Saturday, March 28, 2009

Easy as ABC...

What is there to eat when you are on the go and need a healthy vegan snack?

I've recently discovered that ABC stores found everywhere in Tumon with sizable stores in Micronesian Mall and Guam Premium Outlets, carry a few healthy products.

They carry fresh fruit, 100% juices, unsweetened teas without preservatives (green, black, jasmine teas), and a variety of filtered or natural spring waters.

 
ABC also carries some healthy skin products like Dr. Bonner's organic liquid and bar soaps. I personally like the liquid tea tree oil soap, which I dilute with water and organic aloe vera. Tea tree oil comes from trees native to Australia. The oil is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-viral, which makes it a good hand soap, too. Pure tea tree oil can be purchased at Simply Foods or Vitamin World. It can be used on cuts, blemishes, etc. 
 
ABC also carries Burt's Bees products. Although it is marketed as 'natural' and 'healthy,' I would read the ingredients before purchasing. Some of their products seem pretty good, but not organic. Other products are better than most items on the market, but still contain excess chemicals such as petrol products that may not be good for the skin. Buyers beware!
Considering that ABCs are stores catering to tourists, I like that I can find what I want in Tumon or the malls on Guam. It's fast and fresh.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Vibrant Living Food Tasting

Vibrant Living Food Tasting

WHEN:               Sunday, March 29, 2009
TIME:                 6:30PM
WHERE:              Cafe Havana (Hyatt Hotel – Old TJ’S)
PRICE:               $25 adults/ $10 children (6-12 years old). 
CONTACTS:        Marc, MGOTH89@HOTMAIL.COM, Ruthe, RPAESTE@YAHOO.COM, 686-4279(HAPY), Erica, ERICATAIJERON@YAHOO.COM 
                          Advanced tickets sold at Healthy Hearts, Dededo; M-F 10am-6pm; healthyhearts@gmail.com; Tel. 633-0886

MENU
SALADS
chop chae, kefir veggies, seaweed salad, local papaya salad, organic mix greens, local cherry tomatoes, local cucumber, sprouts, organic dressing
STARTERS
buko crackers, carrot crackers, manna bread, babaganoush, hummus, pesto, tapanade, salsa
COOKED MAINS
baked local fish, brown rice
MAINS
“cleansing” soup, thai curry, pizza by the slice, raw tacos, “live” chili
DESSERTS
Chia seed pudding, "cheesecake", raw fudge bars
DRINKS/SHAKES FOR SALE $3-$5
cherry soda, ginger spritzer, strawberry kefir shakes, "happy" shakes (cacao & maca), Pau de arco elixir 
Add SUPERFOODS for $1 extra (Goji Powder, Blue Green Algae, Revitiphi-SuperGreens) 
COCONUT WATER KEFIR $7-$15
                                                                                                                                ~EAT HEALTHY, LIVE VIBRANT!~
 

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Wellness Wednesdays

Guam Health & Wellness Center in Upper Tumon hosts "Wellness Wednesdays" at 6pm which includes vegan pupus (appetizers) and open discussions about various health topics. The Wellness Center is located on Marine Corps Dr. across from Nissan Motors, in the same one story strip mall with Aji Ichi and Julian's Karaoke.

I was this week's featured chef and gave a short presentation to the food I prepared with organic and local fresh vegetable dishes in 60 minutes:
  • Cheesy Brocolli - our chirpractic assistant, Becky's favorite dish
  • Raw Sushi with rice wrapper
  • Organic Soybeans
  • Raw Seseme Salad with local tomatoes and cucumbers, organic tofu
  • Organic Hummus with Sprouted Grain Chips
  • Creamy Local Papaya with Cinnamon

Lori, an attendee at Wellness Wednesday, requested this recipe:

Cheesy Brocolli
Organic frozen brocolli (Payless)
nutritional yeast (Simply Food)
natural sea salt
  1. Boil brocolli. Pour off water and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process (prevents soft, overcooked veggies) and 'crisp-up' the veggies.
  2. Shake off excess water in a collander.
  3. Add (about 3Tb) nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt to taste.
Nutritional yeast is high in B-vitamins, and it is really delicious on many foods. Be sure to add the yeast last, after cooking (remove from heat) to prevent destroying the B-vitamins. Lori said she dislikes real cheese (dairy), but found this dish very delicious!

This week's health topics were presented by Dr. Roger Martinez (Chiropractor):
  • Why organics? What are they and why should we choose organic foods?
  • Water, the essense of life: how much should I be drinking, plastic toxins leaching into water, best water for drinking.
Dr. Sean Larkin (Chiropractor) was also available to answer questions and make recommendations on health and diet, especially with regards to pre-existing medical conditions. His diet results in natural weight loss and a healthier way of being.

Both Drs. Sean and Roger say that keeping the body healthy will prevent future health problems. Wellness is a lifestyle change.

Thanks to all who attended and spoke at Wellness Wednesday!
Please join us again, every Wednesday at 6pm.

For more information, feel free to contact the center at:
Guam Health & Wellness Center
646-BACK or 646-2225

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

MARCH Daily Specials

An inexpensive and tasty vegan lunch can be found on weekdays at Simply Food in Agana Heights (across from the Govenor's mansion).  Simply Food is a vegetarian non-profit restaurant and health food store.  Aside from the regular menu with my favorite sandwiches, mushroom loaf, and enchiladas, there are daily specials. Be sure to ask if the items are vegan, as some of them may contain dairy or egg. 

Simply Food
MARCH Daily Specials
All Specials are $5.99!  (Small salad or small soup: add $2.25)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday            Chamorro:  “Chicken” Kelaguen, Chalakilis, Spinach, & Brown Red Rice
Soup:  Taco Soup
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday        Taco Salad w/Chips and Homemade Salsa
Soup:  Tahini Minetrone
------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday      Indian:   Brown Rice and Curry
Soup: Lentil Tomato Carrot
------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday         Spaghetti w/Veggie Burger Marinara and Garlic Bread
            Soup: Garlic Garbanzo
------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday            Thai:  Curry w/Brown Rice
Soup:  Chinese Vegetable 
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Phone/Fax #: 472-2382
If you’d like to receive future menus via e-mail, please send request to:  simplyfoodguam@yahoo.com

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Raw Food Special Event


This past Sunday marked the fourth time that Vibrant Living Food Tasting offered a raw food buffet at Cafe Havanna at the Hyatt Hotel.  Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children, and tickets were purchased from Healthy Hearts in Dededo at 633-0886. 
raw pizza
These occaisonal events are special treats for people to try raw vegan foods. There were at least 25 different items including salads, starters, main courses, and the desserts. My favorites were the raw vegan pizza, sushi, and tacos.  The desserts were also spectacular with local banana crepes, cheesecake, and raw fudge bars.
raw tacos
There were drinks/shakes for sale including cherry soda, ginger sprintzer, stawberry kefir shake, happy shake with cacao and maca, and coconut water kefir, with an option to add superfoods. I tried the happy shake, and it was delicious!
  raw sushi
I was full yet light and energized after the meal. I know that I will be interested in incorporating more raw foods into my diet as a result of this meal.

I hope at the next event, there will be biodegradable plates and utensils or ceramic/glassware instead of paper, styrofoam, or plastic. What we put into our bodies is just as important as our carbon footprint in our environment.
 
I also did not feel that meat of any kind (fish) was necessary at this event. Perhaps I am biased, but one raw and healthy meal could show others that eating raw and healthy is filling, delicious, and isn't as hard as they think it might be!  When my carnivorous friends share a vegan meal that I have prepared, many comment that they could be vegans also, if they could eat/cook like I do. Being healthy is a life style change, one that I'm committed to promoting to others.

I met lots of people who are interested in healthy lifestyles including the organizers and chefs of the event: Erica, Ruth and Mark, who can be contacted at
ERICATAIJERON@YAHOO.COM, MGOTH89@HOTMAIL.COM, RPAESTE@YAHOO.COM 
To get on the mailing list for these events, please write to Sherry at healthyheartsguam@gmail.com

I hope to see you at the next raw food event!

Seorabol Restaurant - Korean Food in Harmon

 Seorabol Restaurant is located within Harmon Industrial Park on the north end, on the ocean side of the road. It is within a one story strip mall that faces the road.

There is one dish that I can eat at Korean restaurants like Seorabol called Bibimbap. It is a mixed rice dish. I prefer it to be cooked in a hotpot without egg or other meats. The stone pot comes out center-of-the-sun hot (don't touch!) and the fresh veggies are added over white rice. The veggies include bean sprouts, sliced cucumbers, carrots, etc. You mix a red paste into the bowl and stir up the veggies and rice together.

The best thing about eating at a Korean restaurant like Seorabol is all of the tasty side dishes that are all vegetarian.

The worst thing about Bibimbap is that it is a white rice dish, which is not preferred in my diet, because it causes a spike in processing sugars from carbohydrates and causes the feeling of being tired after eating and the potential for sugar crashes.

Still, a worthy and tasty adventure!