Let's Talk Vegetables

Not just any vegetables, but cruciferous vegetables aka the super vegetables. I like to think of cruciferous vegetables as wearing a cape and fighting any disease or illness someone may be plagued by! 

There has been extensive research done on cruciferous vegetables. Dr. Joel Fuhrman explains the beneficial properties of cruciferous vegetables.  Fuhrman explains that cruciferous vegetables have a unique chemical make up which includes sulfur-containing compounds. (When I first read this, it went right over my head). However, when the sulfur-containing compounds are broken by chopping, blending, chewing, etc. they are converted into isothiocyanates (ITCs) which have a wide array of positive effects on the body.

In layman terms this means that cruciferous vegetables work to boost immunity function, remove carcinogens, have anti-inflammatory effects, and immunological effects.

So you may now be thinking what exactly are cruciferous vegetables exactly?

The main cruciferous vegetables are:

·      Arugula

·      Bok Choy

·      Broccoli

·      Brussels Sprouts

·      Cabbage

·      Cauliflower

·      Collards

·      Horseradish

·      Kale

·      Mustard Greens

·      Radishes

·      Red Cabbage

·      Turnips

·      Watercress

The dietary recommendation is at least 2 servings of cruciferous vegetables a day, one serving should be a raw and the other serving can be cooked.

So now lets get to the fun part. How do we make consuming cruciferous vegetables delicious?

Well I have two scrumptious recipes!

The first one is Brussels-Sprout Sweet Potatoes Sliders!

Ingredients:

20-30 Brussels Sprouts

2 Sweet Potatoes

3 cloves of garlic

4 Tbs. Olive Oil

2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar

Salt

Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Toothpicks

Directions to make Brussels sprouts:

Get out a saucepan and fill about half way with water. Start heating water to a roiling boil while prepping Brussels sprouts. To prep Brussels sprouts cut off the ends of Brussels sprouts and cut in half length-wise. Once Brussels sprouts are cut rinse all dirt off them. By this time the water should be boiling. Add Brussels sprouts to the water and boil for about 10 minutes or until barely tender.

Next, preheat over to 350 degrees, drain water from Brussels sprouts and then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Get out a baking sheet and line with tin foil. After lining baking sheet place seasoned Brussels sprouts flat side down on baking sheet. When oven is preheated place Brussels sprouts in oven for 10 minutes or until tender, meaning a fork easily pierces the skin of Brussels sprouts. 

While Brussels sprouts are baking, get out a sauté pan and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. While olive oil is heating, peel sweet potatoes. Once sweet potatoes are peeled cut them into even slices about ¼ of an inch thick. Place the prepped sweet potatoes into sauté pan and cook for about 10 minutes or until tender. Once sweet potatoes are tender, take off heat and let cool.

At this time the Brussels sprouts should be done cooking. Take out of oven and allow to cool.

Once the sweet potatoes are cool cut the sweet potatoes into cubes that are similar size to the Brussels sprouts. Take two Brussels spout halves and place one cube of sweet potato in between. Place a toothpick through the Brussels sprouts and sweet potato and you have delicious sweet potato sliders!

A fun way to mix up the Brussels sprout slider is to add vegan cheese or tempeh instead of sweet potato!

Brussels Sprout Sweet Potato Sliders! (I forgot the toothpicks in my version!)

The other recipe is a delicious Citrus Kale Salad!

Ingredients:

4 cups kale

1 cup julienned carrots

15 ounce can garbanzo beans

1 cup dried cranberries

2 oranges

1 lemon

3 cloves of garlic

2 Tbs. olive oil

Directions:

Start by de-stemming the kale and massaging the kale to soften for about five minutes. Once kale is de-stemmed and softened add julienned carrots (I find it easiest to just buy pre-shredded carrots or use a Julienne peeler). Then drain and rinse garbanzo beans and add to salad. Next peel oranges and dice into about one inch cubes and add to salad. Finally add in cranberries and toss with Garlic Lemon Dressing (or any dressing of your choosing)!

Garlic Lemon Dressing:

To make the dressing place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl, then finely dice 3 cloves of garlic and add to olive oil. By hand or with a lemon juicer, extract the juice from the lemon and add to the olive oil and garlic. Whisk ingredients together and taste. If garlic is overpowering add more lemon or if lemon is overpowering add more garlic. Once the dressing is mixed pour over salad and lightly toss into salad making sure not to smash the oranges!

Citrus Kale Salad! 

Even If You Are NOT Vegan, This Blog Is FOR YOU!

Definition:

Piebald: composed of incongruous parts; or, spotted with two different colors (often referring to animal coloring)

Vegan: a person who does not eat any food that comes from animals and who often also does not use animal products

Piebald Vegan: a person made up of incongruous parts that abstains from consuming animals or using animals products

However, piebald vegan is not an actual term, just a term that I coined because essentially it describes my journey to becoming vegan.

As some of you know that follow my other blog (http://incunabulalife.blogspot.com) my health has not always been a friend to me.

Ever since I can remember I was the girl with the stomachaches. I remember lying on my parents couch curled up in the fetal position crying and praying the cramps would go away. The cramps always did go away, but normally not for several hours. I never knew what triggered them and how long they would last. Through high school my stomach, intestinal tract and bowel movements were the main focus of my life.

Can I just say, talk about embarrassing?

I thought the peak of my sickness was when I was 21/22. I was constantly struggling with stomach and gastrointestinal issues. I was miserable and on top of that I couldn’t stop peeing blood and the doctors couldn’t figure out why.  I was constantly at the doctors having tests ran, from blood tests to CT scans to a cystoscopy. The last resort was going to be a kidney biopsy to rule out cancer. I was petrified and my quality of life had withered down to almost nothingness.

A friend of mine at the time referred me to go see a Naturopath. The naturopath ran lots more tests on me and ended up diagnosing me with being intolerant to gluten. I went gluten free and my quality of life came back with vigor. I lived the gluten free lifestyle for 3 years before I realized I still wasn’t feeling awesome. There were times where my stomach would act up and I would still have gastrointestinal problems.  I had friends who were vegetarian and swore by it, and my sister was also a vegetarian, so I decided I would try it. I was immediately hooked.  I was obsessed and loved learning to cook without meat products.

Fast-forward a year, I was still gluten free and vegetarian but I was still struggling with stomach and gastrointestinal problems. I started going back to the doctor to try and figure out what was wrong, to finally deduce why I was still in pain. The doctor explained to me that I had tearing in my intestinal tract that hadn’t been able to heal. I knew the tears were there, I was told years ago, but I had figured (as did the doctors) they would heal on their own. Unfortunately they did not. My first doctor modified my diet and told me I needed to eat 40 grams of fiber a day and drink 1 to 2 gallons of water a day to help the tears. He also told me I would feel like the Hindenburg for the first few weeks on this diet. At this point I just decided to go vegan. I figured it would be easier to get my fiber and give my stomach a break from all animal products.

The diet didn’t work; 2 months later I was profusely defecating blood and had to go to the emergency room. After 8 hours of prodding and poking the doctors told me what I already knew, my tears had not healed and had become worse.

Hey, thanks doctors, couldn’t of figured that out on my own.

The next day a new doctor saw me. It was a very emotional doctor visit. I cried and was beyond frustrated. I left that day with an appointment for a colonoscopy and Botox injections into my rectal intestinal muscles to paralyze them. The doctor told me if the muscles stopped contracting it would give the tears in my intestinal tract time to heal.

I went through the procedure and was beyond hopeful that it would work. I was told to wait 6-8 weeks before coming back for my post-op. By the time the 8 weeks were up I was in worse shape then before I had the procedure. I was in constant pain and couldn’t go to the bathroom without crying and feeling like I was going to vomit. When I went back in my doctor told me the only option was a sphincterotomy. This is where the doctor cuts the sphincter so it stops contracting and lets the tears heals. 

I had been so miserable for so long I opted for the surgery. It was a miserable surgery and the recovery has been humbling to say the least. No 26 year old should ever have to wear diapers, even just for a few weeks.  Luckily I am on the tail end of it (pun intended) and am finally healing and feeling better!

So what does this have to do with veganism you make ask?

I realized I have spent 26 years struggling to find my health. Beyond my stomach and gastrointestinal issues, I have had an array of other health ailments. I am tired of being sick. I want to be healthy and full of vitality, so I started doing some research and exploring more into the vegan lifestyle and what I have stumbled on has completely altered my lifestyle.

First I found the book “Super Immunity” by Joel Fuhrman. His book explains how the immune system works and how we can eat certain foods to strengthen our immune system, he even goes as far as to say how our diet can affect our chances of getting cancer.

Which was my “aha” moment that linked my health struggles to my running.

I run for Team In Training (TNT). TNT is a fundraising program that raises funds for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I started participating with TNT for my best friend’s mother who passed away from Leukemia. Since I joined TNT in 2014 I only have become involved and become connected to more people who have been affected by blood cancers. I really believe in the TNT cause, however fundraising has always been a struggle and it doesn’t always feel like I am doing enough.

So in the long and short of it I am creating this blog on veganism. It will have lifestyle tips, diet tips, recipes and a slew of other surprises to keep helping people be the healthiest they can be!

I always found it hard it to do the research and the footwork to find out how to truly live gluten free, vegan lifestyle and sustain my energy and well-being. I do not want anyone else to struggle and am here to help with the struggle!

All questions, comments and suggestions will be very appreciated!

If you enjoy my blog and want to help make a difference in the world by finding a cure for blood cancers check out my fundraising page:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/chicago16/rbishop

All proceeds go to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!