Winners of the 2012 Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door Contest at PETA

Congratulations to Tiana and Zachary, the winners of PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door 2012!

Source: http://features.peta.org/sexiest-vegetarian-2012/Winners.aspx

Being Vegetarian and Vegan are great ways to stay healthy and feel great. As you can see from Tiana and Zachary, it isn't hard to stay fit and look great!

Weekday Vegetarian

A great way to start detoxing is to become vegan. If becoming vegan sounds like it will be really difficult, you could always become a weekday vegan or vegetarian. With an abundance of restaurant choices that are specifically vegetarian or offer vegetarian options on Guam, this is a great way to make a difference in your life:

• lower your cholesterol
• get more energy
• get rid of food addictions
• save the planet, reduce your carbon footprint
• lose some weight
• be trendy and cool
• save a little, vegetarian dishes cost less at restaurants
• love animals, treat them with respect

The first few days may be difficult as you detox off of addictive foods (sugar, starch) until you get used to eating healthy, but consider it a good challenge and stock up on healthy snacks such as whole fruits and raw nuts. Stay away from white starches and switch to brown starches in moderation. Most of your meal should consist of vegetables, followed by a bit of fruit, brown starch, and/or legumes, and finally a bit of healthy oils and raw nuts.

Don't wait until you are famished to eat, as this may cause you to cheat. Please feel free to write me if you have any questions or need help and encouragement. 

Stay healthy! 

  

We Are What We Eat

As the saying goes, "We are what we eat," our daily lives are reflections of this. Whether we feel sleepy after lunch, hunger for snacks at 3pm, or don't have the energy to chase the kids around the house, these symptoms can all be attributed to what we eat.

Eating healthy not only prevents disease, increases immunity, and extends our lifespan, but it will give us amazing energy without caffeine and allow us to climb every mountain.

I had organic green beans with steamed pumpkin and a side of fresh fruit salad for lunch today. What did you have?

Whether or not you are a vegan or vegetarian, take my challenge to eat healthy this week. Avoid processed and fast foods. Eat whole vegetables and fruit. When eating out, go to healthy restaurants. When grocery shopping, don't torture yourself. Buy healthy foods, eat healthy as a family, and encourage your friends to do so as well.

If you are new to eating healthy, pick one meal a day that will be solely vegan and healthy, raw if possible. This will transition you to eating healthier for yourself and your family.

As Hippocrates said over two centuries ago, "Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food."


(image courtesy of chiropractor.com, designed by lisachau.com)

World Vegan Day

Celebrate World Vegan Day by sharing a vegan meal with friends and family. Do it yourself at home, or visit one of the many fine restaurants listed here!

 

Apple Cider Vinegar

The healthiest type of vinegar is raw, unfiltered, organic apple cider vinegar, also known as ACV.  Bragg's ACV is found at Payless, Healthy Hearts, Simply Foods, and other health food places on Guam. The reason ACV is healthier than other types of vinegar is because it is alkalizing to the body, making the body non-acidic and more basic, which is an environment that inhibits cancer and other illnesses. All vinegars expect for apple cider vinegar makes the body more acidic, and prone to illnesses and cancer-causing environment.

Use Apple Cider Vinegar Instead!

Many local dishes on Guam use white vinegar, but it can easily be replaced with apple cider vinegar. ACV is a bit stronger or more acidic in taste than white vinegar, so use a little less and add water, if necessary. In most recipes, replacing white vinegar with ACV will not change the taste. However, I have had some friends who missed the taste of white vinegar, but quickly grew to prefer ACV.

Citrus Fruits vs. Apple Cider Vinegar

Lemons, limes, and calamansi (small local limes on Guam) are also a good substitues for ACV in recipes. Lemons and limes are pH balancing to the body, which means your body will be neutral, neither acidic, nor alkaline. This is healthy, and it adds vitamin C to your diet.

Avoid Processed Foods like Lemon Juice Powder

Lemon juice powder is not as healthy as fresh lemon or lime juice. Lemon powders, while convenient and commonly used in Guam, may not be made from real lemons or limes (citirc acid), high fructose corn syrup (not healthy), and chemical stabilizers and fillers.

ACV can also be used in place of lemon or lime when a recipe calls for it. Use a little less than the recipe states and add water to make up the difference in liquid. Try using ACV in finadene (soy sauce, ACV, boonie peppers), a Guam's favorite condiment!

Alkalizing Apple Cider Vinegar Drink

For an alkalizing drink, add a little ACV in a glass of water and sweeten with honey, if necessary. I have read that drinking it up to 3 times a day may improve your health by keeping the body alkaline and giving the skin a healthy glow. Drinking it 30 minutes before a meal is ideal, and it is also known to reduces appetite for those looking to loose a little weight.

The drink tastes a little like an apple flavored lemonade!

Need some help convincing?

“But where do you get your protein? ”

You’ve probably been asked this question many times. More than often, you’ve probably hit some bumps in the road when it comes to convincing your family members, co-workers, friends, and even strangers what a Vegan is and how your lifestyle choice works for you. With the holiday get-togethers rolling on in expect to get a lot of questions, but here’s a list of tips and answers to help you on through:

(1) Create a yummy vegan dish to share.

Be sure to start off with what I call “transitional foods.” Best place would be a vegan dessert. Try baking some vegan cookies to bring to a holiday potluck, or even a vegan pie or cake that’s sure to please event the sweetest tooth. From then on move on to “comfort foods” like vegan mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, macaroni/potato salads, and veggie burgers. These would be great for barbeques and will lightly transition their palates from what they are used to. My favorite thing to do is to first have them try the dish, get their praise about the dish, and then casually tell them “it’s vegan too.” Their surprised faces are worth it ;)

(2) Introduce them to other Vegans.

Did you know that Vegans make up less than 1% of the U.S. population? A lot of times the people who can’t relate to you being vegan like to single you out because you are the only one that they know. Solution, introduce them to other Vegans! Go out all together and they’ll see that the way you order and plan out your meals are actually very typically, and in some cases necessary, for a vegan diet.

(3) Plan ahead and go to places that have a variety of vegan dishes.

Being the only Vegan in my family I am faced with going to restaurants that have no vegan options. I am then posed with the statement “you should be thankful that you have food, just eat what they have!” To avoid this, PLAN AHEAD. Call the restaurant and let them know your dietary needs. I have to admit that in some occasions I’ve actually used the statement “I have dietary allergies.” Trust me, a restaurant responds more to the word “allergy” than “vegan.”

(4) Explain the reason for your choice.

We each have our own reasons for choosing this lifestyle. Sticking to this lifestyle shows how dedicated we are to that reason, so share it. Whether it is for health concerns, animal cruelty, or religion, do as much research as you can on the topic and be ready to make a full presentation and come up with rebuttals. The more dedicated you look in front of them the more they will see how important it is to you. For example, my reason is animal cruelty. I try to explain what happens and even show them pictures and videos of animal cruelty if need be. However, don’t force it on them. Ask and if they agree to see it then show them. I find that persuasion without force is the best way.

(5) Relate veganism to something important to them.

What are they passionate about? What’s their religion? Do they love the environment? Do they love animals? There are many ways to relate veganism to someone’s passion. In other words, bring it all the way home. It’s a good conversation starter and it’ll definitely spark their interest. For example, my father is Buddhist and relating compassion to veganism is what I do. I even did a little research and was able to find a lot of evidence on Buddhism supporting veganism. How can you argue with that?

These are just some tips and pointers to help bring some stress relief to some of you having problems convincing the family members or planning holiday dinners. Just remember that if all else fails, some people just can’t be swayed. Just take comfort in knowing that we all go through it and support each other.

Anyone else got helpful tips?

Local Lettuce

As of December 10, select Payless stores, including Micronesia Mall, started selling a variety of locally-grown lettuce: Red butter, Lollo bionda, Red oak leaf, Green oak leaf, Lollo rossa, Green butter, Green butter incised leaf, and Red butter incised leaf, each for $3.99/lb. "Tri-head" (Green Oak, Lollo rossa, Lollo bionda) lettuce sells for $4.79. The lettuce is grown hydroponically, or without soil, and comes with the root system intact to supply the lettuce with nutrients after harvest. It is pesticide-free and insecticide-free. I sampled each variety and they were deliciously flavorful and fresh. A representative from the distributor told me all Payless stores would eventually start carrying the lettuce.

Try dressing the lettuce up with Thyme-Mustard Vinaigrette. Whisk the following ingredients until smooth and emulsified:
1 tbls. olive oil
2 tbls. cider vinegar
1 tsp. whole-grain mustard
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
pinch of sea salt
fresh ground pepper, as desired

Healthy Gift Baskets

How to make your own Healthy Gift Sets & Gift Baskets:

You can find these gift sets at Healthy Hearts in Dededo or you can make your own!  You can personalize it to the person or family you are giving it to, and they don't have to be vegan to enjoy it! Here are some ideas:

• Organic sparkling juices with vegan chocolates
• Aubrey body lotion, soaps, fragrance 
•  Healthy snacks like raw tamari nuts, healthy cashew butter, and fruit 

You can buy a used basket from Salvation Army, Hafa Books, or a freshly made basket from Chamorro Village. You can also ask your friends of family if they have any extra baskets they don't mind parting with. Fill the bottom of the basket with a filler like shredded paper or extra gift wrapping paper. Then add your items into the basket. Add a bow, and viola! you are finished!

Not only is your gift basket eco-friendly and reusable, but the healthy vegan products and foods will be enjoyed by your family and friends!

Happy Holidays!

Organic Farming on Guam?

The organic fruits and vegetables on Guam are flown in from the US mainland and they can be quite costly. Up until a few years ago, organic produce was not even available to us. Now they are available to us through Payless at Micronesian Mall. Though the availability can be unpredictable at times, we can find fresh organic lettuce, carrots, apples, lemons, and sometimes other items. Thanks to them, we can buy fresh organic produce on Guam.

The best organic produce would be ones that have less of a carbon footprint and grown on island.  So why don't we have any organic farms on Guam?

There are many small farms on Guam, and fresh produce can be bought at various farmers markets and road side stands around the island. According to the USDA on Guam, most local farmers use less pesticides and herbicides than produce grown in the US mailand, because local farmers are not as heavily marketed to by the large corporations selling them chemical poisons. And farmers on Guam also own their own seed stocks.

Large corporations like Monsanto and DuPont force mainland farmers to buy their genetically modified or high yielding seeds from them every planting season. They are not allowed to keep their seeds for next year, in addition to needing to purchase large amounts of pesticides and herbicides. Not only is this bad for farmers but bad for the environment. The chemicals leach into the ground water supply and poison our drinking water, land, rivers and lakes, the ocean, and ourselves; not to mention increasing erosion and decreasing biodiversity. Luckily, we are not subjected to these large corporations and their poor ethics. 

I have heard a rumor on Guam that some of the newer Asian immigrant farmers are using illegal chemicals like DDT which were brought from China. However, these accusations have never been confirmed. To combat such poisons, we should move more towards organic farming.

The USDA on Guam offers grants for organic farms that will reimburse 80-100% of the costs of running an organic farm. They also offer assistance on how to farm organically, water saving technologies, and how to prevent of soil erosion. The start-up cost and land is what you will need to begin, then save all the receipts for running the organic farm, and at the end of the year, USDA will reimburse you the money. Sounds like a win-win situation!

Please contact Ms. Jocelyn Bamba from the USDA on Guam at 735-4108 for more information.

If you have the desire to do organic farming but don't have land, please write to me and I will introduce you to someone who is interested in an organic farm partnership.  Also, if you know of an organic farm, please write to me so I can post their information.

(photo taken by Kenneth Lee)

A Vegan Thanksgiving

To all the Guam Vegans who celebrate, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I definitely echo Lisa's thanks to the many places on Guam that make it easier to be vegan every day and to the people, like her, who do the same. Over where I usually blog, I wrote about some of the non-food aspects of Thanksgiving, but I thought I would share a bit here about the food. While it was certainly healthier than the standard American Thanksgiving, it was by no means as healthy as could be. During the holidays, I enjoy proving to others that you can both be vegan and enjoy some of the delicious, special dishes that many Americans associate with certain celebrations. I consider it my own, quiet kind of activism - changing the way people look at vegan food. I'll also admit that I have something of a sweet tooth. I should change that, but I haven't yet. 

The staple of my Thanksgiving every year is the Tofurky Roast. I look forward to it all year long. This year it was stocked at both Payless (Micronesia Mall) and Simply Food. Here's what ours looked like when it was finished cooking.

I have vowed to make my own stuffing from scratch next year, but this year, I used Arrowhead Mills organic stuffing, purchased at Simply Food, with the addition of some diced celery and onions. I did, however, make fresh whole wheat rolls from scratch. I am by no means one who writes recipes. I just make food. I can tell you how I cook things, but precisely what amount I use of what is something I'll never be able to figure out. Sorry. 

The ingredients:

1 packet active dry yeast 

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

+/- 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Enough water to make a good, pliable dough

The process: Knead the dough for about ten minutes, cover and let rise in an oiled bowl for two hours. Next, shape the dough into balls, place well apart on a greased baking sheet, and let proof for 30 minutes to an hour. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes, and here's what you get:

Next on our table was sweet potato casserole, or candied yams if you prefer. This is really not a healthy dish, but it's delicious, and we only eat it once a year. Last year, I made it sans marshmallows, which is certainly one way to make it healthier. This year, I ordered vegan marshmallows from Food Fight Vegan Grocery, based in Portland, OR and almost immediately felt guilty for the waste of a box and for the fuel that would be used to bring it to me. Can you tell that I have an internal conflict with this dish? I'll quit going on and just tell you how it's made.

The ingredients:

4 large, or 6 small sweet potatoes (or yams, depending on who you talk to - the kind with the orange flesh)

Vegan marshmallows (or not)

+/-1/4 c. vegan margarine (I use Organic Smart Balance. Note that the non-organic is not vegan)

1/2-1/3 cup chopped pecans

Cinnamon - a lot

Nutmeg - not quite as much

Cloves - even less

The process: Preheat oven to 350. Peel and cube sweet potatoes, rinse, and place in a baking dish. Place dollops of vegan margarine over the top and sprinkle with spices, freshly ground is best. Place in the oven and bake until the potatoes are nice and soft, approximately 30 minutes, stirring once or twice to distribute the spices. Use a hand blender or a fork to mash the potatoes, add pecans, mix well, and top with marshmallows. Bake another ten minutes or so, until marshmallows are golden brown. The result:

It doesn't look very impressive from the top, but it was my omnivorous husband's favorite dish of the evening. It really is delicious.

My favorite every year is green bean casserole, now that I have finally devised a way to veganize it. 

The ingredients:

About 1lb fresh or frozen green beans (for those with base access, the Andersen commissary carries frozen organic green beans)

1-2 cups mushroom gravy - make your own, or use the Road's End Organic mix available at Payless

2/3 cup Toffuti Better Than Sour Cream (also available at Payless - note that their Sour Supreme contains 

hydrogenated oils, but the Better Than Sour Cream does not, so it's your best bet)

1/4 c. slivered almonds

2 cups french fried onions

The process: Place everything but the onions in a bowl and mix until beans are well coated. Place all in a baking dish and cover with onions. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until top begins to brown. The result:

Another that doesn't look gorgeous from the top, but tastes delicious.

Now, on to my favorite thing about Thansgiving: the pies. Each year, I make pumpkin following this recipe for the filling, and whole wheat pastry flour, a touch of oil, and a bit of cold water for the crust. I also used a paring knife to cut leaf shapes out of the crust. The result:

I use the same crust for our pecan pie, along with this recipe for the filling, but I add a teaspoon of agar agar powder with the sugars to help the filling set a bit better. Believe it or not, I'm on a constant quest to make my Thanksgiving a touch healthier without compromising the tastiness. This year, I opted to make raw cashew "whipped cream" instead of buying the spray can of soy whipped cream that Simply Food carries. It was delicious, but definitely could never pass for dairy, which is quite alright with me.

Tell us: what are your favorite special occasion dishes?

Thankful

Thank you to the many people on island who make it easier to be vegan!

-Healthy Hearts
-Simply Foods
-Payless
-Palm Cafe
-and the many other food establishments

Thank you to the individuals who see this as a worthy goal and continue to promote healthy living on island.

-Guam Chiropractic Wellness Center
-Synergy
-SDA

And thank you to the readers and writers of this blog. Thank you, Melissa, our newest writer! I began this blog to track my vegan lifestyle on Guam, and it has grown to include so many people who are now friends. It feels wonderful to have a community to share experiences! Happy Thanksgiving!


(image borrowed from http://thehappyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/11/raw-vegan-turkey.html)

Sugar Pop Quiz

1. How much sugar is in a regular can of soda?
30 grams
40 grams
50 grams
100 grams



2. True or False: White sugar is unhealthy because it suppresses the immune system.

3. White sugar is found in which of the following foods considered non-sweet:
Whole grain bread
Ketchup
Hot sauce
Peanut butter

ANSWERS:

1. There is 40 grams of sugar in a can of soda. We should have only 5 grams of sugar in our entire bloodstream at any given time. All 40 grams of sugar is easily digested and dumped into the blood stream, causing an increase and sustained level of insulin in the blood, causing the body to store fat, leading to crisis in the body of having to process too much sugar at once.

Switch to healthier drinks such as water, buko juice/ coconut water, and natural fruit and vegetable juices lower in sugar.

2. White sugar is bad for you, not only because it depresses the immune system, but also because
-It can cause kidney damage
-Increases heart disease
-Causes the body to store fat, increasing obesity
-Makes blood sticky, increasing the risk of blood clots and stroke
-Depletes the body of minerals
-Depression, hyperactivity, difficulty in concentrating
-Speeds aging process

What kinds of sugars are better for you? Sugars with a lower glycemic index reduce the rate at which the body absorbs sugar. The less processed, the better. For example, agave nectar, raw honey, coconut palm sugar, apple juice have a lower glycemic index (40 and below) as compared to white sugar, soda, corn syrup, refined honey, high fructose corn syrup (70-87).

Artificial sweeteners can be either poisons, laxatives, or have an aftertaste. Most labortory made artificial sweeteners are poisons, such as aspartamine, sucralose, with brands such as Splenda, Sweet-n-Low, and Equal. Artificial sweeteners derived from plants are generally better such as malitol and xylitol, which are sugar alcohols occurring naturally in some fruit and tastes like sucralose. These sugar alcohols do not raise the blood sugar and are safe to use, but it has a laxative effect when too much is ingested.

My favorite sugar substitite is stevia from the brand Stevita, which has the most pleasant of all the stevia products on the market. Stevia comes from a plant, and when used fresh, has the most sugar-like taste. Because it is not a sugar, it has zero calories and does not raise the blood sugar, making it safe for diabetics. It is commonly used in Japan as a sweetener. It does have an after taste, so I usually sweeten 50% with stevia and 50% with an alternative sugar source such as agave or coconut sugar. If I had access to fresh stevia, I might juice it and use it as my sole sugar source.


3. White sugar can be found in whole grain bread, ketchup, hot sauce, peanut butter, and among other foods that are not considered sweet. White sugar is unhealthy for the body because it leads to obesity, diabetes, and suppressed immunity.

It is important to read the ingredients on foods you purchase. White sugar is found in many food items. You will be surprised at so many other unhealthy ingredients found in everyday foods. Even foods at health food stores may be loaded with white sugar and bad fats. Reading the labels will help you determine what is healthy for you, and puts you in control of your health.

Food Addictions

 If you are a fledgling with vegetables, you may be hungry due to food addictions. We have many food additions that prompt us to eat unhealthy items again and again. Large fast food corporations understand this very well and use it to exploit our weaknesses. Therefore, eating from fast foods chains is extremely unhealthy, even if they are vegan or vegetarian.

We can also be addicted to whole foods such as starchy carbohydrates like corn, rice, or potatoes. My special weakness is for fried salty foods like potato chips. But compared to fast foods, how unhealthy are these items?

Fried foods are especially unhealthy not only because it adds calories to the food, but heating food to such a high temperature destroys nutrients and creates carcinogens, or cancer causing elements such as benzenes, acylamides, and acrolein. Fried foods provides high calories with low nutrition, carcinogens, and may cause food addictions, making it easier to gain weight and develop illnesses in the future.

So what is the best methods for food preparation? Raw foods have the most nutrients, and if I am going to cook something, I usually steam or water sate the vegetables, then add seasoning afterwards (ie. frying the garlic and onions in virgin coconut oil by themselves, then adding the steamed vegetables).

In order from best to worst for food preparation: 
Raw    (best, most nutrients, enzymes)
Steam
Water Sate
Boil
Broil or Grill
Fry     (worst, high calories, least nutrients, loaded with carcinogens)

Starchy carbohydrates and sugars are also extremely addicting. Ask anyone who can't survive without their coke or white rice at every meal. Starches and sugars signal your body to store fat and mess with your insulin levels causing sugar highs and crashes and making way for diabetes in the future. It is better to replace white sugar and white rice with healthier sugars (agave, maple, stevia, dates, coconut sugar) and whole grains (brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, etc) and having portion control so they do not make up most of your diet or meal at any given time. Sprouting grains also provides more nutrients and enzymes to grains. Get more out of your food!

I want to be in charge of my life and not be controlled by external or internal forces, and for me, this includes food addictions.

(I welcome your comments or stories about  this topic. Please send me your story and I'll post it.)

Indian Spices and Rosewater

Where do I find Cardamom and Rose Water on Guam?

You can buy cardamom and rose water at an Indian clothing store called Meena's. The Indian groceries are located in the back of the store. From Marine Drive you turn onto the road that leads you to GPO. Go past GPO, past Cost-u-Less, look for a clothing store on the left called Meena's. Park, enter the clothing store, walk through to the grocery in the back. They have everything from spices, tea, canned goods, frozen naan, etc. Many Indians are vegetarians, so be sure you read the ingredients to see if there are any eggs, dairy, ghee (yak butter), or even meat.

(http://www.kitchenheadquarters.org/scripts/herbs/herbs_07_cardamom.html)

Cardamom is a spice from the ginger family that can be found in Indian sweets and Chai tea. If you buy cardamom, look for green pods. The cardamom seeds are inside and will remain fresh within the pods. Cheaper cardamom is ground and not as fresh or fragrant.

In Ayurveda medicine cardamom is known for it's spicy unique flavor, and medicinally is reported to treat infections of the mouth, throat, eyelids, digestive issues, and relieves congestion of the lungs. It has also been reported to break up kidney stones and gall stones, and some have used it as an antidote for snake and scorpion bites. All that in a cup of chai!
 
An easy cup of chai tea can be made by brewing Indian black tea (or any black tea) with a half a pod of cardamom (squash the pod and seeds). Add soy or nut mylk and your choice of sweetener for a real tea time treat!

(http://go2.wordpress.com)

At Meena's, they will try to sell you everything, if you look like you are just browsing, because the owners are really good at selling! Rest assured, I was very happy with the extra items that I bought, and all the interesting things I saw. It's an interesting culinary adventure and a little slice of India on Guam.

Vegan Pop Quiz

1. Vegans have lower risks of which of these?
Cancer
Diabetes
Cardiovascular Disease
Stroke
Obesity
All of the Above

2. True or False: Becoming a vegetarian/vegan will make you lose weight, therefore all vegetarians and vegans are sexy!

3. An individual's carbon footprint is the amount of green house gas they emit in their daily life from driving, to what a person chooses to eat or purchase. Being Vegan reduces a person's carbon footprint by
5%
12%
51%
71%

(See Answers in the Comments)

Food Shopping for Guam Vegans

We have several options for stores on island that you can buy dry, fresh, and frozen organic goods.

If you are coming from off island, you already know the prices are higher for organics, but you should expect to pay a little more than usual, because the organics have to be flown here as refrigerated or frozen cargo.

Payless Supermarket at Micronesian Mall in Dededo has a good selection for non-perishables (soups, grains, etc), toiletries, fresh organic salads, frozen organic prepackaged food, frozen organic vegetables. Occasionally, they carry fresh organic produce such as carrots, apples, oranges, and lemons. Payless is the main grocery store on island with many smaller supermarkets elsewhere. They all carry some amount of organic or vegan options, but the one at Micronesian Mall seems to specialize in healthier foods. You can also request they bring in items at the Micronesian Mall branch.

Of course you will not find everything at Payless, so I usually shop at these smaller but great groceries:

Healthy Hearts in Dededo has unique organic items that you won't find elsewhere. Most of the selection is organic dry goods, weekly fresh organic groceries such as kale, salad, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, apples, etc, toiletries, vitamins. They even have an organic cafe (macrobiotic diet) where you can order fresh juices, sandwiches, meals, fresh organic baked goods etc. You can sign up for their weekly specials or news online. The owners are a local family that are committed to a healthier Guam, and it shows in their store and cafe.

Simply Foods in Agana Heights is run by the SDA church, though they do not preach to the Simply Foods customers. They have a well-run cafeteria/cafe with assorted vegetarian/vegan food with daily specials and fresh wheatgrass. The store in the back has a variety of non-perishables, frozen vegetarian/vegan meals, refrigerated items, toiletries, vitamins. They do not specialize in organics, but do carry organic items. Their grocery prices are pretty reasonable and you can order things in bulk from them with a discount, and request items be brought in. Of course they do not carry meats.

Nuts & Grains is located behind Oka Payless near the hospital and has a small selection of non-perishables and a cafe, but I would not recommend this place, because their non-perishables were not fresh (expired items, which is common for Guam, so check labels before buying!), and the cafe did not serve vegan items. That was a few years ago, so you are welcome to check it out and let me know if things have changed.

Farmer's Markets can be found at Chamorro Village in Agana, Saturday mornings in front of Yigo Payless, everyday in Harmon next to Iglesia Ni Christo Church, once in a while outside of the Barrigada Post Office selling sweet island corn, vegetables, tuba, etc. According to the Department of Agriculture, most farmers on Guam do not use too much in terms of herbicides and pesticides, as compared to farmers in the states who are heavily marketed to. Use a good vegetable wash and find the freshest produce on island!

Any other suggestions for where to shop? Please email me!

Healthy Hearts

Don't forget to stop by Healthy Hearts before they close for a week!

Finding Fresh Local Produce

Local produce on Guam can be purchased at grocery stores, farmers' markets, roadside stands or trucks. Many grocery stores, both big and small, carry a small variety of local produce. Depending on the season or availability, tomatoes, okra, green onions, calamansi (local small limes, very fragrant), eggplant (small, purple, and long), chaote (chayote or pear squash), pumpkin, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, white radish (daigo, daikon), and kang kong (morning glory or Chinese spinach) can be found.

The Dededo Flea Market brings together many farmers and sellers of local produce on Saturday mornings for the weekly event. It is located in the parking lot near Dededo Payless. You can browse many items and people-watch on Saturday mornings.

Chamorro Village in Hagatna has farmers' markets open daily, according to the signs posted. Located across from TGIF or Bank of Guam, farmers also sell their produce on Wednesday nights for Chamorro Village Night Market (near the Fisherman's Co-op). I have found boonie peppers, bananas, sweet potatoes, fresh buko (young coconut), and calamansi at this farmers' market.

You can find sweet local corn in Barrigada across from the main Post Office. The farmer has a truck parked outside of the beige National Guard complex. His corn is very sweet and delicious. I usually make a raw corn salad or salsa, and then boil the rest to serve with dinner. Sometimes other vendors show up to sell their tomatoes, sweet tuba (local coconut alcohol, "local beer"), or seafood.

One of my favorite farmers' market is in Harmon next to the Iglesia Ni Christo Church (beautiful, white, grand church with steeple, you can't miss it), east past the Micronesian Mall. There are two vendors, one on each side of the church. The vendor on the west is a local Korean family of farmers. Their produce comes from local farms including their own, and the prices are very good for those watching their budgets. The vegetables are so fresh that they last longer in the refrigerator than produce from grocery stores. Typical vegetables you can find here include tomatoes, watermelon, kang kong, and bananas, to name a few.

On the east side of the church, you will find local Filipino vendors selling different varieties of vegetables that are not from local farms. However, you will find a few seasonal local produce like mangoes or avocados once in awhile.

My favorite thing to get from this vendor is freshly grated mature coconut. It makes me feel like I'm in Southeast Asia, where the vendor cracks open the coconut and grates it on the grinder, right there while you wait, packages it in a plastic bag, and it costs only a few dollars! You can ask the vendor to save the coconut water for you, but there isn't very much, because the coconut is mature. The grated coconut is so fresh and sweet, if you've never had freshly grated coconut, it is unlike any other coconut item you've ever had! I ate it fresh by itself. Amazing! You can also make a fresh coconut crust by dehydrating or baking it in a pan, and then adding a filling of your choice.

Although fresh local produce is not organic, most of it is grown with very little pesticides and herbicides when compared to produce flown in from the States. Some local produce is not grown with pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, but lacks the certified organic label. However, please be warned, produce should always be washed, local or not, with either a homemade or commercially-made vegetable and fruit cleaner to remove pesticides and herbicides.

So whether you want to save a buck, get the freshest produce, or support local agriculture, buying local produce is the way to go!

For more information of how to pick local vegetables, please see this article.
(Since I am currently off island and unable to take my own pictures, the image above borrowed from www.pdn.com)

Kelp Noodles as Pasta, Rice Noodles, and Chow Mein

Kelp Noodles are a great substitute for pasta and noodles in any dish. They are extremely low in calories, high in minerals, and have a great filling factor for your stomach, especially if you are trying to loose weight.  They cost about $5 per bag at Payless at Micronesian Mall in the refrigerated section of the healthy food aisle, where you can find tofu and soymilk behind the fruit and vegetable section.

They are raw and taste crunchy when you eat them right out of the bag. I add them to salads or top them on other dishes where a stringy noodle crunch is desired.

Since they are a raw food item, I try not to cook them so they can retain their best nutritional value. I warm them up by adding them last to a sauce that I heated up on the stove. Once heated, they become soft in texture like rice noodles, chow mein, ramen, and angel hair pasta. They are great to add to miso soup, pasta sauce, stir fried vegetables, and curries.

When you are eating on-the-go or entertaining, you can use it to add volume to a dish for sharing with others.

Journaling Food

I've just started to do some nutritional counseling for some patients at the Wellness Center. So I've started a food journal to help me and the patients to be more conscious of what and when we eat. It has been really helpful so far!

You can do it too... Just log the time of each meal, what was eaten, quantities. Three meals a day and two snack times between meals are ideal. I leave room at the end of each day for contemplating questions like:

Did I skip any meals today?
Did I eat  a lot of high-fat foods, such as dairy, fried foods, and desserts?
Did I go longer than four to five hours without eating?
Did I eat more at night than any other time?

Questions like these help to keep me on track and be more conscious of eating right. Left to my own devices, I may work until I'm starving, then over-eat and top it off with sugary, fatty foods. This usually leaves me feeling pretty uncomfortable, and it's really preventable! I'm happy I started my food journal.