Benefits of the Foods We Eat: Sweet Potatoes

I'm not doing as much research during this experiment as I hoped I would be. Most of my "free" time is spent finding recipes to try, but I've found myself wondering what makes the foods I eat healthy. So, I thought I could at least spend a few minutes every now and then reading about different foods and posting my findings here.

Maybe it's because I just had that delicious sweet potato minestrone last night and I have sweet potatoes on my mind, or maybe it's just because I love sweet potatoes, but that's what I'm going to start with. I've always heard sweet potatoes referred to as a super food, so I figured that meant it was good for me, but I now can say I know why. Here's what I've learned about sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes are abundant in vitamin A (with one medium sweet potato containing more than your daily requirement. Vitamin A helps to boost your immune system, brings health to your vision by "feeding" your retinas, helps with the reproduction that goes on within your body and in your skin (helping you have smooth skin), it also helps you to fight infection and can help protect against certain types of cancer and disease. A deficiency in vitamin a is believed to be an accomplice to smoking in causing Emphysema.

Sweet potatoes also contain vitamin c, which we all know helps to strengthen our immune system. Did you also know it's known to help improve skin health and may prevent some wrinkling?

Sweet potatoes have manganese which is also great for the immune system and can help improve energy. Manganese can strengthen your bones, collagen, and ligaments- so it's good for athletes, and aids in nerve function. It can also help nursing mothers with production of breast milk and (for adults' eyes only) is good for sexual health as well.

Sweet potatoes are also high in fiber which is great for regulating the digestive system. Here's where I came across the one and only warning about eating sweet potatoes. If you have health problems related to your gallbladder or kidneys, you should speak with your health care provider about how much or if sweet potatoes should be included in your diet because they contain a small amount of oxalates which can cause kidney damage if the body cannot process it efficiently.

Vitamin B also joins the list of vitamins contained in sweet potatoes. Vitamin b, I've learned, is a vitamin we need to continually replenish because our bodies cannot store it. It's good for so many things too, such as fetal development in pregnant women, metabolizing fats, and keeping your skin, hair, and eyes healthy.

Sweet potatoes also contain iron. I'll be honest, I didn't expect that. I guess I've always just associated iron with meat. Iron helps your body to transport oxygen and, once again, helps you to have healthy skin, hair, and nails.

Wow! I love sweet potatoes even more now knowing that they do so much for me while also being so delicious. Thank you sweet potatoes!

It's Alive!

Today is the official start of Veganstein. I hope you'll follow along with me throughout these 90 days because I'm super excited to see how I'm feeling along the way. As I've been preparing for this experiment, I've been thinking a lot about how I'll plan my meals, most importantly when those Non-Vegan Meals (or NVMs for short) will work into my weekly diet. This experiment is just for me, but it will naturally influence my family's diet because A- I do the grocery shopping,  B- I make most of our meals, and C- We eat together and we always eat the same thing for dinner (meaning I don't cook separate meals for my husband and I than I do for our children). I've also been wondering how special events will play into my meal plans, such as parties, date nights, and holidays (did you see that my experiment ends AFTER Thanksgiving?). Should I eat vegan meals all week just to make sure I can enjoy those events without any dietary restrictions? Or, should I challenge myself by choosing to eat only vegan for some of those events (the latter is out of the question for Thanksgiving, I want turkey!)? Another thing I've been considering a lot is, how true to a vegan diet am I going to be for my vegan meals? I made one batch of vegan bread which was pretty tasty, but I think the recipe could use a little tweak before I share it, but I will definitely be using vegan bread. I was reading somewhere that white sugar is not considered vegan because apparently bone char is used in the bleaching process. Okay? Yeah, I don't care. White sugar isn't something I use so often or in such large amounts that I think it'll significantly effect my experiment, so I'm using it. The same goes with white flour, although I am using a lot more whole wheat flour too because whole grains are a big part of this experiment. What about spread, that butter-ish stuff I put on dinner rolls and other things? I use the "vegetable spread" already, but it still has whey in it (not in the first few ingredients though). Regardless, I'm going to continue using the same kind I always have, again it's really not something I use frequently and when I do I use so little I don't think it's going to change the outcome of this experiment for me. Of course I will not be using butter or margarine in my cooking for the vegan meals. I'm sure I'll run into more food items like those that I'll have to consider more carefully. I feel this is a good place for me to remind you that the main focus of Veganstein is not the vegan part, it's the plant-based, whole foods part. I'm trying to incorporate more plants and whole grains into my diet and eliminate some of the excess meat and dairy, that's it. If you're looking for someone who has become vegan to fight social injustices or reverse global warming, you've come to the wrong place (and if you do your research you will find that becoming vegan isn't going to do that anyway). I'm also going to be using this experiment as an opportunity to introduce new things into my diet, such as tofu and flax seed, as well as cooking with vegetables I haven't tried before. It should be fun.

Thanks for Your Concern, but...

The announcement that our family is experimenting with veganism has become an issue for some, mostly just friends who care about us and want to make sure we're being smart with our health. We are so happy to have friends and family who love and care for us so much. I see where their concern comes from. Who doesn't know someone who became vegetarian or vegan in an effort to improve their health only to end up less healthy? I certainly have known such people. The truth of the matter is, those people did not educate themselves or prepare properly for such a change. They didn't consider what nutrients they'd be giving up when switching to a plant-based diet, and they certainly didn't take sufficient efforts to replace those nutrients with other foods. While I'm not an expert and I don't yet know all there is to know about nutrition, I want to assure you all that I and my husband have put a lot of thought and research into this experiment. For our children, we are continuing to feed them foods that their pediatrician recommends for their good health and development, and we will continue to seek his advice as they grow. We are aware of many of the dietary "holes" we will need to fill by shifting our diet and plan to supplement our diet as best we can. This will be a learning experience for us, but we want it to be a positive one, so we're working hard to make sure it is.

As I've thought about the concern that has arisen, I've found a little humor in it. We're trying to lead a healthier life and people are concerned for us? Doesn't that seem odd? As I said earlier, I understand where the concern comes from and I too have thought similarly in the past about such a dietary change, but I now look at it differently. For every 1 person I know that has had health problems related to switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet, I know at least 10 people who have health problems related to overeating or unhealthy eating habits(such as a diet that relies too heavily on meat & dairy for nutrients, or just simply eating all the wrong stuff). Unfortunately, I think that those health problems and their causes are more common today and thus more widely accepted or are overlooked because they are so common. Isn't that sad? So that's why I say, 'Thank you for your concern, but...' we're going to do this. Please remember this is an experiment for us. After the 90 days are up we may decide we need to go back to our "normal" diet, or we may not. I'm using this blog as a way to track my thoughts, feelings, observations, and progress (or lack thereof) throughout the entire experiment so that I'll have a careful log of everything I experience along the way. Just please keep that in mind as you view this blog.

Tofu, or not Tofu?

I'm still in the preparation and planning phase of this experiment, and one thing I've been wondering about is tofu. Do I really need it? What is it exactly? Does it offer any health benefits? Or, is it just something people use to try and substitute for real meat (like they do so unsuccessfully with tofurkey- it's not the same in any way). I've had tofu before, not often, but it's in some of my favorite Asian food dishes and I have rather liked it. My thought has been, though, should I bother learning to cook with it and add it to my diet if I'm only a part-time vegan? I've done a little research (you can visit my resources here, here, and here) and I've concluded that, yes, I should start incorporating tofu into my family's diet. Here's what I've learned.

Tofu is made from soy beans. It is high in both calcium and protein and, although you'd have to eat a little more of it to equal the protein you'd get from a diet that primarily uses meat for protein, it is better for your cholesterol. Tofu also is believed to help lower a person's risk for certain types of cancer and heart disease, recent studies indicate that eating a regular diet of meat and dairy products may actually increase your risk for those same conditions. Tofu has been an efficient and satisfying source of protein in other cultural diets for centuries. While it is associated primarily with veganism and vegetarianism in western cultures, it offers benefits to any diet.

I think my family and I could benefit greatly from using tofu. I'm going to make it part of my experiment here to add tofu to our diet. I don't think I'll need it to replace the food we like (no tofu dogs or spaghetti and tofu balls- if those exist), but I will try some recipes with tofu. This is a new experience for me, so if you have some tasty tofu recipes, please send them my way.

An Introduction

Although "carnivorous" might be an exaggerated description of my diet up to this point in my life, I would have to say that meat and/or dairy has played a significant role in my diet most every day. I'm changing that. Thanks to some eye-opening documentaries, such as Forks Over Knives, and some soul searching, I have decided to shift my diet emphasis to a more vegan-like mentality. No, I am not a vegan, I will still enjoy cheese and meat occasionally, much like traditional dieters seeking to drop a few pounds might treat themselves to a slice of pizza or a brownie every now and again. Thus, Veganstein, a dietary hybrid (85% vegan, 15% omnivore) is born.

Here's my plan:
1. I will post my daily meal log for 90 days (look for a weekly entry on Fridays, I'm not going to post every day)
2. All but 3 meals each week will be completely vegan
3. I'll post recipes and links to resources throughout my experiment
4. I'll also post my thoughts, feelings, and observations regarding my dietary changes as I go along

The real experiments begins Monday, August 27. Right now I'm in the research and preparation phase- getting recipes together, stocking my pantry, etc.

My goals for this experiment are:
1. To change my eating habits to become a healthier version of myself
2. To teach my children the true quality of their food and break the cycle of relying on meat and dairy for nutrition, thus giving them a healthier life
3. To gain a testimony (a better understanding and complete belief) of the Word of Wisdom, the code of health outlined in the Doctrine & Covenants, a book of scripture for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the members of which are often called Mormons; FYI, I am a Mormon)

Please enjoy this blog. I want it to be just as educational for you as it is sure to be for me. I look forward to sharing this experience with you.