Over the course of our trip out west, I found a range of healthy fast food, west coast style mexican platters, boutique frozen yogurt, and high end restaurants that rival the best New York City could offer.

On July 4th I took my eager kid to Voodoo Donuts in downtown Portland. This local chain offers a huge variety of treats including several vegan options. While they’re not exactly “healthy” it was fun to have an unusual treat option. (Honestly, after 2 or 3 bites Laken handed his donut back to me and said “It’s too sweet – I don’t like it.” Music to my ears!)

Portland is also experiencing a growing boom of outdoor food courts. All throughout the city I found parking lots and parks filled with every kind of mom-and-pop (and pop-and-pop and single-mom) run kitchen on wheels imaginable. Cute trailers and shacks on wheels have been outfitted as kitchens and group together to share amenities. Bathrooms and picnic tables were always nearby, making the food court outings very family friendly. I was again surprised to find that nearly every food stand, cart, or trailer had at least one decent vegan option. I took my grandmother out for delicious biscuits and gravy one afternoon, and tried another South American cart’s friend plantains.

Since I grew up in PVM Portland (that’s “pre-vegan mecca”) I didn’t know what I was in for this year. It seems that every vegan with even a passing interest in cooking has opened up a culinary business in the thriving Rose City.

Even veg-celebrities have pulled up stakes to try their hand at

living in the mossy Great North West. I had a killer lunch with top vegan cookbook author-ess Isa Chandra Moskowitz (at right) at the Vita Cafe. Since I hadn’t eaten there in years, I asked for her recommendation. Isa said the Buffalo “Chicken” Wrap was a good bet, and I’m pleased to report she was right. The serving was huge and the buffalo sauce was spicy and savory, just the way I like my fake chicken.

To celebrate my dad’s retirement after 40+ years as a teacher and principal, we drove down to Eugene (Go Ducks!) for a few days of fun and a trip to the coast. I enjoyed seeing vegan items on the menu at the Drift Inn in Yachats (pronounced “ya-Hots”) and was even more excited to watch 2 whales feeding and playing just a few hundred feet off the shore.

My younger, more intelligent sister is working at local frozen yogurt shop in Eugene called  Vanilla Jill’s where the owners make their own treats from local ingredients. I met owner Megan Stevens (at left) and was impressed with their eco-ethos and flavor options. Their vegan lime-coconut flavor was creamy and delicious, so next time you’re in Eugene, be sure to check them out.

I also gave a little “How Veganism Will Save The World!” presentation for The Eugene Vegetarian Education Network. The organizers were very sweet, and the crowd was great. I’m looking forward to heading back for another signing when Vegan Cooking For Dummies comes out this winter.

One of the best parts of going home to Oregon is meeting up with old friends. One night we tried out         Los Gorditas, a true west coast style mexican restaurant. Huge portions, smooth beans, and Daiya cheese and Tofutti sour cream to boot! They didn’t sell beer, but the thoughtful entrepreneurs had a deal with the beer garden next door: take your food with you, get a beer, and enjoy their outdoor seating. Just promise to bring your plates back! There is also a totally vegan bar that serves great bar food called The Bye and Bye. It was so fun to order a “grilled cheese” to go with my beer.

For my final Portland feast, my sweet brother took me to one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten – and that says a lot considering I live in New York City. We have a few good vegan restaurants here.

But I was blown away by Portobello. This cozy establishment off SE Division offers a seasonal menu that was so enticing we had to share everything. The pizza, designed and cooked by a trained pizzioli, has a perfectly crisp-yet-chewy Neapolitan crust, and was topped with west coast style sun dried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, fresh basil and Daiya cheese. The fake faux-gras with bread and spicy mustard was the best I’ve ever tasted. Potato gnocchi has never been better, and the farm-fresh arugula salad tasted like it was picked right before we ordered. For dessert we tried 2: the blueberry tart and the toasted polenta-sour cream pound cake. The tart which was so rich and perfectly “buttery” that I could hardly believe it was plain old Earth Balance in there. The pound cake was rich and flavored with almond and cherries. I could have died right then and there.

So, if you’re into good food, the great outdoors, whale watching, great beer, incredible book stores, get yourself to Portland for your next vacation. You won’t be sorry, although you may come home a few pounds heavier.

While laying out the reasons why veganism does a  body good, John’s energetic, wild-man writing style entertains and gives the distinct impression that he walks his talk. While sharing detailing important health information about training, weight lifting, energy, and food input, the author shares stories from his life that bring the subject matter into full, technicolor reality. One of my favorites is about when his mother was served a greasy hamburger and fries in the hospital just three days after heart surgery.

Stories like this, pictures of vegan athletes and body builders, recipes, and a seven day workout with food plans make this book the perfect gift for any man who might be interested in living a healthier life but isn’t sure a plant based diet is “manly” enough. Men will be inspired to take ownership of their food choices and health, as the book shows how truly hard core, old school, and rock solid John Joseph has become through this diet and lifestyle. Like his quote says “Trust me, you can be a compassionate warrior.”

Want to win a signed copy of John Joseph’s Meat Is For Pussies!?

Leave a comment here on my blog and I’ll pick a winner at random on July 30th!

The 14 year long study  showed that people who sit less during leisure hours have longer lives. It gets even better if you don’t sit all day for work as well. Sitting more throughout the day leads to higher rates of cancer and heart disease. Read the full article on WebMD here…

I didn’t know this information until today, but it makes sense. I’m reminded of my first corporate job working in media planning at a big advertising agency. I had always been active growing up, and rode my bicycle throughout college to class and work. I started to feel sluggish and was gaining a few pounds after my first few months of this new desk job, and came up with a way to get exercise throughout the day, at work, for free.

I called it bathroom aerobics. Sounds funny, but it kept me sane and increased my energy. Here’s how it works:

- Do 20 pushups against the bathroom sink (make sure to dry it off first – don’t want to slip and chip a tooth)

- Do the wall sit against the door inside the bathroom with your knees at a right angle, for 2-5 minutes at a stretch (make sure it’s securely locked – don’t want to tumble out backwards!)

-  Bend over and touch your toes, allowing your head and arms to hang for 30 seconds

If you’re brave or certain no one will walk into the bathroom while you’re doing these “toilet trainings” you can do sets of jumping jacks, lunges, and more stretches.

Get moving! You’ll feel so much better, and you probably won’t need that afternoon coffee break because your energy will be up and moving the more you are.

Be well, Alex

(The bigger question is: is it safe to get your health and medical information from the mainstream media?)

A new meta-analysis from Dr. Justine Butler shows that much of the scary stories about soy are unfounded. Check out the full article here!

For more research from the experts, read Dr. Neal Barnard’s recent article on HuffingtonPost on the benefits of eating the right kinds of soy foods (put down the isolated soy protein and walk away, ma’am!)

Be well,

Alexandra

Eating sugar-coated cereals is something my parents never allowed in our house. The most “unhealthy” cereal they bought for us was Cheerios.

Now I realize why my Mom was so strict about those foods. Not only is there way too much refined sugar in those boxed cereals, but the food colorings have proven to be neurotoxins as well.

Today, we have another reason to avoid boxed cereals. Kellogg Company Voluntarily Recalls Select Packages of Kellogg’s® Corn Pops®, Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks®, Kellogg’s® Froot Loops® and Kellogg’s® Apple Jacks®.

There are dangerous chemicals lurking in the bags and linings of boxed cereals, and the Kellogg company has recalled several cereals because of strange odors coming from the plastics.

The most common liners are made from HDPE with an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) -based seal layer. Other known liners include a zinc lonomer in the sealant layer. Still another known liners (for a high sugar, high flavor cereal) include high density polyethylene (HDPE) , nylon, and an lonomer-based sealant.

What do all these scientific terms mean?

At the moment, no major studies have been conducted researching the long term risks posed by EVA fumes. Anecdotal claims  report symptoms including an itchy rash (allergic reaction), severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth sores, and nose bleeds. HDPE is often made with titanium and contains phthalates, and is made from petroleum.

To ensure your long-term health, and that of your family, try to avoid eating too much food out of these containers. Plastics are everywhere, and we can’t know the long-term heath effects of ingesting the fumes and materials that we ingest with every mouthful.

Be well, Alexandra

The new “Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010″ recommends shifting American diets to be plant-based.

I couldn’t be more pleased! If the government actually gets behind these recommendations we could shift the health, welfare, and long-term vitality of this country.

Let’s get started now, and move all of our families towards plant-based living!

To view the article in the LA Times go here

To read the full report go here!

But what to do with all those berries? Rather than spend time in my hot kitchen, I decided to whip up a chilled concoction that would serve the yummy harvest without all the sweating and baking. We’ve been drinking these strawberry lemonades for days now, and I’m happy to report that the benefits to your skin will be as good as the benefits to your taste buds! Great vitamin C, natural fruit acids, and lots of enzymes give this virgin-cocktail skin-replenishing plant power.

Here’s the basic recipe:

1 pint strawberries, stems removed
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
3 cups water
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
ice

Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pass the pureed strawberries through a fine meshed strainer or sieve to remove the seeds and set aside. Combine the agave and water in a pitcher, and stir well. Add the lemon juice and strawberry puree to the mixture and stir well to combine. Chill. Serve in ice-filled glasses.

Yield: 1 1/2 Quarts

But then I forgot that many packages don’t list the heavy metals that might be lurking inside.

The good folks at EnviroLaw tested juice boxes and packaged fruit for lead content and found a staggering 85% contained lead. What was truly surprising is that many organic brands are listed. Which leads me to wonder if the packaging itself may contain lead, or if it’s part of the manufacturing process that adds lead to the final product. This is similar to High Fructose Corn Syrup containing mercury or organic canned foods containing traces of BPA. Both instances result from the processing or packaging.

Here is the full list from www.envirolaw.org:

Apple Juice

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of

lead per serving:

Beech Nut 100% Apple Juice

Earth’s Best Organics Apple Juice

First Street 100% Apple Cider from concentrate

First Street Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice

Full Circle Organic Apple Juice

Gerber 100% Juice Apple Juice

Great Value 100% No Sugar Added Apple Juice

Hansen’s Natural Apple Juice

Kroger 100% Juice Apple Juice

Langers Apple Juice 100% Juice

Minute Maid Juice Apple – 100% Apple Juice

Motts 100% Apple Juice

O Organics Organic Unfiltered Apple Juice Not From Concentrate

Old Orchard 100% Apple Juice

Parade 100% Juice Apple

Raley’s Premium 100% Apple Juice not from Concentrate

Safeway 100% Juice Apple Cider

Safeway 100% Juice Apple Juice

Stater Bros. 100% Juice Apple Juice

Sunny Select 100% Apple Juice

Trader Joe’s Certified Organic Apple Juice, pasteurized

Tree Top 100% Juice Apple Cider

Walgreens Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice

Walnut Grove Market 100% Apple Juice

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per

serving:

Great Value 100% Apple Juice not from concentrate

Harvest Day 100% Apple Juice from Concentrate

Kirkland Fresh Pressed Apple Juice Pasteurized

Martinelli’s Gold Medal Apple Juice 100% pure from US grown fresh apples

R.W. Knudsen Organic Apple Juice unfiltered

Raley’s Everyday 100% Apple Juice

Sunny Select 100% Unfiltered Apple Juice

Trader Joe’s Fresh Pressed Apple Juice all natural pasteurized, 100% juice

Tree Top 100% Apple Juice

Tree Top Three Apple Blend 100% Fresh Pressed Juice

Grape Juice

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of

lead per serving:

365 Everyday Value Organic 100% Juice Concord Grapes

First Street Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice

Gerber 100% Juice – White Grape Juice

Great Value 100% Grape Juice

Kedem Concord Grape Juice 100% pure grape juice

Kroger Grape Juice 100% Juice

Langers Grape Juice (Concord)

Langers Red Grape Juice

O Organics Organic Grape Juice from concentrate

R.W. Knudsen Just Concord Grape Juice

R.W. Knudsen Organic Just Concord

Raley’s 100% Grape Juice

Safeway 100% Juice Grape Juice

Safeway Organic Grape Juice

Santa Cruz Organic Concord Grape Juice

Stater Bros. 100% Juice Grape Juice

Stater Bros. 100% Juice White Grape Juice

Sunny Select 100% Grape Juice

Trader Joe’s Concord Grape Juice made from fress pressed organic concord grapes

Tree Top 100% Juice, Grape

Valu Time Grape Drink from Concentrate

Walgreens Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice

Walnut Acres Organic Concord Grape

Walnut Grove Market Grape Juice

Welch’s 100% Grape Juice (from Welch’s Concord Grapes)

Welch’s 100% Red Grape Juice from Concentrate

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per

serving:

Old Orchard Healthy Balance Grape

Packaged Pears

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of

lead per serving:

Best Yet Bartlett Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup

Del Monte Diced Pears in Light Syrup

Del Monte Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup

Del Monte Pear Halves, Bartlett Pears in 100% real fruit juice from concentrate

Dole Pear Halves in Juice

First Street Diced Pears

First Street Sliced Bartlett

Full Circle Organic Bartlett Pear Slices

Gerber 3rd Foods Pears [Baby Food]

Great Value Bartlett Pear Halves in 100% Juice

Great Value Bartlett Sliced Pears in Heavy Syrup

Market Pantry Diced Pears in Light syrup

Maxx Value Pear Pieces in Light Syrup

Polar Pear Halves in light syrup

S&W Natural Style Pear Slices in Juice

S&W Sun Pears Premium

Safeway Lite Bartlett Pear Halves in Pear Juice

Safeway Pear Halves in Light Juice

Sunny Select Pear Halves in Pear Juice

Trader Joe’s Pear Halves in white grape juice

Truitt Brothers Pacific NorthWest Bartlett Pear Halves, in pear juice from concentrate

Valu Time Irregular Bartlett Pear Slices

Walnut Grove Market Natural Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per

serving:

Eating Right Kids Diced Pears Fruit Cups

Stater Bros. Diced Pears Snack Bowl

Packaged Peaches

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of

lead per serving:

Best Yet Yellow Cling Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup

Del Monte Freestone Peach Slices in 100 % Juice

Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in 100 % Juice

Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup

Dole Diced Peaches, Yellow Cling in light syrup

First Street Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup

Gerber 3rd Foods Peaches [Baby Food]

Golden Star Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup

Great Value Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches

Libby’s Yellow Cling Peach Slices No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)

Market Pantry Diced Peaches in light syrup

Polar Peach Slices

Raley’s Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in Heavy Syrup

S&W Natural Style Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Lightly Sweetened Juice

S&W Premium Peach Halves Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup

Safeway Diced Peaches in Light Syrup

Safeway Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Pear Juice

Simple Value Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup

Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Peach Halves

Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in heavy syrup

Sunny Select Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in Pear Juice

Trader Joe’s Yellow Cling Peach Halves in while grape juice

Valu Time Yellow Cling Peach Slices

Walnut Grove Market Natural Peaches Sliced Yellow Cling in Light Syrup

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per

serving:

Dole Diced Peaches, Cling in Light Syrup

Dole Diced Peaches, Freestone in Light Syrup

Dole Sliced Peaches

Eating Right Kids Diced Peaches in Extra Light Syrup

Stater Bros. Diced Peaches Snack Bowl

Fruit Cocktail

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of

lead per serving:

Best Yet Chunky Mixed Fruit in Pear Juice

Chef’s Review Fruit Cocktail

Del Monte 100% Juice Fruit Cocktail

Del Monte Chunky Mixed Fruit in 100 % Juice (peach, pear, grape, etc.)

Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peach, pear, grapes)

Del Monte Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added

Del Monte Lite Fruit Cocktail in Extra Light Syrup

Dole Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup

Eating Right Fruit Cocktail packed in Sucralose

Eating Right No Sugar Fruit Cocktail

First Street Fruit Cocktail in heavy syrup

Golden Star Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup (peach, pineapple, pears)

Great Value No Sugar Added Fruit Cocktail

Kroger Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup

Kroger Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice

Kroger Value Fruit Mix (Peaches, pears, grapes)

Libby’s Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)

Market Pantry Mixed Fruit in light syrup

Maxx Value Fruit Mix in Light Syrup (peach, pear, grape)

Mrs. Brown’s Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peaches, pears, grapes)

Polar Mixed Fruit

Raley’s Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup

S&W Natural Style Fruit Cocktail in Lightly Sweetened Juice

Safeway Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup

Safeway Light Sugar Fruit Cocktail

Safeway Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice

Stater Bros. Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup

Sunny Select Fruit Cocktail in Juice

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per

serving:

Del Monte Mixed Fruit

(And yes! They’re mostly plant-based foods!)

It’s like my Mom and Dad always said – you’ll save money and your health if you cook at home.

The products that food expert Magee recommended contain hidden MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and aspartame. These ingredients can cause health problems over time and should be avoided.

Here’s what I saw:

Boca Original Meatless Chick’n Patties – contain non-organic (therefore it’s GMO) soy, as well as yeast extract which most likely is hiding MSG.

Coca-Cola Zero (regular or cherry flavor) – which contains phosphoric acid, aspartame, and potassium benzoate. Phosphoric acid is believed by many health experts to leach calcium out of bones.

Low Calorie G2 Electrolyte Beverage (by Gatorade), Fruit Punch flavor – contains high fructose corn syrup

Let’s tackle the aspartame first, shall we? This artificial sweetener floods your nervous system and can cause excessive firing of brain neurons leading to headaches, mental confusion, dizziness and seizures. Aspects of aspartame also break down into formaldehyde, which causes cancer in humans.

Aspartame is found in over 6,000 food, supplement, and beverage products in the United States. You can find it branded as NutraSweet and Equal. I encourage you to remove any products from your house or diet that contain this dangerous ingredient.

Several of the products on the WebMD list also contained non-organic dairy products, which are likely from cows fed antibiotics and growth hormones. The quality of these “diet foods” is very poor. They’re mostly packaged, processed, and refined foods.

A few contain “natural and artificial flavors,” which can contain tar and preservatives that act as neurotoxins. The label “natural and artificial flavors” should bring up a red flag. MSG may be legally labelled “natural flavors” in order to hide it. Healthy natural flavors exist, but some are excitotoxins or neurotoxins. A common ingredient you’ll see in this category is “hydrolyzed soy protein.” This “natural flavor” is just like MSG, or monosodium glutamate. MSG has been proven to break down the blood-brain barrier and over-stimulates, or “excite” the neurons of a brain to a dangerous degree. Frequent consumption in mammals has shown the development of tumors, memory loss, and a whole host of neurodegenerative diseases as the end result of excess excitotoxin intake, including Alzhiemer’s, Parkenson’s, Lou Gerhig’s etc.

For more information on MSG and other excitotoxins that may be lurking in your food (and on Elaine Magee’s recommended food lists), get yourself a copy of Russell Blaylock’s book:

Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

Also, MSG is suspected of causing compulsive eating, leading people to want more and more food. You wonder where that old joke about getting hungry an hour after eating Chinese take-out came from? It’s the MSG, baby.

To wrap this all up, please avoid any foods that contain MSG, high fructose corn syrup, or aspartame. Be good to your body, feed it fresh food that it can understand, and don’t poison it with these “diet foods.”

Be well,

Alexandra