FREE ADVICE: TAKE A WALK... PASS IT ON!

I recently paid money to be told the following:  take a 20 minute walk every day.  Oh, yes, and make sure you eat lots of vegetables and take mild yin every day.  I hope I won't be accused of plagiarism for not naming my source.  Then, today, there was a bit on the news about a ridiculous experiment with mice:  one set of genetically modified mice, poor things, treadmilled for 45 minutes and the other set didn't. Apparently that was the only difference and, guess what?  The mice who treadmilled lived longer!  I wonder who paid for the research and how much it cost.    

THE NEW ME ON THE LEFT

According to scientific studies in controlled settings taking a daily, brisk 15 minute walk can significantly dampen cravings for junk food and for cigarettes. Walking also significantly reduced withdrawal symptoms and suppressed appetite.

Back to me: when this person told me to talk a walk every day, not jog, to get fresh air and hence more oxygen in order to look and feel fresher (not in the biblical sense, at least I don't think so). I must confess I became defensive, on the inside, of course.  I thought, "I pretzelize myself most mornings and then, the rest of the day, I run around like a lunatic in a sealed building with windows that do not, in fact, open. (My friend has a stepometer or person odometer that adds up how many steps he takes in a day. Apparently that walking doesn't count because it takes place indoors). To say nothing of walking around grocery stores and up and down the stairs in my home. How can that possibly not be enough? And maybe if I lived in Manhattan or Paris or London where there would be someplace to go and things to actually see!  My neighbourhood is dreary, bland and boring-only houses, roads and cars!  Plus my (pick one: knee, hip, ankle, foot, other knee, other hip, other ankle, other foot) is sore from mysore.  And really and truly, I have no time.  So there!"  But instead I said, "oh, for sure, I understand, I can walk for 20 minutes every day" as if I meant it which I didn't.

Because I like to get my money's worth, and I don't like to lie, no matter how white the lie, and even though he would never know, I decided to give this 20 minute walking every day thing a try.  Off I trudged.  With my cell phone.  Two minutes to the top of my street.  Then 5 more minutes to the schoolyard and the little park. Eight minutes.  It was too windy to call one of my friends plus, I thought,  that might defeat the purpose.  Then I remembered that my friend was building a new house just up a ways and I walked there.  Ten more minutes. I checked out the house from the edge of the road and turned and walked back another way.  A forty minute walk. During my walk back home, I forgot to check my phone for the time!  The most horrifying part of the walk was the first three minutes.  

THE LITTLE PARK

A WALKING PATH

The next day I walked to the library.  I didn't check my cell phone until I got to the library.  Fifteen minutes.  Round trip thirty minutes, ten minutes over the minimum!  Still measuring time.  I'm getting that there's something counter productive about that.  But still happy that I am actually setting one foot in front of the other in the great outdoors.

Another day I walked with Devora** to the library and the plaza.  That was easy because we talked and went into a store and bought a dog blanket for Naya.  It was productive and fun and I only made 1 important call on the cell.  That walk lasted an hour!

I've been walking outdoors pretty much every day now. Sometimes aimlessly, sometimes running small errands.  Here is what I have discovered: 

1.  that I live in an amazing neighborhood. Who knew? I've lived here almost 20 years and didn't know there was a castle  3 minutes away.  The city is walker friendly, walking paths everywhere meandering in fabulous ravines, beside rushing rivers and on the lakefrontl.

WAS I LIVING IN VERONA ALL ALONG

 2. that I become distracted and energized about 8 minutes into my walk at which point I no longer care about time or the piles of things I thought I had waiting for me at home.

3. that when I get back I feel fresh and clear headed, a novel experience. An overly acidic condition created by artificial lighting, sealed building and lack of circulation creates tightness, pressure, clutter and  static. Walking outdoors, especially in nature, makes your condition more alkaline and balanced, more in harmony with your environment.

4. that I get random ideas while walking, not necessarily original or even good but I think some new part of my brain is activated or perhaps some overused parts are calmed down.

5. that  carrying a small notebook and a pencil in case I get a good idea or remember that I'm out of toilet paper and a camera to prove I have been outdoors is helpful. I leave my cell phone at home (not so easy).

6.  that after a good brisk walk I feel the way I felt as a child when I was playing outside.

7. that walking outdoors is like pressing the reset button making homeostasis* possible. (In scientific lingo: multiple dynamic equilibrium adjustment and regulation mechanisms, or walking, makes homeostasis possible). This explains why my aches and tightness from yoga practice sort themselves out during my walks.

8.  that walking outdoors is a  spiritual practice.  Pilgrimages are long walks in search of moral significance.  They form part of all spiritual and religious practices and, though I have not researched this extensively, I suspect that the direction of travel and the time of the journey are not random but chosen to maximize heavenly influence.    For example, on El Camino de Santiago you walk from east to west in the same direction as the Milky Way in harmony with the heavens.

*homeostasis: the property of a system, either open or closed, that regulates its internal environment and tends to maintain a constant, stable condition.

** Devora, of Boeuf Bourguignone fame, also paid money to hear the same piece of advice. Devora said that she walking was out of the question in her neighborhood because of bears and fears of being chased by wild turkeys.  Wow! 

NAYA

SANSU

      

Then we remembered that Devora is mistress to two mature and very intimidating dogs (although they do look relaxed in the photos).  Now Devora is taking long walks outdoors in beautiful Quebec secure in the company of Naya and Sansu!

DEVORA WALKS HERE!

NOTE:  there is no recipe to go along with this post because, after walking,  I am not looking for something to eat but for something to do!  And no snacking when walking.

TIM HORTON'S OATMEAL REVISITED

I, who pride myself on knowing everything, thought that Tim Horton's oatmeal was pretty good.  I've been driving through about once a week (I love driving through, it makes me feel like an insider) and ordering plain oatmeal with berries, no sugar please. And a black (clear) earl grey tea.  Once in a while, I've thought that maybe some sugar might have gotten into my cup accidentally or the berries were sweetened.  The oatmeal also tasted very creamy, a consistency that's difficult to achieve without constant stirring or presoaking for a long time.  I had written to TH back when the oatmeal came onto the market but did not get a response.  I wrote again last week, complimenting TH on their oatmeal and requesting information about the ingredients and whether they were using non gmo oats.  Lo and behold, they replied promptly to proudly inform that the oatmeal contains rolled oats, sugar, salt, sunflower oil and an enzyme.  Aha!  Nothing about the gmo status of the rolled oats.

I wrote back the following:

Thanks for your quick reply.
 

I always order the berry oatmeal without sugar but I suspected that there was something else in the oatmeal.  I thought it was the berries!

It's really too bad for me that there is added sugar and sunflower oil and an added enzyme in the oatmeal.  For people like me who do not eat sugar or most oils and limit my enzyme consumption to what is in naturally fermented foods like pickles or sourdough bread, I am so disappointed.  I won't be ordering oatmeal any more only earl gray tea which is really good and I don't dare ask what is added to that.  I am just going to pretend that it is only tea leaves and some bergamot!

You didn't answer about whether the oats used are non-gmo.  This is also very important for some people who may care more about whether they are eating gmo food than whether there is added sugar or oil or an enzyme.

Any chance Tim Horton's might want to be at the forefront of this new oatmeal at drive throughs phenomenon and offer organically grown oatmeal without any added sugar, oil, or enzyme?  Why not go all the way and, like Wendy's, use sea salt instead of regular salt.  People like me are a growing part of your market.

Also, the thing about Tim Horton's is that it truly is a Canadian icon.  Everyone wants to drive through.  Including me.  So why not go a step further?   Added sugar and oil is not good for diabetics (and that sector is growing in leaps and bounds), not good for children who get plenty of sugar without it being slipped into oatmeal.  Sugar is addictive.  Is it too cynical to think that the addiction aspect has not been lost on Tim Horton's nutritionist?  I hope that it was a taste issue only. Because given everything that is out there about fast food and addiction.......

One last comment.  I just found out that Macdonald's is offering oatmeal at some locations in the U.S. and that there are 21 extra ingredients in their oatmeal which as far as people like me are concerned, it is no longer food.  Starbuck's is instarnt oatmeal offered up with stale nuts and oily raisins.  So TIm's so far is in a class by itself.

Why can't you go just one step further?  And be totally responsible? By promoting organics and pure food?  Can you not (take) a chance on the bottom line? 

I tried to be polite and to not come across too strident.  If anyone else cares about this issue, email me and I will forward the contact information. 

I haven't received a response to that last email as yet. I may have lost credibility by harping on that "one step further" when it's really about four or five steps.  I will keep you posted.

Wholesome Grain Burgers

One evening last week I came home from work at 7 o'clock, p.m. Unexpectedly, my day had been very long.  I woke up too early at 4 a.m. but too late to go back to sleep so I cooked up the brown rice and millet and chickpeas, separately, that had been soaking from the day before.  Then, when it was time to go, I discovered that the battery on my car had died. No worries.  I got a boost and off I went, lunch in tow-brown rice, chickpeas, pressed salad and steamed broccoli. 

When I got home that night the brown rice and chickpeas, so delicious at lunchtime when I wasn't tired out and over yang, were no longer appealing. What to do?  Make grain burgers, of course!

I found a carrot, a stalk of celery, some parsley and half an onion in the refrigerator. I minced them all up finely and placed them in a bowl.  I added about two cups of the cooked brown rice and millet and one cup of the cooked chickpeas.  I used my hands to mix all the ingredients pressing them together.  Millet gets quite sticky making it easy to shape the mixture into  patties.

  

Once you have shaped the patties, heat up sesame or olive oil in skillet.  Add the patties and cook over medium heat until golden.  Sprinkle a drop or two of good quality soy sauce over the patties and flip over to cook on the other side.  It's okay if one of them falls apart.






Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce accompanied by a steamed or blanched vegetable dish or salad and top with dill pickles or homemade sauerkraut. 

GRAIN BURGER WITH SAUERKRAUT TOPPING

NOTE:  If your grain is dry, use tofu to bind the ingredients.  You may also want to add lightly toasted seeds or nuts to the burger for extra crunch.

Beans, Beans ARE Good for your Heart!

The question that gets asked when someone is switching from a meat based to a plant based diet is "What can I eat for protein?"  The guidelines for the standard macrobiotic diet recommend that 5-10% of your daily intake of food, by weight, be made up of beans and bean products such as tofu and tempeh.  It also recommends sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts and sesame seeds as part of the daily diet.  I cook beans most often and save tofu and tempeh for those days when I've run out of cooked beans and there's no time to cook (hence no shortage of tofu and tempeh in my diet).  There are many varieties of beans and lentils: big, small, beige, red, black, white, green, brown and beige. They are easy to cook.  And so many recipes for beans as an accompaniment to whole grains:  chile, pasta and fagioli, bean salads, baked beans, refried beans, succotash and lots more. 

Front yard past summer

                                                                                           

This spring I am going to plant a native Northamerican Three Sisters garden. The Iroquois believed that corn, squash and beans were precious gifts by the Great Spirit and that each was watched over by a sister spirit. They are planted together: the corn supports the beans, beans replenish the soil with nitrogen and the squash creates mulch, discourages weeds and maintains moisture in the soil. I have virtually no back yard but there is just enough room back there to plant these three sacred companions next to my good friend's statue of saint Jizo. I can also plant in my front yard flower garden and in my small flower garden behind my back fence. The trick will be to make sure there is enough sunlight. 

Back yard now

Enough daydreaming and back to the beans.  So, beans, seeds and nuts are a great source of protein and in combination with whole grains form a complete protein.  Don't get hung up on quantity or the idea that beans should replace meat on your plate.  A cup or so of beans per day is plenty for most people.  

I soak organically grown dried beans overnight in cold water and then either pressure cook or boil with a 1" piece of dried kombu per cup of dry beans. Soaking shortens cooking time and makes the beans more digestible.The kombu provides minerals and also helps with digestion.  Then place the beans in a pot with water to cover, bring to the boil or pressure and then simmer for about one hour. Add a pinch of salt per cup of beans when the beans are soft at the end of cooking and simmer for 5 more minutes. Adding salt before the beans are soft will result in hard, indigestible beans.  Cook enough beans for a couple of days.  Take out what you are using for today's meal and store the rest in the refrigerator, plain, for tomorrow.  The next day you can use the beans in soup or another bean dish.

Apart from being a great source of complete protein when combined with whole grains, studies have concluded that beans help reduce cholesterol and consequently heart disease and lower the risks of diabetes, cancer and obesity. 

GREEN LENTILS WITH FRIED ONIONS

1 cup dried lentils

1" piece of kombu

3 cups water

pinch sea salt

1 Tablespoon olive or sesame oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 clove minced garlic (optional)

a tiny piece of fresh or dried hot red pepper (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Make patties from leftovers

Cooked green lentils turn brown

This is probably the easiest and fastest bean dish to prepare.  In spite of my earlier comments about always presoaking beans, some batches of green lentils (which, by the way, look brown when cooked) will cook up just fine          without presoaking.  You decide. 

Place the beans and soaking water into a pot.  Add the kombu.  Cover and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 50 minutes. When the lentils are soft, add the sea salt and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Turn off heat.

Halfway into cooking the beans, pour olive or sesame oil into a cast iron fry pan.  Add minced garlic and/or a bit of dried chili and stir until fragrant.  Add the sliced onions and saute over medium heat until wilted and starting to turn golden.  it should take about 20 minutes or so.  When the lentils are cooked and salted, add to the onions.  I don't like the lentils too dry so I add a bit of the cooking water and cover for a couple more minutes.  It's ready to serve when the liquid is just about all absorbed. If you are adding more salt, make sure to cook the lentils and onions for 5 more minutes. Garnish with minced parsley and freshly ground pepper.  

Great with plain brown rice. Leftovers can be combined the next day with rice or millet and minced vegetables to make patties.

KIDNEY BEAN SALAD

1 cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight in cold water

1" piece of kombu

3 cups cold water

pinch of sea salt

5 green onion, finely chopped

1 bunch watercress, coarsely chopped

1 Tablespoon white miso

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon fresh chopped dill

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon yellow prepared mustard

This recipe is even easier than the lentil recipe above.  

Soak the beans overnight in the cold water.  Place in a pot or pressure cooked with the kombu.  Bring to boil or pressure and then lower heat and simmer for about 50 minutes.  Add the sea salt and simmer another 5 minutes.

Prepare the dressing by simply combining the ingredients. 

Strain the cooking water from the beans and place the beans in a bowl or serving dish. Fold in chopped green onions and watercress and then stir in the dressing.

This dish will taste even better the next day!

A FRESH SPRING DISH!

CHOOSE BEANS FROM THIS LIST REGULARLY

Aduki beans

Black soybeans

Chickpeas

Green or Brown Lentils

CHOOSE BEANS FROM THIS LIST OFTEN

BLACK-EYED PEAS

BLACK TURTLE BEANS

GREAT NORTHERN BEANS

KIDNEY BEANS

LIMA BEANS

MUNG BEANS

NAVY BEANS

PINTO BEANS

SOYBEANS

SPLIT PEAS

WHOLE DRIED PEAS

Remember to vary the beans, the cooking method and the presentation and  to choose organically and locally grown whenever possible. 

How to Eat your Greens

, GREENS, GREENS, GREENS, GREENS, GREENS

Everyone knows that every meal must include a vegetable, including greens. Otherwise it's not a meal.  As far as I know, you can't eat enough greens. Greens may be eaten raw in salad, lightly pickled in pressed salad, pickled,steamed, blanched, sauteed, in soup and in stews. Each method of cooking brings out different nutrients and nourishes our bodies in different ways. Remember to use organically grown greens whenever possible.  

STEAMED GREENS:Wash and slice a green and place in a steamer or in a small amount of boiling water. Cover and steam several minutes until tender but still bright green.

If you are steaming several greens, cook each separately to ensure even, proper cooking. The greens may be mixed after cooking.

Also stems take longer to cook than the leafy parts and are best steamed separately or chopped finely if cooked with the leafy portion.

You may save the cooking water for vegetable stock or for use in a sauce.

BLANCHED GREENS: Place 2 -3 inches of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Place the greens in the water, cover and boil 1-2 minutes or less, depending on the green, until the vegetables are tender but still have a crisp texture and a deep, vibrant color. Remove, drain and place in a serving bowl.  

  

Choose greens for regular use from the following list:

Bok Choy

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrot Tops

Chinese Cabbage

Collard Greens

Daikon Greens

Dandelion Greens

Kale

Mustard Greens

Parsley

Radish Tops

Rapini

Turnip Greens

Watercress

And if that isn't enough variety for you, choose from the following list often:

Celery

Chives

Endive

Escarole

Iceberg lettuce

Romaine lettuce

Other lettuces

Salsify

Sprouts

And to make your greens more appetizing accompany them one of the the following dressings.  Make extra to keep in the refrigerator for a few days.  I guarantee that these dressing will make you and the rest of your balking family look forward to eating greens.

 BASIC ITALIAN DRESSING

1/4 cup org. olive oil

1/4 cup org. vinegar  (apple cider, red or white wine, balsamic) or lemon juice or combination

sea salt, black pepper

MIXED RAW GREENS SALAD WITH ITALIAN DRESSING

This is a basic dressing for green salads.  You may add herbs such as oregano, garlic and dill. I prefer it plain as it brings out the taste of the vegetables.  The measurements are approximate.  At times, depending on the salad ingredients, you may need to add proportionately more or less vinegar or olive oil.  If you have a skin condition, use less often.

PUMPKIN SEED DRESSING

ROAST PUMPKIN SEEDS

2 cups roasted pumpkin seeds 

2 cups fresh parsley finely chopped 

2 cups water 

1-2 umeboshi plums 

1/4 cup pickle/sauerkraut juice 

1/4 teaspoon light miso 

                     

PUMPKIN SEED DRESSING

Roast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat. Then blend all the ingredients including the roasted pumpkin seeds.  It is a tangy dressing that jazzes up greens, salad, pressed salad, grains and beans.

TAHINI-LEMON SAUCE

TAHINI-LEMON DRESSING

2 Tablespoons of tahini

Enough water to form a thin paste

1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

1 Teaspoon of shoyu

BROCCOLI WITH TAHINI LEMON SAUCE

Heat tahini and water over low flame until a smooth thin past is achieved.

Add shoyu and cook another minute. When cool add lemon juice.  Great over grains or patties.

TOFU DRESSING

blanched collards with tofu dressing

1 square tofu                     

1 T. tahini, roasted

1 tsp. Umeboshi paste or 

½ umeboshi plum 

2 tsp. umeboshi vinegar

Water

minced green onions

or parsley

or other fresh or dried herbs

Blanch tofu in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove from water. When the tofu has cooled down, place in a food processor with the tahini, umeboshi and puree until the tofu is smooth and the ingredients are well combined. Then add enough water to create a pourable consistency. Adjust seasoning and add desired herbs.

ORANGE VINAIGRETTE

1/3 cup orange or tangerine juice
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon lemon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

DRIZZLING DRESSING OVER BLANCHED DANDELION GREENS

Whisk the ingredients.  Pour over salad, raw or pressed, or greens or beans.

     

Healthy Snacks for Children: Rice Crispy Squares

When making the transition to a healthier, less processed, whole grain centered diet,  it is very difficult to let go of sugary treats especially for children.  It takes some time to be completely satisfied eating whole grain, beans, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.  Children, being very yang, love sweets.  But too much sugar leads to whining, irritability, clinging, runny noses and listlessness.  Although rice syrup and maple syrup are refined products, they are less refined than white sugar, brown sugar or marshmallows.  I think maple syrup is sweeter than rice syrup and, being the product of a tree rather than grain, more yin.  So, if you are trying to wean off sugar, go for more maple syrup initially and gradually increase the proportion of rice syrup as you become more sensitive. These squares are easy to make and are good for children's lunch boxes. The amount of sweetener in this recipe makes for very sweet tasting squares. 

Crispy Brown Rice Treats

6 cups (1 box of Erewhon crispy brown rice cereal)

2/3 cups of chopped roasted almonds and/or raisins

2/3 cups almond butter 

1 cup of rice syrup or rice syrup/maple syrup mixture

1 tsp. cinnammon

1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl, combine crispy rice cereal with nuts, dried fruit and cinnamon. Place almond butter and rice syrup in a  pot.  Cook over low heat, stirring, until smooth and creamy. Turn off heat. Add vanilla.  Pour mixture over the cereal. Slowly stir to evenly coat the cereal with the rice syrup/almond butter .  

Turn the whole mixture into a lightly oiled rectangular dish.  Leave to cool and then cut into squares.

Variations:  melt malt sweetened chocolate chips with the almond butter and rice syrup; use peanut butter or other nut butters instead of almond butter;  add coconut, other dried fruit, nuts or seeds. The cereal mixture can also be shaped into balls or pressed into molds to create different shapes.

"Chicken Noodle Soup" and "Egg" Salad Sandwich

 

"Egg" Salad Sandwich and "Chicken" Noodle Soup

When transitioning from the standard western diet, rife with meat, refined carbohydrates and dairy, to a more traditional diet centered around whole grains with beans and plenty of vegetables, there are some foods  such as chicken noodle soup and egg salad sandwiches, to name just two, which may be sorely missed.  Here they are in vegan form:  tasty, nutritious and easy to make.

"Chicken" Miso  Soup

soaking wakame

soaking dried tofu

4 cups water

1" piece dried wakame

2 pieces dried tofu

1/2 thinly sliced onion

1/2 julienned carrot

1/2 thinly sliced celery stalk

1/2 bunch watercress

1 Tablespoon light miso

1 cup cooked somen noodles

Place chopped soaked wakame and chopped dried tofu in pot with cold water. Bring to the boil (you may include a couple of cabbage leaves for a more chickeney flavour).  Add the onion, carrot and celery and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the cabbage leaves.

(While the water for the soup is coming to a boil, cook somen noodles or the type of noodle you associate with chicken soup. Perhaps pastina or alphabet shaped pasta?  Set aside.)

Add the cooked noodles and coarsely chopped watercress to the soup pot. Cook for 30 second.  Dissolve the miso (I used Cold Mountain light yellow miso) in some of the soup broth and add back to the soup.  Simmer for 3 minutes, ensuring that the soup does not come to boil after the miso is added.  

Garnish with parsley.

"Chicken" Miso Soup

"Egg" Salad 

1 block  org. firm tofu (I like Soyaterie)

1 Tablespoon org. yellow mustard

2 Tablespoons minced onion

1 dill pickle, minced

1/2 stalk celery, finely sliced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup vegenaise or homemade mayonnaise 

Crumble tofu

Drop the block of tofu in boiling water for 2 minutes to blanch.  You may add a 1" piece of kombu to the boiling water for more minerals.  Tofu is yin so blanching in water with kombu makes it more yang and digestible. 

Combine with rest of ingredients

Then chop the tofu using a fork or pastry cutter.  Add mustard and combine.  Add the minced pickle and onion, the celery and sea salt.  Then stir in the vegenaise to bind the mixture.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  You may want to add more pickle or mustard or onion.  Let the mixture rest to allow flavours to meld. Spread on your favourite bread.  I used Grainfields org. sourdough spelt.  It's a bit heavy so I steam it briefly before making sandwiches.  Kids will prefer sandwiches made from Ace Bakery sliced breads.

HOMEMADE VEGAN MAYONNAISE

I prefer to make my own.  This way I know that my mayonnaise does not contain gmo tofu, sugar or preservatives. And it is easy to make and economical.   

Take one block soft tofu and prepare as above.  Then place in food processor along with 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1Tablespoon lemon juice and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (org. white wine vinegar works well also). Blend until creamy. At this point, you may want to add more lemon or vinegar or mustard depending on the tofu.  When you have achieved the desired taste, place in a jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For a complete meal:  accompany with a salad or steamed greens

NOTE:  Initially, when transitioning to a vegan or vegetarian diet, we become preoccupied with "getting enough protein." To compensate, tofu, tofu products and meat substitutes become fall back choices . There are all kinds of meat substitutes out there--hot dogs, burgers, baloney, fake bacon, turkey etc. I consider all of these processed products junk food and expensive junk food at that.  It is marketed to assuage our fears about giving up animal food. Health food stores have now developed  "center aisles" like regular grocery chains. Better not to make "healthy" junk food a mainstay of your new diet.  It is just as harmful, if not more so than regular junk food.

Remember if you are eating a diet centered around whole grains, beans and plenty of vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruits there should be no worries about lack of protein. Also, traditionally tofu was taken in very small amounts usually in miso soup.  It is a processed food and its energetic effect is cooling.  It should be used as a change from beans once in a while only.