This is how I make my quick, easy and delicious Blueberry Banana Smoothies. You can also find this recipe in my Easy Veggie Meal Plan, weight loss program. This is a great smoothie for breakfast or a snack that’s light on calories and big on antioxidants, fiber, essential protein, and essential minerals!

All you’ll need is a blender and the ingredients below.  I’m using a Magic Bullet blender I received as a Christmas gift this last year form my friend Paulette. What a thoughtful gift! I love it because it’s super fast to use and it comes with its own serving containers and to-go cups and I tend to be in a rush when I’m leaving the house so this makes it easy for me to still make my smoothie and take it on the go.

I eat breakfast everyday without fail.  It is important to me to eat breakfast, especially because I workout in the morning and I need to be nourished so I can work hard.

Statistics show that 70% of people who eat breakfast on a regular basis are more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

Now the factors that are at play here can vary.  I do know that eating in the morning helps regulate your blood sugar and tame a ravaging hunger monster at lunch.  When you are overly hungry you are more likely to eat unheatlhy foods and/ or eat to much food thus packing on extra pounds.  Your body can only utilize a certain amount of calories at a time and any excess calories you eat will be stored as fat on the body most likely where you don’t want it to go.  And we don’t need to store fat for the winter.

Neither of these situations are good.  So eat breakfast and get your metabolism going.

Here’s the recipe for a female on a 1,500 calorie diet.

1/2 cup organic blueberries (frozen or fresh, although frozen are typically cheaper and easier to find)
1/2 banana
4 oz almond milk or water (see how to make home made almond milk)
2 Teaspoon of whole flax seeds (great source of essentials fats and fiber and they should grind up in the blender)
2 Tsp of almond butter
2 Tbsp of protein powder (rice protein is great, but you can also use hemp, or pea protein, etc.)
Dash of cinnamon (good for restoring pancreas and increasing circulation)
Dash of cayenne pepper (helps increase metabolism and increases the body’s ability to carry oxygen).
1 Tbsp of green powder or 1-2 cups fresh spinach
a dash of sweetener (dates, raisins or stevia make great choices)
Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. You are ready to start a healthy day!
Oh! one thing, your smoothie will be a greenish color not a pretty purple color. Don’t worry about that, it will still tastes great!

Calories 360 Carbs: 46g Protein: 18g Fat: 12g

A little bit about greens.

There are two ways you can add more greens to your smoothies:
1. You can add organic baby spinach, kale, chard, or other green you like.
2. Or add green powder (such as Earth’s Promise). There are many different powders on the market, such as barley grass powder, wheat grass, alfalfa grass (with dandelion or milk thistle for cleansing), etc. Most of them have a mild flavor. If the green powder includes Spirulina- this will be a very strong flavor so watch out. There is a variety of products on the market and they are all great solutions. Read the ingredients first so you know what you are buying to make sure it is what you are looking for. Sometimes they use fiber fillers- just be an informed shopper. Try different kinds…variety is good! For this smoothie, I added 1 Tbsp of powder plus some organic baby spinach (just because I can!).

After you’ve added all your ingredients, the rest is easy. Add water almost to the top of your container (or ice if you want yours chilled), blend, serve and enjoy!

What I love about the Magic Bullet is you turn the container over, unscrew the blade off and put a lid on the container for drinking and you are out the door!  The container looks like a cup and has a handle for easy transportation.  It’s super fast.  Check out the video to see how easy it is.  I don’t get excited about appliances but I do love this little machine.

Here is the men’s version. The calories are pertinent for a 2,000 calorie diet.
Mens portion
½ large banana
¾ cup blueberries, fresh/frozen
1 cup/8 oz. almond milk or water (see how to make home made almond milk)
1 Tablespoon flax seeds
1 Tbsp almond butter, raw, organic preferably
4 cups (85 g) spinach
dash of stevia
1-2 cups water
ice- optional
452 Calories Carbs: 54 g Protein: 23 g Fat: 17 g

Eat energy rich food for an energy rich life.

Kardena Pauza,
Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans, a 90 day vegetarian weight loss system.

Fat is ESSENTIAL for the proper functioning of the body.

Fats provide essential fatty acids, which are not made by the body and must be obtained from food. The essential fatty acids are linoleic and linolenic acid.

The body needs at least 15 grams of Essential Fatty Acids (Efra’s) per day, which can be obtained by eating fish, meats, seeds & nuts. I recommend the plant based sources. Each gram of fat contains 9 calories, twice as many as carbohydrates and protein, which is why so many folks become fat-phobic.

But fat gets a bad rap. And this can make us fat!

The fats you eat (all foods) should NOT EXCEED  more than 30% of the total calorie intake per day and for optimal health, glowing skin and increase heart protection the majority of those fats should be both polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats.  AVOID saturated fats or trans fat.

You should remember the low-fat craze from the 1990’s. It should also be called the high-sugar craze, because companies began selling “low fat” snacks packed full of sugar. The low-fat craze even made for a funny Seinfeld episode (the low-fat yogurt episode). But too many low-fat products made us overeat and gain belly fat.

So eliminating all fat is NOT THE ANSWER.

We even benefit from some saturated fat. Of course, if you have high cholesterol, you should talk to your doctor about going on a plant-based diet.

The Truth About Saturated Fats

Saturated fat, from animal products, has been linked to heart disease. Foods to avoid containing saturated fat are dairy products (cheese, milk, butter, ice cream), red meat (including hamburgers and sausage), and hot dogs (made up of who knows what),

But there are also healthy plant based sources of saturated fat, like coconut oil, that is good for you (as populations who eat a lot of coconut oil are often very healthy).

Coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids which are thought to contribute to its health benefits and to the fact that it does not seem to raise cholesterol levels. Plus, plants do not contain cholesterol (only animal products do) and that’s another reason why coconut oil does not raise cholesterol.

The American Heart Association and other health experts recommend that you eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol daily.
• The average American man eats about 360 milligrams of cholesterol daily.
• The average American woman eats about 240 milligrams of cholesterol daily.

Keep in mind while Coconut Oil is one of the highest of all Saturated fats; it comes from a plant source and not a meat source and is very healthy.

What is a Monounsaturated Fat?

According to the American Heart Association, “Monounsaturated fats are simply fats that have one double-bonded (unsaturated) carbon in the molecule. Monounsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature but start to turn solid when chilled. ”

Monounsaturated fats are also known as healthy fats because they lower “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and increase “good” cholesterol (HDL). Avocados, olive oil, and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews all contain monounsaturated fats.

NOTICE none of these are from an animal! So substitute olive oil for butter or eat an ounce of nuts as a snack.

What is a Polyunsaturated Fat?

You’ve probably heard the term “polyunsaturated fat” before, and this is another healthy fat. But unlike the monounsaturated fats, this version has more than one double-bonded (unsaturated) carbon in the molecule.

You can find healthy polyunsaturated fat in many plant foods, such as grains, hemp seeds, sunflower oil, safflower oil, flax seeds, peanut butter, bananas, seeds, and nuts.

But you can also find polyunsaturated fat in animals, such as fish. That’s where most folks get their heart-healthy “Omega-3” fatty acids. These fats help reduce cholesterol in your blood, lower your risk of heart disease, and may reduce inflammation in the body.

So many new vegetarians wonder, “What do I use to replace fish oil?”

If you drop fish oil from your diet, then you can simply replace it with flax oil. Hemp seeds are another substitute and a relatively new item on the shelves of health food stores.

Hemp seeds contain the 3:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids that our body prefers. I definitely recommend adding hemp seeds in to your new healthy lifestyle. A quick side note – Hemp seeds contain 20 amino acids including the essential amino acids making it a complete protein. It’s hard to find a complete protein from a plant source so this is an easy no brainer protein source you can feel good about.

Listed on the chart below are some fats broken down by saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats to show you the degree that fats play in our lives.

Oil: Saturated Fat / Poly / Mono
Cocount: 86% / 5% / 9%
Palm: 51% / 10% / 39%
Corn: 13% / 10% / 25%
Olive: 14% / 9% / 77%
Soybean: 15% / 61% / 24%
Sunflower: 9% / 77% / 14%
Safflower: 9% / 77% / 14%
Peanut: 18% / 34% / 48%
Canola: 6% / 36% / 58%

Fat To Avoid At All Costs:  Trans Fats

If you stick to the Easy Veggie Meal Plans, you’ll keep your trans-fat intake to zero, exactly what it should be.

If you don’t already know, trans fats are deadly man-made fats added to all kinds of refined foods in order to prolong the shelf life of the product and make them addictive. They make you fat and cause heart disease. There is NO safe limit for this ingredient, so get it out of your life completely.

But you’ll need to read the ingredient list to know if a product contains hydrogenated fats/ trans fats. Always look for any type of hydrogenated oil. If the food contains that, do NOT buy it even if the label says “trans fat free”.

WHY? Because the sneaky government regulations allow a food to claim it is trans-fat free if it contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.

So beware, because so many foods contain hydrogenated oils like candy bars, potato chips, tortilla chips, cookies, cakes, crackers, peanut butter, granola bars, and even cereal.

Summary of Fat In Your Diet

Eliminate trans fats and restrict your saturated fat intake to plant sources, such as coconut oil. You can also get healthy unsaturated fats from nuts, avocado, and seeds, just don’t overdo it.

Kardena Pauza
Author of EasyVeggieMealPlans.com – 90 day Vegetarian Weight Loss Plan
Great for beginners or advanced vegetarians

Did you read about the massive meat recall that is taking place in California?

Over 4 million pounds of meat has been recalled because of E.Coli.

I sure as heck wouldn’t want to be eating ground beef in a California restaurant this weekend, that’s for sure!

It’s really sad to hear about these recalls, because you just know that some poor child has gotten sick. I remember years ago when a similar outbreak killed a bunch of poor kids at a popular fast food restaurant.

In fact, this particular recall is now being investigated as a criminal matter because of the negligence of the meat packing company.

That’s really scary stuff considering how many times I ate fast food hamburgers as a child.

So make sure to protect your loved ones by letting them know about this recall and the hidden dangers that come with eating meat. I wish this wasn’t something we had to talk about, but it just seems to be happening more and more often.

But enough of the doom and gloom…I also have some good new for you today. I went through Kardena’s 101 Veggie Recipes book and found a a nice and hearty “Black Bean Burger” recipe that you’ll love.

17. Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 ¾ cup or 15 oz. black beans, cooked
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 slices bread, crumbled
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
- Whole grain bun or bread

Preparation:

1) Sautee the onions till soft, about 3-5 minutes.

2) In a large bowl, mash the beans until almost smooth. Add sauteed onions and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, adding the flour a few tablespoons at a time to combine well. Mixture will be thick.

3) Form bean mixture into patties, approximately ½ inch thick and fry patties in a small amount of oil until slightly firm.

4) Make veggie burgers and enjoy!

5) Makes 6 servings.

And please drop us a line on the blog if you have any other hearty veggie recipes to share that can replace ground beef.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Lazy Man’s Guide to Vegetarian Eating

Making almond milk is easy, inexpensive, and a healthy alternative to cows milk, soy milk, or even processed almond milk.

Don’t get me wrong, I do suggest people purchase almond milk from the store. However, if you can make your own almond milk you are more in control of what goes into your tasty beverage.

There’s a lot of people who are lactose intolerant in our society, so this is a great substitute that’s easier to digest than cows milk as well as being a wonderful source of nutrients. And soy milk is controversial with it’s estrogen mimicking chemistry make-up and anti nutrients. I would recommend minimizing your consumption.

Did you know cows milk contains 12-15 grams of sugar per serving? That is not added sugar that is au naturale. If you are looking to lose weight, sugar is something you need to be watchful of in your diet. Besides, cows milk is hard to digest causing lots of digestive and health problems and bogging down your energy.  I have talked about this in another post. milk-myth-busting

Be careful of liquid calories they are the sneakiest adding 100′s of unnoticed calories to your diet.

Almond milk is great because you can use it as a direct substitute for dairy milk. You can use it for cereal, as “creamer” for your coffee or tea, in ice cream or granola, even in a chocolate shake (if it’s healthier, less sugar, and natural sugar and non-dairy, why not!).

Cows milk contains approximately 110 calories per cup.  Almond milk contains 75-90 calories per cup and unsweetened almond milk contains a menial 35 calories per cup.  Almond milk is a better quality, lower calorie option with added healthy fats, protein and calcium.

Before we start, please note that you can use any kind of nut you want, from macadamia nuts, cashews, hazelnuts to pecans to walnuts or even sesame seeds (which are high in calcium). Any of these are a great alternative!

It’s almost as easy as boiling water!

How To Make Almond Milk

Ingredients:

1 cup soaked almonds

2-3 cups water

1 strainer bag- read money saving tip below

Optional- 1-2 dates, agave nectar, stevia, cinnamon, vanilla extract/vanilla bean, dash of sea salt

How To Make:

I recommend soaking 1 cup of almonds in water for 24 hours prior to using (remember to rinse and add new water after 12 hours). This will make the almonds soft and easier to blend.

Add the 1 cup of almonds to approximately 2-3 cups of water and blend until you don’t hear the almond chunks hitting the blade. Using 2 cups of water instead of 3 cups will give the milk a stronger almond flavor. A high powered blender works great but a regular blender is fine, too.

When you’re done blending, there may still be some almonds chunks, but that’s ok. Get your mesh bag and pour the contents of the blender through the nut bag into a container/bowl.  Squeeze the contents of the bag until you’re left with pretty dry almond pulp in the bag. Voila, you’re done!

MONEY SAVING TIP- Instead of buying a “special” nu

t bag online for $7.00 you can go to your local hardware store like Lowe’s or a place that sells paint and purchase paint bags. They have what’s called a paint strainer bag which is exactly the same as a nut bag but you only pay around $2 for 2-3 bags. What a huge savings!  The paint strainer bags are used to strain out fine particulates out of paint.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the idea came from paint bags and they just changed the name to nut milk bag.

Once you have your almonds, put it in a sealed jar or container and store it in the fridge up to 5 days.

You can keep the pulp in a container in the fridge and store for later uses, like making scones, cookies or nut burgers!

There’s lot of uses for almond milk. You can add chocolate/agave nectar/dates/stevia for a chocolate milk treat.  A delicious drink and a great ingredient for other recipes! Cranberry Orange Scones

Check out more ideas for almond milk in my 90 day meal plan! Be creative and have fun!

What do you make with your almond milk?

Kardena Pauza
Author of EasyVeggieMealPlans.com – 90 day Vegetarian Weight Loss Plan
Great for beginners or advanced vegetarians

While everyone is scared about not getting enough protein, most dieters are equally scared about getting TOO MANY carbohydrates. So let’s take a look at proper carbohydrate intake when using the Easy Veggie Meal Plans to lose weight.

The FIRST rule is to build your diet based around fruits and vegetables.

Not only are they loaded with fiber, but also with vitamins and minerals. The fiber in fruits and veggies give you long lasting energy throughout the day, rather than a spike and crash energy level like processed carbohydrates from a box. Plus, fruits and vegetables are low in calories and easy for the body to digest.

Of course, there are many vegetarian carbohydrates to AVOID, including white flour breads and pasta, white processed rice, crackers, cookies, and soda. All of those are refined foods, meaning they have been stripped of many nutrients and fiber.

As a result, refined foods contain a lot of calories per serving and do NOT fill you up. Plus, they often have more sugar and even trans fats added to them, making them not only unhealthy but also fattening.

So stick to fruits, vegetables, and un-refined whole grain products. This will give you lots of fiber, and fiber helps keep you full and has many health benefits. Fiber helps lower risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart disease, constipation and colon cancer just to name a few.

There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble:

Soluble fiber absorbs water creating a gel like substance while being digested. It helps you feel full longer, yet is easy to digest.

Insoluble fiber doesn’t absorb water and it stays intact as it passes through the intestines to help with regular bowel movements.

Fiber Examples:
Soluble fiber sources include oat bran and nuts, while insoluble fiber includes most fruit peels and vegetables. As fiber passes through the intestines it acts as a “broom” and picks up toxins and fats. It can absorb up to 100 times it weight, and helps lower cholesterol.

Fiber intake has been associated with a lower risk of colon cancer as well.

Carbohydrate Summary:

The carbohydrates you’ll eat on the Easy Veggie Meal Plans are NOT evil. In fact, you’ll be able to eat a lot of carbohydrates – about 50% of total calories – and you’ll still lose weight and get rid of belly fat.

Just make sure to avoid processed foods from a bag or a box at all times – with the exception of the odd treat – and you’ll get slim on a “Good-Carb” diet!

Kardena Pauza

Author of EasyVeggieMealPlans.com

Today we’re cruising in my veggie car to go skiing at Mammoth Mountain here in California. I’m looking forward to snowboarding and traveling a healthy way.

As some of you may know, my car runs on vegetable oil. Yes, that’s right, fry oil from restaurants!  It’s been filtered, so it’s safe to use in my car, but it’s essentially used vegetable oil.

My car is vegetarian too!  My own silly joke…

My car runs on Diesel, so I purchased a conversion kit about 3 years ago that allows me to switch between Diesel fuel and vegetable oil.

Why did I make the switch? I asked myself, is there a way that I can make a difference in the world, even if it’s in a small way.  I heard about this concept and searched out a diesel car that I could convert and here you see it in the video.  My Volkswagon Golf TDI.  I love this car!

I feel like I’m contributing to a healthier, cleaner world.

We are always voting with our dollars, so I’ve decided NOT to give money to the big petroleum companies and put my money towards a better cause.  That’s my way of making a contribution.

You can make a contribution to a healthier environment in your own expression.  This was my way.  Not saying everybody needs to do this exact project, just thought I would share Kardena’s world.

The night we left for our trip we have to get the vegetable oil tank filled and ready to go. We just fill the veggie oil tank with the dark-colored vegetable oil from a 50 gallon drum I have and we use a small pump, and we’re good to go!

FYI- I have a delivery company drop the oil to my house.  I do have the equipment to filter the oil myself (a simple pump and filter system), but really I don’t have the time to pick up the oil from restaurants and filter it at home.

The oil tank fits very snug in my trunk.  It’s a little car but it has as much room as I need, plus I have the roof rack for skis, surf boards, mountain bikes, or travel case.  This is our travel car and it gets a ton of use with all our outdoor activities.

In the front of my car there’s a switch which allows me to go back and forth between Diesel and veggie oil. There’s even an indicator light which tells me which fuel I’m using.

The heated tank sends the oil to the engine and guess what kind of mileage I get out of it?  Try 600 miles to the veggie oil tank!, that’s about 40 miles to the gallon and Waste Veggie Oil produces half the carcinogenic particulates that diesel fuel produces.

It smells like french fries when I’m driving down the road!  Kidding…

Do you know where used trans fat waste fry oil goes when it’s picked up from the restaurants?  Most of it gets sent to companies that make pet food and feed stock!  That’s crazy!  If fried foods are not good for humans what-so-ever, why on Earth would we feed this toxic oil to our most precious doggies and kitties or livestock?  No wonder animals are having more and more health problems! Not all pet foods use this toxic oil, but as far as I know the lesser quality pet foods are typically the companies who use it.

So for me, this is more than a diet, it’s a lifestyle. Healthy inside and out!

How do you contribute to a healthier you and our sacred Earth?

Kardena Pauza

Author of EasyVeggieMealPlans.com

Most foods have some combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat – even vegetables contain all three macronutrients! So here’s a list of some whole foods and their protein, carbohydrate, and fat content.

The reason I am showing you the three macronutrients is because people tend to eat too much of the wrong foods and they are gaining weight or stuck at a plateau and not losing weight. Typically a person is more likely to over eat on starchy carbohydrates or fat.

Some foods may contain more fat than protein, adding an excessive amount of calories in such a tiny portion. You want to be aware of these foods so you make sure and eat the right portion so you can easily lose weight.

Food Type: Protein / Carbohydrates / Fats

• Tofu 4 oz. 8 gr / 4 gr / 4 gr
• Black Beans ½ cup 7.5 gr / 20gr / 0.5 gr
• Peanut Butter 1 Tbl. 4 gr / 3.5 gr / 8 gr
• Almond Butter 1 Tbl. 2 gr / 3 gr / 9 gr
• Cashew Nuts ¼ cup 5 gr / 9 gr / 12 gr
• Seitan 3 ounces 20 gr / 8 gr / 2 gr
• Tempeh 4 ounces 16 gr / 14 gr / 6 gr
• Sunflower seeds raw ¼ cup 6 gr / 6 gr / 14 gr.
• Soybeans ½ cup 16 gr / 14 gr / 8 gr

One food I love is ALMOND BUTTER and I could eat almond butter everyday, twice a day. The problem is it’s loaded with fat which means it’s very calorie dense. Every gram of fat equals 9 calories of energy where as protein and carbs have 4 calories per gram. You have to expend more energy to burn off 1 gram of fat than 1 gram of protein or carbs.

Fat is not particularly bad, it’s the quantity that’s the issue. Our body’s NEED fat for many functions so please do not cut them out completely.

On average for a female, you want to take in between 7-12 gr. of protein per sitting depending on your calories for the day and if you are eating it for a snack or as part of your main meal.

An extra scoop of nut butter here and there can add up to hundreds of excess calories that can sabotage your weight loss progress. It is easy to over eat on nut butters so measure out a serving and put the rest away so double dipping doesn’t happen.

What’s the Deal with Complementary Protein?

Protein is made up of amino acids, often described as its “building blocks”. We actually have a biological requirement for amino acids, not for protein. Humans cannot make eight of the twenty common amino acids, so these amino acids are considered to be essential. In other words, we MUST get these amino acids from our food. We need all eight of these amino acids for our body to make certain proteins in the body.

Only eggs, milk, meat, and fish contain all of the essential amino acids.

PLANT PROTEINS on the other hand are usually LOW in one or two of the essential amino acids. For example, grains are lower in lysine (an essential amino acid) and higher in other amino acids. Legumes are lower in methionine (another essential amino acid) and high in other amino acids.

As a result, many diet experts insist that vegetarians consume “complementary foods” at a meal – meaning that you eat two foods that combine to give you all the essential amino acids – such as beans and rice.

But that’s “OLD SCHOOL” thinking.

Recent studies have shown that this is not the case at all. Our bodies have what’s called an amino acid pool where it cycles amino acids in the blood stream and stores them until it can use the amino acids for other purposes in the body or it’s used for energy.

Your cells are constantly breaking down and synthesizing new proteins. Each day more amino acids are recycled in your body than are supplied in our diet. If you eat a grain source of protein in one meal and a protein source from beans the next meal, then that will be just as good as eating them together at the same meal.

As long as you have a variety of proteins throughout the day, the body will hold on to the amino acids that have not been used and place them in the amino acid pool to be used later.

Our bodies are amazing and resourceful.

As long as you eat a variety of grains, vegetables, and nuts everyday the body will have the resources it needs to build healthy protein.

What about Protein Powders?

Protein powders have found their way into every grocery store and health food store. These powders can be helpful in supplementing protein when you are busy or if you are looking for an alternative to beans or nut meal.

There are a variety of protein powder options on the market now. Traditionally you would find only egg protein, whey, and soy. With newer technology and knowledge about other healthy sources of protein a new generation of protein powders has arrived.

Now you can find pea protein, hemp, rice, and artichoke protein. These next generation protein powders are great for vegans since whey and eggs are dairy-derived the selection was limiting.

Remember that protein powder is a supplement and not a meal replacement. These powders supply protein but you will need to eat other foods with your meal to ensure you are power packed with nutrients.

Whole natural foods are your PREMIUM source of nutrients and digestible protein so lean on this source mainly and secondly use protein powders.

A healthy and safe portion per day is 1-2 servings. A protein smoothie with berries for breakfast and possibly a snack size portion later in the day will boost your protein intake and still give you plenty of opportunities to incorporate whole foods. A serving size of protein powder for a female is approximately 15 grams and approximately 20 grams for men and half this amount for snacks.

Be Vibrant

Kardena Pauza,

Author of Easyveggiemealplans.com

90 day vegetarian weight loss program

The most common question people ask me about my vegetarian diet is, “How do you get enough protein?”. You have a toned body and how do you build muscle without eating meat?”

Well, while I agree it is important to have protein in your diet, there are two things to know.

1. We really DON’T NEED as much protein as most people think.
2. It’s actually quite EASY to get all the protein you need from a plant-based diet.

It’s amazing how many people are concerned about a lack of protein, but in our Western culture, almost NO ONE needs to worry about suffering from a lack of protein.

We’ve been brainwashed by supplement companies and magazine ads into thinking we need one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, but science has NEVER shown that level of protein intake to be needed.

In fact, what we really see is people eating excessive amounts of protein and sometimes so much that they get fat and very ill!

Like I said, getting enough protein has not been a concern in our country, we see very few cases of protein deficiencies and the few cases typically are in poverty stricken areas. Typically in this situation there is an overall deficiency of calories and most nutrients not just a lack of protein.

But as long as you follow a whole food meal plan giving you at least 1600 calories, you will easily get enough protein.

According to the World Health Organization (W.H.O) you need to consume a minimum of 10% of your daily caloric intake from protein to be healthy and build lean muscle. The World Health Organization is the leading authority on human health and is dedicated to improving the quality of people’s lives around the world.

The only places the W.H.O discovered minor protein deficiencies were in underdeveloped countries that did not have access to a variety of foods and protein and consequently these people had a lack of over all nutrients not just protein. The W.H.O is attempting to deliver more legumes to these areas to balance their diet and insure they get enough protein.

Countries that eat a sufficient amount of calories and variety don’t see protein deficiencies. A variety of foods everyday is what will give you a well balanced diet.

Let’s take a look at an EXAMPLE as we review protein needs. As I mentioned in the above paragraphs, the recommended amount of protein for a vegetarian is a minimum of 10% of your daily calories.

• If you are eating a 1,600 calorie diet, 10% of that would be 160 calories. Each gram of protein has 4 calories, so that calculates out to 40 grams of protein per day. This is easy to do!
• All you need to do is eat a ½ cup of lentils you are getting about 10 grams of protein and a hard boiled egg has 7 grams of protein. You are 1/3 of the way there!
• Of course, it’s still easy to do if you are vegan. Oatmeal has about 7 grams of protein per serving, hemp bliss has 5 grams of protein per cup, and quinoa and spelt pasta have 10-15 grams of protein per serving.

Here’s another way to determine how much protein you’ll need. The recommended amount of protein is 0.49 grams per pound of bodyweight (NOT 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight like steroid-using bodybuilders suggest).

You can also determine your minimum amount by taking your bodyweight and multiplying it by .49. Example- If you weigh 130 pounds x .49 = 63.7 grams of protein.

However, if you are overweight and use this formula, you will dramatically OVER-estimate your protein needs. Therefore, you can use your target weight when doing this calculation. So if you are 160 pounds but want to be 130 pounds, just use the 130 pound target weight in the calculation.

These 2 methods give you slightly different amounts of protein so you can see there is NO EXACT MEASURE but at least gets us in the minimum acceptable range.

For our purpose of weight loss I have found that up to 20% of your daily calories from protein will help you increase your metabolism, curb your appetite, and help you build lean muscle. But you don’t need more than that.

Be Vibrant,

Kardena Pauza,

Author of Easyveggiemealplans.com

90 day vegetarian weight loss program

I was in Colorado last week visiting my family & friends and doing some snowboarding.  I always look forward to seeing my family!  Ok, I think I’m now traveled out from my recent Oregon trip and family Colorado visit .  I can’t wait to relax this weekend!

Let’s talk about the “supposed” best source of calcium: a.k.a: milk!

I was staying at a hotel with my parents and at the hotel lobby breakfast buffet, I saw a carton of milk with a hand drawn picture of a cow and the caption said:

“Drinking milk is an excellent source of calcium.” Or IS IT???

Then I looked up at the milk refrigerator and it said “Healthy Milk.”

I thought to myself, wow, I can’t believe the advertising, and people actually believe this stuff….It may contain calcium, but an excellent source?  I don’t think so!  I want to debunk that myth for you right now.

Americans consume a lot of milk annually along with Scandinavian countries, and many European countries.

In fact, we’re in the top 12  consumers of milk among all the countries in the world, yet the United States along with Europe account for more than half of all bone fractures in the world.  And the incidences of osteoporosis in these countries are increasing every year.  How does this happen if we are consuming cartons and cartons of milk, which is supposedly good for developing strong bones?  Why do we have high incidences of osteoporosis?

Because we’re not really consuming the BEST source of calcium that’ s easy for our body’s to absorb and milk actually has an adverse affect on our body’s.  In the Journal of Nutrition studies have shown that milk actually contributes to osteoporosis due to the high amounts of protein and the body’s inability to properly digestive, assimilate and absorb calcium form cows milk. Wow!

The truth is there are SO MANY better food options for obtaining calcium in your diet than milk. There is a list of the top 120 foods containing the most amount of calcium per gram, and this list was created by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture).

Do you want to know what’s at the top of the list? Seeds! Nuts! Leafy Greens! Seaweed.  Where is cows milk?! Down around #50. Pretty shocking, huh?!   Gram for gram, milk is beat out by 50 plant based calcium rich foods!

Maybe we think milk is at the top of the calcium list because we see magazine ads showing athletes with the famous milk mustache or the “Milk, it does a body good” commercial, or the happy cow cheese commercials.  These are all paid for by the National Dairy Counsel to promote their product, milk! So their message is going to be somewhat skewed. Right?  Just like the ad’s in the Breakfast buffet area I’m sitting in now.

Some of the best sources may be very surprising to you. You can get plenty of calcium and minerals from kale, leafy greens, legumes, sesame seeds, chia seeds, broccoli and tahini, among so many others.

Also, in order to create healthy and strong bones, you need more than calcium, you need minerals and phospholipids to help bind the calcium to make the bone matrix. That’s why greens and plant-based calcium are much better for you, because they contain the minerals that your body needs like vitamin D, potassium, magnesium and fatty acids.

There is a study by the American Heart Association that found that vegetarian sources of calcium are more efficiently absorbed and that vegetarians retain more of their calcium from plant-based sources than non-vegetarians.

At the Centre for Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of Surrey, in the UK, a study was conducted to determine the impact of a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet and a vegan diet on bone mass.  The findings were published in the Osteoporosis International Journal and they found that the bone mass of vegetarians and vegans was of “normal bone mass.”

I was just talking to my client this morning and sharing with her about milk and debunking the calcium myth.  She said her fmaily is 3 generations vegetarian from India and they drink very little milk and they don’t have concerns or problems with osteoporosis in her family.  This got me really excited to hear this from someone I know.

Why is this significant?  Over half of us are lactose intolerant and have trouble digesting and assimilating milk.  The body’s inability to properly digest milk can cause so many health problems. And so many people overlook these health problems because we’re told milk is good for us.

Here are just a few of the health problems caused by drinking milk. This is the tip of the iceberg

• Bloating
  
• Gas
• Intestinal disorders
  
• Abdominal pains- constipation, diarrhea
  
• Sinus Congestion
• Ear Aches
• Asthma
• Skin eruptions
• Allergies
• Aggravated rosacea

Here are just a few of the foods that blow milk out of the water with their calcium content.

• Raw almonds (over double the mg of calcium)
• Sesame seed butter/tahini (triple the mg of calcium as milk)
• White beans (double the calcium as milk)
• Flax seeds (almost double the calcium of milk)
• Kidney beans (you get the idea, more calcium)
• Turnip greens
• Dandelion greens
• French beans
• Brazil nuts
• Seaweed
• Navy beans
• Collard greens
• Dried figs
• Mung beans
• Raw parsley

You get the idea, so if you already eat these foods and foods like them.  Congratulations! You are truly doing something excellent for your bod.

Quick thought: What do cows eat for strong bones???? MILK???? No, green grass!!!

TIP: In the morning I add chia seeds or sesame seeds to my smoothie for  calcium and also for the texture!  Remember to keep it green by adding either Kale, spinach or green powder to your smoothie!

For fast, yummy, healthy vegetarian meal plans, check out EasyVeggieMealPlans.com for more nutrient-rich and calcium-packed foods!

Be Vibrant,

Kardena Pauza,

Author of Easyveggiemealplans.com

90 day vegetarian weight loss program

I hope you’re ready for this one because a LOT of vegetarians are about to be SHOCKED (and maybe even disgusted) by what I’m about to reveal.

Everyday there are millions of vegetarians and even vegan dieters who are unknowingly consuming animal products – and even meat! Yes, that’s right; there are many hidden animal products in our diet.

Here are some common vegetarian foods that contain non-vegetarian ingredients:

Biscuits/Cookies

• May contain animal fats. Look for vegetable fat

Bread

• Some bakers grease the tins with animal fat.
• Look for vegetable based emulsifiers (E471, E472)

Broth/Stock

• May contain animal fat.

Cheese

• Most cheeses are produced using animal rennet.
• Look for non-animal based vegetarian cheese.

Chewing Gum

• May contain glycerine that may have been produced from animal fats.

Chocolate

• May contain whey and animal emulsifiers.

French Fries

• May be fried in animal fat.

Gelatin

• Mostly derived from animals (beef).
• Vegetarian gelatin include Agar Agar, Carrageen and sea-weeds.

Glycerine/Glycerol

• May be produced from animal fats.

Ice Cream

• May contain eggs and gelatin that may have been produced from animal fats.

Jello/Jelly

• Most contain gelatin that may have been produced from proteins in animal bones and skin.

Margarine

• May contain animal fats, vitamin D3, whey, gelatin, etc.

Pasta

• May contain eggs.

Pastry

• May contain animal fat and/or egg

Pill Capsules

• Mostly made from gelatin.

Potato Chips

• May contain whey for flavoring.

Soups

• Vegetable soups may be processed on the same equipment that process meats.

Whey

• Whey is a byproduct of the cheese which is made by animal rennet.

Worcester Sauce

• Usually contains anchovies.

Scary Note! When you order a vegetarian pizza or a vegetarian sub, be prepared to accept a few pieces of non-vegetarian foods. Restaurant workers don’t change the gloves for making a vegetarian sub/pizza after they’ve just made a meat version (unless you ask them).

How to Avoid Eating Too Much Sodium

When I was working with fitness expert Craig Ballantyne on his vegetarian diet, I found he was making a common mistake. Like most “lazy vegetarians”, Craig was eating a lot of foods from a can, such as Amy’s Organic Chili, black beans, and kidney beans.

However, these are all high-sodium foods, so you need to check the LABELS and compare the amount of sodium per serving with your daily recommended intake.

This goes for ALL pre-packaged foods, including pasta, oatmeal, cereals, and anything else that comes in a bag or a box with a label!

How to Avoid a Boring Vegetarian Diet

Don’t worry; it’s easy to eat a wide variety of foods and meals when on the Veggie Lifestyle. And that’s important not only for your taste buds but for your health, too.

One way to get VARIETY is to eat fruit and vegetables that are in season because they tend to have more nutrients since they are allowed to ripen on the plant longer, and because they are from local farms (which mean fewer resources are used to get to you).

There are SO MANY ways to create variety.

Think of the staple foods in the world. They are all basically the same staples; rice, flour, beans…Each country cooks and seasons these same foods in their own unique way.

Rice could be curried rice, paella, fried rice, saffron rice, etc… beans are made into soups, salads, veggie patties, and flavored with southwestern spices, Mexican spices,Indian spices, or Moroccan spices.

EXPLORE your local health food store and take some time to look at different products you normally wouldn’t take the time to research.

For example, many people are very familiar with brown rice and know that it is healthier than white rice. But did you know there are other healthy grains you can substitute for brown rice? Grains like amaranth, quinoa, millet, and barley each have unique flavors that can add a pleasant twist to the flavor of your dish.

Collect some cultural spices and herbs and you will make amazing dishes I know you will enjoy. I don’t like buying recipe books because I only use 10% of the recipes since I don’t like or need most of them.

What I do instead is go online and search a particular dish I want to make and sometimes I combine a couple of recipes and omit some ingredients I don’t think will go well together. I end up with a really great dish. If it is a big success then I will print out the recipe and put it in my 3 ring notebook with the other super awesome recipes I’ve acquired – that I will then share with you here.

Your friend,

Kardena Pauza

Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans for weight loss