Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning and tends to develop as people get older, although is not a natural part of ageing. Early warning signs of the condition include memory loss and an impaired judgement, but as the symptoms progress, symptoms can become more pronounced, and people tend to feel isolated from those around them. Although getting older is the biggest risk factor for dementia, evidence shows that lifestyle decisions can influence a persons risk of developing the condition too.

According to the Alzheimers Society, doing regular physical activity is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia, and numerous studies have backed up this claim.

A new study published in The Lancet Public Health builds on the existing literature by exploring how fitness levels over time influence dementia risk.

"It is important to say that it is never too late to begin exercising. The average participant in our study was around 60 years old at baseline, and improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness was strongly linked to lower dementia risk. Those who had poor fitness in the 1980s but improved it within the next decade could expect to live two years longer without dementia," says lead author Atefe Tari of the Cardiac Exercise Research Group (CERG) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

To arrive at this verdict, Tari and her research colleagues measured the fitness level of participants twice ten years apart. This approach enabled the researchers to evaluate how changes in fitness over time are related to dementia risk.

READ MORE:Dementia symptoms: Five ways you can prevent vascular dementia

Commenting on their findings, Tari said: "If you increase your cardiorespiratory fitness from poor to good you almost halve the risk of getting dementia. You also reduce the risk of dying from or with dementia.

Tari added: In our study, each increase of 1MET was associated with a 16 percent lower risk of getting dementia and a 10 percent lower risk of dementia-related death. This is an improvement that is very achievable for most people.

The metabolic equivalent (MET) is a unit that estimates the amount of energy used by the body during physical activity, as compared to resting metabolism.

The latest study adds to the existing body of research linking fitness levels to a reduced risk of dementia, and previous studies have also shed a light on the best exercise to reduce the risk of delay brain decline.

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According to a report conducted by the Mayo Clinic, any exercise that gets the heart pumping may reduce the risk of dementia and slow the condition's progression once it starts.

Researchers examined the role of aerobic exercise in preserving cognitive abilities and concluded that it should not be overlooked as an important therapy against dementia.

The researchers broadly defined exercise as enough aerobic physical activity to raise the heart rate and increase the body's need for oxygen.

For many people, walking is a great choice for aerobic exercise but other examples include swimming, bicycling and jogging.

"We culled through all the scientific literature we could find on the subject of exercise and cognition, including animal studies and observational studies, reviewing over 1,600 papers, with 130 bearing directly on this issue. We attempted to put together a balanced view of the subject," said J. Eric Ahlskog, M.D., Ph.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic.

He added: "We concluded that you can make a very compelling argument for exercise as a disease-modifying strategy to prevent dementia and mild cognitive impairment, and for favourably modifying these processes once they have developed."

The researchers note that brain imaging studies have consistently revealed objective evidence of favourable effects of exercise on human brain integrity.

Also, they note, animal research has shown that exercise generates trophic factors that improve brain functioning, plus exercise facilitates brain connections.

To reap the optimal health benefits, the NHS recommends doing at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both.

According to Alzheimers Society, a healthy, balanced diet may also reduce your risk of dementia, as well as other conditions including cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart disease.

According to the health body, a healthy, balanced diet should consist of:

It also important to avoid or cut down on certain items to reduce the risk of dementia, such as alcohol consumption, warns the charity.

At most, you should aim to drink no more than 14 units each week. If you regularly drink much more than this, youre at risk of alcohol-related brain damage, it said.

See the original post:
Dementia care: The activity shown to lower your risk of developing the condition - Express

Enrique Villasenor is at the head of the Pasadena City College classroom, extolling the many unsung virtues of the prickly pear cactus.

Its often referred to as poor peoples food, Villasenor explains, but did you know that it contains all the essential amino acids and some nonessential amino acids as well?

Villasenor is the de facto ambassador of the humble prickly pear cactus, a plant that has been used for food and medicine for millennia.

After 35 years as a school teacher, Villasenor recently retired and now actively works as an assistant to pharmacologist Dr. James Adams, who shares traditional Chumash healing methods.

In his popular two-hour presentation, Villasenor takes his audience through the fascinating history and the vast healthful benefits of the prickly pear cactus, beginning with the fact that cacti remnants were found in jars in Mexico dating back 10,000 years. He explains that archaeologists have found old jars that contained not only cactus, but teostine (the forerunner to corn), chili, amaranth, sapote and mesquite some of the earliest foods from this continent.

As part of his presentation, Villasenor shares details from the historical book, Relacion de Cabeza deVaca, the account of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vacas journey in the unknown interior of America. De Vaca was one of four survivors of the 1527 Narvaez expedition. From 1527 to 1536, de Vaca wandered across the US Southwest, learning from the natives about the local foods. Though he was a slave for the first two years, he became both a trader and a healer to the various tribes. He learned of the value of the nopal (aka the prickly pear cactus) from the natives and used it for scurvy, treating arrow wounds, and for stomach issues. After returning to Spain in 1537, he wrote his account of the journey, first published in 1542. De Vaca is sometimes considered a proto-anthropologist for his detailed accounts of the many tribes of Native Americans that he encountered.

The prickly pear cactus is one of the best immune system boosters, says Villasenor, quoting Hippocrates, who said Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.

Historically, the prickly pear cactus pads have been used for lowering cholesterol levels, digestive issues, edema, wounds, bronchitis, fevers, vitiligo, inflammation, type II diabetes, muscle pain, urinary problems, burns, and liver problems. Students of Villasenor listen in awe, wondering why they have always considered the prickly pear just a food to eat when youre next to starving, rather than the superfood it is.

Villasenor explains that because the prickly pear was always available in good times and bad, in times of drought and plenty, it was always something that poor people could and did use, but then it came to be regarded as simply a food of last resort.

Today, however, that view is changing. Villasenor points out that one can find hundreds of products made from the prickly pear on Amazon. This includes food and food supplements, pills for diabetes, as well as various products from the cochineal bug that is often found on the prickly pear plants. The cochineal has historically been dried and crushed to get carminic acid and a very good red dye for clothing, and even food products.

The highlight of Villasenors presentation is when he turns on a food processor and makes a prickly pear drink for everyone to try.

First, he scrapes the young pads to remove the spines and the tiny hair-like glochids. He puts one large pad into the food processor, and adds one apple and one lemon, and blends it all. The resultant drink is thick, and so it can be thinned further with water if one prefers. Everyone enjoyed the tartness and sweetness of the drink. Sugar is never added.

THE RECIPE:

Dice 1 prickly pear pad. Place in blender with 1 cup of water. Blend. Dice 1 green apple. Blend. Dice 1 peeled orange. Blend. Add additional water to taste if the smoothie is too thick. Serve with ice. Use lime to taste. Do not add sugar. Suggested serving is 1.5 cups twice a day.

According to Villasenor, this is one of the best ways to get your daily intake of the prickly pear in a form that is tasty and easy to prepare. The benefits are that it helps you to lose weight and improves your immune system.

Villasenor adds that complete health is really about complete balance, and by balance he explains that each of us needs to find balance physically, spiritually, socially and financially within our community and family. You should work at this every day, he explains.

Additionally, Villasenor points out that the natural immune boosters include sleep, plant-based diet, exercise, not-smoking, having minimal stress in your life, maintaining a healthy weight, minimal alcohol consumption, maintaining healthy relationships, and avoiding infections. Consuming prickly pear cactus daily is just one part of this overall balance.

Villasenor shares a little about his background during his presentation. His mother is still alive at 101 years old, and she taught him balance in all things. I was outside all day, always doing things outdoors, he explains. And when we had a problem, my mother healed us.

Villasenor also shares testimonials from students of his and Dr. Adams, students who have had miracle healings by consuming the prickly pear cactus drink, and other herbal remedies they teach.

Regarding the many additives to foods today, Villasenor advises, If you cannot pronounce it, do not eat it.

Villasenor smiles as he shares an old idiom, which underscores how Mexicos identity is tied to the nopal, or prickly pear cactus. Soy mas Mexicano que el nopal, he says, which translates as I am more Mexican than the cactus The expression is asking, between the lines, what came first, the Mexican or the cactus, affirming the persons pride in being Mexican.

Contact Enrique Villasenor at senornopales@gmail.com. Christopher Nyerges is the author of Guide to Wild Foods, Foraging California, How to Survive Anywhere and other books. He can be reached at SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.

The rest is here:
Enrique Villasenor teaches how prickly pears are used for food and health - Pasadena Weekly

Nutritionist to the stars, Marco Borges, tells us how he turned Beyonc vegan

Based in Miami with his wife, three sons and daughter, Marco Borges has dedicated his life to wellness. Over the past twenty years, hes worked with some of the worlds biggest celebrities, guiding them towards healthier lifestyles.

Having studied physiology and biology at Florida University, he went on to work as a nutritionist and developed the groundbreaking 22 Greenprint Laws, which he outlines as the most important diet, exercise, and lifestyle secrets for losing weight, increasing energy, boosting metabolism, and reducing inflammation, not to mention helping minimise your carbon imprint to help the planet. He co-owns plant-based company 22 Days Nutrition with Beyonc and Jay-Z.

We caught up with him after the launch of his new book, The Greenprint

I am incredibly passionate about what I do and have been blessed to be able to work with the people Ive worked with. What I have learned along the way is that were all pretty much the same at the core.

Whether youre an athlete, celebrity, carpool dad or professional mom, we all wake up daily wanting to live our best lives. What we do from the moment we wake up until we go to bed makes all the difference! Every meal is another opportunity to get closer to or further away from our health goals.

I have been obsessed with human performance since a very early age and because of this I fell in love with scientific data. Once I read the data about all the benefits of a plant-based diet (about 15 years ago), I couldnt ignore it and immediately went plant-based.

Optimum performance and health starts on the inside so I am very conscious of what I put into my body and how it will affect both my performance and my health.

Its not about perfection but rather progression. Try not to focus on being perfect, just better than you were yesterday.

I heat up some quinoa and beans that I keep ready in my fridge and steam some veggies to go along with it. Oh, and I top it off with some fresh avocado. Everything is better with avocado.

Our Greenprint is the positive impact we can have on our health and the health of the planet by eating more plant-based meals.

Once I shared the benefits of a plant-based diet with them, they found it difficult to ignore and wanted to challenge others as they challenged themselves to move towards a more plant-based lifestyle.

Intermittent fasting has been proven to help improve health in so many ways (heart health, diabetes prevention, reduces belly fat, Alzheimers prevention, cellular repair, cancer prevention and the list goes on) and at the core the process is quite simple. When were not eating (or trying to digest food we just ate) our bodies are doing housekeeping to take care of any areas we need help in. Were all already fasting, its called sleeping. We just need to find ways to increase the window of time we fast daily in order to really see the benefits it has to offer. I recommend fasting 14-16 hours daily.

A whole food, plant-based diet is the only diet that has been proven to reduce the risk, arrest and even reverse the leading cause of death (heart disease) so, the question shouldnt be What diseases does a plant-based diet help prevent but rather, What diseases doesnt a whole food plant-based diet help prevent?

My vision for the future of our planet is quite simple. The foods we will eat wont hurt us. They wont hurt animals. They wont hurt our planet. When we eat consciously, we are able to achieve optimum health and when we are healthy, we are happy. Health is happiness and happiness is peace.

The Greenprint by Marco Borges with an introduction by Jay-Z and Beyonc is on sale now, published by HQ, HarperCollins in paperback and ebook.

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Meet the man who turned Beyonc vegan, Marco Borges - Vegan Food and Living

Although mention of the word vegan can bring up disturbing images of proselytizing protestors armed with signs and graphic visuals of animal cruelty, people often overlook the environmental impacts of reducing their consumption of animal products.

Prof. David Wolfe, plant science, revealed his insight on the crippling carbon footprint of the meat industry, and what a plant-based diet would entail for the environment.

A lot of the major meat producers in this country are coming from fairly large operations and corporate farms [where] the carbon footprint is quite a bit higher, Wolfe said. The animals are all confined in one place it could be very far away from where the crops are grown and are then transported to feed the animals.

According to Wolfe, the excessive amounts of fossil fuels utilized in the production and transport of these crops alone have a significant environmental impact. Ruminant animals, like cattle, have the added detriment of methanogens microbes required for digestion that release methane, a notorious greenhouse gas.

However, Wolfe explained that the extent of environmental damage caused by the consumption of meat all depends on where its coming from. According to Wolfe, farmers sloppy application of nitrogen fertilizers can be especially detrimental for local ecology, and is a major culprit of greenhouse gas emissions.

Excessive nitrogen applications leads to excessive amounts of nitrous oxide emissions, [which is] about 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide on a molecule-by-molecule basis, Wolfe said. Theres a lot of guidance on the judicious placement of the nitrogen fertilizer, but [farmers] dont all take the time to do that.

However, farmers use of sustainable practices like rotational grazing and the cultivation of specific carbon storing plant species makes a big difference.

According to Wolfe, if beef is produced using a rotational, meadowland grazing system, the cost of transporting crops to feed animals is eliminated. This is also a more carbon-neutral method of meat production.

Perennial plants in these systems store tremendous [amounts of] carbon in their roots and compensate for the carbon footprint of the methane emissions from the animals, Wolfe said.

Purchasing minimally packaged meat directly from local farmers who prioritize sustainable agriculture and free grazing all add up, Wolfe said.

Whats interesting about agriculture and meat production systems is that they not only think about reducing their emissions, but they can suck CO2 out of the atmosphere, by nature of what the industry is, and store it in our soils and trees, Wolfe said.

Although these modes of sustainable agricultural and meat production are definitely consequential, Wolfe praised the environmental implications of vegetarianism and veganism.

If [the world] adopted a vegetarian diet we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by a third to a half, Wolfe said.

Eliminating all meat from your diet youre doing a lot more. [You are removing] an added trophic level to our food system. In most cases we are growing crops that we could be eating directly, and instead were feeding it to animals, and finally it gets to us, Wolfe said. This added step in the system creates inefficiency and energy is wasted.

So, what if the whole world went vegan?

Wolfe was realistic. There are places in the world that are somewhat food insecure, [where] they do not have arable land to grow many food crops effectively. But, they can raise animals So, in some places you need some meat consumption, Wolfe said.

[However,] if we simply went to a diet that constrained meat consumption to a Mediterranean diet which would be meat consumption once or twice a week, and some fish consumption once or twice, and the rest vegetarian that too would have a significant impact. There are ways to get part-way there, Wolfe said.

Wolfe further noted his optimism regarding climate change, citing efforts at the local, state, and national level.

Despite things you might hear from the executive branch, the USDA is still funding projects that are focused on sustainability and reducing the footprint of agriculture on the environment, Wolfe said.

Wolfe himself was involved in a congressional committee on sustainable agriculture solutions and technology, as well as the creation of Adapt-N, an app guiding farmers with their use of nitrogen fertilizers.

Wolfe further emphasized the power of the consumer. All of the foods youre buying taking the time to find out the sources of that food, and doing what you can to buy food from farmers who are doing things sustainably [can help immensely], Wolfe said.

Excerpt from:

What if the World Went Vegan? - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun

California-based vegan chain Plant Power Fast Food (PPFF) will open inside the space formerly occupied by Carls Jr. in Fountain Valley, CA in early 2020. The eaterywhich will feature a drive-thruwill serve an array of vegan fast food, such as chicken nuggets, almond milk-based milkshakes, and classic burgers, including The Big Zaca plant-based take on McDonalds Big Mac named after PPFF co-founder Zachary Vouga. Moving into the shells of former meat-based fast food restaurants is extremely beautiful to me, Vouga told VegNews. Its almost poetic in that it serves as a tangible, shining example of the paradigm shift were seeing across the country as consumers ditch meat and dairy for good. Were the future of fast food and were coming to take your restaurant. The growing vegan chain opened its flagship location in 2016 in Ocean Beach, CA before expanding to a second location in 2017 in Encinitas, where it transformed a former Burger King into a vegan drive-thru. Since then, in addition to launching a food truck, the five-location chain has set its sights on aggressive expansion to four more Southern California locations in the next 16 months. In April, PPFF opened a location on campus at the San Diego State University, where it attracted 1,100 customers on opening day. My two partners and I are ethical vegans to the bone, thats why we got into this. We arent going to stop until weve effected institutional change, Vouga said. In fact, were just getting started.

Want more of todays best plant-based news, recipes, and lifestyle?Get our award-winning magazine!

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Vegan Drive-Thru to Take Over Shuttered Carl's Jr. in California - VegNews

Ready, set, recipes! Here are our just published, fresh-out-the-mill recipes in one convenient place! These are the top vegan recipes of the day, and are now a part of the thousands of recipes on our Food Monster App! We have chickpea pumpkin blondies, Nutella mousse, and the ultimate guacamole recipe, so if youre looking for something new and delicious, you are sure to find a new favorite!

Source: Calming Turmeric Mung Bean Soup

Make this delicious Calming Turmeric Mung Bean Soup by Molly Patrickto calm your soul and nourish your body. Its so flavorful and good for you. Theres an Instant Pot and stove top option do whatever is good for you! Either way it tastes amazing! This Turmeric Mung Bean Soup is made with a delicious mixture of onions, garlic, ginger, tomato, cabbage, celery, mung beans, and more. It is such a great fall meal!

Source: Stewed Plum Compote

This delicious and sweet Stewed Plum Compote by Petra Vogel will spice up your desserts, breakfasts, or whatever else you want to add it to.

Source: Vegan Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Whats fab about this Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan by Gabrielle St. Claireis everything! Its fairly quick and easy, features staple ingredients, uses almond flour versus white flour, packs tons of flavor, crispy texture, the red sauce packs tons of flavor and skips the struggle of having to navigate finding a healthy red sauce, can easily be made in bulk, and is perfect for any season!

Source: Flourless Chickpea Pumpkin Blondies

Flourless Chickpea Pumpkin Blondies by Crissy Cavanaugh are great for both vegans and gluten-free diets. This recipe is great for fall with the addition of pumpkin spice. A blender and only one bowl is needed to create these protein packed powerhouse blondies! They make a great dessert, but can also be an energizing snack!

Source: Nutella Mousse

Source: Cheezy Kale Chips

If you havent been living under a rock, youve likely heard about the kale being a health food. The leafy green is abundant in V vitamins, amino acids, and fiber. There are some really tasty ways to get it into your diet (and perhaps even slip it into your kids meals). Today, youre going to learn how to make Cheezy Kale Chips by Amanda Froelich!

Source: Super Simple Apple Pie

As we head into fall, youre going to need a go-to apple pie recipe to whip up for healthy but delicious desserts and look no further than this Super Simple Apple Pie by Amanda Froelich!

Source: Half Rainbow Slaw

This flashy colorful Half Rainbow Slaw by The Adventurous Eaters Club by Misha and Vicky Collins just may be your kids favorite. With its tart flavor and satisfying crunch, it may turn your kid into such a die-hard cabbage lover. Let your kids do all the grating so they get the chance to work with these colorful veggies.

Source: The Ultimate Guacamole

This is the ultimate guacamole recipe. Serve it with chips and fresh vegetables or enjoy it in wrap form. Its easy to make and is a great addition to so many dishes. Made with creamy avocado, red onion, tomatoes, and spices there is no arguing that this Ultimate Guacamole by Christina Bedetta is the best. With such delicious flavors and versatility, the possibilities are endless!

Source: Crispy Flavorful Pickles

A super quick recipe for yummy,Crispy Flavorful Pickles by Caroline Ginolfi. Have them on the side of your preferred vegan dinner!

We also highly recommend downloading ourFood Monster App, which is available foriPhone, and can also be found onInstagramandFacebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

For more Vegan Food, Health, Recipe, Animal, and Life content published daily, dont forget to subscribe to theOne Green Planet Newsletter!

Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Pleasesupport us!

Excerpt from:

From Vegan Chicken Parmesan to Cheezy Kale Chips: Our Top 10 Vegan Recipes of the Day! - One Green Planet

The Vegan Cookbook Club is not really a club you dont have to be vegan to join and its main purpose is not writing vegan cookbooks. It is simply a monthly gathering for anyone with an interest in a plant-based diet and in search of information and inspiration.

The Vegan Cookbook Club has helped me find recipes which are delicious, simple and healthy, said Pam Griggs, who was one of the six people at that first meeting in 2016. Another longtime attender, Carol Kalm, described it as a friendly, diverse, helpful, accepting group, and added, Youre never too old to learn a new way of eating. Don Watson, who has been attending for a year, said, The members of the club were very welcoming, and they helped ease my transition to a healthier diet. Now my visits to the doctors office are happy times for me.

People sit in a large circle to share ideas during a recent meeting of the Vegan Cookbook Club at the Mount Royal Branch of the Duluth Public Library.(Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

Tracy Gellatly said she felt accepted since her first meeting.

The group has a warm, gentle way of gathering each month to help each other in our quest toward better health, connections with others and our planet through plant-based eating," she said.

Gellatly said she tends to feel in the minority as a vegan in social settings and that it's peaceful to relax with a group of people who support her dietary and lifestyle choices.

"I dont feel I need to defend or explain," she said, "but just share freely with like-minded people. Everyone is in a different place in their journey, and it is wonderful to share tips, recipes and stories with each other. This group has by far been the best resource and support in my decision to begin my vegan lifestyle almost one year ago.

Don Watson (left) of Duluth talks about how eating vegan has helped to lower his cholesterol and blood pressure as Dave Watson (no, they are not related) listens during a recent meeting of the Vegan Cookbook Club at the Mount Royal Branch of the Duluth Public Library.(Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

The meeting format is simple. Seated in a circle, every person in attendance has the opportunity to speak for a few minutes. Everyone is heard, everyone gets to teach, everyone gets to learn. Meeting notes are emailed out to the entire list of 100-plus, allowing people who are not able to attend regularly to still be part of the group.

A measure of the success of the club in Duluth is that it has inspired the creation of a similar group in Minneapolis, where a Vegan Recipe Club now meets monthly at the East Lake Library branch of the Hennepin County Library. (For more information, check the Facebook page for Compassionate Action for Animals, under Events.)

Videos and books about living a vegan lifestyle sit on a table during a recent meeting of the Vegan Cookbook Club at the Mount Royal Branch of the Duluth Public Library. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

Inspired by the wealth of information that was being shared at Vegan Cookbook Club meetings, Jody Richards, a founding member of the group, took on the project of creating a book. The Vegan Cookbook Club: Stories, Recipes & More is 78 pages of vegan recipes and personal stories, plus tips on all things vegan, such as how to cook dry beans, how to eat vegan on the road, and a general philosophy of life and diet: Every day is a new day. Do your best without getting hung up on dietary mistakes from the day before.

Members listen to Jody Richards talk about how she uses cinnamon during a recent meeting of the Vegan Cookbook Club at the Mount Royal Branch of the Duluth Public Library.(Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

For the book, 23 club members agreed to write about their health journeys and what inspires them in the vegan life. As the introduction explains, There are tales of illness and regained health, of challenges with family or while traveling, of years of study and of sudden insights. No two stories are the same, but all radiate a sense of hopeful exuberance.

The books are $10 each and can be purchased before and after any monthly Vegan Cookbook Club meeting, and at Zenith Bookstore, 318 N. Central Ave. in Duluth.

Because the Vegan Cookbook Club has no ongoing expenses, the group has no need to raise money for itself, so profits from book sales will go to the Duluth Library Foundation. Collaboration between the club and the library has been fundamental to the clubs success; the library has an extensive collection of vegan cookbooks and offers a safe and accessible place to meet. In the hope that this model will be replicated in other locales, the cookbook includes a section titled How to Start a Vegan Cookbook Club in Your Community. In fact, former attender Sue Gilmer writes, Since moving away, I have really been missing our vegan cooking club! I think I will try to get one started in our new town, since there is nothing like that here.

Thai Vegetable Soup, Moroccan Carrot Salad, and Walnut Waldorf Sandwich are all recipes in "The Vegan Cookbook Club" recipe book. (Emma Ambrosi / For the News Tribune)

Here are four recipes from The Vegan Cookbook Club cookbook:

This is a brothy, gentle soup. I added spinach when I made it.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 oz. mushrooms, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green or red bell pepper, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

3 cups vegetable broth

One 14-oz. can coconut milk

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon lime juice

Cilantro

Directions

In soup pot, heat oil and saute onion, mushrooms, ginger, garlic and bell pepper until soft. Add remaining ingredients except lime juice and cilantro. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are tender. Add lime juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve over rice or rice noodles if desired.

This delicious sandwich filling can also be eaten as a salad.

Ingredients

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (lightly toasted if desired)

cup minced celery

cup dried cranberries or cherries

1 apple, finely chopped

1 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)

cup vegan mayonnaise

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients. Spread on bread or stuff into a pita.

Ingredients

3 extra large carrots (or the equivalent)

cup golden or dark raisins

3 tablespoons lemon juice

teaspoon cumin

teaspoon cinnamon

teaspoon salt

1 pinch cayenne

2 tablespoons olive oil

cup toasted slivered almonds

Grate carrots and place in a bowl with raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients except almonds. Pour this dressing over carrots and toss. Add almonds and serve.

Ingredients

1 pound vegan burger crumbles

a little oil or water

cup uncooked long-grain white rice

1 small onion, chopped

1 14-oz. can chopped tomatoes, undrained

1 14-oz. can sauerkraut, undrained

cup water

salt and pepper to taste

caraway seeds (optional)

In a large skillet, saute burger crumbles in a little oil or water. Top with all remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low heat until rice is done, about 25 minutes. Note: To make sauerkraut less potent, rinse it and replace the sauerkraut juice with water.

Bonnie Ambrosi lives in Duluth and is an organizer of The Vegan Cookbook Club. Write to her at bonnieambrosi@gmail.com.

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After three years of camaraderie, Vegan Cookbook Club has a book of its own - West Central Tribune

DULUTH On the first Thursday of December 2016, six people met in the Blue Room of Mount Royal Branch Library to talk about vegan cooking. They called their group The Vegan Cookbook Club. Three years later, more than 100 individuals have joined the group, and theyve published a cookbook.

The Vegan Cookbook Club is not really a club you dont have to be vegan to join and its main purpose is not writing vegan cookbooks. It is simply a monthly gathering for anyone with an interest in a plant-based diet and in search of information and inspiration.

The Vegan Cookbook Club has helped me find recipes which are delicious, simple and healthy, said Pam Griggs, who was one of the six people at that first meeting in 2016. Another longtime attender, Carol Kalm, described it as a friendly, diverse, helpful, accepting group, and added, Youre never too old to learn a new way of eating. Don Watson, who has been attending for a year, said, The members of the club were very welcoming, and they helped ease my transition to a healthier diet. Now my visits to the doctors office are happy times for me.

Tracy Gellatly said she felt accepted since her first meeting.

The group has a warm, gentle way of gathering each month to help each other in our quest toward better health, connections with others and our planet through plant-based eating, she said.

Gellatly said she tends to feel in the minority as a vegan in social settings and that its peaceful to relax with a group of people who support her dietary and lifestyle choices.

I dont feel I need to defend or explain, she said, but just share freely with like-minded people. Everyone is in a different place in their journey, and it is wonderful to share tips, recipes and stories with each other. This group has by far been the best resource and support in my decision to begin my vegan lifestyle almost one year ago.

The meeting format is simple. Seated in a circle, every person in attendance has the opportunity to speak for a few minutes. Everyone is heard, everyone gets to teach, everyone gets to learn. Meeting notes are emailed out to the entire list of 100-plus, allowing people who are not able to attend regularly to still be part of the group.

A measure of the success of the club in Duluth is that it has inspired the creation of a similar group in Minneapolis, where a Vegan Recipe Club now meets monthly at the East Lake Library branch of the Hennepin County Library. (For more information, check the Facebook page for Compassionate Action for Animals, under Events.)

Stories, recipes and more

Inspired by the wealth of information that was being shared at Vegan Cookbook Club meetings, Jody Richards, a founding member of the group, took on the project of creating a book. The Vegan Cookbook Club: Stories, Recipes & More is 78 pages of vegan recipes and personal stories, plus tips on all things vegan, such as how to cook dry beans, how to eat vegan on the road, and a general philosophy of life and diet: Every day is a new day. Do your best without getting hung up on dietary mistakes from the day before.

For the book, 23 club members agreed to write about their health journeys and what inspires them in the vegan life. As the introduction explains, There are tales of illness and regained health, of challenges with family or while traveling, of years of study and of sudden insights. No two stories are the same, but all radiate a sense of hopeful exuberance.

The books are $10 each and can be purchased before and after any monthly Vegan Cookbook Club meeting, and at Zenith Bookstore, 318 N. Central Ave. in Duluth.

Because the Vegan Cookbook Club has no ongoing expenses, the group has no need to raise money for itself, so profits from book sales will go to the Duluth Library Foundation. Collaboration between the club and the library has been fundamental to the clubs success; the library has an extensive collection of vegan cookbooks and offers a safe and accessible place to meet. In the hope that this model will be replicated in other locales, the cookbook includes a section titled How to Start a Vegan Cookbook Club in Your Community. In fact, former attender Sue Gilmer writes, Since moving away, I have really been missing our vegan cooking club! I think I will try to get one started in our new town, since there is nothing like that here.

Here are four recipes from The Vegan Cookbook Club cookbook:

Thai Vegetable Soup

This is a brothy, gentle soup. I added spinach when I made it.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 oz. mushrooms, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green or red bell pepper, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

3 cups vegetable broth

One 14-oz. can coconut milk

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon lime juice

Cilantro

In soup pot, heat oil and saute onion, mushrooms, ginger, garlic and bell pepper until soft. Add remaining ingredients except lime juice and cilantro. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are tender. Add lime juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve over rice or rice noodles if desired.

Walnut Waldorf Sandwiches

This delicious sandwich filling can also be eaten as a salad.

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (lightly toasted if desired)

1/2 cup minced celery

1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries

1 apple, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients. Spread on bread or stuff into a pita.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

3 extra large carrots (or the equivalent)

1/2 cup golden or dark raisins

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pinch cayenne

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Grate carrots and place in a bowl with raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients except almonds. Pour this dressing over carrots and toss. Add almonds and serve.

German Skillet Dinner

1 pound vegan burger crumbles

A little oil or water

1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

1 small onion, chopped

1 14-oz. can chopped tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

Caraway seeds (optional)

In a large skillet, saute burger crumbles in a little oil or water. Top with all remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low heat until rice is done, about 25 minutes.

Note: To make sauerkraut less potent, rinse it and replace the sauerkraut juice with water.

Bonnie Ambrosi lives in Duluth and is an organizer of The Vegan Cookbook Club. Write to her at bonnieambrosi@gmail.com.

Read the original here:

After 3 years of camaraderie, Vegan Cookbook Club has a book of its own - Minot Daily News

Pecan-Cranberry Cocoa Cake

Makes one 9-inch cake

cup dried cranberries

cup orange, cranberry, or apple juice (or boiling water)

cup pecans, toasted and cooled, coarsely chopped

cup rolled oats

cup vegan cane sugar

3 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips

1 cups all-purpose flour

cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

cup vegan cane sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

teaspoon fine sea salt

5 tablespoons neutral oil

cup pure maple syrup, grade A, dark

cup any nondairy milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Make the filling: Mix the cranberries and juice or water in a small bowl and set aside for about 15 minutes, or until the cranberries are softened. Drain the cranberries, reserving 1 tablespoon of the soaking liquid. Spoon the cranberries back into the bowl, and add the pecans, oats, sugar, and chocolate chips. Mix to coat. Set aside while you mix the cake batter.

Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Oil the sides and bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a parchment.

Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the strainer and stir with a whisk to sift the ingredients into the bowl. Whisk to aerate the mixture.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the oil, maple syrup, nondairy milk, vanilla, and vinegar. Pour into the dry mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thick but pourable.

Pour about half the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with half the filling. Top with the remaining batter, using a small spatula to spread the batter to the sides of the pan if necessary. Sprinkle the remaining filling over the batter.

Bake for 34 to 38 minutes, or until the cake has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake on the rack and carefully remove the parchment.

Fran Costigan, cooking teacher and cookbook author

Follow this link:

How to throw a vegan Thanksgiving that your whole family will embrace - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Not a cook? Thats OK. For Thanksgiving, you can get prepared vegan foods from grocery stores, order takeout, or use these meal-delivery services. Interested? Then peruse these options:

Order your vegan Thanksgiving feast from The Butchers Son via Mylk Guys, an all-vegan online grocery store. Impress your guests with the vegan delis Stuffed Crispy Skin Turkey Roast, Sausage Stuffing, Classic Eggnog, and Whole Cheesecake.

The Herbivorous Butcher in Minneapolis is another all-vegan delicatessen serving up some epic Thanksgiving delivery options. For $120, you can get a Turkey-Free Feastincluding Stuffed Turkey, Butternut Squasage, Meatloaf, Pesto Havarti, and Herb Fetadelivered right to your door.

We know and love Purple Carrot for its year-round vegan meal-delivery services, but the PETA Business Friend offers a seasonal vegan Thanksgiving dinner, too. For just $65, youll get a Hasselback Butternut Squash with Cider Glaze & Rosemary Pecan Dukkah, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Oyster Mushrooms & Garlic Kimchi Butter, Rustic Ciabatta Stuffing with Root Vegetables & Herb Sausage, Cranberry Sauce, Classic Gravy, and a Cranberry Citrus Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream & Crystalized Ginger. (Note: This is a meal kit, which means youll save a trip to the store and enjoy family time in the kitchen using the kits easy-to-follow instructions.)

What would a vegan takeout list be without a Veggie Grill mention? For the umpteenth November in a row, you can get your vegan Thanksgiving to go from everyones favorite fast-casual vegan restaurant chain. The holiday feast comes complete with a holiday roast, apple sausage stuffing, green beans with almonds and orange butter, mashed yams, cauli-mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, and cranberry sauce and is available for pickup on Wednesday, November 27, only.

Last but not least, pick up your vegan holiday meal this year from your local Whole Foods. The best part (other than that its vegan) is that you have options! Choose from Chef Jenn Claibornes Vegan Meal for 2 (think Mushroom touffe and Braised Collard Greens with Tomatoes), a Vegan Meal for 4 (featuring The Herbivorous Butchers Vegan Stuffed Turky), or pick and choose which individual dishes you want to create your own custom vegan Thanksgiving dinner.

If none of the chains above tickles your taste buds, try asking local vegan or vegan-friendly restaurants if they offer a vegan Thanksgiving to go. If youre in the Los Angeles area, hit up Krimseys Cajun Kitchen, Follow Your Heart Market & Caf

or try Caf Gratitude for some sides and pies. If youre in or near New York City, consider ordering your feast from Harlems Seasoned Vegan.

Near Washington, D.C.? Roots Market has you covered.

If youre lucky enough to live in Seattle, order yourself a vegan Thanksgiving feast from Plum Bistroyoull be thankful that you did.

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Spend less time in the kitchen and more with family and friends this holiday by ordering from one of the options above. For even more selections, see what Trader Joes offers:

Your Entire Vegan Thanksgiving Feast Is at Trader Joes

Would you prefer to make a few dishes yourself? Weve got you covered there, too. Check out these vegan Thanksgiving side dish recipes:

Vegan Thanksgiving Side DishesComplete With Tutorials

View post:

Vegan Thanksgiving to Go! 5 Places That Offer Takeout - PETA