Egging Me On

Wow, we've got a lot of questions to cover today. But before we dive in I'd just like to say thank you to my dear friends and readers who ask away. It's very easy to get into the rigamarole and routine of how I eat from what I've read and what works, and sometimes just ignore certain topics--not for lack of interest--but just lack of being confronted with them. Or presuming others know where I'm coming from. If only we knew everything and everyone, right?  So, your inquiries help me delve into new territories. When it comes to health, this is always a good thing.

Without further adieu, we've got three questions, and I hope to answer them to the best of my ability--and with some professionals' help. Here goes.

What do you use as an emulsifier in a vegan diet, since eggs are off limits?


Very good question.  Eggs are one of those foods that seem to get media coverage every month, right? Are they good or bad for you or what?  Well, when it comes right down to it, regardless of whether they are free range organic or not, and regardless of their nutritional profile, people are becoming more sensitive to eggs via allergies and compromised digestion. And then there are some who just simply want to stay away since they are more acid forming to the body's pH. So what's a person to do when they want to make a tasty dish and don't know how to bind the ingredients? Have no fear! There are many substitutions:

Ground flaxseed mixed in water. To replace 1 large egg, mix 1 Tbs ground flaxseeds with 3 Tbs hot water and let it stand for 5 minutes until an egg-like consistency is reached. This can bind patties, meatloaf, cookies and cakes.  I've used this for garden burgers and various dessert recipes.  It carries a dense nutty yet neutral taste that never overpowers the other flavors of the dish.

Chia seeds soaked in water. Same ratio as above, chia seeds are more gelatinous and some claim make higher rising baked goods than flaxseeds.  I've never tried this one.

Pureed fruit or vegetables. Applesauce, mashed banana, and even purred acorn squash . . .to replace 1 egg, use 3 Tbs or 1/4 cup fruit or veggie puree and add roughly 1/2 tsp more baking powder to compensate for egg's leavening effect.  Also, you might have to reduce sweetener in recipe if using fruit puree.  I've used both mashed banana and applesauce, and they are very tasty substitutions for baked breads or muffins or pancakes.

Lemon juice and baking soda. I've never tried this one, but the professionals say that this produces good leavening action for baked goods.  For a cake or sweet bread, try 2 TBS lemon juice mixed in the liquid cake ingredients and 1 tsp baking soda mixed with the dry ingredients.  When you mix the liquid and dry ingredients together, whisk quickly and pop in oven.  (I dunno, I'll take their word for it!)

Commercial Egg Replacer. Again, I've never used this, but I'm told the most common brand is Ener-G Egg Replacer (Vegan and gluten free).  Made from potato and tapioca starch with leavening agents, it supposedly makes baked good nice a fluffy.

Work Consulted:
"Surprising Egg Substitutions," by Melissa Diane Smith. Better Nutrition, July 2012

Do you know anything about the safety of things like xanthan gum? 

Xanthan gum. Say that ten times fast.

I gotta be honest, I'm sorta on the fence with this one. Though, my first gut (pun intended) reaction is to say stay away from xanthan gum because it is an additive, which means it's chemically manipulated to enhance flavor and not energy or digestion. Incidentally, various websites say that ingesting high quantities of xanthan gum can cause bloating, gas and digestive irritability.  Hm! You don't say!  When you have a polymer in your digestive track, there aren't enough Kreb's cycles to break it down and thus, your intestines get annoyed until it really does come out the other end? So, my instincts were right. Yet, there aren't enough tests or evidence that speak volumes about its biological instability/safety.  I mean, xanthan is a naturally occurring substance from plants, so that's good. However, not every lab processes it the same, or with organic substances, so that can be a recipe for disaster if people are sensitive or allergic to certain plants like soy or corn.  Add to that a plastic-like substance to make it a gum? Again, going back to the whole processing thing . . .why bother using these products when you can emulsify and sweeten with more natural and organic ingredients?

I dunno, just my two cents. Your comments are welcome.

Alas, poor Agave, I knew you well.  

I have been reticent to use agave nectar ever since I read online that it is produced and refined in such a way that it functions in the body strictly as a fructose form of sweetener, making it behave basically the same way as high fructose corn syrup. Is this information consistent with what you know about it? 

Friend, thank you for this question.  Because much to my dismay . . .you're right!  Prior to your question I'd read that various raw vegans and health conscious folks were split on the issue, some going so far as to contact the agave nectar production companies to confirm the "raw" quality of the product.  When they got "yes" as an answer, I thought, "Good enough for me!" And I've been using agave ever since.  However, upon further investigation (prompted by your question), it appears that regardless of heating under 118 degrees Fahrenheit or not, a process called hydrolyzation takes place where the agave's fructose coagulates and is not conducive for healthy absorption.  This is linked to high triglycerides in the blood along with other problematic health conditions if used in excess.  Raw honey and pure maple syrup (which is not raw, but less processed than agave nectar) are better sweetener alternatives.  I will be changing to these two things from here on out.

If you'd like a more in depth explanation, you can watch this YouTube video here.

Which reminds me to maybe post on all of the "Raw" products (key, red flag word) exploding in the natural health food marketplace these days.  If it's got a bar code, friends, be weary of its rawness.

Ha. Rawness. I'm sure that's a new word.

Okay! Thanks again for the questions!

Land of (Dr.) Oz

A little more than a month ago, Charissa and I submitted an email with our stories to Dr. Fuhrman who was looking for people to be on the Dr. Oz show. [A deaconess affiliate may or may not have given us the tip and link--nod and thank you].

For those who won't click on the above link, basically Dr. F was looking for 15 women who have lost 50 lbs or more and sustained the weight loss through nutritionally dense eating.  Right up our alley, right? We thought so.

Anyway, it's 'a better luck next time' thing since we never heard back from him, and the taping for this show's already happened.

But how cool would that've been?

For more info on Dr. Fuhrman (C'mon, your finger can take it), click here.

Nutritional density, never counting calories . . .it's all for realz, yo. Living proof sitting right here-Oz Show or no.

Mango Pepper Salsa

This little creation happened on the fly. 

And by fly I mean I didn't have the exact ingredients for the original recipe. 

And by exact ingredients I mean I had a mango, lime and cilantro. 

But isn't that really all you need to make a fiesta delight? 

Lime and cilantro, that is? 

Add a little sea salt and a bunch of fresh diced veggies (and fruit, as it were), and you are a culinary genius in your guests' eyes. 

At least that's what happened to me the other night.

And by culinary genius I mean I might have self promoted myself just a little.

Okay, maybe a lot. 

Nevertheless, this turned out better than expected.

The mango's sweetness never overpowers the savory sour deliciousness that makes this fresh combination stand out.

Alrighty . . .I give you Melissa's Mango Pepper Salsa!

One diced . . . 

... mango

... green, yellow and orange pepper

... red onion

.... 1/2 cup cilantro

2 TBS lime juice

Sea Salt to taste

A dash of cayenne pepper.

Toss together like so. 

Serve chilled with chips or on top of a taco, fish, or chicken entree. 

Or eat that bad boy all by yourself. 

(Not that I did or anything.)

(I waited till our guests left!) 

As we've learned today . . .the possibilities are endless. 

Online Store!

Dear Readers,

We are pleased to announce that Get Dense has become an Amazon associate! Which means all the products we discuss or review on the blog and use ourselves are added to our aStore. We receive a very small percentage for any purchases made through us.

As you all realize, losing a combined total of 150lbs and restoring our health didn't happen over night.  The fruits of those labors came through doing our homework, implementing the research and hard work. For those who are looking to make healthy changes, we want to put these very tools in your hands, too. We can't come to your house with a blender. We can't explain the intricacies of the nutritional science in one, two or twelve posts.  But we can recommend the things that will help you get there and right to where you want to be.

We hope you are enjoying Get Dense.  It's been fun telling you our stories, highlighting important health information and sharing recipes; and we hope to keep this up for a very long time. Any monies we might make will only help defray the cost of the time it takes to put this blog together.  So, we make our appeal to you if you are in the market for various health investments to consider purchasing them through our store.  We don't (and won't) advertise stuff we haven't read or use ourselves (on a VERY regular basis), so we hope this will put readers at ease as we aim to be honest about what we've found works the best for the healthiest you possible.

We look forward to continuing to build this site, to get the best information out there, and always, to have a very personal touch.

Thank you for reading and your support.

Ever, 

Melissa and Charissa

The Garden Variety

Gardening's always intrigued me . . .but just as Bette Midler once said, "From a distance." Growing up, I was more or less all about the end result.

Nah, I kid. I mean, it was fun to watch everything grow, but as far as taking care of the microcrop (and plants in general), that was risky. Survival was never guaranteed. My mother might be to blame for this one. (Sorry, Mom!)  We had nary a live green in the house during our childhood due to extreme neglect. Which is to be understood as we, the children, were the ones who had her full attention. (Good recovery?) 

Nevertheless, I must credit my husband for influencing and getting me turned on to green thumbery.  Since we've moved and settled into our home I am really enjoying the process, and learning each year how to improve.  

I just planted this pot of basil (or is it cilantro or parsley?!), along with four other pots of said herbs. This one sprouted first after three days. Pretty cool!

We've dubbed the above section our "green edibles."  We've got everything from kale to swiss chard to spinach and dandelions. (And other weeds.) All we need to do is pick, wash and throw in the blender or salad bowl.  

There's even a raspberry bush toward the end over there. Though, we'll be lucky if we see one berry this year. 

It was an experiment, really.  This section used to be for decorative plants and flowers. Instead of ripping it out and grass seeding it like my hubs wanted to, I suggested we try to make use of it. 

But unfortunately since this area only gets about 4 hours of sun, it isn't doing as well as we'd hoped.  So, we might reevaluate to relocate the greens elsewhere (in more direct sunlight) for next year.  

Here's our main garden. Four beefsteak tomato plants are coming along nicely, along with some basil sprouting in between.  

Behind the tomatoes, that "U" shape around the center aisle, we've got summer squash, carrots, peas, butternut squash, and spaghetti squash. 

Our far right aisle, this is one of the squashes, I believe, along with cucumbers and, you're never gonna guess, more squash. 

(I really don't know what's what as far as the squash goes since the leaves all look very similar.)

Our center aisle is a mix of broccoli, lettuce, beets and kale. 

Here's a pot of cilantro I planted over a month ago. Too slow and not enough room.

Hence trying with another pot. Hey, I'm learning! 

I might have to get more serious about cilantro for next year. Whether it's a Mexican, Indian or Asian dish, I love me some cilantro in the salsas, curries, sauces and broths.  

Here are six avocado pits we're trying to sprout.  They won't bear fruit for another 2 to 3 years, but they are hearty trees and can be kept indoors in the winter.  

My plan is to gift a few of these to my family once they've successfully sprouted.  

Lest our home become "The DeGroot Conservatory." 

But I guess there are worse things. 

(The show "Hoarders suddenly comes to mind!)

And since I'm a sucker (in general, but especially) for books and bargains, I found this at the American Veterans Thrift store yesterday.  

"Practical Gardening Encyclopedia"

Copyright 1977 . . .

B.C.

(Ha, but wouldn't that be awesome?)  

"Learn agro techniques from Cain and Able . . .though the former might just sacrifice his crop and bolt."

Ahh, gardening (and Bible) humor. 

So how about you guys? How're your lovely gardens doing? 

Any suggestions, too, are welcome!

Asian Zucchini Pasta

This just might be my new favorite recipe. 

It's all about the sauce. 

Creamy, savory and a tad sweet, this is hands down a new staple dish in our household.

So let's begin this nutritiously dense, twenty minute journey (the time it takes to get this culinary delight in your mouth) to pasta nirvana. 

That didn't sound right. Or did it? 

Onward.

 First, if you don't have a spiralizer, not to worry! Just utilize your fruit/veggie peeler and make fetuccini ribbons like so (see below), working around the zucchini until you get to the seeded part.

But if you do have a spiralizer, I'm not gonna lie, it's sort of a show stopper. 

Wash and cut tips off both ends of zucchini, peel skin (if you like) and affix to spiralizer like so. 

Turn that crank until you come up with . . .

 

. . .THIS!

Curly, stringy spaghetti. 

How cool is that?

Set aside and assemble the sauce ingredients.

There are a couple of variations, so work with what you have!

Where there are options, I wrote in bold the ingredients I used. 

Asian Walnut Sauce

1 cup walnuts

1/3 cup water

2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)

1 TBS peeled ginger root

2 TBS liquid aminos OR Nama Shoyu OR Tamari 

2 Medjool Dates AND/OR 1 TBS Agave Nectar or other preferred sweetener

1 TBS tamarind paste OR lemon juice OR lime juice (lime recommended) 

I doubled the recipe for 3 medium-large zucchinis. But this sauce actually goes a long way.

And yes, I put both dates and agave nectar in. It wasn't overbearingly sweet at all.

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth, to a sour cream consistency. It shouldn't be too thin.

Set aside or chill in fridge until ready to serve. 

(The soy, tamari or liquid aminos will pull the water out of the zucchini, which will naturally thin the sauce out a bit anyway, so it's best to wait until serving to mix the sauce with the pasta.)

Now, add a bunch of veggies and things to the pasta for the gourmet appeal!

What I incorporated to the 3 spiralized zucchinis:

1 sliced bell pepper*

5 sliced baby bella mushroom caps

3/4 cup shredded carrots*

1/2 cup almond slivers

1/2 cup cilantro*

Other things you could add:

Broccoli

Sunflower seeds

Cucumber*

Red Cabbage

Bean sprouts

Sesame Seeds*

Sliced Radish*

*= recommended from the recipe I found.

But, as you can see, I opted out of cucumber and other things and added a few innovations of my own.  

When you're ready to eat all this goodness, add the sauce to the pasta and turn over with tongs until well incorporated.

Plate and garnish with a little cilantro and then just marvel at this gourmet beauty.

But not for too long. You'll be dying to eat this pronto.

And the nutrition, you wonder? You're gonna love this!

Each serving (more than the amount you see above) is under 300 calories!

Fat? 19 grams . . .but only 1 gram is saturated. Hollah!

NO cholesterol.

24 grams of Carbs. And these are simple carbs, mind you. (Easy for the body to break down.)

And 8 grams of protein. 

Other nutrients include potassium, fiber, vitamins A, C & E, iron, folate, phosphorus, and magnesium.

I don't know about y'all, but this dish is really something to dish about.  

My little guy thought so!  

Smoothies Vs. Juice

Some of you have asked us which is better...juicing or smoothie-ing?

The main distinction between the two is the "F" word . . .Fiber.
(You guessed that, right?)

As most of you know, juicing eliminates the pulp (the main source of fiber), which allows the micronutrients (good, dense vitamins and minerals) and phytochemicals (more good plant stuff) of the fruit or vegetable to be very easily absorbed by the stomach and put into the bloodstream quickly.  If an individual is sick, it might be more advantageous to juice in order to speed up the healing process.

Vitamix

However, having pulp in smoothies also has its advantages. Fiber is important for proper digestion.  Also, it makes us fuller faster.  Plus, you're getting all the micronutrients and phytochemicals, too.  You really can't lose either way.

Ultimately, it is a matter of choice and goals.  How do you want the food to work for you?  Is it a meal or  supplement? Medicinal (Though, I'd argue all organic fruits and veggies are medicinal) or Treat? And then there's the all important budget concerns.

The question that might likely proceed is about the equipment. What should you buy--a juicer or blender?  First, I am totally going to sway anyone who asks me about blenders to invest and buy a Vitamix. This thing liquifies wooden blocks. You think I'm joking.  But It's costly--between three to four hundred smackeroos.  Though, consider it a health investment if you are committed to eating a good portion of your food raw. The Vitamix comes with a five year warranty and is VERY easy to use. Also, you can juice with it if you have cheesecloths.




I just purchased two cheesecloths for approximately $5. This allows me to solely utilize my blender (and not have to buy a juicer) so I can strain all the pulp out of the smoothie for a pure juice. It's a marvelous little invention (the cheesecloths) since I can also make my own nut milks and utilize the pulp to make nut cheeses.   In general, pulp is very useful in various recipes.

But if you only have a juicer, great! Use it! The only other problem, though, is that you will likely spend more money on produce if you want to drink a lot of juice, use them as meal replacements or for fasting.  Just something to consider.

Otherwise, it's ALL good!

Juice it or blend it up! 

Dirty Dozen N' Clean Fifteen

A friend asked:
"So do you buy organic fruits and veggies? Like, the dirty dozen or whatever? That business online about the worst pesticide-ridden produce? We don't spend that much on our fruits and veggies... We buy cheap-o from Aldi or Walmart. But now that hoopla has me worried."


To the first question, no. I don't buy all organic. There are many conventional (non-organic) fruits and veggies where pesticides are not a problem like bananas and avocados (anything with a thick, non edible skin).  I'll get to that in a sec.


But for those who don't know, the "Dirty Dozen" are the top non-organic fruits and vegetables to avoid because they are overloaded with pesticides.


The Dirty Dozen
1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Cherries
10. Kale/Collard Greens
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (Imported)


The above is highly recommended to eat strictly organic.  


That said, there are a few items up there that I still buy at Aldi's and Price Rite like apples and kale (Though, the kale in our garden is almost ready!). Fortunately, we only twitch slightly from all the chemicals. And that's AFTER washing them in our fluoride-ridden water.  :)


But there's hope for the financially strapped, savvy and stealth. Along with buying frozen berries instead, the "Clean 15" is a list of fruits and veggies that you can get at the cheap-o supermarkets without worry of growing that fourth eye. 


Keep the third, it's sorta becoming.  

The Clean Fifteen
1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet corn (frozen)
4. Pineapple
5. Mangoes
6. Peas (frozen)
7. Asparagus (That one surprises me. Ah well.)
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe (domestic)
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet potatoes
15. Honeydew melon


So there you have it.  If you are concerned about other produce that isn't on there, grow it organically yourself, speak now, or forever hold your peas.  


No, but seriously, pesticides are carcinogenic and can make us sick, so please take heed of the research out there.  


Thanks for the question!  

Beetox Smoothie

I've been craving beets lately. 

Call me crazy. 

But before shifting to a more raw diet, you couldn't get me to touch a beet with a ten foot pole.  They're earthy, bitter and a touch sour.

Then one day a couple of months ago I tried them at a restaurant salad bar. 

And liked them. A lot.

And then, on a family visit to Rhode Island last week we went to a vegan bakery. They had fresh pressed juices and smoothies (along with every decadent dessert you can imagine. Oh yeah, we got a few or twelve of those.)

But this juice caught my attention: Beetox 

The ingredients are beets, carrot, apple, lemon juice, and ginger

It's a detox juice. But then again, any fresh fruits and veggies are. 

Anyway, if you're still reading this, you may have guessed I really liked it. 

Beets might be an acquired taste, but they are chock full of vitamins and minerals, iron and folate (a natural prenatal vitamin). Beets also cleanse the body, purifies blood, cures diseases of the circulatory system, digestive system and large intestines.  

And then there's the color. 

Is there anything more beautiful and bright naturally occurring in nature?  

What would you call it? Magenta? Fuschia? 

Gorgeous, anyway. 

Without further adieu, here's the recipe for this Beetox Smoothie.

1 peeled Beet

2 cored (or not if you like, especially if you have a Vitamix) apples

1 cup carrots

2 TBS lemon juice

1-2 TBS fresh ginger root

Water to cover all ingredients

Blend 1 minute or till smooth. 

Enjoy. Be well.