It has been awhile since I have posted on here, although I have steadfastly been continuing my vegan journey along with ensuring I am obtaining all the proper nutrients along the way. Anyone else following this same path should know, you are doing an amazing thing for our planet, our furry (and non-furry) friends, not to mention, YOURSELF. Did you ever stop to wonder why it is okay to eat a pig or cow but not a dog or cat? That is another topic, for another day.
As you venture into your new delicious and exciting life of fresh organic fruits, veggies and whole grains I am sure you are already feeling (and looking) fantastic! Do you have that "glow" yet? Don't worry, you will. Let's talk fun - let's talk Omega 3's. Most meat eating people get omega 3's from seafood (especially salmon). As a vegan or vegetarian you need to ensure that you are eating lots of flaxseeds, hemp oil as well as walnuts. People often supplement themselves silly which is only peddling themselves backwards. If you are not cutting out processed foods then you are truly doing yourself a disservice. Why you ask? Processed foods have many Omega 6's and most American's in correlation with their heavily processed diets have a 10:1 ratio (some individuals as high as 30:1) of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids!
To break it down in layman's terms, Omega 3's are UNsaturated fatty acids, Omega 6's are saturated fatty acids. Omega 3's when consumed in fairly high quantities have been known to reduce the risk for coronary heart disease, reduce triglycerides, heart rate and blood pressure. While on the flipside, Omega 6's are linked to strokes, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, mood disorders, obesity and cancer. Long story short, let's hang our with our Omega 3s more and try to create some distance with Mr. Omega 6!
One of my favorite breakfasts (which is high in our buddy Omega 3) is as follows:
- Steel cut oats (NOT the quick cooking oats)
- Cinnamon
- Agave Nectar (Natural Sweetner)
- Flaxseeds
Cook the oats on the stovetop or microwave (use caution with the microwave as the oats expand with water). Keep opening the microwave every 20 seconds (to avoid an oatmeal covered microwave) to stir until they are at the consistency you like. They are a little chewy and so delicious. Add cinnamon, a handful of flaxseeds, and agave to taste. Delicious, healthy and full of delicious Omega 3's - Enjoy!
No matter where you are in your food journey I hope you at least are beginning to question "where" the food you are eating comes from. We have a right to know! Do not just eat without care, pose questions, read labels, do your research. If you are going to eat meat, find the best quality organic type you can afford. Try to eliminate or at least decrease processed foods and sugars. Oftentimes if we don't feel our best we pop pills, take a nap, go to the doctor... did you ever think that something you do 3+ times a day, 365 days a year plays the lead role in the movie called "our life". Well it does. There are many aspects we cannot control such as hereditary disease, genetics etc, the one thing we can control is the foods we consume on a daily basis.
Please eat well everyone, and if you have some extra time on your hands check out my current read from one of my favorite authors (its amazing)!
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