Jack What?

When our family was transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle, almost a decade ago, the options were just beginning to expand.  As more and more people are recognizing the importance of food, and how 80% of our health is directly linked to how and what we are eating, the exploration of plant-based meals has exploded.  People are getting more creative in finding ways to make, not just delicious, but healthy, meals that remind us of foods we had growing up.

For me, with all of the auto-immune disorders impacting us it's important to feed my family and myself things that will heal us from the inside out.  This isn't to say we don't have treats or some grab-n-go items.  What it means is that it is done in moderation, and with healthier ingredients.  We've learned along the way that just because someone looks fit on the outside, that is no guarantee as to what is happening inside.

I completely understand how overwhelming incorporating more plant-based meals can seem, especially when we are bombarded with myths, commercials, and well intentioned - but often greatly uneducated when it comes to nutrition - family, friends, or family doctors.  So what is someone to do who is considering transitioning from an omnivore lifestyle to a more herbivore lifestyle?

Well, let's start with just a few...

• You do not have to do it all at once, take it one step at a time.  
• You do not have to "give things up".  Instead, think of it as swapping things out.  Like yogurt?  Great, keep eating yogurt, only swap out the cow or goat based for coconut, almond, cashew or soy based brands.  Like ice cream?  Me too!  Swap out your favorite Breyer's cow based flavor for the almond milk based Breyer's Oreo or vanilla peanut butter flavors.  *There are lots of substitutions for just about everything, so if you don't like the first one you try, try another brand.  
• You do not have to do it alone.  Find a Certified Health Coach that specialized in plant-based health (like me!) to support, encourage, hold you accountable, and give you recommendations.  
• You do not have to eat faux meats that are so processed it's just as unhealthy as eating a TV dinner.  Try using more brands that use whole ingredients such as Dr. Praeger's or Carla Lee's, or create your own "meats" using a mixture of lentils, nuts, seeds, veggies, beans, etc.  And this leads me to my latest experiment... jackfruit.  

Jack what?  Jackfruit is a tropical fruit that when young has the ability to shred, much like pork.  It doesn't really have much flavor on it's own, but then again, meats don't either ;).  Just as is done with most meals, spices or sauces come in to assist in adding wonderful flavors to the textures we're creating.

I've used pre-made bbq jackfruit in the past, but it was too spicy for me (because I'm a wimp when it comes to spice).   I was super excited to see Trader Joe's had green jackfruit in brine.  Yay!  Now I could experiment without the hassle of buying the ginormous jackfruit from the grocery store.  Maybe one day I'll experiment with a whole jackfruit, but that day isn't today, so I'll stick to the young green jackfruit in a can.  

I wasn't really sure what to do, and I thought I would just wing it and see what the family thinks.  I also wanted to amp up the filling factor so I decided I would add beans to the experiment as well.  The result = happy faces, tastebuds and bellies.  

30 Minutes or less BBQ Jackfruit

Ingredients:
3 c. (approximately) veggie broth (I like Imagine or Rapunzel brand)
1 small onion, chopped
1 organic yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 - 14 oz. cans green jackfruit in brine (not in syrup) (BPA free can - my favorite is Native Forest)
16 oz. can organic tri-colored beans  (BPA free can - I used Kroger's Simple Truth Brand)
12 oz. jar Annie's Naturals Organic Original BBQ sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
1.  Preheat large skillet over medium high heat.
2.  Drain bean, rinse, place in bowl and coarsely mash - set aside.
3.  Drain jackfruit, rinse, cut into smaller pieces length wise - set aside.
4.  Add 1/2 c. broth to skillet then add onion, pepper and garlic, saute about 5 minutes, or until tender - add another 1/2 c. broth if needed.
5.  Add jackfruit and remaining broth, cover, cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until jackfruit is becoming very tender.
6.  Add beans, using a potato masher, mash mixture so jackfruit starts to shred.
7.  Once all jackfruit is shredded, add BBQ sauce, turn burner to medium or medium low, cover and simmer 5-10 minutes - making sure the sauce doesn't start to burn.

*Serve on a bun, as a dip, in a wrap, or mixed with noodles - the possibilities are endless, and delicious!

Peachy Pink Smoothie

I really enjoy green smoothies, but I also like to play with color so sometimes I'll create purple, cream, or orange smoothies.  This day I decided on my favorite color...pink.

Now I don't always use supplements in my smoothies, but they are such an easy way to boost the nutrition value of a smoothie, so if I have them on hand I use them.  It's important to note that I do not in any way recommend using supplements in place of whole foods, but rather as way to compliment all the healthy foods and things already in place.

mise en place = everything in place

My favorite supplements are Spirulina Powder by Pure Hawaiian (Spirulina greatly boosts the overall vitamin, mineral and amino acid intake to the body, seriously - it contains so many you'll need to look it up), but since I was aiming for pink this one got left out today, Chaga by Mushroom Science (Chaga is an immune booster and one of the highest anti-oxidant containing foods, BIG cancer fighter), Astragalus by Solaray (Astragalus is an adaptogen, meaning it adapts to support the body wherever it is needed, slows tumor growth, supports heart health, boosts immune system, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, regulates/prevents diabetes), and Maca Powder by Navitas (Maca is a butterscotch tasting root that increases physical and mental endurance, increases libido, improves skin health, balances hormones, helps mood).  *The chaga and astragalus come in capsules so I just pull it apart, pour in the powder and throw away the capsule.  

A great prep step to create thick, creamy, and beautifully colored smoothies anytime you like is to make fresh juice ice cubes.  Pick a day to set up the juicer.  Have several ice cube trays with lids ready (or use plastic wrap and freezer bags to put them in once full).  You can use one cup and rinse out between colors, or use several small jars to catch the fresh juice in.  Pick vibrant fruit and veggies, doing one whole batch at a time.  Once the jar is full, pour liquid into ice cube trays, cover tightly and place into the freezer until you're ready to use them.  *This also makes for great natural dyes when baking.  If using for baking you would allow an ice cube to thaw - voila! - you have your pretty dyes ready to color frostings, cakes, muffins or cookies.  Some of my favorite juice cubes to have on hand for making colorful creations are beets = reds and pink, blueberries or red cabbage = purples, carrots = orange,  etc.  This really doesn't take much time, it all depends on how much produce you want to juice, and how many different colors you're doing.  

I also like to keep homemade almond milk on hand for smoothies, overnight oats, chia pudding, etc.  This is not necessary, I just prefer the taste so much more than store bought milks.  If interested you can find the recipe here.  

On to the recipe...

Peachy Pink Smoothie: (Serves 1, approx. 16-20 oz.)

Ingredients 

1 cup homemade almond milk (or any nondairy regular or unsweetened milk of choice)

1 astragalus capsule (discard capsule)

2 chaga capsules (discard capsule)

1 tsp. maca powder

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 

Pinch of ground vanilla (or dash of pure vanilla extract)

1 Tbsp. organic peanut butter (or any nut or seed butter of choice)

1-2 beet juice cubes (keep frozen, do not thaw)

1 frozen banana (should already have been peeled prior to freezing)

1 cup organic peach slices

Directions:

1.  Place ingredients into high speed blender in order listed.  

2.  Blend until smooth and creamy (depending on blender strength, you may have to stop and scrape down sides, then blend again).  

3.  Place in nice glass, bowl or jar to serve.  

Optional - sprinkle with extra cinnamon, hemp seeds, chopped nuts, etc.  

108 Sun Salutations... My Way

For years I have seen events pop up around New Years or the change of season for "New You" events, in particular - 108 Sun Salutations, honestly the thought of it has always intriqued me.  I am in fairly good health, but I am in my 40's, and through being more aware of my body notice when I may have overdone things.  It's for this very reason why I have never actually attempted it.  I know, I'm sure these events most likely allow people to go at their own pace, do their own salutation version, and even suggest people stop when needed, but I still just wasn't ready to give it a go.

This year was no different, as New Years rolled around I was getting all kinds of notifications for "New You" kind of events, I think I may even have used that wording myself in the past.  While I, and others, who may have used the "New You" language meant no harm or judgement, that wording got me thinking.  I have taken a long time, utilized many tools, and am still learning to love...me, as I am.  Sure, there are adjustments that I can make to improve my health and relationships, but the me I am is good, and I don't want to be new, I'll save new for my next life ;).   Just because I've come to the realization that I like me, doesn't mean I should sit back and not be an active participant in my life, that just doesn't feel healthy or positive for where I am in my life.  Alright, so what can I do to keep working on creating a more positive me?  You know, pushing myself when needed, but also being wise enough to know when that is enough.

Well, this brings me back to the idea of 108 Sun Salutations.  First, let me say that salutations can just simply be a way to move the body.  Getting the heart pumping, blood flowing, lymph moving, muscles awakening is urgently important to do on a consistent basis.   Personally, I use salutations on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.  For me, the sun should be honored, not as a god, but as the energetic entity that it is. When I think about how important the sun is for my and my family's health, happiness, and the planet, how can I not feel immense gratitude towards it?  Sun and/or moon salutations are a movement of action that conveys connection between that energy and myself.  Reaching my arms up towards the sky is liberating for my soul, it's like reaching out to another and saying hi, or giving them a hug.  By allowing my body to then flow downwards doesn't mean I'm worshipping, rather it's a way to show a tremendous amount of gratitude.  Let's face it, if the sun and moon didn't exist, neither would we.  Life is sustained on this planet because of them, so I don't want to belittle their significance.

The thought of doing so many salutations in a row is also appealing to me because it means that I am committing to something.  Commitment, and the follow through of commitment, can be powerful driving forces in personal shifts.  However, that same thought of doing that many in a row left me wondering - would I feel bad if I didn't finish? would I force myself to the end in spite of what my body might be saying?  would I cause physical suffering in order to avoid mental/emotional suffering?  While I contemplated these thoughts, I knew one thing for sure, that this year I really felt drawn to committing to 108 Sun Salutations.  The more I thought about, and how I have been working so hard at being authentic to myself and others, I knew my 108 Sun Salutations weren't going to be like I've seen on social media.  And I felt super okay with this, the problem was that I still wasn't quiet sure what it would look like.

At times I like to push myself, as this is helpful in my growth, but I knew darn well that if I attempted 108 at once there was no way I would be getting out of bed for the next few days.  I didn't want that, I didn't want to feel such an accomplishment to then only feel horrible afterwards, my body didn't deserve that!  So, Tiffany, what was the plan?  And why 108?  The number 108 has a ton of references, from astrology to physiology to religion/faith (Hindu, Buddhism, Christian) to subtle anatomy, and I can't remember exactly where I read this version, but it's by far my favorite...
1 = Higher Power, something greater than ourselves
0 = Unity, connection to all things
8 = Infinity, we are eternal

Now that we have the significance of 108 mentally noted, what did my 108 Sun Salutations look like?  I came up with a plan that allowed me to make a commitment AND honor my physical body.  Here's what it looked like...

• Beginning on a Sunday, I started my 108 Sun Salutation journey.
• Each day, for six days, I did 18 rounds of Sun Salutation A.  
• Each day, before I began, I would center and warm up/stretch.
• Each day, while I was practicing my 18 rounds, I would stay present in each movement.
• Each day, after I completed my 18 rounds, I would pause/center/meditate, gently stretch.
• Each day, after I was done, I would rub, or soak, my body in rosemary essential oil.  

By the end of the sixth day, I felt thrilled that I reached my goal, got to practice something I had been thinking about for awhile, and that I took care of myself doing it.  This was my plan, there are many options for how to accomplish 108 Sun Salutations if it's something you might want to try, and there are many versions of salutations that can be utilized.  If doing 108 at once works for you then go for it, but if it doesn't, allow the opportunity to still experience it, just going about it a different way.