Six Plant-Based Foods You Should Try Today
By Vanessa Chamberlin
The glorious thing about plant-based eating is that your grocery store or farmer’s market is full of an incredible array of foods, flavors, and textures that are just waiting to be discovered. Even a typical grocery store has a produce section that carries seasonal and ethnic foods that often get passed-over, but are convenient, inexpensive, and yummy.
If you’re stuck in a rut of getting the same lettuce-tomato-onion-type foods that you always get, take a walk! Look at some of the other plant-based foods and see how you can work them into your diet.
Not sure where to start? In the spirit of a number that signifies longevity, here are six plant-based foods I totally love that are healthy and tasty, but not part of the average diet. What are some delicious food discoveries you’ve made and put on your grocery list each week?
Jicama
Jicama, also known as a Mexican potato, is a big, heavy, brown fruit that really does look like a weird potato. The excellent thing about jicama is that it is very crisp and crunchy, but has a mild flavor like a cucumber. Jicama can be sliced and used with dips as an alternative to chips, eaten in sticks like any other crunchy veggie, or added to salads for a snappy texture without confusing the flavor profile. It’s a great summer side dish served with a spritz of lime juice and a dusting of chili powder if you’d like a little kick!
Bok Choy
In Asian cuisine, bok choy is a staple! For most of us, though, we’d never think to work bok choy into a dish, which is unfortunate because of how versatile and healthy this veggie is. Bok choy can be added to a salad, but it can also be eaten like you’d eat celery with a little hummus or nut butter. It can also be added to soups or stir-frys, or braised or grilled on its own, and given a little seasoning to become a brilliant side dish.
Pluots
Pluots are an incredible, juicy little snack that comes from mixing a plum with an apricot. They’re so good! Plums aren’t terribly uncommon, but not a lot of people are familiar with pluots. It’s a shame because they’re easy to carry in a lunch for you or for your children, they’re a little sweet with the benefits of both plums and apricots, and they’re another inexpensive fruit. They might be seasonal depending on where you live, but look for a fruit that’s a little smaller than a plum, and more yellow, in the plum area of your grocery store.
Rutabaga
Rutabaga is popular in some countries around the world, but it frequently gets forgotten in the US. With a little bit of a punch like a radish, rutabaga is an awesome root vegetable. If you like the spicy snap of it, it’s great to be eaten as a raw veggie. Others would enjoy rutabagas along with things like potatoes, parsnips, and squash in a cold-weather harvest stew!
Nopal/Cactus
A lot of people feel strange about eating cactus, but prickly pear cactus (also known as nopal) tastes great and is SO good for you! It can have positive effects on blood sugar and managing diabetes, and it can help lower cholesterol. I suggest buying it cleaned already because the spines can be difficult to deal with if you’re new to the food, but many average grocery stores (and I imagine every Mexican or Hispanic market) carry cleaned nopal ready to cook. Similar in texture to something like a green pepper, nopal is great in dishes like scrambled tofu, or really anything sautéed. It tastes like other green veggies (think green peppers or green beans) with just a little lemony tartness. It goes really well with spicy dishes.
Dandelion Greens
The wonderful world of leafy greens leaves us with plenty of options at pretty much every grocery store, but dandelion greens aren’t something most people eat every day. The green leaves are great in salads and slaws, but they can also be boiled like spinach or sautéed and seasoned. They’re just a little bitter, but fun to try, and you can even forage for them if you’re really up for an adventure!
When people tell me that they don’t do plant-based eating because they don’t want to limit themselves, I have to laugh. People limit themselves all the time! Even with great options and an endless menu of flavors and colors, most people fall into a routine of eating the same things all the time. This is your wake-up call to use plant-based eating as a way to EXPAND your diet, and bring in fantastic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans that you otherwise never would have enjoyed.
Vanessa Chamberlin is a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and Lifestyle Coach and author of The Fire-Driven Life: How to Ignite the Fire of Self-Worth, Health, and Happiness with a Plant-Based Diet. For more information, please visit, www.vanessachamberlin.com and connect with her on Twitter, @vkchamberlin.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (Sept. 28, 2015) ― Across the country, many employees are seated at desks for the majority of an eight-hour workday. As technology creates an increase in sedentary lifestyles, the impact of sitting on vascular health is a rising concern. Now, researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found that when a person sits for six straight hours, vascular function is impaired — but by walking for just 10 minutes after a prolonged period of sitting, vascular health can be restored.
“It’s easy for all of us to be consumed by work and lose track of time, subjecting ourselves to prolonged periods of inactivity,” said Jaume Padilla, Ph.D., an assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the MU School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “However, our study found that when you sit for six straight hours, or the majority of an eight-hour work day, blood flow to your legs is greatly reduced. We also found that just 10 minutes of walking after sitting for an extended time reversed the detrimental consequences.”
During the study, the researchers compared the vascular function of 11 healthy young men before and after a period of prolonged sitting. The findings indicated that blood flow in the popliteal — an artery in the lower leg — was greatly reduced after sitting at a desk for six hours. Researchers then had the participants take a short walk, and found that 10 minutes of self-paced walking could restore the impaired vascular function and improve blood flow.
“When you have decreased blood flow, the friction of the flowing blood on the artery wall, called shear stress, is also reduced,” Padilla said. “Moderate levels of shear stress are good for arterial health, whereas low levels of shear stress appear to be detrimental and reduce the ability of the artery to dilate. Dilation is a sign of vascular health. The more the artery can dilate and respond to stimuli, the healthier it is.”
Many workplaces are sedentary environments, and the researchers said it’s important that people understand the effects of sitting on their vascular health. By breaking up desk time with a short walk, workers can offset the harm caused to vascular blood vessels.
“Studies have shown that sitting less can lead to better metabolic and cardiovascular health,” Padilla said. “However, more research is needed to determine if repeated periods of reduced vascular function with prolonged sitting lead to long-term vascular complications.”
The study, “Impact of Prolonged Sitting on Lower and Upper Limb Micro- and Macrovascular Dilator Function,” recently was published in Experimental Physiology, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of The Physiological Society. In addition to Padilla, the research team includes Robert Restaino and Seth Holwerda, graduate students in the MU School of Medicine Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology; Daniel Credeur, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise science at the University of Southern Mississippi School of Kinesiology; and Paul Fadel, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and director of clinical translational science at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institutes of Health under the award number K01HL125503 and the American Physiological Society. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.
I absolutely love what uber is doing #uberhungerto check out below what they are doing to help hunger in Toronto.
At Uber, we want to do our bit to help - and help in a way that only Uber can. That's why we've partnered with local restaurant The Goods, along with food rescue organization Second Harvest, to bring meals to those in need on what we're calling #UberHUNGERTO day.
Here's how we kicked it off:
Pay it forward by popping open your Uber app between 11am-2pmtoday on Friday, September 25th, to order a meal through UberEATS. We'll match your order and will ensure someone in need receives lunch.
This is not a one day thing. Uber is committed to aid hunger relief by donating any extra UberEATS meals to local food banks daily.
Have you ever gone to a health food store, drug store or supplement shop in hopes of finding supplements, foods and information that will help you reach your goals? Have you ever gotten there and felt overwhelmed with mass amounts of products, foods and bottles? We all have had that experience. I know I have in the past and my current clients get this feeling all the time. Its hard when you are new to the healthy lifestyle to know what you should or should not be taking. I have had little to no help from the staff at these places.
As a personal trainer I know I want my clients to take good clean, tested and high quality products. I often give them a list of options and they still end up emailing, face booking or texting me from the store because the person behind the counter is telling them something different that I did. And most often times the information is wrong. I want to send my clients to a well established business but also where the staff is knowable, helpful and not just trying to sell you the most expensive product so that they can make a better commission.
According to their site "At Peaches & Green, we want our customers to feel confident that every product they purchase has been thoroughly reviewed for its integrity and efficacy. As one of the leading boutique health food stores in Toronto, we carry a wide variety of nutritional supplements, botanical remedies, and homeopathics. We also have a carefully selected assortment of therapeutic skin & body care, as well as delicious whole foods chosen especially for those with food sensitivities and dietary restrictions.
We support suppliers and manufacturers in our industry who are leaders in product innovation and research. Like us, they share a commitment to protecting our environment, and promoting the health of the individuals in the communities we work and live in. Visit our Products page for a complete list of the brands available. Peaches & Green is a proud Health First Network Member store - learn more about Canada's leading independent health & wellness retailers here."
I discovered Peaches and Green a few weeks ago when I was contacted to go in and experience the shop for myself. I said yes and made my way east where they are located on 1561 Bayview Avenue in Toronto. Peaches & Green is a specialty health food store in Toronto dedicated to supporting individuals on their path to wellness through natural health products and education. Located in the heart of Leaside, we have been the top destination for natural health and wellness products for over 25 years. I was greeted immediately by a smiling woman named Elizabeth and then George the owner. They were smiling and friendly from the start. Its always nice to have a warm welcome. They told me about the history of the store, the types of products that they carry and they really seemed to have a passion and desire to help give people good knowledge and help them get towards their goals. George was so intelligent about the products and the science behind them. I also discovered he knows a lot of Toronto health professionals that I know and respect. This is comforting and just really shows what 25 years of experience can provide.
After speaking with both George and Elizabeth and getting to experience the store first hand I high recommend that you shop for your health food products at Peaches and Green. I left with some new protein, himalayan sea salts and lots of yummy samples. If you go to do you health food shopping at Peaches and Green you won't feel lost and you will leave confident that you have got the products that you need to help you get to where you want to go!
Thank you Peaches and Green for serving our community so well. I wish you all the success in the world for the next 24 years!
If you have any inquiries or want to check out the store yourself:
info@peachesandgreen.com
Tel : 416 488 6321
Fax : 416 488 7061
Store Hours:
M - F : 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
Sat : 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sun: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The League
Welcome to the future. If you are in the Toronto area you can found any professional that you want in the city and book with them using this app. The app boasts that you can find the best professionals and services you need to live a healthier, happier life – every day. Massage therapists, personal trainers, nutritionists, chiropractors and more! Book a free consultation with one of our trusted providers. LEAGUE offers the widest selection of health services in a single app. Our PROs are hand-picked, verified and ready to help you live a happier, healthier life - every day.
I have tested out The League over the past week. I have booked, changed, cancelled and attended sessions. My first being a Massage Therapy session. Not only was it easy to book with the woman I chose but she also sent me some nice emails back and forth making the app more personable. The only thing that I have found is that some of the professionals on the app have a schedule that is not in sync with the leagues calendar. So for my massage she had to switch my time (not a big deal). In case you are wondering who the massage therapist was her name is Tu Anh Luong and she did a great job (trust me I have had my fair share of athletic massages) and she was awesome. She is located at 1 St. Clair Avenue East. I highly recommend her and I am very glad that I found her. I even booked a follow up session with her next week. Just search for her in the app.
I have also booked an appointment with a Yoga instructor (which I am having tomorrow). Her profile was amazing and she even asked me for issues or areas I want to work on so that she can create a program for it. Im really looking forward to stretching out my gluteus and opening up my hips. Her name is MJ Renshaw. You can also find her on the app.
This month and next month I have a chiro, naturopath and a Vitamin B shot booked as well.
The only practice that I had a hard time booking with was pilates. I booked a private session from Misfitstudio. I have heard great things about them and their location looks absolutely beautiful. But shortly after I booked I received a message from the studio manager saying that it was a mistake in the schedule and they had to cancel it. She apologized for the inconvenience but did not ask me if I wanted to reschedule (no big deal) but any other time conflicts I have come across the practitioners were happy to reschedule me. I should take the initiative to ask her if there is another time available but it would have been nice if she would have asked me.
What I also love about the app is that it shows you the practitioners exact location as well as how far away they are from your current location! How cool is that. Also being signed up to the app you get emails with exclusive offers, awesome health tips and articles and an awesome community! And on top of that right now they are offering a special Free health coach for 30 days! 30!!!! DAYS!!! WHATTTT so go sign up and #buildyourleague of professionals!
Silk Meatless Monday Night - Take the Challenge! #MeatlessMondayNight #SidelineMeat
Hey Everyone! Its Alicia Bell here from Train It Right! This post was sponsored by Silk but the opinions are solely my own and do not represent those of Silk. It has been a long wait but it is finally football season! Get ready for NFL Monday night football with your family and friends by hosting a Meatless Monday Night. Myself and Silk are inviting you to take the challenge along side of me. You can use this to kick start a family tradition, and you also can win a giveaway from www.silk.com when join the challenge.
Why join the #MeatlessMondayNight Challenge?
My personal reason for trying the Silk #MeatlessMondayNight Challenge is this football season is because plant based foods keep you active during sports, fitness events and day to day living. There are many benefits of plant based foods but some of the most interesting benefits have been known to include:
1. Lowering your blood pressure
2. Helping with blood sugar levels
3. Lowering your risk of developing cancer
4. Lowering cholesterol
5. Linked to weight loss
And I think those are all good reasons to increase the amount of plant based foods in my diet and so should you. For my very first Silk Meatless Monday Night #MeatlessMondayNight I plan on making a smoothie. You can make your own Silk #MeatlessMondayNight recipe or make mine. Make sure to post your photo and recipe and hashtag #MeatlessMondayNight
Train It Right's Silk Meatless Monday Night Smoothie
Ingredients:
2 Cups Silk Almond Milk (unsweetened) Or Silk Product of Choice
1 Cup Kale
1/2 Frozen or Unfrozen Banana
1 tsp Matcha Powder
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein of Choice (I use Sun Warrior)
1 Cup Ice
Instructions:
Pour Silk Almond milk in first and add in all other ingredients with protein being last. Blend all ingredients into a blender until smooth. And serve with or without a straw!
Happy #MeatlessMondyNight Challenge
Use our store locator to find Silk products in your area.
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
How Jadakiss And Styles P Are Bringing Juice Bars To The Hood [INSIGHTS] I Elite Daily
You don’t have to be a legendary rapper in order to help your community, but it certainly helps.
Jadakiss and Styles P are bonafide hip-hop heavyweights whose careers have spanned three decades, but their legacies may be solidified by something other than their music.
Through their chain of juice bars, Juices For Life, The LOX members are looking to provide a much-needed place for people in low-income neighborhoods to consume something good for them. These neighborhoods are often referred to as “food deserts,” since access to nutritional food is virtually nonexistent.
Styles P said, "In the poorer communities, mostly, the money gets invested in liquor stores and the kind of things we don’t need."
Jadakiss and Styles P are leading by example and looking to put an end to food deserts through their Juices For Life locations, but they aren’t alone.
Jeff Brown, the founder and CEO of Brown’s Super Stores, a chain of grocery stores that offers high quality and nutritional food at affordable prices, said, "What Jadakiss and Styles P are doing, they’re successful, and they don’t need to be concerned about society... They’re deciding to use their success to make a difference for people. I think if we all did that, we’d fix a lot of our country’s problems."
With its three locations, Juices For Life is giving people unprecedented access to nutritional options in the Bronx and Yonkers, New York, with hopes of expanding in the near future.
Producer: Max Grunner
Associate Producer: Shawn Hazelett
Director of Photography: Terence MF Thomas
Camera Operators: Sean H. Horan, Kevin Losani
Editor: John Stish, Kevin Losani
Motion Graphics: Oliver Dudman
Senior Producer: Kevin Losani
Music Courtesy of Extreme Music:
“Mild Shine”
Written by James S. Levine
“Busted Ya Grill”
Written by Matt Smith and Daniel Carl Holter
“Labored Rebirth”
Written by Matt Smith and Daniel Carl Holter
“Hoes Before Bros”
Written by Daniel Suett, Billie Ray Fingers and Bruce Fingers
“Play Your Cards Right”
Written by Daniel Suett, Billie Ray Fingers and Bruce Fingers
What is Elite Daily?
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The site consistently delivers diverse content with a fresh, relevant voice that appeals to the divergent perspectives represented within our ADD generation.
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Float Stress Relief and Wellness Centre
Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to go float at the Float Stress Relief and Wellness Centre 3477 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4N 2M2. My friend and photographer extrodinary Ajani Charles has been talking about it for months so I had to try it for myself. He kindly invited me to go. Upon arrival I loved the calm atmosphere. The owner was very knowledgable and friendly and talked me through the whole process. He even offered me tea. 10/10 for welcoming atmosphere and knowledge about the idea of floating for stress relief.
The multi-purpose facility features float rooms, which measure 8 ft long x 4 feet wide x 8 ft tall, registered massage therapy and naturopathic doctor services. Each room offered a beautifully laid out area with a shower, towels I even got to choose the nature sound I wanted to float off into relaxation and meditative space. I think its great to be able to choose because what I may find calm and soothing someone else may hate. I also loved that it was an enclosed tank. I wouldn't recommend this if you were clostrophobic. Although you always have the option to leave your door open. The talk starts off with a light that slowly softens and eases you into a good darkness. There were times when I was floating that I fell asleep and when I woke up I would be on the complete opposite side of the tank. Speaking of tanks the tanks are filled with pounds and pounds of epsom salts. So much so that you just float in them. The salts help extract toxins from your body, exfoliate your skin and tons of other good things for you. The water contains close to 1000 lbs. of medical grade Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate), giving the water a relative density of 1.25 (regular water is 1.0, so it’s 25% denser than regular water). But what is the best part of this experience is the pure stress relief that you get from relaxation caused by floating. I have been in the dead sea but in now way was it relaxing with the bright light, heat and other visitors.
Thank you so much for the great experience and I definitely will be implementing floating into my regular Train It Right routine.
Check out the pictures of my experience below. All photos by: Ajani Charles
Toronto Celebrates Etsy: Made in Canada on Saturday, September 26
Cross-country pop-up marketplace taking place in two Toronto locations, joining 32 other cities nationwide
Toronto, ON – On Saturday, Sept. 26, Etsy: Made in Canada returns, with 33 Canadian cities hosting a one-day marketplace celebrating the Etsy community. In Toronto, be sure to visit MaRS Discovery District (101 College St.) and OCAD University (outdoor market at 100 McCaul St. and indoor market at 49 McCaul St.) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to shop your favourite local Etsy sellers.
Toronto’s Etsy Teams are excited to be hosting Etsy: Made in Canada again, with 170 local Etsy sellers at two downtown locations ready to showcase the area’s handmade wares and vintage goods. Visitors to the MaRS marketplace have the chance to shop favourites like sustainable fashion designs from Vespertine; children’s wool toys from Little Bellwoods; and quirky laser-cut wood broaches from Sous Sous. For a full list of sellers that will be featured at the MaRS marketplace, see the vendor lookbook. Stop off at OCAD for screen-printed paper and stationary from SCTING; colourful hand-dyed wool yarn from Better With Yarn; and minimalistic leather accessories from Aunt Rae.
“This year we're planning an even bigger and better Etsy: Made in Canada pop-up market than last year’s resounding success,” said Ele Willoughby, Team Captain hosting Toronto’s event at MaRS Discovery District. “Our teams are really excited to be hosting this marketplace yet again, and to show off some of the amazing local Etsy talent - artists, artisans and vintage mavens who live and work right here in Toronto. Check out our free DIY workshops and come join us for an amazing show!”
Across Canada, from Salt Spring Island, to Whitehorse, to St. John’s., each market is powered by an Etsy Team, a self-organized group of like-minded sellers, and key partners Moneris, Canada Post and Airbnb. Etsy Teams and their Team Captains ensure each event reflects the city’s individual style and culture, in addition to providing support to members and newcomers looking to start an Etsy shop. Through sharing advice, experiences and resources, Etsy teams help spark inspiration and encourage collaboration among its community.
“Etsy: Made in Canada is our biggest event of the year, taking our online experience offline, to connect sellers, communities and buyers in person,” said Erin Green, Managing Director, Etsy Canada. “With Toronto and 32 other cities participating across the country this year, we couldn’t be prouder of Canada’s commitment to shopping local and supporting its maker communities.”
Made in Canada is just one of Etsy’s recent offline markets and experiences, having participated in Pride Toronto, Calgary Stampede and WayHome Music & Arts Festival this year alone, allowing sellers to engage in their community and meet customers face-to-face. Throughout the year, Etsy helps local Etsy Teams and Captains organize the event by offering a two-day “boot camp” training session for all team captains in Toronto; supplying a PR tool kit on how to locally promote the event; providing tips on how to secure a venue and attract local sellers, in addition to ongoing marketing and public relations support.
This year’s second annual Etsy: Made in Canada event is sure to demonstrate the vibrant communities to be found in every pocket across the country.
For more information about Toronto’s Etsy: Made in Canada, visit the MaRS Discovery District vendor lookbook or Etsy Local for MaRS and OCAD University.
Etsy fans unable to visit a nearby Made in Canada marketplace can shop participating vendors from across the country on Etsy.com/madeincanada and year-round on Etsy.com.
About Etsy:
Etsy is a marketplace where millions of people around the world connect, both online and offline, to make, sell and buy unique goods. The Etsy ecosystem includes creative entrepreneurs who sell on our platform, thoughtful consumers looking to buy unique goods in our marketplace, responsible manufacturers who help Etsy sellers grow their businesses and Etsy employees who maintain our platform and nurture our community. Our mission is to reimagine commerce in ways that build a more fulfilling and lasting world, and we’re committed to using the power of business to strengthen communities and empower people.
Etsy was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York.
Sacred Lifestyle is a new online community which helps awaken one's spirit, helps enlighten and inspire us while we continue on our journey. They profile Gurus, Spiritual Guides, and Bon Vivants around the world to share their experiences from healing our bodies to enriching the food we consume to personal utopias and sanctuaries + fashion, products and travel. They featured a a bit of our interviews with Julian Lennon, Gotham Chopra, Pamela Anderson to Brigitte Bardot, to Denise Mari from Organic Avenue, etc.
They are also creating an extension to their Magazine, that will be a market called "The Sacred Lifestyle Market."
The Sacred Lifestyle Market
When: Sunday, August 30, 2015
Where: Ashbridge Estate (1444 Queen Street East)
Time: 12Pm to 6pm
The Market includes Vendors of various parts of Lifestyle - Food, Beauty Products, Fashion, Home etc. We will also have Yoga Studios including Union, Lotus Girl and 889 Yoga hosting Yoga classes throughout the afternoon.
