If you have relied on eggs in the past for protein, and don’t know how to cook without them, here is a list of easy replacement options, taken from my book Living Vegan For Dummies:

For baking:

1/4 cup blended silken tofu = 1 egg

1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds plus 3 Tablespoons water = 1 egg

1 1/2 Tablespoons Ener-G Egg Replacer + 2 Tablespoons water mixed well = 1 egg

1/2 cup mashed or blended banana = 1 egg

1/4 cup soy yogurt = 1 egg

It’s super basic, and only includes two ingredients, but it’s packed with flavor and makes a healthy snack for kids.

Most weight-conscious people are afraid of avocados because they’re high in fat. Here’s a little secret – fat makes food taste good! Most of the fat in an avocado is monounsaturated — the helpful kind that lowers cholesterol levels. Scientists have also discovered that these rich fruits offer beta-sitosterol, which also lowers blood cholesterol levels.

Ava-Banana Pudding

Ava-Banana Pudding


Serves 1 kid

1 very ripe banana

1/2 cup diced avocado

Mash the 2 ingredients together, until smooth.

Serve, eat!

Live a Damn – and I’m on episode 5!

Listen online to the great interviews with the fabulous farmers from The Fabulous Beekman Boys, biking activist Sean Ryan Paris, and me…

“Here at Live a Damn, we’re all about celebrating those who are going above and beyond to make the world a cleaner, kinder, and more compassionate place. And you better believe today’s guests are doing just that!

Up first, from Planet Green’s hit show The Fabulous Beekman Boys, we’re joined by two city mice who’ve turned countryJosh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge. Next, we give our Live a Damn Citizen Rockstar award to Sean Ryan Paris —a real estate broker who’s living a damn by biking 285 milesfrom New York City to Boston to raise money for HIV/AIDS services. And finally, author, speaker, and holistic health counselor Alex Jamieson joins us to talk about her new book and what it means to live a holistic life.

Listen to Live A Damn Radio here…

One thing I know is true is that many of the women I work with notice that their families join in the program with them  - offering support, adding energy to the process, and reaping the benefits of healthier choices too. Several detox-members have told me it was like getting 2 programs for the price of 1!

Here is a great example from Isabelle, one of my recent Detox graduates:

“When I decided to participate in Alex’s Detox Program, I felt in poor health.  I had gained weight, I had no energy, and aches and pains were creeping up all over my body: feet, hands, back. I had lost my spark and at fifty-one, I felt old and thought life was over.

Working with Alex has been an education and eye-opening experience.  Alex is enormously knowledgeable about food and its effect on the body and under her gentle guidance, I learned to discover a new way of eating, including new foods which I had never experimented with.

As a result, a few months later, my whole way of eating has changed.  I look forward to my green smoothies every morning, quinoa is my favorite grain and bean salads are a staple.  I eat a much more varied diet, enjoy what I eat a lot more, and have lost all interest in the so called “fun food” such as French fries, cookies, ice cream, croissants and such. I have also lost weight and feel 100% better.

My husband who experimented with me, benefited from the detox as well, and lost 20 pounds of extra weight without effort. He is feeling much more alert and excited about his life also.

Overall, this has been a priceless experience out of which we both have gained very important knowledge about nutrition and have built new habits, which support our health and vitality. Thank you Alex for sharing with us your vast knowledge about food and for supporting us in developing awareness about the way nutrition affects our lives.”

Isabelle M., Jersey City, NJ

I was really surprised when I noticed a bowl of Splenda-sweetened, artificially colored lollipops in the examination room. I was wide-eyed and gulped when the very nice, very capable, and respectful doctor offered one to my son when he was finished with his exam. Luckily, I convinced him that he needed to eat lunch before having a treat, and was able to get rid of the chemical laden lolli without him noticing. It was blue.

Rather than give in to my growing fear and anger, lash out at the doctor, and say something inappropriate and stupid, I waited. All weekend. I said nothing. But this morning I wrote a letter to the doctor and plan on taking it, along with some of the wonderful, naturally colored and sweetened lollipops from http://www.naturalcandystore.com/ by her office.

Here is what I wrote:

Dear Dr. XX,

Laken and I truly enjoyed our first visit to your office last week. He was obviously very comfortable with you and your staff, and I appreciated how respectful everyone was in speaking with him and asking him to participate in various tests. He loved the toys, of course, and it was so generous of your office to give us tokens to ride the horse out front – he had been wanting to ride for ages!

Just to give you an idea of what I do for a living, and where my head is most of the time, I work as a food and health writer, and as a Holistic Health Counselor. I have published two books: The Great American Detox Diet, and Living Vegan For Dummies. My next book, Vegan Cooking For Dummies, will be published this November. I mainly work with busy, professional women who need to get their health concerns cleared up so they can continue to go after big goals, while juggling family and career. Most of my clients are parents and often have children with health concerns and learning disabilities.

In researching various aspects of vegan living, I have come across mountains of information about snack foods and candy. Because many kids in Laken’s school have food allergies and sensativities, there has been a lot of conversation between parents and the staff about what types of treats we may bring in to share.

Much of the research regarding candy and food colorings has lead parents to request that all treats listing  artificial flavors, artificial colors, and artificial sweeteners like Splenda be kept at home.  I have felt a lot more comfortable offering Laken the occasional treat that is colored with natural food dyes and is sweetened naturally.

I thought you might like to try a couple of products that I have found. Both of the local health food stores in our neighborhood carry these items. They can also be found online at http://www.naturalcandystore.com/category/organic-lollipops.

Thanks again for making us feel welcome to your practice, and I hope the rest of your summer is fun and easy.

Sincerely,

Alexandra Jamieson

**If you run into a similar experience, let me know. And feel free to copy-paste my letter!

UPDATE!!!

So, I dropped off the letter along with a couple of packages of healthier lollipops from www.naturalcandystore.com. I breathed deeply and hoped that the doctor would be understanding. I was amazed at the response!

Within 2 hours I received a voice message from our new favorite pediatrician. Not only was she impressed and thankful for my letter, but she was deeply gracious and kind. She said she was going to start offering the healthy candy I had dropped off – in fact, they were already on order! She said she had been considering the change for a while and had ordered the healthy stuff a few weeks ago. She was thrilled to know that I had a similar viewpoint and is also specializing in childhood nutrition – in fact, she’s writing a book!

I couldn’t be happier with how this all turned out. I’m also glad I didn’t jump to conclusions and get emotionally defiant in her office. She’s a thoughtful, positive doctor and I’m glad we’re a part of her clientele.

Happy ending!

Alexandra

Celebrity spokesman Alec Baldwin was in attendance, and although I didn’t get a picture with him this time, I can tell you from past experience that Mr. Baldwin is not only a top-notch actor, but he’s also a die-hard activist for social justice, environmental, and animal rights issues. I was close enough to smell his cologne, and gave him a wink as he ran out the door for his summer stage play in East Hampton! Always affable, with something funny to say, Alec Baldwin shared his thoughts on how great PCRM is and why we should dig into our pockets to promote their work. So I did! I gave some money and got Dr. Barnard’s new cookbook, The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook. With over 100 recipes, it’s a great deal and is chock-full of important information on heart health, diabetes, and weight loss.

Founded by Dr. Neal Barnard, PCRM is at the forefront of humane science. Having developed top-of-the-line studies and tests that help doctors treat humans with better science, PCRM has also saved the lives of countless laboratory animals by ending animal testing and implementing better medical practices. I’ve known Dr. Barnard since he was interviewed for Super Size Me back in 2003, and am always ready to lend a helping hand for any of their good works. Wether it’s their programs for getting better food into public schools or publicizing their amazing Airport Food Reviews, that every business traveler should check out, PCRM is doing great work and deserves recognition.

This 8 Week Reboot Detox will:

Energize your body and eliminate fatigue and lethargy
Kick start the weight-loss process
End the cycle of toxicity and inflammation
Relieve stress and boost your mood
Repair your digestion and minimize constipation, bloating, gas, cramps, IBS, and yeast
Address underlying causes of chronic illnesses and long-standing diseases
Increase overall immunity
Instill natural detoxing processes for the rest of your life!

All members will receive:

Over 100 detoxifying recipes
Plans for smarter shopping and choosing detoxifying foods in the grocery store
Private 1-hour consult with Alexandra (*If you sign up by 8/27)
Knowledge of what foods and herbs work better for your individual
body constitution
Step-by-step support and guidance
8 weekly tele-course calls
Continual support via the members-only e-group and online classroom
Recordings of each class

**And if you sign up by 8/27 you’ll also receive a one-on-one consultation with Alexandra and the famous Detox Box filled with tools, books, products, and surprises, valued at over $250!

To sign up and learn more, go here today!

(See what past Detox Members are saying about their incredible experiences here…)

“So easy, a caveman could do it. That’s how dozens of GEICO employees felt when they followed a low-fat vegan diet in a worksite study, losing 11 pounds on average. The findings, published in July’s American Journal of Health Promotion, show that office workers can lose weight, lower blood pressure, and reduce absenteeism if their employer provides healthy low-fat vegetarian meals in the company cafeteria…”

Read the full article here:

http://pcrm.org/newsletter/aug10/geico.html