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Benefits of CHOCOLATE this Valentine’s Day!

Benefits of CHOCOLATE this Valentine’s Day!

So you’ve heard all the bad things about chocolate, like how it is high in fat and sugar and will make you gain weight if you overeat it… But, if you take away the dairy and the sugar, you might actually have a healthy product!  Let’s take a look at the benefits of chocolate in it’s most valuable ingredient: cocoa.

Cocoa Powder comes from the cocoa bean, grown on cacao trees mainly in South America.  Raw Cocoa is a nutritious plant that contains several minerals like calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc. (Sounds like the benefits of chocolate could mean good for your bone health… Now we are onto something!) Not only that, but cocoa powder by itself contains almost 20% of calories from protein!


Image by http://www.nutritiondata.self.com/

Cocoa powder can be used in so many ways!  I like to come up with healthy ways to eat food we like, especially chocolate!!  Here is a 3-ingredient cocoa recipe that you can try for  Valentine’s Day:

2T cocoa powder
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried pitted dates

Instructions: Use a food processor to mix all of the ingredients together, then shape into cookie balls. No baking required. (This was a favorite in our first Vegan Challenge!)

I have so many more chocolate-y ideas! Join the Vegan Challenge for more cocoa-based recipes and you can experience all the benefits of chocolate! Contact Me for More Info:

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    Do Vegans Need Vitamin B12?

    Do Vegans Need Vitamin B12?

    By: Cheyenne W, vegan blog writer for Kelly Athletics. Revised by Kelly Gibson – Do Vegans Need Vitamin B12?

     

    Have you heard the argument that vitamin B-12 is absent from a plant based diet and that vegans are deficient? Many of these arguments have spread propaganda such as “If you only eat a plant based diet, you will be deficient in B-12. Therefore you need meat and other animal products in order to survive.” But all this that has been said is completely false. It can be possible for anyone to be deficient of B-12 regardless of what they include in their diet. Often health problems such as gluten intolerance can lead to a B-12 deficiency. So, the question arises, do vegans get Vitamin B12 from their diet or should they supplement?

    What exactly is Vitamin B12?  B12 belongs to the B complex of vitamins. B vitamins are necessary for energy metabolism and other biological processes. The B12 vitamin is essential for the replications of DNA, the formation of red blood cells and maintenance of the central nervous system. Vitamin B12 in fact is derived from a bacteria in the soil that grow the plants we eat. So, do vegans need vitamin B12 or is it in our plant-based diet already?

     

    Extensive use of pesticides and sanitation to the soil in which we grow our produce has diminished the soil of essential nutrients, which has lead to an absence of B-12 in plant sources. The amount of B-12 a person needs every day is very minimal and a person who eats animal products gets far more than they actually need. The recommended weekly allowance of B-12 is believed to be 2,000-2500 microgram. Like any other vitamin, too much B-12 has been found to be very harmful rather than helpful so moderation is important. There are many much healthier sources of B-12 that are free from unhealthy animal products and should be incorporated into a person’s diet.

    One option is to take a B-12 supplement, best absorbed with methylcobalamin as pictured below. Cyanocobalamin can release cyanide into the bloodstream which can be harmful to our bodies. Be sure to get vitamins that are suitable for vegetarians and vegans because often the capsules are made from gelatin, which is derived from the connective tissue and bones of livestock.

     

    Many vegan foods are fortified with B-12 such as foods made from wheat gluten and soy beans and other vegan meat substitutes. Make sure though that the meat substitutes are in fact vegan because often they contain eggs or milk, such as the morning star brand.  Always check to see if they are vegan and fortified with B-12. The most famous of the foods that are fortified with B-12 is nutritional yeast. Brewer’s yeast and nutritional yeast are often fortified with B-12 and added to various foods as a source of this vitamin. Another great source of B-12 are fortified plant milks such as fortified soy milk.

    Eating vegan foods fortified with B-12 at least three times a day have been found to give the full needed daily amount in place of supplements. B-12 supplements and foods that are fortified with B-12 are healthy sources that do not contain any of the unfortunate health consequences from animal derived foods. With careful planning and knowledge of nutrition, you will get every nutrient you need to live a healthy life from a plant based diet.

    Looking to learn more about vegan vitamins or plant-based nutrition? Contact Me for More Info:

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      References:
      eCornell Certification in Plant Based NutritionCourse: Principles in Practice, Lecture: The Role of Supplements. 

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      Kelly’s Gluten-Free ThanksLiving Recipe Plans

      pumpkin latte

      ThanksLiving Is The New Thanksgiving!

      Read more for Gluten-Free Thanksliving Recipes

       

      With all the amazing meat-free, vegan options out there today, why settle for Turkey as your main course when you could eat healthier and start a new Gluten-Free ThanksLiving tradition. As a vegan of 4 years, I still love to experiment with new foods!  I picked out a few recipes this year, and look forward to digging right in!

      I plan on having a ThanksLiving celebration, with my vegan family and vegetarian friend Erica, with delicious plant-based foods! I also donated some help $$ to Mercy for Animals, who is currently doing a Million Dollar Challenge!! This ThanksLiving, give back!

      Main ThanksLiving Course: Vegan Meatloaf made out of Lentils and Gluten-free Bread Crumbs, topped with cranberry sauce. (I’m the only one who has a gluten allergy, so the other three will be eating Tofurky as their main course.)

      Delicious Plant-Based Sides:

      1. Mashed Potatoes mixed with Non-GMO Canned Corn and topped with a satsifying gluten-free gravy.
      2. Vegan Stuffing made with Gluten-Free Brown Rice Loaf (instead of wholegrain bread).

      Amazing Beverages:

      pumpkin latte
      Delicious Latte from Pomegranate Cafe, AZ
      1. Pumpkin Spice Lattes with Vanilla Almond Milk and gelatin-free marshmallows; Hot Cocoa with marshmallows for Vinny :)
      2. Reisling for the adults; grape juice for the kid.

      For Dessert:

      I’m still debating between this Banana Cream Cake and the Chocolate Pumpkin Pie with Almond Meal Crust.  I will have to post pictures of which dessert I end up making!!

      Which one would you choose?  I was really eying down that cake… we ended up making both!

      Happy Gluten-Free ThanksLiving to all of my vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan friends out there. GO YOU if you are working on reducing meats and introducing new plant-based meals! I would love to help you – just contact me for more info.

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