great way to reduce stress in your life.  In a nutshell,  if you are middle aged and you are feeling that age, Yoga is a great way to slow down the aging process and to feel healthier and better.   It is not a panacea  (nothing ever is)  but it  is a really great way to  improve your physical self.    If you are a guy,  look beyond the marketing images of thin women in various forms of bending and stretching and give it a try and go back to my first postings to see how you can be successful doing it.

Namaste

Read this today.. Pretty funny. Almost true. Definition of Yoga.

Yoga is  the realm of “self-indulgent middle-aged ladies with a lot of time on their hands” and “skinny fanatical twenty-two-year-old vegetarian former gymnasts.”    Stereotypes can be funny and almost true sometimes.     

Yoga vs. Pilates Discussion / Article.

Interesting article below.      The comments were really good and many found fault with the article itself.  I got more out the comments than the article itself.   What I get out of the discussion is that both are really good for you and each has its salient strengths.    I personally have never taken a Pilates class but I do believe that core strength is very important in reducing back injuries.


Some salient points.   Though I am not sure that "bulking up" is a good term. 

"In a small but well-designed study last year, nine sedentary women who completed 36 weeks of supervised Pilates training bulked up their abdominal muscles by as much as 20 percent, while also lessening any existing muscular imbalances there. "


I thought this was interesting.   I love doing at least 10 sun salutations during my home practice sessions.      I wonder if this also includes older men and women.

"A telling 2011 study published in the Asian Journal of Sports Medicine found that after six months of almost-daily sun salutations (a multi-part yoga pose) and no other resistance training, young men and women could bench-press significantly more weight and complete far more push-ups and pull-ups than at the start of the study."

The article itself.  

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/09/ask-well-pilates-vs-yoga/