"Too Much of a Good Thing Can Be Bad..."

I never fulled understood the meaning of that quote until these past few weeks.  You see, I'm a vegan (a pretty darn healthy one, at that) studying dietetics, to become a Registered Dietitian.  My entire lifestyle motto has been: "eat as many veggies and fruits and whole grains a day, the more fiber the better!" I also live by this motto.  I usually eat 2-3 salads a day, mostly consisting of kale and other raw green veggies.  In addition, my diet usually consists of nuts, seeds, including flax seeds and hemp seeds, on a daily basis. 

It wasn't until 2 weeks ago that I really noticed how this "too much can be bad" non-sense was really affecting me.  I was OVERDOSING on fiber! I was experiencing horrible, mind-numbing stomach pain on a daily basis, that no gas medication or pain pill could ameliorate. 

Being the little curious scientists I am, I started to research. I came upon something called "Gastroparesis" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastroparesis) which I noticed I shared many common symptoms with.  Excessive abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, etc., which are mainly caused by delayed gastric (stomach) emptying.  I'm not new to experiencing new diets/trends so I quickly jumped on, in addition to the fact that I would do ANYTHING to stop the pain.  It said that I needed to maintain a low-fiber/low-residue diet until I noticed my GI tract returning back to normal, whereby I could reintroduce some fiber-filled foods, little by little.  Although a fiber-free, mainly starch-filled, vegetable and fruit free diet sounded absolutely absurd to me, I felt I had no other choice but to give it a shot.

My breakfasts consist of highly-processed rice cereal, highly-processed white-bread, vegan soy-yogurt, vegan Daiya cheese, avocado, soy milk, almond milk, and scrambled tofu.

My lunch is usually a vegan cheese pizza on white bread, white pasta with very little tomato sauce, white rice with boiled carrots and mushrooms, and boiled potatoes with no skin.

Dinner is pretty much the same as lunch: steamed white rice with Asian tofu stir-fry, white bread vegan pizza, white pasta, chow mien noodles w/o veggies, veggie sushi roll, tomato soup with white rice, etc.

To my amazement, I noticed I was better even after the first day! Listen-  so I know this diet goes against almost everything I stand for, nutritionally, but when your body is calling out to you, YOU NEED TO LISTEN.  Plus, this is only TEMPORARY.  Once this passes, I will start reintroducing fiber into my diet and hopefully within a short period of time, I'll be back to my raw, health vegan self :)

Anyhoot - I thought this could help some of you out there.  It's apparently a very common syndrome/disorder that many vegetarians/vegans experience in their lives.  So, don't fret, THERE IS AN ANSWER!

"Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything..."

Saw this today and it resonated with me: "Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight"-Albert Schweitzer.

Think about that. Over and over again. Until you get it.

That's all :)

Leonor's Vegetarian Restaurant in North Hollywood

First, go here: Leonor's Vegetarian Restaurant.
Looks good, huh? This place is truly a Veggie Hidden Treasure... Delicious, healthy, vegetarian grub tucked away in a shopping center in North Hollywood.  Tujunga & Victory, to be exact.  So, let me preface by saying that not everything at Leonor's is vegan, but everything, to my knowledge, is vegetarian.  So, if you're a vegan, stay away from the cheese and several meat substitutes on the menu.  Just ask the lady at the front, she's very helpful and friendly! So, I ordered the Vegan Chicken Tostada (pictured here) and it was good.  A baked corn tortilla topped with pinto beans, vegan chicken, lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, red onion, and 2 salsas on the side (pico and spicy green).  Soooo, Leonor's doesn't use salt BUT they do supply a yummy spice substitute in a salt shaker that does the trick! They had me fooled! So, all in all, this place is great, lots of options (pizza, mexican, sandwiches, salads, soups, .....

  Oh, one last thing! The lady in front also recommended I try their specialty: Flax Seed Iced Tea! This thing is YUMMMMMMMM!!! If you go here, GET THIS and try to hold back from downing it in the first 5 seconds! Made with prune juice, flax seeds, and honey (so technically, not vegan)...

Enjoy!

Le Pain Quotidien

I LOVE this place.  A LOT.  It's clean, fresh, mostly organic, and very vegan friendly.  Also, there are locations almost everywhere! If I'm going for breakfast I'll usually order the vegan quiche:

They also have an array of freshly baked breads with chocolate and nut spreads (nutella-like) and different fruit preserves (many vegan).  Other vegan breakfast options include a rice pudding, granola, a tofu scramble, and some others.  Their vegan lunch options are great also: black bean tartine, avocado tartine, yummy salads, Mediterranean platter, vegan soups, TRULY GREAT FOOD.  Find a location near you and go for any meal, you'll love it!

Soy Jerky, anyone?? NO, thank you!

I was looking forward to this when I bought it at a coffee shop in downtown LA.  Looks pretty promising, right?? But, to my dismay, it's not pleasing texturally or otherwise.  It's actually pretty gross.  So, stay away and don't waste your money, folks :)

Mendocino Farms.....HEAVEN!

So, I've spoken of Mendocino Farms before, but this deserves a whole new post.  They're new location in the Hollywood area (La Brea and Santa Monica Blvd. - in Target shopping center) has EVEN MORE vegan options! They have a "shwarma" sammie, a BLT, and a few others, along with at least two ready-made side salad options.  I ordered the BLT and the 2 vegan side options:

Couscous Salad

Lentil Salad

This place has great sandwiches, for vegans and omnivores alike...Trust me! Take your buddies and get your butt there ASAP, you'll thank me.

CHURCHILL - WEST HOLLYWOOD

Went here tonight for a friend's B-day dinner....Wasn't that impressed, although they do offer some vegan options: Chopped Salad (w/o meat/cheese), Arugula Salad (w/o cheese), Artichoke Appetizer, Grilled Asparagus Side, Farmer's Market Veggies, Brocollini.

Food was somewhat bland, needed a good helping of salt.  But, great vibe, loved the drink menu, and a great young crowd...Check it out: The Churchill

PS- They also had some vegan sorbet dessert options!

BruHaus in West La is Vegan Perfection!

Sweet Potato Tater Tots!

Freshly Baked Pretzel

YUM YUM YUM YUMMMMMMM....... BruHaus is Bomb....Really Bomb.  Not only do they serve PHENOMENAL VEGAN FOOD (VEGAN SAUSAGE-I'm guessing it's Field Roast Vegan Sausage, Fresh Doughy Pretzel, Salads, Tater Tots, Falafel Burger.....) But they also serve GREAT BEER both on tap and in the bottle, including some great Organic ones (my fav is an Organic Hef beer!)....

Go here NOW.. SERIOUSLY. GO ASAP. IT'S GREAT! Grab your friends, order some food, watch the game and ENJOY :) BRUHAUS PUB