Puzzled...

I received an email in my inbox today which i subscribe from diseaseproof.com. They send frequent emails about health reports and evaluations of recent literature and findings. I receive on today that got me thinking of how people pick and choose the "health" aspects of thier life. This one piece of literature stated that vegatarians and vegans are 12 percent less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters and the advantage is particularly marked when it comes to cancers of the blood, which becomes a shocking 45% less. OK that speaks to me... How about you??
It brought me to thinking about how this fact does not effect others. 45% LESS. People are not willing to sacrifice but they do like to add things to their already established habits. ie. My dad will not change what he eats- but will add vitamins daily- a whole handful and those nuts with the "good fats" for an evening snack. He reads all about the literature to find the best vitamins but the glaring evidence about not eating meat and having a overall 12% chance less likely to develop cancer. Why wouldn't you change this???? Think about it.

The 411 on SPF

Nutrition Action newsletter arrives in my mailbox bimonthly. The most interesting, newsfulled, health and diet magazine full of facts and all the "juice" i love. The feature this time was "The Skinny on Skin". It takes about how there is no evidence of antioxidants on skin aging, age is no the cause of wrinkles- sun exposure is, sugar does no cause wrinkles, sunscreen is safe.

The best feature of the article is the explanation on the SPF number. I have heard so many things about what that number really means. A sunscreen with SPF ( sun protection factor) of 30 is twice as good as an SPF 15, right... WRONG. If applied properly a sunscreen with SPF of 15 blocks about 94% of sun's UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97%, and one with 45 blocks about 98%. It also says how much to use.. Apply half a teaspoon each to your head, neck and each arm, and at least a teaspoon to your chest back and each leg = 6 teaspoons. A 6-8 oz bottle should only last a few days. Be careful of UVA and UVB, SPF only protects against UVB. The UVB causes sunburn, suntan, and skin cancer. UVA can cause skin aging and skin cancer. UVA sunscreend must contain 1 of the 5 following ingredients: avobenzone, ecamsule, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide. As much as I love the sun, and a suntan, i do not want wrinkles.

Looking for the inspiration with perspiration

So most of you wo read my blog know what has been occuring with my knee over the past few months. If not here it is in a nutshell. On the beach in Costa Rica day 2 of 8 for a yoga retreat with wake up yoga and a macaw lands on my back and i freak out and try to run away. A twist and snap I knew my menicus was torn. Made it through the rest of the week and 1 month til I couldn't take it anymore. MRI positive for lateral meniscus tear and no view of the ACL Went back to old durgeon from '01 when I did this the first time (on an inflatable obstacle course). Went under the knife for a scope and possible-menisectomy, ACL revision, or repair... Turnned out to be a lateral meniscal repair with bone grafting after old hardware removal. Walk in extension for 7 weeks... took up swimming....lifing weights and alot of life modification. Havent' worked in 7 weeks and it is a weird feeling. Have been working on my tan hard. I have been looking for the inspiration due to times of depression throughout the 7 weeks. Found most of it while at the gym and pool. -The laady swimming next to me for over an hour was 90 on one side and the man on the other side had both knees replaced. - next day met a man who is in remission from cancer and works out at the gym everyday.
So many people have over come more than me, but the truth is when it happens to you it just plain old sucks and i want a pity party. The inspiration has helped but there is always that minute bit of selfishness. I am on the upswing now. Just has surgery #2 yesterday to reconstruct the ACL. Surgeon seems to feel positive, so should I......

I am the taste in water..

I AM THE TASTE IN WATER. I Read this quote breezing through Bhagavad Gita this evening as i had trouble sleeping. I thought about what this taste is.... Pure, simple, yet a complex compound of hydrogen and oxygen H2O. clean, wet, satiating, composition necessary for sustaining life.

In travel this weekend my south jersey accent often comes out in the pronunciation of this word. WADER_ WOuDER- WA ter... Makes you realize where you are from - my composition, your nature from nurture,,, Also right and wrong in pronunciation. Does it exist? What is existance??

Inspiration

After a happy- miserable weather morning at the art museum. For breast cancer they held an outdoor yoga class on the steps of the art museum, still rainy and cold. It was very sweet and made me think about how much i take for granted and need to aprieciate what i have in my life. It turnned to be a lazy day. I made apricot BBQ sauce from VCON and Happy Herbivores Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Great recipes- was a tough decision to choose the cream cheese over the maple frosting. But i was initially inspired by having the Toffuti in the fridge. Check out this recipe! Vegan, no refined sugar, whole wheat and no oil.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup raw sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 large peeled carrot, shredded
1 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 generous tsp vanilla
1/2 - 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional but recommended)
* you can use raisins too.

METHOD
Preheat 350 F
Mix flour, baking powder, soda, sugar, salt & cinnamon in a medium bowl
in a large bowl, mix applesauce, vanilla & carrots
Add dry mix to wet mix 1/2 cup at a time
Mix well before adding the next 1/2 cup of the flour mixture
Once blended, fold in walnuts
Fill muffin pan (greased or use paper cups) to the top
bake 15-17 minutes - fork check

MAKES 12 ‘cakes

Low Fat Cream Cheese Icing
INGREDIENTS
1 container non-hydrogenated tofutti cream cheese, room temp
1 generous tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
2 - 4 cups vegan confectioners sugar

METHOD
Use hand mixer to whip tofutti, vanilla & salt
Add 1/2 cup sugar at a time on low
Test after 2 cups, if its not sweet enough for you, add another 1/2 - 1 cup
(will be soupy)
Spoon icing on top of ‘cakes - will run naturally
(you should have some icing left over for a future batch)

For a thick icing, keep adding sugar until thick (4 cups or so)
* the icing is not soy free (the cake is)

Fat Free Maple Icing
INGREDIENTS
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tbsp maple
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS
using a hand mixer,
whip 1 cup of sugar, maple, cinn and vanilla
add more sugar if necessary to get right consistency
whip until fluffy and combined

Whole wheat Crepes with Cashew cream and macerated berries

Ahhh the thin pancake from France. I made it my signiture of Mothers day brunch today. Traditionally made using eggs and milk. Of course I made the whole wheat, with the recipe from Veganomicon.
WW crepes- makes 8
1.5 cups rice or soy milk- i used rice this time but soy last and soy was better
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup ww pastry flour
1/4 cup AP flour
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 tbsp arrowroot flour
1/2 tsp salt
dash of agave
Combine all in food processor or blender. Pour into an airtight container and store overnight!! Best this way.
Stir when ready to use. Heat pan and spray with non stick spray. ladle 1/2 cup into center of pan and spread into a thin layer by rotating the pan. When ready top will be dry abd center bubling with browned edges. Flip and cook 2nd side about 30 sec. Fold and top!
I went for the sweet option this time.

Raw Cashew cream

1 cup cashew
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup agave
Blend in food processor until fluffy. It is specacular.

Macerated Berries Use acid, and alcohol!!
My great friend Linn is a baker and I was looking for inspiration on topping this was her suggestion.
Soak berries in lemon juice, sweetener (she suggested sugar- I used agave), and Gran Marnier.

My mom is a chocolate fiend so i had to add this to the crepes.

They were a big hit at brunch. This is the only crepe recipe I have tried and it hasn't failed me. Maybe next time i will venture to another one. As for the berries and the cashew cream they were fantastic toppings. I will be using the cashew cream for a long time......

world's happiest places

10. Belgium
9. Norway
8. New Zealand
7. Switzerland
6. Canada
5. Ireland
4. Sweden
3. Netherlands
2. Finland
1. Denmark

The report looked at subjective well-being, defined as life satisfaction. Did people feel like their lives were dominated by positive experiences and feelings, or negative ones?

To answer that question, the OECD used data from a Gallup World Poll conducted in 140 countries around the world last year. The poll asked respondents whether they had experienced six different forms of positive or negative feelings within the last day.

USA not even close to the top!